meggiecat

Free online home design software

2010-08-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

Autodesk® Homestyler™ free* online home design software bring your interior design plans to life. Easy drag and drop, brand name products, and 3D views make using Autodesk Homestyler the best way to start your next home design project.

It's free*, completely web-based, and instantly accessible online.

Ruffled Top Pattern

2010-06-02T15:38:00.001-07:00

This is the ruffle I've been looking for. Thank you Weekend Designer.

Hand Sewing

2010-06-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

Annekata is a fairly new blog with a heavy emphasis on hand sewing. She's a girl after my heart and I'll be interested as she builds her handstitched wardrobe. Just look at what she's wearing! Beautiful.

These friendship rings really knock me out. What a great beginner project.

T-shirt refashion

2010-05-31T17:31:00.000-07:00

I'm still looking for ideas for beginning hand sewers. Sachiko shares a variety of ruffle shirt tutorials at Tea Rose Home. Her linky love posts are really inspirational. She finds just what I'm looking for.

T-shirt Hat Tutorial

2010-05-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

Kalleen shares this hat pattern on her blog, At Second Street. Love the rough elegance.

Handbag Pattern and Tutorial

2010-05-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

This bag is just one of a number of tutorials, patterns and projects generously offered by

Warehouse Fabrics Inc.

Free Purse, Bag and Baby Shoes Patterns

2010-05-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

There is a very large library of sewing tutorials at SewLover Arts School. The entire site is interesting and there are more than 50 patterns just in the bags section. Other sections include toys, patchwork, and items for the home. The site is in Chinese but Google Chrome does a very good job of automatic translation. I was even able to say thank you through the message tab at the bottom of the page.

Baby shoes are here.

One of my favorite patterns is for this sweet little case.

Free Doll Clothes Patterns

2010-05-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

Susan Kramer shares her doll clothes patterns for American Girl, Bitty Baby, Sasha and other dolls. Some of these would make good projects for young hand sewers, maybe in Alabama Chanin style. Upcycle some T-shirts.

Printable Felt T-Rex Pattern

2010-05-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

The pattern for this sweet guy is offered by Random House

on the old Potter Craft News site.

He's been there a long time, I just wasn't looking for him.

He's from the book
Toys to Sew By Claire Garland

Paper Mache Tutorials

2010-05-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

The Papier Mache Resource is an extensive site for and by paper mache enthustiasts. Shared are tutorials by various artists, inspirational galleries and articles.

Sally Cats tutorial by David Osborne. These are made of recycled cereal box, filled with sand or sawdust for weight.

How about this article? David Osborne considers Eggs - Their uses in papier mache sculpture. His preferred method is 'Sawing through'. Start with hardboiled eggs.

The tutorial for these little cuties by Pun Hui Falkenhainer have an interesting technique in that the facial features are drawn on a separate piece of paper and applied individually. That's a great tip! I can hardly ever get a whole face right. One eye will be cockeyed or the eyes will be good but the mouth will be awful. She uses lentils as noses.

First posted May 2008.

Free Teddy Bear Patterns

2010-05-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

The generous folks at Beary Cheap Teddy Bear Making Supplies offer 10 teddy bear and a bunny patterns shared by various artists.
The patterns are offered as free downloadable PDF files. From the front page click the info and freebies tab. The whole site is interesting but their story is the most interesting of all. Click the About tab.
This Aussie site has been updated since my first post about them. They carry even more of the most beautiful fabrics than they did in 2008. They've added needle felting instructions and supplies.

Free Vintage Labels

2010-05-15T04:18:00.000-07:00

This is a great gift from Worldlabel.com

Download these free fillable and spectacular Vintage labels with framed designs

in PDF templates in Mailing and Shipping Label sizes.
That they are available individually and also have the autofill feature makes the gift very special indeed.

Gold Leaf River Rocks

2010-05-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Claire Chauvin has shared this tutorial on Poopscape.

