Design

  • What is Feature Friday?

    ByHeather Bailey

    FeatureFriBannerThere are so many fabulous, beautiful things being made with my fabric, papers, patterns and embellishments.  Seeing what artists, crafters, and seamstresses create from my designs is, by far, the most rewarding aspect of my work. I’ve started Feature Friday as a weekly blog article to highlight many of these artists and their creations — along with other fun finds.  (There aren’t really any rules.)

    BlogGrabFF

    Submission Information

    If you’re interested in submitting your own work to be seen, and possibly featured, please post photos to the appropriate Flickr group listed below.  I comb through those groups regularly to see what’s being made (great fun).  Or, send me an email if you stumble upon something fabulous that another artist or crafter has made.  I will not be able to feature everyone, nor respond to every posted
    photo or email.  

    Featured Folks

    If your work is selected, I will send you an email to
    request more info & permission to post photos — or I’ll take photos here & send your item(s) right back to you.  Featured artists will be sent code for a selection of “HB Featured Me”
    badges to post on their blog or website to link back to the Feature
    Friday category page     — and send each other cross-traffic and link love.

    Thanks everyone.  I’m excited about this opportunity to give back, sing praises, share links, get inspired and send traffic! 

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  • Flashy Badges!

    ByHeather Bailey


    Congratulations on your upcoming feature on my blog.  And thank you for
    letting me sing your praises, post your photos & link to your
    site(s). 

    Show
    off a little, with a flashy feature badge.  Choose a button for your
    sidebar & link back to my home page, to your own feature, or to the
    Feature Friday category at large. This is a great way to improve your
    blog authority and
    search-engine priority, while better-participating in our amazing
    community of online artists and crafters.

    ButtonCollage

    Below
    are a
    number of button options in different sizes.  All images are PNG files,
    which should allow the images to float over different background
    colors, not just white.  To post your selected button, simply copy the
    related html
    from the corresponding textbox.  Then, paste that code into the html of
    your blog’s sidebar, your website, or wherever you wish.  If you’re
    somewhat familiar with html,
    certainly feel free to replace the provided ‘h ref’ URL in the code
    with the URL of
    the Feature Friday category page — or the permalink of your Feature
    Friday feature once it goes live. 

    Otherwise, the code provided below will link back to
    my blog’s home page.  If you scroll down to
    the Categories section of my sidebar, you’ll see that there is a now a
    category called “Feature Friday” where your readers can locate
    your feature at any time.

    General FF info here.  Any other questions? 
    Email me.  I will be glad to help wherever possible.

    Eee!  You guys are awesome.  I’m excited to give back & share your amazing work.
    xo–Heather

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    DottedLine

    Here are the buttons:


    HBFeatured175 

    Style 1 – Fancy Floral  – 175 pixels wide

    HBFeatured200 

    Style 1 – Fancy Floral  – 200 pixels wide

    HBFeatured260 

    Style 1 – Fancy Floral  – 260 pixels wide


    HBFeaturedRed150 

    Style 2 – Red & Cream  – 150 pixels wide

    HBFeaturedRed175 

    Style 2 – Red & Cream  – 175 pixels wide

    HBFeaturedRed200 

    Style 2 – Red & Cream – 200 pixels wide


    HBFeaturedGreen150 

    Style 3 – Green & Cream  – 150 pixels wide

    HBFeaturedGreen175 

    Style 3 – Green & Cream  – 175 pixels wide

    HBFeaturedGreen200 

    Style 3 – Green & Cream  – 200 pixels wide


    HBFeaturedRedGreen150 

    Style 4 – Green on Red  – 150 pixels wide

    HBFeaturedRedGreen175 

    Style 4 – Green on Red  – 175 pixels wide

    HBFeaturedRedGreen200 

    Style 4 – Green on Red  – 200 pixels wide


    HBFeaturedGreenRed150 

    Style 5 – Red on Green  – 150 pixels wide

    HBFeaturedGreenRed175 

    Style 5 – Red on Green  – 175 pixels wide

    HBFeaturedGreenRed200 

    Style 5 – Red on Green  – 200 pixels wide

    DottedLine

    For the most part, one of the image sizes above should work for your site.  However, I’m posting larger
    images below for your use in case you wish to
    customize the button size.  You
    can copy one of these larger images to your desktop & resize it in
    your photo-editing software to suit your sidebar width, if needed.  You
    would then upload the image to your site & code the link
    yourself.

    HBFeatured300

    HBFeaturedRed230
    HBFeaturedGreen230

    HBFeaturedRedGreen230
    HBFeaturedGreenRed230

  • |

    I’ll Get You, My Pretty.

    ByHeather Bailey
    In the spirit of summer picnics, I've added three colors of gingham to the variety show, in long and standard lengths:

    She's No Picnic – Red Gingham
    My Pretty – Blue Gingham
    Check Please – Pink Gingham

    And a pack of Red, White & Blue ties with a bonus 6th tie. 

