Kanji Girl

Rockstar invitation

2009-02-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

My friend liked the t-shirt design I made for her daughter's birthday (seen in my last post) so much that we decided to use this graphic for the invitations as well. Since the theme for the whole party is "Rockstar", a ticket design for the invitation seemed logical. So that's what we went with. Check out the finished design below. Her daughter is just soooo cute! :-)

Rockstar t-shirt for a friend

2009-02-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

I was asked to design a t-shirt design for a friend's daughter's birthday party. Since the theme is "Rockstar" I created a girlishly cute (I hope) skull, crossbones and stars design. I hope she likes it. :-)

The Crisis of Credit Visualized by Jonathan Jarvis

2009-02-22T07:06:00.000-08:00

The Crisis of Credit Visualized is a very good explanatory video by Jonathan Jarvis. It tells the story of how the whole credit crisis mess ever happened in such a simple and easy to understand way that I'll bet even seven year olds will get it. It is part of Jonathan's thesis work as a Media Design graduate student. To learn more, you may check his website here.

5 Sites for Japanese & Korean fashion inspiration

2009-02-21T01:21:00.000-08:00

For the past few months, I've been so fixated about Japanese and Korean culture. I've studied their language, watched their movies and TV shows and read their (translated) literature. My interest has now spilled into Japanese and Korean fashion. Because of the diversity of the fashion scene there, it is hard to describe it in a sentence or two. Below are the top 5 sites I love to visit for inspiration...

Candypop

Shopping haul: books and a sewing machine

2009-02-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

After months of thinking about it, I finally bought a sewing machine. Well, my source of hesitation was because my mom already has an old sewing machine which she was willing to give to me. However, when I tried to use it, I couldn't get it to work. I'm just not a get-it-fixed girl so I just bought a new one for myself. :-) I bought an el-cheapo Brother XL-5500 which thankfully got pretty good reviews for it's price.

My new sewing machine

I don't plan in abusing this machine... I'll just use it for a few experiments and school projects. I'll let you know how it performs in a future post. :-)

Aside from my new machine, I also bought two (fashion/sewing) books. The first one is 200 Projects to Get You Into Fashion Design. It covers all the aspects of fashion design from sketching, pattern making, draping, even merchandizing. However, it doesn't delve too deep into any of those subjects. But it is a great book for those who want to get a primer on every thing they need to know to be a fashion designer.

The last item I bought is The Dressmaker's Technique Bible. I bought this because I wanted to have a go-to book which I can consult whenever I need to know something about sewing and any techinical stuff. The reviews say that the book is too basic. However, I figured that's exactly what I need right now since the last time I used a sewing machine was way back in high school (around 10 years ago).

That's all of it! I hope I can master the art of sewing and be an awesome fashion designer. ;-)

Fashion Color Trends for Spring/Summer 2009

2009-02-11T23:03:00.000-08:00

If there's one thing that's constant in this world, it's change. No matter how cliche this statement sounds it's absolutely true. This especially is very true in the fashion industry. Trends come and go and if you want to stay up to date, you have to keep up. Below are the predicted color trends for Spring/Summer 2009:

Chic Color Trend

This colour palette presented as all the others presented by TFL has very nature inspired overtones, come across as incredibly Earthy and quite heavy on the brown leaving us with the feeling very much of old country simplicity.[Fashionising]

A harmonic and natural world, invaded by the warm and fascinating colours of plants. A strong reference to the volume of trees and to their unstable perfection. Abstract geometry mixing with perfect modular shapes. Basic colours conveying quiet and pureness, but taking us back to the `60s when combined with green and violet, with more cutting. [TFL]

Classical Color Trend

The classical palette is a lot more vivid and saturated colours, with colours that remind us of the resort with beach like blues and the distinctly sandy Hypen; [Fashionising]

A world deeply inspired by colours of the Mediterranean beaches, where the strong appeal of the sea combines with the period of figurative arts. Flaming and almost primary colours convey strength and energy, but drive us towards a measured chromatic indiscipline through creative and post-futuristic combinations, daring with creative couplings. [TFL]

Casual Color Trend

The casual colour palette stands alone leaving behind the country and nature with a heavy city shift, the concrete colours, glassy blues, unnatural pinks and yellow that reminds us of a street light. [Fashionising]

A robotic and static world, but warped at the same time. Colours of this range reflect the cold light of pixels and deformed effects. Unusual combinations remind us of new forms of of mimetism. Iron grey cuts these colours and makes them matchable, while deep yellow inflames them of a dazzling light with psychedelic effects. [TFL]

[Source: TFL and Fashionising]

Track your Amazon packages thru TrackThis

2009-02-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

Amazon is the ultimate shopping destination for me. It's even better than the mall. The selection is practically endless and you get to read other people's reviews of the product in question. The only hitch for me is I get too impatient waiting for my package to arrive. TrackThis may not help get my package delivered faster but it does ease the waiting game. :-)

