Amy Tangerine's Blog, page 3

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Need a last minute gift idea? Here’s a list of my favorite gifts for creatives and kids over the years!

Let's start with items for creatives and crafters. If you haven't noticed the hand-lettering trend is here to stay. I am loving this beautiful book by my friend Mye De Leon, Mastering Hand-Lettering: Your Practical Guide for Creating and Styling the Alphabet. You guys know how much I love and enjoy hand-lettering. I’ve learned a lot from this book! The creative examples and insights in this book are really fresh and understandable. I love the different examples that she gives. And it's just a very inspiring and colorful book. I love this quote on the book that says, “You got this! So who's with me? Let's try this together.” 

Next up are these little tins containing cards with lettering techniques. Remember flashcards when you were a child? These are similar in concept and I'm loving the Art Deco Deck, Shelley Kim breaks down forming the letters and gives examples of both upper and lowercase. I just love how they come in these fun little tins!

Obviously we need tools for all this lettering which is why this Tombow VIP Club Box delivered to your door every month makes a wonderful gift. VIP actually stands for very inspirational products and includes exclusive items that are hard to find in the US. The box is limited in quantity every month and you can cancel the month month subscription at any time. Some of my favorite Japanese pens and dual brush markers are from these boxes!

With macrame and weaving being so trendy now, your crafty friends would love this DIY Woven Art Book by my friend, Rachel Denbow. I haven't actually gotten much into weaving. But this book is so gorgeous, and makes me want to buy a bunch of yarn and a loom and actually do this because I think it looks really therapeutic and fun. The patterns are really well written and look easy to follow.

For the scrapbooker in your life, I cannot recommend the Instax Share SP-3 enough! This is my go-to wireless pocket printer that I carry with me for easy on-the-go memory keeping.

And finally, what crafter wouldn’t love a monthly sticker subscription?! My favorite is the Pipsticks Monthly Sticker Club. You get 15 sheets of fun, unique high quality stickers every month and there’s also a subscription for kids! Use my code AMYTAN15 for 15% off for new subscribers for the first 3 months!

I love gifting books to kids. Here are some of my favorites starting with Junk Re-Thunk. As Jack gets more into DIY projects and making things, it's even more important that he learns about recycling and repurposing. These books by Brian Yanish are awesome! I had the pleasure of meeting him years ago and seeing his creations that are made from all kinds of household items that you would normally toss away like milk cartons, cereal boxes, etc. Even the envelope is made from a cereal box. It's really genius. These projects encourage kids to think outside of the box with their creativity.

These books Happy and Together by Emma Dodd are some of my favorites. I’ve given them as gifts to Jack’s cousins as well as for our library. The illustrations are just so cute and colorful. And the stories are just beautiful.

Beautiful Oops is another favorite of mine. It is gorgeous. And I honestly think it's why Jack is so interested in drawing.

Of course I have to include a couple of toys! Of course toys are a favorite of kids. We are huge fans of this toy company called Green Toys. They make awesome toys from recycled materials and they are made in the USA. They're based right here in California actually and they are an eco friendly toy company working to raise awareness about sustainability while designing safe and innovative toys. We have quite the collection and this airplane was one of Jack’s favorites when he was a little younger.

If you know any toddlers or young kids who are obsessed with taking pictures, this Kidizoom Camera is a huge hit. It not only takes photos and video, but it even has games on it. It's great to scan through all of the pictures that gets snapped on it, whether on accident or on purpose. It's funny to go through and see what Jack has captured.

I hope this list of last-minute Christmas gift ideas was helpful! Let me know what else you would add to this list in the comments below! Happy Holidays!

Winter Sale!

Happy Holidays, friends! The Winter Sale is here and it’s our biggest one this year; everything’s on sale! For a limited time through December 28, 2020, you can get some great deals on Amy Tangerine courses, digital prints and physical products! Check out some of these great offers!

Save over 50% percent on the price of each individual course with this 3 Course Bundle! It’s like getting 3 of my courses for the price of 1! Included in this bundle is my newest course - Fresh Takes on Traveler’s Notebooks (reg. $49) - along with A Modern Take on Brush Lettering (reg. $29) and Your Brightest Year Yet (reg. $89). Get all 3 for just $79!

If you’ve already purchased one of the courses, individual courses are also on sale for 20% off with code WINTER.

Mini-Kits and my most-loved travel watercolor kit are also on sale! Save 10% off with code WINTER.

