Sunday, July 22, 2012

Missed Connections

A while ago I had the idea of illustrating posts from the "Missed Connections" section on Craiglist, only to discover that it's already been done!


I saw this cover while browsing in Urban Outfitters one day, and although I was disappointed that my great idea was way too late in the game, I am absolutely delighted that someone really brought this idea to life. Sophie Blackall does an amazing job at illustrating these strange, silly, and heartfelt "notes' left on the internet. I love how she brings sweetness and humor to each painting. Here are a few of my favorites (but really they're all delightful!)







Check out more Missed Connections at her blog!


Saturday, July 21, 2012

Distorted Photography

Anka Zhuravleva is an inspiring photographer. Her photographs in the series Distorted Gravity are so dreamy and illustrative, it's as if they were taken with the help of magic.



Check out her website for more beautiful images!

Barbara Cole is another photographer who creates beautiful images with the illusions of oil paintings! As impressive as realistic painting is, the switch to painterly photographs are blowing me away! These images come from the series Painted Ladies





Friday, July 20, 2012

DIY Necklace Display

Lately I have been collecting small, fallen tree branches from Golden Gate Park for some crafty project ideas. I had the idea of converting a tree branch into a jewelry holder for my bracelets and necklaces. Here's what I did:  



My original branch was beautifully Y shaped but it was too long for where I wanted to place it, so I broke it in half. Then I painted it with acrylic craft paint in a striped pattern.




When the paint was still a little wet, I rubbed a wet towel over the branches to give the paint a more distressed/faded look. Then I glued on some bits of lace and let it dry overnight.  




After a frustrating hour of trying to hammer nails into the branch, I finally just hot glued the two big sticks together and tied them for more support. Then I gathered a small stick from outside, cut them into little pieces, and glued them onto the bigger branches to create little, faux wood nibs. I suppose I could have just hung my necklaces around the actual branches, but I wanted a faster way to select jewelry.  




I placed two command hooks on the wall (I'm a renter!) and moved the branch into the hooks until they were wedged in a tight spot. I'm really happy with the result. I love the natural/hand-made look of it and how pretty my jewelry looks! 

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Embroidery


I have always been a handmade card kinda girl. I love the creative freedom and personalization about it.  For my brother's birthday I thought I would change it up a bit and try sewing him a birthday card:



The making of my (very obviously) first embroidered card was tedious, taking much longer than I expected, and left me with several pricks on my fingers. But it was made with love!

 I was inspired to try embroidering because of these two talented artists:


Her works are beautiful combinations of two-dimensional drawings and three-dimensional textiles. A tactile approach to fashion illustration.





Jillian Tamaki branched out of her norm when she turned her hobby of embroidery into creating book sleeves for these classic novels.




Aren't they gorgeous??
Time to buy some embroidery thread!

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Let's Get Cozy

For all the days that you'd rather just stay comfy in your pajamas, these looks will keep you oh so cozy with the added perk of looking like a functional adult! We can't be college freshmen forever....

Combination 1:
Fitted Sweater/Shirt/Relaxed Pants



Combination 2:
Comfy Tops/Relaxed Pants



Combination 3:
Sweater/Top/Soft Skinnies 




Combination 4:
Maxi Dresses/Cardigans




Stay cozy!