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Friday, March 1, 2013

Create a really cool, really FREE image with the Pulp-O-Mizer

(Coming Up: Interview with MG Author Linda Urban!)

Meet the Pulp-o-Mizer: an awesome, FREE online tool to create your own science fiction-y cover! 

Or cards and flyers!

Or oversize wall posters!

Or mugs!

Via a GalleyCat article, I learned that Thrilling Tales of the Downright Unusual author/illustrator Bradley W. Schenck created this neat way to mimic classic science fiction magazine covers.

I tried it out yesterday, spending a few minutes online customizing the utter brilliance you see above...and, um, yes, the title of my story is "Night of the Toaster-Like Machine from Outer Space." I was waiting for breakfast to pop up at the time.

Click HERE to try it yourself.

Anyway, the Pulp-O-Mizer does a great job of making it easy and FUN to create and download a free image. If you want any of that fancy stuff I mentioned above, you've got to pay for it, but you can use it for blog posts and such free of charge.

If anyone out there is planning on throwing a party soon, I highly suggest making invitations/flyers using this tool (could be fun for birthday parties too~"Night of the intergalactic 40-year-old husband~ run for your life!").

It could also be a cool way to promote a book event!

Speaking of book events, I'll leave you with images from last week's Princes and Princesses party at the library, where the kids read P&P books and then built their own geometric-style toothpick and marshmallow castles (because nothing says "royalty" like toothpicks and marshmallows). Take a look at the pictures below. Think my kid did that herself or do you think the hubby couldn't resist taking over??? Scroll down for the answer.









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BUSTED.

31 comments:

  1. Awesome! I shall have to go try one of my one. And yay for P&P day!

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    1. Yes, yay for P&P day. I swear, if the library didn't have such fabulous events, I think I'd have to fork over the money for preschool ;)

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  2. Oh my gosh! I lost an hour of my life playing with this thing the other day after I saw it on Bransford's blog. Sooo cool. :-D

    Like you, I'm thinking it'll be a cool/unique way to add some visual flair to blog posts, and as far as I can tell (not a lawyer here, folks), it won't violate any of those very clearly written, highly explanatory copyright rules. *sarcasm intended* :)

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    1. I could have spent a lot longer with it! Such fun :)

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  3. I didn't get a chance to play with this yesterday so I'm going to give it try.
    *snort*, got to love your title!!

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    1. Thank you, thank you. You gotta watch out for those killer space appliances :)

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  4. The pulp-o-mizer looks fun. I'll have to try it.

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  5. I just heard about the pulp-o-mizer. Sounds like people are having fun with it.

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    1. I bet they'll be getting quite a bit of business from the writing crowd :)

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  6. Thanks for telling me about this. It looks great :)

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  7. This is so great! Thanks for letting us know!

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  8. "...it won't violate any of those very clearly written, highly explanatory copyright rules. *sarcasm intended*"

    I don't think it could be much clearer, though I'm wrong all the time:

    "They're not for use in your own commercial products (although using them as illustrations for posts in your commercial blog or podcast site is absolutely fine) and you're not to remove the Pulp-O-Mizer credit from them."

    That's all there is: there ain't no more.

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  9. I love the idea of doing it for parties! What fun! :-)

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    1. I know! If only I had more (i.e. "any") parties!

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  10. My son's birthday party is in 4 weeks, and this is PERFECT for the invitations. THANK YOU!!!!! :)

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  11. What a great idea. I'm going to have to try it out.

    I couldn't see the picture at the library though.

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    1. Thanks for the heads up--new photos have been inserted!

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  12. Great tip, Jess--off to check it out. Already wondering, how can I use this?? I couldn't view the library picture either, but I have to say I think library hours for kids are some of the most unpublicized treasures there are. My daughter takes the little ones to libraries a couple of times a week, and the crafts they come up with are so much fun, not to speak of the books they are introduced to. Children's librarians are the coolest people, too!

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    1. I agree--the library is an INCREDIBLE resource, both for materials and events. And the librarians are so great--they've known my oldest since she was in my belly and we give them X-mas cards every year. They're all fabulous.

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  13. Adorable little princess, Jess! So glad the photos came up this time so we could see :-)

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  14. I have finally (finally!) figured out how to post comments on blogs as someone other than Unknown. Someone who actually looks like me a little! Woo-hoo!

    Love the princess party at the library! Our library system is amazing - in addition to all the story times, they have a lot of extra events - little concerts and puppet shows and touring plays, a once a month preschool dance party, etc. But also for teens and adults, there's tutoring and ESL help and tax prep help and so much stuff. And - AND! - I recently learned we can print up to 75 pages/week for free! This boggled my mind.

    Anyway - love the library! It looks like your little princess had a great time!

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    1. Hey, there you are (*waves to Joy's picture*) Our library has some of the same programs (tax support/ESL/Homeschool programs), but we do NOT have the print 75 pages for free :( That's awesome!

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  15. Looks like a cool cover. =) Nice pics.

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  16. She is such a cutie! And what daddy can resists BUILDING with marshmallows and toothpicks?

    And super fun tool. Love that old style science-fiction look. :)

    Hope you are doing well!

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  17. That Pulp-Mizer sounds like just my thing. I love those old style scifi covers. What a cute kid.

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