by Stephenie Hamen | Jan 26, 2018 | Do It
If you are like me, seeing all of the gorgeous hand lettering out there makes me yearn to be able to do it myself. I look at all of the beautiful posts on Instagram so jealous that my handwriting doesn’t look that pretty. I was so excited about it that I did a little research to see what I could find for classes, even reaching out to some friends that are fantastic hand letterers in their own right, to get some recommendations. Once I did all of that background work, I found 5 sites that were great places to start, all with a range of costs, starting with free – which we all love!
Here are 5 great places to get started:
5 Best Hand Lettering Classes and Workshops
- SkillShare – What is great about SkillShare is that you can start here for free. There is a premium option, but if you want to dip your toe without having to invest anything more than time, then this is where I recommend you start.
- Janna Wilson – Janna is an unbelievable creative soul and she loves to inspire and educate. While the bulk of her classes are in person, she does offer a digital practice sheet/set for only $20.00. This is a great opportunity to practice, using a tool from a professional, for a minimal cost.
- The Pigeon Letters – Peggy Dean of The Pigeon Letters is probably one of my favorite Instagrammers to follow. Her work is stunning and her blog is unreal. She shares her projects, classes, downloads, freebies, and more – all with the focus being on successfully creating beautiful hand-lettered pieces.
- Amanda Arneill – Amanda is another fabulous letterer with an extensive blog and series of classes that will help you grow in your calligraphy and lettering skills.
- CreativeLive – CreativeLive provides some of the best video content out there for high-end creative classes. One of their current classes is on modern hand lettering, going beyond just calligraphy. If you are looking for a fantastic resource, CreativeLive is a great place to start.
Beyond just these websites, there is a never-ending slew of resources out there on the web and beyond. In case you are more of a book learner, here are a couple options you can access on that front.
I hope that as you start your hand lettering journey this is helpful to you. Have fun and enjoy the process of learning and creating!
Did I miss something? Is there a book or website that has helped you on your creative journey? Let us know in the comments! We’d love to check it out and add it to our list.
As always, we love seeing what you’re working on! Be sure to share your hand lettering progress with us on our Facebook page or tag us on Instagram!
by Stephenie Hamen | Jan 3, 2018 | Love It
When you are starting in a new craft, it can be scary heading to the craft store, looking for supplies. Paper crafting can be one of the worst with so many different products out there.
Knowing where to start and what to buy first can go a long way in having fun. And isn’t that what crafting is all about anyway?
These tools are my top 5 paper crafting tools for beginners. They make creating easier and are tools you will use over and over and over again. Whether you are making cards or scrapbooking, these are tools that will be glad to have.
A good paper trimmer is the first thing to buy – before paper, before stickers, before card bases. It will be the one tool you will always use. It’s not the most glamorous of purchases, but it will save you time and time again. Cutting out school pictures and want them straight? Paper trimmer. Cutting cardstock down to make card bases? Paper trimmer. This one from Tonic Studios is compact enough to use for cardmaking, but also cuts 12” x 12” paper if you are doing scrapbooking. It is portable, cuts straight, and makes quick work of cutting paper, pictures, and cardstock.
A craft mat is essential to keeping your table top clean and damage free. A self-healing mat is the best kind because you can do detail cuts with a craft knife on it without damaging it to much. They are typically pretty easy to clean and can save you a lot of heartache if you spill something on your work surface like I did once. This 18” x 24” mat from American Crafts is a great size to work on and it comes in a super bright and fun shade of pink.
A sharp pair of scissors is critical for paper crafting. Maybe you are just cutting bits of paper and ribbon or maybe you are cutting super detailed images out – either way, you want to make sure you have high-quality tools for the job. These scissors from Tim Holtz are the perfect starter. They are large enough to cut through bigger projects, but make detail cutting easy as well. Plus, they are serrated to cut through thicker materials with ease. You can use them for any of the projects that you will have starting out which makes them that great investment when starting out.
I love the Xyron X for sticking oddly shaped bits and pieces to my projects. It makes anything a sticker! Pictures, papercuts, punched items, intricately cut items, little cardboard shapes – I could keep going! All of these easily become stickers to add to any project. And, what is really nice is that you aren’t trying to add adhesive by hand to tiny little bits. It is an economical purchase and it is refillable, which is even better.
If you are interested in stamping, but have never done it, then tools like the Tim Holtz Stamping Platform will help to make the job easier. You can use rubber or clear stamps, it holds your paper in place, and it lets you line up your image before you stamp so that you know it is going exactly where you want it. I find that if I take the stamps before I ink them, lay them out where I want them on the paper then close the lid, they stay right where I want them and make my life a whole lot easier! Stamping is simplified with this tool and if you love to stamp, it will be your best friend.
