Color Inspiration from a DIY Gift Tag

Monday Hues: In honor spring, today's color inspiration comes from a flower I drew on scrap paper, and eventually turned into a gift tag. One of the things I like to do, is find the hidden colors within an image, rather than gravitating towards the obvious, which in this case would have been pink, blue green and yellow. Instead, we ended up with a palette which consists of plum, orange, mint green and chartreuse.

DIY Doodle Gift Tags
*Please note, affiliate links to some of my favorite drawing supplies are provided in the paragraphs below  

Supplies - below is a list of the supplies I used o create the gift tag:
• Black Sharpie Pen*
• 2"x3.5" piece of scrap card stock
• Metallic*, Moonlight* and Glaze* Sakura gel pens
• Washi Tape*

The Process
First I drew the flower with a black sharpie pen*, then I added color to it with different types of gel pens. While the pink Moonlight pen* is what gave the drawing the flat pink strong color, the yellow Glaze pen* gave the image its highlights with a bit of dimension and shine. The ink from the Glaze pens tends to dry raised and shiny, making your piece look as if it were embossed or treated with thermography - I love that! As a final touch, I trimmed the bottom edge with washi tape*, then punched a hole at the top to draw a string. And just like that, with a bit of scrap paper in hand, gel pens, and washi tape, I was able to create a gift tag AND draw color inspiration from it for future projects.

Happy Monday, my friends!

~Dio

My Designer Wish List

Spent a little time on the Bag Borrow Or Steal website today. So much designery goodness! The above are only a few of my faves. My absolute favorite is that Louis Vuitton Monogram Inclusion ring, and it will be mine one day...maybe for my birthday. That'll give me a few months to send my husband a few subtle hints for it. =)

I Love My Suegra (Mother In Law) Collection

My new "I Love My Suegra (Mother In Law)" collection is now available through my Spanglish website Que Party Tan Fancy! My husband and I decided that he'll wear his "I love my suegra" t-shirt when we go to my mom's for mother's day this year and I'll wear mine when we go to his mom's house. I'm sure it'll bring a smile to their face and make others chuckle.
I know the mother in law is a sensitive subject for many, but I choose to look at things on the bright side. Think of it this way, if it weren't for her, your other half wouldn't be here.
Personally, I love that my suegra is a great gramma. That alone will always give her a special place in my heart. ~ Take a look at the entire collection! There's lots to choose from if you're looking for a great prank gift too!

Personalized Dish, by MudHutt

Looking for mother's day gifts, I came across MudHutt on Etsy and immediately fell in love with her work! She creates personalized dishes for any occasion. Simply purchase the design of your choice and let her know the name(s), date, or any other message you'd like to incorporate!
These two of my favorites, but I found many more on my shop that I will be hearting.

Hand-felted Pillow Sale!

One of my favorite little finds today is the pillow sale going on over at Kthurm Etsy shop!
These are all beautiful one-of-a-kind individual pieces of art that would surely add comfort and style to any living space.

To My Valentine

Printed on recycled card stock, blank inside, awaiting your personal message. This greeting card is perfect to express your love on Valentine's Day, your Wedding, Anniversary, or any other time of the year! Now available at PaisleyInParis.Etsy.com

Warm Wishes

I never owned a pair of leg warmers back in the 80's when they were "in" but I think I may give 'em a try sometime soon. I have my eyes set on these. Unless you buy them first, of course, then I'll have to wait and see if any others tempt me to make a fashion statement as I keep myself warm this winter season.

Vintage fashion by Timeless Vixen Vintage

So in love with these gorgeous 1950's style vintage dresses by Etsy seller TimelessVixenVintage.

I'd love to wear the dress below to a holiday cocktail party!

Click on images for more details.

Handcrafted Hair Accesories

I spent about 6 hours last weekend crafting holiday gifts for my family and friends. Amongst my creations was this beautiful & stylish hair pin. I couldn't decide which one of my sisters to give it to, and I really wanted to keep it for myself! It's so pretty. My little camera doesn't take very good pictures, but when you see it person, the beads sparkle so pretty and the fabric is so soft and silky. Anyway, I have enough fabric to make more of this design, so I thought I'd add this one to my Etsy shop for a lucky customer to enjoy. If you think this would make a great accessory for your bridesmaids, send me a note and let me know how many you'll need. I'd be happy to work on a custom order for you.

Custom Holiday Gift Tags

Get ready for the holidays with our new holiday invitations, matching address labels and gift tags! These cute little gift tags come preprinted with your name and personal message saving you lots of precious time. I will be adding more designs to my PaisleyInParis stationery gallery, so check back as often as you want and you'll be sure to find something new to catch your eye!

Would you like a cup of Tea & Cream?