She says it's crazy easy.
"Gold leaf is surprisingly cheap and when used with double tack mounting film, it's really easy to use. The mounting film can be cut into any design, regardless of how intricate or delicate it is. You can add gold leaf to just about any surface."

Inkjet Transfer Art

2010-05-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

Textile artist Ruth Singer shares this tutorial for what I think of as inkjet transfer applique. Her idea is to use a whole range of different images and then cut them up and use small pieces to create a design.

Monogram ala Yulia Brodskaya

2010-05-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Kara shares this tutorial on Craftastical. Wow!

Jewelry Design Tool

2010-05-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

Create Your Style Online with a multitude of different shapes, sizes and colors of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements!

With the online design tool you can create your own necklaces and bracelets. The tool is unique and your possibilities are unlimited:
•Start from scratch, create and save your own designs with the brilliant electronic version of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements
•Adopt existing templates, exclusively designed for Swarovski, to your wishes.
•Calculate the amount of Crystal Beads, Crystal Pearls or Pendants you are going to need to realize your creation.
•You can print your colorful creations, save and load them at any time.

Paper Chair Template

2010-05-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Paper chair templates are one of the most popular searches on this blog.
This template is just one of the free templates shared by Petrina Case, a paper engineer and illustrator who has created a world of paper sculptures, paper pop-up cards, greeting cards and made to order pop-up books. This template is offered in .jpeg, .pdf and her cutting machine file is offered for sale. Browse her site. She makes fascinating business card sculptures.

Printable ring sizer chart

2010-05-11T14:44:00.001-07:00

A tool from Danforth Diamond

Elf Shoes Favor Box

2010-05-11T13:19:00.000-07:00

Love this gift from Valita.
Instructions and printable template from
Valita's Designs & Fresh Folds

Motherlode of Generosity

2010-05-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

Inka Heaton is one of the first paper and craft artisans I encountered. She and others like her were the reason I started this blog. Meggiecat is my filing cabinet.

Altered Artifacts is Inka's blog.
She says:
"All the art on this blog is my own. Because I enjoy sharing my ideas, feel free to copy any pictures for your personal use. However I would like to reserve all rights for any published or commercial use. Thank you."

Check out the list of free online workshops.
This perfume bottle night light and paper shoe favor box are but a small glimpse.
She offers a printable label for the bottle and a template for the shoe.

Bolts, screws & washers

2010-05-11T04:44:00.000-07:00

What size do I need or have?
Printable tools from Rule Co.

Making a Turk's Head Knot Ring

2010-05-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

Photo tutorials on Maille Artisans International League.
How to make the jig.

How to make the ring.

More advanced information from Loren Damewood.

How to dye buttons, golfballs, feathers & beads

2010-05-10T04:10:00.000-07:00

From the good folks at Rit.

How to dye plastic from PinkBird Beads

Paper Fold Font

2010-05-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

Cut out and fold these letters. This is a free font.
Punched Out by Tobias Sommer

Paper Doily Christmas

2010-05-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

It's spring. Of course I'm thinking of Christmas. Old habits die hard.

Paper doily cone wreath from Dollar Store Crafts.

Paper doily dove from Origami-Instructions.com

This bowl from Marie Claire Idees.

Paper doily snowflake garland from Design Sponge.

Silk Organza Necklace

2010-05-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

For the price of a yard of silk organza, some memory wire, and a sterling silver clasp, you can put together your own version of this stylish piece. From Country Living magazine.

Paper houses

2010-05-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

One of the first paper model sites I ever visited and still
a favorite is Paper Models of Polyhedra.

Today I saw these printable paper house models.
Houses with vanishing point.

Matryoshka house

Post-it note folded flowers

2010-05-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Photo tutorial at Sensible Living

Make your own photo kaleidocycles

2010-05-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

Online tool from Foldplay. Enjoy your photo kaleidocycles, moving paper sculptures that turn in an endless cycle.

Stencils for the Kitchen

2009-10-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

Download the stencils for these towels from ariadne at Home.