Digital prints are on sale for 50% off! Print them on your computer and pop them in a frame and these would make a perfect easy, last-minute Christmas gift!

Last day for sale pricing and coupons is December 28, 2020!

2021 Archer and Olive Planner Reveal

Friends, I’m so happy to announce that my brand new 2021 planners with Archer and Olive are here and ready for pre-order!

For 2021, we’ll be offering two weekly planners - a dated version and an undated one! We also tried to incorporate many of your requests like more blank pages and larger sections for the weekends! Watch the complete planner flip through video on my YouTube channel!

If you’ve used an Archer and Olive planner before, you know that their quality is impeccable! Their smooth, thick pages hold up really well to watercoloring and stamping. These weekly planners are the perfect canvas to document your plans and dreams, explore your creativity and fuel your passions!

Both planners are available for pre-order and right now you can save 15% off your purchase (look under “Planners” on the Archer and Olive site)! Planners start shipping the first week of December. Also, all Amy Tangerine pre-ordered planners will get a FREE coordinating sticker pack!!

(If you’re new here, check out my Plan with Me videos using my 2020 planner!)

I know many of you in the planner community have been looking forward to seeing these new planners and I want to thank you so much for your enthusiasm and your patience. I hope you will love using these planners as much as I have over the last couple of years!

Let me know in the comments below - what do you think of the covers? And which planner do you prefer - dated or undated? I can’t wait to see what you do with your planners!

Easy DIY TMNT Family Costumes

This post is sponsored by HBO Max Family. All opinions are my own. My creative partners and I really appreciate your continued support.

Though Halloween looks different this year, we are keeping the spirit alive with easy DIY costumes. Believe it or not, this is our first family costume ever and Jack and I were so excited to get our crafting on. One of my goals was to keep it simple and have the baby bump included, so I used many supplies which I already had and perhaps you have around the house as well. We were inspired by some of Jack’s favorite characters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. HBO Max is streaming some totally awesome shows that JC and I used to watch back in the day that Jack loves now. Since we will soon be a family of four, the inspiration behind this costume really evolved from the baby bump looking like a shell and being able to include all of the ninja turtles together.

I gathered the green clothing we already had. The only things I needed to purchase for this costume turned out to be JC’s shirt, pants, and 2 colors of felt. 

SUPPLIES:

- Green clothing items - can be anything from shirts (JC’s is actually scrubs!), sweatshirts, pants, a dress, skirt, shorts.

- Felt in green (half a yard) and gold (half a yard)

- Scissors (preferably one pair for paper, one for fabric)

- Fabric Glue

- Cardboard (can be from a box)

- Cardstock 

- Pencil

- Green marker and black marker

- Hand Sewing Needle

- Craft thread or embroidery floss or twine

- Masks (I ordered a set as I priced it out and it would have been much more expensive and time consuming to make our own, plus there’s a shortage on elastic currently)

Make a template for the front of the shirt. You can just do 3 and cut through 2 layers of felt if you’d like, but I like the idea of it looking handmade and not so perfect, so I drew 6 pieces and cut each of them out. 

Place the felt down on the front of the shirt and when you’re happy with the placement, use fabric glue in the middle of each piece to glue down. (If you don’t want to do the hand stitching steps coming up, be sure to use enough glue for the entire felt piece, but not too much as it can get messy and show through).

While the glue is drying, you can cut larger pieces for any of the other bigger shirts you plan on adding pieces to.

Once the glue has dried, thread the needle and use a single strand to hand stitch a border around the pieces.

Repeat on the larger shirt if you wish.

Cut a piece of cardboard (upcycle a box!) into an oval that resembles a shell. Cut a few templates for the parts of the shell. Jack really wanted to be involved as most 7 year olds probably do, so instead of using the felt on the shell as I had originally planned, I had him trace the template in pencil and then we filled in with marker. Use the template pieces to cut the parts of the shell using the green felt.

Cut 2 strips of the green felt for the straps and hand sew onto the cardboard shell, measuring on the one who will be wearing the shell for appropriate length and placement.

For the shell felt pieces on the baby, I simply put on the dress and glued the pieces onto the dress after seeing the placement in the mirror. Some of the pieces needed to be trimmed up a bit due to the stretching of the dress.

Last step to the dress was to glue the mask on and draw on eyelashes with a black marker. Put the masks and shells on and enjoy!

