Vacation Thank You

Thanks to generous friends, I was able to travel to Alabama for a weekend at home last month. This is the front of the card that I made to thank them.

Wedding Invites for John & Fe

Last month I had the good fortune to go home for a weekend and see my Dad. It also gave me a chance to spend some quality time with my friend Fe, help her with wedding tasks (most of which I have sadly missed out on), and hand over the wedding invitations I designed for her and John. I absolutely love the idea they came up with: their dog (who is more human than some people I know and a big part of their lives) treeing an animal. The theme carries over a bit from the save the dates I did for them. I love being able to create something unique and special for an occasion, especially when it's for friends or family.

Pennant Banner

Happy Fourth of July! Last week my friend Barbara gave me some scraps of patriotic fabric to use as I pleased, and I turned them into this pennant banner that I decorated my patio with for Independence Day. I love the whimsical look of pennant banners, especially in an outdoor setting. The best thing: they are extremely simple to make!

You can use scraps of fabric or scrapbook paper for the pennants and any string, ribbon, or yarn to hold them together. You will also need either needle and thread or appropriate glue to attach the pennants to the ribbon. After gathering your supplies, draw a triangular template on either cardstock or cardboard to trace onto your paper or fabric. At the top of the triangular template, draw an extra quarter-inch or so (depending on how big your triangle is) to be folded over to create a loop for the ribbon to pass through. You can also glue or sew the pennants directly onto the ribbon, but I think passing the ribbon through loops is a nicer touch. If you are using fabric, I recommend cutting your pennants out with pinking shears to keep them from raveling. After cutting each one, carefully fold the top flap over, and with large (or small, if you want) stitches sew (or glue) it to create a loop for the ribbon to pass through. Once all of your pennants are complete, cut a long enough piece of ribbon, yarn, or string so that you can fit all the pennants on and have enough extra to tie it up where it will hang. Attach either a paperclip or safety pin to one end of the ribbon before you attempt to push it through the loops; this will help you to guide it through them quickly. After pushing the safety pin and attached ribbon through each pennant, hang up your banner and marvel at your handiwork!

Note: If you want the pennant banner to be viewed from two sides, glue two pieces of scrapbook paper together, or sew two pieces of fabric back-to-back. Leave an opening between the two pieces to pass the ribbon, string, or yarn through.

Ponette

This is my most recent artistic musing, although it began two summers ago during the month I spent at home in between a study-abroad semester in Istanbul and a month visiting friends in Europe. The piece is a recreation of a scene from one of my favorite French movies (and overall favorites), Ponette. The film is about a young girl coping with her mother's recent death in a car accident. The actress who plays Ponette, Victoire Thivisol, is magnificent at only three years of age. I used to watch this movie all the time with my mom when I was little.

In my mockup, between the silhouettes of Ponette and her father, I staggered the words they exchange between each other in this scene. Ponette's father has just told her that her mother is dead, and he asks her if she understands what that means. Ponette responds from her three-year-old imagination that her mother is flying with her magic mirror. I am still trying decide if I want to add these words onto my final piece or not. Thoughts?

Save the Dates

My best friend Fe is getting married in September! I volunteered to design the save the date cards and the invitations for her and her fiancé John's small Southern wedding. Fe and I collaborated on the design. Their "son" Dan takes a place in the backdrop on the save-the-dates, but he will be forefront on the invitations. (Finished invitations will be up soon!)

Cutout Thank You Card

Several months ago I was on a kick of making cutout cards. I was inspired by the amazingly detailed pieces of Béatrice Coron, whose work I was introduced to in September at an open house at The Center for Book Arts. This is a thank you note I made a few months ago for the volunteer coordinators at El Museo del Barrio.

I Wish This Was

Photo courtesy of cesarharada.com (some rights reserved)

I just came across this amazing project and had to share.  Reminiscent of the classic "Hello, my name is..." stickers worn by meeting attendees nation-wide, the I Wish This Was stickers, developed by designer Candy Chang, provide New Orleans residents with a means to share their ideas of reuse for the many abandoned buildings throughout NOLA.  Check out the photos shared on Candy Chang's website and flickr to feel the energy from this inspirational project.

Originally found via Defend New Orleans.