Who inspires you? :: A week of inspiration

I recently received the sweetest email from Sierra of Romeo Envy on Etsy. She just opened up her new Etsy shop, which sells lovely jewelry at very affordable prices. I hope she doesn't mind me mentioning, but she had been following the twigs & honey blog this past year and was inspired to start her own shop! I've received some of the nicest emails and convos from many brides and aspiring entrepreneurs. Thank you to everyone and keep them coming. It really makes my day to read all your heartwarming stories! I think that with the state of the economy today, it is really great that people are turning toward crafting, the arts, and hobbies! It's even greater to hear that people are supplementing their income through crafting/creating/designing or taking the plunge and becoming their own boss/home business. Doing what you love and being able to make a living or extra income on the side can be very empowering. Also, supporting crafters, artists, and designers is wonderful and gratifying in its own right!! I love finding those one of a kind pieces, made by the hands of some talented individual near or far and not too different from myself or my complete opposite.... awesome! Doesn't it feel great to create and to support those who create?? I'm not going to make this blog my political soapbox, but I do want to say that I think small businesses are such an important part of the greater picture. I love seeing all sorts of talented people succeed against current projections and trends. Every little bit can truly make a difference. What goes around comes around. Have you hugged a crafter, etsian, artist, designer today?

So I thought of doing a slightly different week of blog posts next week. Sierra's email got me to thinking. There were many individuals who inspired me to both start twigs & honey and make the career shift from employee to self-employed. I thought it was about time I share with everyone else who those fabulous people were! I'll do a post a day about an aspect of the twigs & honey business and the individual that provided me with the inspiration and push. Check back all next week!

Happy Weekend! Old photo of an Ann Wood Handmade bird. Longing for warmer days...

It wasn't! Oh god it was!!!

Don't you hate it when you miss a birthday!! I am usually pretty on the ball with birthdays, I even have a birthday calender in the kitchen. Imagine my horror when I realised that a very dear friend celebrated her birthday on Sunday and I had no idea! I even spent Monday night watching the Oscars with her and still the penny didn't drop. I felt sick when I realised.

I think I should blame her for not constantly mentioning it over the last few weeks like I would have done! I firmly believe that everyone should send out a global email or text letting every person they know, know that it is their birthday coming up, that way no one need to be embarrassed at forgetting....

So now that I have cleverly passed the blame and made myself feel better, Miss Ali you had better expect a visit from your hopeless friend bearing gifts and a sheepish grin!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALI !!!!

Simple Tutorial Conclusion

If you're just tuning in for this week, you'll want to scroll down and read the Monday and Wednesday entries. They look long, but they make for really fast reading, including illustrations for each. We're continuing on with the third and last guideline for simple, memorable page layouts, using the two sample layouts from Monday's post.

3. Embrace negative space.

"Negative space" refers to the undecorated, or "background" portion of any piece of artwork or graphic material.

Now that you've visualized a grid for your scrapbook page (Monday's tutorial), and you've laid out the elements so that their hierarchy tells the right story (yesterday's tutorial), you might be tempted to fill in all the little empty spaces that are left. Resist the temptation! That negative space is doing as much to help your layout tell its story as the grid and the page hierarchy. The eye takes more in when it has wide open space around what's really important. Think of it like trying to have a meaningful conversation with a friend in a busy subway station, versus chatting with that friend on a nice, quiet bench in the park.

Below, Layout 1 obviously fills up every little space with paper, ink, brads, stickers, and so on. You might say it looks like all of the components for that layout were mixed up really well in a blender and just poured out on the page. In addition to how busy all of those embellishments make the layout feel, there's another simple reason to leave that negative space empty: moolah. That's right. Money. When you add up the cost for all of the embellishments and papers we used on Layout 1, you're looking at a whopping $27.44! Granted, you will still have embellishments leftover for other projects. But let's face it - how many of us have drawers of leftover embellishments that we mean to use again, but never do?


Now, Layout 2 fills in a lot of the negative space around the photo and caption with squares of textured and patterned papers and linen. But those squares contain negative spaces that give the whole page a light, breathable freshness to complement the sunny Easter morning shown in the photo. Also, the negative space in between the squares hints at the "invisible" grid structure, and emphasizes the hierarchy of the page elements. And last, but not least, the paper and embellishments for Layout 2 end up costing $14.98. That's just over half the cost of Layout 1, and again you've got leftovers, if you think you'll use them.


