stuff about artstuff.

Goodies and Giveaways

We're on the edge of a mystical and romantic weekend ... all full of hearts and love and the moon and all. And tigers. Don't forget the tigers.

To celebrate, some of my artist friends in Blogland are having neato giveaways I'd like to tell you about:

My friend Sue passed along Chris Chun's latest e-newsletter, thanks Sue, what a treat! I've only met Chris once and he was super nice, and his art is just magical. If you're not already a fan, you really ought to check it out. Chris is doing a fun giveaway in honor of Chinese New Year: 4 lucky winners will each receive one of his beautiful limited-edition silk eye-pillows, filled with lavender and flaxseed ... oh my goodness.

And how cool is this: for each eye pillow Chris makes a donation to a charity that restores eyesight in a developing country. Nice work Chris! To find out more about this and to enter his drawing, visit his blog.

And my amazingly prolific and multitalented friend Diane is doing a giveaway in honor of Valentine's Day ... she has stitched and collaged this absolutely beautiful package of goodies for a lucky winner...
If you haven't visited Diane's blog lately you should - scrolling through her many projects feels like thumbing through a copy of Victoria magazine (sigh) just look at all the pretties!

And in other news (tee hee), after telling you about them yesterday, look what Molly's nemesis left on my doorstep this morning! (Pay no attention to the messy desk the box is on).
Ooh, ooh, ooh ... you know I love this part. When I posted yesterday, I didn't even know that the windsocks have Twisting Action and the thermometers have reversible suction cups (so you can view it from whichever side of the window (or whatever else you stick it to) you like. Aahh, the fun things you discover when actually looking at something. And am I a broken record about my darn samples if I tell you they're even cuter in person? Yeah, I know. Sorry. But I can't help getting absolutely giddy when a company such a beautiful job with my designs, thanks Toland!

You know, I'm probably long overdue for a blog-giveaway myself. Hmmm. Stay tuned ... in the mean time, I've got work piling up on that messy desk of mine. How about March? We'll talk.

Welcome Fall ... a Couple Days Later

Well, while my computer was down for some minor surgery this week, I seem to have missed some important dates.

First, Fall officially arrived.  Just like that, right on schedule.

You can find this new design as another great RE-flag (all recycled material, how cool is that) by Toland Home Garden in your favorite garden center.

Next, did you know that yesterday was National Punctuation Day?  Ohmygosh, how did I miss that?  I feel terrible, really I do.  I should have celebrated appropriately... I will make up for that by trying to be more diligent about using correct punctuation here in my blog - you know, as a penance of sorts.  Has it been driving you nuts that for the past 139 posts I have not only overused but misused my dear, sweet ellipsis by butting it right up against words on both sides?  The humanity.  I am so ashamed.  I guarantee I will never give up the overuse part, as it is my absolute favorite punctuation ever ... but I will start giving it the respect, and space, that it deserves.

In the mean time, any grammar-junkies out there feeling guilty about missing this important holiday can chuckle and cringe at some of the photos on this page.

And finally (no, I hadn't forgotten) I totally missed the day I had promised to draw names from a hat for the fat quarter bundle of Love to Craft!  So with no further ado, let's get to it.  You know the drill:

Cute vintage hat, check.  Comments printed, cut, folded, check.  Pieces of paper scrambled and scrunched around without looking (do you have any idea how ridiculous this is to attempt while trying to take a picture with the other hand?), check.  Winning slip of paper pulled, check.

Sandy, congratulations!  Once I get your mailing address I'll send your goodies right away!

Love to Craft

Do you?

Sure you do.

It's also the name of my new fabric group from the nice folks at Henry Glass.  Remember when I was working on this art?  It hits independent quilt shops this month.

Ta da!

These fabrics turned out just cuter than cute.  I couldn't be happier with the quality and the detail in the designs.  I squealed opening the boxes. 

Yup, actually squealed with delight.  Like someone who might truly believe that cats + yarn, thread, and ricrac could lead to something positive.

Oh come on, where's your imagination?  It could happen, right?

Actually if Flossie was truly the inspiration for this collection, the name would be Love to Sit on Top of You and Give You Stink Eye While You Craft.

