kirstencan

Gocco - P.S.

I have to admit that it's easier to get out the Gocco while Thomas is at kindergarten!  I generally only print at night, after the kiddos are in bed.  But I had the itch to print during the day (the keys) and the two remaining were super interested in the whole process - and each had to make their own print.  Monkey is SO proud of his very own gocco card.

And here's how nerdy I am - I thought that the paper towels I used to clean the key screen looked really cool.

I haven't thrown them away yet.

I also like how the layer upon layer test prints look.

Yep.  A gocco nerd.

Write Back! Gocco Swap

I was so exited to sign up for the 'art of the note' Gocco card swap hosted by Sarah over at cloth.paper.string.  This was my contribution:

This is always what I would like to say when I send someone a card or letter - that's not just me, right? :) I printed some on a mustard cardstock and some on olive. 

Here are my ten bundles of cards - now off to the post office!

P.S.  There's one set of Olive cards in the shop (sold) - and I'm on Poppytalk today!

(mine)

New Gocco print ideas - so many ideas, so little time (and supplies!).  I am in love with my Moleskine notebook that Erin sent me - and I thought it would be cool to try printing on them. 

These are the little pocket-sized ones.

Nice to keep tucked in your purse.

And while I had a screen inked...
I've been wanting to print on index cards - such a fun look!  Inspired by Treatzone's cool cards.  These will be giveaways for future shop orders.

And some notecards.  The 'mine' idea was kind of specific to the notebook - like 'This is MY notebook - keep out.'  I don't know what it 'means' on cards - but I like the design all the same.  I also made some on orange cards, too.

I'm hoping to get some up in the shop today or tomorrow done!

Gifts

We were lucky that both sets of Grandparents could come to Princess' baptism.  Aaron's parents came from out of state.  While she was here - his mom asked if I wanted this quilt - she makes models for a quilt shop.  But if I didn't like it, it was okay.

Um, yeah, I love it!  Lots of the 'peas and carrots' prints and just so fun - check out the bias-striped binding!  Even the backing is gorgeous.  Monkey insisted on sleeping with it one night - it was my MIL's idea to put it in the playroom, and I think it's so fun there - especially after moving the rocker downstairs.

(You can see more of my MIL's quilts here, here, and here).

My SIL came with her family and brought me her old sewing machine - yay!  Maybe I shouldn't say this, but it's much nicer than Stanley.  Hmm, she'll need a name....   Can't wait to try her out, but first I've gotta make some room to move around my bedroom/craft room so that I can actually put it on the sewing table!

They didn't leave empty handed, one of the things for my MIL  were these notecards + matching waterlily envelopes.  She wanted to see how my gocco printer worked.

Any excuse to break out the gocco!

More Gocco Love

For my mom, for Mother's Day:

I made her some personalized flat cards.  It was fun to play with the pink ink on navy paper.

A week or two ago I was trying to make some Thank you cards  - and the screen didn't burn correctly - see the faded patches in the middle?

Frustrating - but I have a couple ideas as to what caused that, so it's all good.
And I reused my flower screen - they are worth cleaning after all! ;)

In Honor of my 417th Post

(psst - that means a giveaway...)

My box o' gocco supplies arrived this weekend - so I had to test them out, right? ;)

I made a stack of birthday cards.  Just silly ones.

I think Aaron got me the gocco in hopes I'd do more 'artsy' stuff rather than 'cutesy' - and there are some artsy ideas brewing, for sure - but as I told him, I had this silly cake doodle card in my head and I had to let it out.  It wouldn't leave me alone, I swear.

The cake + text is drawn, the banner and scallop at the bottom was cut paper that I photocopied.

And now I have a handy stack of cards to give for people's birthdays - assuming I remember to send them out...

So, just some fun, silly cards, and since it's been 100 posts since my last giveaway - let's have another!

I have two sets of five of these hand printed birthday cards to give away!

Just leave a comment on this post, and I'll draw two names later this week.  Probably Friday.