Well, that concludes our tutorials on using simple composition to make the pages of your scrapbook meaningful. Like we mentioned in November's type tutorial, guidelines of this sort are based on principles of good design, but they're still flexible. Start each layout following the basic principles, and then trust your design instincts to tell you where and how to bend the rules. Each page you create will tell the story it's meant to tell.

Again, let us know what you think of these design tutorials. Feel free to comment whether you like them or not, and why, what you would change, and what you might be interested in covering in future posts. We love your feedback!

More projects, tips and tricks, and give-aways on the way!

Pray History Doesn't Repeat

Tomorrow is shaping up to be another hell day in Victoria as far as bushfires go! 100's of schools and kinders have been closed as a precautionary measure and towns all over the state are on high alert. Please stay safe where ever you are and if you're not a Victorian, please keep your fingers and toes crossed for us.

Beautiful! :: Amy & Sean's wedding photos :: Paul Rich Studio

I'm up late as usual and while visiting Paul Rich Studio's blog, I was so excited to see some of Amy & Sean's wedding photos! They turned out beautifully! I wasn't expecting them up so soon, so it was a great surprise. I think the rest will be up after all the post production work is complete, but some of their favorites are up and you'll have to check out there blog to see the rest and to see all the other lovely pictures from these talented photographers! Here are a few that are just too lovely for words:

I love this photo. My mom looks so cute. It's very creative photography too. My mom and I were actually standing behind my sister in the bathroom, and the photo is showing our reflection in the bathroom door's mirror. At least I think that's what I'm seeing. My head hurts thinking about it. ;)

Photo credits: Paul Rich Studio

Major Etsy shop update!

I finally wrangled a bunch of pieces together and have completed an Etsy shop update. I listed 7 new pieces! Here are some of my favorites:

This piece is similar to the one worn by Holly. I received a ton of inquiries about it after her lovely wedding to Mario was posted on Snippet and Ink.

You must view more photos at the photographer's blog. Her dress was done by Elizabeth Dye!
Photo credits: Jonathan Canlas

Enjoy!

Simple Tutorial Continued

If you're just tuning in for this week, you'll want to scroll down and read the Monday entry. It looks long, but it's a fast read. We're continuing on with another guideline for simple, memorable page layouts, using the two sample layouts from the last post.

2. It's all about the page hierarchy.

"Page hierarchy" refers to the organization of the elements in any piece of artwork or graphic material, so that the artwork delivers its message in the right order.

Think of each page in your scrapbook like it has a story to tell. The grid is one of many tools to help you put the story in order on each page. Good page hierarchy simply means that the eye is properly led from the first element of the story to the last. Other things that help you emphasize different elements on a page in their right order are size (bigger items demand more attention first), and color (brighter, warmer hues obviously steal the show), among others.

Below, there are numbers in front of the different page elements for both Layouts 1 and 2, with the size of the number showing what order your eye is most likely to move through them. Lots of patterns, overpowering embellishments, and the haphazardly placed photo and text all make Layout 1 a jumbled blur. There isn't a coherent story for your eye to focus on, and Layout 1 will most likely be forgotten as soon as the page is turned.

Layout 2 is more memorable because your eye can focus on the image first and foremost, fixing it in your mind. The caption comes next, so that the image is mentally tied with its story. And lastly, the eye is then free to wander from one little square tile to the next, subtly associating the memory of the image and its story with textures and impressions of, in this case, a bright, sunny Easter day.

Did you notice that there isn't a title on Layout 2? Not every layout needs one. Including titles on layouts is very much a matter of personal preference. Where the caption explains the picture fairly well, and it complements the simplicity of the page, I decided not to add one.


Come back and visit us tomorrow for the final installment for this tutorial. And thank you for all of your responses to our plea for help! We heard you loud and clear and we're cooking up some good stuff for the weeks to come.

A little shop update later today!

