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Back in April I had the awesome opportunity to participate in the Greenville Mini Book Collective event hosted by Art & Light Gallery in downtown Greenville, SC. The idea was for participants to all create small books that reflected one’s own interactions with and experiences in Greenville County. The books had to be about Greenville and had to be made out of one sheet of paper that was to remain relatively whole (these were loose rules). The initial idea came from a similar international project going on in the UK called The Collective Atlas, by Somethink Collective. It was fun to see everyone’s take on Greenville. You can check out photos on the Mini Book Collective website.
Below are some photos of my book for the show, Ten. It loosely chronicles the events in my life that have occurred in the 10 years that I’ve lived in South Carolina.
Click on the image for a close up view
It’s been a SUPER long time since I’ve posted anything to this blog! Guilt immediately washes over me every time I see my bookmark pointing to here. “Soon,” I think to myself, “Soon I will post again.” Well, “Again” is finally here. It was one crazy start of the year, and I feel like I don’t even know where the last 4 months of my life went. Here’s a peek into some of what’s been going on in my art world.
Custom Monogram Journals for Senior Gifts
Custom Monogram “Memory” Journal
New items in Etsy Shop including Book Favors and Sketchbook Sets
I also have a few new ways in which you can keep up with all the news from me and my shop. One, you can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/christinobryan. Two, you can sign up for my e-newsletter—which I promise is non-spammy and filled only with the most important details (sales, events and updates) sent once a quarter or so. All you have to do is sign up here.
Finally, there’s still time to take advantage of my Etsy shop’s spring sale! Just enter the code SPRING20 to receive 20% off your purchase at check out. Sale will end on May 31.
AH! Feels good to have posted again, and I promise never to stay away so long again!
Thanks for bearing with me as I have been away from the blog for a long while now. I didn’t intend this “vacation,” but as things pick up at the day job (my busy season is busier than EVER), side projects and fun stuff continues to get pushed to the side behind important things like cleaning, cooking and REST. I’ve been continuing to post things regularly to the Etsy Shop, so check out what’s new over there!
Rebound, Handmade Journal Set at cepratt.etsy.com
Does anyone have any big travel plans this year? It seems like several people I know are catching the pre-summer travel bug and already making plans for their upcoming adventures. Whether you are planning a few weeks abroad or a weekend getaway, you may want to consider packing a journal with you.
One purpose of writing a journal is to relive the new, exciting and unusual events that happen to us. What better moments to relive that times where you took a road trip, a cruise, a honeymoon or a weekend in search of the perfect Ikea chair? You can write them all down in your regular journal, or buy a special journal for each trip. Wikipedia calls it “a record made by a voyager”—that’s you! So fill your journal with sketches, clip in photos, write in notes, throw in brochures—anything that you want to remember most when you get back from your trip. You can even pair posts with photos you take and leave space to include those images later.
I just started a small travel journal and have decided to dedicate a few pages per trip to sketches of my memories. Already it’s a great way to remember the small weekend trips my husband and I have taken, and I can’t wait to include our family vacation this summer.
Need some ideas for your own travel journals? Check out Flickr for a ton of great ideas.
Travel Journal pages by Marie’s Shots
Today’s the last day for the Spring President’s Day Sale in my Etsy Shop, so be sure to check it out! Just enter “PRESIDENT10″ at check out to receive 10% off your order.
I finished up a guest book for my friend and lovely co-worker, Cara. Her grad thesis exhibition kicks off tonight at Dapper Ink Custom Outfitters. You can find more information about Cara’s exhibition opening and show here or check out her portfolio.
Here are a few pics of the guest book
3-dimensional, collaged letter and hand-drawn scroll design
Cover to Cover
Scroll detail on back & spring green end papers.
The end - at the beginning
Welcome to 2011! After a kind-of unplanned hiatus from the blogging world for a few weeks, I’m back and ready for the new year! I’m looking forward to a wonderful year, and over the next few weeks I’ll fill you in on the things I’ve been working on and creating the last couple of weeks. It was SO nice to have exactly 12 days off for Christmas. Now I’m back to work and back to blogging!