With the holidays around the corner, I've been spending a little more time than usual on-line searching for unique gift ideas and DIY tutorials. During my search today I came across this cute and unusual little ring by SouZouCreations on Etsy. How creative is that? It would be perfect for a waitress or a fun accessory to wear to a tea party. I had never seen anything like it, so I just had to share.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Pillow Set

What a truly unique idea by Etsy seller diffractionfiber who created these cute Peanut Butter & Jelly pillow set...because some things just go great together! For a small additional fee, you can get your name embroidered on the pillows as well. I would be jelly cuz I'm kinda sweet and my hubby would be peanut butter cuz he's kinda nutty. Or is it the other way around? Hmmm...I think this would make a good poll on my Facebook.

The pillows are not only a one-of-a-kind hand crafted design, they are also constructed out of eco-felt made of 100% recycled plastic bottles! Oh, how I love artwork that is not only good for the soul, but kind to the environment as well. =)

Cowboy Cookies {found via Bakerella Blog}

Today was my daughter's first day of Kindergarden. I told her that if she had a good week we would bake cookies and celebrate on Friday evening. While indulging in my daily blog reads, I came accros these photos and recipe for Cowboy Cookies via Bakerella blog - the perfect baking project for my daughter and I! She's such a girly-girl that I know the pink m&m's will be her favorite part. In my case, I know I'll love them just because I'm such a cookie monster.

Love the packaging shown here...perfect for gift giving.

And the final result looks delicious too!

For the recipe and assembly instructions click here.

Limited Edition Flower Hair Clip - Now on sale!

You know, they say necessity is the mother of invention and I truly believe it's true! I wanted to make my sister's birthday present this year, I know she needs business cards but that would be too easy. Think Dio, think...what can you make that she'll love? I know she loves purses and accessories but I don't have a sewing machine and I am not about to hand-stitch a purse. So I came into my studio and pulled out a variety of materials that inspired me. I was determined to use up the materials I have had on the shelves for years, which brought me to my stash of beads. I have been on a roll crafting and creating so many goodies during the last week, that it's becoming more and more difficult to choose which items I want to give her, which ones I want to keep, and which ones I want to post for sale at my Etsy shop.

This flower hair clip is one of my favorite creations so far! It's also a limited edition. I made it from one of my daughter's lightly worn dresses, after it was washed of course. I think I can get about 10 more flowers out of that dress, but they'll have different color beads in the center. Plus I'm keeping a couple of course, so if you like the one shown above, you may want to stop by my Etsy shop now before someone else snatches it!

Father's Day Gift Ideas from Martha Stewart

You know we can always count on Martha for tips and inspiration on any occasion. Below are a few of my favorite gift ideas for dad that I found on her site. If you want to see more, just click on any of the images below.

Kid-decorated note pad:

Travel Kit:

Shoe shine kit:

Flower Girl and Ring Bearer gifts

I found these cute little grass pets at Wrappables.com and thought they would make a cute little gift for little kids and big kids too!

They're called Nyokki Pets. Nyokki means "grow" in Japanese, and that's what these little critters do. You just add a little water and watch the grass grow.

You can cut style their "hair", cut it and watch it grow all over again!

They are hand made in Japan from glazed ceramic, the come with seeds, are egg-shaped and have fabric legs.

They measure 1.75" x 2", come in sets of two, and you can choose from Monkey, Chickee, Froggie, and Piglet.

Bridal Party Keepsakes

I love Martha Stewart Weddings magazine! They have the cutest and most unique ideas!

Their Spring 2008 issue features this "tag" idea, which helps transform wedding day accessories into keepsakes for your bridal party.

All you have to do is create custom clothing labels to include you your names or monograms and your wedding date, then affix them to purses, ties, socks, shawls or any other items you plan to give to your bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Handmade Purses by Miss E. Yee

For those of you waiting to see what Miss E. Yee has come up with, here's a glimpse!
She's been hard at work witht he donations she's received, and has posted a few designs on her website. I'll be helping her set up a shopping cart this week, but if you're interested in making any purchases today, just send her an e-mail!

Purse-onalize your wardrobe - It's good for the environment!

When I want recharge my creative batteries and take a break from designing invitations, I take on other design projects! This week, I'm designing my sister's business identity, and I'm having so much fun doing so!

Her business consists of recycling your old unwanted jeans, shirts, curtains, belts, ties, old bridesmaids dresses, maternity clothes, old uniforms, baby clothes, sheets, or table cloths, and transforming them into something you can wear again – handmade, one-of-a-kind purses and hand bags!

All purses are made out of donated recycled materials. You can either check her website every now and then to see what's new, or you can send her your items and request that she custom designs a purse especially for you and no one else!

If you wish to donate, and you live in the Coachella Valley, she will pick up your donations directly from your doorstep.

We all know it's time for some spring cleaning!
Please donate to Miss E. Yee, it's good for the environment!