Hedgehog Studio's Blog can now be found at www.hedgehogstudio.com

Hi!
You can find me at www.hedgehogstudio.com for Story Book Sundays, Paper Toys and more.
I hope to see you there!
Julie

Story Book Sunday - Alice and The White Rabbit by Clara Burd

Clara Burd never illustrated the book Alice In Wonderland, but she did paint an illustration included in a fairy tale book.

Story Book Sunday - At The Back of The North Wind - Maria L. Kirk

George Mac Donald wrote a wonderful book, At The Back of The North Wind, first published as a book in 1871.
It has become a timeless classic that has been reprinted for more than a 125 years. This thoughtful book not only appeals to children but also adults. As George Mac Donald stated he did not write only for the young ‘but for the childlike whether of five, or fifty, or seventy-five’. Numerous illustrators have given life to the image of the North Wind as described by George Mac Donald. Below is one of my favorites by Maria L. Kirk. Very little is known about Maria Kirk, despite the fact she illustrated over 50 books. She is perhaps best known for her illustrations for Alice In Wonderland. The image below is true to size and color for this edition printed in 1914 by J. B. Lippincott.

Story Book Sundays

Join me each Sunday for a "Story Book Page" in 300 ppi - low compression jpg graphic that you can frame, use in your graphic projects, altered art or just save and enjoy. One of my favorite books is "The Child's Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Stevenson. I grew up on these wonderful verses and know them all by heart. So many wonderful illustrators have interpreted Robert Louis Stevenson's verses with their own vision and style. The verse below was illustrated by Fern Bisel Peat whose style reflected the Art Deco era. Click on the link below to be brought to the full size image, then right click and save to your computer.

Sue Blackwell - An Inspiration!

The art of paper cutting or scherenschnitte was founded in Switzerland and Germany in the 16th century and brought to America in the 18th century. I personally became fascinated in this art form more than 20 years ago while designing custom stencils. I love the concept of positive and negative space and the basic principle was easily transferred to paper stencils creating a unique pattern to pass paint through. This art form has been around along time and has been re-interpreted over the years in unique and original paper cuttings by modern artists. The tools needed could not be simpler, a pair of scissors or exacto knife and paper. You can find beautiful paper cuttings through out the internet. Dover books offers numerous books that you can use for patterns to get you started. While scherenschnitte is a unique art form it is two dimensional so when I found Sue Blackwell's 3 dimensional paper cuttings I was inspired and delighted. Please watch the videos below to see a selection from her portfolio and how she creates her paper sculptures.

New Site Pinterest!

I run across so many wonderful paper art sites on the web, that I cannot possibly list them all here on my blog. I recently joined a Pin Board site that allows me to "Pin" great finds to a cyber Pin Board. These boards are not unlike the cork boards I tack up inspirational items on. This is great for designers, artists and collectors. Check out my pin boards at Hedgehog Studio on Pinterest!

Fun With Paper Toys and Animation

There are some incredible paper toys that you can download on the web. I just ran across this delightful video that you can watch below. You can also download and make the paper toy elephant yourself at The Curiosity Group
The Curious Dream– From Flat to Flight from Cre8tivegirl on Vimeo.




I enjoy adding information, videos and downloads hoping that it will inspire you in the world of paper arts. So many of these paper toys make wonderful animation videos. Watch the two below from Maricor/Maricar


Murder By Death - "White Noise" from MaricorMaricar on Vimeo.

If All The World Were Paper from MaricorMaricar on Vimeo.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and a Toy Theatre

A few days ago I was searching the web and came across this fantastic blog Tektonten Papercraft. If you enjoy paper crafts you will want to spend hours there. While browsing I came across a Toy Theatre that C. Jefferson O'Connor created. The Toy Theatre is based on the movie "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus". Having never seen the movie I was intrigued and downloaded the free printable. The very next evening I ran across the movie on television and watched it. This movie dates from 2009 and I am sure many of you have already seen it if you like fantasy films. It has a great cast and was directed by Terry Gilliam. The film follows a traveling theater troupe (designed like a large toy theatre) and escorts audience members through a magical mirror. I actually enjoyed the premise that was sent at the beginning of the movie, that stories must be read aloud or the world will cease to exist. Unfortunaely this was not the plot of the movie. The very beginning reminded me of "The Neverending Story" one of my all time favorites from 1984 all about a magical land created by imagination, threatened with destruction due to the loss of imagination in our world. Both movies stress the importance and power of imagination. Again that  probably explains why I like paper toys and toy theatres, it encourages imagination. Watch  "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" and create your own Imaginarium  from C. O'Connor's blog.