GIVEAWAY INFO

The sweepstakes will start at 9am PT on 10/26 and end at 5pm PT on 10/30.

Enter for the opportunity to win a 30-day free trial to HBO Max for you and a friend by doing the following things:

1. Follow @AmyTangerine and @hbomaxfamily on Instagram

2. Tag a friend you want to stream Halloween favorites with in the comments of my Instagram in-feed post

3. @hbomaxfamily will DM the winner on Halloween, 10/31. Winners will get one 30-day free trial for themselves and one for their tagged friend!

No pur nec. 50US&DC 18+ Ends 5PM PT on 10/30.

Rules and regulations: http://hbomaxhalloween.dja.com/

Studio Clean Out Boxes and Fresh Takes Course Re-Opens!

It’s that time again for Studio Clean Out Boxes! Get over $100 worth of assorted (mostly) Amy Tangerine products! 

 












































 

These can include stickers, washi tape, die cuts, traveler’s notebooks, 12x12 patterned paper, stamps and much more from some of my most-loved collections over the years. Many of these items have been completely sold out everywhere else! You may also get a few pieces from some of my all-time favorite brands such as Tombow and Pipsticks.

If you’re one of the first 30 people to purchase a Studio Clean Out Box, you’ll also receive some extra special goodies - an exclusive Amy Tangerine tape runner, travel scissors and an assortment of OOLY pens! 

There are a very limited number of boxes available and the last time I did a studio clean out, we sold out quickly! 

Don’t miss this chance to get some of your favorite Amy Tangerine products for a great deal! 

Shop Now

Fresh Takes on Traveler’s Notebook Online Course

Enrollment is open again for Fresh Takes on Traveler’s Notebooks - my first-ever online traveler’s notebook course! If you missed the first launch, now is your chance to sign up for this self-paced online course all about my favorite traveler’s notebook techniques! Click here for more info and to sign up!

 












































 

Planning and Organizing - 5 Simple Steps

This post is sponsored by Office Depot OfficeMax. All opinions are my own. My creative partners and I really appreciate your continued support.

In the last few months working in the studio, I have really had to shift and reorganize priorities. My heart goes out to all the small businesses that have been affected by this global pandemic. I have been working to optimize workflow and organization and today I am excited to partner with Office Depot OfficeMax to share some things with you from this happy place. I thought I would share some ideas and insights to help infuse more of what you love back into your life, whether you’re a small business owner, perhaps doing something as a side hustle, or you just want to live your best creative life.

Having well thought out systems in place can help you plan and organize. I was able to take advantage of products and services from Office Depot OfficeMax to help create this 5 step action plan using the acronym SPARK. 

Set aside time to start and schedule it. - Making sure I set aside time, even if it’s just 15-30 minutes a day to look at the big picture and write things down is of utmost importance. By scheduling projects and just taking the first step to start something lays the groundwork nicely.

Prioritize and plan. As much as I depend on my computer and online calendar that syncs to my phone and other devices, you know I have a big love for analog. By making lists of things to do - even if it’s just good reminders for your own well-being, something powerful happens when you put it down on paper. Color coding your plans makes it easier to reference too. 

Arrange and assign (label). Getting a new label maker was a really good idea. Don’t you just love fresh new tools that you know will last for years to come? The great thing about it is the portability factor so I may even keep this in the house to label things accordingly. I also ordered these file folders as I was really tired of having loose papers and projects piling up in various places.

The R is for Reflect. Relax through the process of bettering your systems and business organization. - Sometimes it’s overwhelming to tackle too much at once, so I like to break things down and make sure I do something creative every day. By keeping a simple record, similar to a habit tracker, you can use grid paper and make a mark on the days you achieve your goal. Looking back you can see the progress and how far you’ve come. Remember, setting small goals - even setting aside 10 minutes a day for creativity - will likely be easier for you to accomplish than if you try for an hour a day. Be realistic and practical, and if you spend more time on what you love, consider it a bonus!

And finally, the K in Spark stands for: Keep what works, let go of what doesn’t. I used to think just because something was working for me for a long time, I should just keep going with it. Well, also recognizing and making sure I am cognizant of being in tune with what’s aligning with me, my clients, well-being, and business is something that can be different from one year to another, and even one project to another. Be mindful of your approach and be willing to let go of what no longer is working for you. I am personally letting go of the things that are outside of my control and focusing on the wonderful ways I can create and make a tiny difference in my world and hopefully inspire others to do the same. 

