origami wallet

I had seen mention of paper wallets before, but all of them seem to involve at least some cutting and/or sticky tape. That is until I found this little tutorial online(don't think it's any less helpful as there is no sound in the video)
http://www.instructables.com/id/A4-paper-wallet/

Here's my rendition of it (my camera isn't too good at present so it's taken on my phone)

It holds at least 6 credit sized cards plus money. It will come into handy into all those times I've gone out and not wanted to bring a full sized wallet with me.

Plus as it's so easy to make, I can whip one out that matches my outfit in minutes!

gonna make a montage

besides all things crafty, I absolutely love photography and these days even more so Photoshop.

I've been practicing my photo montage skills - here are some of the finished products I've done:

      

keep calm!

I have been in love with the "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters that have been floating around the past couple of years. Even more so variations on the theme.

Instead of looking lustfully at them and cursing the price of many of them, I decided to make my own versions. 

The original poster is now in the public domain and is no longer covered by copyright. Thus the many multiple variations on the original. 

For those who have wondered where on earth the original poster came from, take a look at http://www.barterbooks.co.uk/kc_history.php

here's an excerpt:

"In the Spring of 1939, with war against Germany all but inevitable, the British Government's Ministry of Information commissioned a series of propaganda posters to be distributed throughout the country at the onset of hostilities. It was feared that in the early months of the war Britain would be subjected to gas attacks, heavy bombing raids and even invasion. The posters were intended to offer the public reassurance in the dark days which lay ahead.

The posters were required to be uniform in style and were to feature a 'special and handsome' typeface making them difficult for the enemy to counterfeit. The intent of the poster was to convey a message from the King to his people, to assure them that 'all necessary measures to defend the nation were being taken', and to stress an 'attitude of mind' rather than a specific aim. On the eve of a war which Britain was ill-equipped to fight, it was not possible to know what the nation's future aims and objectives would be.

At the end of August 1939 three designs went into production with an overall print budget of £20,600 for five million posters. The first poster, of which over a million were printed, carried a slogan suggested by a civil servant named Waterfield. Using the crowns of George VI as the only graphic device, the stark red and white poster read 'Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will Bring Us Victory'. A similar poster, of which around 600,000 were issued, carried the slogan 'Freedom is in Peril'. But the third design, of which over 2.5 million posters were printed, simply read 'Keep Calm and Carry On'."

Here are some of my variations to the original:

Prints and also framed prints will be available for sale from my etsy store very soon. A link will be posted as soon as they're up for sale.

In the meantime if you were wanting a "Keep Calm and Carry On" t-shirt, hoodie, or even baby clothes check out http://www.redbubble.com/people/otbphotography/t-shirts/6640718-1-keep-calm-and-carry-on

one month down...

oh my gosh!

I am so so tardy. Cannot believe it has been almost 2 months since my last post. Tsk Tsk Tsk to me. Though I do believe I do have an excuse - the whole Xmas/New Years thing, and also it's a nice hot summer here.

So what have I been doing lately?

I've discovered and absolutely ♥  http://www.psykopaint.com/
I cannot draw to save my life (does stick figures count?) and my paintings have been more on the so so end rather than worthy of placement in The National Gallery, but this site allows you to create absolutely gorgeous digital paintings out of photographs. Or for those who have a whole lot more skill than I - from absolute scratch.

I attended a wedding two weekends ago and was stuck for what the present should be. I've noticed the rage of late being all about word clouds as art, so I decided to create my own as a present to the bride & groom. After much trial and error and yelling at Photoshop, the internet provided me with the answer - http://www.tagxedo.com/
Here's one of the word clouds that I made (not the one that I gifted) - the letters are made up of the word "love" in approx 40 different languages.

The finished artwork was framed and accompanied by a handmade card (of course!)

I promised I will post a whole lot more frequently. Throwing in some tutorials and freebies when possible.

♥