Tag Archives: custom

This Is My Story

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this-is-my-storyYou love books. You think it’s a clever idea. You’ve picked it up while shopping and mused over it a dozen time. But each time you put it back, thinking…do those make your own book mail-in kits really deliver the goods? Well, ponder no more! Today, we’re reviewing the IlluStory Make Your Own Book kit by Lulu Jr.

illustory-kitThe kit retails for around $20 – $30. It includes 10 washable markers, 20 blank book pages, 2 blank cover pages, a mailing envelope, and detailed instructions. It also has multiple prompt sheets to get young writers going (including – and I really liked this – nonfiction stories and biographies). The kit price includes the production of your book and shipping costs from, and back to, your house (USA only). The final product is a 7.25″ x 9.25″ hardcover book with an illustrated story that is a maximum of 18 pages long.

illustory-kit-contentsGetting started, you have two creation options with this kit: 1) Draw the book by hand; or 2) Design it online using templates, backgrounds, and digital stickers (you can also upload drawings and photos). We went as low tech as possible and chose to create the book by hand. The 8.5″ x 11″ story pages have a big box for illustrations, and 5 lines for text. Since your story can’t be over 18 pages, there are a couple of extra pages, just in case you mess up.

Marissa bravely agreed to write and illustrate a story she titled Arnold’s Birthday Party. She reports that the markers were “awesome.” IlluStory recommends using dark pencil or pen. Marissa used ballpoint pen for her illustrations and text, which worked just fine.

page-of-storyWhen the book was finished, we turned to the order form. Here, we were presented with two options: 1) Produce the book using your handwritten text; or 2) Have the company convert your handwritten words to type (but there is a 20 word per page limit, and they don’t correct spelling or edit). We went with hand lettering.

Make sure you read the kit instructions and the order form carefully! Because otherwise you might miss that you need to number the pages, in pencil, on the back of each page (otherwise, they’ll just print them in the order received). You need to write “Cover” on the back of your cover page. And you definitely don’t was to miss the free options to add a dedication page, or author photo and bio on the back of the book!

Ready to send it off? You have two options: 1) Send it via snail mail in the prepaid envelope; or 2) Upload scans of your cover and story pages to the IlluStory website. We stayed low-tech and went with snail mail.

illustory-mailing-setIlluStory say the books are printed less than 2 weeks from the date received, and ship 3-5 days after printing. They were right on the money. In just under 3 weeks, Marissa’s book was back. It looked fantastic.

2-page-spread-of-storyI was worried that the binding might look cheap. Nope. This is a real, honest-to-goodness book. Glossy white cover, crisp printing, text well clear of the binding margins. The author photo we sent was reproduced nicely. They even put the title and author’s name down the book’s spine! There’s a title page too. It looks really cute:

title-page-of-bookYou also have the option to purchase additional copies and send them to your adoring fans (copies of our book, for example are $14.99). You can order multiple copies in advance, or use the info printed on the back of the book to order copies later.

Beware, however. The production on this kit is quite literal. If you did what I did, and fill out the dedication and author bio in ALL CAPS on the order form, the production team will put those in ALL CAPS IN YOUR BOOK. Also, remember to write the title on the cover of your book. They don’t do that for you. Marissa’s book cover is missing a title, but it sort of adds to the mystery of the big package, doesn’t it? What’s in that big package anyway?*

cover-of-bookIn summary, the IlluStory Make Your Own Book kit is terrific! It’s easy to put together with really nice, professional-looking results. Make sure to read all the instructions and fine print and remember – what you send is exactly what is printed. If you know an aspiring author or illustrator, or are looking to create something special for someone, this kit is a sure bet.

*Spoiler alert. Inside the present is a colossal spider – a gift from an eccentric aunt. The spider runs rampant through the town, swatting helicopters, before Arnold shuts it down with bug spray.

