chimesblog

New wedding invites … simple 1 and 2 color block design. Revamped from an invite I got in the mail that I thought I could make easier-to-undersand.

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Hello bloggity bloglings! It’s been a while since I’ve done any sort of giveaway.

You may remember my Monday Madness Giveaway back in May. or my Scavenger Hunt Giveaway back in 2010,  or when I gave away some Pinterest invites when it was brand spankin’ new, or maybe when I did giveaways regularly (here, here, here, here and here).

Anyway, I have a giveaway! I got these awesome posters from French Paper a while back at the Field Paper Show. They’re the French Paper 14oth Anniversary posters. For those of you who don’t geek paper, French Paper has aweeeeeesome paper. It’s the best. They have tons of fun colors and finishes. Also, they have Charles S. Anderson Design do all of their promos. And for those of you who don’t geek design, it’s my lifelong dream to work for CSA.

Would you like to see the goods? I have three posters to give away to you lovely people. Also, you can buy these posters online if you’re not a winner.  These feature metallic ink and are on butcher paper.

Interested?

How do you win?

There are a few ways to get an entry: First, leave me a comment on this blog post telling me what you’re thankful for this year. Yes. Thanksgiving IS this week.

[if you are reading via an rss service or on facebook, click here to go to the blog post. comments on facebook will not be entered to win]

Want another entry? Add yourself to my networked blogs or google friends widgets on my sidebar. If you add both you don’t get two entries, you just get double the chimes. Again, you have to go to my actual blog post to do this. Make sure to comment to tell me you did this.

Third entry? Okay fine. Tweet this: “I want to be Frenched by @chimes! #frenchme @FrenchPaperCo #chimesblogpostergiveaway”.

You have until 5 AM Cyber Monday (next Monday, the 28th) to enter. I’ll choose a winner that morning. Since I’m crazy organized, all entries are going in a spreadsheet in the order they are entered, so any of these entry mechanisms will work.

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And by wedding, I actually mean baby shower this time.

I created these adorable invites for Adria. I’m probably going to retool them to become wedding invites because I like them so much.

PS I blurred her address out but if you know us and would like to send her something, e-mail me and I’ll shoot you her address.

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Hi. I’m chimes.  If you’ve been reading my blog and are just now figuring this out, well howdy. I’ve decided to try Craftzine’s 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Profile questions.  Enjoy!

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

1. My musical flowers pitcher. And the resulting photos of it.  I really miss my little brick wall porch at my old place in Des Moines.

Two Mistakes You’ve Made in the Past

1. Not saying no when I should.  I’m to proud to admit when I can’t take on a project — I love being a jack of all trades. I recently took engagement photos of my friend’s little sister and her (now) hubby.  I really shouldn’t have.  I’m not a photographer.  And I said yes to taking her WEDDING photos too.

[okay, so they didn't turn out too horrible]

2. Using parchment paper to bake these amazing brownies.  The result?  What my roommate coined “reverse brownies” — gooey on the outside, done in the middle.

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1. I’m cheap — but in a good way.  I use EVERY scrap of fabric — including the selvedge edges — every discarded dish, every possible inch of batting and use cereal boxes for patterns for sewing projects. I’m currently making a map of the states quilt out of pieces of fabric that are less than 2″ big. Partially because I’m a fabric hoarder too.

2. Asymmetry. I hate symmetrical and being matchy matchy.  I will never make a quilt from a traditional pattern — it has to be wonky.
3. Obviously, I love handmade objects. And as a graphic designer in my professional life, I try to incorporate hand-done items into my work as much as possible — whether it’s my own illustrations, found objects, fabric or paintings created by a friend.

[album cover for a band I was in that never took off]

Four Tools You Love to Use

1. Rotary cutter. I have no idea why, but there is something so damn therapeutic about cutting fabric and placing it in neat piles.
2. Adobe Creative Suite (especially InDesign — use it daily at work)
3. Sewing machine — I sometimes think I need a fancy one with more bells and whistles, but the freebie one I got from my aunt has been kicking out great projects and working just fine. I actually got a new Janome in October and it has been rocking my world! I even completed a quilt last month using that machine with no blips in the fabric or dropped stitches. I’m saving my old machine for threadbangin’ more crafty projects.

