Rebirth.

I’ve resumed blogging again. It’s something I’ve missed & is something I truly do enjoy. The new website is a fusion of my work, my blog, & my life all in one & in one spot, so if you’re still coming around these parts, please head & set your RSS feeds to

THE PHEENIX

It’s like SparkleShock but new & improved. You’ll love it. I promise.

All Good Things…

…come to an end.

That bit above is the most succinct way I can express what I’m about to say. As many of you (if you’re still around!) know, I made quite a big move earlier this year. I decided to uproot myself & move across the country to pursue my dream of making it as a Costume Designer. When I came to LA, I had NO IDEA how much of my life would change…especially in such a short time. I had planned to come out here & keep up with my creative endeavors…Unfortunately, that didn’t turn out to be the case. I quickly had to learn that I had to prioritize my creative outlets…and as I’m sure you’re aware, Sparkleshock unfortunately became the one that was low on the list.

When I started blogging, I was a recent college graduate who’d moved back home & had nothing but time on her hands. When I got my job at Target, I became a recent college graduate that worked at a job where she made it so that she had time on her hands (ha!). I’m sure I mentioned to you all that I blogged from my desk at work. It became no secret to my cubicle mate that I always had tons of windows open for a reason…& that reason was so that I could blog. In all honesty, I’m not cut out for the cubicle world of corporate America, so I needed something to get me through the monotony of my day…and my blog helped me to do that.

Things are different now, though. I don’t have the time to make time like I used to. Last year, I didn’t have much going on professionally or personally, so SparkleShock was a way to make me feel useful to the creative world. Now, (literally since Jan 1, 2011), my life has been taken over by job hunting, decorating, getting acclimated to LA, working, networking, freelancing…all while finally taking steps to open my own business of designed goods.

The truth is, I don’t have time to blog anymore.

I never understood what people meant when they would tell me that “blogging is a lot of work”. At the time, it wasn’t for me because I was doing it when I was essentially using someone else’s time. Now, the only time I have is my own, and I hate to admit that I have to use my time for other endeavors right now. 90% of the content for The ‘Shock was fueled by my web-surfing. Now, I simply cannot devote 2-4 hours a day editing & sifting though the plethora of sites in which I draw my inspirations. Those 2-4 hours don’t include the time it takes to create the posts (of which, as you may remember, were 3-4 a day). I haven’t checked up on my google reader in months & I have no idea what some of my favorite bloggers are up to…

I’ve written about SparkleShock’s birth…so I suppose it’s only fitting that I write about its passing.

As corny as it sounds, it truly does sadden me to let you guys know that it’s going to be quiet around here for a while. Maybe indefinitely. Even as I write this, I’m not 100% sure what will happen, but I do know that I will only be posting when I absolutely feel the pull to. Churning out over 20 posts a week was exhausting & in all honesty, around Dec/Jan, I was kinda burned out with both of my blogs. It proved to be very time consuming…and my blog was never supposed to be one that became a source of stress for me. I not a blogger that started this blog to fund my livelihood. I started it solely as an outlet, so since it’s become a point of stress, I think it’s best that I stop for the time being.

Now, if you’ve been a follower of my blog, then you know I’m an artist…and the mind of an artist is always in flux. So I wouldn’t tell you to stop coming to Sparkleshock…I don’t think I could ever stop this sort of online visual journal indefinitely…but I do know that it will not be as it was. I will not be posting daily. I may not even be posting weekly. I guess what I’m trying to say is please don’t hold The Shock to any expectations anymore. Until I figure out a way to incorporate more time for SparkleShock in my life, it will be very sporadic around here. I do have plans to rework both Sparkleshock (& Jade Pheenix) because I do like blogging, but I cannot let you know when (or if) that will be. This the best I can offer you for now.

I want to thank all my subscribers & anyone that did/does read my blog on a regular basis. You guys really made me feel special. I mean that. On a personal note, I’m one of those people that struggles at times with feelings of being insignificant. Somehow, though, if I found myself in a moment of feeling down on myself, I would always seem to come across a comment, FB wall post, or tweet that said something good about my blog & my taste in art/design/fashion. It was an instant morale booster & I’m very grateful for those kind words from both strangers & friends.

In the lull that’s coming, I would like to invite you to check out/follow my tumblr. I post there very regularly & it has quickly become the easiest (& quickest!) way for me to somewhat purge myself of creative clutter. It’s quite similar to The Shock, but with less verbiage & more imagery. It’s also a bit more personal as I blog random thoughts and whatnot. And as always, you can always find my randomness & adventures over on Twitter.

SO! Let’s end this on a high note, shall we? Here’s something…for old time’s sake 🙂

I dig these drawings by Louise Despont…

I love how these have an otherworldly quality to them…almost metaphysical. In fact, they actually sort of remind me of the art direction used in the Predator films. A lot of the design in the ships for the aliens kinda had motifs that remind me of Despont’s work. Awesome!

