Artist’s Morgue File:
A folder, cardboard box, drawer, or stack of collected ideas,
inspirations, and ‘someday’ projects that an artist accumulates
over a lifetime of crafting.
DIY Bookmaking, Bullet Journals, Scrap Booking, Card Making, Applique Quilting, Pyrography, Wood Carving, Wood Burn Spoons, Wood Carved Spoons, Leather Work,
Free Lora S. Irish Patterns to Download
Jan. 1st, 2019 – Goal for this month is to post two to three small, free patterns each working day of the month that you can use with your favorite craft. The theme for January is Doodle Designs.
I must have a dozen large cardboard boxes of scrap paper torn from magazines, newspaper ads, and even old books that I have saved over the years as inspirational ideas – just something to spark a new project.
There must be a ton of doodles. Lots and lots of little, tiny, small designs that stand alone as a quick accent in so many crafts. Doodles created using my scrap papers as the inspiration for my own designs.
I won’t even guess how many digital files are stored on my external hard drive for the same reason.
Sometimes those pictures show an interesting layout pattern, perhaps a unique line divider, or even a color combination that really caught my eye.
That hoard of scrap ideas even has a technical name – its an Artist’s Morgue File.
Because my morgue file is over 30 years in the making, and spread out everywhere in the studio, shop, and in my storage boxes, I thought as a goal for 2019 that I would start converting those ideas into some type of organization.
For my doodles I chose cardboard, kraft paper tags in a variety of shapes. The tags run around 2 1/2″ ( 6.5 cm) wide and up to 3″ ( 7.5 cm) tall.
Blank Digital, Printable Tags
Here are blank digital copies of the two tags that I have used to begin my 2019 Morgue File of Little Patterns.
Please click on the image and it will open a new window. Right hand click on the new, full-sized image and chose ‘save image’ to keep a copy on your computer.
Both patterns can be printed of card stock paper, directly from your computer printer so that you can create your own Morgue File tags.
Over the next month I will be posting a few each day. Two to three small designs that you can use with your pyrography wooden spoons, DIY Bullet Journal, and even as fun, applique quilt patterns. And, perhaps, my ideas will spark new ideas for you to create your own.
Supplies for Morgue File Pattern Tags:
Here’s what is in my kit.
Fine Line Marking Pens, Color Assortment
240 Colored Gel Pens Assortment
PrismaColor Colored Pencils, Set of 48
Document Cleaning Pad – a must for any crafter
Scalloped Edge White Kraft Board Heart Tags
Scalloped Edge White Round Kraft Board Tags
Scalloped Edge Brown Round Kraft Board Tags
Variety Brown Kraft Board Tags
Acrylic Clear Glue Double Tip Tube
Gold, Silver, and Red Glitter Glue
Today’s Morgue File Project Idea:
The DIY Book Making Journal, shown right, uses a pen and ink, gel pen pattern, worked on 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper, as the book cover design. This is a stitched book that holds 32 pages, also worked with the same watercolor paper.
The book boards – front and back cover – use light weight, brown kraft paper to cover the heavy cardboard pieces and to cover the stitched pages along the side of the book.
If you haven’t played with bookbinding yet, these links will get you stared.
DIY Kettle Stitch Bookbinding video on YouTube.com.
DIY Coptic Stitch Bookbinding video on YouTube.com
Simple Bookbinding video on YouTube.com
Stapled Bookbinding video on YouTube.com – quick and easy!
See ya tomorrow with more free, small, doodles for your crafting. Thanks for reading ~ Lora Irish
Cane Topper Woodcarving by Lora Irish
DIY Bookmaking, Bullet Journals, Scrap Booking, Card Making, Applique Quilting, Pyrography, Wood Carving, Wood Burn Spoons, Wood Carved Spoons, Leather Work,
Free Lora S. Irish Patterns to Download