TrackThis allows you to track your packages over Twitter, Facebook or good old e-mail. All you need is your tracking code and you're good to go... you don't even have to register. Now that's music to my ears. :-)

My manga reading list

2009-02-07T22:42:00.000-08:00

Yup, I'm obsessed with manga. This obsession started just a few months ago and already I have dozens of volumes in my collection (I take my obsessions really seriously). Here's my current reading list and wish list with a bit of commentary on each entry:

Reading list:

Chocolat - this is a Korean manhwa series
The Devil Does Exist - started out great but I think it's kinda dragging now... still... I want to finish it to see how it ends
Hana Kimi - girl enters and all-boys school pretending to be a boy to be with the guy she has a crush on... nuff' said
Ouran High Host Club - hilarious!
The Wallflower - I'm still kinda sceptical about this one... I have volumes 1 and 2 but I'm not sure if I still want to continue reading this
Death Note - everybody I've talked to who has read this (or watched the anime) loved it... so I bought the whole set
Tenshi Ja Nai - this time it's a guy who entered an all-girls school pretending to be a girl
Skip Beat! - a girl scorned in love goes on a revenge rampage... seems like a lot of fun

Wish list:

Boys Over Flowers - this has been made in to an anime and has been adapted into multiply live action dramas... it must be good
Happy Hustle High - it's short (only 5 volumes I think) and reviews are good
Hot Gimmik - I always see this in our local bookstore but I haven't gotten around to buying it yet
Marmalade Boy - a love story between a girl and her stepbrother... or something like that
Paradise Kiss - models, fashion designers, and fabulousness
Peach Girl - great reviews, must be great then
Vampire Knight - vampires... that's enough to make it seem interesting
Nodame Cantabile - more than two people already told me they liked this title

Project ReMix is looking for models (in the Philippines)

2009-02-06T09:19:00.001-08:00

Below is the advert for our photo project. I'm really excited about this, we have a great concept for the photoshoot! The concept has something to do with music, thus the teaser graphic below.

If you're interested in becoming a model and you think you have the potential, don't hesitate to register now! This is a great opportunity for you to get some awesome shots for your portfolio. By the way, this is open for participants in the Philippines only. ;-)

---o---

Pictorial fee: PhP 500.00 (inclusive of the following)
- two (2) 8R Photo-print
- hair and make-up
- five (5) hi-resolution digital copies

Open for male and female participants who
- are expressive and can project in front of the camera
- have the right attitude
- presentable

To register, e-mail your photos both natural/no make up and edited. Also include your contact information then send to capturedframes@gmail.com. Photos will be used for screening purposes. Qualified models will be contacted accordingly for more details of the shoot and prior to payment.

My top 3 eye looks c/o Xteener

2009-02-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

I've always been a klutz when it comes to applying eye makeup. Since my eyes are not deep set (meaning I don't have a crease), I find it really hard to follow most tutorials on the web since these are mostly done on models with caucasian eyes.

It's a good thing I discovered Xteener on Youtube. She is an absolute godsend. She has tons of makeup tutorials, tips and reviews in her Youtube channel. We have similar looking eyes so I had no problem at all following her instructions. Check out my top 3 eye makeup tutorials from Xteener. These are all dramatic, smokey eye looks, so they're not really for everyday use... unless you really want some attention! ;-)

Laptop table confusion

2009-02-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or don't you also think the laptop in this picture is facing the wrong way? I mean anyone with knees would definitely prefer to use this laptop table the other way around right?

[Source: The Bed Tray Shoppe]

The Genesis of a Tweet

2009-02-02T10:08:00.001-08:00

This is really funny 'cause it's absolutely true!!!

[Source: Mashable on Tumbler]

Jeff Dunham and Peanut in Washington DC

2009-01-31T09:35:00.001-08:00

Jeff Dunham and his dummies are hilarious! He's been a (really good) ventriloquist for several years now but I just discovered him quite recently through a friend and YouTube. If you haven't seen any of his shows yet, I'd say you're missing a lot! My favorite dummy would have to be Peanut, with Achmed comming in second. Check out Jeff Dunham with Peanut in Washington DC:

Top 2 patternmaking books to choose from

2009-01-31T06:35:00.000-08:00

I've been taking up patternmaking for a couple of months now and have decided to get a good patternmaking book to keep as a reference. To make sure I make the right choice on which one to buy, I did some research.

So far, according to what I've read in various websites, the top 2 books that keep being mentioned are Patternmaking Made Easy by Connie Amaden-Crawford and Patternmaking for Fashion Design by Helen Joseph Armstrong.

Both books have great reviews, and I am having a hard time deciding which to buy between these two. After all, the books are not exactly cheap (they're both around the same price - a little under a hundred dollars). Anyone out there who has read both? I'd love to hear some feedback from both beginners and professionals.

