XOKM | Kristen Marie

May 02, 2013

Polaroid Colorpack III

I got this polaroid camera at the reuse & recycle center about 3 years ago. It was only three dollars! I didn’t know if it worked, but I got it anyway. (It worked! Beautifully, actually.) Well, spring/summer is here and that means I bust out all of my cameras including this one. I bought 5 packs of film on amazon for super cheap (it takes 100 style pack peel-apart instant film, which FUJI still manufactures!) and I can’t wait to start accidentally wasting half and making really pretty thing with the other half of the 50 total photos.

The excitement of the peel apart instant film!!! Yee! This marks the start of lots of picture taking. I forgot how much I love experimenting with film. I either wanted to become a professional film photographer or a professional lady extraordinaire specializing in getting excited about handwriting and doodles. I obviously didn’t pick photographer but either way, it’s my second favorite hobby <3

If you’re looking for a polaroid camera that isn’t going to cost you mad cash, you can find these color pack cameras really easily for cheap! Etsy & Ebay are STOCKED. The only thing that matters is if the battery compartment on the inside doesn’t have corrosion.

I recently learned how to take it apart & fix it if it breaks so I have no anxiety anymore.

It is also really awesome for double exposures. Real life photos soon.

May 02, 2013

Design, Inspiration, Life & Nature

Creative Crest 2.0

I’ve been doing a lot of drawing lately! I feel like sometimes when I just sit down and draw whatever I feel like, I come up with my favorite things. Maybe it’s a “no pressure” kind of thing. A while back I posted a Friendly Reminder to Create with Love with a little crest drawing of some of my favorite things. I found the original and traced over it nicer, make it more symmetrical, re-did the text, etc. and the result is that little drawing above, which I formally title my “creative crest”. It’s basically a doodle that sums it all up! I wanted to make a post about explaining it.

A lot of the elements in my creative crest are pretty trendy and resonate with a lot of people, but they are just all things that I love. Simple as that.

+ Moons: the moon is the perfect symbol for cycles, and aids in the creation of, well, mostly everything on earth. I could go deeper into why I love the moon but I’ll keep in short. In short, I feel that the moon has a strong effect on all life and it is also beautiful.

+ Feathers, arrows: Aside from being maybe one of the most trendiest of imagery, feathers in real life are simply just pretty. Finding them in the yard and cleaning them to keep. There is a lively feather and a more stringy dead-ish one for contrast.

+ Gems/crystals: Naturally occurring treasures of the earth. Vibrations. Shiny.

+ Ammonite: I love patterns that just occur in nature like the fractal swirl. And I think that fossils are astounding.

+ Leaves, nature elements: being outside & away from the computer is always such a good refresher for creative inspiration.

+ The sun: makes us all happy.

+ The chopped off hand with the heart on it: we usually create with our hands.Using our hands so much that they might fall off. Or more-so, I think it’s funny that what I just said sounds like something either a mom or an old man would say.

+ eyes: vision. self explanatory. Actually, all of these things are self-explanitory but oh well, I’m having fun!

+ hearts: The whole point of it is to remind me to create with love. I’m guilty of trying to make certain kinds of “Art” out of fear, or expectations, or “what other people are doing” but I know that the best things come from the heart & your true self and not some false projection. It’s a tough thing to remember when I’m all wrapped up in my head!

+ The whole thing is symmetrical and the object in the center is a heart cave. <3

And now that I wrote that all out it sounds sort of ridiculous but oh well. I like it! I want everyone to make a personal crest.

Apr 29, 2013

Design

Coupons for Happiness

Everyone is invited!

Apr 28, 2013

Design, Insight

Sketchbook Archives & Infinity

Yesterday I did NO work and instead spent as much time outside as I could, (It was so nice out!) I rewarded myself with some new grid paper & tracing paper and broke them in with some new drawings. Someone said this to me in a dream and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It especially rings true with creativity. It’s like, you have an idea, and you have another idea, and another, and another and you can just keep having ideas forever and never run out.

Oops! I haven’t posted in 10 days. I’ve been so busy! Trip to Chicago, lots of client projects, and spending a lot of time working on a secret new & more dynamic website for Warpaint. I’m REALLY excited. ;)

Apr 18, 2013

Music

Work Mix Volume 4

Not gonna lie, these mixes definitely keep getting better! I make them while I’m working, for working. But they are good for other things too I think!

