QUESTION : Paper Making

I have never gotten a chance to make paper, and it's something I've always wanted to try. It seems like the perfect way to recycle paper (which is a small obsession of mine) into something I can use again.

Have you seen any good tutorials, or ideas? Did you have any successful or unsuccessful attempts yourself? Any good memories? Any tips?

How To : Pad

When I was visiting Portland last weekend I spent some quality time with my college roommate and we got to talking about book cutters. I also said something about padding, and thought I would link to an old project over at my blog...

Padding is super easy, and is one of my favourite things to do. I just finished some scrap-paper books that will be going up on my etsy shop using some of the same methods I used in this tutorial.

Click here to see the JunkMail Book...

TIP : Getting Ink off of You

Psssss.... hey. Try Witch Hazel next time you get ink on your hands.

QUESTION: Buying A Digital Camera

So, I've asked Santa for a new point-and-shoot digital camera this year. Of course, I need to decide what kind of camera I want so I can send Santa a price & link with online ordering info. What do you suggest I get? I already have a fancy Canon Rebel. I want a pocket-camera I can carry with me more easily, but still get good quality shots.

QUESTION : Christmas Tree topper

This question comes from a newcomer to the site, yay! It's holiday themed, just like this month.

We have a 10 foot live Christmas tree and need something to top it off with! The toppers at stores seem to be built for 6 or 7 foot trees and would totally disappear if we used them. Plus, they're really fraking expensive ($10 for a lame star 5 inches in diameter)! We're willing to spend $10 but we want it to be seen on top of our amazing tree. We want a Star or Angel, we want it to be quick, we want it big, and we want it cheap!

"The Machine" also has a challenge for us.

Make an advent calendar for the season!

Have you made one you're proud of? Have you seen one online? Comment and let us know...

They're Here...

Don't forget to read to the bottom. I want to give you something...

In true AIM fashion, I had quite an adventure putting these bad boys together. If you want to know more about the experiment go on over to my blog where I will bore you with the details (and photos.)

In other news, who wants some to hand out? Send me your physical addy, how many you want, and I'll send some your way.

*************

Part 2 of getting this blog-bus moving is going to involve some FREE GREETING CARDS from (so, there.) It's pretty obvious that the more people involved with the blog, the more we all benefit so....

I want to give away free cards to every contributor from now till my birthday (Feb. 15).

Four ways to get 'em:

1- Send an adventure to me to put on the blog. It can be a tip, a question, a critique request, anything. Remember, it doesn't have to be about design, it can be about any pursuit.

2- Don't have anything to send right this minute? Sign up to be a regular contributor on the site. Send me an email, and I will send you a little questionnaire and get you set up on the blog. Then you can put things up when you are ready.

3- Once you are a contributor, get other people to contribute so we can see what they are up to as well. If we get more people looking, showing, commenting, and sharing it will only get better.

4- If you start commenting like mad on the site (don't forget to leave your name so I can find you) I'll probably notice and want to send you one too.

Let's see what ya got. It's winter, and that's crafting time, so I know you're up to something good...

GO!

CRITIQUE: Arrows Card Design

So today I worked on drawing up some cute vintage arrows for a new Camp Smartypants card. I want to add a saying, but am needing help coming up with ideas.

Alison came up with these...
"Poke poke."
"May all your dreams strike swift and true."
"A little to the right."
"Congratulations on your bullseye."
"to my arch-nemesis..."

I'd love to hear other ideas before choosing just one! What do you think?

CRITIQUE: DIY Craft Kit

Hello! It's been a while since I done a post on AIM. I've been working on a new product for Camp Smartypants and thought this would be a perfect AIM blog post, as I'm looking for your feedback!

I am discontinuing my Friends Forever Card & Bracelet set from the Camp Smartypants line. But, friendship bracelets aren't going away completely! I want to remake this product into a diy craft kit! I've been wanting to create some crafty kits for Camp Smartypants for some time now. This will be the first, of hopefully many kits I plan to create.

