How About Orange

May 25, 2012

Free font: Trocchi

If you're up for a Friday freebie, you might go grab Trocchi, a Clarendon-like slab serif type family by Vernon Adams. Bold and regular weights are available for download right here at Font Squirrel.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day holiday, everyone! I'm on vacation next week, but I've prepared some posts ahead of time. I'm designating it Orange Week. Prepare to feast your eyes on orange galore! I've scoured the internet for the best orange things to put on, carry around, gaze at, sit on, and decorate with.

May 24, 2012

Make a simple, stitched vinyl wallet

My hubby Alex likes to carry around a slim, fold-in-half vinyl wallet sometimes, but his isn't quite the right size to fit a dollar bill folded in half. He has to perform some kind of weird origami quarter-fold to make cash fit, so I thought I'd see if I could make a better one.

Tragically the fabric store didn't have orange vinyl, but I made do. I used one color for the outside and another for contrasting pockets. (I folded the wallets a little bit crooked in the photo above so you can see a hint of pocket peeking out.)

These would be simple gifts to whip up as graduation presents or Father's Day gifts, and especially fun with cash or a gift card tucked inside.

The measurements I used:
Outer piece = 4.5" x 6.5"
Each pocket = 4.5" x 2.5"

Or adjust as needed to make business card holders, recipe card holders, you name it.

On the outer piece, get crazy with your sewing machine and stitch some lines using contrasting thread. I made some straight stitches on one version, then tried one of the fancy stitches on my sewing machine that I never use.

Instead of backstitching to secure the ends of the decorative stitches (that's unsightly!) pick at the last stitch on the reverse side until you can pull the thread from the front side back through and then knot the loose ends. Secure all the stitches this way.

Then sew on the two pockets by stitching around the edges of the wallet. When you're finished, slice off any overhanging bits with a rotary cutter and a ruler to tidy up the edges.

May 23, 2012

Free vintage printable images

Vintage Printable is a fascinating (though difficult to browse) archive of vintage photos, illustrations, and page scans. Files vary in resolution and the usage restrictions are a bit murky; most state "image in the public domain believed to be free to use without restriction in the US." I wouldn't build a corporate ad campaign based on "believed to be," but you could certainly make yourself some wall art, desktop wallpaper, or fun projects for personal use. Via Curbly.

May 22, 2012

Free Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials

Those who want to learn useful techniques in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and photography might be interested in Nicole's Classes. Find an ever-growing series of free video tutorials, how-tos, and downloads. Or sign up for classes you can take at home in the comfort of your pajamas (one of my favorite working uniforms, I admit). New, helpful content is posted every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Here's an example of one of the goodies offered on the site: printable Summer Reading bookmarks in two designs. Help yourself right here and learn a couple of Illustrator tips along the way.

May 21, 2012

How to make party decorations out of paper

There's something really satisfying about making your own... anything. And if you're throwing a party for someone, what better way to say "I like you" than to make the decorations by hand. Not to mention, it's cheaper. Not to mention, you can cut and assemble these while watching TV, so you'll feel productive and proud of yourself instead of like a guilty couch potato. Learn to make the paper flower centerpiece above at Santa Barbara Wedding Style.

Download free printable templates for mini candy boxes at Gi Det Videre. The PDFs have editable text fields so you can easily type in guests' names and use them as place cards or favor boxes. Check back at Gi Det Videre this week for more matching printables to add to the set.

Get a template and instructions from HGTV for making this party flag garland. Use paper in colors that match your plates, napkins and other party stuff, and you'll look like a pro.

May 18, 2012

DIY geometric felt bookmarks

Remember the boxes I made with stiffened felt from the craft store? I found it was easy to cut the stuff by hand with an X-acto knife, so I used the leftover scraps to make bookmarks with geometric cutouts. Kinda like the laser-cut items that are really popular right now, but without the laser.


May 17, 2012

Summer t-shirt DIY projects

Have you heard? Gap and Threadless are teaming up for a series of "TIY" (T-It-Yourself) tutorials, with a new one posted every Friday on Gap's Facebook page. Photo instructions will demonstrate how to turn old shirts into fun accessories including flip flops, laptop sleeves, and beach bags. I'm curious to see what they come up with. See the flip flop project here.

The idea, according to the PR email I received, is for us to make crafts with our old t-shirts so we'll have more room to fit Gap's new Ts into our wardrobe. I'm not sure the campaign will cause me to buy t-shirts, but this photo is inspiring me to finally remove January's last remaining flecks of old nail polish from my toes and paint them pink.

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