Let's peel back these layers!

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juliannlaw Here is a closeup of the endpapers in my debut picture book, THE WORKD’S LONGEST SOCK. I work digitally in Adobe Photoshop but the program doesn’t do it all for me! I knit all the pixels by hand! Haha! I do have things I do to help me work quickly and efficiently, though, like using layers. Here you get to see me take off those layers one by one till we are back at nothing but a background. The World's Longest Sock is now available on  Amazon ,  Barnes and Noble ,  Target , or wherever you  buy books !

Our Hipster Family Crest

Our family has decided on a motto for the new year. . . Be Good. Do Good.

I know it's a little play on words. Maybe you would expect it to say "Be Good. Do Well." Which is also a worthy goal, but we decided accomplishment wasn't what we wanted to focus on. Making good decisions, service and kindness are what we are focusing on this year. Maybe next year will be, "Do Good. Do Well."

If you want to dig into the symbolism, the two straight lines crossed stand for truth and righteousness. As an X it stands for exactness. The Circle can mean harmony and inclusiveness. The star stands for aiming for success (Be Good) and the heart stands for love (Do Good).

I also made some for friends and family as a New Years gift (I got a little behind with Christmas gifts and didn't get all I wanted to done!)

Davidson
The three stars stand for Texas, law enforcement, and teaching (my sister and brother-in-laws' lives and careers revolve around those). They also represent achievement. The boot can mean several things, compassion (walk in another’s shoes), and ambition (big shoes to fill). The photo of the barn wood symbolizes home, longevity, comfort and safety.
Jackson
The mountain represents overcoming trials and obstacles, setting goals, temples, spirituality. The ribbon stands for quality and achievement. The photo of the forest symbolizes strength in numbers, growing together, withstanding adversity, and integrity.
Aldridge
My sister told me this phrase is what she always says as the kids start a game (soccer, basketball, t-ball, you name it) and has become their de facto family motto. The antlers symbolize "the hunt, or the game" which is a sports analogy and means that the chase is as important or fun as the result. And they look cool. The pic of Mount Rainier is important because of where they live, plus a tall mountain always symbolizes goals.
Porter
I asked my friend, Annie if they had a family motto. She laughed and said they tried to decide on one in an FHE and her 8 year old came up with "Porters Fight A Lot." So they didn't push the issue. For them, the motto isn't important, the family values are. The shield represents faith and choosing the right. The double arrows stand for truth and righteousness. The stag represents her husband who likes to hunt but more importantly is a cancer survivor. So the buck really stands for his determination and endurance. The olive branches represent my friend and stand for peace, blessings, and Jerusalem. The stars represent the kids and their many accomplishments and striving for excellence.


Why do I call them Hipster Family Crests? LOL. It's kind of a style based on what's come to be known as Hipster Logos. Look it up. It's a thing. The banners and badges and wildlife icons in a white logo in white suspended over a blurry nature photo. . . that's what makes it hipster, not that our family is hipster.

I've made these available in my Etsy shop. I'll design a custom family crest just for you. When you purchase, you'll receive an instant download with examples, photos, and symbols to choose from. You'll email back your family name and family motto or your choices of symbols and photos. I'll put together your unique hipster family crest and email you a high-res, print-ready 8x10" jpg that you can send to your nearest photo printer (ie. Costco). I'll also send you 612x612 low res file you can post on a blog, Facebook or Instagram.

Photo credits:
Ocean Beach by Christopher

Snake Forest Road by Andy Arthur

Snowy Canopy by fishhawk

Natures Own Stripes by Suzanne Nilsson

PhoTones Works #5742

McKay Savage
Peru - Machu Picchu 029 -stone wall

Mt. Rainier by Marcin Wichary

Yellow Flowers in the field (cabin) by Davic Joyce

Fields of Wheat by victorgeere

Log Cabin by Seldom Scene Photography


Old Barn Wood by miheco


*All photographs for this project have Creative Commons licenses that allow the photos to be used and modified with attribution.*

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