Warhol Posters

Celebrate the Boy with Made and Made by Rae comes to an end today (or tomorrow?)  

And though I am the mother of 4 boys , this is my first time mentioning or even acknowledging it!

But my motto, chanted daily in my head, is better late than never.  So here it is:

 

Warhol Posters

I desperately needed something for the walls in my boys' room. 

I found some cool posters at Ikea but wanted something more personal for over each of their beds. 

I have learned, in my 6 short years as a mom, that there is nothing that a little boy loves quite as much as seeing their face or name plastered all over e v e r y t h i n g.

So I set out to make these cool Warhol prints for each of them.

I found several tutorials on how to do it but they were all so in depth and seemed so complicated. It couldn't possibly be that hard to do, right?

Totally right!

I figured it out, printed them up at Walmart and framed them in these $2 clearance frames at Target!  Wooohoo!

 So do you love them?

Do you need one?

Do you need to know how?

No prob Bob!

Here's the Template and tutorial for you to make your own using the super cool super FREE Gimp!

Step 1: Download the Template and open it up in Gimp

Step 2: Open up your image as a new layer.

Step 3: Scale and crop your image to fit over the turquoise square

Step 4: Adjust the brightness and contrast way up!

NOTE: you can click each of these pictures to blow up and see exactly what numbers I used.

Step 4: Use the Desaturate tool to make your image black and white

Step 5:  Adjust the brightness and contrast again.  Turn the brightness way down and the contrast way up.

Step 6: Duplicate your layer until you have 4 identical layers stacked on top of each other.

Step 6: Move each of your layers over the colored squares

Step 7:  We're going to "colorize" each layer.

Turquoise- leave just as it is and click "Ok"

Orange- Change the hue to 15 and the saturation to 75

Red - Change the Hue to 0 and the saturation to 100

Yellow- Change the hue to 55 and the saturation to 90

Step 8: Posterize each of your layers.

Step 9: Delete the layer titled background

And that's it!  Now just save it as a JPG and send it Walmart or Walgreens or whatever and you are finished!!

Totsy

Have you guys heard of Totsy yet?

Yep it's another "exclusive" membership deal of the day sort of site... think Gilt,  Rue La La, Zulily just to name a few.  I'll admit to having a minor addiction to these sites but today I stumbled upon another.

It's called Totsy.  Like the others you have to be a member to get in on the deals that are offered for a limited time and like Zulily these deals are mostly for children's clothing, accessories and toys.

So why am I telling you about yet another deal of the day site?  Because Totsy offers something the others don't... Totsy is  100% eco-friendly. 

How so you ask?

They use recycled paper, renewable energy, less packaging, and pay close attention to what they use and how they use it.   "It keeps us environmentally conscious while our products remain environmentally friendly."

And if that's still not enough for you... get a load of this:  "With every purchase you make through Totsy, we will plant one tree in the name of your child" 

Pair that with up to 85% off and you've got as close to guiltless shopping as you will ever find! 

 

 

So go sign up and check them out and then invite your friends to do the same... not only will you get a $15 credit for everyone who signs up (and makes a purchase) but you can feel good about promoting a company that's doing their part for today's world and tomorrow's generation!

 

 

 

 

The Anything Card

My husband and I don't typically celebrate Valentine's Day.

The agreement is we try to show each other how much we appreciate each other throughout the year instead of getting wrapped up in a commercial holiday.

I'm the first to admit that this is code for: "my husband is really crappy when it comes to Valentine's day so I'm angry at Halmark for starting another fight!"

So last year I gave him a wallet and included The Anything Card tucked inside.

What is The Anything Card you ask?

The Anything Card is a simple gift that entitles the holder to... well... anything. The catch of course is that this card doesn't expire and is fully transferable. In fact when you redeem your card you forfeit it and put yourself in at the mercy of the new holder.

My husband and I had so much fun with this card throughout the year. At first we were friendly and fair even apologetic when we were trading the card for an extra hour of sleep or a night off from baby duty. But towards the end of the year we were stealing it out of each others wallets.

