Idiom Postcard Set

I love idioms; they’re like a coded part of language in that they often stem from historical or pop-culture references specific to that country. Even native speakers of a country are unlikely to know all idiom references for that country (especially if they’re more regional or they pertain to a specific time period).

Idioms are such an ingrained part of culture that mean so much with so few words—and everyone uses them. They’re in our everyday conversations, in TV commercials and TV shows, in songs and books—they’re pretty much inescapable. Everyday I must hear and use idioms dozens of times because using idioms are often a short cut to what you’re trying to say (assuming that all parties have knowledge of the meaning of that idiom). Instead of saying “You need to slow down and start enjoying life,” you can just say “Stop and smell the roses” and the underlying meaning is understood.

Congrats! Birthday Card

A couple of months ago I bought this flying pig finger puppet with a magnetic nose that I thought my brother would like as part of his birthday present. It’s perhaps a bit of an odd gift but I like things that are somewhat unexpected.

The night before his birthday I thought I should make a birthday card for him. Last year I made him a You’re #2 birthday card, and I decided to somehow combine that same sentiment with the flying pig puppet.

2013 Calendar Re-issues: Idiom, Fake Ad and Chinese Zodiac

While the Retro Fake Ad Calendar and the I’m a Chinese Zodiac Animal Calendar art and format remained the same as last year, I decided to alter the Idiom Calendar. The format is now a small wall calendar where the pages are stapled together in the middle. In addition, there are two new idioms included: Tip of the Iceberg (cover) and Day in the Sun (last page).

Knock on Wood Notebook

I’d been eying this “wood” paper at the paper store for some time now. I’d pick it up, lustfully look at it and then reluctantly put it down because although I wanted it, I didn’t have a plan for it. The problem with the paper is that it’s not terribly versatile; it’s dark, heavy and textured—not good for printing. But it was pretty. And I like pretty things. So I finally decided on using this specialized paper in a project that would utilize its “wood” properties, and what came to mind was the idiom “Knock on Wood.” [I know. (Sigh.) I’m slightly addicted to using idioms in my designs.]

Lip Service Coupon

Lip service is what makes the world go ’round. We are all participants, with coworkers, classmates, friends, family, strangers; we all tell those little white lies that help to make social interactions go more smoothly. We generally know when we’re getting or giving lip service, but that doesn’t stop its persistence.

Idiom Calendar

Sometime in April I decided to create an idiom calendar for my “Make Something Present” for this year. I am particularly partial to wordplay and I love idioms. There are idioms for practically every situation and I find some quite amusing. Idioms paint visual pictures with just a few words and I wanted to portray that in my idiom calendar.

Can of Worms

I’m having a childhood flashback: using a can to create a pencil holder. Since it’s so simple to do, I’m pretty sure that this is something I would have done for an art project for school.

Cock and Bull Story Pad

I enjoy wordplay. Words carry so much within them: the meaning of the words themselves, the sounds they create when spoken and the surprise of unexpected words strung together in an interesting fashion.