Scrapbooking Paper as Art
1 Comments Published by Alexandria on Sunday, April 22, 2007 at 12:08 p.m..
I've had this idea for several years now, ever since I started using scrapbooking paper to cover my journals. But the other day on Apartment Therapy, I saw my idea realized into reality. My idea was to buy scrapbooking paper and frame them as cheap art.A look through my scrapbooks would make it obvious that one idea I love over and over again is the idea of a wall with three or four rows of framed images in a grid pattern, usually four rows horizontal and three framed images across.
The draw of scrapbook paper would be (aside from it being only 50 cents a sheet) that it could be easily changed depending on the season, or if you redecorate, or if you find other prints that you like. The person who has done this at Apartment Therapy seems to have done this with random sheets, but I would have mine in a common colour palette of pinks and greens, so that each one would pick up on a colour of the previous one and there would be a "flow" of colour from one frame to the next even if the graphic or print were very different, such as a floral print to a geometric one.
Labels: Art, Home decor, Scrapbooking
Alex Loves: Open Kitchen Shelving
1 Comments Published by Alexandria on Saturday, April 7, 2007 at 7:37 p.m..
One of the best things about scrapbooking is that you learn a little something about yourself. You realize how subconsciously you gravitate to the same things over and over again, no matter how many magazines you look at and how different the publications or where they come from. Whether it's a Canadian or an American magazine (not much difference usually trend wise), British or Australian, the same ideas prevail over and over, albeit in different forms. And over and over again I find that I have ripped out the same page or clipped the same idea.
While working on my latest spurt of scrapbooking, I've realized that lately I am loving something new: open kitchen shelving. Simple wooden (and sometimes metal or steel) planks that showcase your wares. It can be rustic, charmingly country or cozy cottage kind of shelving with raw, unfinished wood or painted white. It can be polished suburban with dark-stained shelves. Or it can be city chic with metal or steel shelves.
However it's done, it serves both a practical purpose as well as an exhibitionist one. On the one hand such shelving usually takes up valuable cabinetry space, so the shelves contain items that otherwise would be in the cabinets. On the other hand, housewares are so beautiful these days and we spend so much money on them that they should be shown off and displayed in all their beauty and glory like fine museum pieces.
Below, a few examples of open shelving in the kitchen. Some are more practical than others, while others are clearly for show and the serving platters and glasses may just be gathering dust.
Number 3 is my favourite. It takes up a lot of valuable room for sure, but the mixing bowls and salad bowls of different materials and textures are artfully displayed.
Number 4 seems very British to me. I don't know why, but it feels like something one would see in a British cottage. I love that a matted photograph has found its place in the kitchen. This kitchen also keeps its harmony with the appliances, countertop, cupboards, shelving and dishes all in white and glasses and the cakestand in clear glass.
Number 6 is a bit different. No open shelving but cabinets with glass doors so that you can see what's inside as well as you could see them if they were displayed out in the open. A good alternative.
This also marks the first of my "Alex Loves" series, something I hope to add to in the future as I discover more things that I love.
Labels: Alex Loves, Home decor
Yesterday afternoon while trying (and failing) to make the clock tick faster so that the long weekend could finally start, I was procrastinating by reading one of my interior decorating blogs, decor8, I found my mothership. I found kinfolk just like me. People who meticulously cut images that they love from magazines and glue them into scrapbooks. Or inspiration journals as they call them.
Here is what some of their scrapbooks look like (I just love looking at other people's scrapbooks, seeing what inspires them -- especially when I see something that I've included in mine, too!):
Here is the post about inspiration journals:
Victoria does it. I do it. Marieke Berghuis is huge into it. Irina Troitskaya makes her living from it. And Jason constantly blogs about it and even creates the goods to do it. So I ask you, do you journal?
I maintain several. One is a written one, a "diary" of sorts that I've actually been writing since I was 7 years old. Then there are the more artistic journals where I draw and paste words and images that tell a story of what I'm feeling at that moment. These are a bit more personal, so I don't share them with everyone. Finally, there are my inspiration books that contain hundreds of clipped pages that inspire me or my work. These I freely share with anyone that is interested.
Aside from being an amazing spot to catch all of your thoughts, dreams, fears and I-can't-believe-I said-that moments, journals give you an outlet to plug into, a place to collect everything that you 'see' in your head and translate it into the pages of a book through words, images from magazines, photos, stamps, ticket stubs, fabric and paint swatches, wrapping paper, anything that can help you tell a story or create something to inspire you. You can create books according to category, i.e. bedrooms, baths, living rooms, outdoor spaces or by object, like art, chairs, or whatever it is that you are passionate about.