Paper Lanterns

2009-10-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

From School Arts Magazine 1922 by Pedro J. Lemos. These pictures are links.

Printable Halloween Masks

2009-10-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

15 Print-and-Color Halloween Masks from Woman's Day.

Cement Craft

2009-10-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this great book at the Internet Archive. It's aim is to provide craft skills in school and solve the problem of pottery and tile making without a kiln. Portland Cement is the medium but the skills are the same as potters. The tile making is very interesting and easy to do at home. Also of interest are slip techniques in cement. Published in 1922. Pedro Joseph Lemos, Professor of Decorative Design, San Francisco Institute of Art.

Christmas House Ornaments

2009-10-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

Printable house ornament patterns from Better Homes & Gardens. Cottage, Cape Cod and Mid-Century styles. 4" tall. Free membership required but the site is well worth it.

Paper Head Wear

2009-10-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

This patent drawing is for a headpiece worn by workers at White Castle in the 50's. the top outline could be any shape but the interesting part is the center part that gets cut on each side and folded back in the middle. The slits hold the hairband and cause the piece to curve.

Tempory Body Art

2009-10-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

While following a search for paste resist techniques I landed on The Henna Page which is an educational resource devoted to the history, traditions, techniques, science and art of Henna, and is part of a site group devoted to Henna and related arts.

I adore the idea of temporary body art bet wouldn't want henna because it fades. The Henna Page offers a fabulous selection of free PDF books and that's where I found this little gem.

Since I'm always on the lookout for fun activities for and with kids the techniques offered in Gilding, Glitter and Gems look like a blast. There are a variety of recipes for making your own gilding pastes using spikey hair gel, gel and Elmer's washable glue, hair glue, cosmetic glue and a variety of powders from Lumiere to body glitter. The following photos from The Henna Page will give you a small glimpse at the concept.

These designs are removable and inexpensive to make. I think it would make a fun girl's party activity, alternate face painting at festivals, better than temporary tattoo for a girl's softball or swim team. As you read you'll find that some recipes like the hair gel are for short time uses and the hair glue will last longer.
Pastes can be made up ahead of time and stored in cones made from Mylar wrapping paper. Keep it in the refrigerator. Directions and tips for making the cones are here.

There are also techniques for painting using body paint , regular cosmetics (liquid eyeliner), glitter and gems. Many of the supplies are at the beauty supplies store.
The gilding page is here. Halloween is coming! Sparkle up!

Skin safe glue, glitter and face painting supplies available at Silly Farm.

Online Poloroid Maker

2009-10-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

Rollip - Create Poloroids from your photos.
Just load your picture and choose from a variety of focus and decoration options.
A gift from the Poloroid Corporation

10.14.09 This morning I saw an announcement that Poloroid is bring back their instant film and cameras. Yay! I still have my camera and hope that there will be film for it.

Mexican Peasant Dress Instructions

2009-09-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

Kathleen Fasanella pays Homage to the humble house dress over on Fashion-Incubator. Since moving to California I have become a convert to the comfort of dresses. I've been wanting a version of the Mexican peasant dress and blouse.
Cynthia aka redpajamamama has posted some nice instructions for this simple dress style.

Photocopy Printmaking

2009-09-08T13:23:00.001-07:00

Tutorial by Claudine Hellmuth on the HGTV Website.

Statue of Libery Patent Drawing

2009-07-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

Wish I had found this in time for the Fourth. Isn't she beautiful?

Vintage Embroidered Badges

2009-05-21T15:21:00.001-07:00

More from my make it yourself books. The badges caught my eye.
Click for larger images.

These Fonts by Rodrigo German at dafont would work for hoodies and badges. There are also some other skateboard and cartoon fonts by him that are suitable for stitching.

Vintage Hoodie Embroidery Patterns

2009-05-20T17:10:00.001-07:00

I'm going to be sharing some of the ideas from my 20 volume set of make it yourself first published in 1973 and then published in English by Columbia House.
click to read publisher info.

