My DIY Business Cards

Hello lovelies! As you might know, I am headed off to the Altitude Summit in Salt Lake City next week. I am ridiculously excited and more than a little bit nervous (eep - so many amazing people in one place). It's been recommended that attendees bring along a hefty stack of business cards to pass out. The last cards I had made up are woefully outdated, so instead of putting in a rush order for something generic at an online printing source, I decided that I'd tackle making my own.

To make them I designed the text for the card backs in Photoshop. I then printed my design out onto heavy-weight watercolor paper (Canson 140lb - purchased at my local craft store) and cut each card out using a rotary cutting tool, self-heeling mat, and ruler. Next I took acrylic paint (DecoArt brand in "Melon") and painted a splotch of color through the center of each card (nothing too precise). Acrylic paint dries quickly, so once they were fully dry I quickly penned in the feather details and little borders along the outside using a Micron Pen in dark blue. They only took about 40 seconds per design.

All in all I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. I was kind of worried about making something that looked too home-ec gone awry, and even though they aren't perfect I've made the conscious choice to just let it go. I had fun making them, and I think it will be great to have a card to give out that is infused a bit of my personality. If I have the chance I might try making up a few using watercolor paint as well).

Next on my to-do list — figuring out what in the world to wear for my trip! I just might pass out from the stress. Is that silly, or do you sympathize?

Oh, and as a side note I feel like I need to explain that the smudges and scuffs all over my aqua table are not dirt, but "love marks" from the many many craft projects created upon it. Now I feel a bit better. Pheww.

Curiosity Shoppe Award Ribbons

Today I am so loving these Prize Ribbons from the Curiosity Shoppe. Can't you just see these as favors at a party or unconventional boutonnieres at a playful wedding? The colors are perfect too! See more at the Curiosity Shoppe. xo Ez

Inspiration Daily: 01. 13. 11

Persimmon Leaf by Eileen McFall. By the way, Eileen will sell prints of her work in exchange for a donation to any of the no kill animal services listed on her profile page. Isn't that lovely!

Made by Hank Bags

Oh I am so excited for this...Katie from Made by Hank has just introduced a new collection of bags embellished with geometric motifs. I first spotted one of Katie's new bags when it popped up in her flickr album a few weeks ago, but at the time they weren't available yet in her shop. Now they are, so woohoo! See more of her designs here and read her blog here. xo Ez

Stuart Kolakovic Tea Packaging Illustrations

Raise your hand if you would buy these teas (designed for Marks & Spencer) purely because of the wonderfully realized packaging by illustrator Stuart Kolakovic. Two hands up over here (unfortunately I can't find them available for purchase online)! Stuart is a master...his works are like stories unto themselves, with each intricate image weaving a visual tale that you just want to wrap yourself up inside of. See much more of Stuart Kolakovic's work on his portfolio here. xo Ez