New Year's Resolution: Vision Board

A vision board is a good way to keep track of your goals. A vision board helps you visually see your goals and get clarity on what you want for the new year. It will also help you focus on your goals when you see the vision board every day.

Supplies:

• Bulletin Board: Use a blank bulletin board, poster board, photo frame or other item to keep your vision board on.
• Images: Find inspiring images for items you want to complete goals on. You can look on magazines or print out images from online.
• Glitter: I used basic white craft glitter.
• Glue: I used a glue stick. You can use any type of glue or adhesive you have.
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Start by cutting out images of items you want on your board. Look for goals you want to complete for the new year. If you want to travel more, add images of places you want to go. Also look for motivational words and quotes. You can also include other images you want on your board such as fabric, decorative paper or stickers.

2. Arrange the images the way you want them on the board.

3. Start gluing the images on. Start with background images and then later images. For example, you might glue on decorative paper first and then add smaller images.

4. This step is optional, but I like to add a little glitter to my vision board to make it sparkle. Add glue to the places you want to glitter. Gently sprinkle glitter over the areas you out tie on. Throw out excess glitter in the trash.

5. Put your board on display. You want to see your vision board every day to stay inspired. Your office or bedroom are great places to hang your board.

If you use this tutorial, let me know in the comments. Have you ever made a vision board?

Halloween Costume: Bird

For this costume, I used this tutorial to make a bird costume. You need an old pillowcase and scraps of fabric. I used blue and green fabric from old shirts I had. If you don't want to make a whole costume, you can also use a dress or shirt with feathers.

For accessories, items with feathers on it are good, such as feather earrings. For a bag, carry a straw bag or a bag with wooden handles. For my bag, I used a handmade crocheted purse I had with wooden handles that reminded me of twigs.

For your hair, pull it up in a messy bun. I added a straw like texture to make it look like a nest. Feather or straw accessories are good to use such as headbands and hairties. Your makeup and nails should match your outfit. This will depend on the colors you use and what type of bird you are trying to be. I wanted to be a peacock colored type of a bird so I did green and blue makeup and nails that matched my outfit.

Here are some more bird and peacock inspired items you can use to make a bird costume:

1. Metallic Peacock Embroidered Dress, Kidney Bean, $129
2. Peacock Feather Hairband, Polyver
3. Feather Post Earrings, Alex and Ani, $48
4. Office Souffle Feather Sandal Turquoise, Polyver, $15
5. Recycled Straw Beach Bag, Alibaba

Glitter Sandals Tutorials

I transformed some black strappy sandals I had in to gold glitter sandals. I saw some people do this online and I thought I'd try it out because it looked pretty simple to do. Here's how you do it.

Supplies:

• Old Shoes: Take some old shoes you want to add glitter to. I never wore these black strappy sandals and they were kind of plain so I thought I'd try it out with them.
• Glitter: Use your favorite color. I used gold for these shoes.
• Mod Podge: Use mod podge or another adhesive.
• Paintbrush: Use a paintbrush for painting on the glue.
• Wax Paper or Newspaper: This is for covering your area.

Instructions:

1. Start by laying your shoes on newspaper or wax paper. If your shoes have straps like mine, unbuckle them first. You might want to lay some wax paper on the sole of the shoe (cut to fit the shape) so glue or glitter doesn't stick to the bottom.
   
   
   
2. Use the paint brush to paint a layer of mod podge on the outside of the shoe. I'd recommend working in small sections. Sprinkle glitter over the mod podge and then shake the excess glitter off on to the wax paper or in to a container. Repeat this step with the other shoe (you can use the excess glitter). You can also separately mix the mod podge with glitter before painting the layer on if you'd rather do it that way.
   
   
3. I missed a few spots the first around so I repeated this step so glitter was on all parts of the shoes I wanted it to be on. Add a final layer of mod podge to seal in the glitter.
   
   
4. Wipe off any glitter or glue that got on the bottom or soles of the shoe. Let dry overnight.

You can use this method for any type of shoes. I like how my sandals came out. It was a little harder to do the sandals since they have lots of straps and details, but I think they're more unique and fun now and having the glitter makes me excited to wear them. Let me know if you try out this tutorial!

eBay Tutorial Part 1: All About eBay

Part 1: All About eBay

eBay is a great way to make money online. You can make a little extra money by selling items you have around the house or make a lot of money by having your own business on eBay. I signed up on eBay in 2004 and I've been selling on and off on eBay ever since then. This tutorial will share with you some tips I have learned from selling on eBay and similar sites. There are six parts. Look for a new part every Tuesday.