She helped me cut some fat quarters, and we're celebrating her debut on fabric with a giveaway.

A fat quarter bundle, all designs in all colorways, is cut and folded and ready to go.

Just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite thing you've made with your own hands (either recently, or ever) and I'll draw a name from a hat on the 22nd...to celebrate the First Day of Fall.

Just Because...

Just because I came across this little goody while looking for something else; just because it's the last day of August, and just because while pulling weeds yesterday, I noticed that all I could hear was the buzzing of bees in my flowerbeds (I know, in a city neighborhood with cars and trucks and people and everything, how cool is that?); just because I really do heart all-of-youall who indulge me by visiting, reading my ramblings, and saying nice things; just because it's a beautiful warm and sunny evening...

...I have a little freebie for you.  Just a little memo-pad design you can print and use for jotting down notes or lists or whatever you feel like.  Click here to download the file...at 200dpi this will be a 3 X 10" page.

Thanks, and hope you all have a nice week...just because.

And, just because I have to be official about this kind of thing, I suppose I should add: Downloadable "freebie" images from Stuff About Artstuff are protected under copyright law and are solely for the private use of my readers; they are not to be reproduced for commercial purposes of any kind. If you are interested in an image you see on this site for commercial use, please contact me to discuss licensing terms. Thank you!

Happy Summer (and Winners)

Have you been waiting for me?

I'm sorry. I've been waiting for the sun most of the day...I was hoping for a break in the clouds for a winner-picking photo-op, and wouldn't you know, I got that. And all is right with the world.

First of all, happy first-day-of-summer to all of you. And happy Fathers' Day to any random dads that happen to stumble across this. And happy coaster-winning day to...oh wait, you thought I was going to give it away just like that? First thing, without a lot of talking, pictures, and more talking? You should know me better than that.

So...I was in here working to meet a Monday morning deadline (what else would I be doing on a lovely Sunday in June?) and I saw a patch of blue sky out the window. I had everything ready to go for the name-drawing photo-op, so I ran outside to catch the sunlight before it was covered again. And wouldn't you know it, there was dog poop scooping duty to attend to. While doing so, I couldn't help noticing that the grass really could use a mow. While mowing, well good gracious look at those tomatoes, what are you doing sprawling all over the...you need to be staked already? Here, let me fix that. Now what are you doing trying to grow these extra little branches...I need to pinch those off. Oh would you look at those weeds someone needs to pull them out before they get out of control. Now you peas stop flopping about you get right up there on the fence and stop wrapping yourselves around those poor onions. Are you kidding me, I really never got that Thai-basil into the ground? Here you go, poor little things just sitting there in pots. Oh my everything really could use some water, couldn't it?

Eventually, to the name-drawing: there was a terribly scientific and involved method in which this occured. First, I printed out your comments and then cut and folded each one twice.

Then there is the hat. This is an important step in name-drawing, the choosing of the hat. This is a very special and treasured hat...it was my Grandma Allie's gardening hat.

It is very, very old...probably a valuable antique that shouldn't be worn with a sweaty head while gardening or messed around with in the grass while playing around taking pictures for a blog post. But it is a useful, practical, and comfortable hat...and today it is a name-drawing hat.

The names go in. They are tumbled about.

I can't really see what I'm doing because I'm looking through the camera which I'm holding in my other hand. That's how we know this is random and fair.

Then I pull out a name. Well, I seem to have pulled out 2. Now didn't I do this before? This must be a sign. So in the spirit of, I don't know...let's say it's a June/Gemini/twins thing (today is the last day of that, right?) or it could be a Fathers' Day thing...did you know I had 2 dads? There's a tasty tidbit to drop on you with no explanation...I'll just say I was blessed in the Daddy-department, a very lucky girl indeed, and leave it at that for now. Anyway, in the spirit of one of those things, I will draw 2 names and give away 2 sets of coasters.

Let's unfold the first one....it's

Annette Richter! And the second (this is hard while holding the camera) is

Meagan S!

This name-drawing was overseen and verified fair and accurate by the Accounting Firm of Molly the Long-Toed Bony-Knuckled dog. Thank you, Molly.

