Nov 07 2009
As Veteran’s Day approaches here in the US, DIY Bride would like to give our friends in the military a special little shout out this coming week.
If you and/or your fiance(e) is/are serving or has served in any branch of the armed services, we want to hear from you!
Please reply by November 12. (Yeah, yeah it’s after Veteran’s Day but we’re honoring you all week!)
Thanks so much!
Nov 07 2009
Back in February, I reviewed the Epson Artisan 800 printer. At the time I gave it a positive review and, admittedly, it was a really good printer – for a few months.
While I once loved this printer, it is now so problematic that I can no longer give it a recommendation. Here’s why:
For what the retail price is on this unit I expect better quality, especially from Epson whose products I’ve been very pleased with in the past. This one simply disappoints after less than a year in use.
Nov 05 2009
As I often mention in these pages I am a hopeless gadget queen. If it’s new, bright and shiny I gotta get my hands on it because I’m always on the hunt for cool tools that make the lives of us creative (and not-so-creative) types much easier.
The swell folks at Envelopments sent me their new tool called JIGster. A jig, for those of you not familiar with the term, is a guide to help with exact placement of objects. In the case of the JIGster it helps invitation designers (that’s you!) perfectly align layers of paper/cardstock for each and every invitation you create.
I adore this tool. Seriously, this is on my top 10 list of all-time favorite craft tools. I create several hundred (thousands? yeah, probably) of layered invites, programs, menus, and other papery goodness every year so I can say with some authority how much trying to get uniform alignment really sucks. The JIGster made a recent project a total no-brainer and cut down production time significantly. My crafting minutes are very limited these days so that in and of itself made the tool totally rock in my book.
The JIGster allows you to create standard border widths (the amount of area showing between the edges of the layers) of 1/8”, 1/4”, 3/8” , 1/2”, 3/4”, and 1”. The unit itself is pretty compact, about 12″ x 12″, making it easy to store in your craft space. It’s made of heavy plastic, is easy to use, and will last forever.
The price for this baby is $69.95. In my estimation it’s well-worth the price for the quality, ease of use, and functionality. Buy here.
Check out a video of the JIGster in action.
{Disclaimer: Per FTC guidelines, it is my duty to mention that Envelopments sent me this product for review without charge. No money was exchanged for this review and the content of the review reflects my personal and honest opinion about the merits of the product.}
Nov 04 2009
Heads up, DIYers! The forum and downloads areas will be unavailable beginning Friday, 11/6 through Sunday, 11/8. I’ll be switching over to a new (and more user-friendly) setup for handling our community area and the 300+ downloads.
Oct 21 2009
Real Problems is a spin-off from our Real Etiquette feature where we discuss real-life problems couples are facing as they plan their weddings. This is our first post in the series.
Dear DIY Bride,
My fiance and I recently met with a baker that we saw at a bridal fair. Her booth was busy on the day we went but we got a small sample of her cake and picked up a brochure that had some beautiful designs done by her company. Fast forward to a last weekend. We met with the cake lady in person. She was friendly and said that she could do all of the things we wanted for our cake. She had some good ideas and was enthusiastic about working with us. Then she handed us a scrapbook of her work.
Most of the cakes were pretty basic. Nothing wrong with that but I wasn’t seeing anything like what we were asking for. What bothers me most is there were a few cakes I recognized from some websites and magazines. I think she just copied and printed on photo paper to make it look like they were real shots of her work. (The reason I recognized one of those cakes is that I tore out the exact page from a magazine for my inspiration board.) To my fiances horror, I called her on it. The cake lady claimed that the magazine copied it from her and that she’s using their shot because it’s better than the one she had. It kinda sounds plausible. What do you think?
Trust your Spidey (bridey?) senses here. If you have reservations about the authenticity of a vendor’s claims, it’s probably best to move on. My understanding of your situation is the cake designer is using photographs of cakes that are not hers and is trying to pass them off as her creations. Yeah, that’s a big red flag.
Also, her portfolio isn’t reflecting the kind of work that you’re wanting. Not all cake designers can do every kind of cake. If she’s promising things outside of her normal skill set, you may want to reconsider. Do you want to be her cake test dummy? Finding out on the day of your wedding that she’s no good at intricate lacework (or whatever it is you’re seeking) is not a good idea.
Still confused? Hop on Google, Yelp and WeddingWire and do a search for your cake lady. It’s pretty easy to find reviews and background info on vendors. If you can’t find any info on her — and if she’s claiming to have done a significant amount of cakes or has been in business for more than a year — please be suspicious and act accordingly. You can also ask for a small sample cake of your design. It’ll cost you some cash but at least you’ll know what you’re in for.
Oct 14 2009
Hey DIYers,
I’ll be dedicating an entire week to wedding crafts that are made with recycled materials. This is something near and dear to my heart because I’m a packrat thrifty recycler who adores rescuing and repurposing items.
I – and the entire DIY community – would love it if you shared your recylced projects with us for the showcase. Just send us your project details + pictures using the form below by October 23rd. (You can send project anytime, by the way! We love showing off the work of our talented readers.)
Oct 13 2009
Dear Readers, please satisfy our curiosity about your weddings. What are you giving as your favors?
Oct 10 2009
One of the most popular posts here was the cupcake in a jar project. Sadly it’s now gone (Don’t fret! It’s making an appearance in the upcoming Crafty Countdown book) from the site. I was really excited to see a variation on the “jar” concept with Our Best Bite’s tutorial for a pie in a jar. Pie, people! Loooove this idea. I’ve done bread in a jar but never got as far as pie because my brain juice ran out or something.
Pie in a Jar from Our Best Bites
Check out their tutorial here.
Oct 09 2009
Fab Finds Friday is a weekly showcase of some of the fabulous resources available to the wedding community. This week’s wedding goodness comes to you from Garter Girl. Products and resources mentioned in FFF are chosen based on their merit and are never paid endorsements. xoxo.
Juilanne from Garter Girl posted this great tutorial for creating a knit garter for under a dollar. Yes, under a buck!
Knit garter from Julianne, The Garter Girl
Oct 07 2009
Today is my 9th wedding anniversary! I’m off for a couple of days to celebrate. Have a great week, everyone!
