Christmas Gift Ideas for Writers and Readers

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS FOR THE WRITER IN YOUR LIFE

If you have a loved one who enjoys writing and reading, look no further than these fun Christmas gift ideas. Just click the images to see each list of gifts.

1. A mug for your author to enjoy a favorite cup of tea or coffee while writing their novel. Click the image below to see 13 favorites:

 

2. Pair the mug with a funny t-shirt made for writers and grammar nerds. Click the image to see 12 favorites:

3. Retro modern typewriter art. Here's a collection of 16 favorites with this design, from a personalized pillow to a wall clock, mouse pad, drink coaster and more:

4. Spruce up their writing space with a writer's wall poster. Here are six fun ones:

 5. And here are 16 more ideas for the writer's office space:

6. Still not finding that one, special gift? Here is another collection of 28 fun gifts, made just for writers and readers:

7. Last but certainly not least, a writer always needs help with book promotion. If you have their book cover image and other information, you can help them out by getting them a stack of business cards, a bag, a mug or more, so they can gain more readers.

I hope you find the right gift for the writer or reader on your list.

 Thanks for stopping by!

 -MK

All designs © MK Hess

Funny Ugly Christmas Sweaters 2015

UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATERS FOR YOUR PARTY

Last year, we showed you some fun Ugly Christmas Sweaters for your holiday party. Well, this year you'll find even more unique, perfectly tacky designs in our shops. Instead of showing them all one-by-one here, I have created a curated collection. 

Click the picture to see this year's list of funny designs:

And if you're looking for matching funny products (stockings, buttons, magnets, hats and more), these designs appear on lots of different items in the HaHaHolidays and FunnyTShirtsAndMore stores.

Thanks for stopping by!

 -MK

All designs © MK Hess

Make Your Own Custom, Personalized 2016 Photo Calendar

Post Update: All these calendars have now been updated to the 2017 version. When you click on the calendar and head to Zazzle, you will automatically be taken to the 2017 calendar page. I've also added more calendars, and on more types of products for 2017! Click here to see the entire collection.

CREATE YOUR OWN 2016 PHOTO CALENDAR

CALENDARS CAN BE TRICKY

Zazzle doesn't always make it easy to customize products. I've been working on the site for about 4 years now, and there are still some products I have trouble designing. One of those products has always been calendars. There are multiple pages to handle, image placement can be tricky, and sometimes template fields get mixed up.

As a customer, I'm guessing you would like to avoid all that stress. These easy-to-use templates make the customizing process much easier. On these 2016 wall calenders, you simply replace the stand-in images with your own photos. Scroll down the page on each one and read "About This Design," too, because I provide a little more instruction there.

1. The simplest template. From front and back cover to January-December between, simply "change" the templates to your own photos. If your photos need to be resized on the page, "Customize It" and use the + and - buttons to increase or decrease size. Done!

Create Your Own Personalized Custom 2016 DIY Calendar by FunnyTShirtsAndMore

2. This one is a little fancier. You can add text to the front, and your images appear both on the cover and on the calendar pages when you "change" the templates. It's also very easy to edit.

Create Your Own Personalized Custom Photo 2016 Calendar by PictureCollage

3. These two have seasonal backgrounds behind your photos. They have pretty patterns and scenes to complement your photos. One is a regular wall calendar and the other is a single-page vertical style.

Custom Pretty Seasonal Family Photo Personal 2016 Calendar by PictureCollage

Custom Pretty Seasonal Family Photo Personal 2016 Calendar by PictureCollage

I hope these easy-to-use calendar templates make the design process simpler for you. These calendars make great, personalized Christmas gifts, too.

If you're looking for more products with 2016 calendars on them, such as mouse pads and magnets, check out this category in the FancyCelebration store.

Happy 2016!

 -MK
 MK Hess Creative

 All designs © MK Hess

Mid-Century Modern Up Your Style and Decor

Mid-Century Modern Style and Home Decor

If you're looking for some retro 1950s and 60s style for your wardrobe and home, check out my new collection on Pinterest:

Retro Modern Decor Board on Pinterest

Right now, it includes six of my favorites, including a lamp, a watch, a clock, a bed duvet cover, a tote bag and a pencil skirt. The collection will grow over time, so feel free to follow the board if you like mid-century style!

-MK
 MK Hess Creative

Unique Personalized Father's Day Gift Ideas

Father's Day Gift Ideas from Zazzle

In 2015, Father's Day is the 21st of June, which might seem like a while off, but it's actually only 22 days away. If you want to order your dad the perfect, personalized gift, now is the time. All these gift ideas from Zazzle are printed on demand when you order them. Here are some of my favorites.

