{creating myself}

new loves + obsessions

what current trends in scrapbooking are tickling your fancy?

for me, it's definitely been masking/misting and stamping. (and woodgrain, of course.)

i'm not sure if either of these can be classified as "new trends" because my tim holtz mist bottles are from several years ago and i probably used them back when i bought them, became frustrated, and gave up. but i've been playing a little more, and more, and more... i want every color! :)

here's some recent stuff.

as i've been blogging while making myself breakfast in the kitchen, i'm off to eat my eggs + toast! arrivederci! <3

hello, handmade holidays.

i recognize that a lot of my crafty friends are participating in handmade holidays this year. i would love any links you could share re: this topic!  to me, handmade holidays isn't just about making presents and decorations. it's about spending less + enjoying more.  recognizing + appreciating the good in this season. not giving in to the stress, the commercialism, the chaos.  i really strive to remember this throughout each holiday season, and really take in the things that mean the most to me...

(my very favorite of all.)

believe in the magic of youth.

not too shabby. xo

this is a FANTASTIC day.

me + starbucks holiday cups + photobooth = love affair.







kisses + lattes ♥

p.s... there's something liberating about unretouched, unedited, no-makeup photos. you should try it.

wow. *eta* highly enabling.

usually, i am not an impulse buyer. for example, i have several online shopping carts full of products that i fill and go back to and delete things from and fill again and delete again... you get the idea.

when i found this site, my heart did a slight pitterpatter. followed by this nervous shaky sensation i get followed by the need to pee. when i get really excited about something. that was when i saw that their first actual store opened and it's in... where else... NYC! i can't WAIT to visit there over the holidays.

anyway, the point is, it took me all of 20 minutes to fill my cart and click "place order". especially after i saw that the ENTIRE site is 30% off this week. THANK YOU, SHOPPING GODS!!

i bought a $5 hello kitty shirt (just in time it seems because it said there was 5 mediums a few minutes ago... and now they are sold out!), a staple-less stapler,

this...

this camera (OMG!!!! i've wanted this for so long... 30% off! still better than amazon!)

and this...

 

(sooo cool.)

this is going to be one mightyfine mail week!!!

i can't forget to share this site that i also found while browsing....

o
m
g.

is there seriously a tab for an "owl shoppe"?

i'm fairly certain i need both of these things:



 

xo,

ideas are churning. unfortunately, i'm at work when i should be in my studio.

and such is the story of my life.

hello, beautiful.
how is your week going?

mine is wonderful. i've been working a lot, which i love to complain about, but i'm actually grateful for the opportunity.  i always feel so warm + inspired at this time of year... fall + winter are my absolute faves.  wanna know what else is my fave? my mom's packages. they are the best ever.

 

 


sorry for the artificial lighting, it's superlate here!

seriously? she gets better with time.
can you even stand that owl mug? (it's from homegoods).
how about that paper bat and tiny pumpkin candle (from my grandma) ??
thank you so much, mama.

tomorrow i'll be back with some special photos of the fall decor in my home- so cozy ♥ .

yesterday was pretty much the best day ever.

• i was given a very generous monetary gift, and very surprised by it. it was like a small weight had been lifted.
• i won a free dunkin donuts gift card
• i was given a week long job with some great kids at my high school where i work- so perfect.
• i spent the night reconnecting with some old friends, and making some new ones.
  
  
  
• after working out with my sweet new trainer
• i won this challenge, and a guest designing spot... cool! thanks for letting me know, cynthia! (who by the way, you can find at ali's blog this week... awesome).
  