Eventually we forgot about it and lost it so I'm excited about making us another card. Now we can get back to flirting and fighting over it again.

So print one off and  tuck it into your guys gift or if your like me and didn't get him anything... print it off and tuck it in his wallet and act like it's been there all along!

 

Happy Valentines Day!

Family Tree Tutorial

Preface

This tutorial has taken waaaaay longer to create than I ever imagined!  Because I'm new to the blogging world I'm sort of ignorant to all the blogging laws and etiquette no-no's.  In my head I imagined I'd show you a couple of family trees I liked from Etsy and then give some suggestions on how you might make something similar.  Then I realized that would be quite rude.  So I had to make all these family trees myself before I could write the tutorial!  None of these trees are very difficult but all can be very time consuming.  So go check out Etsy for inspiration but don't be a copycat!  If you find something you can't live without... buy it and support handmade!

On With the Tutorial

If you do a quick search for "family tree"on Etsy, the giant handmade marketplace that makes me drool, squeal and run to my sewing room to grab my scissors, glue and fabric on a daily basis, you'll find 996 listings. 325 of those listings are considered art... to hang on your wall or place on your mantle.

These family tree's make great gifts for mom and dad or grandma and grandpa to show them the beautiful family they've created.

I make one of these tree's every year for my husbands large family that is constantly growing.  This year we've added 2 babies to the tree!

With a bit of Gimp know-how, creativity and a nice frame, you can create a great gift!

If you've checked out Etsy for these tree's than you know that just about every one of those 325 trees have differences but are basically the same set up.  A tree trunk to represent the head of the family, large branches and/or leaves to represent their children and smaller branches and/or leaves to represent their grandchildren.

On Etsy I've seen the tree made with photos of real trees, sketched trees, abstract trees, words and even real branches!

Tree #1

This is the easiest kind of tree to create.  

1.  Find a basic tree silhouette.  I found this one as well as some others for free at karens whimsy.  You can also try creating your own from scratch!

2.  Open your image up in Gimp.  I like to make sure my image is all one color with no lines traced around the edges so I use the posterize tool to reduce the image to only 2 colors.  You can find the posterize tool under the "Colors" menu, change it to "2" and click "ok".  Now you can change the color of your tree to any color you'd like.  I love this apple green color!

3.  Start adding your family's names!  Click the giant "A" in the toolbox to open a new next box.  Gimp will automatically open every text box as a new layer which is perfect for what you're doing.  I used a different font and size for the base of the tree, the children and the grandchildren.  Play with different fonts and sizes and the placement until you get something you're happy with.

TIP:  If you get one branch of the family just like you like it but maybe want to move the whole group up 2cm... don't despair!  You don't have to move every name individually!  See the empty box in between the eye and the thumbnail of the layer you want to move?  Click it.  A chainlink should appear telling you that layer is locked.  Click all the layers you want to move and then you can move them all together in one move!  Cool huh?

Tree #2

Okay I lied... this is way easier!

1.  Find your tree image.  You can use a photo or a sketch, an abstract tree or even a silhouette.  Either way you are just looking for something with no leaves.  Try searching "winter tree".  I found this one for free at all free vectors.

2.  Get some ink pads in coordinating colors and frame it up without the glass so your family can stamp their thumbprints and write their names at the family Christmas party!

TIP:  If you find a tree you love but it has leaves, try erasing the leaves and see if it'll work!  If the leaves are a different color from the rest of the tree use the "select by color" tool found in the toolbox  (it looks like a finger pointing at 3 colors).  click on a leaf and it will select everything in your image that is the same color!  Now you can erase the leaves without erasing the tree! 

Tree #3

This one is a bit more work but oh so pretty!

1. Find your tree.  I really like the way these look with an abstract tree but you can also try it with a silhouette or a sketch.  Again you want something like a "winter tree" with no leaves or you can try erasing them like suggested above in the tip.  I found this one for free on  all free vectors  but I had to erase the leaves.