I encourage you to start a journal of your own. You'll absolutely love doing it. If you don't like to write, and many people don't, then go for more of a visual journal like some of those shown above. It's quite relaxing to sit down and cut + paste your thoughts into books. You'll be surprised by how much you'll learn about yourself. If you'd like to get started, click here for a DIY guide on how to create your own Look Book.
Have fun, explore, enjoy, JOURNAL! posted by decor8 @ 4/05/2007
The DIY guide is a bit much for me however. I mean, everyone who has seen my scrapbooks thought I was obsessive. But they have obviously never met these people, who are meticulous down to the kind of scissors that are being used:
It's time to have fun with this little DIY project that I've pulled together for you. All you need is a book, adhesive, scissors and plenty of clippings!
If you're getting ready to renovate a space, compiling a book like this (also known as a 'look book') before you throw yourself into a design project will help you pull the process together. It's also fun to simply create these books to inspire you and pull you out of that occasional design rut.
Step One: Locate an artist's notebook - something spiral bound and thick with pages measuring at least 8.5" x 11" (bienfang is good). You can use one book per room (i.e. living room inspiration), or you can divide one book into sections for each room in your house. My books have everything thrown together, however I'm soon to begin working on new ones that will be organized according to room. must. get. organized.
Step Two: Purchase a good pair of scissors. I use a standard pair of Fiskars with the typical orange handle. I like the ones with the micro tip for trimming those pesky edges. Pay attention to how you clip - pretend you are laying out a magazine page. Make it look pretty, not clunky. Make sure what you're pasting fits the pages, you don't want to close your book and see clippings sticking out everywhere. No, no!
Step Three: Avoid using a glue stick, they'll give your pages the bubble effect. Instead use my favorite, Tombow mono-adhesive. You can find these online or at your local craft store. They are more expensive at craft stores, so unless you have a coupon for your local craft emporium, purchase them online. Order 6-12 at a time. I know it sounds like a lot, but these little guys go fast. (I suggest shopping at Dick Blick and Charette.)
Step Four: Cut and paste, baby! Scour magazines, catalogs, books, or even online (blogs!) to find things that you know you'll want to refer back to again and again. If you find something in a blog, simply print it out in color, trim, and paste it into your book. You can add articles that you enjoyed, quotes, ads, fabric swatches, paint chips, pretty business cards, font styles you like, stamps - get creative and have fun with it. No one is going to grade or judge your book, this is your personal space. You can even doodle on your pages and add handwritten comments describing why you like something you've pasted - these all lend a personal touch.
When it's time to renovate, you can refer to your books as your guide since they'll assist you throughout the decision making process. Something so visual will most definitely pick you up when you're feeling stuck in a design rut - you'll have your trusty look book to turn to, it will get you back on track!
Before I consult with clients, I always ask them to pull together a folder of clippings that define their design style. I'm often so surprised when I meet with them and they pull out spiral bound notebooks stuffed with articles and clippings that they've collected for me. They always remark how grateful they are that I gave them homework because it helped them to pinpoint their design style. It also helps them to better communicate their vision with me because it's easier to express personal style on paper than through words. At least for most of us.
I hope you have fun with your look book, and if you you'd like to send me a photo of yours, I'd be happy to post your book so we can all have a look.
So even if I am not as obsessive as they are, I do adore having had the opportunity to peek at their books and seeing what makes them tick, where they draw their inspiration from and what ideas they may have that I can draw from.
sfgirlbybay's Inspiration Books (in her own words)
If you have happened to have followed sfgirlbybay for a while, you'll know that I have kept inspiration journals for the past few years. I used to let the many pages I pulled from design and shelter magazines pile up to ridiculous heights. Sometimes I'd actually organize them into individual folders; fashion, recipes, craft ideas, interior design, photography etc. and then watch them collect dust. But one day an old boyfriend of mine shared with me his journals. Hundreds of scraps of newspaper and magazine clippings, personal thoughts, ideas and anything that ignited his passion. In his case, mostly entrepreneurial, cultural and political observations. His journals motivated me to finally glean through my gluttonous stacks and cut and paste my images into my own journals. I use blank white sketch books because I like a plain white canvas. I like black & white images, sometimes bright and modern, occasionally sweet and sentimental. Whatever makes me happy and puts an idea into my head. And now, I flip through them for reference all the time. It's always creatively motivating. Here's a glimpse into some of the many pages that inspire sfgirlbybay.
