DIY Anniversary Card

My parents are celebrating their 29th anniversary tomorrow.   Seeing as my husband and I don’t have a dollar to spare between us (sadly, I’m not exaggerating), we’ve been firmly instructed not to spend a dime on gifts.  But I just can’t let the occasion go unnoticed and a phone call or visit just doesn’t do enough justice, I decided to put my own spin on the most given gift of all – a simple greeting card.

I started by spending a few minutes browsing the greeting cards at the nearest retail store, snapping shots with my cell phone of my favorite sentiments.  Next, I scrounged through my scrapbook supplies for paper, a good pen, a few letter stickers and a good glue stick.  Armed with my borrowed ideas, I set to work, and here’s the result (left to right: front, first inside page, second inside page).

I’m quite happy with the finished product.  It’s admittedly more simple and less (for lack of a better word) cluttered than my usual creations, but I’m okay with that.  Can’t make it too fluffy when it’s a card for both parents.  I’ll let you know their reactions after I give them the card tomorrow.

Another addictive destination

My entry for the Solestruck contest (I'm not eligible to win but it was fun to create anyway!)

Thanks to my coworker and a contest our company is currently running (my entry is to the left!), I have discovered the eye-catching wonders and time-consuming addictiveness of a site called Polyvore.  Seriously, so cool.

One of my first attempts, entitled "So Many Shoes, Just Two Feet"

Basically, the site lets you create collages with images from online retailers or other websites.  Many fashion bloggers use it to create “outfits”, while other users simply create artistic statements.  Also, each image on the collage (known as a “set” in Polyvore-ese) links back to the originating site.  So if you’re browsing and see a pair of shoes you just have to have, you can click on them to get more information and figure out where to buy (like the ones at the right … I actually own every pair!).

An ode to my upcoming wedding

Now, I’ve always been an artistically minded person if I do say so myself … I have a giant box of childhood artwork, self-illustrated books and journals in my attic … so naturally I was drawn (please pardon the pun) to Polyvore’s unique features almost immediately .   My creations aren’t much like the standard fare, but hey, I kinda like it that way.

Shoe giveaway at Solevoice!

Remember those cute “color by numbers” books you used to have as a kid? I loved those! And now Vans has come out with a new pattern for their classic slip-on style that brings back those fond memories.

Vans Classic Slip-on: Paint by Numbers

Just like that beloved art style, the shoes feature an outlined drawing, each section numbered one through six.  When photographing the shoe for our site, my coworker Danielle had the brilliant thought to host a contest based on that very idea!

Here’s the deal: 1) Download the black-and-white “coloring book” image of the shoe from Flickr page. 2) Color it using MS Paint or Photoshop, or print it out and use crayons … whatever floats your boat.  3) Send a .JPG image (either the picture file, a scan or a photo of the colored print) along with your name and email address to danielle@solevoice.com.  One lucky submitter will be randomly selected to win a free pair!

The deadline is 5 p.m. PST on Monday, August 4, so you’ve got a little time.  I’ve already sent in my own submission (even though as an employee I’m not eligible … it was still tons of fun!)  Visit this Flickr set to see all the entries so far.