Holiday Gift Book

For Christmas, I made this book for several people in my family. It celebrates their annual trip to Arizona to visit me each year since 1992. It has 38 pages (19 sheets of paper) with an inserted envelope. I purchased a packet of 5x7 cardstock in dark colors to make the assembly easier. I made four versions of this book that are mostly identical but have slight variations.

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Because of the small page size and the large number of photos I wanted to use, I first reduced almost every photo to wallet size. This is easy to do if you have photo editing software. First, create a blank picture file (canvas) that is 4x6. Then open each of 4 photos and adjust the file size down to 2x3, copy the photo, and paste it into the new file as a new layer. Move them around so they all display in the new file. If this is too much work for you, Walgreens online photo service will make wallets from your 4x6 photos for $1 each. I'm sure other online photo services have similar services to make wallets.

Most of the recipients are guys, so I didn't want to use my personal style of page adornment that is normally heavy on flowers and frills. Instead, I went with a plain style that is more industrial. Tim Holtz various trinkets are great for this. I used plumber's chain to attach a subway token, a swimming pool basket tag, and a word doodad to the cover of each one. I selected words that related most to each person.



I also refrained from adding ribbons, yarns, and other frilly trims from the pages.

Each page is different color, which means that each two-page spread includes two different colored pages. The varigated colors make a fairly smooth transition on each spread. However, if I was going to redesign this book, I'd add in a common element like a constrasting paper or emphemera that would unify the spread with differrent background colors.



I put 1 to 4 of the wallet size photos on each page. On pages with 1-3 photos, I added other content including stamps, library pockets, coin envelopes, and velum pull pockets (the size of credit card holders). I also used rubber stamps to add words to nearly every spread. Having a nice selection of travel-related stamps really came in  handy. I also used some 4x6 photos as the main image on a page. I frequently overlapped this image with a wallet image that provided detail for the story on that page.

To tell the main story, I wrote up my commentary on the photographs in Microsoft Word using a nice display font. I kept the lines shorter than 5 inches so they would fit nicely on the 7 inch wide papers. I typed them single spaced and then cut them out freehand (using scissors) into word strips that I glued onto each page. I staggered the layout for emphasis, sometimes running words at a slant. The words are sometimes on the background, sometimes on the photos, and sometimes overlap the various components. I had planned to distress/chalk the edges, but because of the small size of the stips, it seemed to compete with the words on my trial page, so I abandoned this strategy.



I created the covers using book board (heavy chipboard) cut so it would slightly overlap the pages. I applied the crocodile paper to the outsides, and used a different inside paper selected for each person. I assembled the book by punching two holes in each page and cover, and used book rings. I only have 1 inch rings, but plan to upgrade them to 1.5 inches to allow the books to lay flat.

Next to each photo, I hand wrote a caption that identifies the location. My handwriting isn't expecially nice or regular, but I like the hand writing touch on the pages. I also like the slightly irregular cutting on the word strips, and a few other elements that really help to give the books an assembled feeling. I wanted it to seem more like a book that had been made over time than a project I cranked out over a few days. I like the journal aspect of this.

The books contain several coin envelopes and a library pocket where they can add their own trinket items. In a velum pocket, I've included 8 business cards from places we visited. The last page is a policy envelope with a string closure. It's not quite big enough for a 4x6 photo, but it can hold many smaller items. I didn't include journaling places because I suspect that my family members will not write in these books.



I used travel brochures on many pages. I picked up multiple copies so I could use the same brochure section in each duplicate book. These were perfect for filling in the content of the book because they were for places we visited. You can use any kind of ephemera for a similar project.

Holiday Gift Tags

I'm so excited to share these with you! These are my holiday gift tags this year. I normally make nice tags, but I decided to go all out this year. This is my first holidays with my studio, and it is the best present I have ever given myself! Here's some of the back story on how I made these tags.

[Ooopps. I guess Jamie and Tyson now know they are getting something from me! Maybe I should have posted a spoiler alert.]

First, I pulled out everything I could think of related to a holiday theme from my stamp collection. I ended up going with a star theme because I have a nice star quote stamp. It speaks to the holidays without specifically being about Christmas or any specific holiday.

Then, I spent about an hour designing and mocking up a tag. I focused on placement and layout, and once I had it the way I liked it, I started thinking about the colors. My inspiration for the colors was a ball of recycled silk yarn from Tibet. I love this stuff, and want to use it where it has a big impact. I pulled colors from this to select which of my Tim Holtz Distress inks I would use. Because I love green and all shades of blue-green, that's my main color. The red really contrasts nicely with the coolness of the blues and greens. I wasn't thinking Christmas when I picked this scheme, but it works.


I started by using the applicator to put a background coat of Broken China (blue) on each tag. Next, I used one of the Tim Holtz masks along the left border and applied a coat of Peeled Paint (green) with the applicator. I turned each card over and lightly covered the back. I really hate raw surfaces in my projects.

As you can see, I went through a learning curve with the ink and applicator. After a few tags, I figured out that rubbing the applicator over the ink pad and then rubbing it over the tag gives the best color coat without applicator sized blotches. That's what I love about my art right now, I'm starting to master tools because I'm using them more often.


I added a shooting star stamp across the top of the tag over the hole. I tried using silver because I thought it would go nicely with the aluminum ring around the circle tag, but in the end, I went with copper. The copper blends into the background colors and I liked that look better than the shiny look of the silver.


I started adding content from the bottom, starting with the year. I love the way this Fired Brick red contrasts with the cool blue green background.


While playing around with the prototype, I decided that I wanted some sort of scrolling image in the middle of the tag, but subtle so it doesn't make it hard to read the quote. I tried several scrolls, but ended up with this one because it is light handed. I used the Pine Needles ink for this, which is more of an olive, yellow green. I love using adjacent colors on the color wheel like this because I love the richness it adds to the palette.


I used the Fired Brick again on the quote to make this the most prominent part of the design. It took a bit to figure out the placement for the stamp so I had the words in the best location. It was fun watching them suddenly appear nearly finished on the table.


I finished up the inking by using Pine Needles on the edges and doing a bit of distressing on top and bottom. I love the distressed grunge feel it gives. I wrote the recipient names on the circle tags, and using a paper piercers, I punched a hole and inserted a star brad to attach the circle tag to the gift tag. I noticed that the circle repeats the scrolling design underneath, and love the way it lines up with the scrolls. I wish I could say I planned that, but in truth, it was a happy accident.

I cut the yarn and attached them to the tags. They are so pretty I keep one near me when I'm at the computer just to cheer me up!

More pictures on Flickr.

Me, A Painter?

Ever since Santa Fe, I've had an image in my head that haunts me. Actually, it is two images, the same scene from two different points of view. And after days of denying it, I'm now sure that I need to capture this image in art. I see the finished products in my head as well. And they are PAINTED! But I'm not a painter. Sure, I can paint backgrounds for other artwork, but actually paint an image? I've never done it before with any level of success.

I realize that the only thing standing between me and my painter inner being is this limiting idea that I'm not a painter. So I embrace this challenge, and will honor this haunting image by capturing it to the best of my ability.

Is anyone else excited about the rubber stamp show in Mesa, Arizona next week? I love seeing what everyone has to offer, and spend a great deal of time at the Magenta booth drooling over the images. I was out of town for the show in March, so I'm especially excited because it has been a whole year!

I'm making slow progress on my Santa Fe trip photos on Flickr.