specimens & curious findings

I am planning a very special Halloween dinner for later this month. All my guests are flying in from out of town so I wanted the invitations to be extra special.  The theme of the party is Specimens & Curious Findings. I added in a little "specimen" gummy snake to each invitation box. Ben and I are working out the menu.

The decorating is under way.

I finally got to bring out Lily and Oscar, the art dolls I made special for the mantel decor this year.

I thought it would be fun to share the invites with everyone.  I also created place cards to use at the dinner party. Scribble your guests names on them in scratchy script and they will look great. You can click the download button under the images to download.

The poem is an excerpt from Shakespeare's Macbeth. The bottom is in Latin and reads: 

The one safety for the vanquished is to abandon hope of safety.

I hope you enjoy! If you use them, please tag me in your twitter or Instagram photos! I'd love to see what you do.

Download these printables here.

love is a many splendored thing, and it's free

Free download here.

woosh!

click here to download 

Well folks, say hello to the end of the year. Because you know that once Halloween is over the year flies by at astonishing speed.  It's just the way it's always been. There is nothing you can do to change it. Believe me. I've tried.

The best thing to do is just give in and embrace the madness.

I  made a free wallpaper for you to download to help you ease into November.

little paper purse and shoe

Friday! Friday! Friday! I have always loved Fridays. Even as a kid. The promise of the weekend is almost better than the weekend itself.

And it's Mother's Day weekend. We have a very full couple of days planned. We decided to take the kids out to Palm Springs to enjoy some heat and play in the fancy pool at the hotel.  We don't want to live in the blazing heat, but we like to visit for a couple days every now and then.

I want to share an idea for a really super quick and easy last minute Mother's day gift.

I first made these super cute paper high heel shoes for a church party. I was given the pattern and we made like 70 of them.  I think they make a perfect gift for a mom, and paired with my pattern for a little paper purse, they are just too cute.

Supplies needed:

12X12 sheet 80lb craft paper (paper printed on both sides is best)
Scissors
Hot glue
Embellishments (buttons, ribbon, cabochons, die cuts, etc.)

Trace template onto paper and cut out. Fold on dotted lines. Glue together. Embellish. Fill with goodies.

I think it is cute to use coordinating papers for the purse and the shoe if you are giving them as a set.

You can download the template for the shoe here.

You can download the template for the purse here.

what a few old papers can do...

The Sugar Daddy had some wood left over from a project he had been working on so I asked him to cut me some squares.

I have been wanting to do this collage project for some time and I finally had the perfect canvas for it.

I'm a little bit of an ephemera nut. I mean I really like old paper.  I find fun stuff all over the place. I'm not above pulling old wrappers out of the trash or picking them up off the ground.  I also have a few sources I buy from that carry really great old items.

I have built up quite a collection and I wanted to share some with those of you who like this sort of stuff as well. It's great for ATC cards, scrap booking, canvas art and package embellishing.

Here are some ephemera elements for you to download and use in your art.

Download the JPG here.

Download the PNG here.

I have created more block collages and hopefully they will be available commercially soon.

I will try to scan and share some of my collection every now and then so check back often!

free download! sketchy digital frames

Happy Monday!

I have a free digital download for you today. I drew some funky little frames for you to add to your photos.  They are fun to use for photos on your blog, in digital scrapbooking and to make cards and wall art.

You can download the PNG file here:

Sketchy Digital Frames  Download PNG

Or- because I know you aren't all photoshop junkies like myself, and you'd rather just print them out, you can download the JPEG here:

Sketchy Digital Frames Download JPEG

Show me how you use these frames!

Please note: Not to sound all grumpy and such, but please, pretty please, only use this download for personal projects. If you would like to purchase a commercial license for this art, email me.

inked

Every once in a while I get a wild hair and I want to get tattoo.  I think most artists are intrigued by the idea of permanent art on the body. 

And then we go to Disneyland. And let me just tell ya, there are some really bad looking tattoos out there. In fact, if you want to see a lot of tattoos, Disneyland is the place to go.  People tend to display them there more than other places, like say, the grocery store or church.

The thing is, I hardly ever see tattoos that aren't a little blurry. I know there are some crisp tatts out there, especially if they are new. But you rarely see them.  And this deters me.

But I'm still fascinated by them. I love to look at them on Pintrest.  I recently found this site called Tattly. They make temporary tattoos of famous artist's work. I love this idea.

I thought for Valentine's it would be fun to turn some of my own artwork into tatts. I have a special love for vintage tattoo style so I stuck with that look.

You can buy these illustrations as a digital stamp set for $5, or you can download the full color images here and use them for free.

You can buy temporary tattoo paper that works with your ink jet printer.

