Custom Wedding Chalkboards: Process

I am so excited to share these new custom pieces for a wedding with you!

I was recently asked to make chalkboards for a wedding. Each chalkboard was hand-drawn by Yours Truly. I am quite pleased with how these have turned out! These were a joy to make and are something that I look forward to making for other happy couples in the future.

 

Some people have asked “How did you do it?” Well, loads of practice, a T-Square, Chalk, and chalk markers. Here are some progress shots showing the beginning sketches and the final pieces.

Bar menu work in progress

In-progress shot of the Julia Child piece. Here you can see my super-cool crafting gloves that help keep my hands warm and keeps them from leaving marks on the chalkboard. And my favorite markers. :-)

 

Julia Child Quote: work in progress

 

The chalk works, well, a lot like the layers function in photoshop…unfortunately there’s not “undo” button here. A steady hand and reliable preliminary sketches are quite important.

Nearly done…but still a ways to go! :-)

Here you can see the sketches made in chalk on the left and the final drawing on the right. Throughout the lettering process, I made some slight changes to the size and shapes of the letters. Before I got to this phase, I did several measured layouts on graph paper. Once I got the design just the way I wanted it, I drew it on the actual chalkboard.

Julia Child Quote: work in progress

Advertisement

Sending Love

Happy Friday! And a warm welcome to my newest postcard design! This is part of a new set of postcards I recently made available in my Etsy Shop! Cards are glossy on the front and matte on the back for easy writing. Just add postage and drop in the mail…they also make fun artwork for your home or office…and fit perfectly in a 4x6inch frame.

Photographing Artwork for Improved Branding

What a great set of Birthday Cards! Sprinkles not included.

I am taking steps to make my dream of selling my cards online AND locally a reality. It’s been a lot of hard work bringing Pink Toe Press to where it is today, but I am very proud of my work. Thank you to those of you who have been with me on my journey so far. Your support really means a lot to me.

While I am creating new and amazing artwork, (more on that in upcoming posts!) I am also in the process of taking old designs and making them look lovely and more like “part of a series”. I’d have to say that is one thing that I’ve been putting off for too long now. This week I’ve been rephotographing some of my favorite “older” designs to improve the look of my online shop and bring a cohesive look to my Pink Toe Press Brand.

New listing photographs for Pink Toe Press.

The old photograph.

What do you think of these new photographs? Many, many more to come. Many listings in my Etsy shop have been updated with these new photographs. There are also new Shop Sections and better descriptions for all items listed. Huzzah!

The Cold Never Bothered Me

Original poster artwork.

Winter seems to be in it for the long-haul. I’m in the last leg middle of my second winter after my move from Los Angeles and it doesn’t seem like the cold will be letting up any time soon. Fortunately the last few days have been warm sunny.

I hear this winter has broken all sorts of records: Snow (it would seem) every other day. Several days with -26 degree wind-chills (today is a balmy -13 degree with the wind-chill). Snowvember! The list goes on and on. Good thing the “cold never bothered me anyway” or so I tell myself.

This wintry piece was inspired by the lyrics from ever-popular Let it Go song from Disney’s Frozen. I created it using several programs and started off with a sketch on paper. I’ve included some of the steps below:

The original sketch with pen and paper.

Once the sketch was finalized, I took it into the computer where I used several programs to get the lettering “just right”. Manga Studio by Smith Micro is a fantastic program for sketching or inking AND it can work in vector and pixels. The program seems to be under-appreciated and under-used in the art community. My artistic best buddy uses the program all the time and puts out amazing work. It’s a GREAT program and version 5 is a huge leap from version 4.  I used Manga Studio for most of the original hand lettering and sketching.

Lettering almost finalized and color swatches are in the corner.

I then took the file into Adobe Illustrator to clean up the letters and curves. I wanted to leave some of the hand-lettered feel, so not every curve and flourish is 100% perfect. Once the lettering was finished, I took the file into Photoshop where I added the colors and final touches. Here is the finished piece again:

Look for prints in my Etsy Shop soon.

What do you think?

New Accessories in Etsy Shop: Sailor Moon Bows

The newest addition to Pink Toe Press is inspired by the first Anime that I watched obsessively often in my youth: Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon has just celebrated its 20th anniversary AND Toei Animation released an newly animated version of Sailor Moon called Sailor Moon Crystal that very closely follows the Manga storyline.

Artwork from the Sailor Moon Manga. Hair Bow from Pink Toe Press.

