Sheri McCulley Studio

Pen Pals from My Land to Thailand

2012-03-02T16:45:00.001-06:00

Get your pen, because the Wee Are The World pals are back and ready to correspond with you and your neighbors, near and far.

I have twelve stationery sets of Wee Are The World kids, one for each pal from the collection. They are the sweetest, little sets for you to get and share with you local pals and friends across the seas. If you like them all you can even get the complete Wee stationery sets for a special deal.

The stationery sets are now available at Lettering Delights and you can get right to them by clicking on my Sheri’s Creations sign at right or click here. Each stationery set comes with a card, two notes, three labels and an envelope.

You can see each of these sets below, complete with all seven pieces. The sets available are Frenchy, Mukluk, Sushi, Tajie, Nina, Bongo, Tiki, Poncho, Dutchy, Java, Tawni and Cairo. They are only grouped in pairs below to save space, but are sold individually on LD.

Below is a sample of one stationery set similar to what you will get from LD. You will simply print, trim, fold, and glue the pieces. The only thing left to do is write to your pals and send. Please note, these envelopes cannot be sent in the mail as is, they are legally too small, and of course the free postage stamps cannot be used for actual postage. They are just for cuteness sake. :)

Above is a sample of the Mukluk set; trimmed, folded, and ready for use.

I also have a freebie to share! It is a set of twelve postage stamps to complete the sets. The postage stamps are designed to match the wee kids, and you can download them free here or at my U-Pick sign (at right, then choose the file title WeePostageStamps) to help decorate your wee envelopes. You can reduce the file before printing to 50% to get a traditional stamp size, or keep the art at full size as a mini global gallery or other crafting projects.

Sample of free wee postage stamps (above); you must click on my U-Pick sign (at right) to download the file.

Head on over to LD to get these darling pen pal sets from the twelve global kids and share the joy of letter writing on mini cards and stationery. Think of it as a mini break from typing and texting, but an enjoyable one for you and your recipients!

Woodland Tails, Sew What?

2012-02-27T14:15:00.006-06:00

Sew what? Sew lots and lots! Sew for a boy, sew for a girl, and even sew for yourself.

Here are a few photos of the Woodland Tails cotton fabric collection with RBD. It is better than the photos show, it is perfect. It is just the thing for that hip and all natural baby and kid decor that is all the rage. It’s even cool for us older youngins too. I am hoping to eventually get a bag made from a few of the prints in this collection. Maybe I’ll even make a bag for each month of the year. The panel was designed with all 12 characters, and it would surly be cute as 12 different carry-all bags with an animal on the front of each and complimentary prints surrounding it.

The sample photos shown below are compliments of Riley Blake Design (not my creations) and I want to share them with you to inspire. They are of a super neat carry-all bag, a bib for tots and a lovely quilt showcasing the Woodland panel in blues and sweet soft blocks.

(photo above) darling bag, compliments of RBD

(photo above) bib, pre-cuts and beautiful quilt, compliments of RBD

Here are the Woodland Tails fabrics available through RBD. For further information and a location map of quilt shops near you, go here to learn more and see other fabrics from RBD including my ModTod collection, also available in stores now.

Sweet, petite and pretty neat! Something for girls, something for boys, something for us all!

Out of the Forest and into the Quilt Shops

2012-02-24T10:41:00.003-06:00

My cotton fabric samples just arrived from the Woodland Tails collection I did with Riley Blake Designs. I think they are perfect and look just like my original art. The colors are fantastic, the fabric is wonderful. I am delighted.

I am showing you the three colorways here, but will show you the actual fabrics as soon as I have a chance to take photos this weekend, and will post that before the weekend is over.

Just to review, or if you are new to the Woodland Tails collection in fabric, here are the three colorways, in blue, green and pink. Riley Blake made fabrics in this collection into cotton, some flannel and even a few prints into laminates and ribbon. To learn more about where to find Woodland Tails in fabric and what is available go here to the RBD site.

I think we might need to have another fat quarter give away with some of these prints, maybe once I get my member count up to 120. That’s less than 15 peeps to join, super simple, right? :) I will let you know about that also in the next posting with the photographs of the fabric. You can always comment now, but I’ll let you know where/when to comment to be in the drawing to win the fat quarter set.

I am also playing with the idea of having embroidery patterns available of the Woodland Tails animals and many other pieces of art from various collections I have developed. I would love to hear thoughts from any of you regarding this idea. They would not likely be kits to buy with pieces to assemble; rather a pdf file to purchase and download to create for your own purpose.

The Little Rescue Crew

2012-02-21T13:40:00.010-06:00

A while back I designed a little fireman collection, as I had learned that many people like the theme for their little guys. I decided that “Little Fireman” wouldn’t do the name justice so I have called the collection Little Rescue Crew since these little helpers do more than fight fires. Here are some ideas I have for the collection (below) and the set of patterns (above) that I have developed for the theme.

The growth chart above, with the stacking fire trucks, would be fun for a little boy’s room and the signs would make good wall art. Maybe one day I’ll be working with a company that will produce them. Until then, let’s just look for a crew to come and rescue this little guy and his pals.

Island Girl

2012-02-17T15:20:00.001-06:00

Meet Tawni, the island girl, ninth wee character in the Wee are the World series. She comes to us from the West Indies, or better known, Caribbean. Her islands are full of charm; canvased with a beautiful array of colors, and dotted with tropical birds, large and small.

Tawni was influenced by my very best childhood friend, Stephie, an island girl herself. She and her family had moved from their tropical paradise in Trinidad and I had just moved from the midwest were we met and became immediate besties in the Pacific Northwest, a land unfamiliar to either of us.

I have wonderful memories of being with her family eating fried plantains (okay, not my favorite food:) and drinking tropical smoothies, which back then we called health shakes. I learned new words and phrases said in the most lovely accent, to my ears, which was both British and Island-ish, as my young mind would hear them. I would try to imitate it, but with an “Okie from Muskogee” drawl, it just didn’t have that charm, nor did I.

Steph and I came from completely different backgrounds and really didn’t seem to have that much in common, until we did. And boy did we. We turned culture-clash on its head when we became besties. We were, and still are today, two peas in a pod. No one makes me laugh like Steph does. No one makes me think like she can. No one makes me appreciate life like little Stephanie did all those years ago and still does today. My world is more beautiful with her in it.

Steph has two older sisters who actually are twins, but she will always be my twin, separated at birth, but with a better accent.

My head is in the clouds this Valentine’s Day

2012-02-14T09:00:00.002-06:00

It seems like every bit of valentine decor from my childhood had something to do with cupids, lots and lots of hearts and doilies, and red, white and red. Our teacher hung red hearts from the ceiling, stapled cherubs to the bulletin boards and positioned a decorated valentine box on the corner of her desk for all to fill.

We knew the drill come February 14, and we loved it. Miniature valentines in hand, we would file up to her desk and stuff that beautiful box full of heartfelt affection and kitschy phrases. It was a tradition we loved and we prepared for it starting on January 2. Well, we started making handmade valentines in January, but those cool, boxed valentines from the dime store couldn’t be picked out until early February.

Once childhood was over, Valentine’s day lost its excitement for many years. It was sweet, it was thoughtful, but it didn’t have the thrill that it once had. Maybe that’s how it should be, but twenty-two years ago I decided to do something about it. Something that would make February 14 special every year, and would usually begin in mid January.

I decided to create handmade valentines for all of the women in my life; my family, my close friends and my coworkers. I knew they thought the cards were for them. I knew they thought the message was to them. They couldn’t have been more right. In a way, however, the cards have also been for my passion to create from my hand. The message has been to help remind me of the value of these people in my life. The labor has always been a labor of love.

This year my valentine is all about those typical icons that floated above my desk in grade school and were pasted to the classroom walls and bulletin boards during February. Indeed, the hearts, the red, the gold and little celestial beings are all here. They may not be cupids, but they are as angelic as can be.

This year the valentine comes as a little work of art to be placed on a golden easel. The message shares my sentiment, that the recipient is an angel here on earth . . . sent from heaven . . . filling our hearts with love. How true it is, and how lucky for me to be among the people graced by them.

Since few of you will have the handmade valentine waiting in your mailbox today, please think of this post as your valentine from me to you, one of the many angels gracing our earth with love and goodness. Happy Valentine’s day. Now make it that for those you love.

A valentine that is heaven sent . . . and freely given!

2012-02-13T14:09:00.015-06:00

It’s almost Valentine’s day and there is just enough time left to make a gift from the heart for the one you love. Fill a matchbox with chocolate covered pretzels, or get a small Russell Stover heart shaped box of chocolates and recover the box with a sentiment from you (and me:). Your loved one will not only think you’re heaven sent, but will start floating on cloud nine.

You can either fill the matchbox with homemade chocolate covered pretzels to show off your sweet side, or leave the matches in the box and couple it with a candle to show your warmth and affection.

If you like giving chocolate to your sweetheart, choose the small heart shaped box to prove your love by simply covering the top and sides, and sharing the sweetness.

I made these labels available for you as a free download and you can get them by clicking on my U-Pick button at the right side of the blog. They will take just a few minutes to print, cut and glue. The only things you’ll need are a large matchbox, a small heart box and a candle or two if you want to light up someone’s life.

Below is an image of the printout. However, you will need to get the artwork from my U-Pick button or click here. The file name is called Valentine2012Freebie. The artwork is formatted on an 11x17 document, and after printing just cut each piece out and adhere to your boxes and candles. I used tape for the candle wraps and tacky glue for the matchbox and heart shaped box.

Here is the information on the specific items you will need (shown in the photo below). A large matchbox (4.75"x2.75"x1.5"); a small Russell Stover chocolates heart shaped box (4"x4"x1"); a pillar candle (2.8"W x 3"H); a candle in a jar (3.5oz). The candles and chocolate were purchased from Walmart, the matchbox from Target.

This is only one way to convince your sweetheart that you’re an angel. I’m sure that is already obvious. Hopefully you and your valentine will be in seventh heaven on February 14. Have a happy and heartfelt one!

Nate has a home to call his own!

2012-01-31T08:38:00.006-06:00

We have a winner for the Nate fat quarter collection. And that winner is Katy! Congrats!

This is for the Child’s Play with Nate cotton collection. There is still the flannel collection that I have not done a drawing for, and if you like this idea maybe I can do a few more fabric-freebies for you good, creative peeps.

Don’t forget that I also have a drawing that I will be doing for the Child’s Play with Kate, the flannel fat quarter set, and that is happening on my new Facebook page called Sheri McCulley Studio. So, if you still want to enter that drawing go to my FB page and comment on the Kate collection there. Once I have 100 “likes” on my page I will have that drawing.

Also, for you fabric lovers, I do expect to see the little Woodland Tails animals filling the quilt and fabric shops any day now. The collection is due out in stores in February, and well, that’s only a day away. I have not gotten my own samples yet, but maybe once I do we can have a give-away for that collection as well. Woodland Tails is one of my all time fave collections and I am very excited about its debut in the fabric world. So stay tuned and maybe these little woodland animals will be gracing your presence soon.

Shering with you to create some SherWear

2012-01-17T21:34:00.010-06:00

It’s time for me to start shering some of my fabric collections with you. So . . . how about we get a few more bloggers to join my new Sheri McCulley Studio blog and once we do I will give the Child’s Play with Nate (cotton collection) to one lucky winner. You will get a set of fat quarter prints and at least one Nate panel. You will have plenty of prints to work with and might even have enough to sew them into some SherWear for a lucky little guy in your life. Please note that the image above is of the complete Nate collection, both cotton and flannel, and not all will be given in this drawing, but at least half will.

Once I have 100 members on this blog (only six to go) I will have a drawing. Here’s what you need to do to be in the drawing~just comment on this post. As soon as we reach the 100 mark I will collect the comments and draw a winner. You do not have to join my blog to enter, just leave a comment and ~ don’t forget to encourage your friends to check out my new Sheri McCulley Studio blog, website and yes, even my new Facebook page, because I have fabric give-aways going on there too. Fill free to join the fun there as well!

Name changer, but not game changer

2012-01-10T12:19:00.006-06:00

Sheri Berry Designs is now Sheri McCulley

Since getting into licensing about five years ago, I have branded my licensed products with the name and logo of “Sheri Berry,” based on my childhood nickname.

As my licensing partnerships have grown across product categories and even international boundaries, I’ve discovered that this short, rhyming phrase is similar (though not identical) to names used by other people and companies in what has become an interconnected online world.

So as the number of products with my designs continues to expand, and the importance of creating a distinct identity has grown, I’m returning to the other name my family gave me: Sheri McCulley.

The name may be a little different, but the distinctive look and style of original patterns, illustrations, and products I create will remain. When you see the Sheri McCulley logo, you can be sure it’s by the same little girl who used to be called “Sheri Berry” as she sketched and cut, folded and colored at the kitchen table.

Time Travel Around the World

2012-01-04T17:12:00.003-06:00

As many of you know I have been working on the Wee Are the World collection for exactly one year now and I am delighted to say I am finally done just in time for 2012.

I have created twelve children from around the world, each with their own scenes, animals, patterns and traditions. I will share the newest collection sets with you soon.

I have also given each wee child his or her own month to share with all throughout the year. I thought it better to have two styles, for two different designs, for all the different people of the world. These will be available through Lettering Delights graphic sets, which will be easy to print and hang each month for the entire year.

The first calendar style has a scene with the month and days in a basic non-lined calendar. Each month can be printed on an 11 x 17 or reduced to fit an 8.5 x 11. In the image above you can see what each month looks like. The set will also include a cover design of the children around the globe (as seen at top).

The other calendar style has the characters within a circle at top with the month and days in a basic grid calendar below. Each month can be printed on an 11 x 17 or reduced to fit an 8.5 x 11. In the image above you can see what each month looks like. The set will also include a cover design of the set of children in their circled design (as seen below).

As I was working on the calendars it became apparent that I needed to make a grid style as well as the other, as some people prefer boxes for specific notes and appointments. You can choose either or both, as you might just need calendars in many different places of your world.

To get these calendars at LD just click here or go to my Sheri’s Creations sign at top right, which will take you directly to the calendars on the LD site.

Above are samples showing one month from each calendar style. These samples show rounded corners (which I prefer), that can be made after printing with a .25" corner punch.

Remember, you can share the joy of the new year with family and friends by also sending them on this year long trip around the world to enjoy the wee people who inhabit it. It might even be one of the happiest trips they’ve ever taken.

Happy New Year! It’s Freebie First Day!

2012-01-01T18:20:00.016-06:00

Let’s start this new year off right with a free calendar to remind us all to share love each and every day with the people we come in contact with.

This is a simple print, trim, hole punch and hang calendar you can print on an 11 x 17 sheet of paper, or even fit it to an 8.5 x 11. Print as many as you like for your peeps, your house, your office, or wherever you think this little calendar might be useful. Just click on my U-Pick button at the right and it will take you to the file list called Sheri’s Creations. Choose the file called LoveCalendar to download or click here.

You might want to hang it on the back of the door so you will see it every time you leave the house, reminding you to love someone in a simple or special way that day. If you take just one quick look at it every day for the next 365 days, you can’t help but believe that most of those days will end with love shared by many, because we all know that a kind gesture, a sweet smile or a little love will always be contagious and go a long, long way.

So get this calendar up and start sharing the love all year long. Happy New Year! Can you feel the love?

