6 etsy stores you should know about

I'll admit it, Etsy is somewhat of a love child of a craft fair and the TJ Maxx shopping experience. 

Everything's homemade but you have to hunt like crazy to find something you'll actually end up buying. While I used to not be so gung-ho on this whole idea because most of the Etsy stores I browsed I classified as bad design, bad logos, and cheesy products... once I spent a little chunk of time hunting down some decent priced, gorgeously made and highly reviewed products, my mind is a bit changed this time around. Just in time for the holidays this year I've fallen in love with some of these Etsy shops and I thought I'd share some shops that fit the bill and have high marks from me when it comes to the crafty things they sell.

Oh My Deer: Can I ever get enough of hand calligraphy, brush strokes, lettering, and quotes? NOPE. This store is the product of a girl named Chelsea that has the talent and time to produce things that I can only think up in my imagination. I love her choice of quotes and can't help but visualize so many of these pieces of art hung up in my home.

Casa and Co: I know you'd think that someone that spends upwards of 50 hours a week designing things would get sick of designing by the weekend or at least spend a solid 8 hours of sleep each night dreaming of things that aren't comprised of color palettes, craft store items, and typography... but nope, you'd be wrong. I indeed have had dreams of having a business of making trendy pillow covers but am sad to report that my Google findings have left me allowing the pillowcase gods that be (aka Casa and Co) to take the reigns for the time being. I can't get enough of this Etsy shops simple, homey, and plain look that can suit so many different home decor styles. And yes, it's converted me into being a strong believer in decorative pillows.

Love Maude: I can't say that my recent obsession with small embroidered designs will get me very far, as my style of home decor isn't all that cohesive with these boho designs, but I can say my friends will be seeing a wealth of these little creations pop up in their lives. I can't handle how beautiful these are and having just ordered my first hoop, the sweetest woman is behind the shop and that alone makes me love supporting small businesses like these.

Press Bound: So, I've been sucked into letterpress printing and it's a never-ending trap that I can't get out of. Help! I just can't bring myself to see as much beauty in flat printing anymore, and my wallet isn't thanking me that's for sure. I love this desk calendar with different folk art inspired designs on each month. The color palette is on point as well, might I add.

Quail Lane Press: I am just in love with the detail and tactile quality about these maps, not to mention I totally dig the muted and earthy (yet sometimes bold) colors they chose. Idea for travelers out there: gather up a few of these maps with places that mean something to you and make a wall art display out of them. Then, I'll just vicariously live through you and your rad wall art.

Pommes Frites Candle Co: If you haven't seen these candles around, you've been living under a rock. I finally found the origin and the only thing I hate, is that I can't smell them through my computer screen. Totally obsessed with the rustic, organic feel to them and the simple packaging they chose. I'll be stocking up on these come the cooler months, don't you worry.

PS My sweet little blog readers, it's been so long. I've missed you. Happy Thanksgiving!

diy luggage tags

Luggage tags and baker's twine seem to be invading every arts and crafts store. All over Etsy and all over Pinterest, so you know me, I'm all about it. The tags aren't being used for luggage and the twine isn't being used for baking. Makes total sense, right? Anyway:

They are the perfect addition for gifts, and when you make your own, you have so much more room to tailor them to what your using them for. The kind you can buy are plain and bland, and the kind you can make are unique and fun. Also, if you want to use your computer to print out something on them beforehand, you can do that. With pre-made luggage tags, it would be significantly more difficult to put them through a printer (trust me I've been there, done that). Plus, luggage tags are not exactly cheap to purchase... you can make them yourself for little to nothing.

Plus, they are cheaper, cuter, and quick to make. No complaints here.

What You'll Need

+ Cutting Mat
+ Scissors
+ 1/4" Hole Punch
+ Exacto Knife
+ Pen/Pencil
+ Ruler (Preferably Metal)
+ Twine or String
+ Circular Sticker Reinforcements
+ Heavier Weight Scrap Paper

1. Trace. I've found that the easiest way to start is by using a luggage tag that you like (this one is 4"x2"). Trace the shape onto the paper you want to use. Use a pencil. If you must use a pen make sure to leave a little space so that your pen marks don't show on the final product.

