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
Beautiful vintage maps converted to edging grey scale overlays for 12x12" paper designs.
Ready to use overlays, with blend modes they melt into your paper background making them a perfect addition to your junk journal or scrapbooking project.
Sized at 6" tall in print resolution on a transparent background they'll work well in any paper craft design.
Happy Crafting
Shawnna
Beautiful vintage graphics that have been scanned, upsized and converted to black only on a transparent background.
Ready to use overlays, with blend modes they melt into your paper background making them a perfect addition to your junk journal or scrapbooking project.
Sized at 6" tall in print resolution on a transparent background they'll work well in any paper craft design.
Happy Crafting
Shawnna
Get ready to soar with these vintage design hot air balloons!
Ready to use with blend modes so that they melt into your paper background making them a perfect addition to your junk journal or scrapbooking project.
Sized at 8" in print resolution on a transparent background they'll work well in any paper craft design.
Happy Crafting
Shawnna
After selling my templates exclusively on Etsy for 6 years I have finally launched my own store front and best of all it comes with a built in affiliate program!
So why now and why did it take so long to get my shop setup? I've been an Ety seller since 2008 with my other shop Lovelytocu (now closed on Etsy). When I started Terrific Templates it was side avenue income and I really didn't give things my full attention until a few years in.
Today, Terrific Templates is my primary product line and I am just loving the niches and product types that I'm working with everyday. Because it has my full attention now I'm playing catch-up and putting in place all.the.things that are really beneficial for any business to have/do.
Etsy has also changed a lot over the past 4 years and its never been more important for online sellers to have their own space online that is not controlled by greedy over-lords.
I'm really happy to have found a shopping cart provider that works for my needs and I'm finally able to offer additional payment methods than just paypal (my Etsy shop only offers Paypal). I'm using Payhip here and so far everything is working really well, I hope you'll check it out!
Happy crafting
Shawnna
Because I've been engrossed with junk journaling lately my font requirements took a different turn last year as I sought out more complex and antique looking choices.
Really good quality fonts loaded with glyphs can usually cost quite a lot. But being the frugally minded designer that I am I try to seek out resources that a bit more budget friendly. Which is why I'm sharing the gold mine of resources I found on Creative Fabrica.
Ok, so if you're in the know already CF isn't exactly a secret. I'm way late to the party. But I wanted to highlight the site specifically for fonts. Because in certain circles, CF is getting a bit of a bad rap as THE place where unscrupulous POD sellers are downloading mass amounts of graphics to upload product en masse to sites like Etsy. It's also filled with loads of low quality AI graphics.
However, the font selection is fantastic. And with the subscription price being incredibly low it's worth it just for the fonts.
The font featured above is one of my favourites - The Victorian. Here are a few more choices that I've been playing with lately.
Happy Crafting
Shawnna
please note :: I often recommend resources I love, some I receive an affiliate commission for at no additional cost to you, but all are resources that I personally use. I am not otherwise paid to promote.
Back in late 2022 I wrote a post about a particular con that was
proliferating on Etsy that had to do with scammers diverting customers
away from Etsy to their own fake websites for the suspected intent of
harvesting customer data while under the guise of selling copyright and
trademarked digital graphics.
Thankfully, Etsy seems to have finally managed to get this particular ruse more or less under control.
Unfortunately, Etsy accounts continued to be taken over by 'hackers'. Most of the affected accounts are shops that aren't currently active allowing for the hackers to get up to mischief using the account without the original shop owner noticing for quite some time.
This particular problem has been going on for a few years but ramped up more significantly in 2022-2023.
Etsy is finally taking some action to protect the platform and sellers from this by setting a time-frame for closing inactive shop accounts. But only for shops that have been inactive for 4+ years - and by inactive they are referring to whether the account has been logged into or not. Personally I think they should be a bit more robust with this given that cyber crimes are rising exponentially.
My advice for anyone who has paused their Etsy shop for any length of time would be to keep a close eye on it. And everyone should ensure that they are using strong passwords as well as the two factor authentication option. Because Etsy has been a security risk of late I've made sure to use a unique password for my account, one that is not used anywhere else. (a lot of 'hacked' shops were likely accessed through stolen data via scams such as that mentioned above)
If you've been paying any attention at all you're probably also aware of the mass proliferation of scam messages being sent through Etsy's internal convo system. Because this internal messaging system is not setup with the same robust programming as actual email it was a very soft target that has had a huge impact on unsuspecting sellers.
