What's not to love when inanimate objects come to life?! Especially when the inanimate objects are plastic toy animals (adorable!). Which is why we couldn't resist making this little 30 second promo video for the Animal Alphabet themed party collection using the animal signage that is included in the "Party in a Tote". We hope you enjoy!
There is something so beautiful about hand-dyed fabrics. There is a richness, and because of the imperfections, a personality to fabrics that are dyed by hand, much like watercolor.
It was important to us that we stay consistent with the "watercolor" look for the Animal Alphabet theme. Therefore, we chose to hand dye the fabric for the pennant garland and the string for the mobile. This also allowed for us to remain consistent with the theme's color palette.
There is a lot of trial and error that goes into mixing fabric dyes to achieve the desired color. I always dye fabrics in small batches so that I have more control over the finished product. This process of mine is by no means efficient, but those who know me well know that efficiency is not my modus operandi (I am a perfectionist to a fault). I wanted the fabric for the pennant flags to have a worn vintage look to them. I was able to accomplish this by submerging the fabric in the dye for only a few seconds at a time, carful not to over dye. I also didn't add salt to the dye mix since I wanted a more subdued look (salt is often advised to use as an additive to help adhere the dye to the fabric for a more vibrant outcome).
I have very fond memories as a small child of being fascinated with a card game I would play with my sisters and my grandparents. The game was a version of the card game Memory. Each card had a different animal that corresponded with the Alphabet. The cards were worn, probably well loved by my father and his brothers. At this time in my life I was obsessed with animals and I remember being perfectly entertained with just studying each card in front of me--I could care less about the game; it was the images that captivated me most. The more exotic the animal, the greater the impression it left on my memory. I have always been a visual learner. As a child, pictures and drawings made me very happy and were the perfect form of entertainment (this has not changed) .
I suppose it was nostalgia that inspired me to create an animal alphabet garland with the hope that other young children get as much joy from the pictures on the garland as I would have. I also wanted to create a banner that can stay with the child for many years, from nursery to early grade school, something that a child could grow up with, learn from, and become inspired by.
First, Jamie and I decided on which animals to use in the garland. Not surprisingly, some of the letters in the alphabet required more creativity on our part than others. For example, for the letter "X" we went with the scientific name for african squirrel, Xerus (kudos to anyone who was already familiar with that word!). The next step was to paint each animals' silhouette, which you can see on my notebook pages below. I then scanned in all the images. Side note: I highly recommend the Epson Perfection V33 scanner for any artist or novice who has a need to scan their artwork. Once the animal and Alphabet paintings were scanned, I used Photoshop to design each pennant before having the final work printed onto fabric. And voila!
I am by nature a very controlled artist. I stay within the lines and the lines I create are always straight (even when I wish they weren't). So it is somewhat ironic that watercolor is my medium of choice. But what I love about watercolor is that it forces me to let go of my controlling nature. I have to let go of my role in the process and trust the water and paint to create a beautiful and imperfect variety. I am always captivated by the way watercolor can create different tones within seemingly simple one-colored images. It adds an unexpected texture with an ethereal touch.
One of the first steps to creating the Animal Alphabet Theme was to choose the color palette. Once I was happy with the chosen colors, I created a chart for myself so that I could remember the formulas I used when mixing each color. I am very loyal to the Gansai Shinbi Japanese watercolor paints. The colors included in the set are gorgeous on their own and continue to create brilliant colors when mixed together.