I rarely get the chance to make pieces open to the public for my Etsy shop but over the last few weeks, I snuck in making a piece here and there and have a nice handful to post Wednesday afternoon/evening, possibly at night depending on my schedule. I also have a few boutique orders to deliver over the next couple weeks including a new location/boutique, which I'll announce when I get everything ready to go. Anyhow, check my Etsy shop later in the day Wednesday for some fresh new pieces (I'll blog about it too!). Here's one of the fun new pieces:

Perfect for a spring wedding - bride or guest - or for a romantic stroll through tall grass.

When is funny, not funny?

Over at my Stars Hollow blog I talked about the 'train wreck' that was Joaquin Phoenix's interview with David Letterman a couple of weeks ago. (If you haven't seen it or don't know what I am talking about then head over and check it out)
There is much debate over whether he is staging the whole 'flipped out' routine but the majority of people seem to think he is genuinely struggling with some major demons. He has a history of instability and drug dependence.
This brings me to the point of my post. I was wondering in the light of this what people thought of Ben Stiller impersonating Joaquin at the Oscar's?
I found it treading that very fine line between humour and plain bad taste that I guess is what comedians are so good at. I just felt that although it was wickedly on the money, should we be ridiculing a man who clearly may have mental health issues?
What do you think?

Puppy class :: Indy's graduation!

Indy just graduated from puppy classes this evening! Matt and I are so proud of her and want to thank her trainer, Jesse, for being fantastic throughout these past 8 weeks. We went through Petsmart in Salem and couldn't be happier with the results. Thank you Jesse!!!

After class, Matt, Indy, and I went over to see a coworker to help move some furniture. It was dark out and I couldn't see the whole backyard, but it was supposedly fenced in completely. We let Indy run in the yard and I kept checking her every couple minutes because I wasn't 100% comfortable. She actually would run around when I was outside with her and then when I came inside, she would just give me that dog face through the glass saying "let me in with you!" with her eyes. Then, the worst case scenario! I couldn't see her and went out back and couldn't find her! I called for her and she is normally perfect at coming when called, but she didn't come. I scoured the yard in the dark and found that one post in the fence was missing!! She got out and was in an unfamiliar neighborhood! I was so scared and frantic. I even slipped on the wet deck and fell completely in my scramble to find her. Apparently, she was so desperate to find us that she found her own way out and ran to the front of the house and into the garage where Matt and his coworker were moving furniture. Whew! She actually had to run into the street and around the block to get to the front of the house. I kept her on a leash for the rest of the evening. I think the puppy classes helped keep her from running away completely. In class, we trained her to "come" even when we are out of sight and before Indy could hear me, she found Matt. Huskies are actually one of those breeds that can't be trusted off leash in the open, but Indy is always so desperate to be close to us and by our side so VERY fortunately, we didn't lose her tonight.

Here are some puppy graduation photos. Jesse... if you are reading this post, please email me your email. I lost your business card in the dark when I was running around looking for our pup!

I love the picture with her eyes closed. "I'm SO happy!!!"

"bleh!!"

Indy loves to "shake".

"congrats to me!"

"I'm shy." Such a faker.

Simplicity

Sorry this week's post is a day late. We spent all of yesterday trying to fit a tutorial about simplicity and layout composition into one blog post, and it simply won't work! So, this morning we'll set the stage for a discussion about assembling meaningful and attractive scrapbook pages, and then we'll keep the conversation going with two or three more posts over the next couple of days.

Let's talk about simplicity. The famous English poet, William Wordsworth, said, "How many (people) undervalue the power of simplicity! It is the real key to the heart."

We live in a crazy, busy world, and it's easy for all the noise and distractions to crowd out what really matters in life. Usually, the things that do matter - like family and friends, favorite places, and beloved memories - end up on the pages of our scrapbooks! So, when scrapbooking any of life's simple pleasures, the last thing we want is for the busy-ness of the scrapbook page to crowd out the simple beauty of the subject.

These days, gorgeous paper is an important part of just about every scrapbook layout. Also, embellishments provide a fun and sometimes funky way to attach images to a page, spell out our thoughts, and add a creative touch to memory keepsakes. The trick to using these resources in scrapbooking is finding the right balance between enhancing your layouts, and overwhelming them. Albert Einstein said it best, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

The pictures below present two example layouts showcasing the same photo. Layout 1 has a lot of potential, but it's what we're going to use as our example of a cluttered, overwhelmed layout. Most of the techniques used on Layout 1 look great on their own, or in combination with one or two other techniques. Together, though, the techniques are so busy it's easy to miss the picture right in the center of it all.