So, what the kit includes is: an instruction booklet, a Friends Forever card (which is perforated down the middle so that if can be torn in half- much like those "friends forever heart necklaces"), two safety pins, and embroidery floss.

What I'm mainly looking for feedback on is the packaging of this kit. Take a look at the photos below. I want it to be both visually appealing while also showing what the kit contains. I also want it to fit into my Camp Smartypants brand.



I plan to sell this for $10.00 (retail). What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

QUESTION : Blog Etiquette

This one's from Cari of Le Sweet Tooth...

Hello, Hello!! I am still fairly new to the blogging world, in terms of finding what I want my blog to look like, what I want to post and what I want it to say about me! One thing that I have invested some time in is making it look pretty. Now I would like to add all the little fun gadgets to my page. I am of course very visual and for my "daily reads" section, made a list using the the image of the blog headers, and if you click on the image it will go to that particular blog.

My question is this an okay to feature what is essentially, the bloggers identity on my blog, even when it is linked to the appropriate blog.

I have attached an image of my list! Thanks for your help!

Question: downloading fonts

Hi everyone!

I've been wanting to download some new fonts, especially the free variety, but I'm not sure where to begin.

Any ideas? :)

WHEW

Sorry again for the dead air- good news is I've been a ton of stuff done, including plates for new Christmas cards (which I should have had you all critique!) and for AIM business cards.

That's right, I am getting ready to push this site like mad! I am so excited about all you followers.... but you are so quiet. I want all your silly questions right here, right now.

Would anyone like Adventures in Making business cards to hand out? The more people looking and talking, the better the community will be.

REMEBER - Silly questions, right here, right now. (I'm looking at you...)

RESOURCE : Requesting Facebook Help!

Does anyone out there have a good resource for developing a successful business page on Facebook? I'm working on one for the shop I'm working at, and I'd like a creative way to feature items, artists, etc.

Any ideas or resources you use?

Thanks, as always, for the help. You are awesome.

TIP : Let it sit in your Cart

My latest experience with Vista Print was quite frustrating... the price that I quoted my client for business cards turned into a much larger price based on hard-to-read quotes and a last minute price change (base from $4.99 to $19.99). I had everything uploaded and ready to go before I realized that the final price was going to be huge. So I logged off, and pursued other options. The next night I got an email from Vista print offering special pricing on business cards– lo and behold the prices had shrunk more than 50%.

It's something I've been noticing lately with online retailers- if you have a cart active on their service, then many will offer you a great deal to buy what you put in your cart a few days ago. It's good business for them, because they can cajole people into buying what they're not quite sure about... but it makes people who make quick decisions unlucky.

So- if there's something you're looking for, but don't need right away, put it in your virtual shopping cart and walk away.

(I don't advise this tactic when shopping in real life, as most times someone will just come and restock everything... oh, and your ice cream could melt.)

TOOLBOX : Sharpie Pencil Review

When I first read about the Sharpie Liquid Pencil on the Sharpie Blog I was pretty stoked. I am a fan of using pencils for my doodles- but I hate that they rub and fade over time. Sharpie's Liquid pencil promises to write and erase like a pencil, and to be permanent after 24 hours (or more?).

Since I am also a Sharpie-aholic, I went ahead and bought a set at the office store to try out.

Overall it's a disappointment. The pen[cil] does not write smoothly, more like a cheap ballpoint. When you do write with it, it leaves a relatively deep impression in the paper that makes it virtually impossible to erase completely. At the same time, the "liquid graphite" is very easy to smear, or "erase" with your finger or hand.

The uneven quality means that it is not any good at the things I love doing with a pencil- shading, varying stroke weight, messing around. I'm really not sure that it is good at anything. I will check it out to see how permanent it is tomorrow.

Guess I'm stuck with my mechanical pencil fallbacks, and all my Sharpie pens (which I heart) and markers.

(If you want an even more thorough review, check out this one. Check out my blog where I plan to reminisce about all my great Sharpie moments.)

