Clip art can help so many people in so many ways. Downloading clip art from www.graphicsfactory.com is the first step. It seems that we live by our planners, and PDA. For those of us that still use a calendar here is a way to spice things up.

There are always activities that we repeat on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Use clip art to choose a happy image even for the worst of chores. Cut out the image and use a pushpin to attach it to the day it should happen.

Here is a list to get you started:
Shopping
Gym
Doctor or Dentist appointment
Teacher Conference
House Cleaning
Guests coming
Children’s activities
Work related events
Church or bible study

Clip art is so widely used and available there are now allegations that do to individual creativity and the inexpensive nature of most clip art that Greeting cards are disappearing at major functions. For instance, this Christmas millions of children that had access to computers went to www.graphicsfactory.com and downloaded Christmas images in both color and black and white. It was reported that the children then used scissors, paper, glue and markers to pay tribute to their loved ones during the holidays, thus eliminating the need for actual store bought greeting cards. In another example adults have been spotted downloading clip art from www.graphicsfactory.com  to use as invitations to holiday parties and as name plates for dinner parties, and last but not least as thank you notes for gifts received.

 

There is no word yet on whether individuals alone will be indicted or if www.graphicsfactory.com will be named as an accomplice since, they are one of the most used suppliers of clip art on the web. There is a possibility that if greeting cards to make the endangered non-perishables list their price will rise exponentially. Experts are saying if the prices of greeting cards does rise it will force even more consumers to turn to clip art. Unfortunately, this will have a negative impact on greeting cards and could render them not only extinct but also obsolete.

 

It will be interesting to see how this drama plays out. More news is expected after next Valentine’s Day, which is the biggest greeting card is giving holiday of the year.

 It is always fun to get a fresh start. Kids will be back in the classroom within the next week and the more involved they feel the more enthusiasm they will have. Since we are in winter and preparing for spring now is a great time to redecorate. Clip art is very handy and extremely accessible.

Have a variety of downloaded clip art from http://www.graphicsfactory.com/ available for this project. You can ask each child to bring in a shoebox or you can simply decorate the room. Give each child a space of their own to depict their favorite things about winter using your themed clip art.

The cherry on top of this project is to have snowflakes downloaded from www.graphicsfactory.com and have the children write their name and one sentence about winter.

There’s a host of clip art available on the web, which could be one of the reasons crafting has exploded over the past decade. Homemade items such as greeting cards, aprons, and websites are all the rage. Ten years ago, who would have thought we’d ever have entire stores dedicated to scrapbooking or building bears?

The at-home crafter is inundated with websites that purport to have the exact piece of clip art she needs to complete her project. Before you spend hours scouring these sites, however, it’s important to search specifically for what you want. Making a festive apron for the Fourth of July? Try keying in all those words and see what pops up, as opposed to just typing in “apron clip art.”

Perusing clip art sites is also helpful to crafters who need a little inspiration. You can search by keywords, actions, or browse clip art categories.

I went looking for some great designs to use for my embroidery addiction (er, hobby). These clip art designs work well for embroidery, painting, scrapbooking, screen-printing and more.

You’ll find a mix of paid and free designs online. Don’t be afraid to buy a batch of designs. The prices are usually very reasonable, and you’ll have a mound of really neat options to work with.

In summary, there’s a plenty of inspiration waiting for clip art crafters online. Just remember to make your search as focused as possible. Not only will you save time, you’ll likely stumble across interesting new sites that cater to your subject matter.

 With the leftovers tucked away and not many shopping days left it is time to get ready for the eight crazy nights that are almost upon us. Clip art can be very useful in the treasure hunt for Hanukkah gifts. Often there is a time each night after dinner when eager children search for gifts with their name plastered on the front.

For a fun twist on an old tradition, try using Hanukkah clip art taped to each gift instead of the traditional labels. For an added bit of fun, you can download clip art and paste it into a story that will direct the children to their gifts.

Eight nights is a long time to entertain children that are hip to the hiding places their parents have found but not revised over the years. If you have older children clip art Hanukkah projects are perfect to get the older ones involved and keep the younger ones amused.

