I'm thinking ahead with these beautiful birds that would be so lovely included in Christmas or Valentine designs.
Incredibly I generated these using AI and I am so delighted with the authentic vintage quality they have, can you identify them as AI generated?
I hope you love them as much as I do and I hope you have fun using these in your designs!
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Happy Crafting
Shawnna
Today's design inspiration is a set of vintage fashion bookmarks that are easy to make in four simple steps.
This is an inspirational guide and not a tutorial so while I will give you the break down of each step I won't be covering all of the in depth details - this will depend which software tool you are using. I'm using photoshop, if you don't have this you can always use the free online version Photopea.
I'll provide a list of the resources used at the bottom of this post.
Let's get started!
As mentioned already I made these pretty quickly in just four steps. The part that took the longest was actually choosing which digital resources I wanted to use and I chose 3 elements from my shop for the design as well as the bookmark template. You'll find those links down below.
Step 1: I applied an abstract watercolor background to each bookmark using the clipping mask. I used just one paper but positioned it differently on each so they match but aren't identical.
Step 2: Next I added a vignette edge to the bookmark shape. In photoshop I like to use the inner glow style tool with adjusted settings that add a nice uniform blur edge. I've included a screenshot of my settings for that below.
Step 3: For some added detail I picked out a set of flower overlays, changing them from black to white with an opacity of 40% and applied with the clipping mask on top of the background paper.
Step 4: Finally, I added the main element, a series of vintage fashion graphics from the 1940s. I used the clipping mask again and used the multiply blend mode to merge them more into the other layers. This removed all the white parts of the graphics and gives it a really nice look.
And that's it. Just save, print and cutout.
Here's a visual of each of the above steps as they were applied:
And here is a screenshot of the inner glow settings I used:
All of the resources used are available in my shop:
Feel free to swipe this idea for yourself and have fun making your own bookmarks or other printables!
Shawnna
Enjoy these lovely vintage clipart graphics that feature 1940s fashion. All 6 illustrations are saved as PNG with transparent backgrounds at roughly 7-8" tall.
These vintage graphics were scanned from old catalogues so they may contain imperfections, just a part of the charm of old images.
I hope you have fun using these in your designs!
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Happy Crafting
Shawnna
I offer all of my overlay designs in solid black, which can be great when using blend modes and it often works quite well. In other circumstances though you may want a different look or you may not have blend modes available (like in Canva).
In this tutorial I will show you how to change the color of an overlay for saving as a new PNG (to import into Canva for example) or to continue using it in Photopea for your design work.
Please
bear in mind, there are many ways to use the tools in Photopea and I am
showing just one method here. This is what I consider to be the easiest
beginner choice but it is not the only method. Use the same steps in Photoshop as well.
To begin open Photopea in your web browser and either drag and drop your file onto the screen or select 'Open from Computer' to open your file. For this example I'm using an edging frame overlay.
Step 1:
With your file open and ready to edit, double click on the layer box in the layers panel in the bottom right of the screen. This will open the layer styles pop up box with a list of effect options, click 'color overlay'.
Step 2.
To change the color you need to click on the little color box next to 100%. Another pop box will allow you to choose the color you to apply and makes changes in real time as you move the cursor so that you can see what it will look like. Once you are happy with your choice click ok to exit from both pop up panels.
Step 3.
At this point if you are done and just want to save the edit as a new PNG file, go to 'File' in the top menu bar (top left corner) and select 'Export As' and choose PNG. Click 'Save' and the file will automatically download to the downloads folder on your device.
If you wish to continue working on a design move on to Step 4.
Step 4.
In order to effectively use overlays that have been color changed while working on a design there is one last quick step to do in order to be able to use blend modes with the new color. If you aren't using blend modes then you don't need to do this step.
Right click on the layer box in the layers panel to bring up a menu box and look for the option to 'rasterize layer styles'. Just click this to make the layer available for any new layer styles or blends. That's it, super quick. You can do this as many times as you need without degrading the file.
That's it! Job done. Use this technique wherever you are applying overlays or black line graphics to change how they look or how they interact with different effects like opacity or blend modes.