Here is what some of their scrapbooks look like (I just love looking at other people's scrapbooks, seeing what inspires them -- especially when I see something that I've included in mine, too!):
Here is the post about inspiration journals:
Journals As Inspiration
Victoria does it. I do it. Marieke Berghuis is huge into it. Irina Troitskaya makes her living from it. And Jason constantly blogs about it and even creates the goods to do it. So I ask you, do you journal?
I maintain several. One is a written one, a "diary" of sorts that I've actually been writing since I was 7 years old. Then there are the more artistic journals where I draw and paste words and images that tell a story of what I'm feeling at that moment. These are a bit more personal, so I don't share them with everyone. Finally, there are my inspiration books that contain hundreds of clipped pages that inspire me or my work. These I freely share with anyone that is interested.
Aside from being an amazing spot to catch all of your thoughts, dreams, fears and I-can't-believe-I said-that moments, journals give you an outlet to plug into, a place to collect everything that you 'see' in your head and translate it into the pages of a book through words, images from magazines, photos, stamps, ticket stubs, fabric and paint swatches, wrapping paper, anything that can help you tell a story or create something to inspire you. You can create books according to category, i.e. bedrooms, baths, living rooms, outdoor spaces or by object, like art, chairs, or whatever it is that you are passionate about.
I encourage you to start a journal of your own. You'll absolutely love doing it. If you don't like to write, and many people don't, then go for more of a visual journal like some of those shown above. It's quite relaxing to sit down and cut + paste your thoughts into books. You'll be surprised by how much you'll learn about yourself. If you'd like to get started, click here for a DIY guide on how to create your own Look Book.
Have fun, explore, enjoy, JOURNAL! posted by decor8 @ 4/05/2007
The DIY guide is a bit much for me however. I mean, everyone who has seen my scrapbooks thought I was obsessive. But they have obviously never met these people, who are meticulous down to the kind of scissors that are being used:
DIY Project: Look Book How To
It's time to have fun with this little DIY project that I've pulled together for you. All you need is a book, adhesive, scissors and plenty of clippings!
If you're getting ready to renovate a space, compiling a book like this (also known as a 'look book') before you throw yourself into a design project will help you pull the process together. It's also fun to simply create these books to inspire you and pull you out of that occasional design rut.
Step One: Locate an artist's notebook - something spiral bound and thick with pages measuring at least 8.5" x 11" (bienfang is good). You can use one book per room (i.e. living room inspiration), or you can divide one book into sections for each room in your house. My books have everything thrown together, however I'm soon to begin working on new ones that will be organized according to room. must. get. organized.
Step Two: Purchase a good pair of scissors. I use a standard pair of Fiskars with the typical orange handle. I like the ones with the micro tip for trimming those pesky edges. Pay attention to how you clip - pretend you are laying out a magazine page. Make it look pretty, not clunky. Make sure what you're pasting fits the pages, you don't want to close your book and see clippings sticking out everywhere. No, no!
Step Three: Avoid using a glue stick, they'll give your pages the bubble effect. Instead use my favorite, Tombow mono-adhesive. You can find these online or at your local craft store. They are more expensive at craft stores, so unless you have a coupon for your local craft emporium, purchase them online. Order 6-12 at a time. I know it sounds like a lot, but these little guys go fast. (I suggest shopping at Dick Blick and Charette.)
Step Four: Cut and paste, baby! Scour magazines, catalogs, books, or even online (blogs!) to find things that you know you'll want to refer back to again and again. If you find something in a blog, simply print it out in color, trim, and paste it into your book. You can add articles that you enjoyed, quotes, ads, fabric swatches, paint chips, pretty business cards, font styles you like, stamps - get creative and have fun with it. No one is going to grade or judge your book, this is your personal space. You can even doodle on your pages and add handwritten comments describing why you like something you've pasted - these all lend a personal touch.
When it's time to renovate, you can refer to your books as your guide since they'll assist you throughout the decision making process. Something so visual will most definitely pick you up when you're feeling stuck in a design rut - you'll have your trusty look book to turn to, it will get you back on track!
