Monthly Archives: June 2009

How to Make Bookmarks From a Photo

book reviews by a tween, Claremont, crafts, gifts, graphic design/web design, , , , , , ,

Here’s how to make deluxe bookmarks that look like they came from a upscale bookstore. Personalized bookmarks make a small extravagance perfect for a gift or party favor.

I made these baseball bookmarks to give out to the members of my son’s Little League Team at the end-of-season party.  If you bought these at a bookstore or gift shop they would run $3 to $4 a piece. They take a little time to make, but the cost breaks down to less than 50 cents each in supplies.

Step One:  Make the Art

Using photo imaging software (I use Photoshop) create your artwork to fit a 2″ x 6″ area.

These are printable bookmarks. You can print them yourself if you have a good printer. Or you can have them printed at a photo place. Remember that when you get photos printed, the edges often get trimmed a bit.  So do not include any vital art in the edge border.

Open a new file that is 4 x 6.  Duplicate your artwork and position 2 copies inside the new file so that you print two bookmarks on one 4 x 6 photo.

Have your photo printed on lustre finish (not glossy). Lustre is more durable and does not show fingerprints.

bookmark printed two-up on standard 4 x 6 photo
bookmark printed two-up on standard 4 x 6 photo

Step Two: Back and Trim the Bookmark

Once your photo is printed, you will want to back it with acid-free cardstock.  You can buy cardstock in 8.5″ x 11″or  scrapbook paper works as well.  Plain or a pattern will work. You can get paper at craft stores or online.

Back the bookmark with acid-free paper. USe an acid-free gluestick.
Back the bookmark with acid-free paper. Use an acid-free gluestick to glue it to the paper.

Carefully glue down the photos. If you do happen to get glue on the front of the photo, use rubbing alcohol to wipe it off. Next use an Exacto knife and straight edge to trim.

Use an Exacto knife and straight edge to trim.
Use an Exacto knife and straight edge to trim.

Separate the two bookmarks

Separate using Exacto.
Separate using Exacto.

Bookmarks with rounded corners look more professional.  Luckily it is easy to make them with a handy corner punch you can pick up for a few dollars at a craft store or online.

Use a corner punch to round the corners.
Use a corner punch to round the corners.
Corner rounded.
Corner rounded.

Step Three: Attach a Tassel

Use a hole punch to make a hole in the top. You can use a standard hole punch, or use a simple shape.  I used a star punch for this bookmark.

To attach a tassel, loop it through the hole as shown in the following photos. You can use store-bought tassels or make your own. 

Put loop through the hole.
Put loop through the hole.
Insert end of tassel through the loop.
Insert end of tassel through the loop.
Pull tassel tight.
Pull tassel tight.

Et voila! You now know how to make a bookmark that looks like you got it in a bookstore. My daughter and I make these and sell them at craft fairs.  We also give them as gifts.  I like to add them to a present in place of a gift card.

Now that you know an easy way to make bookmarks, get inspired by checking out some of my other bookmark designs. If you are a scrapbooker, you can probably find lots of paper, stamps, and punches to come up with interesting bookmark designs.

I’d love to hear your ideas about custom bookmark designs. I think they would make a creative party favor for a wedding, Bar Mitzvah or birthday party.

Related post: How to make a Tassel

Vintage Ad Site

crafts, graphic design/web design, , , ,

Cool site with Vintage Ads on It

Ya gotta love vintage ads for cool design and insight into the history of our culture.  A web site that has a bunch of old ads all scanned in and organized by topic, date keyword, etc.  Ads are from 1930 and 1969. Tons of them!

The index is amazing.

Also a random image link.

Get inspired by these ads.  But be aware that many of them may still be under copyright, so don’t use them for commercial purposes.

Mrs. Dieken’s Class Party

Claremont, events

End of School Year

Mrs. Dieken’s fifth graders celebrated the end of the school year along with the other fifth-grade classes.

Photos are up in a private gallery. You will need a user name and password to view the photos. Parents: if you need a password, Contact me at:  emailcreativezazz.com

Related posts:

Information on volleyball this summer near Claremont

Cute Volleyball T-shirts

Information on ice skating near Claremont

Photoshop: Adding a Person to a Group Photo

Claremont, graphic design/web design, volleyball

Photoshop Magic Adds Missing Player Into Her Team Photo

One of our players left before the award ceremony and was not in the group photo of her team. Her coach called her and she came back to pick up her medal. I took an individual photo of her and told her I would Photoshop her into the group photo.

