Printable Freebies

The past few weeks have gone by fast!  I helped my daughter look for a new apartment, took a few naps, and worked on some sewing and a couple of new printables.  Given the fact that it will be the 4th of July holiday in just a few short weeks, I feel like I should be working on Christmas stuff already!

I wanted to add a little 4th of July flair to my mantle, so while I was (supposed to be) resting my back I put together a little sumthin'-sumthin' to share

Download full size (8 x 10) high resolution pdf here:

4th of July Printable 

My daughter will be sharing her new apartment, which prompted this printable, which will also be a housewarming gift!  I ended up making it in about 10 colors, but settled for putting these 4 colors on the printable:

Download the high resolution 2-page set for 5 x 7 frames here:

What I Love Printables 

And here they are on my mantle in some freshly re-painted frames!

Happy Wednesday!

Free Ephemera Friday #5

Friday is here again....TGIF lemme tell ya.  This has been a rough, rough week.  Won't go into details but my daughter was mugged by thugs, and it has taken a few days to feel somewhat safe again. 

My awesome new Ranger Melt Art Pot just showed up today, and I can't wait to give it a go!  So excited  :D

Thinking about making an art journal of some type

Maybe a cool card or tag

 

We will surely need some images, now won't we??

Have a great weekend!  I am looking forward to a much better week next week for sure!!

Grammatically Different Plates- Fresh Ideas Tutorial

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.

Albert Einstein

'Live-Laugh-Love'

'I Hope You Dance'

'Believe'

OMG! I am LOL because it has all just gotten so ridiculous, IMHO....

Is that what life has become- someone else's catch phrase?  Does it really reflect your thoughts and wishes for the day?  I am thinking "we can do better than this".  

By now you know I love quotes and Bible verses.  I find great inspiration and comfort in many of them.  I think words hold great meaning.  You probably know someone that has a favorite verse as well.  So wouldn't it be great to give someone (or yourself!) the gift of a word phrase that actually has some deeper meaning?  I'm going to show you how with just an inkjet printer and a few inexpensive supplies.

For this project you will need:

• A few ceramic plates (or tiles)

I pick them up all over.  You may have a few lying around, but each of these were purchased for anywhere from .49-$2.00 ea.

• Denatured Alcohol* (find it @ the hardware store)

*flammable- please use in well ventilated area away from flame

  

• Lazertran Inkjet

(click on above link to see where to buy)

 Lazertran has a TON of applications, but for this project we are applying it to a ceramic surface.  I used black type, but you can print colored images if you choose. Don't worry- We'll have more fun with it another day.

•  Spray Polyurethane* (gloss or satin/matte)

* note: MUST be a urethane- acrylics will not dissolve film! 

• a few cotton balls
• a pan of water about 1" deep large enough to hold transfer
• inkjet printer

There are basic instructions that come with the Lazertran, but believe me- it is nothing compared to the voice of experience here.  A few things to consider:

Choose a plate with a specific rim/edge detail to ease the transition from the Lazertran to the edge.  You can see a faint line of the transfer on some types of plates more than others, especially with a curved inner edge.

 Try to make your image a large enough size to come close to the transition line.  It just looks neater.

I thought the gloss urethane gave a better result on my ceramic plates, but consider the original sheen of your item to give it a authentic look.

If you need to sand out any imperfections in your urethane finish- be sure it is fully cured and use a scotchbrite style sanding pad (fine grit) and lightly sand the surface without putting any real pressure on the pad.  Then apply a light final coat. You may also need a sharp pin/needle to prick air bubbles in the transfer.  

Measure your plate ahead of time to determine the size of your phrase.  I like to use Publisher because it has a handy ruler on the side of the page, but use whichever program you are familiar with.  You do not need to "mirror" or flip your image!  Also, I do at least one 'test' sheet on regular paper to be sure I have things the correct size before I print on the Lazertran sheet.  I would much rather waste a cheap piece of copy paper getting things right.

When you have things the way you want it- print on the white side of the Lazertran.  I'm cheap, so I try to get 2 or more projects per sheet.  Allow it to fully dry- 30 mins or so.  If you are impatient you can try a heat gun, but no promises- OK?

I like to find a circle 'template' to use to get the size/centering correct.  You may have a circle cutter.  I do.....somewhere!  If your plate is square, measure twice, cut once ;-)

Use a pencil to mark your cutting line- then cut just inside the line.

Gather your materials on a covered surface

It's good to check the back of the plate so if there is a logo you get it orientated correctly with what will be your finished product.

More *almost* Free Gifts

I like to think that God has a sense of humor.  