2. Find an image of a leaf or create one yourself.  Play with the size and color of your leaf until you get it just right for your tree.  Now you should copy your leaf and paste it as a new layer.  You can do this buy clicking "edit", then "paste as", then "new layer.  You will want one leaf for every member in the family.  Place your leaves in family groups.  I used each big branch with a big leaf to represent the children and the smaller branches with smaller leaves to represent the grandchildren.

3.  After you're happy with the look of your tree it's time to start adding your names.  Just like step 3 of the first tree, open a text box and type each name in a new text box.  Move your names into place and play with sizing, color and font until you are happy with it!

TIP:  I didn't on my tree but should have included my mother and father in-law's names and the year of their marriage or something like that on the trunk or even under the tree.

TIP 2:  If you have a ton of scrapbook paper like me try using it for your leaves.  Cut a simple shape or you can find a leaf shaped hole punch at Hobby Lobby.  You can hand write each name on the leaves after they are cut or if your handwriting is as yucky as mine print them on your cardstock before you punch them out!

Tree #4

This tree is definitely the most complicated and tedious but oh so worth it when it's finished don't ya think?

1.  Find a basic tree image.  This isn't so important as it's not going to be seen but you'll need it as a guide for your trunk and branches. 

2.  Once you've opened your image in Gimp you need to add a transparent layer.  To do this, simply click the plain sheet of paper thumbnail in the "layers, channels, paths, undo" dock.  When the new screen pops up, make sure "transparency" is selected and click "ok".  You wont be able to see this new layer because it's transparent but you want to make sure it is on top of the other layers.  You can do this by dragging the new layer to the top of the list of layers.

 

3.   Next we are going to design our paths.  In the toolbox menu you can click on the "Paths Tool"  If you hover over each thumbnail it'll tell you the name but this is a very crummy picture of the paths tool thumbnail:  

4.  Lets start with the trunk.  Click at the bottom of the trunk and then towards the top of the trunk.  That will give you a straight line connecting the two points.  Now you can manipulate your line into the shape of your trunk by dragging the line up and down.  Once you are happy with the shape of your path you can click on any other tool in your toolbox and then back on the path tool again. ( I know this doesn't sound like it makes any sense but I haven't figured out another way to do this!  If you keep creating new paths without resetting the path tool then you'll end up with only one path with several components rather than one path for every branch... confusing I know!!) Do this until you have one path for your trunk and enough paths for every subfamily on your tree. 

TIP:  After you create your path it completely disappears unless you mark it visible.  To do this go to your "layers, channels, paths, undo" dock and click the "Paths" tab.  You'll see all of your paths.  To make them visible click the first empty box that appears to the right of each path when you hover over it.  An eye will appear and your path is now visible on your image!

Are you still with me?  Things are about to get confusing as we toggle back and forth between the "layers" tab and the "paths" tab!

5.  Okay...   Next we are going to make your text follow the shape of the paths.  (I would do this one at a time so you don't get completely lost!!)  In the path menu choose one of your paths and decide what text you'd like to appear in it's place.  Open a text box and type your name(s).  Edit the size and font.  You'll sort of have to eyeball this because you wont be able to go back and adjust this later without using "undo".  After you are happy with your font and size of your text click the "text along path" button found at the bottom of the text menu. Your text should appear along the path but don't get too excited... you're not done yet!  

6.  Back in the layers tab open a new transparent layer.  Jump back to the path tab and right click on your new path (Gimp named it for you!) and click "path to selection".  Grab your paintbrush tool and paint over the name.  You probably can't see it very well to know if you're happy with it or not.  So delete the path you just finished working with and then jump back to the layer tab and delete the text layer for the name you just finished.  Now "select none" by hitting "shift+ctrl+A" on your keyboard.

And now you can see your name in the shape of your tree trunk and in the right color and font... right?

