Pen Collection: Blue
I have an obsession with office supplies and I’m a bit of a pen hoarder. One thing that I enjoy doing is swatching out my writing utensils to see how the colors compare between brands.
The Test: Each pen is used on white notebook paper and a yellow legal pad. You can click on the image below for a larger view.
The Pens: (links are affiliate) Paper Mate InkJoy 100
The Conclusion: Blue is one of the three basic colors, so tons of varieties are available. I like using blue ink on forms to differentiate from the black that’s already printed there. Of note, the Zebra Sarasa is more of a blue-black color compared to the rest.
Presents for You: Brush Lettered Acuff Quote
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls. Just click the links below to download the version you desire.
Click on photos for JPG
8×10 inch Color PDF
8×10 inch Charcoal PDF
Transparent PNG
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
Shop Update: Inspirational Sayings
New item in the shop this week!
Sometimes you need a colorful kick in the pants to get you going in your day. These simple but inspiring mantras will boost your mood and brighten your day (and space).
Printable files save you money on shipping and the white backgrounds save your printer ink. I’d recommend printing on cardstock for the best effect.
Both JPEG and PDF files are included and can be printed up to 8×10 inches at best resolution. You can also resize down to incorporate into your art journals or scrapbooks.
Check them out by clicking the image below.
Digital Project Life Layouts: January 2015
Project Life is my preferred method of scrapbooking and I’m hoping to provide you with some useful tips for either documenting your own lives or putting together your own pages with minimal fuss.
Here’s what I’m going to emphasize with the layouts I share:
- The random stuff I like to capture and document for myself.
- The simple approach to Project Life that I take. There are a lot of photos and very little embellishment and journaling.
- The way I organize some spreads into themes or stories.
You can click on each image below for a slightly larger view.
Story Idea: The left page is from a single lunch date at Maggiano’s.
Story Idea: The right page is a variety of plushy characters I thought were cute. I snap a picture of these instead of buying them…
Simplicity Point: On the right page, instead of using journaling cards, I layered a couple of embellishments over coordinating digital paper.
Capture Idea: Ordinary life. I usually cook a batch of hard-boiled eggs on the weekend so that I have a quick breakfast during the week.
Capture Idea: I got a shot of my planner and to do list plus an assortment of writing supplies in rainbow order.
Simplicity Point: One screenshot from my phone was easily layered over digital paper to fit the slot.
Capture Idea: I received a single carnation at work and I held it up to my office whiteboard for a clean backdrop.
Simplicity Point: The “Enjoy Today” And “Hello” are parts of journaling cards that I layered over coordinating digital paper for a bold filler card look.
Resources:
Photos edited with RadLab. (Affiliate Link)
Templates by Cathy Zielske: 01, 02, 05
Fonts: Oil Can and Adria Slab
Month Brush: Hand-lettered
Kit: Scotty Girl Designs This Life and F-Stop
For more info on my general approach to Project Life, check out this blog post.
Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. She’s awesome. Go visit her website for more information or watch her 3-day course on CreativeLive.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Chapter Title Cards
As I’ve said before in my 20 Things About Me post, I’m a big Harry Potter fan. I started reading when the 4th book hit the stores and have been hooked ever since. With the launch of each of the remaining books, I would prepare by re-reading from the beginning up until that point. And with the release of each film, I would re-read from the beginning up until the book being adapted and released that year. And then, sometimes, I’d just get myself sucked in all over again.
I recently re-read the entire series, so I decided to continue my brush lettering adventures by lettering out the chapter titles.
I’ve made the titles into 3×4 cards that you can use in your scrapbooks or art journals. To download: Just click on the image below, enter your email address, and for the price, enter “0” or a small donation.
Presents for You: Brush Lettered Bach Quote
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls. Just click the links below to download the version you desire.
Click on photos for JPG
8×10 inch Color PDF
8×10 inch Charcoal PDF
Transparent PNG
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
Temple Square Utah Photography and Tips
The Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints lies in the middle of Temple Square, a huge complex of buildings serving the church.
Photo Tip: Get close and look up. It’s a neat perspective shot that recreates the feeling of standing in front of the building.
This temple is probably the most photogenic building in Salt Lake City. This view is of the side.
Photo Tip: Incorporate some foreground elements like flowers and trees.
The front of the temple also has a reflecting pond.
Photo Tip: Watch your reflections to make sure they’re clean and don’t include distracting elements.
Everything about Temple Square was detailed and ornate, even the fences.
Photo Tip: Capture some of those unique textures that you see.
I went back to Temple Square at a different time of day to see what else looked neat with different lighting conditions.
Photo Tip: Revisit the same locations at different times, maybe something new will jump out at you.
Another evening shot.
The landscaping in Temple Square was really top notch.
Photo Tip: Experiment with depth of field for the surroundings in public spaces. The pedestrians walking in this frame are much less distracting with the lovely background blur.
More flowers around the square, but this time I shot towards the sun to try to catch some flare.
Photos edited by RadLab. (Affiliate Link)
Book Review: The Happiness Project
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
How this Book is Organized
Each chapter is one month with one main area of focus (e.g. January is vitality, February is marriage, March is work, etc). Each month consists of subgoals and habits related to the main theme.
The book goes through Rubin’s own goals and activities, and nicely integrates scientific literature regarding happiness. For those who are unfamiliar with the psychological research about happiness, this book provides understandable interpretations of those studies.
Overall Impression
When I first read this book, I was in a very sluggish state of mind. I had achieved all the things that I thought I had needed to up to that point. I had very little direction on what to do next. Reading this book inspired me to get back to all those activities that I loved to do as a kid. It inspired me to spend out (a concept that encourages you to use an enjoy the good stuff instead of saving it for later) and to plan out more adventures.
Useful For
This book is useful for anyone interested in learning more about the science of happiness. This book is great for anyone looking for inspiration for shaking things up in the ordinary everyday lives.
Amazon links are affiliate.
Pen Collection: Light Blue
I have an obsession with office supplies and I’m a bit of a pen hoarder. One thing that I enjoy doing is swatching out my writing utensils to see how the colors compare between brands.
The Test: Each pen is used on white notebook paper and a yellow legal pad. You can click on the image below for a larger view.
The Pens: (links are affiliate) Paper Mate InkJoy 100
The Conclusion: Light blues are another fun color to get away from the basics. The worst performers of my collection were the Pilot Acroball and Bic Round Stic Grip – way too pale for my liking.
Presents for You: Brush Lettered Matisse Quote
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls. Just click the links below to download the version you desire.
Click on photos for JPG
8×10 inch Color PDF
8×10 inch Charcoal PDF
Transparent PNG
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