    As
    far as patriotism goes, this new multi-pack not only covers the USA,
    but also Australia, Great Britain, France, Iceland, and a number of
    other countries;  (did you know there are at least 11 countries with
    red, white, & blue flags?)  A great pack for back-to-school as
    well, especially if your kids wear school uniforms and are limited in
    their color choices for hair doo-dahs.  The Red White Blue multi-pack is only available through Labor Day though (Sept. 7th). The ginghams are available while supplies last.

    FourCollage

    I'm almost done typing up a new ice cream recipe
    too — just in time for the outrageously-hot weather that rolled in
    this week.  If you're suffering through summer, definitely get an
    ice-cream maker.  They're great.  Of course, you might have to exercise
    extra, which may not be the best way to stay cool. Hm.

  • Black, White, and Read All Over

    ByHeather Bailey

    June 25, 2009 Arizona Republic I always forget to post these things, but not today.

    Check out the big ol' cover story
    in today's Arizona Republic newspaper — on me.  In the article photos,
    I'm talking it up in my studio, one of those mid-sentence
    shots.  They wanted pictures of me working in my authentic environment. 
    However, the studio was clean when they came.  Yes, I insisted on
    messing up my desk — authentically.

    HeatherandMom Another big article I never mentioned was a feature on me and my mother
    over at Creating Keepsakes last month – for mother's day.  My mom is a
    funny writer.  You should at least read her interview if not both of
    ours.  Click the 'next' button to read through each page of the
    combined interviews (there are 5 pp. total).

    Sending out the June newsletter
    momentarily.  Any minute now.  It's like 5 blog-posts worth of good
    stuff.  That's right.  Then back to the sewing pattern I'm designing — and
    loving.

    (Sign up for the newsletter here if you like.  But hurry.)

  • Mini Notebook Tutorial

    ByHeather Bailey

    Mini-Notebook-1

    Welcome newsletter readers!  To download this fun, free tutorial, click here. 

    Do you ever find yourself in a pinch, digging through your purse for a scrap of paper, a gum wrapper or a receipt — just so you can scribble down an important phone number?

    Well dig no more!

    MiniNotebook-03a This handy how-to will show you how to make a super-quick and easy little memo book using my mini file folders, embellishments, stamps, and white office paper. It’s the perfect size to jot down grocery items or quick reminders. Slip this mini notebook into your purse, wallet, glovebox, or diaper bag and you’ll be all set for your next note-worthy need.

    Enjoy!
    xo–Heather

    Feel free to link to this tutorial. If you do, please link to this page or to the home page of my blog and not directly to the pdf.  You’re welcome to use the photos with a link as well. Thanks.

    *not for resale*

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  • Shredded

    ByHeather Bailey

    ReUpholster4
    I just counted and we own a total of 13 rolling office chairs.  That's
    a lot of office chairs.  Of course, the one I prefer at the moment is
    shredded and hideous.  It's the ugliest chair of the bunch.

    My
    neck and arm are all out-of-whack from trotting all over NYC with two
    heavy bags.  This chair holds me together best.  It's a bit
    out-of-place in my studio though.  So, today, I'm slip-covering it. 

    No big style-ambition this time.  I'll be glad to take it from hideous to mediocre.

    Yep, that's exposed foam in the back there.

  • |

    Giveaway, Oh Giveaway

    ByHeather Bailey

    Food5

    I don't even know where to begin with all of the adventures
    I went on this month.  I may have to grant myself a
    Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card and skip immediately past Go — at least till
    I'm caught up on some design projects.

    Food2noteThis
    weekend I went through the first round of strike-offs for my next
    fabric collection.  Gah!  I normally wouldn't mention strike-offs
    because, really, it will be months before the fabrics are available. 
    But, gah!  They're gorgeous.  I'm ready to fly over to the mill and
    screen the prints myself if it will speed things up.  I'm dying to sew
    with this fabric. 

    Bridgenote2See,
    now I feel better, and you feel worse.  Which is why I normally don't
    say anything.  But, that's what I'm working on today. And that's where
    my brain is.

    I'm also thinking about a giveaway to celebrate my blogiversary.  It's been 3 years now.  So, how does this sound for a prize?

    Hotelviewnote2
    Leave a comment, telling us what your first sewing project was — or if
    you don't sew, what your first sewing project might be — or if you
    don't plan to sew, why not!?  Or your favorite remedy for puffy eyes. 
    I don't know, tell us something interesting.  Or just say, 'Hi.'  That
    works too. 

    I'll let this go through Thursday night MST, then hand it over to the Random Number Generator for an edict. 

    I may hand out a couple of extra giveaways too.  I tend to do that.

    The photos?  Some shots from my weekend in Pittsburgh.  What a beautiful city!