Toy Theatres and the Paper Arts

I thought I should expand a little on the previous post. If you do a search on http://www.youtube.com under toy theatre you will come up with a wonderful selection. I have included a couple below for you to view.
The video below is a traditional Pollock toy theatre.



 As a  fan of Monty Python (have all their VHS and now of cource the DVDs) the video below reminds me of the wonderful talent and animation art of Terry Gilliam.
A parody on the movie "Inception". If you have not seen the movie it is worth watching.





As I mentioned previously there is a resurgence in the Paper Arts and the concept of the jointed paper doll is popular again. You can find great examples of this at http://www.etsy.com. If you want to give this a try Lindsey Carr has made some incredible jointed paper toys and she has made one in pdf format for you to download at her blog.
http://pickle-town.typepad.com/mystical_cowboy_0098765.pdf

The Ice Book

I have been intrigued and fascinated with the toy theatre. As a child I always loved plays and the ballet. As a student I volunteered at the San Francisco Opera House as anusher so I could see them. I will never forget one opportunity I had to see the Moiseyev Dance Company and go back stage. I sat with a cobbler who travelled with the troupe. He told me he was always busy making and repairing their ballet shoes. I volunteered at the Curran and saw everything from "Death of a Salesman" to "Scrooge". Many happy memories! So why this fascination with the toy theatre? Perhaps because it brings back those happy memories or perhaps it is the fun in working with paper, cutting and gluing and designing. I have read numerous books on the subject many written in the 1930' through the forties. You can find many references under the subject Juvenile Drama, popular in England during the mid 1800's. Scenery, characters and theatres reproduced on a small scale for children to cut, put together and re-enact the plays that were being seen by adults at the "Grand" theatres of the time. The more I researched the subject the more fascinated I became so forgive me for my enthusiasm! As a naive observer I see a resurgence in the interest with the toy theatre and paper toys. Perhaps this is a reaction to video games or perhaps due to an economy that is encouraging frugality. Paper is fun to cut for the young and the old and it does not cost much! You can find wonderful jointed paper dolls, mechanical paper toys, and entire paper villages. The popularity in Altered Art and collage has only added to an old children's playtime being revived with new life. I have recently thought about going back to school and getting my masters in Art Therapy, but the expense is astronomical. So here I am having fun designing paper toys, banners and other fun paper projects using images from a simpler time. I added the video below not only because it is a work of art, but because it demonstrates to me we can create a beautiful world with paper and technology.

The Ice Book from Davy and Kristin McGuire on Vimeo.

Let It Snow

Happy Holidays! The holiday season seems to come faster and faster every year. Print and cut a Hershey Wrapper Cover. It is simple, fast and easy. Download the file below and personalize with a name or a phrase. Cut out, fold and glue the ends just like an envelope. Insert a regular Hershey bar and you have a great treat to give out or place on a dinner plate. You will need Adobe Reader 9 or above.

Download Here

Thanksgiving Place Cards and Match Box Covers

Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away. I love getting together with family for this special occasion.
I created a banner out of my collection of vintage and antique postcards. I made a coordinating place card and small match box cover that is included here for you to download. You can edit the place cards to personalize them with a name or anything you want. They are 3.5 wide by 4 inches tall. Fold them in half. If you are scoring them, score at 2 inches. I added touches of ultra fine gold glitter and it just adds that special touch. The match box covers fit the small match boxes that you can purchase in the grocery store. Cut the images and glue to the top and bottom of the match box. I added a touch of glitter to these as well. They look great sitting next to a spice candle. They also make a great hostess gift. I hope you enjoy them!

Please right click on the links below and "save target as" or "save link as" to a folder on your computer.

Please download the place cards Here.

Please download the match box covers Here.

Sharing Some Halloween Photos

I love decorating for Halloween. This year the theme was "The Crossbones Inn". I had a lot of fun putting everything together. I created a banner of course! I set up my tree filled with antique, vintage and modern decorations and of course treat boxes filled with goodies for the guests. I displayed many of my crows and created a banner of crows to go up the staircase. Each year I buy a couple of things to add and this year I found a great table cloth at Target and a few little gravestones. My friend Jamie and I have bought each other gifts over the years or shopped together so we have many of the same things. I have included a few pictures from her house this year. Well Halloween is over and I need to pack this all up waiting for the fun next year.