They came bearing gifts

2011-12-30T12:38:00.019-06:00

With Christmas past I have presents to share. They are some of the most wonderful gifts I have ever received, and that even includes gifts from my childhood years. When people say a gift from the heart is the most precious of all, I think the saying needs to be rephrased to be a gift from the heart and hand. I was graced with three different gifts this holiday season that were made of Sheri Berry fabrics with the most amazing attention to detail and craftsmanship by all three seamstresses. These women are all worth bragging about, but each too modest to accept bragging rights. I’m going to brag on them anyway. :)

The first set of kitchen gifts was from my daughter, Shelby. She has become quite a seamstress and as you will see later, it is her grandmother who deserves some of the credit for that. She not only carried that gene over to Shelby, but spent three summers taking Shelby and a friend, Rachel, to sewing camp when they were girls.

Shelby and her dad amazed me with the very secretive gift of personalized, one of a kind oven mitts, hot pads and tea towel with fabric that they had specially made from some of my designs. They were able to have the fabric printed at Spoonflower, then Shelby researched and began sewing her very fist quilted fabrics into the over mitts and hot pads. I’m just in awe and I absolutely love the choices she made for the pieces. Now she and I are wanting to make matching retro styled aprons to complete the ensemble. Yes, I am one of those very proud, bragging moms right now.

The next set of handmade gifts were from my mom. She has also been Mrs. Clausing quite a bit the last few weeks and the entire family was lucky enough to be the recipients of the detailed and lovely pillowcases, each thoughtfully designed for each family member. Mom claims these were a breeze to sew, I can’t image that to be true. :) They all have three different fabrics per case and each is nearly too beautiful to use, but I promised her that we will.

All of the fabrics my mom used for the pillowcases were designed and produced for Northcott fabrics, some from the Chinese Takeout collection, some from the 12 Joys of Christmas collection and a few from the Child’s Play with Nate collection, both cotton and flannel. I believe some of those prints might still be available (try eBay and etsy).

Now my mom is starting an apron project. She makes aprons to take on her mission trips and one is coming up in just a few weeks, so my Mrs. Claus from the midwest will not be taking a break now that Christmas is past.

The third set of gifts was actually given to me a few months before Christmas, as I see my friend, Jackie only a few times a year, and those dates never fall around Christmastime. She is an amazing quilter, truly capturing fabric, texture, color and design into beautiful pieces of art. This is something I admire, as it is so different from the art I design and make in my line of work. This gift however, was not quilted, it is a set of four nesting pouches, and they are adorable.

The largest pouch is about 4" by 8" and the smallest is a mere 2" by 4" and they all nest together perfectly. Jackie used the 12 Joys of Christmas fabrics: the stripe, the skaters, the storybooks, the records and the Christmas tree print. Each pouch has lining of a coordinating print and of course zippers and pulls on each. They are absolutely perfectly constructed. Once again, Jackie very modestly acted as if these were simple little projects to sew. I will humbly disagree and will treasure them always.

I have another treasured gift that I was give a few years ago, bearing the Swell Noel fabric on a truly adorable kitchen apron. I will share that gift from the heart and hand in a future post, as it will always be forever treasured by me and needs to be shared with you.

While these gifts were not gold, frankincense and myrrh, they are better than gold to me and will always be handled with the loving care that I know each giver used while creating them.

Have a sugar coated Christmas

2011-12-23T11:18:00.013-06:00

It’s that time of year when kitchens in many homes are filled with cooks making candies and baked goods to share for the holidays. Most of those same homes also have craft and sewing rooms with handcrafted projects being finished up and wrapped into wonderful gifts just in time for Christmas.

There is something endearing about a handmade gift. Not just because it is made with love and care, and with detailed thought for the recipient, but because it is one of a kind. It can’t be found in stores or purchased online. Each hand stitch of embroidery is individual, each chocolate drizzle is unique and each handmade gift is wrapped and tied with ribbon chosen for just that gift.

I have also been handcrafting this season with the Holiday Frosting collection at Lettering Delights. I have made tiny envelopes for gift cards. I have made treat tents for bagged candies. I have made individual truffle boxes for chocolate treats. And I have finished it up with borders as mini Christmas tree garland and pedestal wraps.

While I can’t tell you that I have embroidered or knitted or sewn gifts for each family member, or that I have made wonderful homemade candies, I have made the frosting to cover a gift, or tree or tabletop. It is my favorite gift to give; to make handmade creations from paper and it is the best gift I can give from the heart.

So, if you have made all of your wonderful gifts, but need just the right tag, or wrapping, or box to finish off the gifts you can put a little Holiday Frosting on and personalize them yourself for those you love. Because everything is just a little bit sweeter with frosting.

Have a blessed and joyous holiday season.

Oh Christmas Tree, Pink Christmas Tree!

2011-12-19T09:57:00.021-06:00

My pink Christmas tree has been in waiting for the last few years for the perfect ornaments to hang from its branches. Well, this year is its time, and the handmade ornaments are from my Holiday Frosting collection with Lettering Delights. The ornaments are made from the Holiday Frosting Ornaments and Holiday Frosting Snowflakes from the print and cut files available now at LD.

These ornaments were not complicated to make, and with enough time to get them done for Christmas, the little tree has been covered with the softness of pink, aqua, gray and moss to match my studio decor. It is almost as though the studio was designed for the tree.

I have an idea this little Charlie Brown, gone pink, tree will grace the studio well into January. The collection was designed to warm the heart during those chilly winter days, so keeping these frosted flakes around for a while will be fine with me.

In addition to the ornaments I wanted a matching box to store them in while not in use. I found a perfect hat box to cover. I then used some of the papers, the gray border with notches and one additional snowflake from the collection to top off the box. Again, not a complicated task at all; just a little time and patience, glue, a pink ribbon to thread through the border around the lid, and printed and cut papers from the LD files.

Each ornament was made with eight equal sides (one design, but multiple colors) of a printed shape (a snowflake or an ornament). In other words to make these, you will need to print out eight pieces of an ornament, all the same size and whatever color combination you prefer. Once all of the pieces are cut out, you will fold each piece in half (facing itself), glue one half to another piece at its vertical center and the other half to another piece on the opposite size at its vertical center, until you have all eight sides glued together. However, before you have glued the final pieces together, use about a six to eight inch ribbon or string folded in half and also glued into the center of the ornament (with the loop up), so that it has a hanger. I actually glued the hanger (aqua string) between the first two pieces at the beginning to make sure I had not forget to attach it when completing the ornament. The paper used for the ornaments is a 90lb. bright white index stock.

The tree topper was also made just like the ornaments, however I simply cut a strip of one of the patterned papers to use as its base to slip over the tip of the tree. This strip was about eight inches long and an inch and a half wide. I rolled it into a tube that would cover the tip of the tree and the end of the ornament. I then glued the strip to itself to tighten the tube around both the tree and ornament.

Now my studio is starting to not only feel like the season, but it is doing so in a style that fits the studio decor. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

If you would like to make your own berry soft ornaments, please click on my Sheri’s Creations sign at the top, right side of my blog or click here to see the entire Holiday Frosting collection in both the graphics and print and cut sets available now at LD.

Have paper, must wrap

2011-12-15T10:32:00.012-06:00

It is time to start wrapping the Christmas presents that have been stashed away in the closet. This year the wrapping process is a little more exciting. I was able to get the Swell Noel paper at Michaels and it is kind of fun to finally be wrapping gifts with real Sheri paper, rather than designed papers from the printer. And bonus, this wrap is full of foil, shimmering and shining like the lights on the tree. Sadly, my printer is not yet capable of printing foil or metallic inks on rolls of paper.

Since the Swell Noel wrap is a retro style design, the only ribbons worthy are from vintage spools with names like Sasheen, Satintone and Super Lustro. And they are just that, adding a bit more gleam to the gifts. The only thing missing to finish off this mid-century look are the Shiny Brite ornaments to hang on the tree. Not to worry, I have a supply on hand.

This photo is sharing a few of my latest ornament finds, straight from the late sixties, via a few current thrift shops and estate sales. They were all the rage when everyone started jumping on the handmade Christmas bandwagon, but with a twist. These ornaments were from the “everyone can craft” kits of the era, complete with satin ornament, ribbon, gold lace, sequins, beads, pearls, and about a thousand tiny straight pins to hold them all together.

My second hand ornaments seem to have shed a few pins and pearls along the way, but they still make me smile and remind me of those years as a child when I could hardly wait for Christmas, when all the world was aglow.

Merry Christmas and may this season be a shiny and bright one for each of you.

Let’s get to the Frosting!

2011-12-09T16:11:00.021-06:00

The Holiday Frosting collection has arrived at Lettering Delights and the selection should provide you with many options to add that touch of frosting to all of your holiday crafts, decorating and gifts. You can click on my LD sign at the right to go directly to the collection.

This collection is for graphics only, but another will be coming out early next week for those of you who love to print and cut your projects. You will want to check in again at the beginning of the week to learn more about even more frosted toppings. There are even a few more sets to choose from in the print/cut collection, and you will see a peek into those on the photos posted here.

The Holiday Frosting graphics collection includes: alphabet, borders, labels and tags, papers, cupcake wrappers, sparkling ornaments and intricate snowflakes. I have made this collection from two soft and lovely colorways and intertwined them into one beautiful set of winter grays and blushed pinks along with breezy blues and snowdrop greens.

In the photo above are many of the papers used to wrap tiny gifts and cupcake wrappers are stacked in the glass at the right.

In the photo above you will see many dainty borders for embellishing and adding that finishing touch.

The photo above shows a few of the box designs that will be out next week with the print/cut collection. These boxes are great for housing your homemade confections, and with a personalized label, the perfect gift to give from the heart.

With all of the embellishing the Holiday Frosting collection provides, there is only one thing missing to top off your holiday gift giving, and that is a Christmas card to share with family and friends. I have made a card design (in the pinks and in the blues) that you can print. It is made to fit an A7 envelope (5.25 x 7.25). You can keep the phrase, season’s greetings, or use that space as a border to put a photo in, the photo size is about a 3 x 5, if you print your cards at 100%. Just print on cardstock, trim on the trim guides and fold in the middle to create your personal holiday cards and write your own personal message inside.

To download the greeting cards, go to my U-Pick button at the right and choose Frosting Card Pink or Frosting Card Blue from the Frosting folder.

To get the Holiday Frosting individual sets or bundle from LD go to my Lettering Delights sign at the top, right or click here. If you use the coupon code “snowflake” you will get an additional $5 off when purchasing $20 or more, so get to LD and find that frosting to top off the season.

Peek through my frosted window and see what’s coming to town

2011-12-06T21:07:00.011-06:00

The good news is it doesn’t matter where your town is because you should be able to get these Frosting labels and many other Frosting items by the end of the week on Lettering Delights. This is just a peek into the many frosted images you will have to choose from in order to finish up your holiday and party decor for the Christmas season.

This collection has a muted softness to reflect the season, just after the first snowfall has covered the ground, or the window panes have been vignetted with crystalized flakes. It says no more, it says no less, but it does say it is the frosting to top off your holiday cheer.

I will let you know exactly when you can find this classic topping for your holiday crafts and decor on Lettering Delights, so you can be of good cheer!

A Holiday Greeting to the French!

2011-12-04T19:10:00.008-06:00

To my European friends, I have a search on for you as well. I have 48 holiday/seasonal cards (each with a different design) that should be out in France and other European countries by now. They are with the French card company “Groupe Editor Gifts and Cards.” On the back of each card you will see my logo with a gingerbread man, as well as copy that reads “Pain d’épice” (spice bread).

Here is a sample of one of the cards. All of the card designs have scalloped edges and are embellished with either gold foil or glitter. So, shimmer and shine this holiday season ~ Joyeux Noel to all!

Gift wrap for Christmas is in hiding!

2011-12-02T15:05:00.005-06:00

Hello all, I am looking for the Christmas gift wrap based on this pattern (above) that I designed in the Swell Noel collection. I have been told that the wrapping paper is now in Michaels Craft Stores for this holiday season, but I cannot find it in the stores in my area. It might be sold alone, or in a roll pack (maybe of four, I don’t know). However, if any of you happen onto it in the next few weeks I’ love to know where in the country (US or Canada) and in which Michaels stores you found it in.

On another happy note, I do think my Frosting collection will be available for Lettering Delights hopefully by end of next week or so. I will keep you updated and will of course blog about the variety of art, decor and holiday projects that can be done with the sets made for LD as soon as they are on that website. More on that as I have it available.

Spring? Summer? Autumn? Winter!

2011-11-28T12:35:00.008-06:00

I cannot believe that I am still picking miniature rosebuds from my tiny rose bush outside, placing them in my teeny tiny, vintage vase and enjoying them for a little bit longer. And December is only a few short days away. Wow!

I think these beautiful minis started budding back in May or June; kept their petals growing all through summer and fall; now as it is nearly winter I guess they will finally be ready to go to bed for a few months, resting up for warmer seasons once again.

Though it may not be easy to see, this vase measures all of two and a half inches tall, so you can only imagine how small the rose buds are. As you know, I just love all things tiny, and nature is no exception to my miniature collection.

December is on the way, the winter season is coming, but the studio will keep blooming pink and aqua throughout the chilly, winter days.

Join the Joy of Christmas

2011-11-23T17:19:00.009-06:00

A new Cricut cartridge is out just in time for Christmas and it is a pattern collection all about the joys of Christmastime. This is a pattern set I designed for ProvoCraft’s Cricut Imagine based on my collection The 12 Joys of Christmas, and it is available on their website and wherever retailers carry the brand.

The cartridge comes with 20 of my original designs and a few projects ideas. This time The 12 Joys of Christmas are in the candy collection colorway, which means pink, aqua and chartreuse are bringing sweetness and joy into your Christmas crafting! The collection has been named Christmas Wish by ProvoCraft, so you will need to look for that title on the cartridge. The cartridge will work with the Cricut Imagine, but I do not think it will work with the other Cricut cutting machines, as it is developed to be a printed pattern collection.

Since the images of the patterns are so tiny on Provo’s website I am showing them here as the complete set of twenty patterns so you will know what you are getting on the cartridge. Click on the image above to see the patterns at a larger size.

Get ready to take part in the joys of Christmas in a candy coated overdose!

Just add frosting!

2011-11-18T08:18:00.016-06:00

I’ve been working on a new holiday collection that is all about the mood of the season. It is Frosting and it is just that. Designed to be the added touch, the frosting on top, if you will. It is Christmas without Santa, winter without the chill, and holiday without holly. This year my holiday colors are shifting a bit to the old turned new. Bringing back the sweetness and charm of 50’s carnation pink, the warmth and cool of robin egg and moss, the old renewed of 80’s taupe and gray, and a finishing touch of crisp, clean, snow white.

I couldn’t stop at designing just patterns for this collection, so I imagined these twinkling snowflakes encircling ornaments and voila, here are the results.

Okay, so for now the results are only on my site, not actual three dimensional ornaments to hang on this year’s tree, but maybe they will show up somewhere in the home just in time for holiday cheer. Maybe in paper crafting? Maybe in holiday decor? Maybe garlanding and glistening about? Wherever Frosting can be the added touch this season, sprinkle it about and let it shimmer, glisten and twinkle as you enjoy your holidays with family and friends.

I will let you know the minute you can find a little Frosting and where you can get it to top off your own creations in time for the holidays.

Striking it Lucky!

2011-11-13T19:39:00.011-06:00

As many of you know, Woodland Tails is in my top five favorite collections of all time. This collection has been making its rounds in scrapbooking and papercrafting, cards, stuffed animals, baby dishes, baby clothes, blankets and bibs and now it gets a spot on the roster in quilting fabrics.

I was lucky enough to see the strike offs last week of these prints and get my own sneak peek at Woodland Tails with Riley Blake Designs. This collection will come with some prints in cottons, flannels, and laminates. The collection is due in quilt shops in February and it is a good mix of boy and girl prints and I believe (and designed) many of them to be unisex.