About eBay



eBay is the largest auction site on web. It allows people and businesses to buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide. If you're not already registered, you can sign up here. Consider your user ID when you sign up. You might want to have a company name if you're serious about selling on eBay or your Etsy user name.

If you've never used eBay before, I'd recommend bidding or purchasing a few items before selling to get the feel of how it works. Set up your About Me page. You might want to include some basic info about yourself like who you are and where you live, your hobbies/things you collect and whether you run your eBay business full time or part time.

You can also choose to run an eBay store which costs more money. I wouldn't recommend signing up for an eBay store right away. An eBay store is good to open if you're already making money on eBay, know exactly what items you are selling and know you're making enough to cover the costs of running a shop.

Other Websites



There are other websites besides eBay you might want to check out.

Amazon - Amazon is good for selling media items such as books, CDs and DVDs. I did a tutorial on selling on Amazon here.

Craigslist - Craigslist is good for selling big items you want people to come in person to pick up.

BluJay - BluJay is an online marketplace that is completely free to open. It's not an auction website, but you can open a store there.

uBid - UBid is similar to eBay, but you have to apply to become a seller and it costs some money to sign up. 

This tutorial is mostly specific to eBay, but you can use the tips for other websites. Check back for part 2 of this tutorial next week to learn what items you should sell.

Craft Shows Tutorial Part 2: Materials and Setting Up

So you're going to a craft show? This part of the tutorial will show you what materials to bring to your craft show and how to set up. Here's a list of what you should consider bringing:

Inventory – Bring everything you have, even if you think it might not sell. Keep items that don't fit on your display in an extra box or suitcase.

Displays for your items - Be creative and try to add height. What you use for your display will depend on what you sell. You can use boxes, baskets, items from a thrift stores, displays you build yourself, etc. Post your creative ideas for displays in the comments. I have these wooden displays for my journals that work well because they showcase the journal while also adding height.

Business cards - Business cards are important so people remember your business name. You can put them in with your orders and give them to people who don't purchase, but may want to buy in the the future.


Mailing List Sign up Sheet - Use a sheet of paper and a pen so people can write down their email address to sign up for your mailing list.

Shopping bags - This is optional, but I like to bring white gift bags to put my sales in. Inside each bag, I have two of my business cards and a coupon code for their next order already in there. I also have a sticker with my logo on the front. You might also want to bring tissue paper to wrap your items in (especially if they are fragile).

Signs - Bring a sign with your logo on it. For my first craft show I did, they made a sign for all the vendors, but usually you'll have to make your own. I've made a sign just with decorative paper and computer paper and taped it to my display. It is also nice to laminate your sign so it doesn't get bent or dirty.

Labels - You'll also need labels with prices for each of your items. I usually just make some mini signs with a general price for each item (e.g. Greeting Cards are all $3). You can also use stickers for each item and write the price on each stickers. Remember, you don't need to sell at the exact price you do on your Etsy (even though you should try to keep the price similar).

Fanny Pack or Cash Box - Have somewhere to keep your cash such a fanny pack or cash box. Some people say fanny packs are safer because it makes it harder for people to steal your money. Also make sure you have change.

Credit Payment System - If you have a way to accept credit cards, that could increase your sales. Many smart phones offer systems that allow you to accept credit cards such as the PayPal Card Reader.

Camera - Have your camera with you so you can take photos of your display and the event. It's good for future reference and so you can remember the experience. I also like to post photos I take on my blog and Flickr.

Extra Clothes - It's good to wear layers even if you're inside (you don't know how cold or warm the room will be). Bring an extra sweater if it's going to be cold and a hat, sunscreen and water bottle if you'll be outside in the sun.

Notebook and Pen - I like to bring a notebook and pen to jot down what items sold. It's also good to have a notebook if you're bored and waiting for customers. You may get an idea for your shop or what to do for your display next time while at the craft show and you'll easily be able to keep track of your thoughts.

Book to Read - You may also want to bring a book to read or something to do for when people aren't at your table. If you can work on your craft while waiting, that would be good too.

Snacks - Have snacks and water with you in case you get hungry or thirsty and you can't leave your booth.

Personal Emergency Kit – Have a personal emergency kit that includes aspirin, band aids, lip balm, lotion, sunscreen, cell phone and anything else you might need.

