I don’t know about you guys but my weeks are speeding by so fast! I can’t believe another Tuesday has rolled around. This week I’m sharing the Instagram account of Ashley Brook Designs. I’m really drawn to her beautiful, colourful designs. Her feed makes me so happy and I’m sure she’ll brighten up your day too. Follow Ashley here.
OK, so Father’s Day has really crept up on me this year. Last night I realised that it’s just over two weeks away! Has it crept up on you too? Here in Australia we celebrate the big day on the first Sunday in September. My family always celebrate by heading to this beautiful spot for a barbeque breakfast and a walk through the bush. How do you celebrate Father’s Day?
It’s not too late to get your hands on a cool, creative card for Dad. Here’s a few of my favourites.
Able & Game // The Curious Cactus // Beccy Kitty Designs // Milk and Cookies // WNK The Shop // Old English Co // The Think Tree // Cheerio Paper Co
OK, I know it’s only August, but my mind is already on 2017. As it’s nearing the start of the new academic year in some parts of the world a lot of brands are releasing 18-month diaries, while others are getting in early and releasing next year’s now. As I am a mad diary/journal fiend, I’m going to be sharing some diaries over the next few weeks. I will also be giving a few away too so stay tuned.
The first diary I’m reviewing is an 18 month Moleskine. It’s a large (14cm x 21cm), weekly diary with a soft, yet sturdy black cover with a cloth ribbon and elastic band closure.
There is one thing above all else you can be sure of when you use a Moleskine, and that is longevity. In the past I’ve used Moleskines as diaries and as journals and those books have lasted just shy of ten years. While the majority of Moleskines that I’ve used have been hard cover, soft black covers last well also so don’t be put off by it.
I’m working from home most of the time, but I need to know that my diary will handle a little bit of rough love. I can’t have my diary disintegrate after being thrown into a bag or the car. That’s the great thing about Moleskines – they don’t mind a bit of rough treatment. Even if you manage to get a little scuffing, it doesn’t get much worse, and it adds to the character of the cover (much like the way worn and scuffed Midori TN’s work).
Quick six facts about this 18-month Moleskine
1. The diary runs from July 2016 through December 2017.
2. The inside paper is an off-white cream colour.
3. I’ve never had a problem with bleeding through the paper, and I’ve used a lot of different pens over the years.
4. A week-at-a-glance appears on the left with about five rows to input text.
5. On the opposite side of the week-at-a-glance is a sheet of blank, ruled paper.
6. There’s a handy pocket with stickers affixed to the inside back cover of the book.
The only thing that I don’t like about this Moleskine diary is that the monthly calendars are at the front of the book. I’m used to a monthly calendar being just before the start of the month pages. It’s a small gripe I know, but I thought I’d better mention it.
Can’t wait ’til next year to grab a new diary? Get your hands on an 18 month Moleskine now!
(Thanks to Notemaker for sending me this diary. Please know that I review everything I’m sent honestly. I just happen to love Moleskine!)
I’m finally getting my butt into gear and loading new stickers to my Etsy store – Happy Mail Day! If you have any custom requests, please let me know!
My current workspace looks a little like this picture, well….kinda. I have an iMac and a bunch of magazines on my desk and I guess that’s were the similarities end. I can’t remember the last time I saw the surface of my desk. We moved into this house in 2010 so I guess it was right around then.
I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately on the positive links between creativity and messy work spaces. I’ve been very ‘blocked’ creatively lately so I’m hoping that making my desk messier than normal, by way of sticker prototypes and new printable designs, will help jumpstart my lagging creative process. What about you? How messy is your desk?
The team at Rifle Paper Co have been hard at work adding new products to their ever-growing range of paper goodies, which is awesome for us stationery lovers. I’ve been a big fan of the biz for a while so it was a treat to get hands-on with Rifle’s new Vintage Blossoms and Rosa journal combos recently.
The Vintage Blossoms set consists of two journals that are 150mm x 202mm and contain 48 blank pages. The cover is made from a thin cardboard and while it has some sturdiness to it, it would be easy to crease or damage if not careful. The cover features beautiful illustrations with that unmistakable Rifle style. It also has gold foil accents that really elevate the design to another level.
The Rosa set (below) is smaller in size with each book measuring 106mm x 139mm. They feature the same thin cardboard cover but it’s made stronger because of the smaller size. The Rosa set also features gold foil accents. This smaller set is the perfect size to carry around in your bag.
All of Rifle’s notebooks are printed on high quality paper FSC-certified paper stocks. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), is an organisation created to ensure sustainable forestry and holds the highest level of environmental standards in the paper industry. The inside paper stock is a cream colour and is untextured. I didn’t do a pen test on these notebooks because I’m giving them away.
Thanks to my friends at Notemaker for giving me with these gorgeous journals to review. Notemaker stocks a whole bunch of Rifle Paper Co goodies so make sure you pop by and have a look.
Thanks to Notemaker I am giving away 4 Rifle Paper Co journals to one lucky reader. All you’ve got to do to be in the running is tell me one good thing that has happened to you this week. Use as many words as you like here in the comments, on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The competition ends at 11:59pm Wednesday August 24th and is open to International readers.
Jen Stark is an amazing contemporary artist from Miami who creates mindblowing layered paper sculptures that explore and are inspired by patterns in nature. What I like best about Jen’s work is that even though each is an explosion of colour there is cohesiveness – each layer, each colour, in their place works to create configurations that are hypnotic. Instead of seeing chaos in the colours and patterns we see orderliness. That end is something only a skilled artist can create. Follow Jen on Instagram or check out some more of her work.
I’m a little kikki.K krazy at the moment but can you blame me? Have you seen the gorgeous new planners they released this week?! I was going to grab one of the Limited Edition Lilac organisers but I am glad that I held off. The new pink lavender planners are so pretty! I love the gold foil detail too – it looks beautiful. I have one winging its way to me so I’ll give you a look inside as soon as it arrives!
Oh and if pink isn’t your thing kikki.K have released sage green planners with silver foil accents too. They are equally as gorgeous and while I really, really want to add one to my collection (like reeeeaaaallllly) I had to pick one. What would you choose? Pink or green?
I’m feeling kinda whimsical today so I thought I’d share an Instagram account that suits my mood. Today I give you the Instagram account of a lovely young lady by the name of Violet who posts at I’m Vintage Rose. She is a planner addict (who isn’t?!) who creates amazing looking spreads/art. Her planner pics are…well…planner porn tbh and I never get sick of scrolling through her feed. Follow her on Instagram and pop over and read her blog too.
O.K. I know that 99.9% of the offices/workspaces that I feature on PPT are white I do admit I have a fascination with dark, moody spaces too. This office is my dream space for writing my (still unfinished but very close) novel. It’s inspiring and dark and enveloping. I could see myself being very happy there. Are you a fan of darker creative spaces or are you a fan of brighter rooms?