Layout 1

Layout 2 is our example of a simpler, more memorable layout.

Layout 2

Here, then, is the first of three guidelines we'll be sharing over the next few days, for using simple composition to complement the content of your scrapbook projects.

1. The grid is your friend.

The "grid" simply refers to an underlying structure of any piece of artwork or graphic material.

The grid, in scrapbooking terms, is the set of implied horizontal, vertical, and circular lines that guide where page elements are laid out. You cannot see it directly. But you can tell where the lines are by how photos, labels, and pieces of paper line up across the page. In layouts where you want to convey faithfulness, honesty, warmth, comfort, strength, and happiness, a page divided into four sections (vertically, horizontally, or both) is the way to go. We used a four by four grid for Layout 2. For layouts that feature adventure, spontaneity, fun times, play time, love, variety, and family, dividing the page into thirds works really well.

Below, you'll see both Layouts 1 and 2 with an overlay of the grid lines on each. Is the grid for Layout 2 more pleasing to your eye? Why? Because the human eye loves pattern and repetition. It's perfectly fine to alter that pattern, and breaking out of the grid with one or two page elements usually creates visual interest. But the mish-mashed grid in Layout 1 leaves your eye confused on where to focus, on what's important (click the image below to enlarge for detail).


Basically, think of an attractive grid like it's the Yellow Brick Road of your layout. Your layout can have a straight forward grid that leads you right where you want to go, or the grid can wind it's way through the layout, with visual adventures along the way, inviting you to turn the next page. The main goal in setting up a simple grid is to lead your eyes to a brilliant memory at the end of the road.

More to come! Check back tomorrow for the second guideline to simple, beautiful composition!

Time Out

Hello again. I have decided I need some time away from the blog. I'm not sure when I will be back but I would like to thank you all for your encouragement and support over the past 2 1/2 years. This journey has certainly been a fantastic one.

If anyone would like to keep in contact with what's happening at Black & Spiro please email kelly at kelly@blackandspiro.com.au so that she can add you to our emailing list. This year we have started emailing all of our customers intermittently images of our new stock and jobs we have been working on so do make sure you email Kell so that you can be kept in the loop.

Also, my Black & Spiro website will be up and running in a couple of months so do stay tuned for that.

I do hope to come back soon but I just need some time to re-assess what I am doing and where the blog is going. I hope you understand.

xx

Anna

Big sister gets married! :: The wedding of Amy and Sean - uncut version!!

Wow! What an eventful weekend! Matt and I headed to Washington to celebrate my big sister's wedding to Sean. It was a lovely and entertaining day and to only help in prolonging the spirit and festivities indefinitely, I thought to post a nice and only slightly embarrassing gag reel. I promise to post more "serious" photos soon, but I'm still getting through the hundreds of photos from the day and I'm in a chipper mood. ;)

First off, it was wonderful to see family and meet Sean's family. Matt and I had a fantastic time catching up and just getting acquainted with the groom's side of the family.

Secondly, thank you to Paul Rich Studio for being fabulous, top notch photographers AGAIN! Paul Rich Studio photographed our wedding and we couldn't be more deligthed in knowing that Amy & Sean's wedding was captured by such talented photographers. Their professionalism, skill, and ridiculously warm personalities amount to one of the best photographers you could work with.

Now on with the pictures!

Just wanted to post this picture of my mom. She made this jacket and her dress! She rocks. I made a dress too and very, VERY last minute, opted for a different dress. By the way, that's Matt in the background holding the veil I made for my sister.

Paul of Paul Rich Studio with the newlyweds. I cannot wait to see photos!!! I will post an update when the photo gallery is up on his proofing site.

Just because I'm the sister, I had to post this picture. Open wide!!!
And after the reception, everyone headed to the after party where spirits were high, the liquor flowed (I don't drink by the way), and people began acting a bit peculiar...

A glowing halo. My angel.

Yes, yes... I seriously got him to do this.

"This is much cooler than the rubber pencil trick."