While I love, love, love pink, I’m not a big believer that all girls rooms need to be pink, nor all boys rooms blue, and many of these prints can be used for both. On the other hand, blushed walls would have a charming grace with the sweet lambs and deer for any girl’s room, and robin egg walls would be adorable with the raccoon and bear print for a boy’s room.

Above is the set of flannel prints for this collection, and they are as soft and cozy as one would imagine.

As soon as I have my hands on the entire collection I will let you know when and where to find it, and if Woodland Tails strikes your fancy as it does mine, with a little luck you will be able to get ahold of these woodland creatures in just a few short months.

The touch, the feel of cotton

2011-11-09T13:05:00.007-06:00

Today I get to touch, I get to feel the first fabric collection I have done with Riley Blake Designs, 100% cotton, 100% perfect. The fabric with RBD is amazing, in quality and in color, and this collection looks just like I had expected.

This first collection is ModTod and it’s very mod but not only for the toddler. This collection has something for everyone, not just for your little rascal or tiny tot. There is something for the gal, who seems to love cute animals, but not the “cutesy” look. There is something for the not so young as well, because dots, stars and stripes are forever ageless and forever useful.

There are two main prints in the collection, one is mod pull toys that are perfect for your little ones. They are dogs and ducks and turtles and cows and more.

The other is gears, gears, gears. This is a print with gears and discs in a swirl of modern madness. In addition there is a print with mod dots, another with mod stars, a mod check, and a striped print lining these graphics up in a very mod way.

I can image not only a cool boys room decked out with this collection, but diaper bags, kids clothes, soft toys and animals, and quilts, quilts, quilts. I might even try my hand at toy design and make the weenie dog out of a few of these prints complete with wooden wheels and a pull string.

You can find this collection in three colorways, blue, cream and green. This is the blue colorway above.

This is the cream colorway above, which I like because it plays up the corals and cantaloupes.

This is the green colorway above.

Look for the ModTod collection in your favorite quilt and fabric shops as well as online stores. Just head to the mod corner of the store and I bet you’ll spot the dots and all of the other modern prints in this collection. Gear up to enjoy the fun when you start creating many projects with ModTod by yours truly and Riley Blake Designs.

I dare you not to touch this cotton fabric.

Strawberry Fields Forever!

2011-11-01T12:25:00.005-05:00

The strawberry season is over, but the berry will always be in season. I have a new check design that just came out with Bradford Exchange and it is all about the berry, the strawberry, that is.

This is one of the patterns from the Berrylicious collection. Now it can be used by many and seen by others when your personal checks are sent to them. Sure, the first thing they’ll get excited about is the amount of cashola they notice on the check, but then they won’t be able to get their eyes off that field of strawberries in blue, yellow, pink and green.

The checks are now available at Bradford Exchange and you can find Strawberry Fields in checks, a checkbook cover and mailing labels.

In case you haven’t been checking in lately, I have a stripe collection that came out last year. This is when a simple design makes that ever famous statement that “less is more” and these checks are nothing less!

The stripe collection also has a checkbook cover and mailing labels in four colorways. If you would like to view the Stripes collection available at Bradford Exchange you can click here to learn more.

This checkbook cover shares a chocolate background with a blended stripe of colors. I love this checkbook cover; it makes a statement without even trying.

Both of these check collections (Strawberry Fields and Stripes) can be found at Bradford Exchange and are also in the product category on my website. Thanks for checking them out!

A tiny package that was a hoot to open!

2011-10-31T19:55:00.000-05:00

Okay, so the daughter got the care package and it really wouldn’t have mattered what was inside, because a care package in college is simply all about the fact that you received a package and what’s inside is just the icing on top. This care package even had a black tee shirt she’d forgotten at home, last visit, but even it was a hoot to re-get . . . since it was in a wrapped box. :)

Of course the halloween staple was included, candy obviously, and also a few other tiny trinkets that could fit into the small owl and green medallion boxes. Shrinky dinked costume characters fit quite well into a box of that size and even some trinkets from a gumball machine found their way into the little owl box. These are little harvest creatures made of rubber; a fox, a rabbit and a squirrel and they seem to be all the rage right now from little tikes to big college kids. They have even invaded the common brick and mortar stores and are known on the aisles as Squinkies. Pretty much rubber in a mold, but the cutest mound of rubber that you ever did see.

In my time the cutest trinket at the five and dime was something called a Zoolery. It was a tiny caged animal hanging on a chain, to be worn as jewelry from the Liddle Kiddles collection. Today, it would be marketed as either a Squinkie or a Teensie of Littlest Pet Shop but with a bigger price tag attached and possibly found at the 5$ and 10$.

Whatever the generation, there will always be tiny things to find and collect. Whatever the age, getting a care package is always exciting, you might even say, it’s a hoot!

Happy Hooting!

Special Delivery S-care Package!

2011-10-30T12:29:00.015-05:00

Time to send a care package which my daughter must get in time for Halloween to be in the spirit. Lucky for me, my nephew will be at her school for college days on October 31, so the s-care package will be hand delivered just in time.

My, how time flies. When my two kids were little ones we had such fun dressing them in non-traditional costumes for Halloween. I believe one of my daughter’s first costumes was of a little old lady, complete with baggy hose around her little ankles, a pocket book hanging from her tiny wrist, and granny glasses framing her sweet face. None of those scary costumes like devils, ghosts and bats were worn by my kids. No, no, I reserve those costume themes for my art. :)

Actually, if I could have make costumes to look like the sweet Costume Clubhouse kids out of fabrics I’m sure I would have dressed my daughter in the silly spirits tiptoeing ghost and my son in the black acro-bat balancing on the iron fence. Those two characters capture my kids’ spirits, maybe that’s why they are my faves of the Costume Clubhouse kids.

Well, we must have loved the senior citizen theme for costuming quite a bit, as a few years later my son got in on the action with his own little old man look, complete with plaid shirt and clashing tie.

Even my niece joined the party that year with her very own styling of senior-ity fashion. I love the graceful poses and the missing teeth, just like the real thing. :)

Aaww, this would be one of those sweet moments between my two kids. They still are sweet to one another. Hummm, wonder if it helps that the daughter is away at school? :)

And this would be my nephew, now all grown up and towering over the rest of us, heading to college days today. He was the only kid in our bunch that year to dress in a costume of the times. It must have been around 1999 as Buzz was making the buzz with Toy Story 2 in theaters at the time. At five, my nephew was going to be “in” for Halloween, not “out” or “old” like his older sister and cousins that year.

Now he’s off to check out college and be my personal courier. How quickly it all happens. From those silly, little costumes to grown up life. Hey, that’s a little like it was for Andy in Toy Story 3. Well the nice thing is we can always share hand-me-downs in costumes and toys with the next generation and there will always be photos to remind us of the good ’ol days, when our kids were the little ones, all excited to go door to door and beg for candy.

The Monster Mash Bash! All Goblins Welcome!

2011-10-28T15:57:00.000-05:00

Halloween is creeping around the corner and it’s time for the bash of the season. Complete with Halloween treats, decorations and party activities for kids of all ages, it’s time to start the fun.

As you enter the berry scary studio and start up the stairs you are greeted with the less than menacing Costume Clubhouse kids and a few boxed favors on the wall.

The hottest spot at the party is the “Got Candy?” table with lots-o-sweets for all to eat. The main table has its own share of goods and goblins to share as well.

One can never have enough candy handy, so pile it on and theme it up even more with candy trim via CC borders and a round of ribbon for the cupcake stand.

Party on with the kids as they play Pin the Tail on the Cat, Bag of Bones, Wrap the Mummy, Carnival Coin Toss and even get a little Silly with String, because that is what parties are all about. That, and the sweets.

Bags stuffed with treats will finish off the party as each little goblin grabs and goes from the happy haven of the Costume Clubhouse to the haunting darkness that lurks beyond.

To create your own Costume Clubhouse party just in time for Halloween, visit the Lettering Delights site where you will find the files to make each of these decorations, party favors, games and more. Some of the games are freebies from my U-Pick button, so prowl around there for a few more treats. Also visit my earlier posts throughout October to get the scoop on each of these partying projects.

Happy Halloween to all and to all a sweet and safe night!

Let them eat cupcakes!

2011-10-26T16:56:00.002-05:00

Cupcakes used to be the staple for every party during the school year when someone would have a birthday and his mom would show up at the end of the day, passing out her homemade cupcakes. Now cupcakes are making the news for every kind of celebration from first birthdays to weddings. Now you can find cupcake wrappers and toppers everywhere for every purpose.

I know where you can get the perfect cupcake wrappers and toppers for your Halloween party. I know where you can get great cake stand trim and straw toppers too. What I don’t know is if you know the secret to these wrappers and toppers.

The Costume Clubhouse Cupcake Pack and Borders from LD are the first part of this secret to your deco-party craft. How your create with them is the rest of the secret.

To make the cupcake wrappers, simply print and cut the characters of choice and wrap around your cupcakes. The toppers need only be printed, cut and have toothpicks glued to their backs before they are put into the cupcakes.

For the straws, again use the cupcake toppers and cut small slits near the top and bottom of each circled cameo to thread the straw through. This is also a great way to keep organized who has which drink as each person will be able to choose his favorite character. There are 16 different characters in this wrapper and topper set.

Now, the secret to the scalloped cake stand trim (see photo above). I designed some of the CC Borders to use for cake stand and plate trim. This is also a very simple craft to add to the look of the party. Simply print and cut the borders of choice. If you choose a border with the small slots near the straight edge (see sample below) you can then thread a ribbon, string or strip of paper through the slots and attach the trim to a cake stand or plate. Measure the circumference of the stand to determine how many borders you will need to print and cut, and then glue them together before threading the ribbon. I taped my trims onto the stands with double stick tape as it makes it easier to remove later.

One additional bit of decor that can be adapted and used are the little costume kids (from the CC Characters). Once they are printed and cut they can circulate your cake stand as if marching and chanting for their treats.

Some of the photos used in this posting are from my niece, who I was lucky enough to have with me when shooting this collection. She’s an amazing photographer who specializes in landscape and historic scenes from the mid and northwest, primarily in Montana. To see more of her beautiful photography and learn more about her go to my Besties section at the right and choose “Open Spaces Prairie Places” or click here to take you to her site.

Who-o-o Goes There?

2011-10-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

Who will be stopping by your house on Halloween this year? Probably the traditional little witches, devils, cats and mummies. You might even see a few animals of the season, maybe a squirrel or owl, both appear to be in of late and are popping up everywhere.

When my son was a mere two years old I dressed him in a squirrel costume, constructed from various thrift finds; complete with a fox tail reinterpreted into squirrel fashion. I remember him squatting at his little, plastic jack-o-lantern full of candy, as though he really was a little squirrel collecting his autumn stash. So adorable, so dear to my memory. His older sister was an acorn, of course, because squirrels are to acorns as peas are to carrots, or salt is to pepper.

The costumed squirrel was an addition to my Costume Club collection last year, along with the costumed owl and raccoon. I wanted to give Halloween a more autumnal feel and with the memory of my son squatting in his little squirrel costume the inspiration was perfect for creating these characters. There is nothing cuter than a little one in an animal outfit.

If you want to dress your yard with some of these Costume Clubhouse kids it’s an easy task to take on. Just print and cut the CC graphics set from LD and spray mount them to foam core or cardboard for durability. My costume kids are about 17 inches in height.

When the kids come calling next week, see how many costumed characters are traditional black cats and white ghosts, or if there are a few trendy owls and squirrels scampering about. Who-o-o’s to say witch is cuter? If they are kids, they all are.

Spirited Acro-Bats!

2011-10-24T12:25:00.000-05:00

Whether these little acro-bats are tiptoeing through the tombstones or dancing along the fence near my stone wall they are full of spirit and ready to welcome the evening guests come Halloween night.

The iron fence has had its share of indoor and outdoor use. It accompanied the little ghosts at my first Surtex Show and has been repurposed a few times be it springtime or autumn here at the berry-house. Its origins are from Target (no, not an old English cottage, sorry to say:) but its permanent dwelling is here with the Costume Clubhouse members.

The bats and ghosts were printed and cut from the CC graphics set by LD and then glued to foam core for durability. I also used 18 gauge wire to push into each in order for them to stand independently in the ground beside the iron fence.

This is the same decorative set of bats and ghosts I have hanging from the rafters in the studio, resting on their own little clouds of orange and green pompoms. See the October 20 posting for details.

Now, it’s your turn to go and do your own interpretive dance with these bats and ghosts.

Got Milk Bottle?

2011-10-23T13:32:00.009-05:00

Time to turn back time and reinvent the nostalgic game of “Drop the Clothespins in the Bottle.” This was a game I think I played at every party I attended when I was a child. Now I have come up with a version that I think will delight the newest little skeletons in our lives during this season’s Halloween parties.

There are very few supplies needed to turn this bag of bones into a bag of tricks and likely you have nearly everything you will need to do so. If you have Q-tips you have almost everything you need for the game as they will become the bones for each player. As we all learned when we were little skeletons, all bones need milk to make them strong, so find that milk bottle that used to have milk in it as you will need it for the bones to be dropped into. If you don’t have a milk bottle, a jar will suffice as long as the opening is not too large.

I have made a set of “Bag of Bones” labels for you to print out along with the milk bottle label and colored strips that can be cut, wrapped and glued around each Q-tip bone. This is so that each player has his bones identified with the color he has chosen. I gave each player a set of 10 color coded bones per bag, but you can use less if you like. Then I put each set of bones in little zipped baggies for each player to have his set for the game, glued labels on each bag and the label on the milk bottle.

See sample printout above for the labels and color strips, then go to the U-Pick button at the right to click and download this free game for your party.

If you are unfamiliar with this game, it is very simple. Use a chair for each player to kneel on when it is his turn to try to drop his bone into the milk bottle, which is on the ground directly below the back of the chair. The player will hold his bone at chest height and try to drop it into the bottle. Players will take turns in rounds until each player has attempted to drop all of his bones into the bottle, at which time the game is over. Once the bones that have made it into the milk bottle have been counted, the player who has gotten the most bones (with his color) will be the winner.

Enjoy this game with skeletons of all ages, even if there are a few old bones hanging around who can remember the game from their childhood days. They might even be the best at this nostalgic game and prove to all of us that there is no age limit to having fun.

This black cat will cross your path on Freebie Funday!

2011-10-21T12:39:00.012-05:00

Every party since the beginning of time has had its version of pin the tail on the donkey. Well, at least for over a hundred years. This year you can have the Costume Clubhouse version of this iconic American game by simply downloading the freebie from my U-Pick button at the right.

The “pin the tail on the cat” game board can be printed out on an 11x17 sheet and nailed or taped to the wall. The cat tails can also be printed on an 11x17 and cut out for up to 20 players.

If you want to make your own fun blindfold in keeping with the theme of Costume Clubhouse you can go to Lettering Delights for the CC Masks and choose the mask you like best. If you print the mask on an inkjet t-shirt transfer, you can then iron it to a white 100% cotton fabric. Make sure you have plenty of fabric on either side of the transfer to tie a knot around a head; at least one yard.

This is the sample of the cat game board you will download of your own black cat.

This is the sample of the 20 cat tails you will print and cut.

Let this be the only black cat that crosses your path this time of year and it will change your superstitious opinion to start giving you lots-o-luck when the cats come a-prowling.