2. Cut. Use an Exacto Knife and a ruler to cut the edges on your new tag. For the diagonal sides, I just use scissors because they are such a small length that it's easy to cut them straight.

3. Punch. With the template tag on top of your new tag, using a 1/4" hole punch, punch the hole in the same place as the template. That takes out the time it would take for you to measure out the spacing for the hole to make it centered. (If you are creating a shape that you don't have a template for, I would suggest measuring where the hole would go so you have a perfect template you could use for the rest of the tags).

4. Add the Reinforcements. Apply a reinforcement around the hole you just made. Don't forget to put one on the back! (You'll probably be left with the center part of the hole on the sticker sheet, you won't be needing that!)

I bought my reinforcements here (they have a gorgeous gold option, a pretty mint, and a charcoal grey.) I love all of their craft making and party supplies.

5. Measure. Measure out the size of the twine you want to use. I found that 10" is a good length to be able to fold in half and stick through the tag. When you secure it and tie the end knot, you'll lose a little of the length. You can also just wing the size and figure it out as you go. If you want to stick it on a gift, you may not even need twine because you could just stick it through the ribbon your using on the gift.

6. Add the Twine. Fold the twine in half, stick it through the hole, and pull the twine through the loop you created. Then, just tie it at the end.

I bought my twine here, but they also sell plenty of options on Etsy.

7. Personalize. Write whatever you want on the tag and viola! Once you make one, you'll get the hang of it and you can prepare yourself for everyone asking you where you found them.

june moodboard: summertime

Summer drinks, clutches, fancy writing, ripped jeans, and good design. My latest Pinterest 'likes' and the lists on my computer reflect what's been cycling through my brain since I got off that plane earlier this month and stepped foot back into reality.

These photos represent some of my reoccurring thoughts this month:

1. Learning calligraphy is hard. But fancy writing is taking over the design world and I need to be a part of this. So gathering up my Micron Pens and inventing typefaces of my own it is! After all, half of the gorgeous lettering I find that I associate with calligraphy isn't actually calligraphy after all. Phew.

2. I'm sick of having all my notes and to-do lists and upcoming events on my computer. I want to get back to having everything written down in the palm of my hand. For now, I'm sticking with an empty Moleskin journal I have laying around ready to be used. But when 2015 rolls around, you bet I'm investing in this Kate Spade planner. It's the cutest thing, and it totally fits my obsessive expectations of what a planner needs to look like and how thin the lines should be. Typical designer, amiright?

3. The Fault in Our Stars reminded me that it is quite weird to have inspiring quotes all over your house. So I suppose I'll have to tone down my love of a good framed quote. It's so hard to choose though! Lately, I've bookmarked the classic 'Dreams Don't Work Unless You Do' print, a childhood themed 'Dont Forget to Play' print by the lovely Marc Johns, and a simple 'Work Hard, Stay Humble' print on Etsy.

4. Why aren't clutches used more often? They are genius. Maybe it took a month of lugging around a huge, far too heavy bag all over Europe to figure that one out. But nonetheless, I've learned you don't always need to carry around as many things as Mary Poppins. The basics will suffice. This colorblock one from Asos I adore (and it has a good price tag to boot), I love this foldover clutch from Francescas, and this suede embossed clutch from Topshop is too good. Mission: Bring back clutches.

5. I'm all about the big girl bag, the investment piece. I can't tell you how many $50 bags from Urban Outfitters I've gone through. Far too many, let me assure you. In all of my research for chic, designer bags that will last years of the abuse I put my poor bags through, Rebecca Minkoff has come out on top. And once I can find one on sale with a price tag that doesn't send me into premature Cardiac Arrest, I will gladly rock one.

See ya later, June.

Moodboard Sources: Brushetta Bar, Custom Photography Books, Rebecca Minkoff Cupid Bag, Address Embosser, Quote Print, Kate Spade planner, Hand Drawn Badges by Hammerpress, Pineapple Mojito Sangria Recipe, Corn Recipes, Come What May Lettering.

a little gift giving stock pile

Usually if I am broke, it's due to one of two reason (1) I found a really good pair of shoes on sale for a really good price and couldn't pass them up (2) I kept finding reasons to shun out a bunch of money on buying people I love gifts.