To see a full list of 52 Father's Day gift ideas, CLICK HERE.

1. For the seafaring, boat-loving, yacht captain sailor type of dad: a personalized captain can koozie to keep his beer cold while he sails the seas. Easily add your dad's name to the anchor:

Customizable Ship Captain Your Name Anchor Can Cooler by LaborAndLeisure

2. For the Mad Men loving, cool 50s / 60s mid-century modern retro kind of dad: a minimalist clock in the classic atomic starburst style. You can even click "customize it" and add a monogram or change the background color if you like:

50s Retro Atomic Starburst Midcentury Modern by FancyCelebration

3. Father's Day comes only a couple weeks before 4th of July. This shirt is the perfect gift for the dad who loves fireworks and beer. It says, "Fireworks Expert: I drink the booze and light the fuse." Add your dad's name or choose to print it without a name:

Funny 4th of July Independence Fireworks Expert T-Shirt
by HaHaHolidays

4. For the dad who loves man's best friend: a custom dog bed for his favorite pooch. This blue dog bed has paw prints all over it and a bone where you can add the name of your father's favorite companion:

Dog Paw Print Gingham Cute Blue Personalized Bone Small Dog Bed by FancyCelebration

5. For the chef dad who is a fan of Breaking Bad, this funny parody apron has a muffin and the words Baking Dad: I am the One Who Cooks.

Funny Dad Who Bakes or Cooks Spoof Parody Father's Standard Apron by HaHaHolidays

6. For the wild west dad, personalize his man cave with this cool set of six custom saloon drink coasters:

Customizable Home Bar Beer Saloon Drink Coasters by FancyCelebration

7. For the military or hunter dad, make his ride extra special with these green and brown camouflage car mats:

Camouflage Camo Green Brown Pattern Floor Mat by backdropshop

8. Does your dad home brew his own beer? Give him his own brand with these customized bottle labels.  Specify the type of beer and add your dad's photo.

Beer Customized Photo Brown 2 Shipping Label by FancyCelebration

9. For the dad who dislikes social media, this funny gel mousepad has a picture of a carrier pigeon and the words, "In my day, if we wanted to communicate through a twitter-bird, we wrote a note and stuck it on a pigeon."

Funny Old Age Twitter Bird Pigeon Gel Mouse Pad by FunnyTShirtsAndMore

10. For the gambling, card-playing dad, this cool watch with a card suit design. The art-deco style numbers are white on the black and red hearts, diamonds, spades and clovers. Add your dad's name in red.

Poker Casino Gambler Card Suits Custom Name Wrist Watches by FancyCelebration

11. For the dad with a sense of humor, this funny novelty drink flask. It's made to look like a vintage snake oil advertisement.

Funny Novelty Personalized Cure-All Vintage 3 Hip Flasks by FunnyTShirtsAndMore

This is only a small sample of the 52 hand-picked gifts in the Father's Day Collection.  CLICK HERE to see all 52 items, from funny greeting cards to retro neckties, camo dartboards, pop art phone cases, wine cellar cheeseboards, zombie shirts and coffee shop posters. I hope you find the perfect, unique gift for your dad!

-MK
 MK Hess Creative

 All designs © MK Hess

Personalize Your Dance Studio with a Custom Wall Poster

PERSONALIZED DANCE STUDIO POSTERS

I haven't added many designs to the ClogDance Shop lately, so I've been working on it this week. One new design works for many forms of dance, not just clogging.  It's a custom dance studio poster with a retro look. There are various versions of it. Here are a couple examples: the pink striped and the light blue.

On the product page, all you have to do is use the easy template fields to fill in your dance studio name and a couple more lines of text at the bottom - or press "Customize It" to change fonts. 

A vintage 1920s woman dancer done in stencil surrounds the words "Dance Studio." She's doing a modern freestyle jazz type dance, waving a long scarf. These posters are cute for any time of dance: ballet, tap, swing, belly dancing, clogging, salsa, ballroom, and more. Whatever your passion, you can personalize to fit it.

These posters would make a great gift for a dance teacher, too.

Dance Studio Personalized Name Pink Stripes Retro Poster by ClogDance

Dance Studio Personalized Name Blue Retro Custom Poster by ClogDance

 -MK
MK Hess Creative

 All designs © MK Hess

Fun Personalized Drink Coaster Sets

PERSONALIZE YOUR DINING ROOM DECOR

  

Whether you're redecorating your retro diner-themed kitchen, putting the finishing touches on your old-west saloon decor, looking to make your beach house feel more like home, or adding a personal touch to your wine cellar, you'll find the right drink coaster set at the Zazzle link below.