QUESTION : Ordering Business Cards online

Hey guys, I designed a couple of business cards for an actress friend. They are headshots, so I want to get them printed on glossy paper (4 color photo, one side) and sent directly to her. I was thinking of using an online service, but it's expensive! Does anyone have any places they would suggest, or a local printer they've worked with?

TIP : File Formats for Web Graphics

Sometimes I find a beautiful site with only one problem- the designer chose the wrong image format. It's another one of those ridiculous things that can make me crazy... but they aren't doing it on purpose... right? I thought I would put the subject to someone who understands the math/programming side of it better, Patrick. Here's what he has to say about JPEGs, GIFs, and PNGs with a couple of visual aids – alison


Early on in the web, programmers and designers wanted to start using photos and other images for web content. However - these files were big and typical connections were slow, and compromises had to be made. Programmers and mathematicians have been working on these problems for years, and the result is a field known as image compression. In short, some data is thrown out, the file size shrinks, and web browser guesses at what used to be there. These are typically referred to as "lossy formats" because some of the original data is lost, and it's gone forever. Once the data is gone, you can't get it back. There are no magic tricks in existence that can make a blurry thumbnail look as clear as a professional photo. This all sounds bad, but luckily the lossy formats such as JPEG, GIF, and PNG were each designed to cause the least noticeable distortion for their specific purpose.


(Keep in mind that data will be lost when working in these formats. When you are working on master images or on images for print, you should use lossless formats such as TIFF, PSD, .AI, or .EPS that keep every pixel of the original file there.)


Here are some examples of the same images - compressed 4 different ways.

Click on the image below for an HTML page of examples.

JPEG files were originally intended as a way to cram photos into smaller file sizes. They're good for images with a lot of varying details, and a wide range of colors. However - this is all based on math designed to approximate everything and keep throwing out more details until the file is small enough. Quality is based on a sliding scale in applications such as Adobe Photoshop, and the farther you pull the slider towards a "small file" - the less accurate the color, and the blurrier the image.

Good for:

• Smallest size for photos

• Small file size for large-dimensioned files

Problems:

• Color Inaccuracy - Colors change slightly when files are saved. If you are trying to use the exact same color in two areas or in two different files - there's a likely chance they will not match. It will also be nearly impossible to match the JPEG’s background to an HTML background color, so the edges of the JPEG rectangle will show.

• Block Artifacts- Another interesting distortion that's common in JPEGs is the appearance of squares. The math is based on splitting the whole scene up into smaller squares, so as the file is more compressed, the squares appear as distortion in the picture. This is especially noticeable on vector based graphics like logos, or anything with a solid contrasting background color.

• Generational loss - Each time a JPEG is modified and saved - it gets blurrier. The result is very similar to repeated generations of copies on an old copier.

PNG uses math to find patterns in images to reduce the file size. The file will recognize large areas of solid color and other patterns to compress them toa smaller file size. You can also mark a background color as "transparent", where the background of a web page will show through.

When saving a PNG file, you can choose the number of colors used, and a best fit will be found. The more color variation, the less accurate the colors will be. At this point dithering is used. Dithering is when pixels are alternated between two or more colors to approximate another color in between them. (Inkjet printers rely on dithering to get the appearance of all the colors in a photo out of a simple 3 to 5 color ink cartridge, so if you look under a magnifier, you can see some of the alternating colors. )

Good for:

• Solid shapes - edges are more accurate and sharper than with JPEG

• Illustrations & detailed drawings - thin lines and other details remain sharp

• Color matching - if you have several images such as company logos and borders that need consistently matching colors - PNG is the right choice

Problems:

• Once a certain amount of color variation is reached - JPEG will make smaller files

• PNG is not well supported on older photo editing packages such as Adobe Photoshop (pre CS3), so consider GIF instead.

• Some older versions of Internet Explorer from before 2005 do not work well with PNG

GIF is very similar to PNG, but is an older format with some minor differences. It can only use between 2-256 colors, not a full spectrum (PNG can). In general, it works well with older software packages where PNG is not fully supported. GIF can also be used for low quality, looped, animations. The animations are just a sequence of images with no sound, which can be created by Photoshop, Adobe Flash, and video editing programs. However, they can be useful for simple tasks, like animated advertisements and don't require plugins such as Adobe Flash.

