DIY: A frame tent (by My Cakies)

This post is brought to you by another awesome etsy store: Cakies, she also has a CUTE blog :) I wanted to share this awesome and easy tutorial she had for creating an A-Frame Tent. Check it out here. I'm totally going to make this for little Miss Lily is I ever have a spare moment to breath! :)

Color Inspitration

Do you have trouble pulling together a fresh, vibrant or meaningful color pallet? Use a photograph that really inspires and draws you in, like this one:

http://izziella.tumblr.com/

This is BEAUTIFUL! There are young, fresh, romantic, & vibrant colors in this pallet. I can only imagine the beautiful stationery you could create with this inspiration piece. 

www.izziella.blogspot.com has TONS of fun photos like this that will make you drool at the sheer beauty. Enjoy!

Click Here {Press}

Coming Soon! Icing on the Paper will be opening a new shop just for business clients! Hopefully this will make it less confusing to everyone what exactly you can get with each listing and who they work best for. Here's a sneak peak of the banner:

The store will be offering:
- Logo Design
- Layout Design
- Business Cards (including die cuts)
- Post Cards (including die cuts)
- Rack Cards (including die cuts)
- Greeting Cards (including die cuts)
- Flyers & Posters
- Letterhead & Envelopes
- Magnets & Stickers
- Signs & Banners
- Product Cards
- Envelope Printing

I'll let you know when the new shop is up and ready for business!

Hangers ...

What a weird thing to devote an entire post to. I was sitting in Lily's room with her while she was reading books. I was looking around at all the CUTE accessories and decorations she has, I'm jealous. Here are a few of them ...

1. Wire name hanger from Lila Frances. She also makes large hangers for wedding dresses, etc. How cute would this be as a detail shot in your wedding album?
2. Frame from Wild Sorbet and photo art by Melissa Olson Photography.
3. Dollhouse Bookcase from Amazon (see upper right of screen to purchase ;).
4. Vinyl Wall Sticky from Pottery Barn Kids.

HAPPY SUNDAY!

Spoonflower - Fabric LOVE

I cannot say enough awesome things about Spoonflower! You can upload your own designs and print with yards of fabric NO minimums. In addition to the a fore mentioned awesomeness, you can purchase most of the other designs uploaded on the site. I've included two of my favs below from Olive Manna.

Heather Ross is also on here, BLISS! Do you have a favorite fabric designer you've spotted on here? Please share in the comments!

Here's what we made!

{ I promise I'll post some stuff about fall & winter wedding trends next week }

FREE Printable Tiara

Lily and I are going to do this today ... I'm so excited! I've got glitter, sparkle pom-poms, gems and more, what more could a two year old ask for? :) This is what you'll need for this project:

1. Skinny Headband
2. Mini Hole Puncher
3. Heavy Cardstock
4. Decorations!

For an even more finished look, trace the pattern over two pieces of felt and sew together. I'll post some pictures of what we make this weekend. You can purchase the other templates you see above at my Etsy store, FREE Printable Princess Crown.

Car Seat Stroller

This is the best thing ever. You strap your heavy, awkward car seat to this thing and VOILA! It's a car seat stroller! This is a must have for any mom/toddler duo making their way through an airport. You can get this on Amazon or check out the links at the top right of the page!

Knot & Bow - Etsy Love

This is one of my favorite shops on Etsy. Simple, and elegant items that you can use for almost anything. Here a my top three picks from this shop right now: (1) fabric ribbon, (2) mini pins & (3) mini gift tags.

If you like the look and feel of the items in this shop, you'll also love Olive Manna. Check out some of their cute items here:

Birthday Party Time!

So I've already started planning for little miss Lily's THIRD birthday party (I can't believe that!). I've chosen to do a pink and yellow lemonade stand party. I got this inspiration from Wild Sorbet & UCreate.

You can find a tutorial on how to create this awesome stand at Ucreate. Ucreate is a fun blog that's full of fun stuff to look at and do :) Check it out.

Now all I have to do is decide how I elaborate on this theme and turn it into a cool kids party!

Here's what I've got so far - My friend over at MommyLovesPretty had a tie dye party this weekend and I made these cool ombre favor bags. MLP has some other pictures and info on tie-dying.

Photo courtesy www.melissaolsonphotography.com

Photo courtesy www.melissaolsonphotography.com

Here's an idea I have for the cake too from Call Me Cupcake:

Here's the map!

