Hello 2018

Happy new year to all! Can you believe it’s already 2018?! Now is the time to look back on our accomplishments in 2017 and plan for the year ahead. Well, for the new year I’ve decided to share a fun graphic design piece with you all. I haven’t done much graphic design recently, so it felt good to start doodling again! I also have a few new year’s resolutions that I hope I’ll be able to carry out this year:

1. Don’t procrastinate
2. Think outside the box
3. Post more often
4. Believe in your abilities

What are your new year’s resolutions? Thanks for stopping by!

Quotedown to World Art Day

Well, here’s a random idea! April 15th is World Art Day, which was established by the International Association of Art in honor of the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci. So, to celebrate the advent of this holiday, I decided to create a DIY “quotedown” to keep track of the remaining 6 days. And you can do it too—for any holiday you’d like!

Materials

• 2.25″ by 3.5″ coin envelopes
• Hole puncher
• String, twine, or cord
• Paper
• Quotes
• Marker

Steps

1. Punch 2 holes near the bottom of each coin envelope. Try your best to make sure they’re in the same spot every time; I lined the envelopes up to see where I’d placed holes previously. After laying the coin envelopes in a pile, slip the string through the holes and tie a knot.
2. Cut out six 2″ by 2.75″ pieces of paper. Write one quote on each slip of paper (I gathered up my favorite Leonardo da Vinci quotes, of course!) and insert the quotes into the coin envelopes.
3. Finally, write the date of opening on the flap of every coin envelope, and to make it more festive, decorate the front!

My quotes for the occasion:

The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.

Leonardo da Vinci

Art is never finished, only abandoned.

Leonardo da Vinci

Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it.

Leonardo da Vinci

All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.

Leonardo da Vinci

Every action needs to be prompted by a motive.

Leonardo da Vinci

Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.

Leonardo da Vinci

Paper Christmas Tree

I got this fantastic idea from Pinterest, and made some as decorations for the holiday season. Even though it took a while, it was definitely worth it.

Materials

• Paper
• Scissors
• String
• Glue
• Ruler, compass, and protractor (or Turtledesk template)

Steps

1. Cut out 13-14 circles varying in size (however, if you are planning to make this project, you can use however many you need). My biggest circle ended up being approximately 3 inches wide, while my smallest circle was approximately 1 inch wide.
2. Make 12 cuts per circle, about halfway toward the center of the circle (if you are using the template, cut to the line). Make sure they are equal distance apart; otherwise, the leaves will be uneven.
3. Curl the leaves inward. This step took the longest for me. Toward the end, the circles were so small I ended up using a wire bender/clamp to do this. I was originally going to use glue or tape to hold the cones together; however, I soon found that if the paper was thick enough (I used cardstock), it would hold pretty well without any adhesive materials.
4. Finally, glue a paper cone, or even better, a lucky star on top. Instructions for making a lucky star can be found here. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays

The year ends in barely 6 days. I designed this as a way to honor 2016 and our accomplishments throughout the year. In order to create the trees, I combined a triangle and an elipse. I decorated the background with panels of “wood,” using soft colors that went together well (green, white, and light brown). Happy holidays, and best wishes for 2017!