I am a die-hard gift giver. I love giving gifts. Sometimes a little too much.

So you bet, in the corner of my bedroom I have a huge round hat box filled to the brim (and overflowing) with my gift giving essentials. Little things that spruce up gifts and make me as happy about the outside of a gift I'm giving to someone, as the inside. The box is always changing and growing, but the bulk of it remains the same in theory. If you are anything like me, here are some of my favorite little things to keep around to make gifts cute and personal and to keep your friends smiling just a little bit bigger.

Brown Kraft Paper: It's cheap. Cheap, as in, you can get a HUGE roll of it in the packaging and mailing area at Walmart for like $3. And it's trendy. You can mix and match it with so many different decorations and it doesn't get old like cheesy wrapping paper does. This last Christmas, my best friend wrapped all of her and her husband's gifts in this paper and it looked adorable underneath the tree. Plus, people look at these gifts with this paper like it's something totally original and time-consuming, ha, jokes on them I guess? I also found a smaller role of the stuff with white polka dots from Target in the sale section. The best part? It goes with any holiday, any occasion. Made my day.

Little Paper Bags: I found some a while back at Paper Source, they have a couple different chevron options too. And sometimes, I just find them randomly, like in the necklace packaging from Threadsence. They are super versatile, they can hold little gifts or sometimes I'll stick cards in them instead of using an envelope to make it look a little boho and a little unique. Also, if you got some cute lightweight patterned paper, almost in a vellum-like texture, you could probably make them yourself! (Add that on to my to-do list.)

Washi Tape: It goes on sale a lot at Joanns and Michaels and it's maybe one of the best things this  decade invented (okay maybe not exactly, but still). I throw it on the back of envelopes because it's cuter than just licking the envelope. I use it to decorate kraft paper and hold things to the fridge. It adds a pop of pattern or color to tags (aka the next thing on the list) and I always somehow run out of this stuff. It's genius.

Tags: They make everything better. And cuter. I buy them whenever I find ones that suit my fancy, because guess what? They disappear faster than socks in the washing machine. I love giving gifts with multiple little parts to them and then adding a tag onto each of the pieces of the gift and writing a little explanation on it. It just adds a thoughtfulness to gifts, and you can't beat how cheap you can find these things. These are some of my favorites. Also, you could easily make them yourself, but you knew I'd say that didn't you?

Clothespins: The most common thing I use clothespins for when it comes to gifts is to clip on a tag to the rope or twine that I wrap about the gift. It looks cuter than anything else and honestly, they're just convenient for around the house, so including them in a gift to me is like adding on some useable extras or something. I always keep a good mason jar full of these things in general.

Rope, Yarn, String, Baker's Twine: I stock up on this stuff like it's going out of style. One of my favorites is this gold and white bakers twine from Paper Source. It matches everything, is perfect to use instead of that cliche curling ribbon from Christmastime, and the little bit it comes with actually goes a rather long ways.

Fabric: Especially lace, because you can cut it out and glue it to packages or wrap it around little gifts in a gift bag. When I run out of paper to wrap things in, I usually just use some fabric. Also, I often cut some strips out of the fabric to use like you would use rope and sometimes I'll throw on a fabric bow for fun.

Scrapbook Paper: The question is, what can't you make out of scrapbook paper? I've made my own cards, envelopes, tags, I've wrapped little items in them and whatnot as well. In my opinion, if you're seeking to be a more creative person, adding a stack of scrapbook paper to your life can do a whole lot of good.

Happy gift-giving, friends!

diy book case

As a part of a class I am enrolled in, we had to create a portfolio book of our work, and then create a case to hold the book inside of. Most people created soft cases, but I really wanted to create something more unique and extensive, so I scoured the Internet and found a tutorial for how to create a cigar box. I honestly had no idea how it would turn out, but much to my surprise, it turned out beautiful and I am shocked at the result. Sure my brain works creatively, but I think most people could figure this project out. It was super fun, and as much as it took a bit of time to finish, I enjoyed the process and most of the time spent was waiting for glue to dry.

