by | May 8, 2013

New Things + Life Things + Countdown Things

Countdown Things

It’s TEN days until I graduate from college. Until I walk across that stage and get my empty diploma holder and move my tassel to the other side. Ten days until I’m done with college classes forever and can begin the next phase of my life. Ten days.

Which also means that it’s ten days until I’m yours again. Well, more properly, more like 12 days because I’m flying off to NYC 12 hours after my graduation ceremony to attend the National Stationery Show. And you better believe I’ll be covering that as much as humanly possible.

Last night, I took a break from the madness of school work (seriously, I was starting to lose my sanity, so I had to take a break) and made this art journal page. I wasn’t even really going to share it, but I liked it so much that I want to.

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My rewards:

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<3

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Life Things

Here is a brief list of things that have been getting me through this crazy-I-have-so-much-to-do-that-I-can’t-do-anything-I-want-like-sleep time in my life. It’s like finals week on crack. Finals week times four times four weeks long. The pit in my stomach that tells me I won’t make it is something I try to quell every day. These are the things that help me:

1. Jake. I couldn’t do this without him. He graduated in December and I was here to help him through this time of panic, and I know understand what it’s like to be on the other side. I could not be more blessed to have such an awesome man in my life. He can talk me off the ledge like no one I’ve ever met. Above all, he just loves me. Even when I’m having a bad day or am really anxious, he’s there to listen to my crazy and tell me that everything will be okay. He puts up with my crazy. I love you, Jake. On Sunday night, we went to a nearby bar/restaurant and spent two hours drinking craft beers and talking about life. I knew this was a good idea, but I didn’t know how amazingly refreshing it would be.

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2. Music. I couldn’t get through a day without listening to some music that inspires me to keep going. It pumps me up in a way I can’t describe accurately with words. It does something to my soul. My favorite album right now is Watsky’s Cardboard Castles. It’s rap. (He swears in it, so it’s not for small ears, fyi.) I can relate to him on so many levels, and so many of his songs talk about work, persistance and getting through a crappy day to get to the great ones. It speaks to my heart in a way I love. I even saw him in concert two weeks ago, and that cemented him as my favorite rap artists (and that’s not an easy feat – I love a lot of rap).

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3. Audiobooks. I can’t watch television without getting crazily distracted, but I can listen to stories and still stay concentrated on my graphic design work. I’ve subscribed to Audible for almost a year and a half, and I’ve read more books in that time than in the past 5 years of my life. For real. I’m currently reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower (SO good. I’m almost mad I haven’t read it already!), and other favorites of mine lately include The Book Thief (I’ve always had an affinity for anything that takes place during WWII) and anything by John Green (I never want his books to end). You can also check out my Goodreads profile if you want to see what other books I’ve read.

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4. Ordering food to go and for delivery. I tried GrubHub last night for the first time and I’m a changed woman.

5. Leia. Because she’s my cat soulmate, and I  have never loved anything more than that stupid cat in my entire life. <3

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6. Shopping. Because let’s be real here… I stress shop. Thankfully I have a budget, but this time is soooo dangerous for my bank account!

7. Vlogging. Because talking to a camera is actually a lot of fun, and editing the videos is a good way to see how I interact with people and what things I would like to change about myself. Did you know I never stop talking? I express emotion by talking. Who would’ve thought?! Check out my daily vlogs here - I’m keeping them up until the end of May! I’m a day behind right now, but that’s just because I’m behind on editing. No worries, I still am filming every day!

New Things

Kelly Purkey (my boss :D) and Simon Says Stamp released KP’s new products today. Check out the Limited Edition June & July Project Kit! It’s delicious.

05-08-13 KP June & July Project Kit Sneak

And the rest of her stuff? Spunky, bright and totally KP. I can’t wait to make lots of Project Life pages, videos and cards including all of this fabulous stuff. Ahhh! Ten days until I can play again!

Speaking of people who employ me (although mentioning her products on my blog isn’t strictly part of my job for KP – lol!), the company I formerly interned at (the wonderful Lawn Fawn)  released a bunch of new product today, too. Those puffy star stackables dies? I die. AHH! And the dogs? Perfection. Quinn’s Capital ABC’s? Come to Mama! Ohhh baby.

Thanks again for all of your love an encouragement. It means more than you’ll ever know. I love you!

Love,
Britta

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Filed under Life and Health, Links and Shopping, Scrapbooking

by | May 3, 2013

You’re Awesome!

Hola! How are you doing this week? I’m trying my best to keep my head on straight here and to get a lot done. So far, so good! This week, I’ve ordered my new business cards, picked out a portfolio binder, purchased my portfolio paper and progressed on some more of my projects. I’m feeling accomplished! To celebrate this, how about a nice, happy card today?