Good for:

• Solid shapes - edges are more accurate and sharper than a JPEG

• Illustrations & detailed drawings - thin lines and other details are not blurred out

• Color matching - if you have several images such as company logos, backgrounds, and borders that need consistently matching colors - GIF/PNG are the right choice

• Higher compatibility with older graphics applications and web browsers than PNG

Problems:

• 256 color limit (not typically good for photos)

• PNG makes smaller files in most cases

In conclusion, web graphics have a lot of complexities behind them. However, in most cases, using a PNG is the right thing to use today for everything except photos. JPEGs were designed specifically for photos, and remain the best solution for photos today.

If you would like to research the topic further - Lynda (of lynda.com) wrote Designing Web Graphics, one of the earliest books on the subject. Most of what she covers there is still relevant today, and she has some excellent tricks to get the best quality out of your graphics.

QUESTION : looking to buy an embosser

We are looking to get an embosser, with which we would be doing some debossing. Does Anyone know of a good place to get one? We would be using it on some 100lb cover, and with that would we need to buy a heavy duty one? Are there different kind of plates? Seem like metal would be nice, but not sure. We have limited experience with these so any help would be great! Thanks!

Screenprinting Results!

Remember when I asked for your help with some screenprint designs? Well, I've finally finished this project and thought I'd share with you my results!



I'm really happy with these new scarves. I have these few now available in my shop and will have more for sale at Tender Loving Empire, a retail store in Portland.

QUESTION : How to send updated posts to RSS feeds

Well, I've hit a snag on the blog. Most likely many of the posts will have updates, and when I update them they do not show up in the RSS feed readers again (like google reader.) This means if you are using a reader to view the site, you might miss great additions like Rachel's.

• Right now I have a manual list of updates in the top gadget on the page, but you can only see it if you visit the page.

• I've played with the idea of using a twitter feed to show updates, but I'm not sure I like the way html links show up.

• What about facebook? Do enough people look at it to notice if I post updates? Is it annoying to have a personal facebook account and a business account? What are your experiences?

Does anyone have suggestions?

CRAFT CLUBBING : Quite a Fashionable Animal

Because we don't all have the time, right group of local friends, or social skills to be in a real craft club, I thought I'd start one right here. Email your submissions to adventures@andsothere.com. Don't forget to have fun! That's the point, right?


I am going to admit that I love animals in clothes, whether they're drawn, animated, or real-life adorable. I don't know why, but I do. They inspire me to be whimsical.

Thus the subject of our first craft club meeting - "Quite a Fashionable Animal." Doodle, paint, photoshop, knit, draw, and collage your heart out. Send an image of your creation to me at adventures@andsothere.com (max size 1000px).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's going to be pretty embarrassing if I'm the only one who shows up.

Caterine of Aragon - alisonml

Ninja Parrot - alisonml

Rachel brought props to the club.

another welcome!

Today we have some more great additions! Everybody welcome Jacqui and Scott of Slide Sideways, and some guy named Patrick (my husband, and technical resource.)

Scott and Jacqui Scoggin

Scott and Jacqui like to think of themselves as all around makers of cool stuff. They started Slide Sideways, a handmade and graphic design business, in 2008, mostly as an outlet for complete creative freedom. Typically they spend their days at the screen printing press and sewing machine busying themselves by making tea towels, posters, sketchbooks, zip pouches, and more for their shop.

They currently reside in Tacoma, WA, living a simple life and staying happy by drawing, picture taking, food making, bike riding, thrifting/estate saling, playing, watching movies, day dreaming and just all around creating and making stuff.

email: wearesliding@gmail.com

website: www.slide-sideways.com

shop: slidesideways.etsy.com

blog: unitedweslide.blogspot.com

Patrick Lang

Patrick learned how to destroy and build things with electronics and other crafts at an early age by taking everything apart and putting it back together. Growing up, he also spent years in Boy Scouts learning the art of the kludge, how to survive outdoors, and plenty of other skills.