Happy designing
Shawnna
When you talk about handmade online you really can't get away from Etsy being inserted into the conversation. They have dominated as the go to handmade marketplace for the past 18 years. But with a litany of issues to contend with (most of their own making) and sellers getting ever more disgruntled, it begs the question - what comes next?
For many years now Etsy sellers have railed against the choices being made at Etsy HQ, outraged at the lack of seller support, the fee increases and the blind eye to products that are not supposed to even be on the site.
Having been a seller myself on Etsy for the past 16 years, one thing that has become very clear to me is that Etsy is not what sellers want or expect it to be. Etsy has chosen a different path for itself that does not align well with the very ethos of the handmade movement or the artistic community. Etsy instead has become a soulless corporate machine that doesn't value the people or the products that make up its site. Despite what they may say to the contrary (because actions speak louder than words).
Last year I listened to Kara Buntin interview Jon Lincoln, the co-founder of Goimagine, and something struck a cord that really stood out to me as an 'ah-ha' moment. Goimagine is attempting to create exactly the kind of space that handmade sellers actually need and want - a space that will be dedicated to actual handmade but that will also be community driven with the support that both beginner and experienced sellers need in order to thrive. And they are committed to staying private while also donating profits to charity. Can we get a round of applause please!
But will they succeed?
You really need to listen for yourself to Jon talk about the company and their vision for the marketplace. It's truly inspiring. But as he explains quite plainly, the site will only succeed if makers embrace it and promote it the same way they did back in 2006 when Etsy was just getting started. If you want a better platform, you have to be part of the team, because you don't have a marketplace if you don't have sellers. And if you don't have sellers you won't have buyers.
Personally, I'm on board. But it took listening to the goimagine team to get there. I didn't look at the site and think yeah, this is the place. The site actually needs a little bit of work still and as a shopping destination its still pretty small. But I love the idea of it and I want it to succeed. It's a risk and a long term project but I'm happy to have my own storefront already setup and ready to go. You can visit me here.
(yes, the shop name is different - long story, same products :)
Right now what I really need for my goimagine shop to be successful is more digital sellers to join the platform so that buyers have a new digital shopping venue to source from - did I mention, no AI allowed!
If you're on the fence or unsure of dedicating your time to a platform that still has some growing to do, please do go and listen to Jon Lincoln talk about the marketplace. You might not be ready yet but if you or someone you know would like to trial the platform you can use my special referral code for a free month, just use it at signup. You do pay a flat monthly rate to have a shop, and there is an application process to be accepted but it's all very easy and affordable. CODE: DQYSCZ
If you have questions feel free to ask here and I'll do my best to point you in the right direction, but also, drop an email direct to goimagine - a real human will happily assist. Imagine that!
Happy crafting
Shawnna
These 6 letter size papers come from authentic vintage prints of catalogued seaweed varieties.
With added worn effects these papers are ready to go for your junk journal or paper craft projects. Use as is or add your own embellishments.
Sized at 8.5x11" in print resolution they'll work well in any paper craft design.
Happy Crafting
Shawnna
If you are looking to start a new business or add to your existing shop, ever popular digital paper designs make an excellent choice for a side income.
This starter bundle makes it super easy to get started right away with minimal software skills. The pattern work is done for you in these seamless repeating designs. Offering basic patterns such as stripes and polka dots you also get novelty and vintage style designs in this bundle of 624 paper overlays.
With an unlimited commercial use license you are free to make any finished paper design that does not compete with the original overlay to sell in your online shop or as freebies for your audience.
Design simply with solid color on color or use multi color combos using the selection tool to choose different areas of the design. Add textures, gradients or other patterns. Or add graphics for additional complexity. You are only limited by your imagination!
PNG files with transparent backgrounds are compatible with almost all design software but you'll want to use a platform that has the tools you need to do any of the above options. Unfortunately at this time Canva does not have the needed editing tools for this type of PNG file but I'm sure they will eventually expand that toolbox. In the meantime I recommend programs like Photoshop or the free online version Photopea.
I've made it super accessible for you to get started right away by pricing this bundle at an amazing 80% discount. You can learn more and add to cart exclusively in my shop here.
Happy designing!
Shawnna