Materials You'll Need

Binder's Board: You can usually find a back of 4 of them at an art store that carries book making materials. I found that I used about 2 of those sheets to make this single book. However, if you make any errors and cut any of them wrong, you'll wind up using more.
Book Cloth: They have them in a huge variety of colors and textures, if you want an even greater variety than an art store, order them online here. I would buy two packages of them at the art store just to be safe.
Metal Ruler: Because a plastic ruler just won't do.
Olfa Cutter: You'll want something more heavy duty than an Exacto to cut through the Binder's Board, an Exacto would be far too dangerous to try and cut that board with. Find something more sturdy and durable to cut the board with.
Exacto Knife and Replacement Blades: To cut the Book Cloth.
Cutting Mat: Make sure to cut everything on the cutting board, so buy or find a cutting board large enough to fit the size of the book case you are making.
PVA Glue + Brush: You'll use a brush to apply this glue in order to adhere everything together, this glue works like a charm and you definitely don't have to worry about anything coming unglued or not looking adhered enough.
Bone Folder: To press everything down in the creases and cracks.
Pencil: You'll want to make some little marks as you go in order to ensure that it fits your book properly in the end.

Note: You don't have to make one of these cases in order to fit a book, I think this is the perfect tutorial to use to make a little case to fit a gift or maybe hold a stack of old journals you want to store in a unique way. It's just a case, you could use it in whatever way suits your imagination.

How I Did It

I followed the tutorial provided by 'Making Handmade Books.' It's a 4-step series of posts that are extremely extensive and specific. I read through every single step to know what I was in for, and then I just kinda winged it and did it myself. I found that the specifics almost confused me and I wanted to just get down the basics, so that method worked for me.

I stuck to the basics of (1) Cut the pieces of binder's board to size (2) Adhere the bottom of the box together, basically everything but the cover (3) Wrap the cloth around the outside sides of the box (4) Adhere cloth to the front of the cover piece making sure to have extra hang over on the left side (5) Adhere the extra cloth to the back of the box so the cover attaches via the cloth (6) Cover the back of the box with cloth covering the extra cloth that holds the cover on (7) Adhere cloth to the back of the cover and to the inside of the box. (8) Add any additional pieces (I added a business card holder of sorts and a little front piece I found at Office Depot to put the company's name I'm presenting it to in)

While that may make no sense, that was my mental documentation of what I read on the website that I put into action. It's not easier said than done, it's easier done than said.

It took me around 3-4 hours to complete the project. Keep in mind, you have to wait for the glue to dry and measuring everything out takes a while. But you definitely learn as you go, and if you mess anything up, there is probably a way to fix it, so the process wasn't very stressful.

In the end, you wind up with a gorgeous box that's homemade and custom yet looks practically store-bought. Boom.

art crush (v.2)

The second installment of art crush brings me to an incredible, self-proclaimed still-life photographer, Eileen Quinlan. Known for her wide variety of work that examines common objects and materials, Eileen totally captivates viewers with how she uses light, color, and scale to skew and distort things into beautiful, dynamic photographs. In essence, she disassembles different layers of photography in order to find a new way of expression. Not to mention, she does this using techniques unique to herself and utilizing old-school methods that have practically been forgotten.

Due to her professional training with film, she avoids Photoshop and the result is a sincerity and authenticity that you can't find in most modern day photographers. Her work draws the viewer in and continues to entertain them with it's play on what is real and what is illusion.

The pieces of work shown above that were found in a 2013 show in New York City, exhibit the kind of eery beauty that I love about Eileen Quinlan. She knows how to provide questions in portraits while refraining to give answers in closer-up distorted illusions. While this show is all in black and white, she does also play with vibrant colors in many other shows.

To see more on Eileen Quinlan's beautiful work, check out her website here.

let me introduce you to

   

www.meganroth.net

It's been a long time coming. Once upon a time I purchased a $50 Wordpress layout and regretted every single second of it. They look one step up from what options Wordpress gives you for free but they felt the farthest thing from my style. Every time I sent someone the link to my work I cringed. I was proud of the work, but not the presentation. And as a designer, presentation is our job. So I stepped up my game and invested in putting my web design in the hands of people who really knew what they were doing.