4. Sketchbook + Prismacolors.  I don’t just do things. I think them through first and find several ways of accomplishing what my desired end result may be. It’s surprising what you come up with when you take some time to brainstorm.

Five Inspirations

1. Quilters like Fussy Cut and Oh Fransson!
2. Michael Jackson. Yes. I’m serious. If you’ve not read my blog before, then newsflash: I heart MJ.
3. Every DIY and craft blog out there. ever. I think I follow all of them in my google reader.
4. My granny — she left a TON of unfinished projects when she died and I’ve been randomly finishing them up in the past several years. Here’s a quilt I completed out of blocks she made from what we think may have been old clothing (she was also cheap and thrifty).

5. And I have to mention my boyfriend. He’s constantly helping me refine my work and offers up suggestions and critique as well as an incredible amount of support.

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Thought my lovely blog readers would like a sneak peek at my wedding invites as I design them for the wedding invite store I’m opening on Etsy this fall. (PS the shop name is weddingchimes invites — already reserved the etsy username and storefront)

You’ve already seen this one, but not with all the color options that I’m going to be posting. Not that the color options actually MATTER because it’s going to be completely custom, but I spent a bit of time picking pretty colors.

Since I’m not launching this shop just yet, if anybody’s got any suggestions, feel free to comment. I would love feedback because I really want this shop to succeed.

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DON’T WORRY. I’m not leaving my job. I just put this together so I’d have it for the off-chance I’d have an opportunity to do some freelance.

I created a little portfolio booklet out of some FREE paper samples (Neenah and French) in the style of one of my wallets. It’s about half the size of a letter-sized sheet of paper.

Anyway, I like it. And I thought I’d share.

Check it out.

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This week’s Humpday Blog Love goes to my friend Cara at Little Pretties.

I met Cara a couple months back at Market Day. I didn’t realize until later that I’d been following her on Pinterest and that we have very similar taste in things. I bought an ultrasuede hair comb from her — which I’ve been in love with forever — and have yet to find just the perfect outfit to wear it with.

Cara makes a LOT of different things. She mostly makes jewelry and accessories.

Oooh and also, it’s CAR-a. Not CARE-a. Just like I’m CAL-ee not CALE-ee.  I thought that was kind of funny.

Go check her out — she’s also featured locally at Vitae, The Art Store and Instinct Gallery.

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Every once in a while I get a quickie freebie freelance project request. I don’t do free work. However, I will donate my time if it’s a good cause and if it’s for a person I know won’t abuse my time.

I also like to involve friends of mine in these freebie projects by asking them to use some of their artwork or photography.  One thing I always ask if I do something for free is to put my name and the artist whose work I’m featuring’s name on the piece as well.

So, I got a request the other day from a good friend’s little sister. She’s working with fellow social worker students at UNI to put together a fundraiser for Seeds of Hope to promote awareness about domestic violence and abuse.

Here’s my quickie poster … I need approval yet and I need to add credits to my friend and myself.

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So I recently got a hold of my hard drive that has ALL of my projects on it from college. My ex-boyfriend had it because he was trying to fix it for me, but didn’t succeed. Well, maybe he did because I got it to work again.

Anyway, I found a lot of my old stuff that I just love and I posted it online. www.chimesdesign.com/2007 if you’re curious.

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I had sent in an entry for the Diary 2010 Project a while back and I got an e-mail a few days ago from the organizer asking if anybody would like to do a 2nd page.

So, in the spirit of recent events and my latest re-surfaced obsession, I snagged June 25th (I really wanted August 29, but that was taken).  I decided to make a memorial-type page. Something subtle. Typography only.

If you remember, the diary is in 3 languages… English, French and Spanish. Also in black only.

Here’s what I came up with in 15 mins over lunch today.

hmmm on second thought, I should resize “forever” so the “f” is on the page more. Also, the size of the bullet on the bottom between my websites kind of bothers me. Too big!

Anyway, I like it. I like my original entry better, but I’m glad I got another date that meant something to me.

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