My favorite kind of paper product!

May 18, 2009 by Alexa 1 Comment

I’ve noticed some wrapping paper, journals, and general paper goods at Target and Michaels that I totally love! It’s basically bright, bold colors mixed with black and white graphic elements. If you know me, you prob. know I love colors that “pop” and linear elements, so when I saw these, they immediately screamed at me from the shelf!

I really want to buy the striped wrap to do a photo shoot with as well as a great everyday wrap for birthdays. I think it has a lot of possibilities. It would also look really great framed. And as far as the journal goes, I just like the stark contrast of the colors. Kinda makes me want to try out a graphic design piece in this vain.

These papers are made by The Gift Wrap company. If you go in a gift boutique, drug store with gifts, or department store and like a bag or paper, turn it over and there’s a likelihood it is made by this company. They have the most beautifully designed paper goods. I heart them. Oh, and I did my research…do you know those 99¢ journals you get at Michaels in the dollar bin? The ones with the super cute designs? Well, I’m pretty sure they make those too under another name. I really dig everything they do!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

Two more pages in my Wreck this Journal!

April 14, 2009 by Alexa 6 Comments

I finished up my scribbles page tonight (added color in with my new Crayola markers) and whipped out a lines page as well 🙂

I really like the look of the silver paint pen on this one!!

I stayed simple with this one and I’m happy with the results!

Have you guys tried this journal out? If not, you should totally purchase one and get inspired!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

I am so inspired by this and I just had to share!

November 5, 2008 by Alexa 6 Comments

I have been perusing through the flickr page of Kim Ripley a.k.a. Stoopidgerl for the past couple of days, and she’s been very actively “wrecking her journal”. Now that may sound a little weird to you, if you’ve never seen it, but there’s actually a book called Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith. I know I’ve come upon this journal online at some point or in a bookstore and didn’t really think too much of it; however her posts have made me really want one! I actually went to Joseph Beth (a really cool bookstore in Lexington) tonight and attempted to purchase my copy, but the only copy there was not to be found. The clerk said it had probably been stolen. Seriously? Well, I wasn’t too miffed by it, but I do plan on ordering one.

The very cool thing about this journal is that you are supposed to actually WRECK it. There’s crazy things inside, from covering pages with office supplies to making lots of random stains to rubbing the pages with dirt. As a designer, I am often very rigid in what I design…I stay very blocky/in the lines. I don’t break beyond my barriers. It’s one thing I’ve actually always struggled with in my art. On a couple of occasions, like in my fibers class in college, I was able to break free from this. We did projects in bleaching and silk painting, where the dye/bleach totally did it’s own thing and you had to just deal with the outcome. I love the idea of using this journal as a way to let myself just be free to create without boundaries and with wreckless abandonment. I just think it’s a really super cool concept!

Just to give you an idea of what Kim’s doing, check out these fun photos that she took to document her wreckage. So fabulous! Her photos just by themselves inspire me!