THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE PINS

Pun intended. We are all about adding pin flair to our favorite jean jacket, backpack, hats– pretty much anything with fabric that needs some pin love. So many of our favorite designers have been creating pins and we cannot get enough of them. See below for some of our favorites and why!

Stamp Enamel Pin by Rifle Paper Co. - We love sending/receiving cards and packages in the mail. Everyone should take the time to write more letters! Fun fact: Before we went off to college we decorated shoe boxes to store cards and letters that we would send back and forth to each other.

Black Cat Pin by Jen Collins - With all the cat pins out there it is difficult to have an absolute favorite, but this one is just purrfect. Personal shoutout to all the cat ladies out there!

Cactus Pin by Steffi Lynn at Haveanicedayy - It's difficult to pick just one favorite from this gal, but this cactus pin looks particularly sharp. Brings back memories of Cali last summer exploring Joshua Tree surround by cacti. TAKE US BACK.



JAWN Pin by SouthFellini - What is a 'Jawn' you ask? If ya don't know, ya ain't from Philly. Also, #longlivewawa



Ghost Pin by the Good Twin - These little guys aren't so spooky– in fact they bring a little smile and pizzaz to even the saddest of jackets or backpacks!



Can't Quit Pin by Mary Kate McDevitt - For all the doodlers in the world, this pin reassures us all it's ok to never quit (sketching, that is)

We could literally go on for days about our favorite pins– maybe we'll even share some of our own collection, but we'd love to see some of your favorite pins, too, so send 'em our way! Happy pinning!

#pinittowinit
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Five DIY Valentines

Whether you're hard-core pro-Valentine's Day or 100% anti heart day, or somewhere in between celebrating Galentine's Day, we've got some fun last-minute Valentine DIYs anyone can whip up for their boo, gal pal or freshly-delivered pizza.



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1. Valentine Coupons





A modern take on those love coupons everyone used to give their mom when they didn't have money to buy her gifts– but you can personalize them with basically anything you want!

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2. Scrap Paper Valentines





Don't throw those random paper scraps away– use 'em to create some quirky little Valentines instead! Simply cut out some hearts, draw on your faces, and decorate to your heart's content!

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3. Wild About You



  

Probably our favorite one– I mean who doesn't love a DIY that involves mini plastic animals?! We grabbed some scrap card stock, a brush and some black paint and painted the zebra stripes, then added our little message at the top. Poke 2 little holes to string the twine through, and voila! A valentine fit for a king (of the jungle)

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4. We're a Great Match





This one's super easy– we just took a box of matches, cut a piece of paper to size, and wrapped/taped it around the box... so quick and simple! Write a little message on there, and you're good to go! Also how cute is this candle from Annie Seo?! Can't find the strength to burn it (probably ever...)

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5. Animal Envelopes





Can't get much easier than this– take some colored construction paper and cut out some ears (of course a cat was our first choice) then doodle on a face with a Sharpie, and you're done! Slip a little note or card inside, too!

There you have it friends, five easy DIY Valentine's for everyone on your list! Have fun making them, and as always tag your projects with #rayandablog so we can see what you made!

Atlas Supply Co. Backpack Review

We have some exciting product review news for you this week (we ain't Forbes, but we speak the truth). Working full-time and adventuring on the weekends (#doitfortheblog) is always a production, and we don't travel lightly– between a 15" macbook, DSLR camera, some notebooks, and of course the necessary wallets and phones, it gets hard to juggle it all. Enter Atlas Supply Co, the beautiful solution to the modern day freelancer's problems.

via Atlas Supply Co.

Jamie and Stephen of Salt & Ember design studio had the idea to put a little more ease of access into freelancer's lives with a bag that carried it all. Being designers, photographers and small business owners, they put their brains together and came up with a design plan for the first Atlas Supply Co. backpack.

via Atlas Supply Co.

*Designerd tangent: Look. At. This. Branding. It's so cohesive and cool, I'd buy anything if they put that tag on it (only kind of kidding...) These days branding is half the finished product, so it's gotta be good, and I think it's safe to say this husband and wife dynamic design duo nailed it.

This baby is 110% gorgeous– I mean, look at that smoooooth, shiny leather... We jumped at the chance to try and review this product, and are super excited to tell you about it!

The Entrepreneur Bag comes in Black, Walnut (what I got!) and Copper, they're all perfect it was hard to make a decision! Each bag comes with a super cohesively branded bag, tag and tin of leather sealer wax. Before you even get to the real bag, the packing is a surprise in itself!

Just look at that walnut beaut! 

They even branded the bag with their killer little logo!

My favorite feature of this backpack is probably the laptop zip pocket in the back, which fits any size laptop up to 15-inch. So convenient, especially for travel when you have to pop it in and out. 

Overall, this backpack get's a 10/10– can't wait to keep using it!

DIY: Plywood Letterboard

You've all seen the trendy letter boards and light boards from Letterfolk and Heidi Swapp, and don't get us wrong, they're pretty awesome. I mean, they're what inspired us to create a hybrid of the two!

You'll also need some transparency sheets, sandpaper and a pair of scissors.

Step 1. Take your dowels, and measure them against your plywood board, marking the width with a pencil. 

Step 2. Cut the dowels with a handsaw or chop saw (or a very, very industrial pair of clippers). Sand the ends lightly until smooth. 