Listen here on spottily >>> work mix volume four

Here is the track list:

1. Sunday Night >>> Lotus Plaza

2. Apply >>> Glasser

3. Fright Night (Nevermore) >>> Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti

4. Radiant Door >>> Crystal Stilts

5. The Twilight Hour >>> Still Corners

6. Coming Down >>> Dum Dum Girls

7. Common Heat >>> No Age

8. Love Fade >>> Tamaryn

9. Mirrorage >>> Glasser

10. Before I’m Done >>> Toro Y Moi

11. Tomboy >>> Panda Bear

12. Pessimist >>> Wild Nothing

13. Favriel >>> Grimes

14. Glad >>> Glasser

15. Cover Me (Slowly) >>> Deer Hunter

Apr 11, 2013

Design

Measuring Awesomeness

I I made these little drawings today while thinking about measuring everything in awesomeness. They would make really fun stickers. Regardless, I love writing the word “Awesome”.

Apr 09, 2013

Design, Inspiration

Positive Lettering

Sometimes I fall behind on my positive postage project. I want to get it to a point where I can start encouraging submissions from other designers, but I want to have some really solid posts up first! I think I’m getting there.. I keep going through this phase where I’ll make a couple of new ones, and take down the designs I posted before that I don’t like, or forced myself to put up there. Here’s what I’m learning:

Real positivity comes directly from the heart. And truth comes from real life situations. I like to take phrases that I accidentally say or hear – like these two. Sometimes I stop in my own tracks and have to write down things I say & hear because I fall in love with the phrase.

Also, the more experimenting I can do with hand-lettering, the happier I will be!

“There is nothing better than having fun” is something I said the other day while talking to my boyfriend about how ridiculously fun it is that VGKids got a basketball hoop. None of us necessarily play basketball or even like basketball, but there is something so fun about just standing around and cheering everytime someone makes a basket. Being outside with friends is the ultimate best.

“Feel Free” is something I love to hear at the beginning of sentences, such as: “Feel free to help yourself to …” but isn’t it simply beautiful on it’s own? Feel free. Just feel free.. This one is my desktop background.

I have to get all the blog posts out of me because we’re going on a mini Chicago vacation!

Apr 09, 2013

Music

Stop, Look, Listen: Glasser

I’ve been making an effort to effortlessly discover new music lately. It’s not that hard to do with Spotify. I’ll just listen to the Radio and make playlists as I work. The best part: sometimes am I so captivated by a sound that I stop radio-ing and listen to a whole album. When a song off of Ring came on I literally lost focus of everything I was doing to be like “WHAT IS THIS MIRACULOUS SOUND?!”. It’s about as lovely as the album cover. {look above}.

How do I explain music. {All of the sudden I feel the utmost respect for music reviewers}. I feel like I could explain music better in.. like.. movements than in words. It’s sort of electric and dancy – but the swaying kind of dancing that trees do. It has a “spiritual” type feel {Don’t ask me to explain what I mean by that. But, I guess I mean I want to chant & dance along with it.}, There are just a lot of nice sounds going on.

For a second it reminded me of the lady singers from Dirty Projecters {in the layering effect} and like Bjork {in the strength & feeling}. Basically, I’m not very good at writing about “reviews” on music, which is not what I’m doing. I just I love it, and wanted to share. Give it a listen here, or search Glasser on spotify. Also, expect at least 2 Glasser songs on my next mix tape. Enjoyment! xo

Apr 08, 2013

Treasures

Treasure Catalog 03: A is for Amethyst

So I started scanning in my growing collection of gems, crystals, and other pretty things. I love the way they turn out when light is hitting them. It makes some of them look really crazy, like the rainbow spot on this one.

This is the 3rd treasure catalog post, and I plan on continuing so that I’ll have a bunch of awesome scanned images that I’ll most likely try to make a print out of. Also, I like forcing myself to read about them via my Crystal book and posting about their physical & healing properties.

Today’s post is one of the most common crystals, Purple Amethyst. Here are some things book has to say about it & the things I like:

Physical: Purple to lavender in color, transparent & pointed crystals. Can be found as a geode, cluster or single points.

Healing: blocks geopathic stress* and negative environment energies {just heard this for the first time}. Aids in sleep & sobriety / combats overindulgence. Cleanser for the blood. Calming & stimulating for the mind during meditation. Sleeping with Amethyst facilitates out-of-body experiences and intuitive dreams. Balances physical, mental and emotional bodies.

I can’t really get enough of Amethyst. It’s pretty and purple and everywhere.

*negative energy that runs through the earth, usually pertaining to underground water & power lines

{my info source: Crystal Bible by Judy Hall // Healing Practitioner}

Apr 04, 2013

Design

Sketchbook Archives

I’m always sketching little ideas with marker in various books & pads and I think it’s time I start posting them so I don’t lose them. My sketchbook pages always look like a sum of random ideas & current inspirations.

FROM THE PAST >>>

Polaroid Colorpack III

Creative Crest 2.0

Coupons for Happiness

Sketchbook Archives & Infinity

Work Mix Volume 4

Measuring Awesomeness

Positive Lettering

Stop, Look, Listen: Glasser

Treasure Catalog 03: A is for Amethyst

Sketchbook Archives

Hello!

XO

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