Now work slowly but surely (using the undo button liberally!) until you've finished up all the names on your family tree!

TIP:  As you finish each name and path delete them.  It'll help keep your lists manageable so you don't get overwhelmed with layers and paths!

TIP:  If you keep forgetting a step (I always forgot to hit "path to selection" and would scribble all over the tree!)  write out a simple checklist and post-it to your monitor.

Printing

You're happy with your tree and it's time to print but first lets make sure the resolution is high enough or you'll end up with a pixelated tree that looks yucky.  Click "image" and then "image properties" at the bottom of the drop down menu.  Look for the resolution info.  You want it to be somewhere around "300 x 300 ppi" for good print quality.  

I've heard Walmart doesn't have the best quality for printing but I've never had a problem and the convenience factor is so much more important for me! I can send it to them and pick it up (don't forget the frame and mat) while I'm grocery shopping!!

And since you've already done all the hard work go ahead and make several gifts out of this!  I like to make one for myself, a large one for my mother-in-law and smaller ones for each of my husband's siblings.  I can get 6 gifts out of this project and spend well under $20!

I usually get my frames from the dollar tree but Ana-White has a tutorial on how to build your own barnwood picture frame that would look great housing your beautiful family tree!

Good luck and if you get lost just ask! 

I'm linking up here:

 

 

 

Spell it Out For Them

When I was still pregnant and planning our hospital stay I knew the boys would be coming to visit us and see their new brother. I wanted to make them "big brother" shirts but couldn't find anything that didn't look babyish or completely dorky.  Then I remembered making shirts for the boys a couple of years ago with each of their names on the chest.  They loved them and wore them until the letters started to peel and the shirts barely reached the top of their pants. 

To start your alphabet art shirt you first have to compile your letters. There’s plenty of ways to do this from photographing your own letters to searching online through royalty photos. But the easiest way to do this is to go to Spell with Flickr. It’s a really cool generator program that lets you simply type in a word and it will search through Flikr for the letters you need.

Type your word in the white box and hit spell and see what you get!

Cool huh?

Now you can choose to keep these letters like they are or if you are trying to use all one color or simply don’t like the look of one of the letters you can click and change each letter individually.

But beware! Once you change a letter it’s gone and you cant find it again unless it randomly comes back up again!

After you’re happy with your alphabet art scroll you are ready to save your code!

Scroll down and find the large box filled with a bunch of letters and words you don't understand... this is your code!  Click within the box and it should highlight the whole thing (if not or if you double click you'll have to manually highlight all the text... not at all difficult but pretty annoying).  Now right click and select "copy".

Now you’ve got your code.

Now open up the notepad on your computer and paste your code here.  It will probably paste as one big long line and that's A-okay... don't fix it!  Just save your notepad as an html document.  To do that you just click "save as", tell it where to save and name it _____.html  I named mine "hello.html"

Now close your notepad and open the file you just saved.  It should open up your default internet browser and you should see your beautiful name! 

How exciting right?

Next  you're going to get your letters ready for printing!  Go to "Print Preview" under the file section of your browser.  Chances are your letters are going to be too small.  Click the pull down menu that reads "shrink to size" to resize your letters.  It'll take a little bit of playing with to get the sizing to where you want it and you may need to print your letters on regular paper to really know how big they are.

Once you're happy with the size of your letters you can print it out on your iron on transfer paper!

I prefer to use the dark t-shirt transfer sheets (even if I’m not using a dark shirt!) With these you don’t have to flip or mirror your image… you simply print cut and iron!

After you print your image on the transfer sheet, cut out each letter so no white shows, peel off the back and position your letters on the shirt.

I like to overlap a bit and rotate them so they are tilted to the right and left and look fun but they also look good just straight up and down!

Now follow the instructions for the transfer sheets and iron those letters on and you're done!
 
Well that was my first tutorial!  What'd you think?  Did I totally lose you?  Was it completely lame?  If you liked it let me know!  And if you run out and make one I'd love to see how it turns out!!