Case in point- I have often been referred to as 'The Queen'......don't ask me why  ;-)   Seriously- even as a little girl my parents said I must think I was the Queen.  Hmmmm.  So, it would only be *fitting* that I should get a crown for Christmas, right??  Unfortunately, the crown I am getting is NOT the kind to put on my head!!  That's the irony at play here.....last night I cracked a porcelain crown on a molar.  Yippee  :/

So guess what.  More people on my gift list will be getting something handmade this year.  Not necessarily a bad thing. 

I visited a few craft shows in the last few weeks, and there are lots of ways to spend your hard earned money to buy 'personalized' gifts for the folks you love.  I have admired the collage name prints that have the lettering made from architectural pics that resemble or are letters.  Given my architectural background, that is a given, right??  

You can imagine my excitement when I found a Flickr group with these images to share FOR FREE!!  Ahhh, sometimes the stars align.  The name collage prints I saw for sale (unframed) at the craft shows were running just about $10 per letter, and that was in black and white.  I'm sure with the cost of colored ink, they figured why bother increasing their costs, right? 

Certainly, if you want, you can make these personalized word/name prints in black and white.  I like to add color through artwork, so I chose to print my collage on my color laser printer.  Just to save you some time, effort and ink, I will tell ya I tried this with canvas paper and got a pretty mottled result.  I got a vivid print with white cardstock, lightly textured.

Here is my collage print:

 

Here is my finished project:

The editing and collage program I use is Picnik .  The basics are free, but the collage part I used is in the premium features which are under $30/yr.  You may already have an editing program you love.....I was just putting that out there for anyone that doesn't already have one.  

Leo Reynolds  is kind enough to share his fabulous collection of architectural photos with everyone FOR FREE (you can tell I love FREE, right??) as long as you follow his copyright rules, which means no resale, but give as many of these awesome gifts as you choose!  

 Just a footnote:

I had my mat custom cut @ my local hobby store for a cost of $5.  The frame was one of many I have purchased over the course of the year at garage sales, etc.  You may have one laying around that could just use a fresh coat of paint.  But, still this project was far below the $150+ it would have cost to have the people at the craft show do it- and the most time consuming part was looking through all of Leo's great photos and selecting my favorites.

A BIG *thanks* to Leo for all of the fantastic Flickr images!

Really Exciting News!

Sorry if it seems I have been MIA...I feel like a bad blogger!  But I have the most exciting news!  A new 'gallery' opened in town- right on Main Street.  I have been wanting to go in for a few weeks, and finally stopped and met with the owner, Joan.  She is a silversmith, and in her past life did community development in Kansas.  She prefers the shop not be called a 'gallery', because that gives it too snooty an aire, but for lack of a better word today that is what I am calling it.

 Here is a look at the cool place she has named 'Artizan's Alley'

Here is a peek at the inside:

 So....here is the really exciting news.....

This is my spot in the gallery!

Yes, this is my little piece of the world!  I am sooo excited!!

So, if I seem distracted.....now you know why.  :)

Of course, there is the big job of readying the space, and selecting which items to display.  I spent the better part of the weekend over Labor Day looking for and acquiring a white Baker's Rack to go with the white commercial grid wall panels I already own.  I missed out on one or two, but found the perfect Baker's Rack on craigslist for a mere pittance, and it is in 'like new' condition!  My sister is planning to share in the space with me, but also has not narrowed down which items to sell.  

Oh- there is also a cute little luncheon area in the shop with the best under $8 menu I have seen in a long time called 'Apron Stringz'.  Joan and her husband also used to do special event catering.  The menu is made up from fresh ingredients and ideas, so if you are ever in Old Town Keller, then be sure to stop in and have a bite to eat, as well.  

So, that is all my news for today!  I do have a couple of great tutorials I am working on, and hope to post one by the end of the week.  

We seem to have gotten past tropical storm Hermine for the time being, although it dumped about 6" of rain in my area.  My thoughts and prayers are with all of those that continue to be affected by the flooding. 

Everyone's Invited to This Party!!

Well, the Olympic Peninsula was fantastic- what can I say!?!  I am currently working on editing the pics, and of course, getting reorganized, but I had a quickie to add to the blog.

Just before I left I ran across a totally awesome website and idea, and I just have to share!  It is called The Sketchbook Project: 2011, and the good news is anyone can participate!  You just sign up, choose your category (mine is inside/outside) and then sketch your heart out  :)

The best part is, you don't have to have mad talent to be included!  Everyone's books will be included. The sketchbooks will tour the US, and then be on permanent display at the Brooklyn Art Library.  How cool is that??  

Check it out- here is the link:

http://arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

What a great project to include your kids in as well!  Have them sketch pages in the book, and follow it around the country!!  Let me know if you sign up, so I can look for your book in the online viewing area  :)   :)