I recently started making cute hair bows. The bows are made using origami folding techniques and cotton fabrics, and are unique to Pink Toe Press. They are available in several sizes and many are made with vintage fabrics. Perfect for young and old, they are a lovely and unique accessory.

A NEW addition to this line of hair bows is a “brooch” in the center styled after the costumes of Sailor Moon and her friends the Sailor Senshi.

The perfect gift for Valentine’s Day!

The brooch designs are created by yours truly. This brooch was inspired by Sailor Moon’s locket from the original anime. I changed the design a little bit so that it would be clear at the 1-inch size. The brooches are made using my 1-inch professional button maker and are secured with a dab of glue. More designs are coming soon. I’ve even got some requests!

They would make a lovely gift for the Sailor Moon fan in your life. They could also be a fun cosplay accessory. The larger-sized red bows would be great for a Sailor V or Sailor Venus costume!

Leo looks so handsome.

While my brooches are currently offered with Alligator Clip backings, I may make them able to attach to cat collars for the little Luna or Artemis in your life…

Rudolph the THREAD Nosed Reindeer

You know Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen.
But do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all? It’s Rudolph, the THREAD-nosed reindeer!

I made this fun Christmas decoration the other day and I’ve been dying to share it ever since. This is a decorative embroidery I made using custom PAINT BY NUMBER FABRIC. The fabric was custom made using vintage paint by number artwork, which I then placed in a faux-bois embroidery hoop. The snowflake and Red-Nose embroidery was hand-applied and the whole piece is finished in the back to make the artwork more durable and to prevent any threads from coming loose.

The perfect addition to any Christmas decor. Just the right amount of Christmas and Kitsch to really make a place. A fun take on paint by number in a more manageable size. This is a Pink Toe Press EXCLUSIVE. You won’t find this anywhere other than the Pink Toe Press Etsy shop.

Rudolph, ready for his close-up.

Sneak Peek of New Tote Bag Design

Boo!

Just in time for October, this new tote bag is great for the upcoming season!!!

Made from an original illustration, this design is printed on cotton canvas tote bags. Can you guess the design? That’s right! It’s a Calavera from Dia De Los Muertos, or a Mexican Sugar Skull from “Day of the Dead”. I hand-drew the design and processed it in to a silk screen. More photos to come, and perhaps more colors too?

Thank You Renegade Craft Fair Los Angeles

What a great weekend I had at the Renegade Craft Fair in Los Angeles this weekend!!! A big THANK YOU to all who stopped by!

Greetings from the Renegade Craft Fair!

New greeting card sizes and designs.

I just want to say a big “THANK YOU” to everyone who attended the Los Angeles Renegade Craft Fair this past weekend at the Los Angeles State Historic Park. This was my first time participating as a vendor at the Renegade Craft Fair and I sure hope it is not the last. I am already getting ready to apply for the winter show!

New prints and notebooks! Great designs…more photos to come!

I saw many new old friends and countless new faces. Needless to say the craft fair was a great experience for me and I hope you enjoyed it too! I introduced some new designs and new projects at the fair, so stay tuned to see them grow online and in stores! I also started an email list! I will be using my email list and newsletter to keep you updated, much like this blog, but I will focus exclusively on Pink Toe Press related activities, new items, give aways and more! If you are interested in signing up for my newsletter, please let me know!

Pin-back Buttons as far as the eye could see…

New button designs made just for the fair! Now available at Rocket Fizz and online!

Name

Email(required)

Sign me up for the Pink Toe Press email newsletter! Be the first to know about new products and great give-aways!

Submit

Δ

Your Love’s Put Me at the Top of the World

A hand painted design on a small globe.

This Christmas I decided to make a gift for my Honey. He generally gets the things he needs (new clothes, new games, etc.) when he needs them, so sometimes it can be hard to find the right gift in the stores. I really love old maps and globes especially, and when I found this little globe, I just knew I had to have it. I was a little disappointed in the size of this globe at first (it’s pretty small), but now that I see it on his desk, I know it was just the right size!

The lettering was designed and hand painted by me.

The words are from the Carpenters’ song “Top of the World”.

Retro Happy Birthday Card

Nothing says summer like a trip to the  fair or, if you’re near the beach, visiting the pier. I especially like taking a ride on the Ferris Wheel. Living in Los Angeles, I like visiting Santa Monica to see the pier; taking a shot at the arcades, riding the roller coaster, then taking a spin on the Ferris Wheel, looking out onto the beach. As fun as the other rides  are, the Ferris Wheel is my favorite; you get a great view of the ocean and the city.

The photograph on this card was taken on a recent visit to the pier, and I think it makes a splendid card. The colors are fantastic.