Halloween Small Match Box Covers

Well Halloween is almost here and I have so much decorating to do. I still have to find that box of bats and rats I know I have somewhere! Well in between the mad Halloween rush I have been making Halloween treats for my friends. I have included a file for you to download so you can make your own. I purchased a package of small match boxes. These come 10 to a pack and each small box contains 32 matches. You can purchase these from 50 cents to one dollar and some change depending on the store you go to. Numerous companies make these match boxes and they are all the same size. I designed a label for the top and one for the bottom that you can edit and personalize. The key to making these look professional is to cut the top label so it fits perfect. I have designed the label to do so. Print these on regular inkjet paper and cut-out carefully. Apply glue stick to the back and apply to the top of the box. Do the same for the bottom. Purchase a small store bought candle and place the two in a clear cellophane bag with a fancy ribbon. What a great little gift for Halloween!
Click on the link below to download. If you download please leave a comment.
Thank you!
Download

These coordinate with my Party Pak at Etsy
You can click on the link below to visit.

Halloween Party Pak

Vintage Circus Match Books

Download our free Circus Match Books. Personalize, cut, fold and staple a pre-wrapped mint inside. The Match Books coordinate with the Vintage Circus Pack that you can find at

http://www.etsy.com/listing/52314543/vintage-circus-party-pack

Download - www.hedgehogstudio.com/matchbook.pdf

Nugget Wraps With a Tuscany Flare

I have been making candy wraps for over ten years. These nugget wraps coordinate with my Tuscany Collection at Etsy. Please download the wraps for free. Nugget wraps look best when printed on photo gloss paper. Cut, wrap around a Nugget and secure with double sided tape or scrapbooking tape adhesive. These look great in a bowl or spread around a table. Of course they look great in a little box with a ribbon. Download below

http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/tuscanynuggetwrap.pdf

Our Tuscany Banner is fun and sure to add something special to any occasion.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48158731/tuscany-pennant-banner-home-decor-bonus

DIY Gift Tags

New gift tags allow you to cut out elements and layer creating a unique 3 dimensional gift tag.

I hope you had a great week! Time just goes by too fast and there seems so little time to create new and fun things, but I did come up with this little calendar that I think you will like if you like Walter Crane? He is one of my favorite illustrators! I work at a day job and it has been 15 hours a day due to all the cuts in Social Service! Oh my! Well I have got to get my creativity in, even if it is at 2:00 A.M.! Just got a chance to post this, a nice one page calendar 8.5 inches x 11 inches in .pdf format. I like a one page calendar that I can view at a glance, my personal preference. I created this from a first edition of "The Baby's Opera" by Walter Crane. I added three images and the rhyme as worded in the book on top of a 2009 calendar. I recommend card stock, but this works fine on regular paper. This can be framed in a 8.5 x 11 inch document frame for an added touch. This looks great at the office or at home. Print and pass them out to your co-workers or friends, they will use them and thank you! Let me know what you think and I will create more and some for 2010 too! You can download by clicking on the link below or click on the image on the right.

http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/cranebabyopera2009.pdf

Dad's Special Day

Father's Day is just around the corner, so I created a few items that you can print and use.
This a great antique image from a book published by the McLoughlin Brothers in 1885 called "Base Ball ABC". I did use a little PhotoShop magic and replaced the ABC with DAD.
McLoughlin Bros., Inc. was a New York publishing firm that pursued techniques in color printing for children's books. Their illustration coloring process spanned more than 50 years, starting with hand stenciling and ultimately leading to chromolithography. The process of chromolithography is a posting in itself and I will explain that one day in the future. Between 1850 and 1920 McLoughlin Brothers brought joy to young children reading their books and booklets. Their product line expanded to include toys, including games and paper dolls. An interesting side note, in 1920 McLoughlin Bros., Inc. was sold to Milton Bradley and game production ceased. The McLoughlin line of children's books was sold to Grosset & Dunlap in June 1954. By the 1970's the name, "McLoughlin" disappeared. I try to find these little gems whenever I can.
You can download the file below. Note this is a 9MB file. Click on the file and it will extract.

http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/BaseballDad.exe

Bessie Pease Gutmann - Alice In Wonderland

Alice In Wonderland is one of my favorite books. I recently re-read it and realized that I had missed so many historical references. I highly encourage you to read it again. Alice In Wonderland fueled the imagination of some many illustrators during the early 20th century. Numerous editions were published after the original with new illustrations. Each illustrator captured Lewis Carroll's work with their own vision and interpretation. Here is a little 2" X 2" half fold gift tag in pdf format to print out. You can cut with scissors inside or outside the black line and fold. Punch a small hole and string a 1/8 inch ribbon through. This illustration is by Bessie Pease Gutmann from the 1907 edition of Alice In Wonderland.

http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/alicefoldtag.pdf

Have a great week!