Display Emergency Kit – Include display or item emergency items such as safety pins, thread and needle, bungee cords, zip ties, scissors, twine, and tape.

Depending on the craft show, you might need to get your own table and table cloth too. Bring a foldable table, table cloth and chairs if you have to bring your own table.

Also, make sure you have transportation to and from your craft show. If you have a car or someone with a car, that makes it easiest (especially if you have your own table). If you have to travel far away and the craft show is a few days, you might need to stay at a hotel. Keep track of all these expenses (materials, transportation, craft show fee and items that sell) so you know how much you're spending and how much you're making.

To see part 1 of this tutorial, click here. Check back for part 3 which will help tips for when you're at the craft show.

Editing Photos Tutorial

This tutorial shows you basic techniques for editing photos. My favorite program to use is Adobe Photoshop, but you can use this tutorial with most photo editing programs (some good free ones are GIMP and Picnik). You can use this method to edit any type of photo. For my example, I'm editing an Etsy item in my shop.



This is how the image started out. We can use Photoshop to make it brighter and stand o*t ore.

Cropping

The first thing I do when I edit a new photo is to make sure its rotated the right way by going to Image > Image Rotation. Then I crop it (use the crop tool in the toolbar or go to Image > Crop) so I get rid of any information in the photo I don't need. If it's an Etsy photo, I crop it so any background is out and it's just a close up of the item with a white background.



Levels and Contrast

I like my photos to have a nice white background with the item standing out. Editing the levels and contrast helps do this. To edit the levels, go to  Image > Adjustments > Levels. You''ll see little arrows on the right and left. Move these arrows so they are right where the black blob (the histogram) starts and ends. This helps makes the background whiter.



If you want, you can edit the contrast by going to Contast > Auto Contrast.

Color and Color Balance

Color is important for photos and you might want to tweak the color depending on what type of look you're going for. Changing the saturation by going to Image > Adjust Hue/Saturation is one way to make the colors brighter. Sometimes my photos get a yellow/warm tone. I fix this by changing the color balance. Go to Image Adjustments & Color Balance, and use the arrows to play with the color. Make the arrow more blue if the photo is too yellow or ore yellow or red if its blue. play around. This is an example of a photo that is too yellow so wed want to increase the blue.



This is an example of a photo that is too blue -



This looks nice - not too blue or yellow.



That's my basic editing for photos. The photo now looks brighter and better.



If you find you want to edit your photo more, play with the features on Photoshop or your photo editing program and see what works for you.

How do you edit your photos?

Basic Bookbinding Tutorial Part 3: Making the Cover and Putting it Together

This is the third part of my bookbinding tutorial. If you missed parts one and two, click here and here. In this part, I'm going to show how to make the cover of the journal and put the whole book together.

Cutting the Boards

To make the cover, you’ll need binder’s board. If you don't have binder's board, you can use cardboard (it's good to use cardboard if you're just practicing or starting out). You want the covers to be a little bigger than the text block you made. I usually make my covers ½-1 inch bigger on all sides. Measure the board and cut it with a paper cutter or an exacto knife. You’ll also need to cut a spine for the cover. You want the spine to be the same height as the covers, but a much smaller width. To know what width to do, sandwich the text block between the board covers, squeeze tightly and measure the width of the spine.

You should have three pieces of board now. Make sure the two covers are the same size. Since the edges of the board might be kind of rough from cutting them, I like to use sand paper to sand the edges.

Making the Cover
Choose the decorative paper or fabric you want as the cover. In my example, I used decorative paper of Paris. Put a couple sheets of wax paper on the area you're working in and position the boards over the paper or fabric so there is about 1/2 inch between them. Cut the paper or fabric so it is a little larger than the boards if you lay them out next to each out.

Use your brush to spread glue on each board. Press the board over the paper so it sticks to the paper or fabric. Once the glue is on there, quickly flip the board over and use your bone folder to flatten any glue bumps. Let the board and paper dry together for about an hour. 

Once it's dry, flip it back over. You should have extra decorative paper or fabric around the edges of the board. Make a diagonal cut on each corner of your board and paper. Then fold over each flap of paper and glue it down. 



Let this dry. You have your cover done! Now you just need to add your text block and do the inside covers. Use your brush to put glue over the boards so it looks something like this:



Insert the text block in to the book by putting the spine on the textblock in to the middle section and putting the first and last page of the text block on to the front and back boards that you've just put glue on. Before your put the text block in, make sure you have a sheet of wax paper in between the first two pages and last two pages of your text block so they don't stick together.