Before I consult with clients, I always ask them to pull together a folder of clippings that define their design style. I'm often so surprised when I meet with them and they pull out spiral bound notebooks stuffed with articles and clippings that they've collected for me. They always remark how grateful they are that I gave them homework because it helped them to pinpoint their design style. It also helps them to better communicate their vision with me because it's easier to express personal style on paper than through words. At least for most of us.
I hope you have fun with your look book, and if you you'd like to send me a photo of yours, I'd be happy to post your book so we can all have a look.
So even if I am not as obsessive as they are, I do adore having had the opportunity to peek at their books and seeing what makes them tick, where they draw their inspiration from and what ideas they may have that I can draw from.
sfgirlbybay's Inspiration Books (in her own words)
If you have happened to have followed sfgirlbybay for a while, you'll know that I have kept inspiration journals for the past few years. I used to let the many pages I pulled from design and shelter magazines pile up to ridiculous heights. Sometimes I'd actually organize them into individual folders; fashion, recipes, craft ideas, interior design, photography etc. and then watch them collect dust. But one day an old boyfriend of mine shared with me his journals. Hundreds of scraps of newspaper and magazine clippings, personal thoughts, ideas and anything that ignited his passion. In his case, mostly entrepreneurial, cultural and political observations. His journals motivated me to finally glean through my gluttonous stacks and cut and paste my images into my own journals. I use blank white sketch books because I like a plain white canvas. I like black & white images, sometimes bright and modern, occasionally sweet and sentimental. Whatever makes me happy and puts an idea into my head. And now, I flip through them for reference all the time. It's always creatively motivating. Here's a glimpse into some of the many pages that inspire sfgirlbybay.
Labels: Home decor, Scrapbooking
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am mad for magazines. I don't care so much for the beauty and fashion magazines, but the glossy interior decorating magazines are my weakness, followed closely by cooking magazines. What I spend each month on such magazines could probably feed several families in third world countries each month.
Currently on my bedside table, March and some April issues:
I subscribe to about five or six magazines at present, and each month, I buy nearly as many at the newsstand. I am so obsessed with magazines I even know that on Tuesday mornings the newsstands will have the newest issues out, but even better, I know which newsstands in Toronto along my route to work have those very magazines out on Monday! (Yes, I admit that it's a sickness.)
I love reading about the latest trends in home decor and even more, I love seeing how other people decorate their homes and personalize their living spaces.
I read a mixture of Canadian and American magazines, and among my favourites are:
Canadian House & House
Style at Home
Martha Stewart Living
Blueprint (a Martha Stewart publication)
Domino (the interior decorating version of Lucky)
ELLE Decor
Wish
House Beautiful
Everyday With Rachael Ray
I also pick up the occasional House & Garden, though I find the homes profiled in this one are sometimes a bit stuffier than my own style.
Better Homes and Gardens also has a wonderful website. The actual rooms are a bit too countryish for my taste, but they have great small-scale ideas, such as centrepiece ideas or how to organize your laundry room or dress up your nightstand. They also have many great ideas for various holidays and occasions, whether it be Christmas and Easter or summer picnics.
Seasonally, In Style and O (Oprah Winfrey's magazine) have special issues focused on interior decorating, In Style at Home and O at Home respectively. In Style's monthly issues are also fun because they have spreads on celebrity homes, which, even if they are rather extravagant and sometimes even gaudy, are fun to look at.
I also really love British design magazines because their sense of style is quite distinct from North American style, and their notion of formal rooms is so much more formal than the typical North American definition of this. Some good British glossies that I love to flip through, and buy only occasionally because it's so expensive here ($8 to $12 compared to $5 to $7 for a North American publication) include:
Living etc.
House Beautiful (the British version)
A friend from work recently bought his first place -- which he moved into on Wednesday, actually -- and in the months before the move, he was quite active in scouring the internet for good design websites, all of which he passed onto me, of course! Among my favourite recommendations from him are the following:
Desire to Inspire ( a blog which complies pages from various design magazines and the web pages of various decorators and designers)
COLOURlovers also has great colour palates, many of which are not colour combinations one would normally come up with. (Behr, the paint company, also has an element on their website that allows you to choose a paint colour for a room and you can instantly see how it might look in a room similiar to yours, while also recommending complimentary colours, which you can adjust and alter as you prefer. Just go to the Colour Smart option on the homepage.)