My top 5 websites for graphic design inspiration

2009-01-29T07:32:00.000-08:00

I just finished eating a (rather big) slice of decadent chocolate cake so I'm currently having a major sugar rush right now (I can practically hear the buzzing in my head). It was delicious by the way (the cake... not the buzzing in my head). But regardless, today I'm posting my list of go-to-sites for inspiration whenever I'm having a creative block. So without much ado, in no particular order, here they are:

PSDTuts (psdtuts.com) - awesome Photoshop tutorials
Smashing Magazine (smashingmagazine.com) - I love their regular dose of free icons, Wordpress templates and Photoshop brushes. Aside from that, I also love the way they write their blog posts...
Ex. 35 Free High-Quality E-Commerce Templates
50 Useful Design Tools For Beautiful Web Typography
10 Steps To Protect The Admin Area In WordPress
Bitbox (bitbox.com) - here's another great resource website
Spoon Graphics (blog.spoongraphics.co.uk) - they have great web and graphics design tutorials
DeviantART (deviantart.com) - this social networking site for the creative type is an ever trusty destination for huge doses of design inspiration... believe me, the people here are talented!!!

Smart a$$ t-shirt designs

2009-01-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

My friend just started a t-shirt printing business and I asked him if I could create a few smart a$$ designs for him to sell (and for me to profit off as well). He said yes and now I'm on the lookout for great design ideas. I already have a few that I forwarded to him. Here's what I came up with so far:

Our South Korea Itinerary

2009-01-26T10:14:00.000-08:00

I really can't wait for April when we head off to South Korea for vacation. :-) Since it'll be our first time there, we're joining a tour that'll take us to (hopefully) all the best places in Korea. Check out our itinerary:

Day 1: MANILA/INCHEON
Upon arrival at the airport, meet guide and proceed to local restaurant for dinner then transfer to hotel for check-in.
Day 2: INCHEON/EVERLAND/STRAWBERRY FARM
After breakfast at hotel, proceed to Everland Theme Park w/ passport ticket (Korea's best theme park and 4th best in the world) consisting of Safari World, daily events and shows and also 40 other latest attractions. Then next stop would be a visit to Strawberry Farm where you can experience strawberry picking and taste some afterwards. Experience Kimchi Making and Hanbok wearing before transfer to Mt. Seorak for check-in.
Day 3: MT. SEORAK/NAMI ISLAND/SEOUL
After breakfast at resort, visit Shioheungsa Temple with Grand Bronze Buddha and Gwongennseong Fortress by cable car. Transfer to Nami Island (Winter Sonata shooting place) by ferry. Transfer back to Seoul for check-in.
Day 4: DAEJANGGEUM/JUMP/COEX AQUARIUM
After breakfast at hotel visit Daejanggeum Theme Park (Jewel in the Palace shooting place). Return to Seoul and enjoy Jump Performance (a new Korean hit show that will bring fun to everyone). Then visit Ginseng COEX Aquarium and be fascinated with the number marine species we have. Then spend the rest of your day at the underground shopping mall of COEX with lots of different things to choose from.
Day 5: SEOUL CITY TOUR/DEPARTURE
After breakfast at hotel, proceed to Seoul City Tour which include visits to the Kyungbok Palace, National Folklore Museum, pass by the Presidential Blue House, Amethyst Factory, pass by Vimjunoro Cherry Blossom Street, free time shopping at Myeongdong Street with a visit to Myeongdong Cathedral. Transfer to Incheon Airport for departure via Korean Food and Souvenir Shop.

I'm not sure about the spelling of half the places because my copy of the faxed itinerary is really really bad. Nevertheless, it sure looks like an activity-packed and exciting vacation to me. :-)

Japanese street fashion

2009-01-25T04:56:00.001-08:00

I'm currently working on a concept for a photoshoot we're doing in February. One of my ideas is to center the whole photoshoot around once concept: Japanese street fashion. The fashion scene in Japan is so wide and diverse that it'll definitely make for very interesting photos. Right off the bat, I already have a few ideas for the styling. I'm not yet fully decided if I'm going with this theme but it's fun to conceptualize anyway. :-) Below are some pictures straight from Japan's streets.

Starting fresh

2009-01-21T11:32:00.000-08:00

I've created my fair share of blogs and websites since my fascination with the internet started several years ago. However, none of these seem to last very long. I've had a website that lasted around two years and a blog that lasted a little under that and that's it. All my other "projects" lasted just a couple of months, after which I would either lose interest or forget about it.

After all those false starts, I've decided to start fresh once more and hope that this time, I can keep this running for years to come. What makes this blog different from all the others I've started in the past? Well, all my past blogs were about certain topics I was interested in -- gadgets, manga, interior design, etc. This time, I have no particular topic in mind. I'll post whatever interests me whenever I'm in the mood to write. No pressure. Wish me luck!