Here is the result.

If I had not told you I added her, you would have thought she was there.  If you look closely you will see that she does not have the same shadows from the tree leaves as the other girls. Her individual shot was not in the exact right place to get the correct lighting and shadows to match.  But I think it works pretty well.

Here are the two photos I combined.

How did I do it? To make it look real, the trick is to make a accurate selection around the person you want moved. It helps to feather the selection by one or two pixels. Another tip is to try to adjust both photos so the lighting looks similar. I adjusted the group photo lighting a bit to make it appear less shadowed.

Related posts:

Cute Volleyball T-Shirts

Ice Skating as a Summer Sport in Claremont

Claremont, events, figure skating, , , , , , ,

Cool off on the Ice this Summer

In some parts of the country, ice skating is a seasonal sport. Skaters wipe off their blades and put away their gear when spring melts the snow.  But here is So Cal, figure skating and hockey are both year-round.

In my hometown of Claremont, CA, we have two nearby ice rinks. Both are in Ontario. But don’t get them confused. Each has its own feel.  One is more than four decades old, while the other is only a few years old.

When the weather gets hot, call some friends and check out one of these rinks.

Both rinks offer:

public skating

hockey lessons

figure skating lessons

broomball

birthday parties

skate rentals

The older and smaller rink is:

Ontario Ice Skating Center
1225 West Holt Boulevard
Ontario,  CA  91762-3639
(909) 986-0703

The newer and larger rink is:

Center Ice Arena
201 S. Plum Ave.
Ontario
(909) 986-4231

My daughter skates at Center Ice Arena. She likes it because it is bigger than the rink on Holt. But our neighbor’s daughter started at the Ontario Ice before Center Ice opened, and she loves it.  Try them both.

If you want to see a local figure skating competition for free, check out the ISI Open at Center Ice July 18 and 19, 2009.  My daughter competed in this the last 3 years (see pic of her at event above).  We are coming as spectators this year. For two days local figure skaters from all levels compete. A great way to see the thrill of figure skating up close. More details are at the Center Ice site.

Related posts:

How to Buy Used Figure Skates

Figure Skating Gift Ideas

How to Buy a Figure Skating Competition Dress

Volleyball Summer Camps in and around Claremont


Volleyball Summer Camps in Inland Valley, CA

Claremont, volleyball, , , , , , , ,

Volleyball Camps this Summer in the Inland Valley.

Many USYVL parents have been talking about volleyball this summer. USYVL does not have a summer league in our area. I am trying to  put up links to Inland Valley volleyball camps that I know about. Most of the info below I cut and paste from various websites and then put the link for more info. If you know more about these or other volleyball programs, please let me know and I will post the information.

Club West Volleyball has summer volleyball camps. My daughter did a volleyball camp there the last 2 summers. I know several kids in our league did this camp. It is mornings and you get good instruction. Indoors. $150 a week. You will need knee pads. Please note that Club West is moving from La Verne to Rancho Cucamonga. The Web Site has the La Verne address on it but the flyer you download has the new address.

Junior high camps are for 8th grade or younger. They also have camps for older kids.

JUNIOR HIGH CAMP #1 7/5/10 – 7/9/10 9:00am – 12:00pm $150.00/Week
JUNIOR HIGH CAMP #2 7/12/10 – 7/16/10 9:00am – 12:00pm
JUNIOR HIGH CAMP #3 7/19/10 – 7/23/10 9:00am – 12:00pm
JUNIOR HIGH CAMP #4 7/26/10 – 7/30/10 9:00am – 12:00pm
JUNIOR HIGH CAMP #5 8/2/10 – 8/6/10 9:00am – 12:00pm
JUNIOR HIGH CAMP #6 8/9/10 – 8/13/10 9:00am – 12:00pm
JUNIOR HIGH CAMP #7 8/16/10 – 8/20/10 9:00am – 12:00pm
JUNIOR HIGH CAMP #8 8/23/10 – 8/27/10 9:00am – 12:00pm

Claremont McKenna hosts a Nike Camp that is both for overnight campers and day campers. It is more intensive I think, and more expensive.