10. Hallmark is overrated and not available 24 hours

9. Clip art makes you look more creative than you really are

8. You don’t have to be able to read to use clip art

7. Clip art won’t do dishes but it won’t argue with you either

6. You will always look like you colored inside the lines

5. Clip art projects will keep the kids busy for hours

4. Clip art is a great way to drop hints about the gifts that you want

3. If you don’t get the gifts that you want you can use clip art to give pictures of the gifts they want

2. Clip art never laughs at you because you are too cheap to buy a Hallmark

1. With Clip art you can promise your kid a pony and not be a liar

 Kids will soon be on vacation and waiting for the snow to arrive. With a house full of guests and lots of cooking in the kitchen, quick magnets will keep the kids entertained in another room  Any office supply store will have business card magnets available, this doesn’t mean the magnets you make need to be square. A little clip art and a lot of imagination will go a long way!

You will need:

• Business card magnets
• Tacky craft glue (glue dots work great)
• Downloaded clip art
• Spray starch
• Markers or puffy paint
• Paper plates

Directions:

1. Have the clip art cut out and available
2. The idea is to create a scene or use characters to glue on to the magnet
3. The children can use the markers and paint to enhance their clip art
4. The clip art can easily stick over the edges of the magnet as long as they are glued to the magnet at some point
5. Once everything is dry including the glue and paint or markers have an adult spray the starch on the magnets evenly from a distance of 6-8 inches away to stiffen them up.

 Transfer paper and tracing paper are exciting staples for crafters. The more creative you are the less guidance you will need and you can modify these recipes any way you see fit. For any super crafters that modify the recipe we would love to hear the variations you discover.

You Will Need:

• Cotton Napkins or Kitchen Towels (prewashed)
• Your favorite clip art from http://www.graphicsfactory.com/
• Transfer paper for color printers
• Puffy Fabric Paint
• Iron

Directions:

Print out the clip art on to the transfer paper and let in dry. You need to decide the layout of the clip art. It is best to have the transfers near one of the edges of the napkins. Simply iron on the transfers to the cloth napkin and allow cooling. Next use complimentary colors of puffy paint to embellish your favorite features.

Clip art door hangers are the perfect way to help houseguests feel welcome and personalize a room for fun. The clip art should reflect the personality of the room or its owner. These foam door hangers are available in almost any color at the local superstore or craft store. Decide on the message you want for each side of the hanger and you are ready to get started.

You Will Need:

• Foam door hangers (one for each room you want to personalize)
• Craft or hot clue (Glue dots work well)
• Your favorite clip art downloaded from http://www.graphicsfactory.com/
• Your message printed in your favorite font and cut out
• Clear contact paper or a laminator

Directions:

The first step is to “laminate” your message and the clip art. If you have a laminator then simply, follow the instructions that came with it. If not you can use clear contact paper to “laminate” your message and clip art. You could also go to the local print shop and have them laminate it for you.

 If you are using clear contact paper, you will need two sheets. Place the first sheet on your work area and then place your clip art and message on the contact paper’s sticky side.

Next place the other sheet of the paper over your clip art and message so that the sticky sides are facing each other. You will then need to cut out your clip art to fit your door hanger; use as much detail as possible.

Glue the message on the top half of the door hanger where is can be easily seen. Place your clip art designs on the door hanger, as they will fit. Repeat the process on the other side.

Clip art to be thankful for

This month we will be focusing on Thanksgiving and providing craft recipes that get the kids involved and make the holidays more festive. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the things we are grateful for and one of the ways to do this is by creating a Gratitude List Frame.

On Thanksgiving, there are usually many friends and family gathering in one place, and many pictures taken, so this is a perfect time for this activity. There are a couple of different ways to do this activity and here is my favorite:

Make sure there are a couple of disposable cameras available so that other people can take pictures as well.

Gratitude List Frame

You will need:

•  1 piece of lightly colored picture frame matting- the larger number of guests the larger the matting
•  Non-Acid dark colored permanent scrapbook pens
•  Your favorite clip art downloaded from http://www.graphicsfactory.com/
•  Your favorite pictures from after the Thanksgiving Day gathering
•  Double sided tape or rubber cement
•  A complete frame including glass

Directions:

•  On Thanksgiving Day, place the matting and the scrapbook pens on a table away from food or drinks

•  Leave a note on the table that says- sign your name and write what you are most grateful for on this matting

•  Make sure everyone signs!

•  Outline each piece of clip art (use fall or thanksgiving themed clip art) with a precision scissors

•  In between the signatures, strategically rubber cement or use double sided tape to glue clip art to matting. Place matting on glass and take a look to make sure everything fits

•  Place pictures on glass and tape backs together so there is no space in between

•  Once you are finished place the back on frame and hang

Added bonus: since most photo developers offer double prints you may want to send the duplicate copy to the person in the pictures and tell them what about them makes you feel grateful.