Wear the old coat and buy the new book.

Our family has always read lots of books -- together, apart, whatever. For the final piece (the combined bookcase and desk) to be designed in my daughter's bedroom, I chose a book theme. The sides of the bookcase itself are filled with quotes about books and the sides of the desk are filled with book titles and authors. These are all favorites of my family. I asked them all what titles and authors they would most like to have burned into the piece, and that's what I did. Now, it really belongs to all of us.

Etsy!

We have opened an Etsy account! Check it out, by clicking "Etsy" at the top of the page.

Let's design a plaque for you!

Now that you have seen the many styles of plaques I create, let's think about one customized just for you.  Think about the sentiment you'd like:  scripture, quote, lyric, book title, child's name, funny saying.
Think about the art you'd like:  place, flowers, book illustration, animals
Think about your palette: what will go in your house, child's room, whimsical, elegant, muted, bright

Either comment here, or send me an email at ootwdesign@gmail.com and we'll discuss a custom design and palate just for you.

Baby Plaque

I've decided that plaques for babies' rooms are my favorite to make. The themes are so fun, and to be able to match the colors in the nurseries is exciting. My friend whom I have known since she was 5 years old is having a baby, and loves Dr. Seuss books. She and her husband are such delightful people and I wanted to design an especially fanciful plaque for their baby shower. I think we'd all like to invite our babies to go many places and see wonderful things. I loved this theme.

Creativity

There are many ways we can be creative. My dear friend taught a lesson at church on creativity that really hit home with me. This quote I immediately put on my refrigerator so I could think of ways that I used my gift of creativity on any given day. I made the plaque as a going away present for this friend to let her know that she had impacted my life in an important way. How are you using your creativity today? Did you make someone feel better about themselves? Did you fulfill a need in yourself? Did you solve a problem?

Sisters, Sisters

I have the privilege of having six strong and wonderful sisters. Two of them had their birthdays last week, and I had the pleasure of creating plaques for them. When I am designing a plaque for someone, I love thinking about what text would either suit them or give them inspiration, and what design and palate would complement their home. These two were especially fun for me.

New Look

My beautiful and talented daughter-in-law has helped me look more professional. I love what she has done with my blog. I even have a button. Grab it! Share it! Spread the word!