MY INNER MARTHA
Craft-related crap, goofy tips, over-achieving designer daddy activities
Eggceptionally crafty
I had originally planned to make a more traditional Easter bunny for JJ using a real, blown-out egg. I’ve done these in the past, and while not as fancy as Martha’s, still turned out pretty nice. Yet on further thought, I decided putting a hollowed out eggshell in the hands of a 2 year old would just be a craft disaster waiting to happen.
But then I saw some over-sized plastic eggs, thought of JJ’s obsession with love of superheroes, and a new idea was hatched. I had intended to make something from all six eggs in the set I bought, but alas only finished one. Still, I’m proud to present… Aquabunny Egg!
Aquabunny chats tubside with the other plastic creatures of the deep.
I was really happy with how it turned out, but upon even further thought, decided to wait and give it to JJ next year, as it’s still pretty delicate for his grabby hands. Plus it looks awfully cool on the shelf with the rest of my Aquaman stuff. Or maybe I’ll mass produce them and sell them on Etsy… any takers?
Aquabunny keeps watch from his perch atop the soap dish.
And in case you’re curious…
Materials: plastic egg (I paired a green bottom with an orange top), foam sheets cut out to create the ears, feet and “A” symbol, pompoms for the nose and tail, googly eyes (for the eyes, duh), and dental floss for the whiskers. After trying Elmer’s and Krazy, found hot glue to be the most effective in holding all these disparate textures together.
Pre-DD: Nutcracker… Sweet!
In addition to parlaying my last name (Almond) into my business name (Design Nut), I’ve had a long and storied past with another famous nut…
My nutcracker connection (not to be confused with my Rainbow Connection) dates back to 3rd grade, when I was cast as the narrator of our class production of The Nutcracker Suite. I remember spending some serious time practicing the pronunciation of “Tchaikovsky,” and then being crestfallen when I came down with the chickenpox. Fortunately I was still able to perform my narratorial duties from the side of the stage, far away from the other kids. The show must go on, even in elementary school.
Fast-forward a couple of decades to my first year in business for myself. I was hired by the Kennedy Center to do some illustrations for children’s products being sold in conjunction with that year’s performance of The Nutcracker. Graphics of the Nutcracker Prince, Clara and the Rat King were printed on tee shirts, caps and tote bags, and garnered several design awards, including inclusion in Print’s 2003 Regional Design Annual.
Subsequently, I turned the illustration of the Nutcracker into my holiday card, carrying the theme even further into the nifty client gift shown above.
That same year we started collecting Nutcrackers (beginning with some of the leftover client gifts) to display during the holidays. We now own a couple dozen, including a set of Nutcracker-themed matryoshka dolls, a pair purchased on a trip to Germany, and a 3-foot tall patriotic Santa nutcracker won in a raffle.
Then last year I was again cast in a rendition of the famous ballet. Our chorus’ production was entitled “Men in Tights: A Pink Nutcracker” and starred Clarence instead of Clara, and yours truly as the Sugar Plum Fairy. It was pretty much the most fun I’ve ever had on stage, except for almost twisting my ankle in my measly 1-inch heels. Big props to you ladies — I don’t know how you do it. And yes, those are cupcakes on my shoes.
Advent In An Hour: Dec 22
Some of the most fun I’ve had over the last 10 years — both professionally and personally — has been designing my own Holiday cards. They’ve allowed me complete creative freedom, as well as the challenge of creating something to both promote my business and send personal greetings. Maybe someday I’ll show them all off here…
However, this was the first year I sent an e-card for my business in addition to a printed personal card. And with all of the bad news the postal service is getting lately, I hope I didn’t contribute to their demise too much.
I was very pleased with my inaugural e-card, as well as one I did for one of my clients. I felt like I was the director of a mini movie – coordinating the colors, shapes, motion and music to form a quick, yet engaging online card.