Hanging around ’til Halloween

2011-10-20T13:06:00.026-05:00

Nothing makes the statement that a party is on like streamers and banners. They are on, they are in, and they are about the partying scene like never before. So get with it and get your banners, streamers and garland on and up for Halloween so that everyone knows you are in this season.

Once again, an easy group of projects that will not only show your Halloween enthusiasm on the outside of the house, but inside as well when your party is on, and very in.

Almost everything you need for these banners and garland are likely house hold items hanging around your house begging to swing with style. Got string? Got straws? Then you’re off to a good start. Now, a little glue, tissue, some small craft brads and a few files from the Costume Clubhouse collection by LD and you are going to be ready for creating.

Here is the list of Costume Clubhouse LD files I used from the cut it sets: CC Banners, CC Garland and CC Webs (or you can get the three sets in the bundle). Also the CC Borders, CC Sweet Treats (for the candies) and CC Characters (for the bats and ghosts). I also used the CC Alphabet (for got candy? letters).

The “Happy Halloween” bunting banner is pretty much self explanatory; just print, cut, fold in half to points and glue or tape together with string or ribbon sandwiched between. Make sure you have plenty of extra string on each end of the completed banner for hanging.

For the “Trick or Treat” garland: print and cut the circular letters/icons on orange background and two of the medallion spiders. Print and cut the black webs (14 total). If you want to attach the webs with small brads, simply make a pinhole punch on the left and right points of the webs and attach each to the next in line. See close up below. Then glue or tape the “trick or treat” words and spider medallions (between each word) onto the webs. Add string or ribbon to hang.

The “Got Candy?” garland is done like the “trick or treat” garland with a few changes. Print and cut the green webs (10 total), the letters from the alphabet to read “Got Candy?” and the candy icons of your choice from the Sweet Treats set. Attach the green webs together left to right with the pinholes and brads. Glue or tape the black letters to each web with a candy icon between the two words. Use the brads that attach the webs together to hang little candy icons between each web (make small pinholes in the top of each candy for hanging). See close up below.

To make the hanging streamers with tissue pompoms and spider medallions you will need to print and cut the following: medallion spiders from the “trick or treat” garland set. (I used two green with two orange to make each crisscross medallion with 12 points, and two yellow with two blue for each crisscross medallion with 18 points.) Borders of choice for the wavy pieces (I used the ghosts and owls, printed on both sides, from the CC borders). Borders of choice for the scalloped pieces (I used the scalloped words in black–“trick or treat” and in orange–“happy halloween” and printed two of each for each piece). I also used the scalloped borders with dots and stars (two of each for each piece).

Have plenty of string to work with as you make these streamers. You will need to glue the pieces together with the string sandwiched between every time to make a new segment.

To make the wavy pieces (see close up above) you will hole punch (.25" hole or larger) approximately every 2" in the middle of the vertical border (left to right) to make about nine holes. Then you will thread a straw (with string inside) through and gently tighten to make an accordion wave.

For the scalloped vertical borders you will simply glue the two pieces together making sure to sandwich the string between as you glue. Add colorful straws between the segments to cover the string as you go.

The photo above shows the pieces needed for the vertical streamers. Notice the blue spider medallion folded in half (at center of photo). This is how you will fold and then glue spider medallions together to make a cross or ‘x’ with the string sandwiched between.

An easy way to cover the string with straws is to slice the straw with scissors and then wrap around the string. This way you will not have to thread each straw and can add those, choosing color and length once the streamers are done. The sliced straw will not be visible and super easy to attach. I’m into this trick and think it will be more of a treat for you when creating this otherwise dexterously-challenged project. Also, an extra pair of hands might be welcomed for this craft. Okay, so the streamers are a little more complicated, but come on, so festive you’ve got to try them.

The only other hanging decor to make are the bats and ghosts playing on the pompoms. These are simple as you will print and cut the characters of choice (as large as about 8.5 x 11), two each in mirror image if you want them showing nicely from each side while hanging. Once you have the tissue pompoms made (with plenty of string on each end) you will glue the two sides of the character together, sandwiching the string between so that there is plenty of string to hang the playful pompoms.

Now, get your craft on and get these festive streamers and banners hanging to prove you’re in this Halloween.

Lighting the way on Halloween Night

2011-10-19T09:50:00.005-05:00

Masked in cuteness these summertime lanterns double as glowing Halloween globes to light the way for the trick or treaters in your neighborhood. With a little time and not much effort you can make these lanterns in time for the event.

I simply printed and cut the Costume Clubhouse Masks from Lettering Delights. I choose to keep the eyes on the masks, rather than cutting out the eye holes (which are great for masks on people, but not so much on my lanterns).

I was able to get the paper lantern string of lights from Target a few weeks ago, from the summer season gardening collection. The globes are about 8" in diameter and come in an 11'3" string with ten lights. There are also red and yellow lanterns in this set, but I chose to use only the orange, green and aqua as they are the perfect colors for my Costume Clubhouse art. These lanterns also come in a smaller size with globes 3" in diameter and ten lights on the string.

Once I had the masks cut and lanterns assembled I secured each mask to a lantern with my black string. Because the lanterns have horizontal grooves, the string fits nicely around the center and the groove keeps the string in place quite well.

The only thing left to do is to hang the lanterns and let them light the way on Halloween night.

Honey, I shrunk the Costume Kids!

2011-10-18T11:17:00.011-05:00

If you haven’t learned this about me yet, I love, love, love small things. Anything that can be teeny-tinied becomes a mini challenge for me.

Yet again I had to miniaturize these Costume Clubhouse kids, just because I could. They make charming bracelets, endearing earrings and treasured trinkets for those imps and their larger set who are special in your life.

In order to create these jolly-pockets you will need to have Shrinky Dinks that are made for computer inkjet printers, if you want to use the Costume kids from my collection. Shrinky Dink is available in some craft and online stores, but make sure you get the inkjet printer kind, as the others will not work for printing.

Choose art from the Costume Clubhouse sets on Lettering Delights. I used images from these sets: CC (Costume Clubhouse) graphic set and print cut set, and the CC cupcake pack for the cameos of the kids. The CC sweet treats set and the CC alphabet would be so cute in miniature as well. Maybe you will do those and let me see your tiny and precise handiwork.

Print and cut your images on Shrinky Dink material. I hand cut my pieces, but with a good cutter you can save your hand and time. Make sure you use a hole punch (I used the .125" punch) to cut holes for hanging the trinkets before you bake the pieces in the oven. If you do not make holes prior to baking, you will regret it, and have to drill holes through the plastic after it is baked.

Above is a photo of the pre-shrink art. The medallions (the circles only) are almost 2" in diameter and will shrink to about .75" in diameter. Prepare for shrinkage to be approximately 40% and about .0625" thick as the plastic will thicken as baked. Also note that Shrinky Dinks darken as they bake and shrink, so if you are able, you might choose to lighten the art about 30%.

Once the pieces are baked and cooled (follow Shrinky Dinks instructions) you can turn them into earrings, bracelets, key chains or just about anything you can add a little treasure to. If you do want to make key chains or backpack charms you will want to use a larger hole punch, at least a .25" or .375".

Above are samples of the little medallion charms made from the CC cupcake set.

As soon as you have your Costume Clubhouse jewelry made you can gift it to your peeps with a little tissue and box it in the matching CC Gift Boxes you can also find on LD. In fact, it would be one more bit of cuteness if you also use the CC Gift Tags also on LD to personalize the gift.

Who would not love these little costume kids in miniature but fashionable style? I do believe if I could Shrinky Dink myself, I think I might. However, until that invention has been perfected, honey, let’s just shrink these kids.

Scrap~Happy Halloween!

2011-10-17T20:50:00.012-05:00

It’s time to take a break from party planning and donate a little time and a little memory to Halloween past. What better way to preserve the past than with a scrapbook page capturing that moment in time? I have chosen one of my all time fave photos of my daughter when she was seven years old and Halloween was just around the corner. We were at the family farm in Oklahoma and Grandma had just gotten a new kitten. It was as though this little kitten knew it was the perfect time for his arrival as the iconic black cat for Halloween, and my daughter was thrilled.

We took action while the opportunity presented itself and found a great pumpkin, wish I could say right from the pumpkin patch at the farm, but honestly it was from the local grocer. Carving began and soon a whimsical face emerged from the pumpkin ready to house the adorable new farm kitten we had named Black Jack.

Full of delight, Shelby quickly snatched up the kitten and placed him in his temporary home while I got my manual Minolta camera ready to capture the moment, and that I did. Many snapshots were taken but the one in this framed scrapbook page is my absolute favorite.

For this memory page I used a variety of images from the Costume Clubhouse sets on LD. To give you an idea of what images were used I thought I would share those specifics with you.

The “Happy Halloween” banner is actually a scaled down version of the CC (Costume Clubhouse) Banners. I simply printed them out at about 1.75" when folded to the tip at bottom and hung them on black string with some of the little bats and ghosts from the CC Graveyard set. I did pop dot the ghosts and bats holding the banners in order for the banners to sway a bit if moved. I also used the bats and ghosts along the fence from the CC Graveyard set. I printed and cut the fence from the CC Fences and attached them to the bottom of the 16 x 16 framed format.

The photo was framed with black cardstock. The vertical band of orange and black dots with white stars is from the CC Borders, simply printed, cut and glued to the background. There is also a medallion type label reading “Trick or Treat” at the end of the border and just over the corner of the photograph. That label is from the CC Gift Tags. Again, I printed, cut and attached it to the board, using a bit of foam core to lift it from the background.

The finishing touch was the costumed owl which comes from the CC Characters. I also lifted the owl with a bit of foam core to show it visibly in front of the wrought iron fence. The only thing left to do to show off the scrap~happy halloween memory was to frame it in the black 16 x 16 frame and find the perfect place to keep it.

Now, just for fun I thought I’d share a close up of Shelby and the kitten and a few more snapshots from that happy autumn afternoon at the family farm. Enjoy and happy scrapping!

A Haunting We Will Go!

2011-10-16T21:06:00.002-05:00

Crafting in 3-D beats movies in 3-D three to one! At least I think so. See if you agree.

The love of my creative life is designing in 3-D with my 2-D style of art. Any time I can take my characters and get them in a three dimensional setting I’m in happyland. This is what I was able to do with Lettering Delights and the Costume Clubhouse theme. We made a less than haunting house and a playful graveyard scene, complete with tree, tombstones and iron fence as well as the little clubhouse members jaunting about.

These sets are available on LD as: Costume Clubhouse Haunted House, Costume Clubhouse Graveyard, and Costume Clubhouse Fences. Each set can be used together or separately for a variety of craft ideas as well as a center piece for your party or little vignettes throughout the house, classroom, or even office for the Halloween season.

Below are some photos of the house to share a few ideas of how the scene could be set up. The house is not complicated to put together with the pieces printed, cut and assembled with a little glue or double stick tape, it’s just a little witch-craft waiting for your creative hand.

When the house is assembled it measures about 11" high and 6" x 5" at its base. The shutters can either be attaches to the house flat or as shown here with them angled in a bit to make them more three dimensional. To make the little costume kids, simply print, cut and fold at their bases to make them stand. Then embellish a bit more with ghosts and jack-o-lanterns about the house.

To make the graveyard scene simply print and cut the pieces and assemble again with glue and a little string. I did choose to use black cardstock for the tree and the fence as I wanted both sides to be black on those pieces, so no printing was done on my tree or the fence (only the fence signs were printed and then glued into place—one side of the sign reads “trick or treat,”and the other side of the sign reads “rest in peace.”

To make the scenes of tombstones with bats and ghosts simply print, cut and fold at their bases to make them stand around your tree. I always use an index stock for paper crafting that needs to stand on its own and for this I used 90lb. stock.

For the “boo” and “eek” banners, I made them as you would any banner, only in miniature with black carpet warp string. You can use any string you like. I found that craft stores have a variety of options to choose from. I also used a tiny pinhole punch (or a needle will do) to make small holes in the tree for the banner, bats, ghosts and spiders to hang from, then threaded the string and knotted for the pieces to hang. I also used a bit of glue to secure the string into place.

I printed the bats, ghosts, owls and spider medallions from a lighter 24 lb. paper because I did not want those pieces to be too heavy on the tree and also because I printed them out in mirror image and glued the string between the pieces. This is the reason you will see those characters in mirror image when you get the Costume Clubhouse Graveyard set on LD.

Here are a few tips I want to share on assembling the fence that could help when putting it together. As you will see when you get the file for the fence, the fence comes with a .75" base that is intended to be folded at that location where the fence posts meet the base to hold the fence upright. If you want to use the fence for a two dimensional design, simply cut the base off about .125" from the posts, or right where the posts meet the base.

Because I wanted my fence to circle around the tree and house I also used a simple snipping technique on the base. I used a green cardstock for the grass and adhered that to a piece of poster board cut to the same size. I chose a 13.5" diameter circle for that base. Then after I cut the fence out with my Silhouette (but did not print, as I used black paper to have it black on both sides), I simply snipped the base every half inch so that the fence would curve around the circular green base when glued underneath to stand. See the sample below for explanation. I also used an 18 gauge wire to secure the sign post and stablize it when standing. I simply cut the wire to the length of the “Trick or Treat” sign/post and then glued, or it can be taped, to the inside of the post. It isn’t even visible when assembled. Okay, well, I did spray the wire black, sure, but that was easy and a quick fix. :)

Now it’s your turn to 3-D your creative self with these Halloween sets and let me know if you don’t agree that 3-D crafting is more fun than 3-D movies! Just click on over to the LD site and snatch up these 3-D aka: three-delightful sets and get the party started.

Good, Clean Fun for Funday Freebies!

2011-10-14T16:55:00.017-05:00

This time of year the tissues are a must, so they must get wrapped into the spirit of the season. They can also have a more enjoyable purpose when turned into cute ghost covered lollipops for the trick or treaters. All of those sweet little hands will be ready for some cleaning when the candy stash has been collected and what better way to encourage the cleaning than with “Creepy Crawler Cleaner” known by us moms as hand sanitizer. If you like these labels and you like clean kids, and you like free things you will want to download my ghost tissue label and creepy crawler label and start having some good clean fun.

For the lollipop ghosts, I simply covered Tootsie Roll Pops with tissues from the oval Kleenex box, tied black string around the neck (stick) and glued eyes on to keep with the look and style of my Costume Clubhouse ghosts. I used a couple of sizes of hole punches with bright colored and black paper. I was able to punch a .25" hole out of a .5" dot~colored piece of paper (like a doughnut or letter “O”) to get the white part in the middle of the eye. Then I used a .125" punch for the tiny black parts of the eye and glued them on the tissue where eyes might go. You can make it easier on yourself if you like this look but not the work by using colorful reinforcement labels in pink, green and yellow. They are the little stickers that look like Fruitloops by Avery or a generic brand. Then for the black part of the eyes you can use a Sharpy pen to dot the eyeballs if you don’t want to hassle with tiny hole punch dots.

Next you will want to get the travel size hand sanitizer (I used the Target brand 2 oz. bottles) to give your little goblins their own sample size. Take off the existing label on the bottle and replace with the 2-cute-2-scare labels I have provided as a download at my U-Pick button. There are 20 labels that will print on an 8.5 x 11 sheet. You can use sticker label paper to save yourself the gluing or taping time. Simply cut the labels outside of the orange edge, center and stick on the bottles and hand out to the hands that need some sanitizing.

I know I’ve given out a few other oval, holiday tissue labels, but if you want to keep the theme of the silly string, silly bands and silliness you can use this label for another oval Kleenex tissue box. There are two labels on an 8.5" x 11" format and you will need both to cover the box. Simply print it, cut each out along the edges, and tape one to each side of the oval box. I use double-stick tape, as it won’t show on the sides.

