Sunshine and cocktails ... The first words of the advert are enticing, and its colour draws you in: zingy lemon-yellow laid against steel grey, with a sliver of sharp orange to seal the deal. The design? Clean and stylish to the eye, with layers of subtlety underneath - just like a good cocktail, I'm thinking. Miss Smith has been encouraging those of us taking her Just One Sketch class to choose a design on which to base our soon-to-be-pages, and the advert has given me mine:
In preparation, we've also been asked to ponder the elements of our style. I rather like this defintion from 1806: "(A) cocktail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters" (bitters being a liquid not considered suitable for drinking by itself, made of herbs, fruits, spices and roots, which enhances the spirits). I think I might aspire to that for this class: a stimulating page, composed of images of any kind, words, white space and an embellishment. What d'you think?
So, that's the cocktails sorted :). Sunshine, anyone?
Well, I am glad it is only ONE embellishment, I would consider that an outright act of bravery!
With three more weeks of holidays here, cocktail hour seems to start rather early!
Posted by: Amy | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 01:26 AM
Love your choice of inspiration. ONE embellishment... I look forward to seeing what you choose!
Posted by: esther_a | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 01:51 AM
Great looking sketch Alexa. Plenty of scope for creating different LOs with. And if you're only allowed one embellishment, why not make it a huge one lol. Pxx
Posted by: Paul | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 08:37 AM
A great sketch,Alexa....I sometimes wish I could stick to just one embellishment!!
Posted by: Jacky S | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 09:49 AM
ooh, yes please! It's freezing here today.
I have spotted a sketch to use, but have got no further than that. I'm still labouring under a project which refuses to come together the way I want it too. But once I've conquered that, I'm just-one-sketching too
Posted by: Sian | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 01:05 PM
I'll take one of each: cocktail and the sketch. Love the color palette, quote...the whole nine yards of inspiration. I'm thinkin' you're onto something...
Cheers~
Posted by: Honoré | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 02:05 PM
Like your sketch..looking forward to seeing the finished project...I've still to settle on a sketch!
Alison xx
Posted by: Alison | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 05:01 PM
Ooh yes, I like your sketch and what's not to love about the yellow and grey combination. No cocktails here, but sunshine aplenty, although it's still freezing!
You are one of the winners in my draw, named on the blog today:)
Posted by: Fiona | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 05:09 PM
Bitterly cold here today sunshine would be good!
Great sketch and inspiration. I've chosen my sketch just need to get some time to put it together.
Posted by: Louise | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 07:20 PM
Arghh! Thank goodness Google Reader knows about your Alexa - because it hadn't told me of any updates to the Just One Sketch one! Off to check out what's what!
Love your take, but I couldn't stick to just one embellishment ... how am I supposed to use stuff up with that attitude?!?!?!
Posted by: Jimjams | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 09:50 PM
It's a greqat idea using an advert for inspiration, Alexa. I remember you doing that once before. I never think to do that, then again I do tend to freestyle. Start with a blank page and let it evolve. Perhaps that's why I should follow Miss Smith's sketches. I signed up but will it be another class that gets unfinished or even unstarted?! Hope not!
Posted by: sandie | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 09:52 PM
LOL of course that should have been "your blog Alexa"
Stupid laptop doesn't know how to type what I mean rather than what I key in!
Posted by: Jimjams | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 09:52 PM
Sleek and stylish! Love your sketch :)
Posted by: PaulaSG | Monday, 16 January 2012 at 10:29 PM
Love this Alexa. I have found my sketch, just need a day off! ...and a cocktail would be lovely.
Posted by: Miriam | Tuesday, 17 January 2012 at 08:08 AM
I have some sunshine but a cocktail would be nice too. I always admire your templates and how you take inspiration from magazine design. I think it's something I should give more thought to. Your photos and beautiful words don't need any embellishment.
Posted by: Amanda | Tuesday, 17 January 2012 at 12:30 PM
I'm not so big on cocktails, but I'd LOVE some sunshine about now!!!
Posted by: Cheri | Tuesday, 17 January 2012 at 01:25 PM
I love the inspiration for the sketch and I adore the "A" in your blog header. I enjoy your blog as well; it's simple and has a calming effect.
Posted by: Danielle | Tuesday, 17 January 2012 at 07:36 PM
Refined and elegant - lacking in unnecessary frippery (gotta love that word). Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly would have scrapped like this.
Posted by: Julie Jeavons | Wednesday, 18 January 2012 at 11:00 PM
Make mine a Margarita ;-) Love the inspiration for this post and if anyone sees the sunshine, please send it my way - I'm fed up with chilly, cloudy January!
Posted by: Debs14 | Sunday, 22 January 2012 at 12:29 PM