This is what the map looks like when I've drawn it all out :) Pretty neat, huh?

Maps

I get A LOT of questions on how I make maps and what info is needed. So, here's what I need from you to make it happen (and I'll show what it looks like when I'm done too!):

Step 1: Go to www.maps.google.com.
Step 2: Click on the "CREATE NEW MAP" button. You have to have a google account to save your places. This is easy, it won't create another account you have to keep track of, you just link it to your current email address.

Step 3: On the next screen you can give your map a title, description and set it as public or private.

Step 4: Enter your first address at the top of the screen and press the blue button to the right. The map will immediately update to the address you've entered.

Step 5: Right click, and select add a Placemark. Label the location and select OK. Now you will see your first location in entered in your map on the left hand side of the screen.

Step 6: Repeat until you have entered all of you desired locations. Check out how all the locations are now saved on the left of the screen and I've zoomed out to frame all the locations.

Step 7: Now here's where you need to make a decision. Center and zoom your map to where the N, S, E & W borders of the map include all the land marks you'd like. If you've done this and you're not seeing enough details in a certain area, then I would recommend a detailed inset. Which is what we're going to do here for the location on the far right. It's in a downtown area that has lots of streets and might be easily missed. Here's what the inset is going to look like:

I'll include this major street in yellow on the large map and the inset for reference. The inset will be placed in a region of the map where there isn't a lot of detail.

Step 8: You save these images as jpegs. On a PC: just press the print screen key (it's on the upper right hand side of the keyboard). On a MAC: press command + shift + 3. the image will automatically save to your desktop as a jpeg.

Step 9: Send me the images and addresses via convo on etsy :) Also, don't forget to send me size information, colors and fonts!

Step 10: I draw your map! I'll post the map tomorrow morning :)

Happy Saturday!!!

NausicaDistribution

PopChartLab

Today, we are celebrating my husbands 31st birthday! And in honor of him, I'd like to highlight some manly video game & nerd related gifts from Etsy! Happy Birthday!!!!

GeekThings

FREE Printable Pinwheel

Here's your Free Friday Download! :) Here are the simple instructions:
1. Print on regular printer paper.
2. Cut along dotted lines around the outside and the diagonals
3. Punch a whole in all 5 circles.
4. Fold in the sides with the punched circle.
5. Secure through the center of the pinwheel and a straw with a brad.
6. You're done!

For durability, you can try laminating the pinwheel before you put it all together or using strips of shipping tape if you don't have laminating material. Have your kids color these in or make them fabulous and elegant for a whimsical touch to a wedding or party. Pinwheels are just fun!

Ribbon Wands

This is my new favorite thing for weddings! Use these in leu of throwing lavender or confetti. What a memorable and coloful picture this would be :) And you won't be picking out bits and pieces out of your dress until you are ready to change. You can find these lovely wands at www.craftupyourlife.etsy.com. You Can get them in a whole range of color choices and options for about $40.00 for 50.

New Logo Vote Off

Which logo do you like best? Vote in the comments below!

Looking for logo inspiration? Check out Logo of the Day. Wonderful site with great inspiration from REAL graphic designers! I could waste my whole day looking at sites like this :) (and sometimes do).

Paper Straws

I've been using these for all my parties since I found them in a random shop on South Congress (aren't they all a bit of this and that?). And then, I found them on Etsy, and in so many colors! I keep them around the house and use them all the time now. Makes sodas on a warm, sunny afternoon taste even more sweet and refreshing. Yum!

DIY Weddings

Seriously, how cute is this book, Handmade Weddings ($15.15) ? If you're looking for great inspiration and color pallets for DIY wedding stuff (or even general party planning), this is The Book. The tutorials are awesome too! Full of information that's easy to follow, including difficultly levels, hints and tips, etc. They even tell you where you can buy the exact materials used to make the items in the pictures!

Here are some of the ideas you'll find in this book: scalloped cupcake stand, ruffle roll purse, heart-shaped programs, & vintage plate table numbers.