While there are dozens and dozens of options out there, starting with a basic toolkit will help you get started on a fun and creative journey. If you have the right tools for the job, the creating goes faster, smoother, and easier. Now all that is left to do is to create!
Happy crafting!
by Stephenie Hamen | Dec 29, 2017 | Love It
Coloring has come a long way since I was a kid. I used to take my 24 pack of Crayolas (not the 64 pack with the built-in sharpener, but 24 was better than 8!) and a coloring book of Strawberry Shortcake and sit for long stretches of time on our screened in porch when I was a kid. Or I would crawl into my sheet fort and color there. As a child, there was nothing better than a new page in the coloring book and the smell of crayons to start the day.
Now, as a grown-up, coloring has come back into our lives, only now we get mandalas, Zen tangles, and detailed images to color with our colored pencils and alcohol markers. It has become a way to destress and to recapture some of that lost youth. Now we color at our desks or on the couch, enjoying some artistic solitude and finding a little peace in our day.
If you haven’t had a chance to jump into the coloring craze, now is your chance. You can grab dozens of free downloadable and printable pages from these websites to help you kick-start your adventure.
Best Sites for Free Printable Adult Coloring Pages
- Just Color has hundreds of pages ready for instant download in all kinds of categories. Love animal? Feeling zen? They have you covered.
- Hello Kids has a section just dedicated to adults, but they have lots of pages for kids too. Print out favorites for everyone and have a family coloring day!
- Coloring Pages for Adults has mostly mandalas but, boy, are they pretty. I might just print out every single one.
- Adult Coloring Pages has a whole section of patterns! There’s nothing more zen that coloring the same pattern over and over. Have you tried it? It’s like a weird form a meditation – just like those zen rock gardens!
- Everything Etsy has an awesome roundup of some of the more trendy prints out right now. There are cactuses, unicorns, and mermaids! You can’t go wrong.
- Art is Fun has finished examples alongside the printables in case you need some inspiration to get started.
- Faber-Castell came up with some beautiful and intricate designs you have to see.
Good luck and have tons of fun in your coloring journey! Did you just finish a page? Share it with us on our Facebook page or tag us on Instagram. We love to see what you’re working on.
by Stephenie Hamen | Dec 3, 2017 | Love It
Gift giving can be fun and rewarding, especially when you know exactly what someone likes – like wine! Of course, the easiest thing to get a wine lover is a bottle of wine, but if you want to change it up a bit, this is the list for you.
As a fellow wine lover, finding the latest and greatest wine-related gifts is not a difficult task at all – I had to stop shopping for myself! So I have to admit that I love everything on this list of creative and fun gifts for wine lovers. I especially enjoy finding gifts that were special and unique. Bottles of wine come and go, but these gifts can last forever.
Below are 12 gift ideas that are fun, cute, sophisticated, simple, and unique, guaranteed to make the wine lover in your life one happy camper.
12 Genius Gifts for Wine Lovers
- First up is this Callaway Wine-Champagne Bucket – it is a Crate & Barrel exclusive. It is a gorgeous, but simple gift for the white or sparkling wine drinker.
- Stemless wine glasses are chic and these Riedel O Stemless Cabernet/Merlot Wine Glasses are a fabulous addition to any wine lover’s collection.
- Want to do something a bit different? This wine bottle succulent planter from Looking Sharp Cactus on Etsy is the perfect centerpiece for any table.
- Looking for a fun little gift? These luxury combed cotton “Bring Me Some Wine” socks are the perfect solution.
- This Cuisinart ® Dual Zone Wine Cooler might be a bigger purchase, but it will definitely be a huge hit as a gift for someone extra special.
- Know someone that collects their corks? If you want to give them a custom gift, then this wine cork shadow box from Home Wet Bar is perfect!
- This work/wine doormat is a cute way to brighten up someone’s new home or just for a hostess gift for a wine-loving friend.
- Need something stylish? This geometric 11 bottle wine rack is not only trendy and beautiful, but functional as well.
- For the person that is a true wine buff, having a dependable and trusty corkscrew is important. This Amazon best-selling rabbit wine opener corkscrew in luxury golden is the perfect addition to any wine lover’s toolkit and is beautiful, too.
- This Christmas ornament from Favor Universe on Etsy will make a nice little tag on a bottle of wine you give.
- Have a friend that is not only a wine lover, but a coffee drinker as well? Then this mug from Beholden Prints on Etsy is for them!
- Decanters are functional and serve a purpose, but they can be stunning, too. This gorgeous decanter from Sagaform with oak stopper is a great price point and an elegant gift.
There’s definitely no shortage of gifts for wine lovers. With this list you’ll definitely find something just right for the wine enthusiast in your life. Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments!
