My Free Shutterfly Photo Book!

Have I mentioned that I love Shutterfly?

Anyone who has seen me in person at a craft show (or even randomly at the store) has seen the one I made last year.  

I carry it in my large purse so I can show people what I do.  Because people don't get the full impact of my work with my feeble attempt to describe it... "I make plush monsters out of recycled clothing".  When I only have that explanation to give them, I get the "Oh that's nice." kind of look.  But once I pull out the book and am able to SHOW them what I do, they get it and are more like "Wow!  This is so cool!"

But my book was starting to fall apart...probably from getting carted around in my purse all the time!  I've been diligently taping the pages back in, but I've been wanting to order a new book with updated pictures.  Wellllll.... Shutterfly just emailed me a promo code for a free 8x8 book this week! (I just had to pay for shipping).  And I just made a new KiraArts Portfolio with pictures of stuff I've made in 2012.  The offer originally expired tonight at midnight, but they extended it a day.  So...if you enter the promo code "SUMMERBOOK", you can get yourself your own free photobook as long as you get it ordered before midnight tomorrow!  Be warned though, I spent most of my day today designing mine!  And that was just with a project already there to edit!  My first book took me a week to get juuuuust right!  But, I AM a bit of a perfectionist.

In addition to getting myself a "free" book, I get a $10 gift certificate/discount promo code if I embed the photobook project on my blog...so here it is! (I hope it works)  Enjoy the sneak peek of my new book!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Click here to create your own Shutterfly photo book.

"30 and Beyond" Guest Book!

Okay...you know how a while ago I wrote a post about wanting to have a guest book for my 30th birthday party? (which is tomorrow!)  Mom gave me a half-size sketch book to use for it and I decorated the cover last night.  I spent the last few hours of my birthday having fun crafting!  Couldn't ask for a better end to the day! ;)

 Fold over the top and bottom

 Cut  the corners at approximately a 45 degree angle...

  ... and glue the flaps down.

 Then cut the side corners off at approximate 45 degree angles and glue down

I had written a little poem that I wanted to include on the inside cover...so I rubber stamped it on some kraft paper cardstock and glued it on with some paper button embellishments.

 30 and Beyond! ;)

30th Birthday Guest Book Idea

I've been brainstorming for ideas for my 30th birthday party.  Yes...I turn the big 3-0 on June 21st this year and have decided to have a big party at my house.

I've also been reading a creative/artful journaling book I got from the library.  One of the chapters talks about a "guest book" art journal. 

This has resulted in an idea that has been swimming around in my head for the past few days...I want to make a guest book for my party.  And not a typical guest book where people simply write in it...an artsy one where people can draw, paint, and collage in it (as well as write).  And my plan is for this guest book to not be solely for my birthday party, but my 30th birthday will be a starting point for it.  

My plan is for it to be similar to "The Book" my family wrote in at "camp" (aka: the house my mom's family owned in the Adirondacks)...that sadly burned down a few years ago.  I'm not sure why we called it "Camp"...since it was really a house and staying there was much more comfortable than camping.  It used to be a boarding house and had a lot of bedrooms.  So "Camp" was a lot more than a little cabin in the woods. 

After the fire, when we were picking through the charred rubble, seeing what we could salvage, my cousin found the book for my mom (Mom was the one who bought the book in the first place and left it at camp for people to write in).  It was a bit charred on the edges and waterlogged from the firefighters, but we could still read a lot of pages.

And as you can see, we didn't just write in it.  We drew, painted, doodled, and pasted things in.  There was a summer when my family (Mom, Dad, my brother, and me) would bring friends up with us almost every weekend.  And we would "make" our guests write in the book.  We would use the book to journal about what we did over the weekend, and also for lots of quotes and inside jokes that were created while at Camp. Mom's 2 older brothers, my cousins, and grandma would visit and write in the book as well.  

Anyway...

All this to say that I want to recreate my own version of  "the book" for my house.  My house isn't quite as much fun as Camp was (Lyndonville just can't compete with the Adirondacks!) but when my family and friends get together here, fun is definitely had...and we can write about it in a book just like we used to.

My idea for the "title" of this guest journal is "30 and Beyond"...since I am starting it at my 30th birthday party and will be using it beyond that.  I wish I had more pictures to share with you, but I haven't actually gotten a book or started decorating it yet.  I want to just get a sketchbook and decorate the cover. (I saw this idea using Washi Tape today)  Part of me would love to use a Smash* Book...I've been seeing them in the craft stores and have been wanting an excuse to buy one.



It's essentially a scrapbook for the lazy scrapbooker.  But DIYer part of me rebels at the idea of buying a pre-made book (have I mentioned I suffer from "ICanDoThat-itis"?).  But I like that the pages are made with pretty paper.  Oh what to do?...what to do?  There's a cool tutorial I found about making your own Smash inspired book, but I don't have the required binding equipment.  I may just stick with my original idea of using a plain sketchbook and just having all my scrapbooking stuff and art supplies on a table for people to use at the party.  I'm sure my crafty friends will have a ball with it!

What's-On-My-Work-Table? Wednesday: More Mercer Mayer

I was recently commissioned to make some more Mercer Mayer inspired Nubbins from someone who saw the Professor Wormbog inspired Nubbins I made for my husband's co-worker 2 years ago, and is a BIG Mercer Mayer fan.  This time, I have been challenged to do Little Critter! Luckily, I have a ready supply of my own Little Critter books from when I was a kid! No trip to the library was needed this time!

Preliminary sketch...

 Cut-out pieces...

 Placing buttons to get a feel of how the eyes will look with pupils.

I embroidered the pupils of the eyes to get that "illustrated" look... 

I still have to figure out how to do the hair and sew the buttons onto the straps of the "overalls", but I am so satisfied with how his face came out!