Use the easy templates to change the name or monogram to your own - or "Customize It" to personalize even more. Give a great, personalized gift with these fun drink coasters.

Click the picture to see all 24 choices!

Fun Personalized Drink Coaster Sets
by HaHaHolidays

-MK
MK Hess Creative

 All designs © MK Hess

Saint Patrick's Day Designs - Wear the Green!

Fun and Funny St Patrick's Day Shirts, Buttons and More

I've always loved Saint Patrick's Day because I'm part Irish - but also because I like leprechauns. They're mischievous little folks who are always trying to earn a fortune in gold through trickery. I also love this holiday because the very first design I made and placed on Zazzle was made for St. Paddy's. I still like this design and can't look at it without smiling.

Here he is - the Lepre Con. Poor little man. He's in trouble with the law:

Funny Leprechaun Mugshot St Patricks Pun T-Shirt
by HaHaHolidays

I have some more funny leprechaun t-shirts, too. This one is my favorite:

Funny Go Green Drinking Leprechaun T-Shirt
by HaHaHolidays

To see more leprechauns and St Patrick's Day funnies - on buttons, hats and more - check out this category of the HaHaHolidays store.  

 More Fun Items for Saint Patrick's Day

Zazzle has more than t-shirts and buttons, though. The can and bottle foam coolers are new. Keep your drink cold while you celebrate St Paddy's:

Funny Leprechaun St Patrick's Day Go Green 2 Can Cooler by HaHaHolidays

Funny St Patrick's Day Leprechaun Add Your Text Can Cooler by HaHaHolidays

Pretty Saint Patrick's Day

You don't have to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day via a hard-drinking leprechaun, though. Maybe you're looking for a more subtle or elegant feel. I added a new line of items to the FancyCelebration store this year, all with a pretty shamrock watercolor design. Here are a few pretty items from the set, which includes pillows, kitchen towels, craft ribbon and fabric, men's ties, wrapping paper and even an elegant invitation. See the whole set here.

Saint Patrick's Day Shamrocks Retro Watercolor Accent Pillow by FancyCelebration

Saint Patrick's Day Shamrocks Retro Watercolor Satin Ribbon by FancyCelebration

Saint Patrick's Day Shamrocks Retro Watercolor Tie by FancyCelebration

Own Your Very Own Irish Pub
 

My all-time favorite, though, is the personalized Irish pub line. It's part of my bigger selection of personalized sets HERE, which includes a saloon, a diner, a brewery, a coffee shop, etc., so far. Check out all the varieties!

Here is the custom Irish pub design on a clock and coaster set. Easily add your name, monogram and established year.

Customizable Home Bar Irish Pub Green Square Wall Clocks by FancyCelebration

Customizable Home Bar Irish Pub Green Beverage Coaster by FancyCelebration

Thanks for having a look at all my Saint Patrick's Day designs. Erin Go Bragh!

-MK
MK Hess Creative
See my favorite funny St Patrick's Day designs collection here

 All designs © MK Hess

New Custom Fabric for All Your Craft Projects

Easily Find or Make Any Fabric You Want

I don't think I'm particularly skilled when it comes to sewing. Back in junior high Home Ec class, I neither stood out as brilliant or bad. My teacher was strict and made us stay after school to complete our projects, so I developed a dislike for the sewing machine. But by high school, I became the go-to sewing person in my family - simply because nobody else knew how to sew, and I liked the challenge of trying to figure out how to make something.

When my Grateful-Dead-following brother wanted "groovy" curtains for his VW van, we picked out the fabric together at the local big box store, and I sewed them up. He liked those curtains so much, they stayed in his van until they had long faded and he had to trade in the old van for a vehicle that actually ran on a regular basis. I made beds for our cats, bags, pillows, and a myriad of small projects for fun, too. I admit, I'm still not very good at sewing, but I keep a stack of fabrics on hand, ready for the next request.

So, when Zazzle recently introduced new custom fabric that you can apply any design to - anything that your imagination can dream up - I thought, "This is so cool!" Instead of going to a generic big box store and having to pick from what was in front of us, today, my brother and I could have designed the perfect pattern for those curtains. The infinite possibilities make my imagination work overtime.