Her tattoo says "Sweetheart". This is meant to be a joke. If you know anything about The Bird, you know that her tatt should probably read "Hell Raiser".

Temporary tatts are a lot of fun. Kids love them. Some adults, myself included, love them.  I'm using them for The Boy's classroom valentines.

I drew strongman arms and printed them out on card stock. I used an X-Acto knife to cut slits in the hand for the sucker. I attached the temporary tattoos on the shoulder.  You can download these Valentines here.  I left the banner blank so you can write in your child's name.

Send me pics if you do this project! I'd love to see them!

tangerine tango

1. Delicious, 2. orange and aqua, 3. pixie tangerine and fennel pots de creme, 4. Dana Knit Fingerless Gloves - Pure Cashmere, 5. Bird pouch closeup, 6. a tank full of gold 

Do you follow color trends? 

I do.

I eagerly await the announcement from Pantone to see what the color of the year will be.  Experts in all fields of design report on what the hot colors are for the coming year and Pantone makes the official announcement.

This year it is Tangerine Tango. A delightful reddish orange. 

Which makes me happy. Because, you know, it's a happy color. And I think the world could use a little more happiness these days.

And free stuff. More free stuff would be nice.

Here's a free wallpaper for you to download if Tangerine Tango makes you happy like it does me.

Download this free wallpaper here.

I had to get a little Bellflower dot in there. It's one of my favorite color combos.

Tangerine Tango Pantone color 17-1463
Bellflower Pantone color 18-3628

beginning

download here

Time to change the old wall paper again. I get bored. Ya know?  Gotta mix it up a bit.

And I've so much to get done these days. Really. Too much stuff.

I feel overwhelmed. Excited. But overwhelmed.

Paper Coterie is forging a new campaign called "Begin Anywhere".  They want to remind people to start where you are. Take the first step.

That's really the hardest part to anything. The first step.

All these projects I have to work on, they seem huge. But once I start I know I will enjoy the work.

I thought I'd remind myself to get off my butt and just begin.  And I'm hoping its going to be awfully hard to ignore a bright chartreuse wall paper.

It's free to download, of course. Maybe it will help you too.

it was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

June desktop wall paper download here

It really is the best of times.  And the worst of times.

Everyday I get to kiss and hug my babies.  I find pure delight in watching them move and play.  Their laughter makes my heart race.

Everyday there is screaming and crying and whining.  Everyday I have two absolutely determined babies fighting for my attention. Everyday, at some point, I want to crumble to the floor and cry in frustration.

How lucky am I to get four chubby little legs to kiss? Twenty dimpled fingers to hold. Two heads with golden hair to nuzzle. Just how did I get so lucky?

Two babies require almost all of your time. Every waking minute they are into something. Pulling something apart. Putting something in their mouth. Dismantling a kitchen appliance.  They are always there.  While you try to do laundry. While you try to talk on the phone. While you try to get a bathroom break. Always. There.

It is the very best of times. My children are young and full of life and they still want me to hold them and love on them.  We go everywhere as a family and we get to watch these kids learn and grow.

I guess I don't really know if it is the worst of times. Who knows what lies ahead? But I know it is hard. It's really hard. And I know that sometimes I feel like I'm not up to the task.  I want to throw my arms in the air and call it a day.

I made the June wall paper for myself mostly.  I need to be reminded.  That little grin Frankie just gave you? That's a big thing. The way The Bird dances on the patio? That's big too.  The way the Sugar Daddy hugs you in the kitchen every morning? Stock pile these memories.  Because Thom is already almost eight. And his baby fat is gone. And it will never come back.

hippies like granola

My dad is a hippie. He doesn't think he is a hippie. And to be fair he isn't your everyday run of the mill hippie.  He is a very special esoteric kind of geek/hippie.

He works full time as an aerospace engineer.  He loves rockets.  He wears Kirkland jeans and plaid button down bar-be-que type shirts.  He also wears socks with sandals. A-hem. That's something I'm hoping to work on with him.

He's never had long hair and he only grew his beard out once that I can remember.  During his short beard phase, he took to wearing a  plaid scally cap which made him look like the Scot that he is and nothing at all like a hippie.

But he is a hippie.

He is a peace lover. He is physically incapable of yelling. His voice just doesn't get very loud.  I often wonder what would happen in an emergency if he had to call for help.

But the real hippie part of my dad is that he loves to get out and commune with nature.  In fact, he plans his life around his outdoor trips.  He wanders around and takes photos of his hands on rocks or birds in flight.  He stares off into the horizon at sunset. I'm pretty sure he prays a lot while he's out there communing and stuff.