Trippy - far out - dude. FYI - redlight special. These glow sticks were almost too much fun and are only $1 for 15 at Michaels.

"You wouldn't hit a guy who wears glasses would you??"

"I don't care what I look like... I just got married!"

"...and just to drive the point home... I'm married!"

Oh my goodness. Dad's doing his crazy dance again!

Somehow, my mom makes these bad boys a cute accessory.

"It's not like these pictures will ever see the light of day, right?" Photo courtesy of the groom's father. ;D

These glasses can bring out anyone's inner thug. ;) AKA - Groom's sister's husband, Brian.

Strike a pose. And to think... I'm like this without any social lubricants in my system. So this is the dress I bought about 24 hours before. I decided that the dress I made wasn't formal enough and a bit more "party" like, but I'll still post pictures soon.

With my newlywed sister. Aw~

Mrs. Callan and Mrs. Stewart

Everyone says we look alike. We don't think so. What do you think?

Mr. & Mrs. Callan!

Time to go home! More pictures to come!!

One sneak peak at the bridal fashion and my sister's t&h piece! Congratulations Amy & Sean!!! Have fun on the honeymoon!!!!

Straight hair :: Thermal Reconditioning from LeResh

I got my hair straightened and as promised, here are a bunch of pictures. I go to a great lady in Portland just off NW 23rd, LeResh. She is absolutely fantastic at what she does.

The hair chronicles of Myra begin...
At around 6th grade, my straight hair went curly. Not in a lovely, "oh, my hair is just nicely curled like this, always" kind of way! It was and naturally is unruly. I have major cowlicks along my hairline. I suppose if the rest of my hair matched, it might actually be lovely. Think pin curls of the 40s. Yes, my bangs are that curly! BUT, the rest of my hair is sporadically wavy and frizzy. I don't know what happened when the genes were doled out when I was in my mom's belly, but what I do know is that my mom and sister have the quintessential straight asian hair and I got the leftovers. As if the one dealing out genes started off giving me curly hair, but got tired midway through and quit. I'm rambling.

So for years, I wrestled with my partially curled-wavy-crimped-frizzy locks. I blew it out straight and flat ironed it and suffered through frizzy hell in humid weather. I have a cupboard full of various frizz/curl reducing products. Trust me... it takes years to develop this kind of collection.

Then I heard about thermal reconditioning.

It is an investment - ballpark - expect to spend at least $500-$600 w/o tip, but it varies depending on length of hair, texture and amount of curl.

Since it was a large sum of money, I had to rationalize it with Matt a couple years ago and put aside a mini hair savings fund. When I was ready, I tried to go the economical route and went to an unnamed salon to save a couple hundred and with this service, you get what you pay for. Don't scrimp! My hair was NOT straight and still frizzy and the service was not good!

I waited about 6 months before seeing LeResh. She is worth every penny and more. She straightened my hair right before the wedding and saved me from insufferable unruly hair when Matt and I were on honeymoon in Maui.

LeResh is so sweet and great with many hair types. I have very coarse hair and the strands are super duper thick so nothing else would ever work... but LeResh is a miracle worker when it comes to straightening hair. You must see her if you have the same hair troubles as me! Some advice: She requires an in person consultation so she can see if you are a good candidate for the process. Thermal reconditioning is a strong process and if you have very fine hair or processed hair, it might not be for you. Also, after you get the treatment, you cannot wash your hair, put it up, or even pin it with a bobby pin for 48 hours. You have to be careful how you sleep on it too! It must stay straight. After this, ta da! Straight hair!

Whew~ Sorry for the long monologue! For those who have stuck through to the end of my hair stories, here are some photos of my newly straightened hair (excuse the photos. I have ZERO makeup and this is an old dress that is a little baggy after losing weight):

Be sure to contact LeResh if you are interested or if you have any questions! By the way, my hair is still down to my bum AND she gave me a complimentary trim. So you can get the idea of how long it got! I still need to get another haircut, but people keep telling me "NO!"... it is your trademark! Even my mom's friends tell her to tell me, "keep it long!" We'll see how long I can keep it long. Also, I was going to do a "before and after" photo series... but last minute, I changed my mind. I wouldn't want to put you through that kind of horror.