More fun with GIMP

 Image source:  The Graphics Fairy

First Ever Crafternoon

Sister and I had an idea for a craft project to make for some Christmas gifts.  Finally, I was able to start putting my craft and art supplies to good use!

The main gifts were centered around this graphic I whipped up on GIMP:

I had an idea for some ornaments to make for myself as well. So we started arranging and playing while waiting for the gel medium to dry on the main projects. Then I got a bee in my bonnet to make some ornaments for my nephew who has just moved into his first apartment (on the west coast :( ).  Surely he & his Sweetie Pie need ornaments to decorate the first home, don't you think?

So my little printer, with help from the Graphics Fairy, got quite a workout as we transformed a cereal box into these little beauties:

Graphics Fairy image covered with rice paper then glued to cereal box

Graphics Fairy image resized, tinted and glued to cereal box

Graphics Fairy Image glued on cereal box

Graphics Fairy image glued on cereal box

Graphics Fairy image glued on leftover photo mat with scrapbook doodads

Yeah, I know -you're jealous.  Tell you what, ask nicely after Christmas and maybe I'll make an ornament for you.

I learned an important lesson after this First Ever Crafternoon.  Two, in fact.  The first,
is really amazing stuff!  I highly recommend it for gluing paper to cereal boxes.  The second lesson: keep all your adhesive products together so you don't "discover" the perfect glue to use AFTER you have assembled your item.

Move yer bloomin' ar*%!

 

Images from itkupilli , assembled using GIMP

The person I'm trying to be

Magnetic Control Journal

 I have been teasing my Flybaby friends that I had a new control journal in the works, and I'm finally ready to reveal the finished product!

It can sit front & center on my fridge.  No post it notes falling all over, no pieces of paper taking up valuable counter real estate.  I made magnets to cover the tasks as I complete them.

The list is very simple -Morning Routine, Before Bed Routine & Weekly Home Blessing.  I may need to add a few more tasks, but it will do for now.

Now you may think I have gone a bit OTT with it.  After all, a piece of paper in that page protector & a dry erase marker would accomplish the same thing.  But I wanted something pretty to put a positive spin on the chores.  I didn't have any fancy paper on hand to run through my printer, but I have been playing with GIMP so I'm chalking this up as a graphic design assignment.  I started with this image from the lovely Graphics Fairy: 

and turned it into this:

Finally I splurged on a collage sheet from piddix.  The magnets were made with self-adhesive laminating sheets (no laminator needed!) and sticky-back magnets.

So there you have it, my pretty new control journal.  Go on, admit it- you're totally jealous  :D 

Playing with GIMP

Learn all you can from the mistakes of others.  You won't have time to make them all yourself.  ~Alfred Sheinwold

GIMP  (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free program comparable to Photoshop.  Think Picnik taken to 11.  We've had it on our computer for at least a year, and I received a graphics tablet this past Christmas.  Finally the two are working together!  Who knows what I will end up creating next  :D