Hoodie Embroidery. Click to enlarge.

Then there is this inspiration from a Danceteria flyer

Organza Flowers

2009-05-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Excellent tutorial by capusitalinda. I have this type of organza ribbon. I think some already burned circles should be in the kit I'm making for Sophia. She went nuts for the beads in my craftroom and feels confident that she will like beadwork because she knows crossstitch.

Make Your Own Buttons

2009-03-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

Hoo-Boy, I really love these buttons! I was browsing CraftStylish and fell for the project only to find that it's designed by my favorite CraftyPoder, Diane. No wonder I like it. Bag makers take note. It's the details that count and this one has some of my favorite attributes. It's interesting, cost effective, green, materials are easily available and the step by step photos and text are great.

See what I miss when I walk away from the computer for a period of time? Sometimes I just have to do it so I can hear my own internal voice.

Printable Butterfly Paper Craft

2009-03-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

My favorite Queen of Paper, Patricia of Agence Eureka, has shared two pages vintage butterflies on her flickr page. She even cleaned the images and offers them without the backgrounds. In her blog comments she says that they are meant to have motion but she may have used a paper that is too heavy.

Newspaper Seed 6 Packs

2009-03-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

When I was with the Friends of the Scappoose Library seedlings were our best sellers at our spring booksale. This tip would have helped to save us from a shortage of recycled pots. Brought to you by Little House in the Suburbs. Check out her printable Garden Planners.

Entrepreneurship

2009-03-12T14:57:00.001-07:00

Been studying at Stanford University's Entrepreneurship Corner. Great lecture videos and podcasts. May as well learn from the best.

Lampshade Ideas

2009-03-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been very interested in lighting of all kinds.
Love this faux capiz shell idea by Monica Ewing of Craftynest.

There are 4 lamp ideas at G-Whang's Digi-Fab Documentation. Instructions and EPS drawings are shared. This is a student project page.
This lampshade is called Rain.

Grow Tomatoes Upside Down

2009-03-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

Free Templates and Great Project Ideas

2008-12-10T10:12:00.000-08:00

The Cheeky Magpie has some really great projects and free templates. Love her blog.

Star Shaped Gift Box

2008-12-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

Patent dated 1896. Nice star shaped gift box.

Candy Cane Stick Horse Pattern

2008-12-09T12:22:00.001-08:00

This cardboard stick horse patent drawing would make a cute cover for candy canes.

Display Ideas

2008-12-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

Display ideas have always fascinated me and I watch TV and movies for the set decoration. My brain is tuned to business now, still trying to figure out what (or if) my product will be. Are any of you thinking the same?
The following 2 pictures are from the 1964-65 Fall Winter McCall's Needlework and Crafts. Display needs to be cool but not so cool that people want to buy the display piece rather than the product.
This first pic is of a lifesize paper girl wearing a cloth pinafore. Click the pic for a larger view to study. Don't you think her hair and face look up-to-date today? I think this is a great idea for pattern pictures, craft fair displays etc.

I am fascinated by this winter imp, too. It is made of styrofoam balls, dowel, glittered batting, small christmas balls, silver garland and shiny paper.

Pin Prick Paper Angel Ornaments

2008-12-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

1993 Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas supply these angel ornaments. I would print on brochure weight, watercolor or photo paper (If I had a printer....right now I'm out of luck. Printer died). The angels are outlined in gold then pricked with a variety of needles, nails and thumbtacks. Gold cord for hangers and the harp if desired. Click on the pictures for larger versions.

1964 Embroidered Wall Piece

2008-12-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

This wall piece really caught my eye. Unfortunately, there are no instructions but the leaflet description says that it is done with a full size tissue pattern of the embroidery which is basted to the base fabric then torn away. Click the pics for enlarged images.

Santa Gift Box

2008-12-02T11:42:00.001-08:00

I love the feel of this little box.

