The Adventures have Moved!

We have a whole new site over at Adventures-in-Making.com

If you'd like to add us to your RSS feed reader, copy this link, and add it to you list of daily reads.

http://www.adventures-in-making.com

And, while you're at it…

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/adventuresinmaking

INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/adventuresinmaking

PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/adventuresinmkg/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/adventuresinmkg/

And don't forget to contribute! There's swag in it for you.

New Place! Great New Content! Even More ADVENTURES.

Hi All!
The problem with having adventures is that sometimes it's hard to find the time to document them. We've been off doing new things, and so it's been crickets around the blog.

Well, NO MORE!



Adventures in Making is being relaunched with more content, more fun, and a bright new site.

WHAT'S NEW
Now co-run by Alison Lang and Rachel Beyer, the new A.I.M. blog features a clearer organization, and a wider scope of projects from Creative Business Advice, to DIY projects, and Recipes. We have a lot to say, and want to hear from you as well. Which brings me to my next point….

Swag for contributors! We are offering gifts for contributors so that we can share the things we love. Adventures in Making works best when you're involved, so be sure to contribute your projects, thoughts, and experiences.

We also have a couple of awesome give-aways in the works. Really great stuff. Stuff we want to keep for ourselves.


WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP READING
Things are going to get better from here. Rachel and Alison (me) have a range of combined experience, and we are excited to share what we know. We truly believe that with a little cooperation, and story sharing we can all become better makers, and have more fun while we're at it. If you want to know a little more about us, visit the About Page.

So what are you waiting for? The Adventures are waiting for you….

Summer Quilt Project

My friend Michelle had her first baby in August and I took up the opportunity to make her a baby quilt. Her husband's favorite hobby is sailing so I thought this quilt design from Cornbread & Beans Quilting Co. would be perfect for their baby boy. I couldn't find a pattern, so all I had to go off of was the photo I found on Pinterest. Luckily, both my Mom and Gramma are experienced sewers so with their help I was able to create my own pattern based on the photograph.

I am notorious for starting new craft projects and never finishing them - especially when they are larger projects that take a while to complete. When I decided to make this quilt I told myself I had to finish it and made time every week to work on it.

My Gramma is not only an amazing quilter, she also is a fabric collector and has more fabric than most fabric stores. All the materials used to make this quilt I found digging through boxes in her sewing room.

This was a really fun project and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I hope that Michelle and her little one will enjoy it for years to come.

TOOLBOX: Laser Foiling Paper

Just saw this neato tutorial featuring a product I didn't know existed- laser foiling paper.

Check it out!

QUESTION: Fonts!

I have the hankering to make a font today. Anyone have any stories/advice/ideas?

HOW TO : Make coffee filter flowers

Swing on over to my blog for a tutorial on these coffee filter flowers. These are also kid friendly (which is important, because I am apt to destroy my clothing if I'm allowed to touch permanent dyes.)

QUESTION : Hunting for a bundle

Hi All-
I know it's been quiet- but I need some help.

I've been playing with the idea of brown paper bundles- like the kind a Jane Austen character would get after buying a new pair of gloves. Items bundled in paper, and tied with string in a way that forms a handle. (Pre-shopping bag.)

I could probably devise something myself- but I'd love to use a more authentic starting point. Has anyone seen these referred to in more detail in a book, or (maybe) seen a template, or reference, or clipart, something?

thanks kids!

Elevated - 2012

Go on over, and be jealous of my Elevated Envelopes (but more jealous of the ones that are coming in the mail.... )

(but you're just jealous.)

A Sneak Peak

I know I've been away forever. I'm working on big things that will hopefully makes all the adventures more amazing.

I've taken a break from all that to work on my Elevated Envelopes, which are truly doodly. Here's a sneak peak- you'll see more when they've been sent to their new homes...

(Tutorial Here...)

I want like 15.... but I will never get around to making them myself.

HOW TO : Tie Dye Paper

This post is part how-to and part question.

We did some awesome tissue paper tie-dying this weekend, which I chronicled over on my blog.

Check it out, and let me know if you have any awesome suggestions for absorbent papers to use in the future.

Thanks!

OTHER ADVENTURES : Dyeing in the Sun

How About Orange is one of my favorite blogs- despite it being about my least favorite colors. She's done a few entries this week about using a product called Inkodye. I am absolutely fascinated.

Check out what she's done here, here, and here.

Who wants to get some and do a craft day?

TECHNOLOGY : Transferring Mac Fontbook Collections

Part of being "Design Mommy" has been answering technology questions. I'm lucky enough to have live-in tech support to go to when things get too tough, and he had made me better at asking the right questions of the all-knowing internet. I thought this would be a good addition to the blog. (Full disclosure, I'm an Apple girl.) If you have an experience you'd like to share, or a question or problem, let me know!