Scammers are still targeting new seller accounts pretending to be Etsy asking for account verifcation. I'm not going to go into all the details of each version this has propagated as there are just too many. You can find very specific details in the Etsy forum simply by searching for the word 'scam'. How this generally works though is that the scammer, pretending to be Etsy, scares the brand new shop owner into thinking there is a problem or that they need to take a particular action to keep their account open. They direct the seller off of Etsy through cleverly cloaked pages and one way or another convince the seller to willingly hand over money on the basis of a verification process.
So many people have come forward admitting to be caught out by this and being taken for hundreds of dollars. It's both sad and scary. A terrible lesson to learn the hard way and probably devastating for those affected.
Etsy has been taking measures to slow the
scammers down although they have yet to eliminate the problem
altogether. While it did take them longer than anyone would have liked
to proactively deal with the situation, they are currently testing
several measures to assist sellers in identifying scam messages, while
also dealing with the scammers directly.
One of the more useful changes Etsy has made to help us out is to label messages that are coming from a buyer account - a message pretending to be Etsy labelled as "from a buyer" is therefore obviously a scam. They are also ensuring that any legit messages from Etsy can be cross referenced for authenticity by looking for it in the new 'From Etsy' folder in your message portal via the website (it's not currently available via the app).
There are two key pieces of advice for anyone unsure of the messages coming into their Etsy inbox. The first is - don't panic! This is exactly what the scammers are trying to get you to do so that you make poor decisions without thinking things through. Press pause on your reactions to any message and stop to think it through, nothing is going to blowup on you in the 10 minutes it might take for you to assess the situation!
The second piece of advice is this... no platform, anywhere, regardless of what it is, will have you go off their site to complete any actions. Any requirements you might need to take for verification or otherwise will be shown directly in your account dashboard right on the site in question. Etsy is no different in this regard than any other platform - this is standard security. If you get a message about a problem with an order - go to the order tab in your account - if there is legitimately a problem it WILL show up there.
This is the same for any banking or identity verification - on any site - that request will appear right in your account dashboard. If it doesn't, it's most likely not real. If ever a platform is using a third party (Etsy uses third parties for the actual verification process) that information will be provided in your account dashboard. It will not be a surprise! And it will be integrated into the site's pages directly, not sent via a message where you click a link to somewhere else.
ALWAYS check inside your account for information to verify the validity of the request.
And if you are still confused or worried, reach out in a forum to ask others for input :)
Creating free printables for your blog or email list is a fantastic content strategy that offers value to your audience while boosting your audience engagement and reach.
The most common choice of free printables might range from planners and checklists to worksheets and decorative art, but you are only limited by your imagination for what is possible to offer.
Always keep in mind the niche you serve and generate free content that your audience will appreciate. By providing these resources for free, you establish yourself as a generous and knowledgeable, fostering trust and loyalty among your followers.
Coming up with ideas for free content is one thing, actually making the content is quite another. If you are a non-designer or just a complete beginner it might feel a bit daunting or time consuming to get started and offering free content on a regular basis may seem like an extra burden. But there are ways to streamline things and make it super quick and easy to do.
I've been designing templates for the past 10 years. And while the templates themselves have always made the job easier for non-designers the technical challenge was still very real for many beginners.
With tools like Canva and generative AI though, the playing field has evened out a bit and now most people can be a 'designer' with ease. So making free content to give away to your audience should be a breeze. Or is it? As a professional with loads of experience it's sometimes hard to know where the sticking points are for beginners. Drop a comment below and let me know what you struggle with most when trying to create digital printables.
I think templates are just as useful today as they ever have been and I have a comprehensive bundle for whipping up fun printables with ease. With every size of circle, square, oval or rectangle you can make stickers, labels, atc cards, craft supplies, bookmarks, gift tags or business media. And I offer a range of file formats that make app compatibility a breeze. Whether you want to work in Canva, Cricut or MS Word I've got you covered. And of course if you work in something like Adobe the templates save you setup time and all you have to do is insert your design.
Making free content really couldn't be easier! Checkout my beginner tutorials if you're technically challenged as the stencil template allows for easy design in any program with almost no skills required.
Visit my shop for even more great template ideas that will get you going with loads of free printable ideas for your audience!
Happy designing
Shawnna
These fun graphics are generated by AI to replicate the vintage victorian style. Combine them with grungy textures or creative overlays for fun additions to your junk journal or scrapbooking projects.
Happy crafting
Shawnna
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