Paper Toy Sled

2008-12-02T11:19:00.001-08:00

I seem to be interested in paper crafts today. Here is a cute sled pattern by A.F. Lagerstrom from 1902. Clicking the picture will take you to the full patent drawing at Google Patents.

Christmas Papercuts / Scherenschnitte Patterns

2008-12-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

Twin Image Trims from Vintage McCalls Jiffy Tree Trims.
Click the pictures for larger versions.

White Silhouette Trims.

Pleated Paper Ornaments

2008-12-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

The 12 Days of Christmas from a vintage McCalls Jiffy Tree Trims (date unknown). The birds alone caught my fancy.
Click the pictures for a high resolution version.

Christmas Gifts Already!

2008-12-01T14:06:00.000-08:00

This morning's e-mail brought 2 great gifts! Kim sent a holiday banner that she made for me. How cool is that? She knows that digital art is not my strong suit, that I like a scrolly looking font and do love birds. So much thought into that gift. Thanks, friend.

Then Russ Billington sent this card and included a coloring page just for us. Wow! He made my heart swell. Click the black & white drawing for your own coloring page. Thank you, Russ. It's very generous of you to think of us.

Vintage 1941 Christmas Stencils

2008-11-26T10:38:00.000-08:00

These are Workbasket designs for cards and wrapping paper. The only reason I think they are from 1941 is that there is a page from the Pennsylvania Farmer in the original envelope. I think they would be great for windows too. Click the pics for larger versions.

This little deer is so cute but the spots on the rump are a problem to cut into a stencil. I think freehanding them is best, even finger prints could work.

Nice tree. Love the bow detail.

This next one is my favorite. Those birds are great.

Vintage Angel Cookie Ornaments

2008-11-12T16:24:00.000-08:00

These adorable angels are from a McCall's Jiffy Tree Trimmings from sometime in the 70's. The cool things about these are that they are all made from one set of circle cutters, one set scalloped circle cutters and one scalloped star. The white frosting is painted on with a pastry brush. The colored "paint" is liquid food coloring that's been allowed to dry and then touched with a wet brush just like watercolor paint. The recipes are included. Click on the pictures for a larger version and then save to your own hard drive before printing.

Vintage Felt Bird Ornaments

2008-11-12T16:03:00.000-08:00

These birds are also from McCall's Jiffy Trims. Click the pics for large version, save to your hard drive before printing.

Printable Animal Designs

2008-11-07T17:33:00.000-08:00

Louise Elliott wrote to me about the downloadable coloring pages she is sharing on her site. She sells really cool panel doll and toy kits. She is sharing the outline drawings for the animal of the world set as a gift to us. Each animal is covered in designs symbolic of it's country. My favorites are the cats from England. Love them and hope you will too.

Printable Boxes and Woven Hearts

2008-11-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

Margit Ammentorp is sharing her boxes, woven hearts and printable papers on her blog, Papirklip og æsker . It's a new blog and I found it was well worth the time to explore the archives. She is a creative wonder. Thanks to Diane of CraftyPod for sharing Margit's talent.

How Cool Is This?

2008-11-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

One of the bloggers for Marie Claire Idees has posted about my printable labels!
Checkout this post at A 4 épingles - Le blog de Mouette then check out the rest of her interesting blog. Good stuff there.

Classical Persian Carpet Design

2008-11-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

Pieces of a Puzzle: Classical Persian Carpet Fragments
Examples of fragments of 16th and 17th century Persian rugs, including "three principal surviving fragments of one spectacular 16th-century Khorasan rug [which] are reunited in this exhibition. ... These pieces also fit together like a puzzle, allowing us to glimpse the grand scale of the original carpet." Includes an overview of the Khorasan region (in modern Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan), diagrams of rug knotting techniques, and images of carpet fragments. From the Textile Museum.

Printable Labels

2008-11-05T12:11:00.000-08:00

Printable poison labels are a gift from Richard Miller of Spookshows.com. I know that it's a little late for Halloween but I need to file this one somewhere. He has a link to Halloween patents and a link to his other website, Toys from the Sixities, that I have not yet checked out.