05-03-13 Awesome Giraffe Card by Britta Swiderski-1

This baby features one of my favorite tags from this tag set from the Lucky Charm Dear Lizzy line and probably my favorite Lawn Fawn stamp right now, the amazing giraffe from Critters on the Savanna + the matching dies. I did some simple copic coloring on the big guy and then finished off the tag with my most favorite ever hemp cord.

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That cool-but-still-subtle background was created using this Tiny Circles stencil from The Crafter’s Workshop + using a blending tool to sponge Soft Granite Shadow ink onto the white cardstock. I am in love with this stencil and want to use it on anything and everything, ASAP.

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Another cool think happened this week. Our senior show website is now live! That means I actually have to go now, right? Haha! If you live in the area, feel free to stop by and say hi. You can also check out my incredibly talented classmates. We have a huge class of almost 50 students. I think it’s the largest graduating group of graphic designers from the U in several years.

05-03-13 Spectrum Show Screen Shot

So that’s one of the main reasons I’ve been making big strides on my portfolio this week… the idea of not being finished in time for the show! The show is on Friday the 17th, I have my commencement ceremony on the 18th and then leave early in the morning on the 19th for NYC. Life is crazy and life is good.

Will be back to share more soon! Thank you again for all of your continued love in support. It keeps me going on the rough days!

Love,
Britta

P.S. I’ve still been posting a vlog every day on my second youtube channel. In this one I made an art journal page, in this one I show off my Stitch Fix clothes and a LOFT order and in this one I made my “famous” crock pot chicken. Check them out if you want to see what I’ve been up to on a daily basis!

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Filed under Cardmaking, Life and Health

by | April 24, 2013

My First Stitch Fix Experience!

Hey there! I’ve decided I’m going to aim for one post a week just so we can keep in touch. Gah! I can’t wait to get back to my crafty desk soon. In fact, I’m feeling the need to sit down and make things for a few hours ASAP. I need some serious stress relief! Only 24 more days until graduation. Woohoo! Again, if you want to see what I’m up to on a daily basis, check out my daily vlogs here: A Video Every Day.

I wanted to pop in and share my very first Stitch Fix with you. This is definitely a new and popular thing amongst my crafty friends and inspirations alike, so I couldn’t wait to try it out. Basically, you tell them your sizes, likes, and the price range you’re comfortable in, and your personal stylist sends you a box of 5 items to try on. You keep what you love and then send back everything that isn’t quite perfect. For someone like me who’s definitely looking to expand my business-casual wardrobe, this is perfect. Plus, I LOVE getting mail. And packages. And pretty things. So it’s a win-win-win-win situation. If you want to learn more about Stitch Fix, check it out here. (If you use my link, I can get a little credit towards my next fix, and that would be awesome! But as usual, I wouldn’t link to something if I didn’t think it was awesome and worth your time.)

There’s a $20 styling fee, but that acts as a credit towards anything you want to keep from your box. Sending back the items you decide not to keep is SUPER simple with the pre-addressed pre-paid envelope they include in the box. Really, it doesn’t get any easier than this.

First of all, the packaging and branding is gorgeous and luxurious. This makes my designer heart endlessly happy. Opening this package was like opening a gift.

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I’m also in love with the bracelet my stylist, Alexandra, included. I’m not much of a bracelet person so couldn’t justify keeping it on my budget, but LOOK AT IT. It’s perfect. This style is so me.

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The first top in my fix was these sheer patterned blouse. I wouldn’t have picked this out off the rack, but I ended up really loving the ruffles and pattern. It just didn’t fit my body properly – a little pulling in bust and cut a little too short for my tall figure. (Which is super typical for me when I’m 5′ 10″ with a very full bust. Haha!)

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I liked this tank, but I have one similar so decided to send this back as well. The detailing is fantastic, though! I would love a blouse in this shape and with this type of embellishment.

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This next blouse was my first keep. It’s the Cora Tank from Pink Martini ($48). When I first tried it on, I wasn’t sure about the asymmetrical dart. But with a little maneuvering and trying it with a pencil skirt, I fell in love with this. I love the color and the dressiness of this. It’s a basic but great for doing business. Love!

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One of my very favorite things about SF is the style card included with each piece. There’s also a full paragraph on the back about all of the cool aspects of the piece and what it would look good with. Stitch Fix has thought of everything, I swear.

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My other keep is this 41 Hawthorn Wrap Dress in this luscious purple ($68). The color is classic and elegant, and a wrap dress looks good on just about everyone. Including me. Yay!

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Here’s the style card for this dress. I love both of these options so much!

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So if you want to give Stitch Fix a try, too, I highly recommend it. I already scheduled my next fix for next month – May 28. May 28th happens to be my favorite day. It’s my half birthday, I love the number 28 and I love May. This will make a great, happy half birthday present to myself. :)

Also, I wanted to point out that I’m working on a redesign of my website. It’s to coordinate with my new logo and personal identity that I’m working on for class. It’s not complete yet and will be a work in progress for quite a while (so don’t fret if something looks funky for a couple days here and there), but let me know what you think if you notice something you like!

