Author: Natalie

Mother’s Day Giveaway!

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Update| The giveaway is now closed! But my shop is now open for custom portrait commissions and printables.  Click here to take a peek!

Happy almost Mother’s Day to all of you out there who are mothers, have a mother or know a mother.  I’m part of a huge giveaway with Oakley from Nothing Down About it, and I’m so excited to be painting a custom portrait of the person of your choice if you win the giveaway!

There are some amazing things being given away so be sure to enter below!

-$100 Crate And Barrel Gift Card from Nothing Down About It
-Mama Bar Necklace From Made by Mary
-$40 Lulu And Roo Gift Card
-$100 Oilo Studio Gift Card
-Shirt For Mom AND Shirts For Littles (up to 5) from Cents of Style
-Solly Baby Wrap AND Matching Solly Dolly Wrap
–Portrait By Natalie Malan Studio

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Mother’s Day Giveaway

Portfolio Update

nataliemalan_freshlemonade_paisley_boyA bright and lively pattern for Petite Lemon for Shutterfly.  Ever since we had our first son, I find it so fun and refreshing to design things for boys!  I love it.  There will be more monsters and robots in my future and I can’t wait.  Design for boys is definitely an area that’s lacking.

Vector – Adobe Illustrator

Free Valentine Printable – You are my Favorite Thing

nataliemalan__free_printable_favoritethings_valentine_coral_mantle_web2My good friend Anne Marie was kind enough to host several “Favorite Things” parties and asked me to create this printable to hand out.  We each brought 5 of our favorite thing, and then drew 5 names when we arrived at her house to see who we would be giving our five items to.

The printable was her inspired way to make it about people and not just “things.”  Gotta love that girl; she’s got class.

Then we went around the room, and stood, and told everyone what our favorite thing was, why it was our favorite, and called out the names of the “winners” of our item.  It was just like Oprah with fab food, and women screaming for fun prizes!  So fun!

nataliemalan_alana_mantle_valentine_free_printable_webThis morning my other friend Alana was styling her gorgeous mantle for Valentine’s day and sent me a pic so I could see how cute it all looks with the printable!  It was completely her suggestion to offer it here as a free download, so you can be sure to thank Alana later…..

Click here to see how to make a cute string heart like the one Alana made.  I’m not sure if this is the actual tutorial she used, but it looks pretty similar.

I hope you enjoy the Free Valentine Printable!  Feel free to download and print as gifts to your loved ones and friends; I only ask that you keep my subtle signature on the bottom.

Click on the color image you’d like below; click again to see it at the maximum image size 5×7, and right click to download it to your computer. It should print best as a 5×7.

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Drawing with Kids

nataliemalan_studio_child_friendly_webSo I decided to make good on my last post about spending more creative time with my munchkins.  And I realized that having a stool by my chair at my drawing table would probably be a good way to keep this little man from drinking his paint and eating his crayons (well one out of two isn’t bad…).  It worked out well this morning and I’m thinking I may even invest in a few ikea stools with backs like these so I don’t have to worry about him wiggling off.

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This is his usual face when I’m wrangling him around my studio.  He got a lot happier when he was sitting by me and we were both coloring.  We encourage the time saving “two handed coloring” method.  Deadlines people!  Always deadlines.  Might as well train them young.

Anyone have any tips for drawing with littles?

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Happy New Year!

nataliemalan_paint_makers_gonna_make_freebie nataliemalan_paint_makers_gonna_make_freebie5A day late.  Because that’s how we roll here on Christmas vacation.  I’ve been cleaning out my office and throwing away junk all over my house like a mad woman.  My poor kids.  I did decide to keep all of them so they should be grateful….. Still debating on the littlest though.  He decided to start 2015 off right by showing us his crib jail breaking skills.  Oh well……

Organizing my gouache and watercolor palettes have been on my to do list for a long time.  I wanted one with all my colors in it so I picked up this wonderful metal watercolor tin thing on Amazon, and put all my colors into pans.  It’s been so great to have them all in one place!  And now I actually know what colors I own!

I haven’t made any actual resolutions yet; other than to clean out all the extra things around the house.  That seems to be a never ending job.  I would definitely like to spend more quality time with my kiddos in the studio, so I think that will be on the books for sure.  Done.  Resolution made.  Here’s to 2015!

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Your Story Video Goodness

I was looking into doing some gold foiling and came across this gem when I was considering if my Your Story machine would work as the type of laminator required.  Has anyone ever tried foiling with a Your Story?

I made this video when I was about 7 or 8 months pregnant with my first child; who’s now in kindergarten.  My how time flies!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u73IAGar1n0&w=560&h=315]

Confessions of a Card Maker

You may have read my last post.  If not, you haven’t heard my deep, dark, card making secret.  It’s probably better that way.  Now we can still be friends and I can look you in the eye.

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I feel like there was probably a very good reason Cricut asked me to design their Simple Cards Cricut cartridge, and I had a fantastic time coming up with all the designs for it!

This project by Anna Rose is one of my favorites.  Check out Cricut Design Space for directions and cut files!  And if you’d like to see more projects using this cartridge check out the videos by Sunshine Creations and Crafts on you tube.

Cricut Explore Project – Happy Thanksgiving Card

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I’ve never been very good at sending cards.  I have some that I bought to send to my grandparents 15 years ago and never mailed.  Postage rates kept changing and I could never seem to keep up…. until the forever stamp was invented (THANK YOU!!!).

But I do love making and designing cards, and this one by Anna Rose of the Cricut design team with one of my Thanksgiving images made me happy, so I wanted to share in case you also have a love for making and not sending cards!  Or, what the heck, show me up by buying a forever stamp and send it to someone special that you’re grateful for this thanksgiving!

Check it out here on Cricut Design Space.