Free font: Cherry Swash

Need a pretty little slab serif typeface? Check out Cherry Swash, designed by Natalia Kasatkina. It's available right here from Font Squirrel, free for commercial use.

Make bookmarks with tape

I'm still waiting for TV producers to create Hoarders: Washi Tape Edition, because I bet there are enough of us out there to make an entire series. Why in the world is it so satisfying to collect decorative tape?

Here's a way to put some of that stock pile to good use (unless you're one of those people who uses an electronic gadget to read books. Me, I prefer paper pages.)

I used some Jonathan Adler paper tape, plus a bit of orange washi tape, to make some easy patterned bookmarks.


I placed three strips of tape side by side on a sheet of cardstock and trimmed it into a rectangle. Then I printed up a little Groucho Marx humor and attached the quote with more tape.

To make your own, download the Groucho quote right here. Print the page, cut out the little rectangles, and attach them to patterned paper or taped-up cardstock.

Jonathan Adler tape!

Lifeguard Press just sent over samples of their new printed paper tape by Jonathan Adler. I love it. Jonathan Adler is one of my all-time faves— those mod, geometric designs always float my boat.

The tapes come in a pack of three inside a dispenser. This stuff is not as sticky as washi tape, so it's easy to reposition. I got a little tape-happy around the office.


A boring gray bookend became patterned.


Edges on a bookshelf became patterned.


A desk lamp became patterned.


Tea lights became patterned.

Grab some Jonathan Adler tape right here. I'll post another project tomorrow!

Camera pencil sharpener

I just bought a pencil sharpener that looks like a camera. I keep buying and throwing out cheap little sharpeners that break my pencil leads off, and the one I have that actually grinds nicely requires three hands to operate it. The suction-cup bottom that holds it to the desk won't stick, so I practically need to hire an intern to hold it down so I can turn the crank. Electric models are too big, ugly, and seem like overkill, so don't even suggest them to me.

But THIS little number, in addition to looking pleasing on my office shelf, actually works. It has a clever mechanism for clamping the pencil in place, and then you hold the box down with one hand and turn the crank with the other. A little drawer full of shavings pulls out at the bottom. I adore it. It's made by Kikkerland; you can grab one at Amazon.

How to make a paper bow

I've gotten some questions asking how I made the paper bow on the bottom package in this post. Here's a quick tutorial. I made a template so you can see the parts.

Download the PDF template right here.

If you print the PDF on colored paper and cut out the pieces, you'll have enough parts to make two bows. Or you can just freehand cut some pieces like I did originally; I folded my paper in half so that both sides of the bow would be symmetrical when I cut. Sort of like you do when cutting out paper hearts, you know?


Anyhow, whether you wing it or use the template, you'll need three parts for each bow: the band in the middle, the loops, and the tails.


Grab the two outer tabs on the "loops" piece, bend them to the center, and glue them down.


Layer the loops piece on top of the tails with a dot of glue, then wrap the band around the center and secure it in the back with a little more glue. All done!

Scalloped desktop wallpaper freebies

Everything is gloomy today. The news. The weather. Is spring ever going to come? I tried to console myself by making desktop wallpapers in fun colors. I stole the scallops from the printable stationery I made the other day and turned them into backgrounds simple enough to find my files easily. Help yourself!

Download your choice of: green, gray, pink, or teal (2880x1800 px).

Select the fit-to-screen option for your monitor, or whatever setting looks best.

DIY neon paper gift bows

Brown paper bags and neon paper can yield some nice-looking gift packaging. I made these bows with more of the Astrobright Neon paper I mentioned yesterday. These look a lot cuter in person because the neon practically glows. The yellow bow is a stack of paper loops glued together. The pink bow is made like this. The orange bow is made from three pieces of paper: the tails, the loops, and a band for the center. (Update: I've added a template for this one right here.)