And I'm pretty (freaking) excited about it.

Check out my newest little website that hosts all of my latest design work.

8 things on my "to make soon" list

While I'm not sure of everything in life, I am sure of the fact that if I made every single thing on my Pinterest Do-It-Yourself board, I would have the cutest home in the world. And I would probably never leave it. Just in time for weekend crafting and creating, here are some cute little DIY projects I'm either in the process of making or can't wait to create:

Homemade Candles in a Cute Little Labeled Jar: If you want the honest truth... I did indeed pull this little candle photo into Adobe Illustrator and re-create the label it so I can print it and put it on my own jars. The homemade candle part is cool, but you've seen it a million times before. It was the label I was freaking out over. I just thought it was the cutest thing. And while you could totally find a jar and stick a homemade candle in it and slap on the label, you also could use this label on homemade beauty treatments as well, even like homemade jams or spreads you could put in cute bottles and label likewise. I just felt like the creative, homey feel to the label could go on pretty much anything. It inspired me to make custom labels. Maybe you'll see a little label freebie coming your way soon? Hmmm.

Dream Catchers in Mass Quantities: Maybe it's just the fact that I had a dream catcher over my bed all my childhood and I love how eclectic they are, or maybe it's the fact that I created the coolest t-shirt design with a dream catcher that I have yet to make into a real t-shirt... but I just love these things. If you were to get some small dolleys from thrift stores, some small embroidery hoops, some feathers and string and a few beads, you could make them so easily and for such a reasonable price. They would be so cute all attached to a heavier branch and hung in a bathroom or over your bed or even in a random hallway that needs some love.

Vintage Wallpaper Letters: If you find a good Michaels or Joanns, they sell these letters in a ton of sizes. I totally envision getting the letters with the hollow inside, using some good ol' Mod Podge to glue on some wallpaper found at antique stores or pages of a book from a thrift store or decorative paper from Art Stores, and then since they are so lightweight you could probably just use some Command Strips to attach it into a wall. No nails would even be necessary, booyah!

Interchangeable Wood Photo Gallery: Such a quick and do-able idea for a living room or hallway that you want to turn into a gallery of interchangeable photographs. Buy some wood at Home Depot, have them cut it down into a size that leaves plenty of space on the outskirts for a border on your photographs, sand them really good, stain them a dark color, and use some Super Glue or Hot Glue to attach the little clips you can buy at any office supply store. Hang it up on a wall and voila!

Custom Tinted Flea Market Jars: Couldn't tell you how to make these, but these people can. Couldn't really tell ya any elaborate, creative twists on it. These are just plain rad. And you could stick them anywhere to make a space more creative and eclectic. Love love love. Note to Self: I need to make these soon.

Tin Desk Organizer: Every single time I go into a thrift store or antique store, I look for these tins now. I am dead set on finding these vintage looking tins at a good price. Stuck all together with a rod in the middle, they would be a perfect organizer for desk space, or even for a bathroom that has a vintage vibe to it. I just always see this idea on Pinterest and get all giddy with excitement, such a good idea.

Lace Terracotta Pot Succulent Garden: I am obsessed with succulents, obsessed with lace, and I've always wanted a reason to buy a terracotta pot. So on all three accounts, I'm sold with this idea and will be a willing participant once I have enough money to shamelessly buy a mass amount of succulents.

Up-cycled Jars with Cabinet Knob Accent: To answer your first question, yes I love jars. If you haven't noticed, it's a common theme in my life. You can make so many things with them and when you have too many, you can use them as drinking glasses. Welcome to my life. On another note, I love that you can use old jars that you have hanging around, or that you saved from that cute store-bought pasta sauce, and you can put a unique spin on them. Just add some paint to the top, glue on a cute little $2 knob from Home Depot or Lowes, and you're set. Rough life, right? It literally cannot get any easier than $2, a little paint, and an old jar you'll never use anyway.

For sources and websites with complete lists of how to make these crafts yourself, check out my diy inspiration board on Pinterest.

Happy weekend crafting!

diy floral crowns

Nothing is better than fresh flowers making your apartment smell like Lilies and Baby's Breath. Actually, the only thing that's better than that are floral crowns. Homemade and modeled with laughter and joy by your closest girlfriends on a random Sunday night.