Below are the samples of the tissue labels and goblin hand sanitizer. Here is where you can find the freebie Silly Spirits tissue label and the Goblin Sanitizer label or click on the U-Pick button on the right side of my blog to see these and other free Halloween treats you can use for holiday decorating and parties.

While you are getting in the spirit of Halloween don’t forget to see the stash of creative treats now available in the new Costume Clubhouse print and cut collection at Lettering Delights. There are some three dimensional projects I can’t wait to show you next week and they are almost as simple and easy as these label projects, just as good, just as clean and lots of fun. Happy Funday!

Putting the Spotlight on for the Darkest Night of the Year!

2011-10-13T17:10:00.022-05:00

It is time to get over to Lettering Delights and see the Costume Clubhouse print and cut collection designed by yours truly that just came out. There is nothing at all scary about this Halloween collection: not the projects that can be easily made by printing, cutting and enjoying; not the adorable clubhouse characters who are less than haunting; not even the cost of this super-sized set with lots and lots-o-art to choose from.

I can hardly wait for you to see all of the projects that can be made from these files, and right up until October 31 I will be sharing project ideas and tips and trick for making the easiest and sweetest Halloween style on your block. Go to the Costume Clubhouse at LD now, or click on my Sheri Berry Creations button at the top to learn more and be the first “big” kid in your neighborhood to have the spotlight on the clubhouse members.

Here are a few samples of some of the projects that can be made with these files. I will share each of these in detail along with many others over the next two weeks, so keep checking back each day for your dose of Scary Berry creations.

Pop, Wrap, Eat!

2011-10-11T07:59:00.015-05:00

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. print out cute Halloween paper from the LC Costume Clubhouse paper pack set

2. get water bottles (which you probably already have on hand)

3. take about three minutes to pop your favorite popcorn in the microwave.

Whip up the quickest food and drink idea for your party without sparing the style. Popcorn is always a staple at parties and holiday events. Water has become the drink of choice, or at least the drink on hand (in hand:) just about everywhere you look. So, take those easy staples and turn them into a party favorite without the time and fuss other food and drinks require.

When you have your popcorn made, as many or few flavors as you like, simply use the paper patterns from the Lettering Delights Costume Clubhouse paper pack set to make quick cone wraps for the popcorn. I printed out some of the designs on 8.5 x 11 paper and simply twisted them into cone shapes, used a little tape at top and bottom to secure them and then added one more garnish of tissue to complete the look.

Once the cones were filled with flavored popcorn I thought labeling them would be helpful for the guests, so I whipped out a few colorful banners, glued them to skewers and embellished with some of the popcorn, candy and apple critters from the LD Costume Clubhouse Sweet Treats set and stuck them right into the popcorn cones.

Next came the easy water bottle wraps with a few additional paper designs from the paper pack set and the cameo faces of the Costume Clubhouse members. I love using these medallion cameos because they work great for keeping track of who has which water bottle, cupcake, straw or anything you want to label in order to personalize at your party without the “my name is” labels of dorkiness. The cupcake toppers and matching cupcake wraps will be available soon, so stay tuned as I will keep you updated.

I chose the smaller, 8 oz. water bottles and covered them with paper that was about 2" x 8.5" (this way you only have to print out the 8.5 x 11 paper and trim it every 2" for the label wrap) and secured them with glue or tape. Then I chose from the clubhouse member cameos (little circle cupcake toppers) and glued those to the center of the label wrap. We are talking as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Above are samples of the many paper options for this collection and there are even more available in the paper pack at LD. Believe me, you will have an endless supply of patterns to work with and many of them will work beyond the Halloween season.

In the photo at top there are also plastic ware and napkins in the picture. Those are also wrapped with borders from the Costume Clubhouse collection on LD and they come in very handy for multiple uses. Later in the week I will show you my favorite projects with the border set.

To see the complete Costume Clubhouse set go the Sheri Berry Creations “Get it Here!” button at the top, click and see nearly 300 images from this complete set for only $25. And if you don’t think that’s a good enough savings, take an additional 25% off your purchase at check out if you spend $20 or more when you enter the coupon code: SweetTreat. This is a sweet deal!

It’s In the Bag!

2011-10-09T18:52:00.022-05:00

Time to start making those little gift bags for those little ones in costume who will be tricking you if you don’t get this treat in their hands come Halloween night. The bags are so easy to make with the downloadable file from LD (the Costume Clubhouse Potpourri set) and a few other craft supplies you likely already have available from your craft-stash.

shown here, all of the supplies needed to make the bags as I did

Simply print each bag design (there are six) and trim and fold on the lines shown on the printout. Once you have them folded you will glue or tape (double stick) the flap under the front of the bag so that you have a rectangular tube (as if wrapping a gift). Then tuck the bottom pieces in, first the short ends then long and glue or tape them as well. Now you should have a little grocery style bag.

If you would like to put handles on the bags as I did, you can use ribbon, twine, paper raffia or whatever you like for the handles. I used a thin paper raffia that I already had but it was light blue and not the right look for Halloween. So, what to do? I cut and painted pieces of it (about 8" long) with black craft paint, let them dry and then braided them together to make a thicker handle. My real reason for wanting to do this was to make the handles look like black licorice. Once you have handles just glue or tape them (regular, not double stick) inside the bag, one on the front and one on the back.

Next you might want to add a few sheets of tissue paper and a label attached with ribbon or twine if you like to show who that bag has been specially made for. The labels will also be available on LD (Costume Clubhouse sets) early in the week as print and cuts. (They are the labels and tags shown in these photos)

All that is left to do is add the treat to the bag. Yes, I know, the bag is already a treat in itself, but come on, who doesn’t like a sweet treat as well? Kids always will! :) And now it’s time to be the first on your Trick or Treat Street to brag on your bag.

treat bags shown here with the art that is on one side of the bag when made

treat bags shown here with the art that is on the reverse side of the bag when made

Go to the Sheri Berry Creations link at the top, right of the blog to find more spooktacular downloadable treats with Costume Clubhouse at LD.

That’s So Silly!

2011-10-07T17:47:00.013-05:00

Don’t be silly, no, I did not forget it was Funday Friday and so we need our Funday Freebie Fix! This time I am looking for all of those kids out there, young and young at heart who love silly things. I have put together just the thing to get you in the spirit for silliness.

While I can’t toss everything into the freebie for your fix; it’s really difficult to get silly straws through my computer and into yours, even silly bands don’t quite make it, but a label or two for covering a can of silly string just might do the trick-fix.

Go to my U-Pick button and download either label, (“Go Batty,” or “Get in the Spirit”) or take them both. This will take only minutes to cover a 5 oz. can of silly string (I got mine at Walmart in the toy section). The can measurers about 8.25" to top of lid, but about 6.75" to top of metal and is 2" across. Just print out the label on an 8.5 x 11 and trim at crop marks. Wrap the label around can and secure with either glue or double stick tape.

This is the label with directions for the “Get in the Spirit” label.

This is the label with directions for the “Go Batty” label.

To make some of the other silly projects that you see in the photo at top go to my Costume Clubhouse collection, now available on LD (see Sheri Berry Creations at the top of my blog and click on it to take you directly to the collection on LD).

Now, just try not to go batty waiting for Halloween when you can get your sillies out.

Trick or Sweet!

2011-10-07T14:28:00.012-05:00

Let’s face it, Halloween is synonymous with candy, well in my mind it always has been. So what better way to enjoy this holiday than to share the cuteness with candy-critters and the rest of the members at the Costume Clubhouse, now available for crafting craziness at LD.

It’s like being a kid in a candy shop with so many options to choose from. I couldn’t even decide myself which projects to make to show you the endless possibilities, so I’m sharing them all.

In order for you to create your own little candy stash you will need to get these sets from LD to make these sweetest treats you see in the photos. You should start with the Costume Clubhouse Potpourri set to get some of the candy bar wrappers and treat tents. Then you’ll want to grab the Costume Clubhouse Sweet Treats graphic set to have the little candy and gum critters help celebrate the fun. The tags set is good for personalizing the candy treats before you give them to your favorite goblins, witch :) reminds me that the little ghosts and bats from the Costume Clubhouse graphic set will set you up with lot-o-choices!

Oh my goodness, this gave me the chance to find my favorite vintage gums including Black Jack, Beemans and Zebra Stripe. I even gave them their own mascots to help get you stuck on them if you’re too young to know these flavors or bring back that happy memory of your own childhood if you grew up with them like I did. (Photos complete with vintage tinting:)

You will see a few additional labels in the photos that are not on LD today, but by early next week you will spot them in the Costume Clubhouse collection on LD along with other fun sets and projects awaiting you. Not to worry, I have many of those treats to share with you throughout the next few weeks.

To recreate any of the ideas you see in these photos think scissors and/or knife, glue and/or double stick tape, a few of your favorite jars and vials, a little string, a little ribbon and lots and lots of candy and gum to fill the fun for Halloween.

If you want to go directly to LD to see the entire Costume Clubhouse graphics collection go to the button at the top, right on my blog, just above “U-Pick” where it says Sheri Berry Creations and with a simple click you will be on your way to Halloween Happiness!

Just Delighted to be joining Lettering Delights!

2011-10-07T12:26:00.003-05:00

I am so excited to finally let the cat out of the bag and share my exciting news. I have joined up with Lettering Delights (LD) and could not be more delighted. For those of you who are not familiar with Lettering Delights, it is an online craft-art retailer with an unbelievable supply of adorable, clever and stylish downloadable art for a variety of craft projects and a wide range of creative interests. I am constantly amazed at their latest collections and now I am lucky enough to be in their company with my first collection.

This first collection we will be doing together is a Halloween theme named Costume Clubhouse and it has some of your favorite characters along with fun new clubhouse members. There is plenty of art that is ready to print, cut and assemble and many other pieces that will give you hours of fun creating one of a kind projects from you own imagination.

LD is launching the program now and we have lots-o-art to provide you with to make your amazing creations. In fact, I now have my own name for my ideas and samples I will be sharing with you regularly here on the blog; that name is Sheri Berry Creations. You will start to recognize the logo as you become familiar with the button to the right which will direct you to the Lettering Delights site and onto my current collections with LD. This is what you will be looking for~

I will be sharing many project ideas on holiday decor; gifts to make and give in festive bags and boxes; party themes; and card making and scrapbooking ideas. I also have a special place in my heart for teachers and can’t think of a better way to show that appreciation than to have special projects with them in mind. I will have bulletin board ideas for the classroom as well as projects that teachers can do with their students.

I can’t get all of the ideas and projects into your hand right this minute, but will do my best to stay (as one blogger said) insanely prolific with Sheri Berry Creations!

Costume Clubhouse is only the beginning of this exciting adventure with LD and I look forward to hearing from you and finding out what types of themes and projects you might like to see with Sheri Berry Creations in the future, as I am eager for these creations to become your own. I say to you . . . print it, cut it, make it yours and get insanely prolific with your own creations.

When the Frost is on the Punkin

2011-10-03T10:23:00.010-05:00

Celebrate this autumn season with a salute to James Whitcomb Riley and a cute tissue wrap, compliments of yours truly. Just download the label, print both labels on 8.5" x 11" paper, trim and attach to your oval Kleenex tissue box.

When I was in grade school and the season started to change into autumn we were given many poems to read and recite. One of my favorites was the poem by James Whitcomb Riley called “When the Frost is on the Punkin”. Here is a bit of the poem, which captures my mood and joy of this colorful season. You can read the entire poem here.

But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze

Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days

Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock~

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

It seems fitting to appreciate the poem and it’s author this week, as James Whitcomb Riley was born on October 7, 1849. As you go through this week, take a few minutes to enjoy the crisp autumn air, and for those of you living in a cool enough climate, try to find that frost covered pumpkin in a patch nearby.

Above is a sample of the tissue label. Turn it into a fun, but useful gift to share with all of your friends who love this season as much as we do.

Toiletries for all you Mummies out there!

2011-09-30T12:28:00.015-05:00

I never knew that toiletries could be so much fun, but sure enough they are. It’s time to grab a few rolls of toilet paper and buy that oval box of Kleenex tissues and get started with Halloween party planning.

I have a few Funday Freebies I want to share to start October off with a bang. It’s not too early to start thinking of the games and activities you will want to have at your halloween party and I have just the thing to get that party started. I have a Kleenex box label and toilet paper wrap for you to decorate your tissues for those little gobblins who come to the party.

Here is the mummy toilet paper label you can download (or go to the U-Pick button at the right) for the toilet tissue wraps. I have three wraps on an 11" x 17" format and you can print it, cut each one out and simply tape to the back of the rolls. Use the decorated mummy T.P. wrap for each of the teams when you play the wrap-a-mummy game. Here are a few mummy game ideas. You might even have a few wrapped and ready in the bathroom just in case the roll gets low. :)

And don’t let your party get a bad “wrap” with ordinary tissue boxes that can’t keep up with the fun. This adorable little mummy has you covered, or at least it will when you wrap those oval Kleenex tissue boxes in the label provided. There are two labels on an 8.5" x 11" format and you will need both to cover the box. Simply print it, cut each out along the edges, and tape one to each side of the oval box. I use double-stick tape, as it won’t show on the sides.

This is only the first layer of fun ideas and decorating tips I am unwrapping throughout the month of October. You and your mummy will want to check in every day to see what else Sheri-Boo-Berry has in store, and remember to get yourself and your peeps on FB and join the fun by “liking” my Sheri Berry Designs page. There will be constant updates you won’t want to miss.

Okay, time to start planning your Halloween party. I think that about wraps it up. ;)

A Balancing Act for Freebie Funday!

2011-09-22T22:13:00.007-05:00

This week I am giving away a card on the U-pick freebies that I designed last year with my daughter in mind. While away at college I thought it would be fun to send her and her besties a weekly postcard to have something in their snail mail to look forward to at the end of each week.

Shortly after the year got started I sent this card as a bit of encouragement. I thought many of you might have someone, whether away at school, or right at home who might be ready for a little pick-me-up message. So, just pick up the card from the U-pick button and share it with all your favorite students, or just click on this linky-dink and download away!

Print the card out on an 8.5" x 11 cardstock or index stock and trim into a postcard, or if you like a folded card to write inside, follow the trim and fold marks and put it in an A6 envelope (4.75" x 6.5").

As we all know, a little encouragement can go a long way!

Who-o-o’s ready for some freebies?

2011-09-18T19:25:00.011-05:00

It finally feels like autumn, at least where I live, and with this new season comes a long-needed new addition to my blog. It comes in the form of FREE stuff. You will see a new button to the right reading “U-Pick, Free downloadables,” and once you click on it you will become a crazed berry-picking maniac, or at least in time you will get into the spirit of filling your basket with lots-o-Sheri Berry creations.

Since autumn is upon us I thought a good little giveaway starter would come in the form of these festive little owl treat tent cards. You can download either design or both and use them as holders for treats or even sized down as little placecards for guests at your harvest or Halloween parties.

Here are some previews of the projects. Use the link below to get the full-size images, ready for printing on an 8.5 x 14 sheet, complete with directions.

I have made two different styles--one for those who-o-o love autumn and harvest time, the other for you Halloween lovers. They are easy to print, cut, fold and glue, and come with a couple of tags to personalize for your recipients. I have included directions for each, and the only thing still needed is you . . . so get your crafting on and get into this crisp new season with a Sheri Berry owl card and “Sher” them with your peeps.

