Creatively Spun : Graphic Design Blog

Blog has moved

2010-11-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

This blog has moved!

Please follow me at

http://brittanylaurendesign.blogspot.com

2010-11-10T23:01:00.001-08:00

My blog has moved!

Please visit http://brittanylaurendesign.blogspot.com

Thank you!

Afternoon Sailing Trip

2010-09-12T08:39:00.001-07:00

Only 3 weeks till the wedding! My parents decided to take the boat out and sail up to Tappan Zee Bridge. We left at 2:30 in the afternoon and docked the boat at 8:30PM. It was a nice relaxing adventure and there is something about being on the water that calms me. Really need it before the big day :)

Here are a few pictures I took last week:

Now back to working on some rehearsal dinner invites.

Cheers!

Wedding Flowers: Simple yet Elegant

2010-08-03T16:07:00.001-07:00

My Wedding Flowers
Originally uploaded by creativelyspun

A few months ago Mike and I searched for a florist that was close to our wedding location. After seeing many lovely florists, we decided on Lily's of the Valley in Highland Falls, New York. From the moment we meet Janet we knew from her enthusiasm that she could make something special for our centerpieces using my wedding colors of red and tiffany blue. Janet created this simple yet charming piece that complimented my vintage theme. She turned 75 red carnations into aball and lightly sprinkled white roses to break up the red. It's a very classic design, and I can't wait to see all 8 of them together for the big day!

Sneak Peek: Personalized Gingham Stationary

2010-07-15T19:37:00.001-07:00

Personalized Gingham Stationary
Originally uploaded by creativelyspun

Hi Everyone :)

Happy summer! I've been so busy planning my October wedding that I haven't had time to take a break to blog. I wanted to show a sneak peek of the personalized stationary line featuring the gingham pattern that is coming to the shop in the fall. I just adore it and it will be available in fun, vibrant colors to pick from!

Cheers

Brittany Lauren

Vintage Finds #2

2010-06-13T06:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Mike and I decided to get some ice cream in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ. We were walking around when I saw a vintage shop that had a beautiful window display (I'm a sucker for those). As a stationery designer, I'm always looking for paper goods where ever I go and I found all these vintage cards! I love the mermaid one! So vivid!

Save a Date Magnets!

2010-06-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

Another weekend over! Hope everyone got out and enjoyed it! I started working on my wedding invitation this weekend and realized I didn't post my save a date magnets here on the blog. So drum roll please....

My color combo for the wedding is red, aqua and white as you can see in the magnet. I also sealed the envelopes using a bright white wax. I'm so excited to incorporate this color theme into the flowers, decorations and even my bridesmaid dresses! Right now I'm on the hunt for red and aqua treats for the candy bar. I have been having a lot of fun searching for old fashion candy. Found red, white & blue candies at the http://www.hammondscandies.com website. I think when everything comes together it will just POP!

I should be done with my invitations late June. When they are finished I will post it and share some more wedding ideas!

Cheers!

Sneak Peek #1

2010-05-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Although I am planning my October wedding right now, I am also working hard on my stationery shop which will launch September 1st. Here is a sneak peek of more things to come!

I am so excited to offer fun, vibrant and eco-friendly paper goods! I will be offering personalized stationery, mommy calling cards, bookplates and more! Keep checking back to see more sneak peeks during the summer.

Cheers,
Brittany

Bermuda Vacation, April 2010

2010-05-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I took my first cruise trip with my fiance to Bermuda. We used the International Royal Caribbean line which I highly recommend to anyone. Nothing but superior service from the staff. Here are a few photos from the trip! We even rented a motor scooter and rode it all over the island. It was so thrilling!

The only thing we missed out on was high tea in Bermuda. The place we wanted to go to was closed on a Monday. I would love to go back soon. It's such a clean and pretty island. So inspiring too for new stationery ideas. Can't wait to work on my ideas before the shop opens!

Moving Announcements

2010-05-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

Mike and I are back from Bermuda! We had an amazing time and I will post pictures/details in the next post.

I thought I would share my moving announcements that I made last month. The studio was down due to the move but now everything is up and running!