Use your bone folder to smooth the first page of the text block against the cover. Do the same with the back page. Close the book together. You might want to shift the book a little to make sure it's all fitting together right.



I let this dry for a little bit just to make sure the text block doesn't shift around. Then I do the inside covers. You can do the inside covers before you let it dry, but I like to wait for the book to dry once I put the textblock in first because then I know the text block won't shift while I'm making the inside covers.

You can use paper or fabric for the inside cover. Usually, I'll use a matching solid or decorative paper that matches whatever the cover of my journal is. You'll want to cut the paper or fabric you're using to fit over the white piece of papers that are currently in the inside covers. Then just glue it down and run your bone folder over the paper or fabric. 
For this journal, I did something a little different and decided to collage the inside covers. For my collage method, I started off with some scraps of the Paris decorative paper I had. I try to save any scrap decorative paper or fabric I have when making projects so I can reuse it later. 

Then I put glue on the inside cover and start collaging randomly until I covered the white paper:

 



Once you have your inside covers done, let it dry. Keep the wax paper in between the inside covers and close the book. You might also want to stick a few sheets of wax paper inside the text block of the book in case glue gets on the paper.

Like with the text block, you'll want to let your book dry in between weights. Wrap wax paper around the whole book and stick it in between two heavy books (I use two encyclopedia books) or wood boards. You might want to place a weight on top of the whole thing.



Let this dry for a while. I like to let it sit overnight. When you wake up, remove the wax paper and you have a finished journal!

Here's my finished result:

Map of Paris Journal

"





I like how this book turned out and put it up for sale on my Etsy. Let me know if you try out this tutorial. What kind of tutorials do you want to see in the future?

Basic Bookbinding Tutorial Part 2: Sewing the Text Block

This is the second part of my basic bookbinding tutorial. I talked about choosing supplies in the first part. Now that you have supplies, you can sew the text block of your journal. There are several different bookbinding stitches. This is a method that works for closed spines.

Preparing Paper  
First, you’ll want to prepare your paper. There are some terms you should know:
- A folio is the term for a sheet of folded paper. It forms two leaves or four pages in a book.

- A signature is a couple folios put together (one folio inside the other). A signature is usually made up of folios (usually 3-5). 

Start folding your paper and prepare signatures to the desired size. Make as many signatures as you want. This will be the size of your text block. I usually have about 10-20 signatures for a journal.





Punch an even number of holes in each signature with an awl (or needle if you don't have an awl). To make sure the holes are in the same place for each signature, you might want to make an extra folio and use that as the pattern for where the holes will be (sometimes called a sewing station).




Sewing Your First Signature

Now it's time to start sewing the signatures together. Thread your needle. Make sure you have enough thread. Start with a little more than you think you need. For the first signature, start on the outside and sew the needle through one hole and out the one next to it. Repeat this until you get to the end. The needle passes through each hole once. Your thread and needle should be on the outside of the signature when you finish.

Adding Signatures

Lay the second signature on top of the first. Sew in to the first hole of the new signature. When you go out of the next signature, pick up the thread from the signature directly below it (shown in the photo below). Enter the next hole which will link the two signatures together (as shown in the photo to the left). Continue until you get to the end of the spine.

 

Use your bone folder to run over the top of the signatures so your paper remains flat. Repeat this with the next signature. At the end of the stitching, do a kettle stitch. Take the needle and sew in between the two signatures directly below (shown in the photo below). Leave a small loop and pass the needle through the loop. This secures the sewing at the end of each signature. Repeat these steps for however many signatures you have. When you’re at your last stitch, do an additional kettle stitch.

The side of the text block should make stitching that looks something like this:

Reinforcing the Spine

Once you’ve sewn the book, it helps to reinforce the spine. Put two pieces of wax paper on the front and back of the text block. Use two wood boards or two heavy books (I usually use two encyclopedia books) of equal weight. Sandwich the spine in between them. You may place a weight on top. Put adhesive on the side of spine where the stitching is. Allow it to dry for at least one hour. I usually let it set overnight. Once it’s dry, take the text block out and remove any excess dried glue.



Mull is a mesh material that helps to reinforce the text block more. Cut a piece of mull that is a little larger than the spine. Glue the mull over the spine. Sometimes I do this step before putting the text block under a weight. You can do it either way.

