what's in a name?

Or rather, what’s a name ON?  The beauty of making your own heat transfer designs is the ability to create personalized gifts.  I was inspired to make my first adult size shirt for my Dad, who is very proud of his heritage.  For the design, I used his last name in the font “Bickley Script” with some swirly capitals in the background.  Unfortunately, I didn’t photograph it.  But I do have photos of “his and her” shirts with the same design, just a different last name.  These were gifts for my brother-in-law and his new wife, who I’m sure is proud to be a Takahashi.  “Who wouldn’t be?” my husband would say.

I’ve also been making these personalized canvas bags for my wee little family and friends.  They add a nice touch to a birthday gift tucked inside.  The inspiration first came when my friend’s daughter was turning 2.  She’s a book-lover, so I thought a book bag (filled with books, of course) would be a nice gift.  It was also the first time I used silver heat transfer, which I LOVE on dark colors.

Since then, I’ve developed three name designs using Adobe Illustrator (my favorite program EVER).  Some work better for short names and some work well for longer names. Experimenting with color combinations has been the most fun.  I complete each one with a colorful ribbon attached with hot glue or FabriTac.  They are now available on my Etsy shop if you would like to order one.  To receive 10% off for visiting my blog, please use the coupon code “THANKYOU10”.