Pinterest has been blowing these things up. Trendy and "hipster" weddings always unquestionably have them atop the brides head. And people like me insist on wearing them in their college graduation announcements (hence the photo to the right). I will shamelessly admit that I love this trend. They are the perfect mix of girly and vibrant and effortlessness and spunk. And lets be honest, people wear hats and beanies and weird visors on their head all the time, wouldn't the world be so much happier if just we wore flowers instead? Amen to that.

I would say these are fairly painless and easy to make. My friends would laugh because they think I always say that about crafty things. But really. If you like hands-on artsy projects and flowers and perhaps Pinterest, this ones for you.


Flower crowns are the perfect craft to do with girlfriends or at a low-key Bachelorette party. I could totally see them being worn while walking around a beach town. And you know what, if you have a pocket full of confidence you could probably wear one of these just about anywhere. And well, when it comes to paying whatever ample amount of money it costs for someone else to make one, that's just plain ridiculous. Spend a little on supplies and buy some flowers from the market and you're good to go. Make one yourself, dangett.

Here's how:

Step 1: Get some pretty flowers. Easy enough, right? If you get a variety of types of flowers that mesh well together, they'll work perfect. I like to use Baby's Breath as a base, but if you have greenery or something more basic that would work too.

Step 2: (Top Middle) Gather all the things you need. I use (1) green floral tape, (2) a thicker wire that's easily able to mold, if you can find a green colored one you can skip a step, (3) thin green floral wire, (4) scissors, and (5) pretty flowers.

Step 3: (Top Right) Mold the thicker wire to a circle that would fit on top of your head and twist the ends to stay put. I make the wire so that it's a little bigger than your head, so when you put the flowers on it doesn't look too small. If you have green wire, great! If not, use green floral tape to cover the whole thing. Since I had a brown, copper  thick wire, I used the green floral tape to cover it completely so that just in case the base wire showed at all, it was green not brown. This step is totally up to you, it isn't always necessary depending on how many flowers you put around the crown.

Step 4: (Bottom Left) Wrap the base layer of Baby's Breath (or any greenery of your choice) around the entire wire head piece using thin floral wire. Cut pieces of floral wire about 2 inches long and wrap it around the stem of the flowers to hold them to the base wire. Make it so that they cover a considerable amount of the head piece, but gaps are okay as well, you'll fill those in later. Make sure to cut off any excess stem that pokes out. This part takes the most time, but once you get the hang of it, it goes by quick and you'll learn tips as you go to speed up time.

Step 5: (Bottom Middle) Once you are done with the base, cut off pieces of your main flowers so that there is just a few inches of stem. Eliminate unnecessary leaves, cause you won't want leaves like crazy, just a couple at the top are good. Then, in the same way that you did the base layer, fill in gaps and stick the flowers where you feel they fit well. This is where your own style and aesthetic comes in. Play around with how many you put, how dense the piece becomes, and how spread apart the flowers are. I find it hard to believe that you can screw this up, if you use the right method it will look beautiful.

Step 6: I added in three deep purple lilies to make it feel more classy and unique, I tend to really love when there are focal points of flower crowns, so these were mine. But the fun part about making this yourself, if you can make it however you want and keep playing with it until you are in love with it... and until you can force your girlfriends to model it for you.

Happy Monday!

pretty little recipe cards

Growing up with a mom that cooks like a Food Network chef, she always went to her yellow vintage recipe box when picking out meals to make for the week. It had recipes so packed in it that it never was even able to close properly. When I think about growing up and when I think about my sweet mom and her gift of cooking, I always think of that old yellow box.

Maybe it's the fact that I'm growing up and I now dream about buying food processors and spatulas instead of trendy clothing, but not too long ago I had this random epiphany that I should invest a recipe box like my moms before they get too old and outdated that you can't find them on ebay anymore. I refuse to believe that the only recipe boxes available are the ones on Etsy that barely hold 50 recipes. I wanted a big, vintage recipe box overflowing with cooking inspiration and family favorite recipes.