I've been encountering a few blips lately, upgrading to a new computer and working with applications in new ways. Hope my experiences help with yours- and if you know a better fix, please please tell me.

Extra Fonts can break things - I have a handful of extra fonts that I use for various projects and inspiration. Over the years I have found that adding them to your system makes things run slower and sometimes makes them run not at all.

My solution is to have an extra user account on my Mac that has all the fonts loaded. I use this only for typesetting free/extra fonts. It keeps the applications on my main account running smoothly.

Transferring Font Collections - Over the years I've had my computer, I've slowly sorted through the fonts and put them into handy-dandy collections in Font Book. Since I am transferring everything over to my new computer manually, I was losing these collections. My solution (a clumsy one) was

- Export each custom collection into a folder on my old machine.

- Transfer that folder to my new machine.

- Drag each folder to the collection pane of Font Book.

When you do that, there might be conflict with the fonts it is already seeing. I allowed it to make copies of the fonts. After it is all done, there will be duplicates.

- In Font Book go to edit>Look for Duplicates. Click "Resolve Automatically"

and tada, now you have your collections back.

Sorry for the lack of eye candy! Let me know if you ever have this problem, and/or need further clarification.

QUESTION : Cutting Divider Type Tabs

Hi Guys,

I have a new project in the works, and I want to be able to make my own divider pages. Basically, I need some clever way to cut tabs into pages. Has anyone seen a punch or tool that would help with this?

I'm pretty open to form, so if you have an off-the-wall suggestion I'd love to hear it.

HOW TO : Envelopes from Handmade Paper

My take on the Elevated Envelope...

I've made paper several times this summer (because it's AMAZING.) This time I made envelopes out of everything I could find. Check out the how-to info over here.

HOW TO: Denim Picnic Blanket

Check out what I did with this, over at the Jealous blog. I didn't how-to, but I'm sure you can figure it out.
You're great that way.

OTHER ADVENTURES : The Elevated Envelope

The internet is too huge to see it all. (Did you notice?) I wanted to add a new section that highlights great things going on other places, so you don't have to look too hard.

Need a creative pick-me-up? Tara over at Ephemera has started a great new project called the Elevated Envelope. It's just what it sounds like, a chance to brighten some people's day with an artsy envelope (made by you); and you get cool envelopes back!

I think she explains it best, check out the details and sign up here

If you're feeling overwhelmed, get a little pep-talk (and ideas) here

Sign up on the first link by leaving a comment by July 8th- I'm already signed up!

TOOLBOX : Martha's Score Board

I've gotten some flack for not updating just recently... what can I say, the promise of Summer, and freelance work have lead me a astray. I've got a couple of things to show you that will hopefully make up for some of the silence. Also, I'd love to see what you've been up to, send me an email (adventures@andsothere.com) and let me share it with everyone!

My awesome mother-in-law got me this Martha Stewart Score Board for Christmas. I have to admit I was excited by the possibilities (envelopes!) but didn't see immediately how often I would use it.

Cut forward to the invention of the FlipOver planner, and my elbow, sore from using a rotary scoring blade. I pulled out the score board, and I've been using it since.

To Love:

1) I heart the square corner to line up in, and the ruler. I often will put a piece of masking tape on a score point I plan on using again and again.

2) The 1/8 inch divisions usually give you all the options you need. Also, if you would like to make something like a curved/flexible spine you can do a few scores in a row, and they are all parallel and perfect.

3) There's a little box at the top of the board that stores your bone folder, or anything else you might like to keep in there. There is also a corner guide for scoring on 45 degrees that slips into a slot at the bottom of the board.

4) The score is lovely, straight, consistent, and deep

5) I really like how flat and compact it is (especially compared to my rotary cutter). It's a lot easier to find a home for it.

To Hate:

1) DO NOT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING. Do not glance away. Do not blink. If you blink the Angels will make your bone folder slip and will ruin what you are doing. I plan for 10% failure rate on this because I get distracted easily.

2) The bone folder they provide is clumsy at best, and danged uncomfortable at worst. I replaced mine with a slightly sharpened bone folder from an art store. (I'll tell you how I sharpened it, if you ask nicely.)

3) I want to score everything, and I really don't have time to make all my own envelopes.

Have a tool you love to use, and think everyone else should too? Let me know!

QUESTION : AM and PM

Hi Guys,

Sorry it's been so quiet over here. I've been holding on to a couple of how-to's and tool reviews, but I haven't had time to put them up. I'd love to see what you've been up to this summer!

I am working on a little type-setting project and I'm stuck on a bunch of open and close times. Have you seen any good examples of "AM" and "PM" typesetting that doesn't look too crazy?

UPDATED : Corner Rounder

I've added some new info and photos about the Diamond 1 Corner Rounder. Check it again!