Today he lives near Seattle with his lovely wife, Alison, and work as a software developer. At night, he obsesses over coffee, computers, music, building, and fixing things around the house.

I know that Patrick has a tip article in the making about file types (jpg vs. gif vs. png), and I can only guess at what great things Jacqui and Scott are working on.

This is getting good.

(PS- Like I always say, if you have a question, problem, great resource, or project you'd like to share, send it to me at adventures@andsothere.com. If you would like to become a regular contributor, let me know, and I will send you a questionnaire right away!)

Resource: Granny Squares

One of my goals this summer was to learn how to crochet granny squares so I could work on them during the colder months. As a complete beginner to the world of crochet, I find that it is easier to learn by watching others rather than staring at confusing diagrams, and thanks to this video by Mikeyssmail on YouTube, I was able to pick up the process rather quickly. In fact, his entire channel is dedicated to a wide scope of useful crochet how-to's.

Do you know of any other great online resources for granny square information or inspiration? If so, leave a comment below.

Happy crocheting!

welcome Kat!

We have another great contributor signing up-

Everyone say hi to Kat! I can wait to see what she's up to.

Kat Duke

When Kat was growing up in Texas, her family spent every school holiday making something. In fact, crafts and creating took up all the time that books didn’t.

Now in Seattle, she's a crocheter, knitter, photographer, singer/songwriter, occasional (and optimistic) artist, and general crafter. She has been refinishing tins, crocheting interesting creatures, perfecting patterns for knit and crocheted hats, and trying to figure out what to make for guy friends for the holidays.

email - kathebeth@gmail.com

(Oh, and in case the fancy animal isn't up your alley, check out the napkin challenge at Doodlers Anonymous.)

RESOURCE : Briar Press for Letterpress and Vector Images

So I'll admit, I'm a letterpress junkie. Briar Press is where I get my stuff.

It's full of all kinds of letterpress info, discussions, and advice. There are even classifieds.

However, what the rest of you should know is there are people who take old ornaments and vectorize them for free and for sale. What this means is there are a bunch of files there that can be blown up without losing detail. Many are free for your personal (read: crafty) use as long as you log in (a painless process with no spam.)

Give it a try.

QUESTION: Vintage Filters

Do you know a good how-to/resource on the trendy vintage filters people are using lately in their photographs? I have some new jewelry that use vintage beads and charms and want to experiment with some different ways to photograph them.

Technology Question: Reviving a broken laptop

So I recently bought a brand new Macbook and it works great and I love it. This post/question is for my boyfriend, who has a 4-5 year old Macbook Pro that has been pretty abused being hauled across the country. The keyboard no longer works (he plugs in a normal keyboard to work off of) and recently he tore the battery clean out as it stopped working and only uses it when plugged into a power source. Anyway... despite all that it was still usable up until a few days ago. Now when you turn it on, it gets stuck starting up (it never makes it past the grey screen with the apple logo and a loading wheel). Is there no hope for getting it to turn on completely?

If it is completely broken, is there a way to turn it's hard drive into an external hard drive? Or is there a way to get what he needs off of the hard drive?

Help!

Have no fear....

Design Mommy is here!

We have a new contributor to the site- Lindsay Jewell of A wooden nest. I'm excited to have her as part of the team! Of course I forgot to mention Rachel of Camp Smartypants coming on board, and she has already got my brain storming.

Rachel Beyer

Originally uttered the words, "Help me! Design Mommy!" in 2008 while working with Alison at a design company in Seattle, WA. Since then she's always turned to Alison for advice and constructive criticism whenever she's in need of a fresh eye and an honest opinion.

Rachel currently lives in Portland, Oregon where she works as freelance graphic designer and small crafty business owner by day and busser at a fine dining restaurant by night. She is the creator of Camp Smartypants, a line of women's clothing, accessories, and paper goods. She's obsessed with bright colors, thrifting, feathers, crafts, stickers, markers, hosting parties, eating good food, and laughing with friends.