  
  
• i got some pretty SWEET mail... which i'll share tomorrow... i'm also going to share some home decor! i'm excited :) it's definitely fall around these parts.
• i made this:
  
  
  
  
  
  love xx

very super news.

there is someone (a wonderful someone) in our dreamy artsy industry who needs help. someone who's family member is either hurt, sick, or both (i don't know the story because it's a private, personal, family matter.) but i have donated an original painting to the etsy shop created for this family, and i would love for you to check it out! all proceeds from the items will go to this lovely family in need of a little generosity :)...




please click here to visit the shop!

in other news, the lovely folks at colorinc have just about the most amazing customer service i've ever experienced. i wanted to order a trial set of FIVE 5x7 prints (for FREE... including shipping...) and three subsequent things occured:

1. i tweeted them to ask why i couldn't upload my photos (turns out you upload folders as opposed to individual photos) and they answered so quickly and efficiently.
2. i received some of the nicest photos i've ever seen.
3. i received a postcard from ben thanking me and personally acknowledging this blog and my artwork.

pretty.
darn.
cool.

and that my friends, is what i call customer service. and here i thought the art was lost.

xo, A

what makes a person?

is it their beliefs?
their job?

family?
background?
friends?

is it the way they dress?
their political views?
their values?

in recent trying times, i've begun to evaluate my answer to this question. i've been cheated, deceived, misled. and i wonder, what makes a person be deceitful, misleading, sinful?

ah, the questions of life.
sorry for the depth of this post... these are just ponders...

any thoughts?

some of my most favoritist quotes.

i apologize for the lack of sources, but these are just some icons that i picked up around the web + tumblr. i didn't create these, but i LOVE them! :)

not just a hat rack, my friends.

desperately want to make these gloves (arm warmers, whatever..) from the red velvet blog:


+via rva

but there are two problems:

1. i don't know how to knit,
2. i don't possess the patience it takes to knit.

holly is an amaazing knitter.. i'm so jealous.


anyway, i've decided to attempt making these gloves, or at least something that RESEMBLES these gloves. here's what i have so far (remember, i'm basically teaching myself here... don't judge!) my crochet skills are about a 1 (on a scale from 1 to 10, ten being the highest.)  so that's what i'm doing.



i'll be sure to keep you updated! :)

what's your scrapbooking style?

I once read somewhere that in order to find your true scrapbooking style, take a bunch of your favorite layouts and list similar elements repeated in each one.  This is your personal style, or what brings out the best in your artistic abilities.  I’ve gather some  of my favorite from the last couple of years and I’m going to think about my favorite elements (to me, “elements” could mean journaling, photography, a specific product, white space, composition, etc.)




fashion is one of her very best friends: photo, journaling, mixed media book




Betrayal: paint, composition, journaling, embellishment alteration (broken heart)



you me us: journaling, composition



you really fucked me up: honest journaling, rigidity, placement of title




every day: composition, photography, journaling




i could not love you more:  composition, stamped title, cut out label, composition, colors. (this was a lift of kara haupt).





find it: paint, colors, composition




oot; labels, composition




thank you: colors, paint, composition, sentiment (this layout was featured on scrapjacked and the SIS catwalk :). )




caption: sentiment, journaling





favorite city: sentiment, colors, photo




stellar: composition, star embellishment, colors



the place most full of love: mist, glitter, quote, photo


Obviously, my favorite repetative elements are journaling, composition, photography… These are some things I’ll focus on the next time I’m stuck with scrapper’s block.  I may even copy the outline to these layouts in my sketchbook to refer to for composition ideas.  Also, some of my favorite embellishments + paper on each page repeat themselves: Hambly rub-ons, lacy ribbons, acrylic paint (circle shapes), label stickers, rhinestones.  I’m sure to always have these on hand :).

Reflecting on your layouts gives you a fresh perspective to your own work.  You are welcome to enjoy your own creativity as much as you want, and you’re allowed to be your own critic.  But I’ll repeat the first thing I tell my students in Scrapbooking 101 & 102: “There is no bad art.  You’re not “good” at scrapbooking… you either love what you make or you don’t.”

Oh… I would love for you to link me to some of your favorite pages!  Challenge yourself… you may see your supplies in a whole new way.

xo

banner! share the love :)

some stuff i really need. or want, whatever.

