Did you know Luke Skywalker has two sisters? Isabel (my daughter) and Anabelle (her friend) are Padawans. A book about their adventures is in the works. Thank you, Rey.
how to create silhouette clip art in 3 easy steps
When I was playing around with my TKD Girl idea, I grabbed an image off the Internet to mock up some ideas. Once I realized I was actually going to do something with it, I needed to create artwork of my own.
Making silhouettes isn’t hard. In fact, technology has made it much easier than when I first started my career in graphic design.
1. Find an image.
That used to mean heading to the library and photocopying something out of a book. Now you can just print something off of the Internet.
2. Trace the image.
I like to start with pencil. I trace around the important details while adding some of my own (see the long hair above). Then I outline the edges with a fine point sharpie and fill in the rest with a regular sharpie.
3. Scan and clean up the image.
Before programs like Illustrator, I used to fine tune my images with opaque paint. The elbow that looks awkward? Paint over it with white, let dry, try again with black. Now I just scan my drawing into the computer and edit the vector artwork.
The upside of silhouettes is that you don’t have to worry about details like drawing a face. Without the context of clothing, however, the shape might look lumpy in the wrong places. I had to fiddle around with the outline of TKD Girl’s jacket so her shoulders, elbow and waist looked more balanced and natural.
See? Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Now go make some art!
creative gift idea: make your own suncatcher
I can’t believe it’s the middle of October and I haven’t told you about all of the cool arts and crafts gifts my daughter received for her birthday. I haven’t even blogged about her art party. I’m a slacker.
First up is this awesome blast-from-the past suncatcher. Do you remember making these when you were a kid? It’s a metal frame that you fill with plastic bits and melt in the oven.
I was a little worried about this project because it says 6+ years, but my daughter did pretty good. We made it together: she dumped the bits into the frame and I used tweezers to corral any stragglers into their proper space. She did get a little frustrated toward the end and we had to take a little break, but all in all, it was a fun project.
She’s really proud of it and it’s hanging in her window.
inspiration: I did a search on pinterest and came up with some really fun ideas for suncatchers. I’m thinking we need to make a wax paper one with some autumn leaves and crayon shavings.
p.s. I’m writing about this because I think it’s cool and my daughter loved it. I have no affiliation with any catchers of sun. I’m just spreading some creative love.
my weekend
Last week, my husband and daughter were both sick. I repeated this mantra over and over: I will not get sick. I will not get sick. I will not get sick.
IT WORKED!
I spent a lovely weekend with friends. You can read all about it over at julie-k. In the meantime, I’m still repeating my mantra. We’ve got a busy week ahead. No time to be sick!
bella’s birthday
Last Sunday was so incredibly fun. There were lots of treats, wrapping paper and bows, and squeals of excitement!
i’m in redbook magazine!
dad’s photos
Right before my parents leave after a visit, my dad lets me download all of the photos from his camera to my computer. I love going through them. Here are three of my favorites from last week.
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new on julie-k: two new tote bags!
bedtime friends
loving the open road
I love driving in the Midwest. It started with a trip T and I took across country while we were dating. Our country is so beautiful. There is so much to discover here and driving is the best way to find it. I especially love how each state has its own beauty: rocky and hilly, lush green grasses, golden fields. The latter really helps you understand the line “amber waves of grain.” Watching the wind blow through them is really wonderful.
When we headed out to Hastings last week, I got that same giddy feeling. The drive was less than two hours, but it filled me such happiness. I could feel the stress of daily life just melt away. The sky out here is so big and blue. You can see so far! I know there are places that have bigger skies and longer horizons, but this was enough for me. I feel so lucky that this is practically in my backyard. I also feel lucky to have the peace and quiet to soak it in. Road trips during nap time are especially nice.
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new on julie-k: coffee sleeve of the month giveaway: spring flowers
valentine’s crafting
After looking over this post, it seems like I was in full Valentine’s Day mode for the past week, but I really wasn’t. All of these were really fast and easy to put together. I had a pretty busy week, so fast and easy was just what I needed!
Last year we colored and put stickers on blank cards. This year we made cards out of M’s existing artwork. She’s been drawing with her magic markers on a stack of make ready sheets T brought home from work and one looked particularly valentine-y.
You can download my heart template here and if you print it at 100%, the cards will fit in standard invitation size envelopes. I also used the template to cut out some hearts for a garland. I always try to hang something in this window for holidays and birthdays. You can see it from both the living room and kitchen and it’s right behind our table. That little touch always makes our house feel festive.
I also made some quick gifts for T and M. After falling in love with the ball I made for Brady, I felt like M needed one of her own. I made it with leftover fabric from her bibs.
I also whipped up a quick sweater sleeve scarf for T, complete with a roundel. I’m not sure if he really likes it or was being polite. There is a fine line between cool and too crafty for T. I think the scarf is sitting on that line! (I really like it, though!)
We had a really nice day. M played in the snow, I did some sewing, and T cooked up some awesome Valentine’s chili for dinner. The best part of the day was watching M open her gifts and give her dad his Valentine.
