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If you are reading this message, this blog is no longer active.  Baer Design Studio has a whole new blog at https://baerdesignstudio.com/blog-paper-crafing-ideas/.  All how-to posts, design inspiration and new products will be introduced exclusively on the new site.

Please come visit the new blog!

Brigitte Baer, Baer Design Studio

In Memory of a Life Well Lived

My therapy for losing a sweet furry member of the family, was creating a photobook. It is one of those daunting tasks that I put ususaly put aside and tell myself that I will get to it later. Since the sweet dog, Nellie, was my parent’s dog, I made myself work on the book immediately AND in the midst of our saddness. I must say that it was sooooo awesome to communicate with my family, encourage them to pen a fond memory, send me photos as we remembered the fun moments of Nellie’s life. By using my png dog word art collection, it made the design process much easier. I just sent off a 40 page book to get printed. The printer is sending it directly to my folk’s house as a surprise. Though it is not an expensive gift, I know it is be deeply cherished and it helped turn my tears of sadness into tears of gratitude for a life well lived.

DESIGN YOUR OWN PRINTABLE PLANNER STICKERS

Baer Design Studio Plum Lace Digital Paper Collection 

 I love planners and all those stickers and accessories.  Many folks are creating their own printables, dashboards and coordinating printables. Consider making some of your own! One of my favorite digital paper collections, the Plum Lace Collection, coordinates beautifully with the Erin Condren plum lace planner. Once you purchase and download, you can use the papers over and over again to fill your planner with splashes of plum, eggplant and lavender!

DIY HALLOWEEN BAGS

These elegant and whimsical papers bags can be used as party favor bags for Halloween parties and classroom parties, gifts for neighbors, trick-or-treaters, teachers and more!

Gift bags are one of those things that you NEED and use over and over again! Many times, I need them at the last minute and.... the occasion and theme always seems to differ.  About 15 years ago, I decided to buy sturdy paper gift bags, in bulk, in a basic color and decorate as needed. This is one DIY decision I have never regretted! Those receiving the custom gift bags are thrilled, and as for me, they were a joy to assemble.

In order to make this a fun, easy experience, I recommend these simple steps:

1. Purchase all items in advance and keep together, to use as needed. You will need paper bags, printer paper, printable sticker paper, glue dots, scissors or paper cutter, and do not forget ink for your printer (this seems to be the most overlooked and frustrating part).
2. Generally, I purchase basic colored bags made of thick paper, with handles and around 9 inches tall. This size seems to work well for holding favors, treats, gifts and even gift cards.  I find that white, black, kraft and gold bags seem to be the best choice when buying them in bulk. They are a good choice for all ages and all occasions. I have purchased them from Uline, Amazon, Michaels and other hobby stores. Although I am a frequent shopper at the dollar store, I try to avoid using their paper gift bags. I have had the bags tear and the handles fall off at the worst times. However, I am a fan of their plastic treat bags.
3. To decorate the body of the bag, I love to use instant download printables, quotes, and clip art. The beauty with a digital image or pre-designed printable, is that you can use it over and over again and it is always available.
4.  I find that a 5 inch square label is the perfect size for a 9 inch bag. The fastest way, is to print out the image directly onto printable sticker paper for the body of the bag. Through the years, the quality of printable sticker paper has increased and the price has decreased.  I always keep printable sticker paper on hand. HOWEVER, I use glossy or matte photo paper if I need a specific look or if  I need the colors to be exact, bright and crisp. Printable sticker paper can change the color integrity of the digital image.  Sometimes this matters, and at other times, the color change is not that important.
5. My latest passion, has been these gorgeous printable bows.  I suggest you print onto heavy photo paper. All you need to do is cut out the bow piece with scissors and glue the two outer tabs into the center using a sticker adhesive (my favorite adhesive are the glue dots by Zots). Next, glue the bow onto the ribbon shape. Finally I attach it to the bag using a a glue dot.
   