While the e-cards were a blast to make, I doubt I’ll ever stop designing and sending printed cards altogether. In addition to being a creative outlet for me, it’s a way to feel more personally connected with the recipients.
It’s so easy nowadays to “connect” with someone anywhere in the world, whether it’s with a call, email, text, tweet, post, like or poke. So the process of choosing/creating a card, writing a message (at least sign the inside… unsigned Christmas cards are as impersonal as any e-card, if not more), putting it in an envelope, addressing and stamping it, then putting it in the mail seems over-the-top in comparison. It becomes more than a chore or a tradition, but a true gesture.
Getting crafty with Christmas cards
I’ll admit right up front that I don’t know if I came up with this idea or if I got it from Martha. But I’ve been doing it for the last seven or eight years, so let’s just say I invented it… cool?
The problem: how to display your Holiday cards in a fun and festive manner that doesn’t clutter up your already immaculately decorated home. Most design magazines and sites offer solutions for this, but they only look good if you get about 5 cards.
The solution: Door Decor!
Supplies needed:
- 2″ wide ribbon, 25-28 feet long
- thumbtacks or staple gun
- jingle bells or non-breakable ornaments (4)
- paper clips
Instructions:
1. To measure how much you’ll need, roll the ribbon up one side and down the other of the door you plan to use. Allow for a few extra inches at each end to attach the bell or ornament.
2. Tie bell or ornament to each end of the ribbon — this helps weigh the ribbon down until it’s covered in cards.
3. Drape ribbon over the door and tack or staple on top of door.
4. Attach cards to ribbon with paper clips. There are a huge variety of paper clips these days: round, star shaped, colored. But plain old silver works just fine, too.
I used to put bells at the bottom, which made for a nice jingle every time we opened or closed the door. But with a sleeping baby toddler nearby we replaced them with quieter (but more sparkly!) snowflake ornaments.
I’d recommend a door that doesn’t get a ton of use (so not the front door). We used the one to our upstairs, which stays closed when JJ’s awake and open when he’s in bed. So we put the cards with photos of kids and animals on the side he sees more often.
Feel free to share any card-displaying ideas you’ve found helpful!
The Mural Project: Mission Accomplished!
Here it is, the finished mural on JJ’s bedroom wall! And not only did I finish painting, but I also hung everything back on the wall (including a couple of new things), put together a mobile, and hung that and a few other mobile-y type things from the ceiling. Needless to say, my back was not in top form during JJ’s party the next day. But that’s why God made Advil, rum, and husbands.
It’s hard to get a great panoramic view of the room (it’s pretty small) but the mural is mostly in one corner, with a bit spilling onto the ceiling and above the windows on either side.
No, we’re not Hasidic Jews
Yes, we got asked if we were Hasidic Jews last night by an annoying (and drunk, maybe?) passerby as we were heading to our neighborhood Halloween block party. We also got asked if we were some sort of Two and a Half Men thing. The cutest was overhearing a little girl behind us asking her mom if we were related. Unfortunately her mom said, “I think they’re just friends.”
I guess it would have been clearer had we ALL been wearing not only tuxes and matching top hats and red bowties, but also beaks and giant yellow feet. Maybe I’ll have more time to be crafty next year, but I doubt it. JJ’s birthday is next week, and I can only fit in so much craftiness in such a short span of time. Hey, I did add the red ribbons to our grownup hats.
So in case it wasn’t clear, we’re penguins. Inspired (partially) by one of our favorite family books, And Tango Makes Three. This equally adorable and controversial book is about two (real) male penguins in the Central Park Zoo who hatched and raised a baby penguin together. It’s a must for any same-sex parent household, as well as for any family with a kid who loves penguins (so yeah, all of them). There was also a funny episode of Parks and Recreation spoofing/celebrating the whole “Gay Penguins” phenomenon.
But mostly we were inspired by how awesomely cute JJ is in a penguin costume. And luckily he didn’t seem to mind wearing it.
You can't hear him, but he's saying (and doing) "Waddle, waddle, waddle!"