Happy Trails for Woodland Tails

2011-09-01T17:27:00.005-05:00

I’m so happy to announce the arrival of Woodland Tails to the fabric world! Riley Blake Designs and SBD (yours truly) created the collection in three different colorways (blue, pink and green). Their amazing sales reps are heading down the trails to all the happening fabric shops and showing off the woodland critters, as they are anxious to find a permanent home. Well, that is until you creative sewing geniuses get your hands on the goods.

I expect the collections will show up in your favorite fabric shops by March or April. I will keep you posted as I know more. You can always visit RBD’s site to find out when and where to locate the fabrics and also see previous collections we have done together.

Here are the pink and green colorways, below. The blue colorway is at the top of the posting.

Happy trails!

A stinkin’ cute give-away!

2011-08-26T17:04:00.010-05:00

One hundred followers and one free onesie! And it’s stinkin’ cute too!

As soon as 100 people ‘like’ my facebook page I am going to start giving away freebies. Well, not all at once, but I’m going to have a drawing with the first 100 peeps who like Sheri Berry Designs.

If you are already a follower on my facebook page, you are automatically going to be in the drawing.

Here is what you are going to get if you win ~ a little onesie with the skunk, Inky, from the Woodland Tails collection. It’s blue with the skunk and “little stinker” appliquéd on the onesie, and it’s tiny, but then again it’s made to fit a stinkin’ cute baby and they start out so tiny!

Here is how you are going to try to win ~ get all your peeps over to my facebook page and get them to ‘like’ Sheri Berry Designs. As soon as we hit 100 we are going to draw a lucky winner. And if you’re lucky it’ll be you and not the friend you just sent my way. :)

If, you aren’t following on facebook yet, go to the Sheri Berry Designs page and ‘like’ me. Or go to the right on this blog and ‘like’ me there.

The winner will be announced on my facebook page as soon as we have one. So, good luck and stay tuned!

Let’s Face It!

2011-08-24T19:17:00.010-05:00

It’s time to face the music. I am finally giving in, joining the crowd, getting with the program and yes, joining Facebook. I now have a page on Facebook under Sheri Berry Designs and would love for you to ‘like’ me today! You can click here, or go to my Facebook button on the right.

I will be sending out information on the latest Sheri Berry products about when and where to find them. I will be giving updates on current projects that are in the works. I will also be giving away some freebies and my facebook page is where you will be able to learn about how to sign up for those drawings.

I am also interested in hearing from you. I look forward to having your comments and ideas about what Sheri Berry art, projects, products and new collection ideas you would like to see. I would love to see what you are doing with Sheri Berry fabrics, paper crafting and home decor. I would like to hear if you happen on to any Sheri Berry sightings (products in magazines, stories about the studio, etsy creations, whatever you find). I don’t always know when and where Sheri Berry Designs will show up, and with your googling eyes you will likely spot things before I do.

Join today so I can see your smiling face. Then return here every little bit to get the whole scoop on products and free stuff. Let’s face it, everybody likes freebies!

A teacher with class

2011-08-22T10:01:00.008-05:00

There is something wonderful about the first day of school and as a child I always looked forward to that day. It meant a brand new crayon box, no. 2 yellow pencils, sharpened to the point of a needle, and in the early years a new lunch box with the latest Disney characters.

It was the day to organize that lift-top desk with every book, every supply in perfect parallel form. To see who would be sitting in the desks to either side of you. To meet your pals you hadn’t seen all summer and to see who the new kids in the class were.

It was also the day, the first real day you would have the teacher you’d only known of before as the one with the bird-whistle on the playground. The one the older kids told you if you got in her classroom you’d be lucky. The one you knew was the cool teacher who would do science experiments, paper maché projects, and post cards collections from around the world. And to top it off she had that amazing handwriting on the chalkboard, I believe only teachers are capable of having.

However, that’s not what made this teacher so wonderful. It wasn’t even that she was so kind. It was that she expected every student to do his best each day, to be respectful of the classroom and of each other, and to be willing to learn even with the tough subjects. She had a way of searching out each child’s uniqueness and felt that every student had something special to add to her classroom. She thrived on seeing us learn and she loved being our teacher.

There are many teachers in my family and many of my close friends who are teachers, and though I’m biased I know that each of them carries many of these same traits, but in their own unique style. So, to all the teachers out there who are starting another school year, thank you for being that amazing and special person who will stay in a child’s mind, long after they have spent this year with you. You are a special breed.

A Site To See

2011-08-01T12:07:00.014-05:00

The time is long overdue but finally there is a new Sheri Berry Designs website. Finally there is a place to find the newest products licensed with SBD art; the Products page. Finally there is a place to get the scoop on SBD happenings; the News page. Finally there is a place to view some of the classics as well as new collections; the Art page. Finally there is a place to get behind the scene of SBD and learn where this imp turned artist started and is now going; the About page. Finally there is a place to get some answers to questions or leave comments for SBD; the Contact page. And finally there is a new place for SBD to call home, the Home page.

I invite you to visit the SBD website frequently. I would love to hear your comments, interests and questions about me and my art. I would like to have you subscribe to the Sheri Berry new updates. I would be thrilled if you would encourage you besties to catch the wave and surf on over to the SBD website.

I plan to have SBD product give-aways as often as I can and want to make sure you sign up in those occasional drawings. I appreciate your loyalty to SBD, that you think of me as your friend, and that you have stayed with me, leaving kind and gracious comments on the blog.

You are the reason SBD products continue to be made and shared with the world. You are the reason I have a smile on my face each time I sketch out a new concept or develop a collection on my Mac. And you are the reason behind the constant passion and joy for all SBD creation.

You can go directly to the new Sheri Berry Designs website (http://www.sheriberrydesigns.com/) here. And you can always click on the impish photo of little Sheri to the right every time you are visiting this blog and want to be reminded of the most current SBD products and events.

Thank you for being the reason Sheri Berry Designs leaves my heart and goes directly to yours.

Window Treat-meant for me

2011-07-29T09:21:00.011-05:00

One of the happiest moments for me is when I feel like I’ve just opened the 1958 Sears catalog and ordered the perfect set of drapes for my studio. Well, unfortunately I can only wish for the time machine to be able to go back and order those drapes. My time machine is a group of amazing thrift shops I have here in Kansas City. These are junk stores really with a stash of treasures right out of the 1958 Sears catalog, and beyond. Now, don’t misunderstand my ease at finding these wonderful relics. There is an extensive search and rescue program involved here. Most of the time the perfect “have to have” vintage treasure isn’t waiting at the shop door with my name on it, but once in a while I think it is. This time it was.

This time the rescue was for the perfect set of pink, french-pleated drapes with a touch of lavender and sketched icons in charcoal gray with gold accents. It is as though they really did arrive in the mail from Sears just for me. Oh, but even better, I was able to find them years later and I know they have a wonderful story to tell. Now they will share the next chapter in their story as they cheerfully greet me each morning in the studio when I begin my workday.

There is another thing that makes this story even more delightful for me. I not only love the treasure hunt for vintage finds, but the amazing deals that come with thrifting. Most of the time the treasures are pennies on the dollar, even better deals than the original Sears catalog prices. This time, once again the price is right! This set of drapes were all of $7.00 for the set. I was able to cut and sew them into two sets of window treatments, making each piece of the four drapes a mere $1.75.

Well, my time machine back to 1958 would not have been as good as this. I guess I should just be happy when I step back into the past as I walk through the doors of my current day thrift stores and find the window treatments that were meant for me.

A Tail of Two Countries

2011-07-21T08:49:00.009-05:00

I am happy to finally be able to share the Woodland Tails baby products with you. They are happily residing in two different hemispheres. One is here in the US and the other is down under in Australia and New Zealand. The baby products are different for each so you have the opportunity to find baby sleepers and burp cloths in one area and stuffed animals, blankets and melamine in the other.

In the US the baby products are distributed by Maison Chic for babies. The baby items are shown above and the link to Maison Chic is here, however you may want to search online or at your favorite baby shops to find the darling sleepers, pajamas and bib and burp cloth sets.

For those of you in Australia and New Zealand you will find additional Woodland Tails products through the distributor Lily & George. The baby items carried by Lily & George are shown above and the link is here, however you may also want to search online or at your favorite baby shops to find these sweet onesies, stuffed animals, rattles, bibs, blankets and melamine.

You can also search online for any Woodland Tails products and by using additional search words of the animal names you will find many locations for these baby products. Below you will find the names and traits of each animal to help you search for their hidden location deep in the woods, north and south of the equator.

Don’t turn up your nose until you try it!

2011-07-11T12:33:00.010-05:00

Who likes turnips? I’m thinking not so many of us. Let’s face it, they get a pretty bad rap. In fact the only way I remember ever eating turnips as a kid was when they were raw, peeled and cut into pieces, you know, like a carrot (but not!). I have also heard of mashed turnips, you know, like buttery mashed potatoes (but not!). And then there are turnip greens, which makes me think of a fresh, green lettuce salad. Nope, not like that either. We’re talking cooked, like spinach, and don’t even get me started on the bad rap spinach gets.

There is one way I not only like turnips, but think they are pretty tasty, and bonus, nice to look at as well. They are pickled turnips, you know, like dill pickles (but not!). They are much easier to make than pickles and are great during the summer months to enjoy as a snack or with salads or sandwiches, accompanied by pickled cucumbers and peppers.

The recipes for these summertime snacks couldn’t be easier, or believe me, I wouldn’t make them. They are quick to make, but need the added ingredient of patience to give the veggies enough time to pickle. Maybe turnips are the virtuous veggie or something. Anyway, the taste improves as they age. Try them for yourself; here are the recipes below.

Pickled Turnip Recipe

3 turnips (peeled and diced into medium pieces)

1 small beet (peeled and sliced)

4 garlic cloves

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water (or equal parts with vinegar)

1 tsp salt (more or less to taste, but should be quite salty)

Place all ingredients in a quart jar, stir to mix and leave out for two or three days (or refrigerate if you like). The turnips will take on the magenta color from the beet within hours, but the pickled flavor will be best after a few days. Once the jar has been opened, I advise refrigerating. The turnips will stay crisp and fresh for up to a month or more in the refrigerator.

Pickled Cucumber and Pepper Recipe

2-3 cucumbers (peeled and sliced)

1 red or yellow pepper (cut into half-rings)

1 small Walla Walla Sweet onion, sliced (I omit the onion, but my mom swears by it:)

fresh basil leaves

a few sprinkles of dill

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup water (or equal parts with vinegar)

1 tsp salt (more or less to taste, but should be quite salty)

Place all ingredients in a quart jar (larger if needed), stir to mix and refrigerate. The vegetables will take on the pickled flavor after a few hours and can be kept for up to a week or more in the refrigerator but will not keep their crispness. Don’t worry, you will eat them up within a day or two anyway. :)

So, don’t turnip up your nose on these pickled treats until you give them a try. Think of them like every other pickled veggie you’ve ever eaten~but not!

It’s creamy! It’s dreamy! It’s delightful!

2011-06-30T16:53:00.020-05:00

The best summer memories I recall as a kid were at the family farm. The endless activities included swimming in the cow tank, learning to drive the pickup in the field, and walking (rather running) barefoot a quarter of a mile down the road to the little grocery store on the corner.

The only worthy treat in the heat of summer comes in a frozen form. At least it starts frozen. For us kids the only reason to burn our little feet on the sizzling asphalt was to get to those wonderful popsicles at Sheets Grocery. They were all of ten cents, they were made with artificial flavoring, and they started melting the minute the wrappers were stripped off. They were the cheapest, low grade treat around, but in our minds they were the best dime ever spent in the heat of summer.

I was a loyalist, I stuck to banana popsicles every time. When others would coax me to try another flavor, I would not give in. Even with the intriguing mix of ice cream and orange juice, that great combination of sweet cream and sour citrus formed into a Dreamsicle, I held my ground.

Now, years later, I wish I had given the cream and citrus blend a try. To think of all those years I missed out on such a perfectly cool combination. Even the aroma of a Dreamsicle is dreamy. And the color, it’s a beautiful almost-there orange. Not bold and in your face, but creamy and soft. No wonder it’s called a Dreamsicle.

Well, I don’t eat a lot of Dreamsicles even now. However, I have been making up for lost time with my own little treat in a cup using that same basic mix of dairy (I should say nondairy) and citrus. Mine is not one of those amazing smoothy recipes with a fancy blender and ten minutes of clean up. Nope, my is quick, and easy, and all about the flavor. It’s not exactly healthy and it’s not at all gourmet, but it makes me happy and it’s delightful!

It is the Sheri Berry Dreamy Delight and it’s made with only two ingredients. One is orange juice, either premixed or from concentrate, either will do. The other is liquid nondairy creamer by Coffee-mate. We are talking the regular french vanilla flavor, not the fat-free, not the sugar-free, not even the new natural choice.

To make this Julia only wishes she’d come up with it recipe ;) just fill a juice glass nearly full with orange juice and add a couple of tablespoons (maybe more) of creamer, mix it together with only a spoon and enjoy. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s delightfully refreshing!

Though it takes me years to willingly try new experiences, I encourage you to do as I say and not as I do and give this creamy, little treat a chance. You too might get hooked. You too might find it a dreamy delight!

These are a few of my favorite finds

2011-06-12T18:41:00.010-05:00

When I’m not creating in the studio I’m searching for trinkets and treasures to fill the studio. The husband says I can stuff the studio to the brim, as long as it doesn’t overflow into the house. There’s a reason he says this, the house is already full to its brim with treasures I have found. This is the “is your cup half empty or half full?” question. But in this case, is the studio half empty or half full? Well, it’s not too full to bring in another delightful bit of eye candy. And so I do!

The trinkets above are bits of ephemera I have picked up over the years. The fun is in displaying these little trinkets in just the right containers. Yes, I know everybody is doing this decorative candy dish style now, but how totally fitting because it is eye candy dished up in the perfect glass containers just begging to be opened and reached into for the treasures.

Well, in the bit of thrift-roaming I allow myself each month, I recently discovered these candy dishes at a neighborhood estate sale. My eyes zeroed in on the target, my hands quickly followed and before you know it, I was the delighted owner of these containers ready to be repurposed with Sheri’s stash-o-trinkets. Now I have the eye candy just a glance away from the otherwise constant stares of the monitor.

New York City, Here We Come!

2011-05-10T17:16:00.006-05:00

Wednesday morning we are heading to New York City for the annual Surtex Show we have been attending for five years now. It is the show of shows for artists who are looking for manufacturers and retailers to license with or sell art to directly. The show runs from May 15-17 this year, and as always we are driving across the country to exhibit in our booth #357.

Usually Tom and I take the ten day trip alone and Grandma Barbara stays with the kids. But this year we thought it would be fun to take the kids along, show them how the show works, see what NYC is all about, and see Grandpa Clyde and Sue for a few days in the city. Then we are traveling north to a tiny island in Canada, where they live, and spending a few vacation days there.

Here are the expected highlights of the NYC trip as seen through each family member’s eyes~Logan wants to go to the Apple store in the Big Apple. I don’t think he cares about any other sites in the city more than the Apple store. Shelby wants to make sure she comes home with a patch from every site and landmark she sees to add to her national parks patch collection. Tom wants to navigate through the city without any car accidents. And I want to finally find Dr. Pepper in the city. If those things happen, the trip will be a complete success and all of the tourist trappings will be the cherry on top of the Big Apple.

Once we leave the city we are looking forward to being with family on the charming island of Grand Manan. We’ve heard wonderful things about it, and we have the best tour guides for such an occasion, lucky for us, they just happen to be family. Here’s a little peek of the Grand Manan Island and it’s charm, courtesy of Clyde and Sue McCulley (my fam) owners of SeaCliff Cottage Suites.