Printable Tattoos

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ianNo, this isn’t a diehard Pop Goes the Page reader permanently commemorating his fandom. Mr. Ian (whom you might recall seeing in this post) is in fact modeling a custom printable tattoo. Why? Because we’re adding art product reviews to our blogging fun, and thought we’d start by checking out this printable tattoo paper by Silhouette.

tattoo paperI purchased the paper at our local Paper Source store for $11.95. One pack includes 2, 8.5″ x 11″ printable tattoo sheets and 2 adhesive sheets. The instructions call for additional items like “Silhouette software,” a “Silhouette optic scanner,” a “scraper tool,” and “Robo Master software.” You don’t need any of that. You can manage perfectly well with a desktop printer (or a color copier), a credit or ID card, and a pair of scissors.

First, insert the image you’d like to use into a document on your computer. IMPORTANT! If you’re creating a tattoo with writing, or if you need the tattoo to have a particular orientation, you’ll need to mirror the image (i.e. flip it horizontally) so it will display properly later. You can do mirror images in photo editing software (like Photoshop), but we used Microsoft Publisher with much success.

reversed popFeed the tattoo paper into the printer, making sure that the machine is set to print on the paper’s glossy side. We used an HP Officejet printer, but we also tried a color copier. Both worked!

printingWe did notice, however, that the black lettering came out looking cracked when we used the Officejet printer. We didn’t have any problems like that when we used the color copier. So the paper definitely reacts to different types of toners.

cracked lettersWhen the ink is dry, peel and apply the adhesive sheet to the top of the printed image. Then use a credit or ID card to flatten out any winkles or creases. Use scissors to cut the tattoo from the page.

transferring imageTo apply the tattoo to your skin, peel away the adhesive sheet, then press the image against your skin. Cover with a wet paper towel for 30-60 seconds. Remove both the towel and the tattoo paper and you have a new (albeit temporary) tattoo!

shoulder applicationThe creation and application of the tattoos was very easy, but we did notice a few issues when it comes to wearing them. Since this is basically a piece of film with ink adhered to it, there is a definite border around the tattoo. You can see it here (we added a dotted line to the second image in case you missed the border in the first image).

forearm tattoo dotted lineTo be fair, the company does recommend you use their “Silhouette software” and the “optic scanner” to minimize this problem. Apparently, the software makes marks on the paper and the optic scanner cuts around the borders of the tattoo with laser precision. We could have also (ahem) used the scissors to cut a little closer to the image.

Another issue with this product is that, because the tattoos are film, they can look a little wrinkly after they’ve been applied.

hand tattooSo, how do the tattoos hold up over the course of a day? According to the instructions, the tattoos “generally last a day and can be removed with a washcloth.” To put that statement to the test, we gave an Angry Birds tattoo to Katie’s 7-year-old for field testing.

kid test 1The tattoo was supposed to go to Field Day at school, but unfortunately, a fast-moving stomach virus sent our tester home before he could match it against the rigors of 1st grade relay races. He bounced back the next day and the tattoo accompanied him to an end-of-season soccer game. There, it survived 4 hours of heat and humidity. There were definitely signs of wear, but the bird was still easily visible on his forearm through the sweat, grass stains, and victory revels – his team won!

kid test 2The tattoo disappeared when he showered after the game, which was well over 24 hours after its initial application. It did leave a black sticky residue, but that was easily removed with a dab of alcohol on a cotton ball. Here’s an example of the residue on another test tattoo Katie was sporting (the original tattoo read “My mom is lost. Call Jenny 867-5309”).

residueI also discovered that you can simply peel the film off your arm like a super-sticky piece of tape. That was the fate of my forearm tattoo. I wore it for an hour, but then it had to go.

Overall, the tattoos were easy to create. They weren’t perfect in terms of the film borders and wrinkles, but we got a real kick out of making our own tattoo designs. The tattoos held up well to use, but don’t expect them to last more than 24 hours (or one shower).

Now go out there and make yourself a Dauntless tattoo. You know you want one.