Little Bo Peep Nursery Rhyme

Nursery rhymes from Mother Goose are filled with tons of historical references. I enjoy the history and the illustrators. I have been reading about the importance of rhymes when learning to read. Apparently parents are not reading the old nursery rhymes to their children like they use to and educators feel this may impact their reading development. I made a card for you to download, print and include with that next book you buy for a young one or just cut and make some bookmarks and bookplates. The front of the card is a bookplate that can be cut-out and glued in the book and the back is a bookmark that can be cut-out and used. The illustration is by Clara Burd from the 1918 edition of "Mother Goose and Her Goslings". Please enjoy these for personal and educational use. If you have a favorite nursery rhyme let me know!

http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/claraburd.pdf

Have a great week!

Arthur Rackham's "Cinderella"

I just purchased a first edition of Arthur Rackham's "Cinderella" and wanted to share some of the images with you. I created three 4.25 x 5.5 note cards in .pdf format for you to download and print. These images also look great framed. I purchased three $3.00 5 x 7 inch black frames with 3 x 4.5 interior mats and placed the note card behind the mat. These look great grouped together! Add some cross grain ribbon to hang from and create a different look. When printing use your highest quality setting to get a strong black image.

http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/2cinderellacard.pdf

http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/2princecard.pdf

http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/godmother.pdf

Note the file will open in a browser window.

The Little Elephant

Even though my interest is late 19th and early 20th century illustrators, I also love creating little graphics myself. This little elephant is great as a tag on a gift or multiple tags for favors for that "Baby Shower". These are designed to work with a 2 inch punch and work best with card stock. You can also use them on the two inch labels from onlinelabel.com my favorite label source. These are for your personal and educational use to create with any way you like. I just made a bunch, punched a whole, added a ribbon, filled a cello bag with candy, wrapped the tag around and I am ready to bring to that "Baby Shower" next week. There are two .pdf files, one for a green elephant and one for lavender. When printing make sure to print on your best quality for a truer color. Since all printers are different, there is often variability in color.
Have a great week!

http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/greenelephant.pdf

http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/lavelephant.pdf

Created Something New!

I get so excited when I come up with a new idea. Just created "Laundry Line Greetings and Inspirations". I love cards, I buy tons of cards and make cards, but I wanted to create something more. I was thinking about this cute Birthday Banner I made and thought it would be great in a smaller version, placed in a keepsake tin and personalized. So there you go, the new addition to my paper arts line, "Laundry Line Greetings and Inspirations".

Happy Mother's Day

Created a collection for Mother's Day! This is great for both you and your children. Frances Brundage is the illustrator. This image is from "The Baby's Biography" printed in 1891. This is a 9MB file and will take about 2 minutes to download on a cable connection. You can print gift tags, cards and more! I hope you enjoy it. The download link is below.
http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/Mother_and_Child.zip

The Man In The Moon

Just to say Thank You! for stopping by please download a wonderful1889 illustration of "The Man In The Moon". You can make gift tags in many sizes, note cards, prints and much more!
Click on the link below and you will be downloading a 10.5 MB Zip file that will extract into a self executable file. Print directly from the program. Have Fun!!!

http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/Man_In_The_Moon.zip

Caption Gift Tags

I just added my "Caption Gift Tags" to my line of paper products. You can personalize
your tag for any occasion!

After almost 2 years!

Well, like everyone else the current economy hit me. After spending the last two years working 15 hours a day as a Social Work Supervisor I was demoted due to all the cuts in our county. My entire unit was eliminated. Well on the brighter side I now only put in 12 hours a day giving me a few extra hours to start up what I left behind 2 years ago. So here I am creating and having fun!
You can visit me at
http://www.hedgehogstudio.com/

http://www.hedgehogstudio.etsy.com/

http://twitter.com/hedgehogstudio

Today July 30, 2007

Today I added a project I have been working on for months, Storybook Pins. I designed a book cover and created a wonderful pin that will