Change for All

2008-11-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

I rarely say anything political but today I am very proud to be an American. The news is full of wonder over the fact that our president elect is black. Yep, that's great but for me he is one spectacular, outstanding man. I am thrilled that his elegant demeanor will be the face our country will show the world.

I was blown away by his acceptance speech. He is a great orator and thinker who I believe will act in an ethical manner for the benefit of us all. He asked us to work hard and keep faith as Americans, a call to arms that I will answer.

Make your own cookie cutter

2008-10-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

Carolyn of Juggling Frogs has a very interesting DIY section. One of my favorites is making cookie cutters from clipart and foil pans. She also shares some downloadables.

Paper Bow

2008-10-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

It's a happy, sunny Sunday morning. Everything is going smoothly for me and I feel so very blessed. My sister and I are going shopping again for furniture at antique stores. Wish me luck.

I have to post at least one little goodie before I rush off. I adore this paper bow from the patent office and would make a cardboard template to trace the bow and one to use for scoring the horseshoe shaped indent that shapes it.

Burda Fashion News and Trends

2008-10-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

Check out the trends page of Burda Fashion. My favorite is the slideshow from the catwalks.

In the creative ideas section there are downloadable patterns for registered (free) users.

How to Properly Close a Jump Ring

2008-10-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've had time to post. I'm working on a very large project that I'll be able to talk about after next week. Bear with me, I have lots of goodies and fun coming up.

Christine Cox, owner of Volcano Arts, publishes an e-mail newsletter that's one I always find interesting. This month there is this tutorial regarding jump rings. It's the finishing skill that elevates my jewelry making and is really difficult for me to do well.

Costume silhouettes

2008-09-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Costume Silhouettes by Mary B. Evans, 1890, is a recent addition to the HEARTH ( Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition and History ) collection, Mann Library at Cornell.

Once you've entered the book (I usually click on the table of contents page) use the dropdown box on the "go to page" to find the illustrations.

Printable Embroidery Patterns

2008-09-27T10:07:00.001-07:00

The Victoria & Albert Museum is sharing a collection of embroidery patterns from a book containing South African flower designs by Florence Caulfield that are fresh and bold and could be adapted for stitching today.

Found via In a Minute Ago

Ponoko Made Easy

2008-09-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Dave, Derek, Dan and John, the brilliant team at Ponoko who have developed Photomake! A new way to turn your designs into real life, laser cut objects from photos or scans. I am so excited by this development because no knowledge of design software is necessary. This is a big deal. Personal manufacturing is becoming more available to all by the minute. If you have been wishing for your own designs check it out. They are offering a free test drive of Photomake. Be sure to read the FAQ.

Halloween Fun from Better Homes and Gardens

2008-09-26T15:28:00.000-07:00

Someone associated with Better Homes and Gardens magazine noticed the Halloween patent designs recently mentioned here and sent a note telling me about BHG's 100 Days of Holidays – their largest and most exciting holiday program ever.

This year's 100 Days of Holidays program has got more than 400 new slide shows, free recipes, craft projects, and decorating ideas; 100 daily email newsletters; 50 new how to videos; five fun new interactive tools; three online courses; new photo contests; and more partner participation.
Access to the fun requires a free registration.

The Halloween page is here and the Pumpkin Stencil maker is a fun tool. The Halloween Costume Gallery is here.

Antique books

2008-09-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

Antique book images hosted by L'Ecole Vétérinaire de Lyon. My favorite is The illustrated book of poultry by Lewis Wright .

Papercraft Templates

2008-09-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

Some interesting downloads from UK magazine Crafts Beautiful. A 3D vase pop up card and folded butterfly template look useful. There is lots to explore here and they have a few mini magazines to download. Free registration required for downloading.

