I wrecked my journal ALOT this week!

May 13, 2009 by Alexa 7 Comments

So, this past week, I’ve done a LOT in my Wreck this Journal. I thought I would share! Some of them are posts that I’ve done along with my 365 (both me and Chris are doing this together this week), but they all relate to me doing the art and activities within the book!

Here’s my “Throw Something” page…

I bought this ball after work at Michael’s. It was the only thing I bought. The lady said, “Wow, this is scary. It must be for a little boy.” I just said, “Yeah”. I didn’t think it worth my time to explain the whole process. It would have taken too long and been too confusing. I just took these photos (well, not this one, but the ones below), outside and I got several weird stares from my neighbors. Oh well. I guess I’m known to them as the “weird photo girl”.

Here’s my “Write with a pen in your mouth” post:

Well, I actually used a marker to write my name and the word swell a couple of times. Oh and I have a little cut there that was further accentuated by pink marker.

Here’s how I “Tied a string and swing wildly”:

This day I wrecked my journal by tying a string and swinging wildly. It hurt my hand a bit and left the journal a bit scarred, but I actually had fun doing it. I went out in the courtyard area and swung it in the grass and sky. No one really observed it. I’m sure they would have thought I was crazy. I’m ok with crazy though. It hopefully shows that I live life creatively. I like the photos I took. I had to set it on manual focus cause automatic focus couldn’t focus fast enough.

Here are some of my art pages:

Pretend you are doodling on the back of an envelope

A page for four-letter words

This isn’t as detailed as a lot of the pages I do and there are a lot of things I messed up on, but I still like it and that it has the whole “Lost” theme. I did it while I was watching the Finale. It answered and leaves a LOT of questions!

Write or draw with your left hand

Shouldn’t it be, draw with the hand you don’t write with? Left handers would have an advantage!

Hope you enjoyed my pages. I’m so tired. I’m going to hit the sack!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

Where to find Wreck this Journal!

April 21, 2009 by Alexa 3 Comments

A few people have been asking me about where they can get their copy of Wreck this Journal by Keri Smith. Well, right now it is just under $10 bucks at www.amazon.com. You may have to pay additional moolah for shipping but if you order it with another book, you may be able to get shipping for free!

I purchased my book in store at Barnes and Noble several months back, but you can also order it at the Barnes and Noble web site. The copy in store is a few bucks more than online. I’m sure a lot of other stores carry it as well, but you may want to call and see before you trek to your local bookstore and leave empty-handed. You could always call a few days ahead and most local bookstores will order if for you.

Hope this clears up any questions on where to get the book!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

Wrecking my Journal again!

April 15, 2009 by Alexa 3 Comments

Tonight I wrecked my journal while watching A.I. I started and finished 2 activities.

Admittedly, I enjoy the artistic activities more than the physical (flinging, dropping, etc.). I will have to find a way to document those, but at the moment they aren’t doing anything for me. I just want to draw and doodle.

Anyway, here’s my “Trace your hand” page:

I bought some Crayola markers a couple nights ago. I wish I had the Prismacolor kind. That would be an ideal gift. Cough. cough, but the Crayola skinny markers work pretty well. I got a pack of 50, so lotsa color to go around!

Here’s my “Scribble/Write on the Edges” effort. I like the first photo best (more from a photographic standpoint (love the purple and pink reflection!), but I dig the bokeh (those tiny blurred lights in photos..usually created when you see Christmas lights) in the second one.

Have you gotten yours yet? Let me know if you get one!

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

26/365 I wrecked my journal!!!

April 11, 2009 by Alexa 2 Comments

This is my first official completed page in my Wreck this Journal. A couple of other tasks like breaking the spine have been done. I plan on working on it more in the upcoming months.

Here’s my page and one my friend Allee did!

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!