Wilderness Fabric Collection is done!

Finally. I am excited to be able to show you this collection in its entirety! I've worked on this off and on for over a year. So it is good to have pulled it all together and finished it. You can see it all on Spoonflower

Spoonflower is a print on demand site. You choose your design, you choose your yardage, you choose the fabric you want to printed it on and order.

This collection was inspired by an amazing trip to Alaska several years ago. I also created a font Wilderness Doodles. Most of these illustrations come from that font.

These prints are offered as fabric, wallpaper and wrapping paper. The uses and combinations are endless. Any, or all of the prints would make a great quilt for your outdoorsman or woman. Wallpaper a wall in the man cave and add some throw pillows. Or a friend is using one pattern in this cabin in the bush... curtains, tablecloth, napkins. Options are endless. Pick just one pattern or use all one color or use them all together. They were designed to mix and match.

Coming soon will be dish towels. Four dish towels on one yard of fabric.

Enjoy.

free font + interesting tidbits

Yup, that says it all. I am going to (hopefully) commit to a monthly newsletter. It may be a little of this and a little of that. But will include font and fabric info and an interesting idea or a printable or a DIY example.

If you are not signed up for the newsletter plz subscribe to the right.

Then go to the fonts page and pick your font. Use the FONTS link in the menu bar at the top to see the font library.

And email me your choice and I'll send it to you. Use the ASK RAE link in the menu bar at the top.

Talk soon.

Christmas voting on Minted...

It is Christmas time for any artist who designs Christmas items. Here my two entries in a Minted Christmas challenge. I am very pleased with both and I am creating a new script lettering style for my Minted work which I am happy with. Some of you have been asking how to vote. If you would like to vote here is the link.

And here is my second entry. And this is the link. Any votes are greatly appreciated. 5 is the best, in case you are wondering.

This week is a Spoonflower week for me. I have several new fabrics that I am putting up in their Animals by Land contest. Hope your week will be filled with fun and creativity too.

DIY coloring pages + animal fabric + funky cards

Lots of changes here at Outside the Line.

No I'm not moving to Paris. Or traveling the U.S. pulling a Bambi Airstream behind the Mini. Although I've always wanted a little Bambi as an office. Of course it would be remodeled in Mid-Century modern with an awning, and Tiki lights. Cocktails would be served at 5 pm.

But I digress.

Books come from Amazon, not your local bookstore. Music comes from iTunes not a record store. No one buys DVDs anymore. We watch our movies at home on our big TVs.

And people seem to want to buy cheap fonts from sites that often do not monitor quality. I know I've bought some. You can't tell.

So I have decided to drop my font prices from $29 each to $15 each. This is on my site only. For the time being they will stay at $15 while I try and figure this out. Take a look, I have a large collection. Clink on FONTS in the bar above.

Above is a cool DIY idea using a selection of my alphabet and doodles fonts. You do need some skills and equipment to do this.
1. Create your page using my fonts in Illustrator.
2. Add a stroke of .5 to your copy.
3. Make your stroke black. Make your fill white.
4. At this point if you want to move something or make something larger go the Type pull down menu. Select Create outlines. Then go to the Object pull down menu and choose Ungroup.
5. Print several copies and mail them to your niece or grandchild. Everyone likes mail!

Finished pages are for personal use only. 

Here is my latest fabric on Spoonflower. And today I am featured on one of their shop lists! A customer just bought 12 yards of this popular fabric for his cabin in the wilderness. It is perfect for cabins, lake homes, or the man cave. It comes in many types of fabric. Start your Christmas sewing early and make the family matching flannel pjs.

This pattern is also offered in wallpaper and wrapping paper.

New cards too. You can order a boxed set here, see link to the right. Or visit Hatch Art House. There you can also buy individual cards.

And it appears that it might just be Spring today. Go outside and enjoy, I am.

Art Therapy #19

As you know this is where Nancy and I send art postcards to each other.

These 2 cards are mine. Both are entries into the Minted/Target contest. I like them both but I really like the first one. I really like the shapes and color palette. Always hoping for a win.