Halloween Candy Bag 1953

2008-09-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

Candy bag design by John Lavezzorio for Dennison Manufacturing 1953.
The anthropomorphic leaves crack me up.

Halloween Designs

2008-09-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

I've had a great time enjoying the sunshine. Lots of hard work and lots of play. I've missed my computer and my friends so let's head back to Google Patents for some Halloween inspiration. The pictures are the links to the designs.
Halloween designs by Clara L. Mead for Dennison Manufacturing 1914.

I am not going to be updating the Frankie Files and will be putting my patent office finds here on meggiecat where they can be categorized. I will be leaving the Frankie Files up as it is now.

Sunshine Days

2008-09-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

Every day this week I've had all good intentions about getting an interesting post up. The problem has been sunshine, glorious sunshine. I know that Oregon's long dreary winter is soon to bring rain and feel that I should be soaking up all the rays I can while we have them. So..... I give into that inclination and will be turning golden with the sun for the rest of the week. Not to worry, I am well and feeling stronger than I have in many a moon.

Matryoshka Dolls

2008-09-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

Mayaluna left a comment and now I've found the time to check out her blog. Wow! She is a lot of fun. I was so taken by her newspaper hats for girls, ice cube necklaces and nature bracelets. She puts an enormous amount of creativity into the joy of everyday life.
Many of you probably are already fans of the maya*made blog but if you haven't gotten to know her, you should.
Her complete tutorial page is here.
Freezer paper stencil tips.

She painted stone dolls.

Even the Bathroom Scale

2008-09-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

Now I have seen it all. Not even the plainest objects escape the attention of Junie Moon.
Visit for the tutorial.

June has made the decision to move on to other adventures and this is one of her last posts. She has been a generous and supportive friend to me and left a beautiful legacy in the one year she has shared of her creative living. I wish her all the best and am grateful for her gifts.

Fabric Printing with a Brayer

2008-09-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

Article by Lois Ericson and Dawn McIntyre on the Threads magazine website.

Give Your Photos a Retro Comic Book Effect

2008-09-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

This tutorial is one of twenty Photoshop comic book effect tutorials offered by PSDTUTS. Includes free downloadable font, Digital Strip, and resources for comic lettering.

Downloadable Math Poster

2008-09-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

How long is a span, a hand, or a league? Maddy and Maverick offer a 3 page downloable poster with all the answers.

Found via PaperFriendly

Christmas Printables

2008-09-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

As fall approaches my mind is turning to the holiday fun ahead. These Christmas printables are exotic and can be complicated so you may not want to wait until December to cut and assemble these.
Alexis Xenakis shares his love of Paper Creches on his site Crechmania.com. Be sure to read his about page.
He freely shares downloadable creches and Christmas cards for personal use. He does require that you read his policy and register. The link is to the homepage, click on the downloads button.

Make Your Own Rubberbands and Erasers

2008-09-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

I am enthusiastic about trying to make my own things (like galalith plastic) just for the pure fun of it. Make my own rubberbands? Sure, sounds like fun.
From Thomas Holme's page Science Fun for Everyone.
Found by tracking back to Patti Schiendelman on Makezine. Thanks Patti!
BTW are you a technical manual writer and we wrote to one another years ago?

Solder Project

2008-09-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

Ellen Hutson shares the techniques for this project on her blog Simple Dreams. She's so very creative and talks about how she hinged her individual glass sandwiches together and then tinned the embellishments.

3D Printing Service

2008-09-02T05:09:00.000-07:00

This link caused me to shiver. Those of you who have been reading meggiecat know that I have an intense curiosity about personal and custom manufacturing. Very high end technology is becoming available to the average consumer either by owning your own equipment or by sending your art to production services like Spoonflower, Ponoko and now Shapeways who offer 3D printing of objects.

"At Shapeways we have two ways for you to turn a design into reality. If you are a 3D designer or modeler you can upload your designs to Shapeways. If you do not have any 3D design experience you can use the Shapeways Creator to shape and add text to an existing design. "

Now, I'm not saying that I have any great skills in 3D modeling but I do have a little experience with AutoCad and the free, wonderful program, Google SketchUp. What is exciting is that somebody is offering the opportunity!