My next challenge that is a part of this commission is to do the "Little Monster" character (a character I was unfamiliar with until I got the book "Little Monster At School" at the thrift store!)  He's going to be much more of a challenge, since Little Monster's face is usually in profile...but I have a plan!  You'll have to stay tuned to see how I pull it off!

Rest in Peace Maurice

I heard about Maurice Sendak's death today.

He is most well known for "Where The Wild Things Are" (which I paid tribute to in Nubbin form a couple years ago).  Somehow, I never had a copy of "Where the Wild Things Are" while growing up, but I had another book he wrote "Chicken Soup With Rice"...(which I just happened to read to my friend's kids the other day while babysitting)

The book I had when I was a kid came with a 45 record with a song where the lyrics were the words of the book.  When reading the book, I still hear the song in my head, even though I haven't heard he song for years and have no idea where the record is (it's probably at my parent's house somewhere).

It is a sad thing that there is one less writer in the world...but he left behind some of the most beloved children's books of our time.

RNEST Monthly Team Challenge: May 2012 (Literature)

It's time for the RNEST Monthly Team Challenge for May!

This month's theme was "Literature" and I made a corduroy Cheshire Cat doll!  This cat has been hanging around in my studio, awaiting me to sew some arms and a tail for it.  This challenge finally gave me the kick in the pants to finish it!

Click here to go to the blog and vote in the poll in the upper right-hand corner.  My entry is the last one on the list.  Voting ends in a week...on May 9th at midnight!  Please take a moment to vote now!  (there's NO registration required!  Just click your choice and cast your vote!) 

Mom's Letterbox Journal

Here is a peek at Mom's Letterbox Journal...

The journal itself was made by SoftShellCrafts. Mom bought it at this past spring's Mayday Underground show. I think the map is of part of Michigan.

These are all letterboxes she's found since August...

KiraArts Portfolio Book Preview

I think last week was freebie week for me! I ordered the free fabric swatch from Spoonflower, a free 8x10 collage print from Walgreens, and a free photobook from Shutterfly! And the only thing I had to pay shipping on was the photo book!

I love Shutterfly. They do good prints and always have good deals and freebies. Every once in awhile I'll get an email from them with a promo code for free prints. This week I got a promo code for a free 8x8, 20 page, hardcover photo book!

I've made photo books before with pictures of my wedding...one for myself and one I gave to my in-laws as a Christmas gift a couple years ago. When i got the promo code this time around, I was trying to figure out what kind of book to make and it dawned on me...to make a sort of KiraArts portfolio. It can be something to have at craft shows to show to people my past work, but also to have on-hand when I'm out and about and someone asks me what I "do". Telling people you make plush creatures out of recycled clothing doesn't quite do the work justice... you kind of have to actually see it to understand.

I'm excited about the book. I can't wait for it to arrive in the mail. I took a few nights to finish designing it (one of them staying up WAY too late because I thought the deadline for he promo was the next day...when I actually had a few days left). The graphic designer, control freak, and perfectionist in me contributed to it taking so long. I can't just upload pictures and slap them in a pre-made layout...no, no, no...it has to be perfect! And just when I thought I was done, I would double check the pages and decide something needed to be fixed or changed. I had this fear in the back of my mind that I would order the book and find that I had overlooked some small, stupid detail when I got it. Well...I guess that could still happen. We shall see!

Art Lesson With Eli: Drawing Garfield (Session 1)

I'm still doing weekly art lessons with my friend's son, Eli. Last week I decided to try and move on to trying to teach him to look at something and draw what he sees. I have a memory of my 9th grade art teacher telling us "Draw what you SEE, not what you THINK you see." That statement has really stuck with me through the years and it really made me think differently about drawing/painting.

He's been really into my Garfield books I've been letting them borrow lately, so I figured we would start with trying to draw Garfield...since it's always more enjoyable to draw what you enjoy and are passionate about. When I was about 11 or 12, I was obsessed with The Lion King and drew pictures of the characters all the time. (I still have a lot of my sketches. I'll have to scan them and share them in another post).

I brought over a "new" Garfield book and had Eli try to copy an illustration of Garfield. I drew too, to try and help guide him, since the idea of "Here, draw this thing." seemed a bit intimidating to him, since he didn't really know where to start. I have to remember that he is only 5.

My drawing is on the left...Eli's is on the right. I think he did a pretty good job! My plan is to have him draw this same picture every week. My hope is that the repetition will help him and that he will keep improving and learn the value of practicing.

Barn Owl Plush

I've been inspired to make some more owls lately. They seem to sell well at shows and I usually don't make enough. But I'm trying to keep up and build up a decent supply to keep up with potential demand. Today, I got inspired to make a barn owl.

As I was sewing these owls, I was wishing I had my own DVD of "Legend of the Guardians" to watch (I'd gotten it from Netflix before). I actually ordered the book from the library a few days ago. I'm hoping it comes in soon. I have a thing for reading the book that a movie is based off of...after I've seen the movie.

I took a trip to the thrift store today (half price day!) I was looking through the kids' books, trying to get lucky and maybe find an Ed Emberley book...unfortunately, no such luck. But I did find some books I wanted...by Eric Carle, Steven Kellogg, Dr Seuss...a Fraggle book, some Sesame Street books...and an owl book. Children's books are free (up to 5 books...after that they are 25 cents). I have no kids, but I like kids' books..plus it's nice to have books for my friends' kids to read/look at when they come over.

Since owls are cool now, I figured I'd get this little educational book. A picture of a barn owl is what inspired me to make my little barn owls today...

Of course, whenever I thnk of owls, I think of my friend Casey, who is a fellow RNEST member. She was into owls before they were cool! For some cool owl plushies and needle felted stuff...go check out her Etsy shop, PeachesProducts!