Vinyl Vinyl Vinyl!

Since I'm on a roll, I want to share some more pictures of vinyl I've done.  Moreso of our church door that was replaced and needed etching done, and then vinyl on my aunt's shower doors.

     This is the new door at my church.  I measured the cross on the other door for height and width, went home, drew it up on my computer and did a paper proof.  Took that paper proof back up to the church and held it up to make sure I was a match on the size of the cross.  Once the glass is etched, it's permanent. I did Not want to mess this project up... although, I'm sure I would have been forgiven.  So on the door is the vinyl to protect the surrounding class, I used the sticky transfer paper on the bottom to help protect the lower part of the door just in case my etching paste would drip.

 Here's the door all done and cleaned up.

 And here's the two doors.  My etching is on the left.  Maybe I should have cleaned the other door as well.  This was etched on the inside of the door, and it was a little tricky with the door handle.


Now for the shower doors!!!!  My aunt remodeled her bathroom and had clear glass doors installed, so as a Christmas gift to her, I did up a design for her approval or changes for what to put in vinyl, or directly etch on her glass shower doors.  She loved the design but didn't want it acid etched, but wanted it in vinyl.

close up of the 2 part vinyl. Red Roses
on Frosted Vinyl

Because of the size of my vinyl rolls, this project had to be in 4 pieces.
The bottom is 23" tall and the top is 16" tall all of the x 36" wide.
We used frosted vinyl to get the 'etched' look.
I had my mom sitting inside the shower helping me line it up and when I got the final ok from my aunt, I applied it from the outside.

I had made about 75 of these little red roses-not knowing how many I would end up using, and how many would have weeding errors.

Shower completed to how Donna wanted it.

 I'm dana ~ this is my blog

Damask Pattern

I wanted to post pictures of the Damask pattern I did for Nick & Bethany.  They are so creative, they used this same pattern in the girls' room and it's amazing looking!!  Love their room..  So as a personal touch for a baby gift for them, I asked Bethany if she would like to have their names in vinyl and she said yes.  So I went to her blog, found a picture of the damask pattern she used (since there are many many damask patterns) and I re-drew it.  It was quite time consuming on the drawing with the mouse and then time consuming when it came to the 'weeding' of the vinyl, but it looks awesome!!
I'll also post pictures of the designs I did for the girls too, that I think are really cool!

enjoy the pictures!

Damask cut, ready to be weeded. 

Damask - just starting the 'weeding"

getting closer...

half-way done

all done!  just needs the sticky transfer paper applied and it's ready!

With my machine, I can take out the blade and insert special markers to do paper-proofs.

Here are some designs I did for Bethany to choose from.

 The Winning designs!!!
This vinyl was 2 layers - used more with light sandblasting.  I peeled the 2nd layer off to reveal the 'greener' vinyl.  These stencils were then used to make silouette plaques. They turned out amazing!!!

 I'm Dana ~ this is my blog.

Headaches

I would love to blog today about how creative I was yesterday and amazingly astonishing on creativeness today, however HEADACHES damper that creativity.  I did have thoughts of creativity...but it was to rid myself of the pounding head, stiff neck and at times, the brightness of the room.  So here it is, Sunday afternoon, finally some control over the pounding and I need to do some projects.
As I go to my email (yes I send myself notes via email so I can remember some great ideas that I have....before I forget them) and in checking my email, I find that someone contacted me via a friend that saw the amazing transformation of a coffee table and she took the time to email  * smiles * what a great feeling to be part of a project with Nick & Bethany and the inspired creativity for them to do some of their own.  *smiles*  Isn't sharing fun!!!  Isn't creativity fun!!!  Love this!!!  oh the amazing internet, and electronics, and blogging, and posting, re-posting.  some could call it bragging,... ok, yes it is, and it feels great!!!!    I will have to post pictures of the "door frame-frames" that Nick & Bethany helped me with that started our joint adventure.


I'm dana~ this is my blog

Busy Weekend

What a weekend!!!  It came and went so fast-I can't tell you where it went... ohh wait, yes I can.  I was glued to the computer for the most part- yesterday was creativity day and today was more creativity and get er done type of day.  I finished 3 - 12" tiles for my sister-in-law Maggie, a WINE design for Bethany & Nick's project (that I'm very excited to see the finished project) artwork for a gal's nursery -waiting for her email back, and after I finish this posting, 2 huge magnets for a guy.

Hovar on 12" tile

FYI:  I am a MOOSE fanatic!!!
something my sister-in-law and I share

For my sister in law Maggie
2-color layered vinyl on 12" tile
I added moose tracks in the Gibson name

Anderson on 12" tile

This is a picture of the design that Nick & Bethany wanted.  








Here's my vinyl cutter, cutting out the design- It's hard to see with the vinyl being white.

It's all cut, ready for me to 'weed' out the vinyl I don't want.

All done and 'weeded' ready for the transfer sticky paper to be applied and then it can be placed where you want it.

Just another view of the grape vine.