I’m not usually one for New Year’s Resolutions, but I think everyone says that no matter what they think of them. Maybe I’ll start calling them “New Year’s Renewals” because it’s usually a renewal of resolutions I made last year—eat healthier, snack less, work out more, manage finances better, keep up with the chores & the blog, etc. etc. etc. This year I have made one resolution in addition to my “renewals,” journal more.
I have my fair share of journals on my shelf. The earliest one I have in the apartment is from junior high. Where I went, what I ate, what movie I watched. . . .definitely detail oriented. Sketches of the tent and cabin layouts at camp. Stickers from Jill’s stash. Crushes. It is hilarious to read, and I can’t get through some of it without dying of laughter. I don’t journal consistently, and have some journals that are just filled with stories of life events that are in no way chronologial. I have sketchbooks and notebooks that also hold biographical information. And I have small stacks of notes I wrote during classes in high school (sorry, Mrs. E—I wrote notes in your class a lot. I sat next to my bff, it wasn’t totally my fault).
The other night I picked up the journal I started during the spring semester of my senior year of college. I wrote in it a lot that year, but since then, the book’s been on the shelf . . . only visited every once in a while for a major life event or to be packed in a box for moving. As I read through it, I realized just how much I had written in it that year and the four-ish years since I started the journal. Though I definitely didn’t write every day or even every month, it holds so much of my major adult-life experiences—graduating from college, my first week of work at the job I’ve now been at for 5 years, the first meal I cooked in my first apartment (spaghetti with meatballs), having friends over, the time six of us all got burned laying out by the pool, the announcement of marriage to myself (way before any engagement had taken place, but we just knew), good talks I had with friends, things about my parents and family I am thankful for. Besides not remembering that I even know how to make meatballs, I couldn’t believe how invaluable this information was to me. I had asked a lot of questions and wrote a lot of advice whilst I rambled about meatballs and movies. “The best is yet to come, right?” or “You can’t relive, only remember.” This journal is not just facts, it’s thoughts—questions, answers, dreams, realities. And at a time where I needed someone to tell me some things, I actually didn’t have to look further than that journal for encouragement. I already knew what to do—what the answers were. I just needed to remind myself. I didn’t realize past me would remind future me with a journal entry. It encouraged me to start writing again. Who knows what is going to be encouraging to look back on in the future?
I’d challenge you to start a journal. You don’t have to write every day. Sometimes a journal is just a place where you need to voice what you feel when you can’t tell anyone else. It’s a way to talk and always be listened to. It’s a place where you can put down what you’re learning to remember it later. It’s a time capsule. It’s a journey. It’s your life. In the next few weeks and months I’ll be sharing some journal tips and techniques to help jump start any New Year’s writers. Stay tuned!
Photo by gregoryhogan
I feel like I haven’t posted forever! A few highlights from the last few weeks: a trip to visit the lovely land of Lincoln (which was very cold), setting up our Christmas tree (a lovely douglas fir this year!), and getting ready for TWO ART EVENTS THIS WEEKEND!
Come see me at the following events! Several new journals, sketchbooks, cards and lovely new Christmas ornaments will be available for purchase at both events.
Tonight is AAF Greenville’s 6th Annual Art Show & Silent Auction. Admission is free, but a donation of either canned food or $2 at the door in support of Harvest Hope Food Bank is appreciated. The art show starts at 6 pm. and is at 802 August Street in Greenville.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 3 – 5, I’ll be in downtown Greenville for the Winter Art Market. The artists for Art Crossing at Riverplace (by Reedy River & High Cotton for you locals), are hosting their second annual art market sale & celebration! Enjoy handmade artwork, meet the artists, and cross some Christmas shopping off your list!
Times are as follows: Friday 5 pm – 9 pm :: Saturday 10 am – 5 pm :: Sunday 12 noon – 5 pm
Just received some new book cloth today from Hollanders! Yay! Can’t wait to make some new sketchbooks and journals!
This beauty of a journal went to a new home this week. Happy Birthday to the recipient!
Journal was made using new and reclaimed materials, including a collage of dictionary pages
Y Monogram handmade journal
Detail shot of the 3-d Y embellishment
Detail of binding. I love the look of the stitching on the outside of the spine.