So what did your kiddos (or you) dress as for Halloween? Please share photos — would love to see ‘em! And to all you seasoned parents out there, I’m also curious how long your kids let you choose their costume. I know it won’t be long before JJ makes the jump from happily dressing up in whatever cutesy animal suit Daddy picks out to demanding to be Jango Fett, Optimus Prime, or -shudder- a Wiggle.
The Mural Project: Coming down to the line…
…and the dot and the swirl and the squiggle.
My goal (well, my latest goal — there have been several) was to have Jon’s mural done by his second birthday. Or more importantly, his second birthday party. Which is exactly 10 days away. Zoinks.
I have made some progress, which is posted below. Let me know what you think, and please continue to cheer me on. The end is in sight! Let’s just hope I don’t go crazy and — as I’m prone to do — overdo it. No “undo” command on this bad boy.
Before dots, my go-to design element was the "swirl." It was all the rage in the 90s.
Look, the dots have grown stems!
A wider shot — Jon was quite excited about all the new "gween."
Lord willing (and the creek don’t rise), I’ll be back here in 10 days, posting pics of the final product!
The Mural Project: Meanwhile…
Okay, so it’s been embarrassingly forever since I’ve either posted about or worked on the mural for JJ’s wall. I had shot photos of the room, taken down what was hanging on the wall, and even purchased paint. But several weeks later I realized I was never, EVER going to get anything done on the weekend because JJ’s either a) asleep in his room or b) running around needing to be corralled. I was ready to throw in the brush and declare myself an unfit Designer Daddy…
But then Papa had the idea to let JJ nap upstairs in his pack-n-play. And there ya go, I had the time to get some painting done. Take a gander at a few photos of my “progress.”
You can never go wrong with a few colored polka dots
If you’ve seen this blog (which you have) or the site for my day job, or quite a few other things I’ve worked on, you can tell I like me some dots. Polka dots seem to cycle in and out of vogue, but I’ve been a fan from way back. Comic books, pop art, TV screens — some of my favorite things at their root are made up of polka dots.
By the way, I gotta give Martha props on her awesome Specialty Sponges. Great for all your polka-dotting needs.
The changing table doubles as a handy paint-mixing station.
And it’s more than kind of intentional that I’m using JJ’s three favorite colors: “bwoo”, “gwee”, and “puh-pah.” Is there anything in this world cuter than toddler-speak? Pwobawy not.
Can you tell I'm making this up on the fly? There is a (loose) plan, I swear.
And what did JJ think of his room now that it’s covered in what looks like Candy Pox? His exact words were “WOOOOWWWW. Bubbles!” I’d say that was about the most rewarding critique I’ve ever gotten.
More to come…
The mural project
Since before JJ was born, I’ve had grand fantasies of introducing him to all kinds of art and culture at an early age. One of the more ambitious dreams was to paint a mural on his nursery wall. I have a maniacally crafty friend who had painted a cloud fresco on her son’s ceiling, as well as various fantastical creatures on the walls and even the furniture (photos to come) — so I had that inspiring/intimidating me. And of course there’s this wondrous monstrosity:
Yet here we are 15 months later, and nary a brush stroke has been made. So I thought I’d share the process with everyone here for two reasons: 1) So that others could learn from and be entertained by my mistakes, and 2) To hold myself accountable to actually getting it done.
JJ’s first birthday: 1 singluar sensation!
What can I say, I’m an over-achieving Designer Daddy (and Broadway fan)…
Plus, as a client I’m pretty lenient on creative freedom and budget — especially when it comes to JJ-related projects. So I pulled out all the stops on his first birthday party invitation, having a custom die made (which necessitated offset printing, as opposed to the vastly less-expensive digital option) and applying all the fun doodads by hand. As a way to justify some of the printing expense, I purchased the die, with grand hopes of designing/printing/selling “#1″ cards sometime in the future. Advance orders, anyone?