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Back to the books (or, er, Adobe programs) for me. Thanks for stopping by and for all of your well wishes. I love you! See you again soon.

Love,
Britta

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by | April 18, 2013

Tap. Tap. Is this thing on?

Okay, it’s been a week and I’m overwhelmed. Not specifically by my blog, but by the 11 other projects I need to finish sometime between now and May 18th when I graduate.

Last night, my body finally gave out from my constant state of stress and told me it had enough. With a headache, some lovely stomach issues and a minor cryfest, my body told me it needs rest.

So something has to give. And since it can’t be school, it has to be my blog. I’m 31 days from graduating and then I’m done forever. So for 31 days, you’re only going to have 10% of my brain as opposed to the usual 50%.

I’m still doing daily vlogs every day until graduation is over, so watch me there. In fact, I’ll throw my last few days in this post so you can see what I’ve been up to. Basically, it’s me trying to soak up the last few days of college life without losing my mind to stress from school. It’s a pretty interesting combination.

I thought about giving up the vlogs to get more space in my schedule, but this is important to me. This is how I’m documenting my life at this very moment, and I can already feel how grateful I’m going to be to have these vlogs to look back on. Plus, I’m learning things about myself when doing these. I’m learning the things I do repeatedly when I’m on camera, how I feel about talking about the vlog to others and figuring out what aspects of my life belong to me and what belong to everyone else. It’s all really fascinating, and I like it. I’m doing this project for myself; you’re more than welcome to come along for the ride.

So here are vlogs from the last couple days. Enjoy them and you can even subscribe to my vlogging channel if you want to catch them every day.

Monday – Day 17 where I show you what I have in my kitchen cabinets and Jake gets new headphones.

watch here | watch on YouTube | subscribe to my vlogging channel

Tuesday – Day 16 where I take you to class with me and we go to Target. And yes, I’m always that ADD at Target. Cute things. Everywhere.

watch here | watch on YouTube | subscribe to my vlogging channel

Tuesday – Day 16′s bonus video where I show you everything I love to use for my makeup. I’ve been into buying really high-quality makeup for about 6 months now, and I share my favorites with you.

watch here | watch on YouTube | subscribe to my vlogging channel

Also, I have a card for you. I’ve been exhausted of all cardmaking mojo since the retreat, but that’s probably a good thing since I don’t have much time to spare lately. So here’s one of my favorites I made at the retreat. :)

I had this cute Panda Marci colored in for a while – I spent a weekend a while ago teaching myself some copic coloring (just using random videos on youtube). At the retreat, Kathy (who I call my second Mom, because I love her and she’s amazing) set out all of my colored pieces on my desk while I was sleeping in one morning and made sure I made something with them while I was at the retreat. ;) This is what became of that.

04-17-13 Panda Marci Copic Coloring by Britta Swiderski-1

I went over Marci’s coloring (sorry – I can’t find the colors I used anywhere - oops!) on the lines with my favorite Fine Sharpie Marker (Kathy, by the way, introduced me to these magical things). I also used a white gel pen to cover over any bleeding into the white areas and make them more consistent. Then I adhered the colored piece down onto some kraft cardstock cut from Spellbinders Labels Seventeen.

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The “love” is this fantastic die from Simon Says Stamp, die cut about four times and then adhered on top of one another. Then I used some white enamel accents to make the sentiment nice and shiny. I love this look! The background is soft pool ink + this fizz background stamp from Impression Obsession on some light pool Hero Arts cardstock.

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Thanks for stopping by today! I’ll see you over on the vlog or again here every once and a while with a card. You know I would love to be here every day, but that must wait until I graduate. Only one month left! You know how it goes. Love you all and thank you SO much for your constant words of encouragement. MWAH!

Love,
Britta

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Filed under Cardmaking, Life and Health

by | April 10, 2013

Layered Stamping with Distress Paints – Video Tutorial

It’s time for another weekly video tutorial, and this one is something I’ve been wanting to try – multiple layers of stamping with Distress Paint. Watch the video and see how it goes! It’s an… interesting… one. You’ll see. ;)

watch here | watch on YouTube | subscribe to my channel

Here’s a look at the final card featuring this Leafy Vines stamp and Distress Paint in Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves.

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As you saw in the video, the Grape Juice ink didn’t exactly work when stamped on TOP of the paint, but it did work really well for the sentiment from this YOLO stamp set from Kelly Purkey. And those sequins (adhered using some glossy accents + my favorite tweezers) add the perfect amount of fabulousity.

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Thanks for watching this week and I hope you’re enjoying the daily vlogs as well! To be honest, I don’t mind the extra hour or so of work they take in the day, because I know it will all be worth it to look back on in a few years and know that I really documented this time in my life. Who knows, maybe this will become a new weekly thing after this project is over? Like I need another project… ;)

Love you all and see you again soon!

Love,
Britta

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