Wednesday, June 18, 2014

You + Me

How are these for a few simple lil' "love decor" ideas?  

You + me = aWEsome.  :)  ('Aint it true.)




Or, you can try "You [I love using a heart as the 'o'] + me = us," and then adding the wedding date at the bottom.

You + me = us, and wedding date.  Perfect to make and give as a shower or wedding gift.


Easy as can be!  The first is just made using Silhouette Studio (or Microsoft Word, etc.) and sent to the printer, and is then stuck in a frame of your choice.  This particular one was actually made for a cousin's wedding and set next to the sign-in scrapbook along with a few other framed photos.

[IdeaInstead of a sign-in wedding book, try making a few mostly empty scrapbook pages of engagement photos, etc, and using those pages as the sign-in sheets.  Much more interesting and memorable than just signatures, and it's a great way to add meaning TO your engagement scrapbook photos.  See examples below.]



The second was just a simple block, painted black, with the words cut out using white Silhouette vinyl.  (You could also easily use clear stencil vinyl to paint the letters on; or, in the reverse, paint the block white, put the letters of the stencil vinyl on once it dries, paint over it black, and then pull off the letters.  So, ya' know, a lot of possibilities.)

Simple as can be, and perfect for decor, to put on gift tables at a wedding reception or on your own mantlepiece at home.  Here's to you (+ me) (to we) (to being awesome).

Friday, June 13, 2014

Keychains and Luggage Tags/Identifiers

So...travel much?  If you answered yes, you know that most everyone in the world has luggage that basically looks like this: 

Rectangle.  Black. And almost exactly the same.  And, if you are like me and have such nondescript luggage, you likely also resemble me when I'm at baggage claim at the airport, lifting up lots of luggage as it comes around the turn-stile, not quite sure if it is mine.  "Does mine have handle like that or not?" "I don't remeeemmmber a pocket there, but maybe it's just because it's upside down?"  And then I wonder, again, why I didn't tie something to it to help me identify it easier, or why I didn't duct tape a giant "X" across the front and back with neon colored tape.  ;)  Which is why something like the following would be useful:


I made these handy-dandy little things just using my Silhouette as gifts for my nieces to put on their backpacks and one for my roomie who is just about to go on a trip (to Russia!).  The butterfly and cat are my nieces' respective favorite animals, and the "S" was meant to be reminiscent of the OSU emblem for my roommate Sarah who is getting ready to leave her work at OSU and move across the country to start med school.  Way to be, Sarah!  Each was simple to make with just some scrap fabrics, and each would be easy to tie to some luggage, a child's backpack, or to use as a personalized key-chain. 

Obviously, such thing won't help you spot your luggage or bag as easily as, say, buying bright orange and yellow stripped luggage might, but it's an easy (and cheaper) alternative.  ;)  Plus, they're just kind of fun to have. Here's how to make them using your Silhouette:

Materials needed:
*Silhouette Fabric Interfacing (sewable or clean cut both work fine for this)
*Fabric scraps (large enough for the various pieces--the size you desire.  My two smaller ones were each about 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches, so obviously only need scraps, especially for the lettering.)
* Ribbon
* Key ring (optional)