So, you better believe I looked up the Betty Crocker recipe box, found the same one as my mom but in a pretty redish/deep pink color instead of yellow just to mix things up, and I ordered it. Best $15 I have ever spent. It was delivered soon thereafter, and as expected, it was filled to the brim with hideously designed Betty Crocker recipes. No offense Betty, but I would have probably tried some of those recipes or even refrained from throwing them in the trash can if they just were designed half-decent. Some vintage designs are beautiful, but these weren't. But anyways, before I threw them away, you betcha I measured the cards and made some much prettier ones to replace them. I wanted a cohesive recipe box with plenty of blank recipe cards that I could fill-in in the future. I'll probably make a few different variations of this recipe card design just to mix things up and have some variety, but for now I'm satisfied for sure.

So, because I want to share the love and because I struggled hard to find cute recipe cards online (and ended up just making my own, go figure). I thought I would give my lovely readers some free recipe cards. Maybe this will inspire you to cook more or maybe this is just what you needed to start a recipe box of your own. Click here to see the downloadable PDF.*

Instructions: Just bring them to your local print shop, ask for them to be printed double-sided on heavier weight (80 or 100 pound) paper and cut them out afterwards on the crop marks. (Or have the printing place cut them for you if they offer that service.) To fill a small recipe box, you would probably have to print about 50 copies of the 4 on a sheet design, for the huge recipe box that I bought, you would need about 3 times that. I would say, print a moderate amount and you can always print out more as needed. Volla!

*The beautiful floral graphic was created by SisterPixel. I randomly found these cute flowers one day and had to incorporate them into something.

diy watercolor flowers

Well, lately my boss and her creativity has been blowing my mind. She makes these watercolor creations that she claims are simple yet they somehow look so intentional and complicated. Reminiscent of Rifle Paper Co. and the rad water color wedding invitations that are flooding Pinterest these days, my jaw just always dropped when I saw the kind of stuff she made seemingly so quickly.

This basically forced me to drive myself to Joanns and buy my first set of watercolors, some new brushes, and some more Micron pens. I was just plain determined to learn how to watercolor. Then, to my surprise, I found that the result came with a lot of people asking how I did it. It's amazing what watching The Blind Side and water coloring on a rainy day can do, it worked miracles I tell you. I may not be Rifle Paper Co., but hey, watercolors and black pens can make some pretty beautiful stuff. You could use this style on homemade birthday cards or calligraphy quotes to put in cute frames. I could see it on invitations or recipe cards. The ideas are endless. While the steps might sound too simple to produce this kind of result, it really is simple and once you get the hang of it, you can alter it and gear it to your own personal style.

Supplies you'll need
> Watercolor Paper
> Watercolor Paints
> .1 or .3 Micron Pens (or any thin art pens)
> Water cup
> A good paint brush (cheap ones will end up 
shedding all in the paint)
> A paper towel to wipe off the brush occasionally with

Step 1 (below): Create basic shapes in the form that you want. In terms of the forms, one time, I used the edge of the paper to create an L shape corner. Another time, I did a curved upward shape and a curved downward shape to frame a quote I wrote out in calligraphy. Then, as shown in this example, I created a wreath of sorts. In terms of the shapes you create to make up the form, circles are what I stuck with mainly. That, and a basic leaf shape. Add in some lines and some creative leaves. Then throw in some "x" shapes for flowers and you are set. Print out my example and copy it if you need to. Feel free to make up some as you go for fun. Also, looking at pictures of leaves online and simplifying photographs of flowers I found on Google helped me out as well.

Step 2: Once you have created some watercolor designs like these, you can move on to pen. Micron pens are my favorite. Cheap pens may bleed over the work, so be warned; art pens are definitely preferred. Also, the skinnier the tip on the pen the better (.1 or .3 Micron pens are my favorite to use). I found that using thicker Micron pens takes away the delicate look that I was going for. If you look closely at the photo at the top, you can see where I used the thicker pen at. My thin Micron pen died because I got too excited and did not wait long enough for the watercolor to dry. Oy vey.

Don't make the same mistake I did... make sure the watercolor is dry first. If not, your pen will dry out quickly. And these pens are expensive, so wait 10-20 minutes to be safe before you start using the ink on the watercolor design.