  • |

    In Limited Supply:
    album kits, fabric… patience

    ByHeather Bailey

    It is refreshing to be home again.  Not only to sleep in my own bed
    and hug on my little kids (of course), but now I can start scratchin'
    at those irresistibly- itchy projects I sketched up while I was away. 
    Here and there, at least.  First, I have some emails and interviews to
    complete, as well as some fabric strike-offs to sort through (yes,
    round one is in the house!).

    Flutterby4a600

    So, check out my Flutterby Flip-Book mini
    album.  I used an old-fashioned wooden clothespin for the butterfly
    body.  A variety of cardstock wings make up the album's many pages,
    with a sprinkling
    of flowers and miniature butterflies thrown in for good measure.  The
    perfect album for celebrating a special event, a summer-load of
    activities, a new baby, a birthday, quirky kid-drawings, etc.

    FLUTTERBYkit2

    This is the workshop I taught at Inspired in North Carolina this month — the stinkin' cutest-est album ever.  We kitted up
    some extra albums, with full-on illustrated instructions included, so
    you can make an album too if you like. (Or maybe set up your kids or
    grandkids with a kit — gotta keep those children engaged over the
    summer.  My two have been squabbling all day.)  So, if you're
    interested, hop on over to the HB store.  Limited supply!  When they're gone, they're gone. 

    FlutterbyInstr400

    Freshcut™ is in the same boat too.  Free Spirit's warehouse is plum out of my Freshcut collection now.  We received our last supply.  Though the demand for that collection never subsided, the supply certainly now has, so last call for Freshcut!  Heck, here's a discount while you're at it.  Use the code "AlmostGone" through June 1st for 10% off any fabrics from my Freshcut collection.  We'll all sigh as it trickles away.

    And this week is my blogiversary again — three years now.  I'll put together some sort of giveaway, so stay tuned for that. 

    I'm
    off to dig myself up an urgent dose of Tylenol.  My kids aren't used to
    being around each other all day.  It's adjustment time — for all of us.

  • Hello-ness

    ByHeather Bailey

    DaisyBouquet3a

    I
    have serious vertigo from working on a 24" monitor for the first time
    today.  We're holding off on the 30"er till the next upgrade.  (It's
    been 5 years or so since Mac last upgraded that beast.)  I've heard you
    get used to the gi-normity.  I sure hope so, as I'm definitely a bit
    dizzy — but it's a grateful dizzy.  My main machine is now a laptop
    and I can't say how excited I am about the portability.  Beyond heading
    to the park or the local bookstore for some quiet concentration, just
    switching rooms at will is exciting stuff. 

    I was trying to
    convince my new assistant to take a photo so I could introduce her
    here. Then, it dawned on me to swipe her Twitter photo & move on
    with it.  (You don't mind, do you Emily?)

    EmilyPhotoflSo,
    meet Emily.  Some of you may recognize her from the scrapbooking
    world.  Emily worked with Heidi Swapp for years, and Making Memories
    before that.  We had narrowed our interviewing process down to two
    candidates and were thick into discussing the matter when we received a
    last-minute suggestion to give Emily a call.  Well, Emily shook up the
    whole conversation and here she now is.  Currently, Emily is your
    girl if you have a customer service question at the Heather Bailey Store, a press
    inquiry, a wholesale order, etc.  Basically, she's our company
    juggler.  Well, I guess we are all company jugglers.  (You know those
    juggling acts that start with one juggler, then a second juggler steps
    on stage, then a third & so on?  Pretty soon, the bowling pins form
    a mid-air ballet?  That sort of thing.  We're not ready for Vegas or
    anything, but we're getting there.  We're still working on our stage
    names.)

    Oh, and you've gotta go back and read each & every comment left on the last post — holy toledo, what a bunch of crazy, cool stories!!  I'm both inspired and weirded out.  Time to start a dream journal.

  • Dark Chocolate, Light Sewing

    ByHeather Bailey

    MovingAlongS
    I'm
    back from a delicious weekend away.  After my collection shipped off to
    the mill, Isaac treated me to a stay at a local resort where I slept
    in, swam laps, ate out, and shopped all evening – both days.  It was
    bliss.

    Now, I'm onto the next wave of things, which involves some
    significant sewing – hallelujah.  I'm making 7 mystery projects for the
    cover of a upcoming pattern.

    Workin

    And,
    as we're mid-stream in setting up a new computer for me, I've got my
    sewing machine and current computer stacked on one table.  There are serious acrobatics involved
    in getting to my keyboard just now.  I can't be bothered to set up a
    separate table for my computer;  I'd rather stretch and hurdle.  This
    way I can sew, blog, sew, tweet, sew, and so on.

    I'm getting my sewjo back — and cuddling up to my kids, my dogs, my chocolate stash, & this here blog.  Feels good. 

    Confucius say:  Beware the clearance Easter candy row at Target.