Printed on soft 30% PCW (post-consumer waste) 80lb cover paper.

My new Wax Seal Stamp.

I'm in love with envelope labels. Down the line when the new shop's website is up I want to add them to personalized stationery sets.

Shopping Find: Shoes

2010-04-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a nice Passover and Easter!

I thought I would share my latest shopping find of these amazing looking shoes from the company Mohop. You just buy just one pair of sandals and mix & match with different ribbon styles and color. The possibilities are endless! I love also how you can order different heel lengths too. I'm crushing on the low cherry wedge sandal. I'm the kind of girl that loves tall high heels but realistically I can't walk in them all day. I'm so envious of girls who can! I think my husband likes the idea of this shoe since I can really play around with just one pair of wooden soles instead of having to own 70 different pairs of sandals!

Vintage Finds

2010-03-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went into the NYC with my husband and we went to one of my favorite stores, Pippin Vintage Jewelry. Its a hidden gem located at 17th and 6th. They have amazing (and affordable) treasures from throughout the 20th century. Their collection includes hats, broaches, pendants, necklaces, rings and scarves. I know that I'm forgetting a few items, but I'm always overwhelmed by their excellent selection.

Here are a few of the lovely pieces that I picked up:

Necklace from 1960s

Necklace again and pin from 1950s

Upclose photo of the pin

Necklace from 1920s. I adore this so much

Scarf from 1960s. I got the pin to match it. They look so pretty combined together.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Products for Dry Skin

2010-03-25T07:20:00.001-07:00

We all have our own beauty regemin and products we adore, so I thought that I'd share my favortie skincare lines I use daily.
The first skin care line is called Sothys. I discovered this brand a few years ago when I got my first facial at the local spa with my dear friend Lisa. I have dry skin, so I am always looking for a product that will not only moisturize my face, but also leave me with a glowing complexion. Oh and something that doesn't clog my pores! After telling my facialist my concerns, she recommended this Moisturiser from the Sothys Line called "Sothys Hydroptimale(r) THI3 Comfort hydrating cream".

I love this product because it feels so silky when you apply it! It's a rich water-based cream that has long lasting protection and hydration up to 16 hours! Brace your self though, it will set you back $54. But it can last you a much longer if you take smaller amounts. I've tried almost every single brand to help with my dry skin, but this is one of the few that works well even after so many hours on.

Sometimes, I like to switch up my products. Last spring, I found this amazing brand called "Lush". They make the most amazing soaps, and they smell absolutely devine! On a whim, I picked up their product called "Skin Drink." It's loaded with aloe vera decoction, vitamin-rich sesame oil and moisturizing fresh avocado; perfect ingreidents to fight dry skin. At $19, this is a great subsitute for the Sothy's Comfort cream. The only downside of Skin Drink is it doesn't smell and needs I think a little frangance to it.

I hope you enjoyed my feedback on these two products and if you suffer from dry skin like me you'll find some of this information helpful! Look out for more reviews on products through out the blog from now on. I love testing out products
and finding ones are great and ones to pass on.

Cheers!

Brittany Lauren

For the green thumb: Woolly Pocket

2010-03-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about adding a little green to the living room. After doing some research, I found this awesome company called "Woolly Pocket". You can grow a garden on your wall right out of a pocket that hangs on your wall! The pocket is breathable, flexible and made from recycled plastic bottles. They don't take up too much space, and the have different sizes for your needs. I love the fact that you don't even need a vase. You can also use it outside too to dress up your backyard during the warm season. I think they make awesome gifts.

Check out their awesome website to learn more about them at http://www.woollypocket.com

New Image

2010-01-21T06:48:00.000-08:00

Hi all, happy new year! I'm thinking about redecorating our living room. We have some lovely things, but I would like to continue to develop a unique scheme. I went to Anthropologie in Tice's Corner (Woodcliff Lake, NJ ) over the weekend. There were so many wonderful home items to play with. The possiblies were limitless! Here are a fews items I'd like to get to enchance the room even more:

You can find everything at Anthropologie.com

Getting Married!