One final idea that was sparked was the need for some custom labels as we started to ship packages that are ordered off of our website again. There are a lot of options you can customize and order easily through . So don’t forget to check them out for custom printing needs and find out more about the product selections I’m using to organize and save time. 

Hope you enjoyed hearing these tips on planning and organizing and that you can adapt some of the takeaways from SPARK in your life too. Keep the creative juices flowing, my friends.

Free Online Workshop!

I had such a fun time at the last free live workshop we had that I wanted to do another one!

Join me on Thursday, September 3rd, 4 pm PST for Cultivating Peace Through Creating!

 












































 

Do you feel stuck in a creative rut? Are your spirits weighed down by present circumstances? Do you need some fresh inspiration? In this free LIVE online mini workshop, I'll be sharing my tips for getting those creative juices flowing again and demonstrating how to cultivate a sense of peace during chaotic times in my traveler's notebook! 

Don't worry if you can't make the live workshop - we'll be sending out a replay link!

Hope to see you there! 

Sign up

*New* Online Course Announcement - Fresh Takes on Traveler’s Notebooks!

I’m so excited to announce my brand new online course - Fresh Takes on Traveler’s Notebooks: A Creative Memory Keeping Course!

 












































 Everything you want to know about traveler’s notebooks!

This self-paced online course launches September 8, 2020, and contains three modules packed with multiple lessons, step-by-step video tutorials, sketches and process photos, exclusive printables, a private Facebook community, live Q+A session with me and more!

Pick what’s right for you!

Sign up for the course itself or get it bundled with two traveler’s notebook kit options!

Registration closes August 25, 2020, so make sure you don’t miss out!

Learn More

Add on these mini kits to your bundle!

FREE Online Workshop - Easy Traveler’s Notebook Techniques!

 












































 

I’m so excited to announce my FREE live online workshop - Easy Traveler’s Notebook Techniques! You guys know how much I LOVE TNs! I wanna share some of my tips and tricks with you! 

In this LIVE ONLINE workshop, you’ll learn several of my favorite EASY techniques for preserving your memories in a traveler’s notebook all using the scrapbooking supplies you already have!

This ONLINE workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18th @ 1:00 pm PST.

Click here to register! I can’t wait to see you there! 

Space is limited so register as soon as you can!

Register Now

The Rebirthing Process with Courtney Jaye

Have you ever had a rebirthing process? In this episode, I was joined by a dear friend of mine and artist, Courtney Jaye. Courtney is an artist with Island Records and has collaborated with some of the biggest musicians in the industry. She came on to chat about her rebirthing process, moving through trauma and learning from the setbacks you face. Courtney and I dive into her career as a musician and why she uses her platform to speak out on what’s right. She also shares her experience of living in Hawaii and how she’s gotten to this point in her career by following her rebelliousness. (This episode was pre-recorded on June 18, 2020)

What’s in this episode:

How she’s gotten to where she is by following her rebellious spirit

Why she moved back to Hawaii

What her plan was for moving to Hawaii

Why you should put more stock into your happiness

Courtney’s thoughts on setbacks and learning from them

How she’s going through a rebirth process

How Courtney is more of a melody person than a lyric person

Her thoughts on what’s going on in the world right now

Why she wants to speak out on what is right

About Courtney:
Shaped by a life spent traveling and observing sounds and styles from all around the country, Kauai-based troubadour Courtney Jaye boasts a personality as massive as the hooks in her songs.

Born in Pittsburgh and raised in Atlanta, Jaye followed her restless heart to such rich cultural settings as Nashville, Athens, GA, Flagstaff, Austin, Los Angeles, and now the island of Kauai, HI.

Signed to Island Records in 2005 by L.A. Reid - along the way she’s collaborated with the likes of Taj Mahal, Band of Horses, Rogue Wave, Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, The Indigo Girls, Matthew Sweet, comedian Stephen Lynch, Dar Williams, Jessie Baylin, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and The Jayhawks.

That broad range of experience and musical interests comes together beautifully on her four diverse albums. Over the years she has performed with and opened up for artists such as Jack Johnson, Sting, SZA, Tom Jones, M. Ward, Robbie Williams, Jackson Browne, Wanda Jackson, Caetano Veloso, Citizen Cope, and many more.

Connect with Courtney:
Spotify | Instagram | Twitter

Links:
Rogue and Jaye