6. Printable gift tags are also a quick, easy and beautiful way to personalize a gift bag. I like to use heavy matte photo paper when printing my tags. Sometimes I bring the tag printable pdf into a software program to add names. I tend to do that for parties. I also keep a tub with pre-cut gift tags on hand and then I just use add a name as needed. I like using Sharpies to add name because the ink does not run. I prefer to use a paper cutter when trimming my tags from their 8.5 x 11 sheet.  Sometimes I punch a hole and add ribbon to the tag, but many times, I just add a glue dot to the back of the tag and tuck it near the paper bow.
7. If you are interested in purchasing the printable designs used in this article, you can purchase them here
   
   
   
   
   
   
                  STAY TUNED:  I will be adding more printable gift bag decor to my shop!

Year of the Rooster

Labor Day has passed and that means I have to get all my new holiday backgrounds designs added to my Etsy shop!

I just created my new Chinese New Year digital paper collection for 2017. This collection includes touches of Chinese paper lanterns, fans, coins and, of course, roosters! 

On Saturday, January 28, 2017, we celebrate the Rooster.  A few interesting facts:

People born in a year of the Rooster are very observant. Hardworking, resourceful, courageous and talented, Roosters are very confident about themselves. Roosters are always active, amusing and popular among the crowd. Roosters are talkative, outspoken, frank, open, honest, and loyal individuals. They like to be the center of attention and always appear attractive and beautiful.

Roosters are happiest when they are surrounded by others, whether at a party or just a social gathering. They enjoy the spotlight and will exhibit their charm at any occasion.

LAVENDER DIGITAL PAPER 

(quatrefoil patterns, moroccan patterns, damask patterns, lace patterns, floral patterns) 

Lavender is all around this summer- in weddings, blooming in gardens, making a splash in party themes, fashion, hair color, planner sticker and even paint. Baer Design Studio has a beautiful selection of digital backgrounds in a variety of shades of purple, but this is the latest creation!

LAVENDER COLLECTION

 

 

Downton Abbey Lavender Tea Bread

Inspired by the lavender growing in my garden, I baked my first loaf of Lavender Tea Bread! I found this wonderful recipe on Pinterest.  It was posted by the Reluctant Entertainer.  Since I had lavender in my garden, I was searching for an easy recipe that used fresh instead of dried lavender. During my search, I compiled looks of wonderful uses for Lavender.  You can find them on my Pinterest board

 

Digital Paper available at Baer Design Studio

DOWNTON ABBEY LAVENDER TEA BREAD

YIELD: 4-6

 

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

 

COOK TIME: 50 minutes

 

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lavender, finely chopped (or 2 Tbsp. dried)
• 6 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar 
• 1 teaspoon water 
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. Combine the milk and lavender in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat to a simmer, then remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until the mixture is light and fluffy; add in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk and lavender until just blended.
4. Pour into the prepared pan.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes in the preheated oven.
6. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and remaining ingredients. Spread over hot cake. Cool in pan 20 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack

Baer Design Studio: Peach Blossom and Spring Green Inspiration

Baer Design Studio: Peach Blossom and Spring Green Inspiration

Peach Blossom and Spring Green Inspiration

I love when I find a beautiful color palette! The peach and green combination from this trending wedding palette inspired a stunning digital paper collection in my Etsy shop. These digital papers are all instant downloads and are designed to be used for wedding stationery, bridal showers projects, card makers, scrapbook layouts and more!

 

Springtime Collection at Baer Design Studio

Faded Flag Digital Alphabet

For those working on patriotic crafting themes, take a look at my Faded Flag Digital Alphabet.  All letters, numbers and symbols are pngs and can be used for creating posters, blog posts, cards, scrapbook layout, invites and sooooo much more!