WARNING: lots of enabling! :)

these boots



these flats




this dress



this sweater

this belt



this chiffon top

and every other piece from that site. i'm honestly obsessed and it is my very favorite online shopping site. besides amazon, where i am desperate for this:

this is a must-have.


finally, these:




so bad.

i <3 hambly

Aww, but everyone already knows this.  I made a layout last night that I love a little bit a lot, and I would like to share the technique! i think it would be a cool technique cool to apply to the front of cards too.

Start by punching or cutting a shape (I like stars) out of the paper, like so:



Take a paintbrush to the inside of the negative space (as seen in purple).  I find it easier to paint from behind the page, pointing the paintbrush towards you.



Tape the transparency behind the negative space.





Now: fun!  Add embellishments to the inside of the stars.  You can add rhinestones, journaling, photos, rub-ons, ANYthing!  I added pearls, smaller cutout stars, and glitter stickers.  And of course, I outlined the negative space with glitter :).



Voila! :)

this week is going to be out of control!

i had plans to go to tallahassee with my cousin anjelica on thursday to visit my friend eric (we were besties in college, and then i moved away two years ago for graduate school, and he... is still there!)



but my dad is having emergency surgery on wednesday, so my family is driving up to tampa to stay with him tuesday-sunday...

i'm superconfused because i really can't afford to take off work all week. i don't want to be away from home for five days. i don't particularly want to go to tampa. but i do want to be there for my family, and spend more time with these lovely faces:




i'm also definitely planning on cropping here and making more of these types:











what to do, what to do?

new paintings <3

i'd like to share up close the paintings i made specifically for the 2010 calendar!











and now it's time for hot cocoa! :)




xo

i looove the crafty spirit that autumn + winter brings.

lovelovelove.
so much so that i've been scrapbooking like a crazy person.
i haven't been able to say that in months, maybe a year.
it feels good.



















and i'm sorry, but this photo was part of my aggressive driver's education slideshow, and i couldn't NOT share it.

i see myself in the bottom of my coffee cup.

this week has been lazy and creative. normally that would make this girl estatic, but it's hard for me to create when i feel guilty. i know it's not my fault when a school doesn't need me to sub, but i suppose i should look for a more steady job. it just sucks... i love subbing but it's not as guaranteed as it used to be. anyway, here is what i've been making:















xo, A

and above all, she is a scrapbooker.

scrapbooking is my very favorite. it is my peace. my serenity.
my one great love.
it's the place where i get to be me. express myself.
no one tells me "no". no one tells me i'm not good enough. no one tells me to "be quiet", no one talks back to me.
the paper doesn't yell at me. it doesn't crumple itself up and ask me to start over. it never taunts me. never hurts me. never breaks my heart.

i love you, scrapbooking. you help to mend my soul, if only for a moment.
:)

















i see you: lift of jen geigley

calendar reveal!

i've been working hard (on the project, but also keeping the project a secret) and i'm so pleased to finally share it with you! :) i've taken eight of my most popular prints and four brand new prints and created a 2010 calendar! i've used heavy cardstock, twelve 5x7 prints, blank printed calendar sheets, and bound all the pages by jump rings! i really love this calendar, i can't wait to use it... but what's more, i can't wait to give them as christmas gifts! i think it will make my family + friends super happy... this is part one of my handmade christmas :).

here are all of the prints that come in the calendar:




and here are some more images of the calendar (it comes blank, i added some special dates on my own, the glitter, the attached photo, etc. unless you want the 70 year old photo of my grandparents included!)

















the calendars are $20, and i'm offering a 15% discount if you buy more than one.. hello, christmas gifts! :)

this is how you know it's fall in my studio.

hello, little sister. i miss you!




and here are a few peeks of paintings exclusive to my new project:

simple blessings.

simple blessings are the things that bring me joy + happiness, even if it's for a second and even if no one else would care or even notice them. these things for me include

• bursts of inspiration
• coke light (europe) or coke zero (usa)
• accessing typepad from the school district so i can now blog at work
• dinner dates with my friends (last night i met nikki at carrabbas, and even though the food sucked, she was awesome) and family (tonight we're taking out gg for her bday.)
• being caught up on schoolwork (or three weeks ahead :)
• awesome package. last night i received this:
  
