AMY BRINKMAN

Japan - prayer and art journaling

AmyBrinkman_JapanARTJOURNAL a photo by Amy Brinkman Designs on Flickr.

Been watching the news and the horrific images coming from Japan. Somehow it all came out of me last night when I sat down with my art journal. I've been to Tokyo - and the Japanese people are wonderful. My niece, who is a flight attendant for Delta, is there right now, 2 days in Tokyo, 1 day in Guam, 1 day in Tokyo. She was called to fly right after the earthquake and tsunami hit. I'm scared for her. The crew is bunking together and there is no food or water at the hotel. Scary stuff with the radiation thing happening on top of it. So, it's with all of this brewing in me that I sat down to a fresh journal, a blank page and poured my thoughts out...my admiration for the Japanese people when faced with unbelievable circumstances and how their dignity prevails. The silly news stories that are getting ridiculous when politics come into play on the issue. Just the whole thing. I prayed for these people as I journaled, really focused my thoughts and prayers on them. Somehow, it helps me to know that in my own small, little way, maybe I am helping them.
Amy

More Vintage Blue Dennison Label Goodness

AmyBrinkmanDesigns_DennisonLabels4blue_Etsy, originally uploaded by Amy Brinkman Designs.

Yummy, yummy, yummy. I think I like these Vintage Dennison Style Blue Gummed Labels even better than the red version of Dennison labels in my shop. My husband just came home and saw the new designs and he said, "Wow, those are nice! Love that color!" Spoken from the heart. Gotta love that.

So, just because I love vintage stuff. Adore vintage labels and recently discovered BLUE Dennison Gummed Labels in an antique store near me, I thought I would re-create these beautiful blue babies for you - a la Digital format. They are so hard to find, so I was ecstatic when I found them.

You can find them in my Etsy shop. I have two versions in blue (Sets 3 & 4) and two versions in red (Sets 1 & 2).

Enjoy!
Amy

Art journaling my morning routine

Here's a little art journal page I took out of the vault to share with you. I've recently discovered a lot of my older art journal page scans on my computer and figured it was time to share. The older the better, right?  Anyway, this page documents my morning routine with my little dog Sadie. Sometimes its good to celebrate these little everyday moments, don't you think? Sadie has been diabetic for over three years and this has been a daily routine for me. I love that little dog so much, I would do anything for her.

Inspiring blogs:

Cesars Way

Hope Wallace

Rebecca Sower

Art Journal a la Copic

Fun art journaling with my Copic markers, vintage and new papers and images. Done up in my own hand-bound Fabriano journal. Still need to add some journaling, but I like how clean this image looks, so wanted to share it first.

 

Moleskine - what do YOU say on your Reward Page?

AmyBrinkmanDesigns_MoleyReward1, originally uploaded by Amy Brinkman Designs.

Here's one of my latest journals that I just started. Getting ready to take it on a trip to the Caribbean and wanted to make sure I had some sort of contact info on there (and a REWARD of sorts). The hard-cover Moleskine's usually have a reward page on the front inside cover, but since this is a Moleskine Cahier, I thought I'd make my own. Blurred out my phone number for display purposes. I kind of like this Cahier, it seems a little more doable and not as bulky to carry along. I offer you some food for thought....

What do all of YOU do with your Moleskine reward pages and what do you think is a fair reward? Have any of you ever lost a book and had it returned? Share your story in my comments section, please! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I added some humor to this page and I really like how it turned out.

You can find these Dennison style printable digital labels in my Etsy shop.  Super easy to cut out and I designed them to be replicas of the old Dennison gummed labels, from color to size.  I like little labels like this. They give me a nice little accent spot to write on. Fun!

More art journaling

Here's an art journaling spread I did some time ago, and just unearthed from the digital archive vault to finally see the light of day (haha). I really like how this one turned out, especially the woman's face and colors.

Inspiring blogs for you to enjoy:

Journal Girl

Happy Publishing

Feeling Stitchy

art journal page

Not sure if this art journal page is done yet. May want to add some of my own handwritten words, but thought I would share anyway. Done in my own 8x10 hand-bound Fabriano journal.

I'd also like to share some of my favorite blogs with you from time to time. Here are some of my faves that I frequent often. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do:

Roben-Marie

Kelly Kilmer

I Hanna

Dispatch from LA

 

NEW! Glass & Scrabble Tile Pendant Collage Sheets

ABD_RomanticAlphasPinkBlkETSY, originally uploaded by Amy Brinkman Designs.

You can be a hit at craft shows and gift giving time with these brand new Glass & Scrabble Tile Pendant Jewelry Collage Sheets for sale in my Etsy shop. Vintage and romantic in style, they work great for jewelry pendant making, art journaling, card making, scrapbooking, labels and more!

They come in four popular and classic colors, tested for color rendition and accuracy - Pink & Black, Silver & Black, Caramel & Black, and Gold & Black and measure .875" square. Perfectly easy to cut out after printing on your home printer. You can find them here.

So go ahead, grab some alphabets and start creating!
Enjoy!
Amy

Yes, I am in love with Vintage Dennison Labels

ABD_DennisonLabels1a_Etsy, originally uploaded by Amy Brinkman Designs.

So, the funny thing is... I have always loved vintage stuff. I have cupboards full of old china, glassware, and other amazingly beautiful things from the past. My most special love is vintage ephemera - old trading cards, vintage books and hymnbooks, postcards, victorian items, and ad cards....

So, when I was asked to design a vintage line for Best Creation recently (I'm doing freelance design/illustration now), I was ecstatic. Not only could I get to do my favorite thing (design), but I could use vintage stuff! How cool is that? (This line which I will share more about later, will be released in April this year.) Anyway, getting back to the point -

I am in full Vintage mode right now. Full steam ahead. There is so much to be learned from the past, so much to cherish. Along the path I have taken recently, I have come across vintage Dennison label stickers. These puppies are hard to find in antique stores and are few and far between online. So, I decided to design some replicas for all of you (and me)!

I have two sets I have released and they come in both JPG and PNG format, so you can use them digitally or print them out. The colors, shapes, sizes are all inspired by Dennison and really look like the real thing. Can't wait to use them, if I do say so myself! Check them out in my Etsy shop

Have a beautifully Vintage day!
amy

10 Things that Bring Me Joy Art Journal

ABD_ArtJournal_10joys, originally uploaded by Amy Brinkman Designs.

I wish you all the joy that you can wish -William Shakespeare

I have always had a passion for quotes and find they often spark something deep within me, bringing out my innermost thoughts, ideas, passions, fears, triumphs etc. The quote about joy is something I had never heard before and it prompted me to record the top 10 things that bring me joy. I encourage all of you to dig deep and journal your top 10 joys.

Done up in my Moleskine Large Plain Notebook, complete with Vintage book pages, ephemera and postage stamps. Prismacolor colored pencils used as color accent. I like to highlight what art supplies were used because I always wonder that when I am looking at other people's journals. : )

It's funny, because I had just blogged about my new puppy pictures that were journaled in this book, and the very next day, she chewed the corner of the cover. Now, I will always know this is the Moleskine that contains her pictures!
Joy to you all!
Amy