How to Design Your Fabric on Zazzle

No more wandering around under the fluorescent lights, hoping to stumble across something that looks vaguely like what you have in mind. You can pick from thousands and thousands of original designs - or even make your own from scratch. You can order your custom-printed fabric by the yard, fat quarter or swatch on materials ranging from cotton to twill, polyester and fine linen.

Here's a basic template I set up, to show you how to get started designing your own fabric:

Create Your Own Custom Personalized Fabric by FunnyTShirtsAndMore

On that page, scroll down to "About This Design" to read the instructions. Easily add photos, tile a name or monogram, pick a background color, increase or decrease the size of your design on the fabric. Use the blank canvas any way you like.

 Fun, Ready-Made Fabrics on Zazzle

But if the blank fabric is too daunting for you, Zazzle's designers are already hard at work making unique designs for every project you can imagine. Check out all the fabric on Zazzle HERE.

Here are some that I've made so far - and a few of my favorites from other designers.

Care for some retro 50s poodle skirt dogs? I made this fabric pattern out of cute poodles with swirling leashes and polka dots:

Poodle Skirt Retro Pink and Black 50s Pattern Fabric by FancyCelebration

Here's another fun retro one I made recently. It makes me wish I owned a pair of cat-eye glasses:

Eyeglasses Retro Modern Hipster with Pink Gingham Fabric by FancyCelebration

You can't go wrong with your name on an anchor. This would look pretty for a nautical project. All text is customizable.

Customizable Ship Captain Your Name Anchor Novelty Fabric by LaborAndLeisure

Here are a few more of my fabric designs so far: beer, playing card suits, strawberries and a colorful quatrefoil:

Beer Glass Bottle Hops and Barley Pattern Blue Fabric by LaborAndLeisure

Poker Playing Card Suit Pattern Fabric by FancyCelebration

Strawberry Cream Fruit Pattern Pretty Fabric by FancyCelebration

Colorful Quatrefoil Lattice Trellis Pretty Fabric by FancyCelebration

My favorites from other designers

New fabric designs are being added fast and I haven't even begun to look at them all. But here are a few from fellow designers that have stood out for me because they're so unique.

I like this school pattern. It would be fun for a teacher's art project:

School Time | Changeable Background Color Fabric by DesignsbyDonnaSiggy

I also think this kitty cat design is very cute:

Paisley Cats Fabric by RossiCards

I love the idea of a project that comes ready to sew, so this doll pattern is my favorite:

Aloha Honeys Hula Girl Doll Kit and Pattern Fabric by DriveIndustries

Have fun designing or picking out your own, original fabric on Zazzle!

-MK

MK Hess Creative

All designs © MK Hess (except the last 3 in this post)

Funny Valentine's Day Greeting Cards

HUMOROUS CARDS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

It's hard to believe that Valentine's Day is right around the corner. After the busy Christmas season, I took some time off from blogging and pinning and tweeting. I stopped working on graphic designs for a while, too. Instead, I worked on a novel manuscript and wrote a short story. But with Valentine's Day fast approaching, I wanted to show you some of the funny cards from my Zazzle stores. I added a few new ones, too.

I don't know what says "Valentine's Day" more than Bigfoot:

Funny Bigfoot Valentine's Day or Birthday Cards by HaHaHolidays

 Unless, of course, it's Friedrich Nietzsche:

Nietzsche Humor Valentine's Day Cards by HaHaHolidays

Emily Dickinson - a reclusive poet who never married and rarely spoke to anyone outside her own family - comes to mind immediately when I think of "Valentine's Day":

Funny Poet Emily Dickinson Valentine's Day Greeting Card by HaHaHolidays

Or maybe Charles Darwin, getting a little flirty:

Funny Charles Darwin Valentine's Day Cards by HaHaHolidays

King Henry VIII was a true romantic. After all, he only had two out of his six wives put to death. Those odds aren't so bad!

 

Funny King Henry VIII Valentine's Day Card by HaHaHolidays

Maybe you're looking for something silly and vintage:

 

Funny "Popular" Vintage Retro Valentine's Day Card by HaHaHolidays

Or a cute pun or two:

 

Cute Valentine's Day Funny Crust on You Pun Cards by HaHaHolidays

Funny You Drive Me Nuts Squirrel Pun Valentine's Greeting Cards by HaHaHolidays

Or, for the ladies to send to their boyfriends and husbands - yourself dressed in a "teddy," perhaps?

 

Funny Valentine's Day Teddy Photo Joke by HaHaHolidays

I hope you find the right card for your sweetheart this Valentine's Day! Just click on the card images to see the inside greetings.

Bye for now,

-MK

MK Hess Creative

All designs © MK Hess