There is a great deal of interest in 3D printing including building your own fabrication printer. Take a look at the fabathome.org page for the most comprehensive information on this topic.

I found out about Shapeways in a trend briefing newsletter offered by trendwatching.com. Also read their page 8 important consumer trends for 2008 .

Fish Shapes

2008-09-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

PDF pattern downloads from 101 Woonideeen

Google Translation from Dutch to English here.

Origami Placecards

2008-09-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hans Birkeland presents a collection of 31 tablecards folded from a square.

This seems to be hosted on a free site and sometimes exceeds allowed bandwidth. Just try back later.

Handmade Flipbook

2008-09-01T09:39:00.001-07:00

Graphic Designer Aaron "Alphonse" Swinehart (of Portland OR, where else has the most talent?) Posts an excellent tutorial about making flipbooks from your videos on his blog, The Curious. Can't get your friends to sit still to view your videos? Put a flipbook on the coffee table. That ought to catch attention!

Paper Chains

2008-09-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

Dutch magazine ariadne at Home has some great ideas and patterns for September. One of them is an assortment of paper chains. Mouse over the idea you like. To get the PDF patterns click "Lees verder"

Free Patterns and Tutorials for Baby Clothes

2008-09-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

Google brings many visitors to meggiecat searching for free baby clothes patterns.
Amber Dusick's Make Baby Stuff.com offers a treasure trove of ideas for making clothing, toys and accessories. The entire site is interesting and I encourage you to investigate. One of my favorites is about dyeing baby clothes. No more boring pastels. There is also the Make Baby Stuff crafts blog. Want to make fairy wings? Check out the blog. Amber's "About" page is titled
How I Became a Craft at Home Mama...and quit my day job!
I'm constantly in awe of the quality of content and work that is freely shared in our crafting community.

Found via Poppytalk, one of my favorite blogs. I've been reading her for a long time because she is interested in all things design. This blog is always evolving and she is now offering some free printables here.

Wacky Uses

2008-08-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

Joey Green shares hundreds of little-known uses for well-known products, by just clicking on a product! Visit Wacky Uses.

Tinted Linen Tutorials

2008-08-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

Tracey posts two excellent tutorials on her blog, Giggleface Studios. Her tutorial page is here.
Crayon Tinting

Colored Pencil Tinting

Tracey also links to the Tinted Linens flickr group.

Images of Pencils

2008-08-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

Bob Truby's Brand Name Pencils presents images of pencils in high resolution.
He says:
"This site has been designed to visually introduce you to the diverse world of Brand Name Pencils. I believe that you will be amazed at the sheer number of pencil brands once produced in the USA and abroad. Sadly those days are over and the craftsmanship once put into the ordinary pencil is but a thing of the past. I also wish to acknowledge the last two surviving “Made in the USA” Pencil Companies of old: General Pencil Company (circa 1889) and the Musgrave Pencil Company (circa 1916) for their continued efforts to supply our basic writing needs. Please support them by using their pencils. "

Often it's the smallest, most mundane items that are a source of delight. I wrote to Bob asking permission to use his images in collage. Hope he writes back or leaves a comment.
P.S. Bob did write back giving us permission to use his images in our work. Thanks, Bob.

Illustrated Letters

2008-08-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

"Often the expression of joy or affection, illustrated letters represent an irrepressible urge to picture language. They are evidence of the writer's use of words and images to amplify the form and effect of a message. These are drawn entirely from the collections of the Archives of American Art, encompassing exuberant thank you notes, winsome love letters, lively reports of current events, graphic instructions and other personalized communiqués from the early nineteenth century through the 1980s, in each sender's distinctive style."
Visit Getting the Picture: Illustrated Letters in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian. Browse by artist or date.
This is the first of several pages by Dale Chihuly