Email : campsmartypants@yahoo.com

Design Portfolio: http://www.rachelbeyer.com

Camp Smartypants: http://www.campsmartypants.com

Blog: http://campsmartypants.blogspot.com

Shop: http://campsmartypants.etsy.com

Tumblr: http://campsmartypants.tumblr.com

Lindsay Jewell

Lindsay was born in Sweet Home, Oregon, but has lived in Portland, Oregon for the last sixteen years. She recently graduated from Portland State University with a BA in English, and is currently building a writing portfolio for her freelance business while dabbling in various arts and crafts. She is obsessed with food, homemade bread, books, films, second-hand linens, paper, pretty thrifted mugs and her fluffy feline.

email - Jewellmc@gmail.com

blog: http://awoodennest.blogspot.com

Adventures in Making is still seeking contributors of all kinds. Even if you aren't up to anything right now, your experience and opinions are all needed.

We have high standards, but I can almost guarantee that you will meet them.

Do you do stuff with your hands/brain?

Do you have experience in anything?

Do you have opinions?

Do you decorate/design/craft/write/doodle/compose?

Do you have some time occasionally to share any of the above things for the betterment of us all?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, we want to hear from you. Email adventures@andosthere.com with your adventures and your questions, and leave comments any and all times the mood strikes you.

Oh, and pass the word on. We'd love to hear from your friends, family, and foe.

(Remember to email if you'd like to become a regular contributor to the site, I'll send you a short application and soon enough you'll be writing articles.)

Toolbox : Corner Rounding Punch

Yesterday we had some people over and I got to catch up with a couple of future contributors. We talked about a few tools we had used and hoped to use, and I thought you might be interested to hear our experiences. With any luck, the new contributors will give us a part 2, and as always, I'd love to hear from the rest of you.

I once watched a plucky design student cut 60 rounded corners with an Xacto knife. This is a painstaking process that I will not illustrate for you because it involves too much work and too many accidents. Although I had not been exposed to all of the crafting materials out there, I knew there must be a better way.

One of the major perks to working in a paper store was that we had access to almost all of the tools we sold, and to the wisdom of the older crafters around us. So when I decided to buy a corner rounder for myself, I bought this one...

It's called the "Corner Adorner - Medium Corner Rounder" by EK Success.

Don't expect too much. It can only handle one piece of cover stock at a time, and after a few years (of abuse) some of the flimsy parts in mine broke. However, compared to the quality of most of the craft corner rounders it worked better from the beginning to the end with less finger strength needed. (Some of the others were just plain tough to use.) I replaced the broken punch with an identical one if that says anything.

A Hint- if you have punches like this (or any punches really) there are a couple of good ways to keep them working smoothly. If you punch through aluminum foil (which I usually fold over a few times) it is said to sharpen the blade. Punching through wax paper makes the whole thing move a little smother.

I think that rounded corners can be the touch that makes a paper project, but if you're working on something with quantity make sure you have the necessary finger strength and time to get it done with this little sucker.

In the meantime I am after a magical mystical professional version of the corner rounder to fulfill all my corner rounding fantasies. I have been told I may find it in the far off realm of Ebay...

(Check out this video for a glimpse of one of the great old-school rounders - around 2:05.)

Material : Tie dye Duck Tape

In the spirit of sharing, I'd like to share new materials and tools as I come across them. Below is my latest find...

We all know how great duct tape is- but check out this tie dye version from Duck Tape. It's groovy. (That's right, I said it.)

Found at Michaels, Issaquah, August 2010.

Question : Making link buttons

Rachel made a great suggestion of adding link to buttons to this site. (Basically little images that people can put on their blogs/etc to link back to the Adventures in Making site.)

Well, that's all fine and dandy- I can design them all day, but...

Does anyone have a resource to tell me the best way to offer these buttons, and how to provide the coding?

I know it's out there...