Freebie Friday- Memorial Day Weekend Instant Download

In honor of Memorial Day, the freebie download is wood and brick natural surface digital papers in Red, White and Blue. All 10 papers are 8.5 x 11 inches. You can download them here. Have a wonderful weekend!  Brigitte

Prom Photography Shoots- Under the Sea Prom- Part One

In the spirit of Prom season, my next few posts will share some ideas that can be used not only for proms, but for bridal showers, birthday parties, and special events with the Under the Sea theme.

 DIY PHOTO PROPS

     My son asked if we could host a pre-prom experience before his actual church prom. One of the main reasons for the pre-prom was to take some fun and casual photos. We wanted elegant props that coordinated with the printable paper party decor I designed. We opted to go with over-sized letters covered in glitter! The 13 inch letters were purchased from Hobby Lobby.  They were made of a MDF board.  

• First we used a metallic gold paint as a base coat on the letters. 
• Second, we covered the letters with spray adhesive.
• Third, we coated the letters with gold glitter. 
• After they were completely dry, we added 2 coats of Modge Podge. We did not want the glitter to come off on all those beautiful clothes! 

     A very fun way to add some "under the sea" bubbles to the photos, was by using bubble wands and recruiting the younger siblings to help with the bubble backdrops.  It was so much fun seeing bubbles in the air and hearing the laughter from the helpers AND the parents aka the photographers.

     The glitter letters were such a hit, that they made their way to the actual prom photo booth. Little did I know that when you rearrange the letters P-R-O-M, they spell Word......leave it to teenagers to teach me a few things!

FREEBIE FRIDAY (on Monday)

Many of my customers are busy working on Father's Day projects.  To assist with your creative process, I am giving you 5 - 8.5 x 11 inch blue and silver textured digital papers!  Enjoy!

Download all 5 papers here.  For the complete Blue and Silver Damask Collection in both 8.5 x 11 inches and 12 x 12 inches, purchase here.

FREEBIE FRIDAY

So it is Friday, and it is two days until Mother's Day.....do you have your Mother's Day card?  Well, if not, you can download my Freebie Friday giveaway which includes 6 printable cards.  Just follow the printing instructions, from my How to Print Digital Paper blog post and your prints will look gorgeous!

What do you do with the printable card images once you have downloaded them? All of the images are JPEG, which is just like a photo.  Treat the image as you would a photo. Print one, or print them all. They each come as a single JPEG and measure 5x5 inches.

You can either print and paste onto a larger cardstock to customize your card, add the image to a scrapbook page, create a fridge magnet, make a mixed media project, decoupage the image, make a small poster, post to your Mother's Facebook page, or just email as an attachment (with your personalized message, of course!).

If you do not want to use for Mother's Day, you can share on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.  You can also just keep in your personal digital art collection.  This artwork can only be used for personal purposes and cannot be sold.  (It you want to use for commercial sales, please contact me to purchase a commercial license).

Here is the free download, which expires on May 13, 2016. Download and save on your computer before it expires.

Happy Mother's Day to all those hardworking moms!  Brigitte Baer, www.BaerDesignStudio.com

Take a look at this creative use of a digital image

One of my favorite parts of being a seller on Etsy, is seeing how my customers use the digital images I design. The clever use I am featuring today is from an Etsy shop called La Dolce Vita Cakes located in the United Kingdom. Louise used my Toile Digital Background Collections to create her Wafer Papers.

If you are like me, you are probably wondering "What is wafer paper?"  Wafer papers are a clever way of decorating cakes and cookies. La Dolce Vita Cakes printed my toile images onto edible sheets of "wafer".  Next, a cake decorator would apply these "papers" to dried royal icing or fondant which can cover a cookie, fondant cupcake topper, or a cake. These wafer papers are also fantastic for making wafer paper flowers, side panels, wraparounds and other decorations for cake and cupcake creations! You can also apply to the smooth underside of a store bought chocolate bar, using corn syrup or Wilton piping gel.

Black and Natural Toile Collection

 Pink and Blue Toile Digital Paper Collection