2009-11-29T15:36:00.000-08:00

It's official! Mike and I are getting married and we have booked our place finally. Let me tell you that picking the place has to be hardest part about planning your wedding. But after narrowing it down we are having it at the Thayer Hotel in the Hudson Valley. It's going to be in October of this coming year. The Thayer is part of the Historical Hotel of America which goes perfectly with my aqua and red color theme.

I'm going to be using my blog to share my ideas, designs and inspirations. I've been making so many designs for other people but now I really get to be the one that can focus on what I want. I really want a lot of things personalized for the wedding. I'm getting a letterpress soon and I want to make coasters for the wedding tables and a bunch more things!

I also added some a new card set to the shop that I think really pops! You can find the online shop here:

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Until next time…

Hudson Valley Foliage

2009-10-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

My hubby Mike loves to go hiking. Almost every other weekend so far its been nothing but boring rain. So when we woke up on Sunday morning last week we knew we had to take advantage of the clear day. We both had our hearts set on either going to Storm King or Manitoga. So he flipped a coin... and Manitoga it was! We got into the car and drove about an hour away to the Manitoga trails located in Garrison, NY. I forgot how much I loved fall foliage with the bursting arrangement of orange, red and yellow colors everywhere! I seriously wanted to take out a canvas and paint.

When we got to the Manitoga trails I actually didn't know the grounds use to belong to Russel Wright, a modern industrial designer during the 20th century. When I got home I looked up his work and I was highly impressed and inspired. He created some of the most stylish and simple dinnerware, furniture and textiles to date. He lived in the middle of woods and had an amazing modern day house that looks like it was built today.

As we walked futher into the woods I noticed how amazing the scenery was. I found a tree uplifted from its roots and not to mention many snakes that day! Mike walked ahead of me to warn of any more! I've had a fear of them ever since I was little but I still continued on to see what Russel Wright's house looked like in the middle of the woods.

I took this over looking the Bear Mountain Bridge. My family has sailed past this bridge many times before, since the marina is a few minutes down the river, but I actually never got a chance to see everything that high up.

That's me overlooking the bridge after hiking in the morning. I was so glad I wore a sweater! It was so chilly even in the afternoon. This adventure has inspired me to work with the fall color palette. Look for something fallish in the shop soon!

Trick or Treat

2009-10-26T21:00:00.001-07:00

Being a graphic designer is not new to me. I've been doing it for years. But my company, Creatively Spun is fairly new. After a long time of wanting to make my own designs for people I finally took the leap of faith and started in 2008. I'm always looking out for new ways to let people know what I do. I just moved this September on a busy street with kids everywhere. I love making kid's birthday cards, invitations, announcements, you name it. So I thought I would make some cute trick or treat bags and also at the same time get my name out there that I can make children's party favors. I had so much fun picking out bags, designing and making the stickers! I can't wait to hand them out to the little ones this weekend and introduce myself to the block! Happy trick or treating!

p.s I filled the bags with lollypops and game piece candy from clue,sorry, monopoly, operation and life. I found the awesome game candy from CVS and thought it would be unique to put in the bags!

End of Summer 2009

2009-09-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

First of all - sorry for no posts this summer. My goal was to try and post to my blog regularly but going on vacation and preparing my sister's wedding took over my summer. Anyways I hope your long labor day weekend in the the states was lovely! I sure had a nice relaxing weekend. My family and I all went sailing on the Hudson. Perfect weather for a sail. I am working on some new projects so please come back soon to read the story behind them.

my sister kim and I

mikey jumping off the boat - so fearless!

going to chapel of love...

2009-06-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's June... and the best way to celebrate this month's blog post is to write about a wedding invitation that I designed for Kimberly and Matt. They are getting married in September at the lovely Congress Hall in Cape May, NJ. Kimmy's favorite colors are hot pink and blue. At first I thought the two colors together would be too much but over looking the design, pink become the featured color while blue became the accent color for the ribbon and a few parts of the text. The client really loved the victorian look with a modern day feel.

The RSVP envelopes are all hand printed with the client's return of address. How lovely are those stamps?? I went to the post office to look for love stamps and found these. I felt they really went together with the whole package of the invitation.