I really like these 2 postcards of Nancy's. As usual interesting and thoughtful. Love her poem too.

We have been doing this since after the election. I think Nancy is putting on her traveling shoes. There is a possibility that this may be the last post for a while. No matter what it has been a good ride.

Art Therapy #18

Yes, as you know this is where Rae and Nancy make art postcards and mail them to each other to bring some art and and sanity into our lives.

This is a change of address postcard. It will be available early April at Hatch Art House here in Madison as well as here on my site. Perfect housewarming gift or a closing gift for all realtors. Sold in packs of either 20 or 40.

Here I am playing with the brushes in Procreate on my new iPad. I can see how this is going to be a great tool. Once I learn it. So much to learn, so little time. Always.

Again trying out art supplies... markers, nail polish and stick on letters. Not crazy about this but then we don't love everything we make.

Here is an interesting non-postcard from Nancy. It is a pop up card that she made. She said if I liked it I could keep it. I do and it will go in my ever expanding Christmas file.

As I have said Nancy is multi talented. She writes, sings and is a band. Here she is singing her 3rd song. Enjoy and see you next week.

Art Therapy #17

This is where Rae and Nancy make postcards and send them to each other, more or less weekly. Frankly I am surprised we have continued to do this for so long. We started this after the last election to bring something happy into our lives. I am always excited when I see a craft envelope in the mail.

I made a series of these lake watercolours because I got new art supplies. Arteza all lead watercolour pencils. I like these pencils but because they are all lead and no wood they break like crayons which I always hated. Some strokes were made with Derwent Inktense Blocks. These are very strong colors. I also like working with them. And they also break. I like pristine art supplies.

This one was made because I am thinking about abstract painting and composition. I was making this while watching an online Illustrator class. And, of course, made from scraps in my tiny office. No wonder I am always living in paper mess.

Quick sketch from Nancy... Winter acknowledges Spring.

Another card from Nancy. It explains itself.

Happy Monday. And see you next week with more Art Therapy!

Palm Springs... Part 3.

On the way to Salvation Mountain we passed by the Salten Sea. The Salton Sea is an inland saline lake in the Sonoran Desert of extreme southeastern California. It occupies the Salton Basin, a remnant of prehistoric Lake Cahuilla. It is bordered on the south by the rich agricultural areas of the Imperial Valley and on the west, by Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Both the Salton Sea State Recreation Area and the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge are located on its shores.

Read more: https://www.desertusa.com/salton/salton.html#ixzz58ndnhYvs

Leaving Salvation Mountain we drove through Slab City. Very, very interesting. Slab City, or The Slabs, is a free campsite and alternative living community located near an active bombing range in the desert city of Niland, California. Previously an old WWII base, Marine Barracks Camp Dunlap, the campsite earns its name for the concrete slabs that remained long after the military base had been bulldozed and abandoned. More here https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/slab-city-california

The other side of this building welcomes you and this is the message on your way out.

Of course there was golf for John and some shopping for me. As far as I could tell the shopping was all DT. One end the nicer stores and as you continue you get the souvenir shops. If you like the artist Shag's work stop in his store. I always like to get a piece of art when we travel. This time I got this graphic on a pillow and similar coasters. Goes well in the living room with the green couch and loveseat which although new has mid-century lines.

I also shopped at Dazzle which has old 80s plastic or bake light earrings. I am collecting some for Summer.

I can recommend the Eight 4 Nine restaurant for lunch near the Shag store. I am still thinking about the smoked salmon nicoise salad. Ask for the happy hour menu. Even if it is lunch time.

We enjoyed our first visit to this area. I had some preconceived ideas about Palm Springs that were wrong. The house colors were almost always white and sandy earth tones. I was looking for the old Palm Springs. I expected an old area that was pastel stucco, especially soft pink. I hoped to take photos of old signage and didn't find any. I thought there would be an area that would have supper clubs and tiki bars where we would have old fashioned cocktails with Frank singing in the background. Not so.

And that is the end of a lovely week.