And thank you everyone who commented...and who shared the fun things you're looking forward to this summer. I thoroughly enjoyed the fun little peek into each of your lives and the cool things you'll be doing. From baseball to getaways to gardening (first vegetable garden ever, how awesome!) to great household projects to exploring new exciting ways to express your creativity...I hope you all have an amazing summer! I so appreciate each of you, the fact that you indulge me in this and visit my blog and say nice things...well it just makes me smile. Thank you for that!

Annette and Meagan, could you both email me privately (beth@artstuffltd.com) with your mailing addresses and I'll get these little guys on their way to you right away!

Thanks again everyone! Oh and...I know, you didn't ask, but there's more to this: I want to share a few things I'm looking forward to this summer, and I'll be doing that in the next post.

Save a Tree While You Save Your Furniture.

It's been a little crazy-busy around here. One way to tell: a box arrived last week that said this right on it

and I only got around to opening it up to peek inside today.

Yeah, that busy. You already know how excited we all get about this kind of stuff showing up on the doorstep. To not just stop whatever I'm doing and tear into it in a manic frenzy of flying packing material? Yeah...no. You might get an even clearer picture of this past couple weeks if I sheepishly admit that the unopened box has been sitting on top of an only partially-unpacked suitcase since it arrived. And yes, I've been home from NY for like, 2 weeks.

For the record, the suitcase and odds and ends that had remained inside have finally all been put away now too.

But back to the fun (and less embarrassing) stuff...the box!

Inside was (ta da!) my new eco-themed coasters created by Legacy Publishing. They've named the set "Mother Earth" and I am absolutely loving how they turned out! Here's the neato thing (to me) about these...Legacy pretty much exists at all because of thrifty recycling and tree-saving from, well, back in the day when people didn't really brag about that kind of thing.

It all started long ago with a little company that would re-bind hardcover books for publishers. Recycling them back into the marketplace with a fresh new paperback cover so they don't go to waste. That's pretty thrifty in iteslf. But then there were the old covers...they couldn't just throw them away (I love that attitude!) so they invented a process to recycle them into beautiful stationery products...and started, well, a Legacy.

How cool is that?

So to me, these coasters are yet another perfect fit for my eco designs. And to celebrate this, the earth, and the beginning of that season of getting out there and enjoying the earth...I am giving away a set of 12 (1 of each design) of these cool coasters to one of you awesome blog-readers. Just for being you, just for continuing to indulge me and my big blabbermouth.

Simply comment on this post and tell me something you are looking forward to doing this summer. Anything. Just post (it has to be on this one) and I'll draw a name from a hat on the 21st of June (Summer Solstice). And I'll send you something (well, 12 somethings) to slide under your frosty cold beverages this summer.

Small steps to save the planet, a tree, and of course, your furniture.

Hope, and Then Some.

Here's a word we're hearing a lot this week. 

And isn't that nice, after all? Feels good, the positive energy in the air. So refreshing in a dreary winter and difficult times. I do hope folks can keep the good-vibes part up...I'll try. Really I will.

Hope doesn't stand alone, though...it requires a little more for dreams to be realized. Hope goes hand in hand with Faith...believing in your heart what you can't see, knowing deep down that what has not yet come to be actually can, and will. (But wait, there's more). As feelgood and nicey-sounding as they are, those 2 things can't stand alone, either. We can't just sit back and hope for stuff...even with faith in our hearts, without doing anything about it, without action. Dreams require nurturing. Upkeep. Actual work. Thing is, when we're working toward stuff we care enough about to hope for and have faith in, it's not so much a chore, is it?

Yeah, I know.

I've been thinking a lot. Too much, you say? Sorry.

But all this thinking has inspired me with the last 3 better-late-than-never freebies I had promised you for Blogiversary week. I've taken my 3 designs, Hope, Faith, and Nurture, and created memo-pad designs from them for you to download and use to your little hearts' desire. 

You can view and download the high-resolution versions by clicking on each word: Hope, Faith, and Nurture. Saved and printed at 200dpi, they'll measure 4" x 11".