Fairy Tale Threads

This is a neat organization that was introduced to me by a dear friend. I think I'll let their description from the website do all the talking today (btw, they are located in Austin):

"Fairytale Threads is a twice yearly consignment event designed to turn clutter into cash and give you the opportunity to shop new and gently loved items for great prices. As a shopper, you will find clothes, toys, furniture and gear for your little ones.  All items are inspected for quality and organized for a great shopping experience! As a consignor, you can set your own prices and take home 65% of the sales price.  Leave the advertising and organizing to us.  As a volunteer, you can earn up to 80% of your sales price and be the first to shop."

Friday FREE Download - Table Signs

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Here's your FREE Friday Download :) It's a table sign for food, names, etc.! Just print and write in whatever you want.

You can also purchase this in multiple colors and designs as an editable PDF for $12.99 on my Etsy Page.

What the Font?

Fonts have long been a OBSESSION of mine, even before I knew I was in love with graphic design and stationery. To the left you'll see one of my all time favorite font designers, Ale Paul of Sudtipos. You can find these beautiful fonts for sale at Veer.com (yet another one of my complete obsessions!).

While these fonts are generally more expensive than the causal font collector would like to shell out, here are some other great resources for FREE FONTS!

1. www.dafont.com
2. www.1001freefonts.com
3.www.myfonts.com

These guys are all on the front page of Google when you search "Fonts" and they're there for a reason. All of these sites are well organized and help you find stuff that you didn't even know you're looking for.

Here's a fabulous reasource for identifying a font, I use it all the time when people send me screen shots asking me what it is (if I don't already know!): http://new.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/

Another note-worthy collection is the font collection designed by Kevinandamanda.com. These folks are super creative allow commercial use of their fonts for $10! Doesn't get any better than that! Enjoy!

Esty LOVE - Homage to Warm Summer Breezes

{ Esty LOVE - Warm Summer Breezes }

Check out this treasury that has tons of cute nostalgic summer items. I love summer but I'm so ready for it to be cool again!

Gender Neutral Bedding

This is by far the CUTEST gender neutral bedding I've ever seen :) Just thought I'd share, you can buy it here: The Land of Nod.

Envelopes

Icing on the Paper is now selling envelopes! Here are the details:

- 4 Bar (fits 4.875" x 3.500"), Eco-White 10 pk: $2.50 (100, $25.00)

- A2 (fits 5.5" x 4.25"), Eco-White 10 pk: $2.75 (100, $27.50)
- A7 (fits 5" x 7"), Eco-White 10 pk: $3.50 (100, $35.00)
- 5.25" Sq (fits 5" sq), Eco-White 10 pk: $3.50 (100, $35.00)
- A9 (fits 8.5" x 5.5"), Eco-White 10 pk: $4.75 (100, $47.50)

Also available in the following Paper Source colors (minimum order of 100):
Red, Fuchsia, Strawberry, Blossom, Papaya, Persimmon, Poppy, Curry, Sunshine, Chartreuse , Clover, Moss, Sage, Bluebell, Pool, Lake, Peacock, Night, Beet, Fig, Plum, Cement, Gravel, Khaki, Paper Bag, Chocolate, Pure White, Superfine Soft White, & Superfine White

How to use a bone folder

My first how to! So, I thought I'd pick something easy. When I first starting making stationery I never cold get the perfect fold because I wasn't doing it right! I though you just lined up your edges and folded. But now I know better!

photo courtesy www.marthastewart.com

To get that perfect fold: 1. lay out your paper on a surface that is safe for scoring. 2. line up your desired fold line with a straight edge. 3. hold the straight edge steady with one head and apply even pressure from top to bottom. 4. turn you paper over and fold! EASY!

If you're ever in a pinch, use the dull side of a butter knife, works just as good :)

FREE Printable Pennant Design

Here's your first freebie in awhile. This pennant is a new type of PDF I'm trying out, you can customize it! Just type in one letter and print. Repeat until you spell your desired word. Great for lemonade stands or birthday banners. Enjoy! (Please note, the image here is a jpg. If you'd like the PDF, please sign up for our email list so I can send it to you :)

Texas BBQ (Totally not stationery related ;)

Photo courtesy www.TexasMonthly.com

BBQ is absolutely one of my favorite foods and Texas Monthly recently came out with a list of the 50 best BBQ joints in Texas, yum! Also, if you live around the Austin area, Texas Monthly is having a BBQ Festival in Austin on October 30, 2011. Check it out! :) Don't see your favorite BBQ joint on here, send them a shout out in a comment!