  
  (click for link) 
  
  and now i really want this:
  
  
  
  
  and this
  
  

and EVERYTHING else from ruche!

xo
 

i love stilettos, blazers, boots, glitter, lace, fabrics, textures, and most of all, paintbrushes.

i've been working hard lately! it's hard to find time for enjoyment with so much work, school, art endeavors, relationships, or ANY parts of real life. but then i remember, that stuff probably IS real life. i just wish i would step back and enjoy it more.

anyway, i made some stuff. something for twilight fans (i've only watched the movie 100 times... and you?)




and something that emcompasses my love for pink, kobi yamada, and pretty things:




and two commissioned paintings. stephanie came up with these awesome ideas and i just put them to work and added a PL&C touch. sweet!






also....
i made FOUR brand new paintings exclusively for a fantasticly exciting new project i'm working on! i can't wait to share. i am going to sell them in the shop in time for the holiday season!

xo.

look up. as in, at the sky. NOT the ground.

the good thing about everything seeming to suck is that they can only get better!

bright things to look forward to:

• yoga (do more)
• a handmade christmas
• i'll be documenting and organizing the holiday season here on the blog... feel free to follow along :)
• the polaroid i already have, the fuji instax i desperately want, and the lomo cam that i wish i could afford. i also wish i could afford film for said polaroid camera.
• paint
• vintage is back

i made four new paintings this weekend... including one for my twilight people!

sweet!

will share later, time for the four hour drive home...
xo

how anyone still uses a PC is beyond me.

i've had my first problem with macbaby.

apparently i charge the battery too much (whaa?) and they don't last forever. so i need a new battery. luckily, we mom purchased applecare so they are sending it to me this week. yay!

• i purchased my thanksgiving tickets yesterday: leaving tuesday, coming back monday. so far, so good. i love going home.
• every time i visit my family and it's time to fly back to florida, i wonder if i'm making the right choice. i'm not entirely sure this is the place for me. actually, i don't really believe that at all- never have.
• need more tattoos
• contemplating my career choices- thinking of putting myself out there into education + psychology fields. i know i haven't finished school yet, but i think i'm ready.
• need to take out my polaroid soon
• road trip this weekend to visit the twins in tampa. 4 hours in a car with uncle farrell and GG.. oh boy.
• love: without a trace, house, the closer, grey's, secret life, svu.
• haven't yet had time to love: glee, mercy, hawthorne, fringe, the mentalist, the vampire diaries, gossip girl, lincoln heights, raising the bar. any word of whether i MUST dvr ALL of these shows? or do some of them suck?
• miss:

dear dvr, i was so much more productive before you introduced yourself. well, not so much more, but a little more.

it's so addictive! i believe if i'm not caught up on EVERY show out there, i may be deemed stupid or ignorant. this is probably a problem.


i recently found this from a few years ago and decided that i have been a fan of the scripted paint words for a long, long time :).

and yesterday, i made this cute little cards. i plan on putting them in with every etsy order that i receive. i appreciate my customers a lot, and i would like to express this more!

lastly, these are my favorite flowers :)

what ever happened to "stay to the right" in the hallway?

these past few days have been a rollercoaster of work, work, friends, and fake friends. i've felt a little bit like a part of a drama circus - not my cup of tea. from now on, i remain in the confines of my own home/studio surrounded by paint + candles + dvr. :)

do you guys like these banners? i'm not so sure.

i made something! actually, two things :)

my friend alicia is obsessed with france and the french language, music, shopping, and being a great friend! so when she commissioned something special, i mulled for quite some time over what to design. i chose a midnight blue depiction of the eiffel tower, amy-style :). i hope she loves it!  you can get one here :)

i also finally finished Lila- she loves diamond rings, tiffany boxes, and pearl necklaces! i love this color pink, but i also think Lila would look beautiful with a tiffany blue background :). i am happy to do custom orders.

oh, and it appears as though starbucks has caught on! ;)

let's chat.

i've mentioned rollip.com before, but i think it is soso awesome. and creative. and inspiring. and FREE. so cool.