Being an avid list-maker myself (no, really...you have no idea) I thought it might be a fittingly useful item for these sentiments. I mean, what are lists if not little glimpses into the future of things that have not yet come to be; just a bunch of stuff that is hoped for, that you will work toward and accomplish. And then...well, then the really satisfying part comes: crossing the completed item off the list. I know some list-makers who relish in striking a long, straight line through the entire item. Others who get a thrill from completely blacking it out with scribbles. Myself, I'm a box-filler-inner...oh boy, do I love filling in boxes.

How do you cross off your completed tasks? I'm curious. Really I am.

I've always wondered what those different styles of list-crossing-off meant about people, if anything. It's one of those terribly unimportant non-scientific long-term polls (no, really long-term) I've been taking randomly since grade-school (yes, that long-term), right up there with why people who don't like either tomatoes, cucumbers, or watermelon usually don't like the other 2 either...and people whose elbows naturally pop outward when they lean on the heels of their hands on the edge of a table seem to have sticky-outy-er ribcages than those whose elbows stay inward when they lean that way.

As a little kid, the results seemed so much more conclusive and significant. These days it's simply an unfortunate situation if I accidentally fall into a conversation that has anything to do with lists, watery produce, or elbows; I can't help myself and all too soon I realize it would have been best had I kept those mysteries of my childhood to myself...but still, I wonder. Sort of.

Anyway, here's to feeling hopeful. And having faith that things will get better. And nurturing those dreams by working toward our goals. Together even.

And finally, I know I don't need to say this to you, but I have to put this here:

Downloadable "freebie" images from Stuff About Artstuff are protected under copyright law and are solely for the private use of my readers; they are not to be reproduced for commercial purposes of any kind. If you are interested in an image you see on this site for commercial use, please contact me to discuss licensing terms. Thank you!

And the Winner is...

I know, I'm late. Can we just pretend it's Tuesday, like I said it would be?

And one more thing...before we even get to a drum-roll, can we all just take a moment to gawk at this cutest-ever hat? 

I found it last month at HiJinx on Etsy and snatched it right up, couldn't even help myself. I've gotten compliments every time I have it on. Love it. 

But with the cold weather, I've been sporting my unfortunately unfashionable plaid wool Elmer Fudd almost every time I've ventured outside all winter...I am very tempted, though, by Lynn's adorable earflap beanies...maybe I can possibly break free of this ridiculous looking albeit cozy and warm habit I've gotten myself into. Hmmm....

So...now it's time for that drum-roll (please). 

I printed everyone's comments onto a page and cut them into mostly-even pieces, and folded mostly-evenly. They looked the same from the outside. Scrunched them up, ruffled them around... 

Oops, I picked up 2...shuffle and scrunch and separate... 

Alright, here it is...and the winner is... 

Debbie Hale!

Well Debbie, I hope you haven't started that quilt yet because it looks like you'll have a little more fabric to work with! I hope you will share pictures when it's finished. And I'll be emailing you shortly to talk shipping/delivery!

Thanks so much everyone who entered. I do appreciate all of you!

Another Little Box for You.

This one in the form of a crazy cowboy cat. 

And why not?

Perfect for kitty treats or cowboy trinkets...you never know when you'll need a little box with a picture on it of a cat that's a cowboy. But when it happens (and it will) you'll be prepared with this little dude. Printed at 200dpi, he'll measure 2.25" square and 1.5" high. Once again, just click here to download the template. 

And I'm sure you don't need them, but there are always those assembly instructions on this post.  

For this one, I printed the back of the page with my Happy Little Fishbones background pattern from my pcCrafter collection, Cats n Dogs. You, of course, can line the interior of your box with anything your little heart desires. Really, anything. Or nothing.  

And for those of you just joining us from another channel: just a reminder as to what all this free-giveaway stuff is about. It's Blogiversary Week. Whoo hoo, it's a celebration. A kitty-cat hoedown of sorts, from this little fella's perspective. "Darn tootin'", he'd say. Oh come on I'm sure he would, given the chance. 

I don't know about cowboys, but I've never known a cat who could resist a box full of colorful little pompoms.