Hope you all have a great week -till next time

I'm Dana~ this is my blog

It's Saturday- Let the creative juices flow

It's Saturday and the creativeness is just building up in my brain so fast that I've had to stop drawing with my mouse on the computer for this cool project for Bethany & Nick- to rough sketch and write the idea down before I forget it.  It's amazing some days the ideas just bam bam bam and you barely get the idea down and another one pops into your mind, and then there are days... tapping a pencil on the notebook trying so hard to just get one idea, that i find myself doodling on the paper with hopes of some smashing idea. Today is a day of drawing with the mouse and written ideas that I'll have to draw on the computer later.  It makes me wonder if this is similar to what great writers, painters, artists, etc. go through at times.  Last weekend, Nick & Bethany stopped by and brought a verbal idea that they wanted to do for their next project, and as they were telling me what they were thinking, ideas started flying in my head of what font would look best, the layout, the design itself, their finished project and where I could use this design again.. so I started on it right away, I didn't want to lose the 'picture' I had in my head.
First:  The font... ohhhh the font... I find that picking the font is usually the toughest of the whole project.  Of course there are so many fonts available, and I personally have over 5000 different fonts, but even though I have so many fonts, I'm always finding the ones I don't have. Google is amazing, and you can find many free font downloads that are out for the world to utilize and I think I've downloaded many of them for their coolness or if I think it can used with my vinyl.
Second: the design.  Yes I'll admit I'll utilize Google again for ideas for what I want, when my stock art doesn't match the idea in my head.  Pictures on the internet spark ideas for extra curls or curves when I didn't think of that, or a vine that wraps around the lettering.  Sometimes it's easier to see an actual picture of a vine wrapping around a letter, to where I can visualize and draw it with my mouse.
Third: I print off a copy of the design- moreso so I can see what the finished project will look like, and not just on the computer screen.  I've even done a test cut in vinyl to see how difficult for 'weeding' the vinyl I don't want and how well it'll look as the finished project. This is more necessary when dealing with multiple colors (or layers of vinyl) to get the ideal finished look.

Well, I better get back to my drawing- I've given my mouse-hand a little break and it's time to finish and print off what I have so far.  I'm hoping by my next blog to add pictures.  I'm still learning but enjoying the ride.
I'm Dana~ this is my blog.

Sunday Funday!

Where does the weekends go???  I'm all for a break from the normal work week, but could it be possible to have a 5 day weekend and 2 day work week??  Just to get things done that need to be done, time spent with friends or family to do what we'd like, to nap..ahhhh naps... I remember those... or for those who have side jobs/careers to do basically what we want with more time.  I would love more computer time for designing and drawing up artwork and letting the creative juices flow from my mind down my arm into my fingers to click away on the mouse.  I can draw with pencil, but not that great...I've found that my drawing skills are much better when controlling a mouse... oh yeah..the mouse... one of those things you need when working with a computer and using it to draw... Imagine my slight frustration when the mouse doesn't work and yes I've been still using it with these issues, but today, I've reached my max and unplugged it!  This normally wouldn't be a problem since we have several computers here and I can borrow a mouse from any one of them, but I chose to use the mouse to my laptop- hmmm it's not there...wonder why????  ohhhh yes.  I have a brother that likes to use things and not return them to their correct place- so as frustrated as I was that the mouse was missing...I became a little more irritated when the search for a mouse that I can use became moreso of a treasure hunt.  The first mouse I found would work,however, it was lacking a scroll wheel...which I didn't realize how dependent upon that scroll wheel I had become.  So I borrowed a mouse from one of the other computers that I'm sure as the sun will rise, that I hear about it...as if my borrowing a mouse was devasting...that would have been aleviated if my other mouse had been returned... sooooo anyway... back to the sunday funday- drawing art.. finding art that matches similar to what's in my head is quite the task since this art is not for me, it's for Bethany & Nick, and I only hope that the image I draw that is close to the image in my mind, matches what they are thinking.  If it does, great!!! if it does not, that's fine, it's part of the process for creativity and bouncing ideas off each other.. sound easy- some days- absolutely!! some days, it's quite the task- which this of course brings me back to the beginning... is it possible to have a 5 day weekend for other projects ?? 
I'm Dana- this is my blog. Happy Sunday!

There's a first for everyting

Hello and Welcome to my blog!  Now there's a line I never thought I would say.. HAHA!

How do I even begin a blog??  I keep thinking this as I'm typing and I have no clue really what to say, but if I have your attention, isnt' that whole point of the blog- to get someones' attention to where they take the time to read it and hopefully learn from it or it sparks a brilliant idea that you can do on your own, or with someone's help.
After being advised a few times that I need a website or at the very least a blog to post my projects that I've done for gifts, for customers and for friends/relatives-this is my blog, my muse so to speak.  Now when I do projects or help friends with their projects, I can post pictures of what I've done.  I do have a facebook page... 'signs by dana'... for display of some of the projects I've done, but I still have a lot to post pictures on.
I work with vinyl- no... not the vinyl records..(although that would be cool)  vinyl decals.  I'm amazed that when you look around how much vinyl is everywhere.. on people's cars to display their business, racing cars for sponsors, bumper stickers, vinyl on walls, signs for concerts.. anywhere you have space you can put a decal/sticker on it.
My side job as I call it, began 6 years ago, when dad, who was involved with the local bbq competition, went to a trade show, saw this vinyl machine and had an idea to give the bbq cookers a nicer sign than a marker and cardboard for them to display.  He basically said, here, learn how to use it, and I was eager to please, and dove right in!!  I'm not afraid to try new things, and thru this, I've found that not only can I create decals, but I can use the decals as a stencil for painting, or for acid etching on glass.  I have found I am only limited to my own creativity.  The possibilities are endless!! 

I will try my best to post frequently-the ideas that arise, the quotes that become vinyl, the designs that become endless, and I only hope that this sparks an idea for you too.

I'm Dana ~ this is my blog~