The invitation and enclosures all fit into a gorgeous metallic snow white pocket folder sealed with a custom round sticker of the bride and groom's first initials.

Have a sweet friday!

Happy Friday!

2009-05-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I have a lot of goals for June, including posting more often in my blog. Right now, I'm working on getting new items up in the shop. I just took some pictures today which include the “thanks a bunch” card. This is my favorite card that I've designed so far, and it’s printed on luscious finch cover paper.

Although I have a lot of business goals, I also have some personal goals as well. I’m going to be spending some time away from my studio to plan my wedding :) . I've been so obsessed with helping my sister plan hers, but now it’s my time to start working on mine. I'm all ready thinking of doing something unique like screen printing my save a date on veneer wood. Now, I just have to come up with a design and colors, which for me is the best part of planning a wedding!

By the way... my labrador friend, Riley, always has to come follow me where ever I take pictures.

My Comfort Food

2009-05-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant so often that it becomes comfort food? Last year I discovered cute little cafe place called The Rolling Pin Café located in Westwood, NJ (Bergen County). The have delicious homemade food that tastes just like your grandma made it. They offer the most delightful savory sandwiches, salads and desserts. My favorite dish is the mixed green salad with candied walnuts, feta cheese and apple cider vinaigrette.

My new Saturday routine is to wake up and order my mixed raspberry iced tea/lemonade drink. Pure love with every gulp! If you in the area, you should stop by. Your taste buds will thank you for it!

First sale on etsy!

2009-05-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

Yay! I made my first sale on etsy.com last thursday for my stationery line! I forgot to mention it because I've been so busy with my graphic design services. I enjoyed so much packaging it and sending it in the mail to my first customer. Hope it happens more often :)

new items coming to the shop within the next two weeks! stay tuned.

Ladybug spring/summer tags

2009-04-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

I made these little ladybug gift tags the other night for mother's day (May 10, in case you need a friendly reminder!) I thought it would add a nice special touch when I give my mother and my fiance's mother their gift! I enjoyed making them so much I made about a dozen more. If your interested in them check out my etsy shop. They are perfect for spring/summer gift occasion. Even make them into favor name tags for a kid's party!

Cheers!

New website!

2009-04-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

After many many many months working on the site it has finally

launched! I am really happy that not only is it done but that I had fun working on it. It's a lot harder making a site for yourself but anyways I would love any feedback! Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Sneak Peek!

2009-03-12T17:22:00.001-07:00

Happy Thursday! I just finished silk screening 120 RSVP cards for Kimberly's wedding. I'm still working on the wedding invitations, but I thought I would share a sneak peek with you! She decided on a modern theme with Victorian flairs for the final product. I really love the color scheme of hot pink envelopes and a dash of icy blue text.

I'm looking forward to completing this fun project for the bride's special day! I'd like to thank Kimberly for this opportunity.

There Are 364 Other Days to Express Your Love

2009-02-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I hope that you all spent a nice Valentine's Day with your loved ones! I recently designed a unique set of screen printed cards in celebration of love. My favorite thing about this card are the matching envelopes.

The red envelopes are embossed on the flap with a heart. It's a subtle detail, but I really think it adds a nice touch to the card.

This card is great for anniversaries, birthdays, or any of those random "I love you" occasions. If you're interested in this card, it will be available through my shop this May. If you want to express your love, or any sentiment in a specific way, I can make you a custom card with your personalized message too! Feel free to e-mail me.

More Than Good Looks

2008-12-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

Graphic Design in Today's Economy

As you probably know, the economy has been in a recession since December of 2007. However, during these difficult times good design can actually stimulate growth in your personal venture. As a business owner, you can recreate your promotional pieces.

Send out postcards or newsletters to new and old customers. Remind them that you are still in business by updating them with changes that you have made such as new services you now offer or new staff members.

If you want to eschew tradition, save money on stamps, or just promote green business practices, e-mail is a great tool to keep in contact with your customers. Focus your e-mail campaigns on the topic that's on everyone's mind: money. What better way to rekindle your customers' interest than through a printable coupon?

Design is a great utility for small businesses. Not only can you look professional, but you can get in touch with old customers and encourage people to see what you can offer them.