Have you left a comment on this post yet, to enter the drawing for the At The Lake fat quarter bundle? Well, why dontcha mosey on over and do that now. I'll be drawing a name from a hat on Tuesday. The catch is the comment has to be on this post to get your name into that hat.

And once again, the legal notice:

Downloadable "freebie" images from Stuff About Artstuff are protected under copyright law and are solely for the private use of my readers; they are not to be reproduced for commercial purposes of any kind. If you are interested in an image you see on this site for commercial use, please contact me to discuss licensing terms. Thank you!

Got Notes?

Lists?

Stuff to remember?

Would you like something to write that stuff on? Something kind of rustic and homey?

Alright, here you go. 

You can download the art by clicking here...and if you save/print it at 200dpi it will make a 5X7" page. Print 'em up and get to that list-making.

Just another little thank-you gift for you sweet and loyal blog-readers, in celebration of this whole  blogiversary thing. And don't forget to comment on the blogiversary post to enter the drawing for the fat-quarter bundle!

And, once again...I can't not say this stuff, so please bear with me once more:

Downloadable "freebie" images from Stuff About Artstuff are protected under copyright law and are solely for the private use of my readers; they are not to be reproduced for commercial purposes of any kind. If you are interested in an image you see on this site for commercial use, please contact me to discuss licensing terms. Thank you!

Got Books?

Well then how about a couple new bookmarks?

You can download the art for these by clicking here. At 200dpi these will measure 2 X 6.5" each. 

And of course any self-respecting bookmark must be finished off with some sort of bling that sticks out of the book. If it doesn't, you may as well have used a grocery store receipt or a post-it with someone's phone number scrawled on it to mark your page.

 At the very least, a cute bookmark deserves a yarn tassel. The ones pictured here might not be the best matches for these particular bookmarks, but they'll do in a pinch...the smooth pretty one was the last pre-made tassel I have left from a mass-bookmark-making-project a few years ago...purchased in bulk here for super-cheap, and the sillier looking one I made in about a minute with the closest yarn I could find, some dark green chenille that mostly gets used when wrapping presents.

Tassels are easy to make. Crazy easy. They have to be...see, I made one (in a minute, really).

In searching for a quickie tutorial to share with you, I stumbled upon this neato blog that I will have to visit again when I have more time. Her tassel instructions feature lots of good photos. Then I found these instructions, and darn it if that little cardboard thingy isn't just the dandiest little gadget, albeit not nearly as cute as the little book used in the first link.

When digging through my recycling-bag for a piece of cardboard to make the dandy-gadget with, I found a piece of  a box that already had a little slot cut into it so I just used that, as-is.  And it worked fine, although I can see why the bigger slot works better (next time I'll actually cut one like the one that's shown on the link). 

You might notice that my finished tassel (a minute!) only has one piece of yarn coming from the top, and to attach it to the bookmark like this you kind of want a loop...oops, I trimmed the end off and had to loop it back down in and tie it off again (ok...I'll admit, the extra step probably took another minute...maybe even two, making me sort of a liar about that whole minute thing...but it would have been a minute had I not gone snip-happy the first time).

Anyway, it kind of makes me want to discover more things that need tassels so I can spend a little more time and maybe make some nicer ones with other fun yarn, string, thread, wire, beads...hmmm.

Another week maybe, I've got client deadlines to meet this week...no more time for this crazy over-a-minute craftsy stuff today.

And just because it has to be said (sorry to repeat myself):

Downloadable "freebie" images from Stuff About Artstuff are protected under copyright law and are solely for the private use of my readers; they are not to be reproduced for commercial purposes of any kind. If you are interested in an image you see on this site for commercial use, please contact me to discuss licensing terms. Thank you!

Because I Heart You.

Here's one to get you in the mood for Valentine's Day. Too early? Well then file this away for when we all finish putting away the last of those Christmas boxes...then we might feel more like it.

But here it is anyway, because I heart you: a little gift for you, to hold a little gift for someone you heart. At a sweet little 2-1/4" square (that's saved/printed at 200dpi) it's the perfect size for a bubble-gum-machine ring with pink feathers or a fabulous handmade truffle or chalky-sweet hearts that say silly things on them or even just some chocolate kisses. You decide.  

Click this link for the downloadable art (it will open in a new window).