He's the type of person that could walk into the woods tomorrow and live as a hermit.  He might need his iPhone and his computer to edit his photos, but running water and electricity he could live without.

My dad is a hippie and he loves granola. So I made him some very special and ridiculously delicious granola for father's day. I also made a label for my jar.

I thought I'd share the recipe and my free printable label. You know, in case your dad's a hippie too.

I got this recipe off All Recipe's website. It is the best one I have found.

Megan's Granola

Ingredients

• 8 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups wheat germ
• 1 1/2 cups oat bran
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup finely chopped almonds
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups raisins or sweetened dried cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil.
2. Combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir once halfway through. Cool, then stir in the raisins or cranberries before storing in an airtight container.

You can change up the recipe to suit your own tastes.  My dad loves coconut so I replaced the cranberries with two cups coconut.  Some people left comments on the site saying they added chocolate chips.  I also made a batch using dried cherries instead of cranberries.

Here is the label.  Print it out full size on sticker paper.  It fits a large half gallon jar.

hope

Download this free wall paper here.

Sometimes I like people more than they like me.  I'm pretty sure it has to do with the paint ball splat to the face approach I have when I first meet people.

I'm working on that by the way. The mystic space between Ice Queen and long lost friend alludes me.

And I gotta tell ya, it really doesn't feel very good to like someone more than they like you.  It hurts my spirit and it makes me want to stay in the safe cushy place called home where my children and husband love me like crazy cakes.

But a girl like me needs to stretch her wings every so often and fly away from the nest with other like minded girls for a nice lunch or something of that nature.

These other girls, well, they don't exactly come knocking on my door and I must seek them out.

So when I splat them in the face and scare them away it hurts my spirit.  My mother likes to remind me that as a child I couldn't care less of what others thought. I'd shrug my shoulders, say "their loss" and run off to the next exciting thing.

I'm thinking she has to still be in me somewhere, this little girl.  I'm looking for her. I'm digging up old photos and laughing at her antics.  I'm hoping she will teach me how to love myself enough to say, "their loss."

"To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing." - source unknown

Please enjoy my May wall paper. It's free to download here.

march on

download this wallpaper here

I've always thought of March as a bridge into Spring.  God's way of saying carry on, there are good times ahead.

I made a wallpaper. Hope you like it. I decided to use one of my illustrations this month.  It's simple, but I am happy with it.

I want to tell you about a gem of a shop I found.  It's called Two Art Directors and a Photographer.  They carry vintage and antique items. Not only do they find the coolest old things to sell, the pictures are enchanting.

Those globe pin cushions- they are sold. And that fact just simply breaks my heart.

less schmaltz

I'm off to what I hope will be a very inspiring and creative weekend.  I love to meet and talk with other designer type people.  It makes me feel just a little less crazy.

Here's the computer wallpaper I made for February. Much better than January if you ask me. I'm done with calendars on my wall paper.  Too cluttered. Too schmaltzy. Predictable.  Now wouldn't you agree?

Feel free to download and use it.  Think of me every time you turn on your computer. It's my Valentine to you. I love you, my readers. Truly. You feed my ego.

All three of you.

the thing about december

December is a funny month.  When you are a kid, it lasts forever. When you are a adult it is gone in the blink of an eye. It sneaks up on you like a cat that brushes your leg. Before you can look down to see what happened it is already gone. Just a tail disappearing behind a door.

December is quiet snowfall and hustle and bustle and honking horns.  It is kind words and merry gifts and dead lines and stress. It is a time to enjoy your friends and family and yet it reminds you of those you have lost.

It is the best of times. It is the worst of times.

This is how it goes.

I hope your holiday season isn't too stressful. I hope you aren't lonely.  I hope you find time to be still and reflect.

Here are some simple gift tags you can print off if need them.  If it saves you a trip to the store then I'm a happy girl.

They look best on white card stock. And you know, a little glitter makes everything fabulous.

sweet nothings

You know, Thanksgiving is really all about the details.  It's the little things you do that make your guests feel special.  Sure they might remember how delicious the stuffing was, but mostly, people remember events by the emotions attached to them.

I love place cards.  They let your guest know that you were thinking about them and planning for their visit.  They also get rid of last minute confusion as to where everyone will sit.

I created some place card printables and made them candy wrappers to sweeten the deal.  One is for a large candy bar the other for a smaller one.

The smaller wrapper doesn't have a designated place to write your guests name so it can also be used as a little gift or hand out.

Click on the graphic and print it out full size.

mother me

My mom is coming into town tonight. She lives in a different state and let me tell you, I really miss having her close. She hasn't seen Frankie Valentine since we brought him home from the hospital. She's dying to get her hands on his squishiness.