Decorate With Furnish (a site that lets you plug in the structure of a room in your home and configure various furniture placements without lifting anything heavier than your mouse)
I am also a textile lover, and especially love retro-inspired prints. Lately, I've noticed that I've been filling up my scrapbook with stationary, pillows and other things adorned with bird imagery. print & pattern is a great blog that is full of whimsical designs and prints.
Currently on my bedside table, March and some April issues:
I subscribe to about five or six magazines at present, and each month, I buy nearly as many at the newsstand. I am so obsessed with magazines I even know that on Tuesday mornings the newsstands will have the newest issues out, but even better, I know which newsstands in Toronto along my route to work have those very magazines out on Monday! (Yes, I admit that it's a sickness.)
I love reading about the latest trends in home decor and even more, I love seeing how other people decorate their homes and personalize their living spaces.
I read a mixture of Canadian and American magazines, and among my favourites are:
Canadian House & House
Style at Home
Martha Stewart Living
Blueprint (a Martha Stewart publication)
Domino (the interior decorating version of Lucky)
ELLE Decor
Wish
House Beautiful
Everyday With Rachael Ray
I also pick up the occasional House & Garden, though I find the homes profiled in this one are sometimes a bit stuffier than my own style.
Better Homes and Gardens also has a wonderful website. The actual rooms are a bit too countryish for my taste, but they have great small-scale ideas, such as centrepiece ideas or how to organize your laundry room or dress up your nightstand. They also have many great ideas for various holidays and occasions, whether it be Christmas and Easter or summer picnics.
Seasonally, In Style and O (Oprah Winfrey's magazine) have special issues focused on interior decorating, In Style at Home and O at Home respectively. In Style's monthly issues are also fun because they have spreads on celebrity homes, which, even if they are rather extravagant and sometimes even gaudy, are fun to look at.
I also really love British design magazines because their sense of style is quite distinct from North American style, and their notion of formal rooms is so much more formal than the typical North American definition of this. Some good British glossies that I love to flip through, and buy only occasionally because it's so expensive here ($8 to $12 compared to $5 to $7 for a North American publication) include:
Living etc.
House Beautiful (the British version)
A friend from work recently bought his first place -- which he moved into on Wednesday, actually -- and in the months before the move, he was quite active in scouring the internet for good design websites, all of which he passed onto me, of course! Among my favourite recommendations from him are the following:
Desire to Inspire ( a blog which complies pages from various design magazines and the web pages of various decorators and designers)
COLOURlovers also has great colour palates, many of which are not colour combinations one would normally come up with. (Behr, the paint company, also has an element on their website that allows you to choose a paint colour for a room and you can instantly see how it might look in a room similiar to yours, while also recommending complimentary colours, which you can adjust and alter as you prefer. Just go to the Colour Smart option on the homepage.)
Decorate With Furnish (a site that lets you plug in the structure of a room in your home and configure various furniture placements without lifting anything heavier than your mouse)
I am also a textile lover, and especially love retro-inspired prints. Lately, I've noticed that I've been filling up my scrapbook with stationary, pillows and other things adorned with bird imagery. print & pattern is a great blog that is full of whimsical designs and prints.
Labels: Home decor, Magazines
This morning, as it was extra cold at minus 24 degrees celcius, I walked underground to work. And of course walking underground means not just keeping warm for an extra 10 minutes, but it also means shopping along the way. While all the clothes shops are having great sales, nothing in the stores is screaming at me.
This morning something compelled me to stray a bit off course on the way to work however. Perhaps it was the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee that compelled me to head into Starbucks. There I got not coffee, but the prettiest little coffee cups from the Starbucks Holiday collection.
The special thing about them is that there is a star pattern cut out of the bottom of the cup. And when I got up to the cash register with the last two in this pattern, the cashier told me that the saucers came with them. Even better they were on sale for 75% off! Score! To make the purchase even sweeter, the saucers have a star cut out that lies on top of the plate so that the cup and the saucer are like a puzzle piece.
This morning something compelled me to stray a bit off course on the way to work however. Perhaps it was the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee that compelled me to head into Starbucks. There I got not coffee, but the prettiest little coffee cups from the Starbucks Holiday collection.
The special thing about them is that there is a star pattern cut out of the bottom of the cup. And when I got up to the cash register with the last two in this pattern, the cashier told me that the saucers came with them. Even better they were on sale for 75% off! Score! To make the purchase even sweeter, the saucers have a star cut out that lies on top of the plate so that the cup and the saucer are like a puzzle piece.
Labels: Home decor