I chose a very basic square template for this one...you probably don't need instructions at all but here's a step-by-step anyway.  

I wanted the inside of the box to be red...you could glue a piece of red paper to your print-out before cutting, or if your stock is heavy enough on its own, just print a solid color or pattern on the other side of the page.  

You might be one of those fancy crafters with a nice bone folding tool. I'm not. I just scored the fold-lines ever so lightly with my Xacto knife before folding to create a crisp, clean line. I don't recommend doing this unless you don't mind a little of the white paper-guts showing in the fold (a faint white line will appear where it was scored). 

This simple design doesn't really require glue to stay together if your paper is heavy enough, but I dabbed the flaps with a glue stick and pressed them tightly together for perfectly sort of clean edges. Oh, and while doing this, I was firmly pressing the box down on the piece of scrap paper that I'd used for glue-sticking, so the bottom of my box got glooped up with wet glue-stick. Don't do that.      

That's it. It doesn't get much simpler than that.  

Now that it's posed for the picture inside the box, I must go and devour this very last and only piece of Christmas candy left in the entire house...I can't have it just sitting here like this, taunting me.

Oh, and, if you'd like more usable art for crafty-projects with this same look, this heart pattern and "Be Mine" text are also available as part of one of my pcCrafter Creatables.

And finally, I know I don't have to tell you this, but I can't not say it:

Downloadable "freebie" images from Stuff About Artstuff are protected under copyright law and are solely for the private use of my readers; they are not to be reproduced for commercial purposes of any kind. If you are interested in an image you see on this site for commercial use, please contact me to discuss licensing terms. Thank you!

Blogiversary!

Yup, Stuff About Artstuff is 1 today. 

Can you just hear the noisemakers...the horns and rattles, the music and whooping and hollering? No, just me? Alright, that's fair. Does this help? 

Yeah I know, I only have 3 hats and no one wants to put their mouths on those weird old horns any more but the little clown still makes a slightly obnoxious noise when you twirl him. That's fun, right?

A whole year.

You might be surprised, after reading an entire year's worth of my periphrastic blowhardity, that I came into this thing a little bit...ok, a lot...kicking and screaming. That I thought I was "too private" and "too shy" for blogging. That I wouldn't have anything to say.

I know, right?

So I do feel like celebrating this occasion. Because I really have fun doing this, in spite of my initial fears and hesitation. Who knew (well, besides the thousands of bloggers all around the world who have been at this for several years)?  Anyway, to thank you for actually reading it, I'm planning some special stuff for you...for the next week I'll be posting a new freebie each day for you to download, and one week from today I'll be giving away a fat quarter bundle of my At The Lake flannels (that's 18 fat quarters!).   

Here's the catch: to enter the (completely random, I promise) drawing for this, you have to leave a comment on this post.

I know...most of you who read this are not the comment-types. I know this because you email me about things you read here, or even mention it when we (gasp) talk on the phone or in person. I understand...I don't expect everyone to feel compelled to say stuff (although I admit, my little heart does go pitter-patter when you do). Whether you're shy or don't feel talkative or don't like filling out stuff on-line that requires your email address, or have simply never gotten around to it...well, I admit, I can relate to just about any of those things. Really, I can. Maybe those weird little letter/number combinations you are asked to type for security purposes creep you out and you don't know why. Maybe you're still a little allergic to the internet. Maybe it hurts to type after you forgot to use an oven-mitt in your excitement to take the cookies out of the oven. It's alright. I don't hold it against you.

But for this...you've got to do it. There's free fabric at stake. Come on, it'll be fun. Say anything. Alright, almost anything (let's use our inside-voices, shall we?). And next Tuesday I'll put all your names into a hat, pull one out, and send that person a deliciously softy-soft little bundle of cute flannels.

And do keep checking back all week as I will be posting downloadable stuff you might just want to have.

Thanks for a great year, and for being part of this with me. And you realize, this means Flossie is celebrating her own blogiversary today as well. And you can be sure that she is making the most of the day.

Oh, and...if the blogiversary cake looks familiar to you, you may have just seen it before on a cute little birthday card produced by Legacy Publishing!