I've been in a bit of a funk lately and I'm hoping that she will be just the thing I need to get back in my groove. Moms always make you feel better. Unless you are sick in the nurse's office. Then, when your mom finally shows up to take you home you fall apart. After all, the whole class saw you throw up. After an incident like that you can hold it together for the school nurse, but not for your mother.

I'm going to ask my mom to make me some of her chicken noodle soup.  I'll set the table and fill the glasses with water. Just like old times.

Sometimes you just need your mom.  When mothering gets tough, you just need your mom.

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Because I love all you readers (really I do, I'm not kidding, you keep me blogging and blogging keeps me sane) I'm offering another wall paper for November. This one has a calendar which is kind of delightful, if not overdone.

Completely free to download here.

i don't know

download this image here

I have two friends struggling with life right now.  One girl lives thousands of miles away. The other lives very close.  One girl has been my good friend for some years. I meet the other girl through this blog but we have never met in person. One friend has a wayward husband, the other a wayward teen.  Both friends mean a lot to me.

In the last week, both these friends have come to me with their trials.  They have laid them at my feet.  I have listened to the desperation in their voices. I have worried and fretted along with them.

And I feel so very inadequate. I have no experience regarding the issues they are facing.  I don't know why they have been given such heavy burdens. I just don't know.  And I've told them as such.

I've been thinking and thinking of something wise or profound to say to these friends to make a small difference. I've racked my brain. I've got nothing.

Sometimes I wonder what exactly I have learned in this life.  I find myself, more often than not, simply perplexed by what goes on.  I know people that have the gift of perspective. They always seem to be able to help me see things a little clearer. I'm not one of these people. I usually make things worse by saying, "Man, that sucks" or "I just don't get it."

So, after much thought, I decided to create a little graphic for them.  It's a small offering considering the magnitude of the issues they are facing. I don't know how to solve their problems. But I know they will need courage for the battle.

I wish I could wrap up courage in a box and give it to them. Instead I will remind them to find it within themselves everyday.

And I'll be here to listen when they need to talk.

You are free to download my graphic too. Put it on your mirror or fridge or tucked away where only you can see it.  

"Courage dosen't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." - Mary Anne Radmacher

going going gone

Holy crap. Do you realize after today there will only be ten days left in October?  That's like, just a little more than one week.  I can't believe it.  This has been the fastest passing month in the history of me. Which is saying a lot. I'm thirty-six you know. I've been through 438 months and this one is the fastest to date.

I'd really like to get to the bottom of the time space continuum. But considering I suck at math (had to use a calculator to figure out how many months I've lived) and I have a hard time with abstract concepts, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.

You might also find it interesting to note that this month contained one of the longest days of my life wherein Frankie Valentine screamed for six of the seven hours it took to drive to St. George to finalize his adoption.  You'd think the kid didn't like us or something.  Too bad for him.  He's stuck with us.

I've been sketching up a storm in my free time, which isn't much, but I make do.  I thought I'd offer a freebie here on Suaviloquy.  I know I've really slacked on the paper dolls, and I promise to do better, but for now I give you a wall paper for your computer.  It's an early (but not really all that early) November present.  Enjoy.

Go here to download.

ruby bloom, pleased to meet you

Meet Ruby Bloom Samson. Ruby lives in brownstone in New York. She attends St. Mary's school for girls where she is learning Latin and pre-algebra. On Wednesdays, her mother takes her to ice skating lessons. After the lesson, she and her mother like to stop at their favorite Pizza place for a slice of pepperoni. They eat their pizza in Central Park and watch the swallows peck at the crumbs on the ground.


For her eighth birthday, Ruby's Uncle Walter bought her a dove. Ruby named her Sunday.  Sunday likes to chirp and chatter, especially when Ruby comes home from school.  Ruby's father likes to say that Sunday got her name because she talks all week long and twice as much on Sundays.

Please feel free to download Ruby and Sunday. They can be printed out any size you desire. After you have printed them on cardstock and colored them, you can laminate the entire sheet and then cut out each piece. You can cut off the tabs and use sticky strips.  You can also leave them unlaminated and use adhesive putty.

If you want your dolls to stand up, cut a square block around Ruby's feet. Cut two slits along the bottom of the block and slide in two little strips of paper.

I love to get photos of my dolls in use! Please send them!

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To download Ruby, simply click on the graphic. That will take you to Flickr. In the top left corner you will see a button that says "All Sizes". Click that and choose the size you want to download.


All paper dolls on Suaviloquy are free for download, however, if you use them for commercial purposes you will need to credit the source. That's little ol' me in case you were wondering.