Step 3. Using some E6000 glue, glue your dowels onto the board, spacing equally depending on how many lines of text you want. 

Step 4. Paint your plywood board and dowels white (or whatever color your little hear desires) and let that dry. Do a second or third coat if you think it needs it.

Step 5. Start by cutting your transparency sheets into strips that fit in between your dowels. Then place the letters onto the strips you just cut, leaving enough space in between letters for equal spacing.

Step 6. Once you have all the letters cut out, time to play!

Now it's time to think of some snarky (or cute) quotes, and put 'em on display!

We'd love to see your own take on this DIY, so if you make it, share it! Tag your projects with #rayandablog

#sayitwithwords

DIY Mini Pumpkins (and a giveaway!)

It's just something about this time of year that makes us want to buy all the pumpkins. During October it's easy to spend more money on said pumpkins than on food. It's not sad– it's for the blog folks...

Our mission– take all the cool pinned ideas we've seen and put our own twist on them! And let's face it... no one really wants to dump out pumpkin guts, so these are all no cutting-no gluing-sewing-no crying-required.

A little bit of spray paint goes a long way. That's the easiest way to transform your pumpkin from mehhh to glam. Stick on some letter stickers, and you've reached a whole new level my friend. 

Sharpies are among the best inventions ever known to mankind. With a little imagination and a steady hand, (hold on the coffee before you do these, we learned the hard way) you'll have a killer customized pumpkin in no time at all!

We're also hosting a little giveaway– 3 lucky winners will each receive one of these customized pumpkins from yours truly, but you have to...

1. Follow us on Instagram (@rayandablog)

2. Comment on our post (this is where we'll pull your name!) 

3. Like us on Facebook! And we love your comments, so send them our way!

Got it? We can't wait to see your pumpkin makeovers, and select our winners! You have until next Wednesday, October 26 to enter!

#paintyopumpkin

DIY: Air Dry Clay Ceramics

Desk accessories have really been trending lately, and we can't get enough of them! They're practical, useful, and super cute! This week we bought some air dry clay, and tried our hand at some desk accessories of our own– a pencil holder and a mini dish. Here's what you'll need to make this craft:

MATERIALS:
+ Air Dry Clay
+ Clear Gloss Sealant Spray (optional, but if you want a sleek, glossy look, this stuff is for you!)
+ Clay tools or a knife
+ Circular Glass
+ Straw or Pencil
+ Clay Roller to flatten the clay (OR a spray can does the job!)
+ Gold Paint Pen (optional, but adds a little something to the final product!)



PENCIL CUP

Step 1: Cut a piece of air dry clay, enough for however many pieces you're making. We used about half of the block to make our pencil cup and mini dish. Make sure you seal up the rest of the package if you don't use all the clay– if not sealed properly, it will dry out fast! 

Step 2: Cut out a circular piece of clay for the bottom of your pencil cup. You'll want to make sure the walls of your cup holder fit nicely around this circle without too much gap. 

Step 3: Roll out the wall part of your pencil cup with your roller (or spray can!) Don't roll the clay so thin that it sticks to your working surface, but you also don't want them so thick that it's hard to attach to the base of the cup. About 1/4" - 1/2" thickness is good. 

Step 4: Trim the top, bottom and sides of your clay slab so you have a nice rectangle to then attach to the circular clay base. Then punch some holes in the slab for a small decorative touch, or leave it plain- it's up to you!

Step 5: Drape your rectangular slab of clay around your clay base, and merge these two pieces together securely at the bottom. With a clay tool or knife, make tiny slashes across the pieces, then gently smooth over these dashes to join seamlessly. 

Step 6: Once you have joined the base to the sides, you can smooth out the rest of the pencil cup around the sides and the top rim. Remember, handmade is beautiful, so don't sweat the imperfections!

Step 7: If you're feeling fancy, or think the white is too white, take a gold paint pen and line the rims of your cup and dish. If you want even more color, don't be afraid to grab some paint and add a pop of color to your workspace!

MINI DISH

Step 1: We made our mini dish from the excess clay we cut off our pencil cup, so it doesn't take much! Roll that out into a smooth, round ball of clay.

Step 2: Gently press your thumb into the center of the clay ball to start forming the inner part of the dish. Keep smoothing and pushing against the sides until you get something that looks like a little dish!

Step 3: Add a touch of color if you want, or keep it plain and simple! These dishes make wonderful little homes for air plants (we can't get enough of them!)

This isn't your typical fine-crafted ceramics project, but it is a fun way to get your hands dirty and make some nice additions to your desk set-up!

#makeitmonday

POP-UP SHOP + FLOWER BAR

This weekend The Craftery located in little Dublin, PA hosted the cutest pop-up shop and flower bar for Mother's Day. Not only did they have planted succulents and local handmade candles, but Kate from The Laughing Lady Farm was there for make your own bouquets! Using fresh cut blooms in a multitude of colors it was perfect for daughters, husbands and children to customize their own bouquet for their mom. 

ALSO our very own gal had a table set up featuring Mother's Day cards all designed by A! Obviously this is Ray using this opportunity to brag about her super talented friend. Everything design related on our blog and Instagram is always created by A. Check her out for all your design needs!

We're hoping for more pop-up shops like this at The Craftery this spring and summer! Be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook for updates on DIY workshops and fun events like this one! @thecrafterypa 

#popupshop