CRITIQUE: Scrap Feather Headbands

Hi! I am in need of some feedback on a new product I am in the midst of developing for Camp Smartypants. First I'll give some explanation as this particular item has some restrictions/different goals than my other Camp Smartypants product:

- This is a fall/winter product. I've wanted to create some new products that didn't scream tie-dye. Most of my current product is very loud (color). I'm worried that I am narrowing my market. The base of the feather is still created using leftover scraps from my tie-dye shoulder bags, but I wanted to incorporate other elements into the design to make it different enough to appeal to people who aren't necessarily attracted to tie-dye.

- It has to be made from at least 50% recycled materials. I recently became a member of Trillium Artisans, a local nonprofit that supports people with small crafty businesses. So far, the only product they are currently helping me sell are my God's Eye Pins (because they are over 50% recycled). I submitted these headbands to their product review board last week and they did not pass. Below is the feedback they gave me (click on image to enlarge).

The fabric and thread used are all scrap/thrifted. But the suede lace and elastic is new (which they say makes it only 30% recycled). They also didn't like how I finished the leather braid with fabric and glue.

They also didn't like that the edges of the feather are raw, and will eventually fray. I actually like this about the design. I think that some fraying fits with the idea of an actual feather and would still look nice.



So... what do you think? Here are some possible solutions I've been thinking over:
- Change the leather braid to a scrap fabric braid. (I don't have a clue as to how I'd find a source for enough scrap/thrifted suede lace).
- Change the fabric/glue on the ends to string wrapped around tight?
- Use better elastic (also try to find as much thrifted elastic as possible)

Any other suggestions? What do you think of the design as a whole? Would you wear one? Do you think that the fraying of the feather over time would be bad? Any help/feedback would be great! Thanks

♥ Rachel

Critique : What's wrong with this blog?

Welcome! I thought a good way to start this Adventure was a review of the blog design. True to everything I've written here, I am now sick of staring at it. Do you see any bugs, spelling errors, or things that can be improved upon?

While you're looking, send an email to adventures@andsothere.com and apply to be a contributor.

Ready... set... go!

Our Contributors

and growing...

Alison Lang

Adventures in Making stared as the brain-child of a somewhat lonesome designer who missed the critiques of school, and the problem solving of retail. Proclaimed “Design Mommy,” Alison pressed friends to send her projects to look at, and questions to answer. (They didn’t seem to mind.)

Alison is a graphic designer and slave to the letterpress with a background in paper, and an obsession with adhesives. She has a small series of letterpress designs (www.andsothere.com) and a shop on etsy (sothere.etsy.com). Originally from Texas, she now lives under a large white cedar in Issaquah, Washington with her husband and three cats.

email - adventures@andsothere.com

(so, there.) shop - sothere.etsy.com and www.andsothere.com


blog - butyourejustjealous.blogspot.com

design portfolio - alisonlang.net

Rachel Beyer

Originally uttered the words, "Help me! Design Mommy!" in 2008 while working with Alison at a design company in Seattle, WA. Since then she's always turned to Alison for advice and constructive criticism whenever she's in need of a fresh eye and an honest opinion.

Rachel currently lives in Portland, Oregon where she works as freelance graphic designer and small crafty business owner by day and busser at a fine dining restaurant by night. She is the creator of Camp Smartypants, a line of women's clothing, accessories, and paper goods. She's obsessed with bright colors, thrifting, feathers, crafts, stickers, markers, hosting parties, eating good food, and laughing with friends.

Email : campsmartypants@yahoo.com

Design Portfolio: http://www.rachelbeyer.com

Camp Smartypants: http://www.campsmartypants.com

Blog: http://campsmartypants.blogspot.com

Shop: http://campsmartypants.etsy.com

Tumblr: http://campsmartypants.tumblr.com

Lindsay Jewell

Lindsay was born in Sweet Home, Oregon, but has lived in Portland, Oregon for the last sixteen years. She recently graduated from Portland State University with a BA in English, and is currently building a writing portfolio for her freelance business while dabbling in various arts and crafts. She is obsessed with food, homemade bread, books, films, second-hand linens, paper, pretty thrifted mugs and her fluffy feline.

email - Jewellmc@gmail.com

blog: http://awoodennest.blogspot.com

Kat Duke

When Kat was growing up in Texas, her family spent every school holiday making something. In fact, crafts and creating took up all the time that books didn’t.