Just a little thank you for reading my blog - thanks especially for commenting!

p.s. I'm updating my Masterpiece post - my opinion on Sense & Sensibility

K is for Kirsten

Last night I broke out my Gocco again.

Just a little monogram I doodled - I like how it turned out.  This particular K isn't taking itself too seriously.

I printed a few notecards (and envelopes - I can't help it!) and a lot of flat cards.  I had a stack of cardstock in different textures, which was fun to play with.  I think I may need one of those corner-rounder punch thingies.

And now, apparently, I need to sit down and write some letters... or find more people whose names begin with K....

Gocco rhymes with Loco

First off - thanks so much for all the birthday comments and emails!  They helped make my day awesome.  Really, I had such a great day. 

You know how some birthdays are just 'days', but yesterday was a good birthday, it really was 'my' day.  I had lots of phone calls and emails from siblings and friends, dinner out with Aaron, yummy dessert, awesome gifts, time to craft... even Thomas' teacher backpedaled from the inevitable fight we were approaching, has changed her attitude towards his goals completely and is now 'on my side' - seemingly, but I'll take it!  A great day.

********
So, Aaron scores more points for being able to speak Japanese (also for recommending Emma and Anne of Green Gables on DVD as gifts from my parents - and they got me two versions of Emma!).  Anyhoo - Aaron speaks Japanese and I was watching the video that came with my Gocco - all in Japanese, but I was just double-checking the process before I started.  They came to some kind of warning - with exclamation marks and such - and I called him in to tell me what they were saying. "They just don't want you to smash your fingers inside the machine."  Oh.  Gotcha.

Alright, so for my first-ever Gocco print, I decided to sew a flower on felt (like my brooches) and photocopy it.  Then I drew over that some with the Gocco carbon pen.  So, just kind of a little doodle.

I decided to go for the red ink - with some random black patches.

Behold, my first print!

I had fun experimenting on different blues (cardstock) and some cream colored cards.

Then, I decided that the cards looked better with two flowers...  I played with placing the second flower in different directions. Some of them have the vines intertwined.

Soon, there were flowers everywhere... SO much fun!

As I went along, the red and black combined more - which I really liked.

And then, because I was ready to stop the cards, but I still had ink and wanted to see how far it would go - I printed on the envelopes!

Some cards turned out better than others, some are 'mistakes' that will be cut up for collages or gift tags.  Some have a couple of little ink splotches on them. All are awesome. I learned a lot, and will be printing again, soon!  (Next up, birthday cards).

My hands were covered with ink after cleaning the screen - just like the old days - ahhh!  And I listened to some Radiohead while I was printing.

Did I mention how much fun I had? ;)

Playroom - details

**Updated - check out our new floor!**

I wanted to show you a better look at the mobile I made for the playroom:

I painted an embroidery hoop red, and cut out lots and lots of circles (3 different sizes) from vintage children's books.

Everything is hung with red/white baker's twine.

It moves and sways a little with the slightest breeze, and I like how each circle is really different and fun.  Fun to make, more fun to look at! It really matches the decoupaged bookcase it's hung by too.

Another picture I have hanging is a shot of the three kids in front of Thomas (from this year's Day Out With..).  I actually can't believe how well it came out.  I found some semi-subtle Thomas scrapbook paper to back it with.

I covered all the outlet covers and lightswitches in fabric:  Dick and Jane or a stripe I used in the bunting.

Here's a better shot of our... art/picture hanger thingy.

Basically, I found a piece of wood in the garage, hot-glued wooden clothespins to them, and then painted the whole thing red (same color as the bookcase ).  Easy.  I tried hanging it horizontally, but the papers on top flopped over too much.  But vertically works well!  I like having a place to hang the kids latest coloring, or photos of the cousins.

The best thing is, since you know I'm a total cheapskate - none of this cost much!  Some cost nothing.  Woo hoo!

It's all in the details.