This trip will supply great family memories and the experiences will be well worth it. But in the end, when the sites have been seen, the long, long trip is over, and we are back in Kansas, I know everyone in this family will agree~there’s no place like home!

To all the moms I’ve known before

2011-05-08T13:15:00.006-05:00

To all the moms I’ve known before, who traveled in and out my door. I’m glad you came along, I dedicate this song, to all the moms I’ve known before. Okay, so it’s a blog-card, not a song, but you get the idea.

This lists includes but is not limited to—moms, grandmas, sisters, cousins, aunts, friends, coworkers, teachers, neighbors, acquaintances, blogger-buds, and all you women out there who are gracious about the task turned joy of being a mom. It’s the best job any resumé can ever hold. Carry the job description with pride. You’ve done much to deserve it.

Happy mother’s day and much love to all the moms. Also a bit of love goes out to songwriter Albert Hammond, and singers Willie and Julio, from whom I borrowed and adapted the lyrics.

Some things just go together

2011-05-04T14:30:00.006-05:00

When you hear the words peanut butter you can’t help but think of jelly. Well, maybe if you’re hungry or love food, anyway. Okay, here’s another one for the romantic types: Romeo and . . . Juliet. For those of you who like to work with your hands, how about hammer and nails, or needle and thread.

Well, for those of you who connect with needle and thread, I have a great new match for you, and if I’m right, you are going to love it as much as I do. It’s Riley Blake Designs and Sheri Berry Designs. Finally, two things that go together and seem like a perfect fit!

I am so excited to announce my new partnership with the Riley Blake Designs fabric company. We have already developed a collection and it will debut next week at the International Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, just a hop and a skip away from Riley Blake’s home base in South Draper, Utah. The folks who own this family-run business are veterans of the fabric distribution industry–an important part of getting a designer's work to the buyers who want it. But during their relatively short time in fabric manufacturing, they have made a big splash and have become known worldwide. Once you see their beautiful, stylish collections and the other artists they are working with, I think you'll see why Sheri Berry and Riley Blake are a natural go-together.

The first fabric collection that we have done together is one some of you have been anticipating for a year: ModTod. And while it’s geared for toddlers, it has a lot to offer those who like graphic and colorful patterns. You can see this collection in full by going to this page on the Riley Blake website. You can also learn more about Riley Blake Designs and their other artists through their site and blog, which happens to feature an interview with me on the May 3 entry. I encourage you to frequent their site because they will be the first to update you on when and where to find Sheri Berry fabrics. I have also linked to them at the right, on my Besties category.

We are already working on the next few collections, so stay tuned and before long some of your other favorite Sheri Berry baby and holiday collections will be transformed into fabric, ready for your needle and thread. Some things just sew together!

South of the Border

2011-05-03T22:44:00.007-05:00

Okay, so Mexico is south of the border, but that’s because I live right in the middle of the states. I bet for some of you Mexico is north, east, or even west of your swell-dwellings.

I’m a little partial to Mexico, so maybe that’s why I saved Poncho and his collection for the last of the Wee sets. The reason I have a soft spot for the land to my south is because I had the opportunity to live in Mexico for a brief time when I was a little girl. Mind you, it was quite brief and I was very little, but it still lingers in my mind today.

I think what I remember most were the rich colors, whether they were painted on homes, worn by the people, or bursting from the beautiful bugambilias and other native plants.

In the Poncho set I have mingled those strong Latin hues as I remember them from childhood. I’ve even tossed in a texture from the scratchy burlap bag I remember getting in Mexico, and I have pulled from memory a few traditional icons and tile patterns for this collection.

Whatever border you are north, south, east or west of, I hope you’ll take a little trip of your own sometime and experience the colors and cultures of another land. Even this girl from Kansas knows that while there’s no place like home, there’s no better way to experience the home of others than to go there.

Wee could only share the virtual trip around the world, but are glad you took the trip with us. Until next time, adios from Poncho, and his amigos ~ Aloha, Mukluk, Sushi, Tajie, Dutchy, Bongo and Frenchy!

Paradise Found and a Tiki Idol too

2011-05-02T08:18:00.009-05:00

If the weather is too cold for you up north, you might like to head south to the beautiful, tropical islands of Hawaii where it really does seem like paradise. This is a place I have only visited in books and photos, and of course through the famous Brady Bunch episode when the entire family, including housekeeper Alice, all venture to the islands for a family vacation.

The Bradys’ version of Hawaii goes something like this~Bobby discovers the good, or maybe bad luck, tiki idol. Greg discovers more girls, this time Hawaiian style. Marsha, Marsha, Marsha, Jan and Cindy discover blondes can also hula. Carol and Alice discover 70’s fashion (and we wish they hadn’t). Mike discovers perms, which interestingly enough he hadn’t when the episode begins:). Peter is left to discover once again that he’s just the brother in the middle, but hey, he got to go to Hawaii and meet the notorious villain, Vincent Price.~side note here, my mom met Vincent Price and what do you know, he was actually the nicest man, not a mean bone in the sweet man’s body. So, let’s just say, the Brady Bunch trip to Hawaii~Priceless!

Well, our trip to Hawaii may be a little different from the Brady version, but wee do have a cuter guide, Aloha the adorable Hawaiian maiden; tiki idols to bring good luck; hula dancers; tropical birds; and beautiful island flowers. So, if you haven’t been to Hawaii yet, get a perm, put on your bell-bottoms and travel back to 1972. Better yet, live vicariously through the Wee are the World, Aloha set, until you can take a trip to the tropical islands and search for the tiki idol that Bobby left behind. By now it is vintage, and worth much, much more. ;)

Until next time~Aloha!

Eskimo kisses from the north

2011-04-29T15:36:00.005-05:00

I hear this winter never seems to end up north, but how far north must one go to see snow year-round? Well, one can be certain that if they get up to the polar region, they are sure to find Mukluk, his little sister, Mookie, and their polar friends enjoying the snow, be it winter, spring or fall.

Mukluk is the northern most set in the Wee Are the World collection. However I’ve made sure to balanced out the cold, icy blues in the patterns with some warm magenta pinks and poppy reds, and a little glowing green tossed in, all reminiscent of the Northern Lights, Mookie and Muk-luky ;) are lucky enough to enjoy.

Until next stop, sending Eskimo kisses from the polar north.

Sakura, the pride of Japan, the icon of resilience

2011-04-28T08:04:00.011-05:00

It is cherry blossom season, and though these lovely and delicate flowers can be seen throughout the world, there is no place more recognizable for these beautiful flowering trees than in Japan.

The sakura, or cherry blossom, is the icon for Japanese art and culture, and today it has become the icon for resilience in the country. One of Japan’s oldest trees, a weeping cherry tree has stood for a thousand years, blossoming every year despite blizzards, earthquakes and, now, a nuclear disaster. Even through this recent catastrophe, it once again showers its beautiful blossoms down on the people giving them hope that they too will recover. Ironically it is a weeping cherry tree; iconically it is a symbol of resilience.

When I designed this Sushi collection, the disasters of Japan has not yet occurred. It would be thoughtless of me to share the musings of Sushi and her story today; so just enjoy the art as it is given, and keep the people of Japan in your heart and in your prayers.

The Crowning Touch

2011-04-26T20:51:00.004-05:00

Meet Tajie, the wee prince of India, whose name is borrowed from one of the most recognizable and beautiful structures in the world, the Taj Mahal. Tajie, with the help of his colorful menagerie (Ellie, Dot, and Bovie) will guide us through the jungles of India; the ancient city of Bombay, now Mumbai, home of Bollywood; and the eighth wonder of the world, and crowning touch, The Taj Mahal. Prepare to be treated like royalty, and don’t forget your tiara.

Tiptoe through the tulips with me

2011-04-24T21:15:00.005-05:00

It’s tulip time and everywhere I look, I see them. There is no better place to enjoy tulips than the original land of tulips, and that is Holland. So let’s get to that beautiful countryside where wee will find the queen of tulips herself, Dutchy. And though it’s hard to notice in her wooden clogs, she is in fact tiptoeing through the tulips with me.

Going on Safari

2011-04-20T21:07:00.006-05:00

It’s time for a safari so let’s head to Africa and meet our guide, Bongo. He and his chipper monkey, Tumbili will take us into the depths of the jungle and the heat of the desert. We will encounter hippos, lions, and the wild crocodile of the Nile; though these wee animals are hardly dangerous. So, hop on board and join this colorful and exciting adventure before we are out of Africa and onto yet another land of enchantment.

Meet Mademoiselle Frenchy and Gigi, her poodle

2011-04-17T19:47:00.005-05:00

Wee are happy to introduce our friends from around the world. Frenchy is the resident Parisian who, along with her adoring Gigi, enjoy the lovely and beautiful Paris this time of year. With serenading birds, blooming flowers and unforgettable sites to see; you will want to join Frenchy in the springtime. Pack your bags and begin this adventure, but don’t stay long or you might miss the next exciting stop on our trip around the world.

Woodland Tails are going global

2011-03-31T18:32:00.006-05:00

Today I received a shipment from the other side of the world. My little Woodland Tails animals have finally arrived. They are here for you to see in baby products: baby boy and girl clothing, bibs, melamine dish set (complete with storage box), boy and girl growth charts, receiving blankets and burp rags, and even little woodland stuffed animals. I didn’t get samples of each item, but this will give you an idea of what is out there, or about to be out there in the land of woodland products.

I don’t know exactly where to send you to find these finds, but I have been told that they are going global; going to Australia and possibly Europe, and some of the items (the dishes and the baby clothes and bibs) can be found in the states. Here is the place to start your search for products in the US. As soon as I have more information about items is the rest of the world, I will let you know. If any of my peeps down under site any of the woodland animals in your walkabout, please let me know and we can share it with the globe dwellers on the upper half as well.

Here are some images of the melamine dish set (plate, bowl, cup, fork and spoon) with the cute storage case that the set comes in. I’m especially excited about the dishes and the footie sleepers. Too bad I can’t stuff my grown up kids into the pj’s tonight. But, guess who’s having supper on the woodland plate? :)

Bon appétit for the petite!

Simply Charming

2011-03-22T20:45:00.008-05:00

When something is precious it seems to be all the more precious if it is teeny tiny. And so it is with the charming set of characters from the My Deer, My Darling collection. Just make them itty-bitty, put them on a charm bracelet and see how adorable they become.

I created with the wonder product, Shrinky Dinks when I was a kid and thought it was wonderful. So, when I recently learned that they now have a plastic that can be printed on with ink, that’s all I needed to know and suddenly everything I get my hands on is being shrinky dinked. What a fabulous invention. I love, love, love it! So, I took my little creatures, miniaturized them, and strung them together for some little charming bracelets.

These bracelets remind me of a 1950’s baby bracelet, given at a baby’s birth. I never received one, but have been collecting vintage charm bracelets over the years. I have always loved miniatures, and charm bracelets are perfect for that interest. Now I can start my own charm bracelet collection thanks to Shrinky Dinks, my library of art, and my ever dependable printer.

Paper Dolls have met their match

2011-03-08T20:28:00.007-06:00

The joy of cutting out paper dolls was never quite the end result I always wished for when I would meticulously cut out a chain of them. The truth is, they would typically look like the ‘universal bathroom symbols’ when finished; very stiff, very contrived and with no individual style. You can see what I mean in the design above as to the little regimented soldiers and soldierettes, perfectly lined in uniform fashion.

Well, those days of boredom with scissors, paper and uniformity are about to end. I present Kate and Nate with their very own Cricut Cartridges, filled with hours and hours of paper-dolling and limitless possibilities. All you need is the ProvoCraft Cricut machine, Kate’s ABCs cartridge, Nate’s ABCs cartridge, and four or five years to craft it all into amazing, personalized products.

I see that Nate’s ABCs cartridge is now available, and I bet Kate’s ABCs cartridge is trailing right behind. To learn more about these fun products, designed by yours truly, go to Nate or Kate on the Cricut website and look for the Sheri Berry seal of approval on the cartridge covers (that’s shop talk for look for my logo, bottom, right corner:).

Here’s a little sneak peek of what you’ll find when you get your very own cartridges and believe me, they go far beyond the world of paper dolls and alphabet stencils your mother used to make.

Kate’s ABCs and Nate’s ABCs cartridge covers.

Sample of images on the Kate cartridge.

Sample of images on the Nate cartridge.

For those interested in getting more Kateified or Natefied you may want to pick up some fabrics from Northcott of these same designs. Or, if that’s not quite enough for you, go ahead and get a wall mural personalized for your favorite little Katish or Natish kids at Murals Your Way, and keep that Sheri Berry spirit with you all the livelong day!

The Language of the Heart

2011-02-13T22:33:00.012-06:00

Happy Valentine’s Day! This day is set aside to let those dear to us know how much we love them. In most cases hopefully they know that every other day of the year as well. Over twenty years ago I decided to let the women in my life know this by making handcrafted valentines for each of them. The list was relatively short, as it was mostly relatives and a few close friends. I think I made about 30 at the time. Well, as the years in my life grew, so did the valentines list. Today I send out right around 100 to family, friends and my working gals. I think every year it will be my last, but alas, this year delivers one again to them all.

This year’s them has been in the creative process during the last five years. I started with an idea, sketched it out, mulled it over, reworked some parts, and then let it age for a while. I just needed to find the right time to make the virtual image a reality. This year was finally the time. The design is an around the world theme which I have also been working on for a “Wee are the World” collection.

The card does not open, it is a spinning wheel with heart windows showing two phrases as the wheel is rotated. Kind of a color wheel of the world. There is a set of words meaning “love” that each child is holding, representing the language of their nationality. As the children rotate to the right, the phrase “love makes the world go round and round” is shown in the second set of hearts (starting with the little Dutch girl). The top piece of the wheel is attached to the bottom piece with a teeny tiny little brad.

When the card is turned over there is a globe of the world, complete with yours truly and a few icons representing various places around the world. What map is complete without the “you are here” phrase? Which just happens to be in my heart. :) The outside edge finishes off the love around the world theme with a verse from the beautiful Sandi Patty song, written by John Phillip Mays and Jonathan Mark Mohr, “Love in Any Language.”

Since many of the people I send valentines to are all over the country and a few beyond, and they are as diverse as the theme, I felt it fitting to let them all know I’m sending love from the heart, a language we all can speak.

I’m sending it to you as well. Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and share the language of the heart with those you love.

Oh, Nuts! I’m a year behind.

2011-02-08T15:40:00.009-06:00

I realized that I forgot to tell you all Happy Valentine’s Day last year and now we are a week away from hearts and flowers and candy once again. This is a holiday that I love, but not because I’m all about the box of chocolates and flowers each year. It’s because I take this time each year to create and send out valentines for my family and friends. This is the time to create what’s in my heart for those close to my heart and I have been doing it now for twenty-one years.

I promised myself last year that I would stop at twenty years. However my daughter, who finally is at the age to have her own mailing address said she’s been waiting all these years to finally get her own valentine and envelope with canceled stamp sent to her very own mailbox. I cannot disappoint the only daughter I have so . . . the cards are ready to go out Thursday and once they do I’ll share them with you as well.

In the meantime I’m going to get you caught up on the card from last year. As you know by my woodland holiday art I was big into squirrels and birds and deer. The squirrels have a special spot in the heart so they wandered right into my valentine design and settled in.

As you see above, the card was designed with a pull-wheel (the acorns on the green ribbons, which were longer than you see here) that would change phrases on the clock face as the acorns were gently tugged. Of course the obvious phrases were “Be My Valentine” and “I’m Nuts About You.” A few tip-ons were added for the window at top with the little bird and the flower pots at bottom.

