Let's Get Dotty

Happy First Day of February! We're making unique, handmade cards this week and I'd like to invite you to make a few as well. It's for a good cause called the Special Delivery Project. Etsy is partnering with City-Meals-on-Wheels to deliver nutritious meals and handmade Valentine cards to over 18,000 elderly New Yorkers on Valentine's Day. Isn't that a nice way to share the love?

Last year, I made these Valentine cards for the Special Delivery Project and boy did I have a ball making them! Etsy needs our help by making the cards and writing a sweet message inside. Make as many cards as you want and mail them by February 7, 2012 to:

Attn: Katie Rose Crosswhite

55 Washington Street, Suite 512

Brooklyn, NY 11201

You can find more information here.

Now, here's another idea to turn left over tissue paper used from gift wrapping.

I chose this one with the polka dots. I'll cut around them.

Then I'll attach these randomly on plain card stock with a glue stick.

You can cut out circles from single color tissue paper too.

A blah sheet of paper is now a TADA! greeting card!

Joyful Birthdays

Howdy everyone!

This week is all about handmade birthday cards made out of colorful tissue. I keep some tissue handy to wrap gifts. I even saved some from packages that I've received, especially the pretty ones.

blah: tissue remnants

TADA!: Use ink & rubber stamps

to make your own prints

Spell out short & cheerful wishes

Cut out the circles to make confetti

Put them inside an envelope, seal & send

Scatter joy!

Birthday Cards

Happy Monday Friends!

Do you still receive birthday cards? I'm ecstatic to say I still do. And because I love that feeling of being remembered and knowing all the trouble a friend went through to send that birthday card, I enjoy giving out birthday cards too. This week, I'll show you some of the ones I made, starting with this one:

blah: tissue paper remnants

blah: CD envelopes left over from this

Christmas project

Using a butterfly craft punch, I made a

symphony of butterflies out of

the tissue paper.

Then I put them {make a lot} inside the envelope. From this view, you can't quite decipher that the blue background -- they're butterfly cut-outs.

Adding a single, contrasting butterfly begs

the question, "Why only one?"

But when the envelope is opened,

this is the desired effect.

A bit messy, but doesn't the birthday girl deserve a

shower of confetti on her special day?

Add a small note in the flurry flutter and tell me if

that doesn't make anyone smile!

Pinterest!

Have you heard about Pinterest? It's an on-line pin board where you can organize images that you find from all over the web.

Like the mood boards I featured all week, Pinterest allows you to gather together pictures to help you design, decorate and dream.

You can check other people's pin boards, and if you are fascinated with what they pinned, you can "like" or comment on the image and even re-pin it on your own pin board, provided that you have an account. To do this, you have to request for an invitation {I'm still waiting for mine...sigh}. Another cool feature -- the source {ex. blog post} where the photo came from appears with the photo/pin, giving credit to the person who thought of it! So to my dear readers who found blah to TADA! through my projects posted on Pinterest, thanks for visiting me here.

It's also a social networking site and like blogging or Twitter where you can "follow" someone {subscribe to their posts} or they can "follow" you.

I can spend hours just looking through various pin boards! In fact, let me go and do that now. Have a fun Friday and a glorious weekend!

Pages Upon Pages of Inspiration

Since the start of the week, I've been raving about mood boards and illustrating how they aren't strictly the bulletin board variety. Many people who design for a living use mood boards. Yes, even chefs. In creating a menu, plating a dish or making a cookbook, a series of sketches and pictures contribute in making the food look beautiful. After all, we eat with our eyes first.

Organic baker Sarah Magid, in her cookbook Organic and Chic, showcases the beginnings of a luscious cake with a few drawings.

Like a dress or a piece of furniture, the initial design is the direction in which the cake comes to life. It will also be the basis of approval for the person requesting it.

So have I convinced you that mood boards are they right way to begin any project? Mood boards keep you organized!

blah: a stack of magazine clippings

TADA!: assemble an inspiration book

using a three-ring binder

Add some dividers, paper & some plastic pockets.

Fill the pockets with pictures or fabric.

Make lists & floor plans on the paper.

You can also punch holes on actual tear sheets

and add them to the binder.

Watch your binder grow thicker as the

project progresses.

And use it as a guidebook for all the people involved.

Enjoy your Thursday!

Idea Notebook

Ever make a mood board? It's an efficient and exciting way to begin the design process. A lot of fashion designers start their collection with a mood board:

Kate Spade

J. Crew

Tory Burch

Mood boards don't necessarily have to be a cork board. I like to use a notebook or journal because I can take it anywhere. It doesn't have to be fancy, I use 79 cent school notebooks!

This is my blog idea notebook. I made a blog calendar to help me plot themes for the coming weeks and blah to TADAs! for the day. March 2012 has yet to be filled up. I was to shy to show you January because it has sketches in the tiny boxes and notes all over the margins. Eeeep!

I fill the other pages with magazine clippings. This method works so much better than stuffing them in an envelope. That's blah.

The cut-outs {and some sketches} are visual cues for future crafting.

Even if the holidays are far away, it's never too early to gather pictures! TADA!

Motivation Board

Howdy everyone! This week, I'm writing about mood boards and how they can help you bring your projects into fruition. I know that sounds quite lofty, but a mood board is basically a blank page, a clean slate where you can tack on scraps of ideas and bits of inspiration.

Here are samples of mood boards I found on the Pottery Barn site:

Use a mood board to plan a party.

Create designs for stationery with the help of a mood board.

Decide on colors for your home or clothing line.

Show off progress & remind yourself of upcoming activities.

Use it to prepare meals and menus.

Use a mood board to plan your wedding.

If you don't have a frame or bulletin board,

make one or use a blank wall.

But if you have very little space, here's a tip:

blah: a 2011 desk calendar

Remove the pages so you're left with the

cardboard tent.

TADA! -- Instant mood board!

Stick on photos or in this case,

words of motivation.

Use this as your own personal cheering squad

to make your 2012 goals a reality!