When you are ready, draw the dots in the middle of the circle flowers, trace over the lines you draw and make the leaves look like leaves by drawing some stems and veins in them. Stick with really simple lines and make sure to detail every one of the watercolor designs you draw. That will help with consistency.

Step 3: Keep at it. If you aren't happy with the look of your floral watercolor creation, try again. If you feel like there aren't enough flowers, make more. If you don't like the colors you chose, start over and try new ones. This is just the starting point, the end point is totally up to you.

The end result, scanned into Photoshop and stuck into a frame for my best friends birthday. Mission accomplished.

stamps + midnight epiphanies

It was around midnight on a random Wednesday night and I had this weird burst of downright determination to create some cute stamp that could be used during a upcoming Women's Event. The focus of the event was to encourage college-aged women to feel loved and valued instead of criticized and put under a microscope of expected perfection.

At midnight, while my passion was at an all time high (I always get most excited in the middle of the night) but my willingness to spend hours crafting something was nonexistent, I whipped out a cute little stamp in less then 20 minutes. That night, I went to bed satisfied, having spent a little bit of that day with the best kid of soul-care: crafting.

If printmaking isn't your thing but you dream of creating cute custom stamps quickly and painlessly, here are 5 tools to start with and 5 simple steps that will result in something you'll be proud of... and all your girlfriends will be asking about.

5 Essential Printmaking Tools

1. Speedball Linoleum Cutters (I own four, completely unnecessary but they're great nonetheless): This is what you will use to cut your medium, they come with several different sized cutting edges. Pssst I also keep a Exacto Knife nearby for tiny little cuts or tedious pieces that I want to cut away without changing the edge on the Speedball Cutter.

2. Printing Blocks: These are the E-Z cut type from Blick, most stores carry a similar medium for Printmaking. I highly suggest those for beginners or even those that love printmaking but want something quick and easy. These are VERY easy to cut out of, making the time that it takes for you to cut out your design very minimal.

3. Paint: While you could totally use Acrylic paint (as pictured above) it may deplete the quality of the printing block quicker and it doesn't always transfer over as pretty to the paper you press it onto, I typically do try and use Water-Based Block Printing Inks if I have them available.

4. Brayer (Acrylic is my favorite kind, they don't fall apart like some of the others do): This is the tool used to get the paint from the pallet onto the printing block. If you can't afford one, just use a good paintbrush, it'll just take longer to paint it onto the printing block.

5. Baren: This is the tool you use to push the paper onto the printing block. If you can't afford one, just use pressure from your hand or even a book. It'll just take longer and depending on how many transfers you want to make, you may get rather annoyed with doing it without a baren.

Beyond that, you just need whatever material you want the custom "stamp" to stamp onto, depending on what kind of stamp I create and how big it is, I've experimented with scrapbook paper, pre-made cards, specialty paper at art stores, maps, envelopes, etc.

5 Simple Steps

1. Create the stamp (either draw it on the stamp itself or create it on the computer and print it out to size). MAKE SURE THE STAMP GRAPHIC OR TEXT ARE ALL FLIPPED HORIZONTALLY. If you do not flip the entire image horizontally, when you stamp the image it will be backwards. I've made the mistake before, don't make the same one.

If you create the stamp on your computer, print it out and use the old-school pencil the entire back of the paper and then trace the front to transfer the image over. Confused? Watch this video.

2. Cut everything on your printing block down using your cutting tool EXCEPT the parts you want to have inked. You don't have to cut the material down as much as you may think. When you use the brayer to ink the stamp, it won't go beyond the surface. Just cut it down enough so that there is two levels of the stamp, the inked part, and the below the surface part.

3. Ink the stamp thoroughly. The first time you ink it, you'll want to ink it pretty good, but after that one layer one time thorough should do to re-ink it.

4. Put the paper on the stamp. Using your baren or your hand press the paper down to transfer the ink. If the stamp is small though, you can just flip the stamp over and keep the paper on the bottom. Figure out what way works best for you, and stick with that.

5. Pull off the stamp of the paper, and you're done! Once you make a few stamps and get accustomed to printmaking, you will find some tips of your own. Also, the more experience, the more easier it will get!