Heather Eddy Art

My Fancy Fonts and Shapes tutorial teaches you how to fold nearly any type of script or pattern into a folded book by making your own templates. I got the idea to combine the concepts in FF&S with my Basic Folded Books tutorial where I show how to make repeating patterns to then make a hybrid type of pattern using a fancy font design and repeats. This hybrid pattern involves breaking up a fancy fonts design into three parts: Start, Repeat and End. You'd make up three sets of cards - one for each part of the pattern. You'd then fold one set of the Start pattern, repeat as many of the Repeat patterns as you had pages for, and leave enough pages to fold one set of the End pattern. If you click on the image below, you can print it out and create your own template(s) to fold a REALLY fancy book - one that looks like a huge long pattern which is adaptable to ANY size book that has enough room for at least one set of each part of the original pattern.   T

Sometimes a pattern looks great on paper. He♥rts! It'll work. And then it just DOESN'T. So, it sits on the shelf and mocks you with its betrayal... Still, the ♥ itself looks good.

A couple weeks ago a co-worker stopped by my desk and opened conversation with this: "Your husband needs to die." I disagreed with her - mostly because we don't have enough insurance on him yet. This friend had been through a pretty bad breakup in the very recent past, so I knew her comment wasn't a literal wish, but a desire to have some misery to keep her company. And also because (in her words) "He keeps saying exactly the right thing at the right time." It never occurred to me that other people noticed the back and forth Brian and I have on my Facebook posts. Another incident at work was just yesterday when a bunch of women were talking about how much they wished they had a guy in their lives. They were musing about what he should look like (tall, dark, tattooed, The Rock) and asked me my opinion. I said, "Oh, I'm fine. I'm happy with my husband." They laughed amongst themselves and said, "Your husband *is* perfect."

Love by Stephanie Pounds Stephanie Pounds of Reading With Scissors and I go way back. I'd figured out how to make fancy fonts and she was right behind me with figuring it out, too. We did a lot of emailing back and forth while she perfected her technique. And LOOK at what she's done with it! I still want to know how she makes her curves so perfect... They are like a curvy dream... Curvy lurve... I ♥ you by Stephanie Pounds Don't you love what she does with changing the backing paper? Check out these and more of her books at her website and Etsy shop . I only teach you how to make folded books, but she sells the finished product. Lots of custom stuff to be had! In case any of you are interested in learning how I make fancy folded books, feel free to check out my shop. You, too, can develop your technique and create wonderful things with How to Fold Fancy Fonts and Shapes . Show the love this Valentine's Day!

 Here's a sassy heart for a cloudy day. Keep your fingers crossed that it keeps raining here in California. We're 1/10th the way back from a drought (we've had 1 really good storm - only 9 more to go to be good again!). Here's the drawing I used to make that sassy heart. If you want, click on the picture to save it to your computer and print it out on graph paper to make your own sassy heart. Happy Valentine's Week!

I'm trying some new heart designs. This one is a double heart with the overlapping area "filled in". You know, because being with a true love completes you. Then you have kids and they deplete you. *grin* I love Valentine's Day. I've never really like the romantic love aspect of it because that divides people too much into the Haves vs. the Have Nots. Blech. I think what I love are the hearts and the chocolate. Chocolate fills me. Out.

Pinterest is my enemy and my friend. It's like shopping in that if you keep seeing the same thing again and again, you're eventually going to buy it because you can't get it out of your head. I couldn't get these pretzel rolls out of my head. There are several different recipes out there. I tried one from Mel's Kitchen Cafe randomly and it worked well enough. Here is the basic recipe with my own directions. Pretzel Rolls Dough 1 cup milk, warm 3/4 cup water, warm 1 tsp salt 1 T oil 4 cups bread flour make in bread machine on dough setting Boiling Solution (pretend you're doing potions!) 3 quarts water 1/4 cup baking soda 1 T. sugar **prepare 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper  to bake 8 rolls on each ** preheat oven to 400° Instructions Make your bread dough with a bread machine. Otherwise, use a nice cookbook to find instructions. Divide dough into 16 sections and make into balls. I like to pinch the dough on the bottom t

One of my most favorite people at the library got a new job and left us today. In honor of Berta's going, I made her a book. Of course, I forgot to take a picture of it because, in my tiny brain, if I took a picture, SHE'D KNOW WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE I GAVE IT TO HER.Therefore, Berta took a picture for me and posted it that evening. It says "Berta" and has a heart on either side of her name. I'm sure people look at me when I do stuff like that and cluck their tongues, shake their heads and murmur "All that education and not a drop of sense." Luckily, Berta took a picture FOR me and I'm posting it here. See? My favorite part is the 'e' shaped like a heart.

Dear Readers - I've been giving a lot of thought as to what I want to share and do in my blog this year. I know that in the past I've tried just talking to myself and making the blog for me. Guess what? I'm not interested in me quite that much. I know I've shared several things with you over the years I've had the blog - mostly folded books, watercolor, paper art, some cooking, some family and many thoughts and musings. I've loved it when you've given me feedback and comments. It's wonderful to see flickers of light and love out there. So, my question to you is -- What do you want me to share with you? I have a few ideas, but I in no way want you to feel like this is all I'll do: 1. Folded books - ideas for embellishing, designs, ups and downs, failures and triumphs 2. Watercolors 3. Paper art 4. Cooking - candy, chicken, (candied chicken?), family menus for families who are VERY PICKY, etc. 5. Goals 6. Spiritual views 7. Famil