Now in Seattle, she's a crocheter, knitter, photographer, singer/songwriter, occasional (and optimistic) artist, and general crafter. She has been refinishing tins, crocheting interesting creatures, perfecting patterns for knit and crocheted hats, and trying to figure out what to make for guy friends for the holidays.

email - kathebeth@gmail.com

Scott and Jacqui Scoggin

Scott and Jacqui like to think of themselves as all around makers of cool stuff. They started Slide Sideways, a handmade and graphic design business, in 2008, mostly as an outlet for complete creative freedom. Typically they spend their days at the screen printing press and sewing machine busying themselves by making tea towels, posters, sketchbooks, zip pouches, and more for their shop.

They currently reside in Tacoma, WA, living a simple life and staying happy by drawing, picture taking, food making, bike riding, thrifting/estate saling, playing, watching movies, day dreaming and just all around creating and making stuff.

email: wearesliding@gmail.com

website: www.slide-sideways.com

shop: slidesideways.etsy.com

blog: unitedweslide.blogspot.com

Patrick Lang

Patrick learned how to destroy and build things with electronics and other crafts at an early age by taking everything apart and putting it back together. Growing up, he also spent years in Boy Scouts learning the art of the kludge, how to survive outdoors, and plenty of other skills.

Today he lives near Seattle with his lovely wife, Alison, and work as a software developer. At night, he obsesses over coffee, computers, music, building, and fixing things around the house.

The best that Adventures can bring

Adventures in Design is here to address the fact that…

Sometimes you are too close to see that something is just a tiny bit “off.” Sometimes you might have overlooked a minor detail, or a huge one. Did you misspell a word? Leave out a letter? Miss a stitch? Break your template?

Sometimes you just don’t know how to finish a project. What tool should you use? What’s the best glue? Is there a program or code to do it easier?

Sometimes you are busting to share a finished project with people who can appreciate it. Sometimes you find something great in a place no one would think to look.

You will make this site (and each other) better by-

Sending your questions, problems and inquiries of all sorts.

Sending your projects to be looked at by the group.

Giving your feedback on each of the things above in the comment section of each post.

Sharing your resources for better answers, information, and inspiration.

Whether you are just getting started (with a project, a business, or a concept) or you are already in the throes, we are here to help and support you along the way. Please don’t censor your questions and suggestions– we want to see it all.

As I have said, this blog is an experiment, and it’s the addition of new topics and people that will make it a success.

A little bit about “Design Mommy”

Adventures in Making will always be “Design Mommy” in my head, and it will always be spoken in the voice of Rachel B. It all started long ago (I am an older sister and programmed to give my opinion) but what you really need to hear about is the seedling. I apologize for all the personal pronouns- but until this site it launched it's just an idea in my head. It is y'all who will make it great.

I was an avid critic in my design courses. I don’t think everyone appreciated it. I always got the most excited about projects that had obvious merit and just needed a little tweak. Outside of school I worked in jobs that would allow me to interact with people and give suggestions. I preferred creative outlets - fabric and paper stores for instance.

Finally, I was called “Design Mommy” by coworkers at my design job because of my willingness to give criticism and advice.

All of this implies I’m pretty perfect.

Well, here’s the secret. Every time someone asked me a question, it was like a puzzle. They had the pieces, and all I had to do was put them together properly. They did most of the work, and all I had to do was a little creative thinking, research, or opinion giving. (It’s cheating really.)

The best part: I learned a little something. I got a little inspired.

***

When I left my job about a year ago, I immediately missed the day-to-day interactions with creative people of all sorts. It’s easy to sit at home doing freelance and independent projects and forget that you need that daily infusion of outside help and inspiration. It’s easy to get stuck on those projects and end up with something you really don’t like.

So I came up with the idea of a blog community filled with all kinds of creative minds who are willing to look things over and address challenges while inspiring and supporting each other. Each time we help each other we are helping ourselves become more rounded and more inventive.

This blog is an experiment, but I have a feeling it could be great.