Now you have your text block! If you don't get it right the first time, try practicing a few times. I find sewing the text block kind of difficult to get at first, but I got the hang of it. Let me know if you try this tutorial out. On the next part, I'll explain how to make the cover and put the journal together.

Basic Bookbinding Tutorial Part 1: Choosing Supplies

I asked what tutorials you wanted to see on this blog and I got a few requests for basic bookbinding. It’s kind of hard to explain in one entry so I split the tutorial in to three parts - choosing supplies, sewing the text block and making the cover. Let me know if you try my tutorial out!

The first step is to choose your bookbinding supplies. Some of the basic bookbinding materials you may  be able to find in your house, but if you’ve never done any bookbinding before, you'll probably have to purchase a couple items. Most art and craft stores should have these items. You can also search for local  paper/bookbinding stores in your area.

My favorite bookbinding stores are Paper Source and Hollander's. Paper Source has a nice selection of paper and carries some other craft supplies such as stamps. I've also seen a couple stores in my area. Hollander's a good place to shop online (they have one store location in Michigan). They have a wider selection of decorative paper and also have good bookbinding supplies.

Binder’s Board: Binder's board is used to make the covers of the journal. It's sort of like a good quality cardboard. Hollander's is a good place to find binder's board. You can buy binder’s board in different thicknesses. I usually get about .080 or .087 thickness.

PVA Glue: I used to think PVA glue was a special type of glue, but I realized it’s the same stuff as basic Elmer’s glue. I’d recommend getting a nicer, professional quality brand though because it seems my projects come out better with a more expensive brand of glue. I recommend the Paper Source brand glue or Hollander’s for a bigger container. These glues will last several months.

Glue brush or paint brush: You can buy glue brushes in a variety of widths. It isn’t necessary to have a glue brush though. You can also use any old paint brushes you already have.

X-Acto knife and cutting mat or paper cutter: This is for cutting the boards and paper in a straight line. You can use an X-Acto knife with a cutting/self healing mat. If you don’t have a cutting mat, you can use cardboard as a substitute. I use a paper cutter when I cut items because I find it the easiest. You can find them for about $20.

Sand paper: The sand paper is for sanding down the boards after you cut them. I recommend getting a few different textures.

Needle: You’ll want a needle with a large eye to fit the linen thread. You can buy specific bookbinding needles though I’ve sewn books without them before. You can also buy curved needles which are useful if you're doing the coptic stitch.

Linen thread: Linen thread is strong and comes in a variety of colors and thicknesses. Hollander's has a good variety of thread. I like to match the color of my thread with whatever color the cover of the book is. White linen thread is shown in the top photo on the middle left side. 

Ruler: You’ll need a ruler for measuring. If you have a paper cutter, there should be a ruler on there.

Bone folder: A bone folder is used for folding, creasing, pressing and tearing paper. You can see my bone folder on the far right side of the photo above. 

Awl: An awl looks kind of like a needle. It is used for punching holes. You can substitute a needle if you don’t have an awl. It’s good to have an awl if you’re going to make holes in heavier materials. The awl is pictured in the photo above on the far left side. 

Wax paper: Use basic wax paper you can find at the grocery store. This is used so paper doesn’t stick together.

Paper for text block: You’ll need to choose paper for the inside of the book. There are many different types of paper you can use. I like to use computer paper or sketch paper because it’s not too expensive or hard to find.
Decorative paper or fabric for the cover: You have to decide what you want your cover to look like. Paper Source and Hollander's have a lot of nice decorative paper (just a note: I was googling "decorative paper Hollander's" to find a photo to use and saw one of my cards in the Google Search that linked to this blog). You can use any fabric. Book cloth is made specifically for journals. Be creative and see what materials you already have if you don’t want to buy paper or fabric. You can use magazine cut outs, newspaper, felt, etc.



Paper for the inside covers: You’ll need paper for the inside covers. You can have the paper go along with your cover. If I have a complex decorative paper pattern on the outside, I might use a solid, matching color on the inside. You can also use decorative paper which works well if you’re using a solid fabric for the cover.

Some other items you might want to have are a pencil, scissors, tissue paper, methyl cellulose (a lighter weight adhesive that can be mixed with your PVA), a headband (used to decorate the head and tail of the text block), mull (which helps reinforce the spine), weights, heavy books or wooden board and a container of water.

In the next part, I'll explain how to start bookbinding and sew the inside pages! Check back tomorrow.