The back of the card shares a sentiment I feel for all those close to me and at the top is a small hanging device so the card can be hung on the wall, as it really isn’t such a good standing card design. :) Oh, and one more thing. This is the only pink version of this design. I actually branched out and made all the other cards with reds instead of pinks. It seemed a bit more fitting for the holiday.

Don’t forget all those nutty people in your life you love so much and send them sentiments of love on Valentine’s Day!

A Case for Good Design

2011-02-02T14:26:00.007-06:00

My daughter, Shelby, as you’ve heard, has gone off to college this year. No one starts college anymore without a laptop. Well, probably most kids already have their own before they even finish high school. Let’s just say we’re not the first on the block to get things, but when duty calls, Shelby gets her own Mac. And that she did.

The problem is, Shelby and I have a hard time finding just the right thing in products out there in the market place. One of the frustrations of being the creative fam and just wishing you could design and produce it yourself. There is many a time I have seen this creative girl reconstruct, redesign and re-Shelbyfy items that need a special style she can be all about. The latest creation comes in a laptop case to keep her beloved Mac protected in.

As her mom is a huge collector of almost anything retro-30’s-40’s-50’s (other than actual full-sized cars), Shelby has her pick of nostalgic fabrics at her fingertips. She is quite the seamstress and dabbles in hand-stitched embroidery work. She’s a natural at it. She does not use patterns, but prefers to come up with her own, more or less wings it, and every time it comes out perfect. (This mom can say that; I can be proud, while the kids stay humble:)

She found these neat quilter pieces from my retro stash and voila, here is her one-of-a-kind laptop case embellished with name and sequins.

Case closed, Shelby’s got a great eye for design!

My Incredible Instructables Son

2011-01-28T16:28:00.010-06:00

It’s time to share the creative genes with you all. This entry is all about my incredible son, Logan. He and his dad have a tremendous amount in common. Let’s just say the apple, it’s right next to the tree. Oh, he gets a little from yours truly, but his amazing ability to engineer with such precision, his attention to detail, the ease to which he can visualize, all comes straight from his dad, not to mention his capability of writing with such accuracy. This he does with the ability to come across with the aw shucks, anyone can do it attitude.

He has been making three dimensional paper crafted art for some time now. It started with a miniature model of the house from the 2009 Pixar movie Up (made from index cards). Then he moved on to a paper model of a cryptex, which Logan explained to me is a mechanism in which a word is spelled out to unlock a chamber that holds a secret object.

He created a prop Dagger of Time (from the movie Prince of Persia) using materials including paper, chipboard, and a light bulb. The light bulb was used for the handle with the sand of time inside. He has also made numerous other items such as a paper gun and cross bow, miniature chainsaw, and the key from the Pirates of the Caribbean series. He is the constant 3-D producer in the family. I don’t think there is ever a time when a project isn’t under construction in his room or on the workbench.

Now, what makes this incredible son also an Instructables contributor? One of his latest projects, a corrugated cardboard shelf (shown in photo at top). Logan built the shelf and then posted a how-to guide on the popular website Instructables.com. Soon his Instructable became popular and is now listed in the featured section. So far it has been viewed and commented on many times. The Instructable can be viewed at the following link. Amazing Cardboard Shelf!

Logan also likes working on animation related projects and has a love of movies and their production. You can view one of his animations here: A Tiny Animation.

Whatever my incredible thirteen-year-old becomes one day will likely have something to do with what he enjoys now. What he has become so far amazes me and makes me proud. And it’s not even his creations, it’s that he is such a great kid. Thanks Logan, you are my #1 son!

This post, brought to you by the letter “M”

2011-01-20T09:23:00.007-06:00

How do you encourage college kids this time of year? They have just had a month off, the holidays are over, and they are now on the second semester, at the halfway point. It is the dead of winter and summer seems forever away. It’s not that anticipated beginning of a new school year, and it’s not the end they are so relieved to reach. It is the middle, and that’s where they are stuck. Thus, the postcard of the week.

Well, I realize now that I grew up being stuck in the middle of most things. In fact I was even born right in the middle of the United States, just a little south of where I live now. When I was a kid in school, and we had to line up alphabetically, I was always right in the middle. With the last name McCulley, that is where you would always find me.

I wasn’t a middle child, however. There are only my sister and I, so being the younger one I was not the middle, but the little one. This too had its way of ensuring a middle position in my world. I was always stuck in the middle of the back seat with a car full of people, usually having to sit on someone else’s lap. And then there is the yearly class photo. Every year the littlest one in the class was stuck sitting on the floor, in the middle of the front row, holding the class sign. Every year that little person was yours truly. Need I say more. The evidence is here. The clue ~ pink has always been my favorite color. :)

Well, as I am now middle-aged and can look back on it all, I realize that being stuck in the middle isn’t such a bad place to be after all. In fact it is a very happy place to be. There is a security and a peacefulness about this place in life and I welcome it happily.

So, if this time of year makes you feel like you’re stuck between the excitement of the holidays and the activities of the summer months, or if you’re right in the middle of your school year, take heart and remember that nothing has a beginning and end without a middle. As the song says . . . stuck in the middle with you . . . I think that’s a pretty good place to be.

For the love of color

2011-01-17T23:06:00.006-06:00

Can color alone make someone so happy? Well, yes, I think it can. I can stand for hours in the paint store looking at paint chips, fanning them, arranging them, rearranging them, refanning them, restacking them and then happily leaving with them. Then I get home and start the process over again.

Two of the four people in this family do not understand that at all. And well, I feel sorry for them, I really do. Oh, to be missing out on the love of color. I have the daughter though, and she’s right there with me in a wonder-spectrum-land. We’re a little like Alice in her wonderland, but with the drug of color pulling us down that rabbit hole.

Many times when I start a new collection I get out the trusted paint chips, deal out the colorful cards, and see just how that hand will play out. It’s just as exciting as beginning new sketches, playing with shapes for the patterns, and wondering just where the collection will end up. I never have the entire design in my mind, but I have a very good sense of what I want it to become.

Here is a little study in color I’ve added to the Beau Nouveau collection. One of my all time fave color combinations is using the warm and cool blends of a color together. In that I mean, a coral (pink-orange) with a bubble gum (pink-purple), or a chartreuse (yellow-green) with an aqua (blue-green). When I can mix colors in that way I am in my wonder-spectrum-land of happiness. That’s all it takes.

What goes around, comes around

2011-01-15T18:54:00.008-06:00

Do you ever see a new dress, or tea towel, or umbrella in the store and think, where, where do I know that print? I could swear that I had a skirt out of that exact print when I was a kid. Well, more likely than not, you may actually be seeing the same designs coming again thirty years later.

I have been working on a collection for quite some time now and remixed, recolored, renewed and rejazzed it up to become a fun, floral, feelin’ free group of prints that fling me right back to high school mini skirts and neck scarves. Get ready to step back to the past, or if you’re young enough to find it brand spankin’ new, enjoy the trip, but know the style wasn’t first with your gen.

I present Retroflection, where we reflect on the past with a renewed spirit of style!

Nouveau, Nouveau?

2011-01-11T19:27:00.005-06:00

When something is even newer of the new, what do you call it? The collection I have shared on another occasion or two is called Beau Nouveau, or New Beauty. Well, I have just remixed the collection once again and now it’s New, New Beauty or in French maybe it would be called Beau Nouveau, Nouveau. Whatever the case, here is a reblending of a favorite floral collection that I have designed.

Some of elements within the collection will be showing up on my new website. Yes, my “nouveau” website is on its way and hopefully I will be able to “sher” it with you by Valentine’s Day. That would make my heart happy, anyway. This new website is way overdue and hopefully it will provide the opportunity to see more clearly the collections I am working on, the products that are being produced and latest news and information about Sheri Berry Designs.

I have been in the design stage of a number of new collections over the last few weeks, months even, and plan to share sneak peaks of many of them over the next month or so.

Stay tuned, and share the news with your peeps when the nouveau website is up and running. Let’s just refer to that as SherWhere, so when they say “where do I find Sher?” You just direct them to my SherWhere site known as Sheri Berry Designs.

Happy New Year to all. May your nouveau year be filled with many blessings. Sher

My Joys at Christmastime

2010-12-16T10:37:00.005-06:00

I have recently learned about a quilters magazine that wrote a little blurb about the Christmas fabric collection that I did with Northcott, The 12 Joys of Christmas. This magazine is Quilters Newsletter (QuiltersNewsletter.com) and the issue is December/January 2011, page 30.

This collection has such sentimental value to me as it really does showcase the joys our family has this time of year. The holiday season will always be filled with gifts, but so many of the gifts this family receives are those of family time together, memories we are making for our kids to look back on, and our own treasured memories of our childhood with family and friends throughout our past. No beautifully wrapped box with a wonderful gift inside can ever replace the cherished moments we share with those we love.

The 12 Joys of Christmas collection does bring me joy, but this season I remixed the color palette to reflect my Sheri Berry color style and every time I get to put a little pink into anything, the joy is enjoyed by me even more. Here are some holiday cards in the new re-pink-mix colorway.

Take this season to find joy in every moment and with every person you spend this holiday with. Have a blessed and joyous season.

Latest postcard sightings, or shall I say signings?

2010-12-14T09:18:00.011-06:00

Time to update the postcard designs for the collegiates. As this year comes to a close and the school year is now half over, I am halfway through the “snail-mail postcard project” that I have been doing with the daughter and a handful of her friends this year. It is probably more fun for me, but I have been told the girls are all about it too. Well, sure, they get fun stuff in their mailboxes, not bills and junk mail like I get. We are now up to sixteen cards and here is the latest installment to share.

Okay, this lot covers the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, week by week, starting with a happy thought that should leave you feeling all warm inside.

A recipe for a hot, spicy, cranberry and orange cider accompanied this card on the back.

A listing of my favorite thanksgiving hymns, poems and songs embellished the back of this one. Yes, “We Gather Together” was among them. :)

General merriment in a winter woodland. Well, we can all pretend, can’t we?

Time for some great flicks all should see at least once in their lifetime, better yet, once a year.

A list of some of the best Christmas stories were encouraged, as the kids will have a few weeks off to sit and read by the fire, or cell, or laptop. That is, when they aren’t facebooking. Rudolph, Frosty, Scrooge and Grinch accompanied Santa in this list of the best.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good read!

Tweeting with My Chicks

2010-11-15T16:49:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I’ve been trying to get time to remix my little vintage animals that I started back in the day before I was bloggity-blogging*. The original set has a deer (surprise:), a bear, a squirrel (who ended up as a Woodland Tails character) and a bunch of little sprigs and flowers. I am now reorganizing the menagerie and moving them a bit more toward the farmland look. I now have a little donkey, these tweeters you see here and I’m thinking about a few other barnyard buddies.

I would love to hear any critiquing or opinions on the art as I start developing this new collection. So . . . cluck, cackle, tweet, chirp, but just give me your thoughts on the little red hen and her golden peep. Ooow, and take note—I’m branching out, red is my new pink, ha, ha! Can you believe it? This may be a first. ;)

*thanks Sheree, you’re the cleverest word girl I know:)

The times, they are a-changin’

2010-11-06T15:44:00.003-05:00

Okay, it’s time to get an extra hour in your day. How many times have you just wished for one extra hour to get something done? Unfortunately, we can’t just choose that extra hour when we like, but here it is, it won’t happen for another year, and . . . it will be taken away again come spring . . . so take it happily now, because as far as I know, time travel is not yet possible. This is the only way to turn back the hands of time, so remember to do it tonight.

Mural, Mural on the Wall . . .

2010-11-03T16:13:00.011-05:00

. . . what’s the cutest of them all? Okay, well, that is if you lean toward the Sheri Berry style, you might just think these are the cutest darn murals for kids’ walls you’ve ever see. Then again, I’m a little biased. :)

I’m delighted to say that the company Murals Your Way has partnered with me to bring 76 designs to their site for people to order Sheri Berry murals for wall coverings. I will share a few pieces here from the collections. However, I encourage you to take a look at the site to see all of the murals available. If you get on the site and cannot find my art, look under the artists section for the name Sheri McCulley, as that is where my art will appear on the site.

The art on the mural designs are from the collections: Tiki Tikes, Sprout, Emma & Ethan, Kate & Nate and Woodland Tails. There are plenty from each theme, so if you have taken a liking to any of these collections, you might just find a little something you didn’t know you were looking for. Some of the murals can be personalized with names, and other alterations can be made.

These murals would be fun for baby and kid room decor, but I think they could be the ultimate visual statement for the walls of day-care centers, grade school classrooms, pediatrician and orthodontist offices and even pediatric units in hospitals. Wherever you find babies and kids, you could find this art!

so . . . who’s the happiest of them all? That would be me!

A Postcard Passion

2010-11-01T10:27:00.009-05:00

I remember when my daughter was in 3rd grade her teacher had a great project for the students. She advised the kids to write to each of their friends and extended family all over the country (and even the world) to receive postcards back in the mail. This was clearly an exercise in writing, but also one to help the kids learn about geography and landmarks. I am sure my daughter still has the little box of postcards from that time tucked away in a safe place in her closet.

She has a passion for postcards and a passion for travel and is always the one in the family to send cards from every location possible during family vacations and travels. Maybe this is her way of paying back all the family and friends who sent her cards back in the 3rd grade.

As you know, I am trying to give her yet another reason to collect and save a series of postcards. I send a postcard each week to she and her buds, for no other reason than to brighten their mailbox at least one in the week and remind then that they are being thought of back home. Here is the next installment of the collection.

The campus had “parent weekend” and this card was sent to encourage the girls to decorate and clean up their dorm rooms for their peeps.

Shortly after the school year gets underway, the college invites surrounding academies to bring their seniors to the campus for a few days of college life. It’s a great form of recruiting and gives the kids a chance to see their friends from the school they just graduated from last spring. There is no better recruiting tool than a bunch of students telling their friend about the wonderful college they are now attending. Go Union! Or better yet, come to Union!

A little guidance for the girls in college: 3 keys to success—1. be safe, 2. be sweet, 3. be smart

I am a big advocate of learning about trees, leaves in particular and being able to recognize their traits. I uses to try to teach my kids this every autumn when we would collect beautiful fall leaves and press and preserve them. Now, I’m trying to get the college kids to learn them, incase they didn’t get that course in grade school and won’t likely in college.

You can never be too old to enjoy halloween and yes even trick-or-treating. I expect the kids found a neighborhood to infiltrate or at least had fun in the dorm going door to door. I think my daughter probably dressed as a cat, which was also the first costume I put her in when she was only four months old. I remember her cat-costuming at least two other times in the past. Well, I guess you can’t teach an old dog, or in this case a cat new tricks-or-treats!

Monsieur Noir le Chat

2010-10-28T11:16:00.006-05:00

We just got a kitten in time for Halloween, but he is not a cat noir and I don’t think he is French. He is a cute gray tabby, full of mischief, about three months old. He accompanies me to the studio each day and flip-flops (literally) between unruly frolicking and drop dead exhaustion. My keyboard seems to be the favorite place for those exhaustive bouts of slumber and the ultimate kitty toy for playtime. Well, actually, it’s the computer mouse he finds to be the toy of desire, as if he believes it to be the real thing. Hummm.

As I write, his little face is resting on the numbers of the keyboard. So, unless I start a career in accounting, I think I’m okay with this new arrangement. Liking it so far, anyway.

As to the art above, I suppose it is a bit like “life imitating art.” Oh, or is my art imitating life? Well, none the less as Halloween approaches I have a new little model to encourage creativity for the season. Who knows, maybe my next holiday collection will be Christmas Kitty :)