Category » createJones Design Company

Feb

01

a special game of memory

Country Living featured this version of a homemade memory game in the December issue.

Since my little potty-mouth loves playing games, I thought it would make a special christmas gift. After thinking through different objects I could use on the cards, I decided on a photo of each of the kids in our extended family. Then I figured I should create a game for each of the families and the idea for cousin memory was born.

There are 11 cousins {with one more on the way} so I used a photo of each little darling on two cards each.

A combination of photoshop, illustrator and digital printable papers {plus the cousins’ cute faces} made for a colorful and special memory game.

I followed the instructions from Country Living {printed the images, cut to size, used spray adhesive to attach to mat board}. I probably should have sealed them with mod-podge, but I didn’t finish the games until the night before our family christmas celebration, so I skipped that part.

The kids think it is fun to see their faces on playing cards.

You could do a similar project using any image or clipart that is meaningful to you:

memorable locations {first date, vacation, first house} for a special game for your spouse

favorite toys for your kids

items around the house to help a toddler learn objects

colors

shapes

gardening images for a gardener in your life

I could go on and on. But I’ll stop.

All to say, it is a simple and inexpensive project that makes a delightful gift.

You can read the original Country Living article here.

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Posted by emily | 36 comments

Jan

26

how to create fake calligraphy

I have always loved beautiful calligraphy.

{ 1 . 2 }

Years ago, my former boss brought me back a calligraphy pen and ink from her trip to Italy. I was so excited to try it out and figured it would be super easy to turn my handwriting into calligraphy with just the flick of a nib {that’s the technical term for the metal pieces that go in the pens – not to be confused with my go-to treat, the twizzler nib}.

It didn’t go so well.

Then I met Lindsay {of Lindsay Letters – who created that fabulous O Holy Night print and will be debuting a new LOVE print here on the blog in just a few days} and figured since she is a pro, she could surely give some pointers and it wouldn’t be too hard.

Again, the pen and ink proved too complicated for my impatient hands {have you ever tried it? the ink sure does splatter!}

I have yet to learn how to use a real calligraphy pen {although it is on my list of skills to master someday} and have just stuck with my fake calligraphy technique. I thought I’d share it with you today.

First, choose a good fine tip ink pen.

I usually like these pilot precise extra fine pens the best, but just bought the foray stylemark at the office store and it’s a good one too.

Now, write your letter. You can do it in pencil first if you prefer, or just freehand.

To give your letter the calligraphy look, you will need to make all of the down strokes thicker and filled in {as if you were writing with an angled calligraphy pen}.

Every time your pen stroke goes downward {as seen with the arrows above}, just draw a close line and fill it in.

See how easy it is?

Here’s another example. I wrote the word love in cursive:

then filled in the down strokes:

Doesn’t it look fancy? You can transform your handwriting to make it look like calligraphy very simply and easily with just a few extra pen strokes.

If you would like a faster way to make fancy handwriting, I have created a new font for you using my own fake calligraphy.

Isn’t it cute?!! You get a full alphabet with lots of extra symbols, doodles and words.

Now its even easier to fake calligraphy.

Purchase the new fancy font by clicking the button below.

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Posted by emily | 40 comments

Jan

24

share the love

There is something so sweet about taking a day {or month, really!} to celebrate something as wonderful as love.

Valentine’s Day is commercial … yes, I agree … but it is special, too.

It gives us an excuse to bake a cherry pie

to serve our kids pink milk and pie crust cookies for an after school snack

to sip hot cocoa with heart-shaped marshmallows out of a dainty teacups

and indulge in frosting covered cupcakes.

It encourages us to send our loved ones handwritten notes

and deliver prettily packaged treats to our friends.

I like that Valentine’s Day has turned February into the month of sharing the love.

I was inspired by Valentine’s Day when creating the JDC | monthly february collection.

It is full of red, pink, whimsical flowers and fancy writing.

And is available now.

To receive these printable goodies, and new ones each month, you are invited to join JDC | monthly. It is just $7.99 per month {your first month is free!}.

{to learn more, please click here}

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Posted by emily | 24 comments

Jan

13

flower mobile {again}

Before my little sweetness was born {nearly two years ago, I can hardly believe it}, I made this flower mobile to hang over her crib. It was one of the first tutorials seen on JDC and a pretty project that I was proud of. But somewhere along the line, the photos went missing from the post. And missing from my computer. And so the tutorial is now gone. Boo.

{photos by Jennifer Tai as featured on On To Baby}

Since posting the embroidered wallhanging, many of you asked for details about the mobile. I am here to deliver.

I do not have a full tutorial, but I will explain how it is made.

Here’s what you need:

:: a styrofoam wreath form – mine is 12 inches, but you could do smaller or larger

:: ribbon

:: lots of silk flowers {I spent about $35 at the craft store on full white blooms}

:: straight pins

STEP ONE: wrap the wreath form with ribbon, securing with straight pins

STEP TWO: cut blooms off their stems and pin into wreath form, filling in all the way around the wreath. You could use hot glue instead, but I found that pinning was easier.

STEP THREE: once the flowers are in place, cut two long pieces of ribbon for hanging. You will fold each piece in half and attach the ends to the wreath opposite from eachother {think north, south, east and west}. Make sure your ribbon is long enough that when folded your mobile will hang at the height you want. I sure hope that makes sense.

I screwed in an eye hook to the ceiling and looped each ribbon over it.

From below, this is what the baby sees:

So pretty!

I know this is not the best tutorial, but I hope it helps explain the project a bit better. Please let me know if you make one of your own … I’d love to see how it turns out!

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Posted by emily | 16 comments

Jan

11

embroidered wallhanging {tutorial}

For nearly two years I’ve had this tutorial in a file on my desktop just waiting to be posted. I have no idea what took me so long, but I thought it would be good to finally share it.

I selected a scripture for Audrey {you can read the story here} and wanted to hang it over her crib. Coming up with a solution for a lightweight, non-permanent solution was the challenge. I didn’t want something heavy that could fall on the baby and while vinyl or handpainted letters would have worked, it wasn’t exactly the look I was hoping for.

So I invented this very thrown together wall hanging.

Here’s what you need to make one of your own:

:: a piece of heavy fabric slightly larger than your desired finished size {I used a piece of IKEA lenda curtains – a nice cotton canvas}

:: embroidery or crochet thread

:: embroidery hoop & embroidery needle

:: scissors and pencil

STEP ONE: lightly write the verse, name or other wording on the fabric with a pencil. Be sure to center it.

STEP TWO: secure embroidery hoop where you would like to begin your stitches.

STEP THREE: thread the needle and make a knot in the end. Now make your first stitch from the back. We are using a back stitch {here is a good tutorial}

STEP FOUR: make a stitch in the desired length {approximately 1/8 – 1/4 inch} and push the needle back down through the fabric.

STEP FIVE: To continue the backstitch, push your needle back up 1/8 – 1/4 inch from where you finished the first stitch

STEP SIX: make a stitch pushing the needle back down just above the first stitch mark

STEP SEVEN: pull the thread tight and make another stitch in the same backstitch manner

Once you have finished each letter, you will have a beautifully {and painstakingly} embroidered piece of fabric.

This is where you can finish your piece as you wish … and where mine became a total hodgepodge of a project.

I had a piece of foam core that I cut to size and wrapped the fabric around it, securing with packing tape {remember I was going for light weight}.

Then I poked in upholstery tacks for a fun border. Because the tacks are not completely secure, once Audrey was old enough to stand in her crib, I removed the verse from over her crib and it is now on a different wall in her room where she can not reach it.