…P.S. This is a long shot, but I hope someone reading this thought about THIS when you read the title of this posting. It was my *geeky* inspiration 🙂

[Chalk & Fashion]…Illustrations by Zoe Taylor

I’m not even going to begin to explain why I’ve been absent. There’s no point when I know full well that good blogging etiquette is to let readers know that there’s going to be a hiatus. I apologize. Other things more important than blogging just happen sometimes. Anyway, I’m back now with some new cool stuff. I can’t promise posts will be as frequent as they used to, though, so I suppose it’s nice to just savor them when they occur 🙂

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I’m loving these illustrations by London based illustrator Zoe Taylor….

These illustrations are striking to me because they look as if they could be made of crayon and children’s drawing paper. They are made using pastel & newsprint. I love them all the same though!

Loving…EM by Miri

I swear Etsy was put her on this planet to deliberately keep me from saving money. I come across several shops every week that make me wish I was a millionaire so I could spend, spend, spend! There is a little shoppe on there for every little niche…

Case in point? EM by Miri which has a multitude of lovely goodies for cat lovers!

CUTE!!! I love that embroidered piece above…it’s so sassy! Be sure to check out EM by Miri is you wouldn’t mind some kitty goodies in your life!

Friday Flash…

Yay! It’s back!! Anyway…

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If you love Adult Swim like I do, then you’ll love Bump Worthy which catalogues every single bump that AS has released. Prepare for a nice trip of trippy, jazztastic nostalgia.

10 Lessons for Young Designers

Baked Kale Chips? YUM!

This is a neat DIY – create artwork using your own fingerprints!

You really can do anything with Legos…

Greg Bogin’s work needs to be on my walls.

While we’re on the subject of artwork, check this out. Bespoken Art makes artwork out of the sound waves of words of your choice.

Haunting images of how Tokyo is conserving power in the wake of the earthquake/tsunami disasters.

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Beautiful illustration by Conrad Roset

Loving this Kitty Tee by Miri (tons of cat stuff for us kitty lovers!)

Neat Illustrations by Carlos Aponte

I love this photo of Elizabeth Taylor...may she Rest in Peace 🙂

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

[Electric Beauty]…Photography by Krentz

These stunning images are by Dutch photography duo, Ulf & Denise Krentz. I LOVE the vibrant colors and styling in these photos. It’s so eye-catching.

Besides editorial work, Krentz has also done a lot of beauty and advertising shoots – and while the subject matter may be different, they always seem to find a way to add that pop of futuristic color. Great work.

Gotta Have It…Gorgeous Wood iPhone Cases by Signimade

It’s been a very long time since I’ve done a Gotta Have It post. I’ve missed this little feature, so I think it’s time to bring it back, yes?

Anyway…

These really tickle my fancy! I’ve been really into wood accents a lot lately, so coming across these by Signimade just may make me break my “no case” rule. It would also be the one excuse I’d need to upgrade to an iPhone 4!

Loving…The World of Playing Cards

One of the things that has always fascinated me about playing cards is how many different designs of card decks you can get. They’ve been around for centuries and are sold anywhere you can imagine, from amusement parks to resorts to restaurants & bars. As a result, there are so many different card deck themes & styles, that they should be considered a form of art in their own right! I think this neat website I stumbled across, The World of Playing Cards, would agree. I spent quite some time perusing the site and I came across so many neat decks of cards that I had to share them with you guys…

Aren’t those neat? The World of Playing Cards not only has a visual archive of all sorts of card games, but they also have articles about the history of playing cards and how they vary in other countries. I think I’m going to start collecting card decks…this has proven to me that they can be really unique!

[Cut & Paste]…

Awesome editorial for Dazed & Confused magazine. It was photographed by Damien Blottiere & styled by Robbie Spencer. I love how futuristic this feels & looks…very neat concept!

[Fifty & Fifty]…A 50 States Design Project

One of my favorite parts about going on road trips is the “Welcome To..” signs that you past when entering a new state. It always gives me a sort of nostalgic feeling for the old US of A and it reminds me how different each state is. So, with this in mind, I was thrilled to come across the 50 & 50 project, which gives artists & illustrators the chance to illustrate their state’s motto. The only restraint is that the illustration must be in red, white, & blue…

Arizona (God Enriches)

Minnesota (Star of the North)

Maryland (Manly Deeds, Womanly Words)

Georgia (Wisdom, Justice & Moderation)

Florida (In God We Trust)

Oregon (She Flies With Her Own Wings)

This is cool…although Maryland’s motto is sort of odd to me…

Anyway, I look forward to seeing the one for California…a new illustration is released every day, so check it out!