Cal Poly Pomona lists volleyball  summer camp on its website (see below for dates). Do not know much about it.

Volleyball (Three separate camps for boys and girls)
 Dates: July 6-9 (Youth camp); July 26-29 (High School camp); August 2-5 (High School camp)
Ages: 8-11 (July 6-9); 12-18 (July 26-29 and Aug. 2-5 — no 2010 HS graduates)
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Youth); 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (HS camps)
Cost: $125 (Youth); $225 (HS camps)

Location: May Gym (Youth); Kellogg Gym and May Gym (HS camps)

For more information on Cal Poly Pomona camps and clinics, please call the athletic department office at (909) 869-2810.

Cal State San Bernardino’s summer volleyball program is as follows:

TIMES: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., July 26-28, 2010
8:00 a.m. – 12 p.m., July 29, 2010
LOCATION: Cal State San Bernardino
Coyote Den & Coussoulis Arena
CAMPER ELIGIBILITY: Camp is open to all girls entering grades
7-12 and to graduating seniors.
COSTS: $225 per camper due by July 16, 2010.
After July 16, 2010 cost is $250.

SportsWorldVolleyball in Ontario lists summer camp on its website.

June 21-25, 2010 peeWee Day Camps SportsWorld Coaches & Athletes Boys & Girls 2nd through 5th grade interested in learning the basics of volleyball in a fun-filled atmosphere. Campers can register for a single day or the full-week.
coming soon Beach Camps SportsWorld Coaches & AVP Players Prepare at SportsWorld, perform at the beach. We offer the only indoor beach volleyball camps in the US – and guarantee no sun burns ! You’ll learn the special rules and skills needed to play beach volleyball along with music, video and surprises !
July 12-16, 2010 NIKE Volleyball Camp SportsWorld Coaches & AVP Players Week long camp for girls interested in indoor or beach volleyball. Developing fundamental skills for the beginner and strategy, positioning and team-play for the more advanced camper. NIKE games, gear and prizes!
July 27-July 28, 2010 VB Clinics Gold Medal Olympian, Pat Powers Two day clinic for intermediate-to-advanced skill levels interested in learning higher-level aspects of volleyball. Ending with “Survivor” an exciting game scenario created by Pat Powers that pulls it all together – parents welcome each day.
August 2-5, 2010 The Next Level Gold Medal Olympian, Ryan Millar Week long camp led by current Gold Medal Olympian as he prepares for the Olympics in London 2012.


Glendora Youth Volleyball has a program in the fall, but I do not think they have one for the summer. Several of our players have played in Glendora as well. I do not think they have a website, but they have an email gyvforfun@aol.com.

Arsenal Volleyball has a volleyball league but I am not sure if they have a volleyball summer camp. Web site not that clear.  Let me know if you know any more about them. They play in Upland.

If you know of any other Inland Valley summer volleyball camps, please let me know.

If you go to the beach this summer, consider Laguna Beach (Main Beach) as it has sand volleyball courts. Fun to play or just to watch. Or just call some friends and play on the Claremont city court. If you have other suggestions, please share below in comments.

Don’t forget that USYVL is now taking registration for fall. You get a discount for registering online early and for volunteering as a head coach.

Creativezazz Volleyball T-shirts

Finding cute volleyball related t-shirts can be hard, so I came up with a few of my own volleyball t-shirt designs and made them available at Printfection.  I can also supply the designs to other vendors if requested. I can do custom designs if you have an idea.

The Claremont Club has had sand volleyball classes in the past. We have not done these so let us know if you have any more info.

Volleyball T-shirts and More

Volleyball Team Names


Claremont Little League Rays 2009

Claremont

Play Ball!

Pics are up in the gallery of Claremont Little League Rays. You can view a slideshow of a couple games from the season. I got some great action shots. Just click on the photo below to go to the gallery.

I love the players in their Major League uniforms!

Thank you to all our dedicated coaches and the family members that helped out this season.  Congratulations to the players for their effort and sportsmanship.

I welcome your comments on the photos.

See how I made the Rays bookmarks I gave out at the end-of-year party.