AARON CHRISTENSEN - DESIGNER, MAKER, ARTIST
  • HOME
  • SHOP
    • INSPIRATION
  • Art & Design Services
    • Embellishments Studio
    • Embellishments Kids
    • Login / Join
  • FABRIC
  • BLOG
  • Contact About
    • Customer Service Information
    • Login / Join
  • Holiday 2020 Important Dates
Artist and Designer Aaron Christensen's Blog for Embellishments Studio.  Art, kids design, display, store design and pediatric office theme builder.

Father's Day Sale - Score Free Shipping

5/23/2016

 
Score free shipping on you order* and make Pops happy on Father's Day with some new art!  Enter the code DADS16 at checkout! *on domestic orders over 99.00.
Picture

LATE FOR COLLEGE- HOW TIME FLIES

5/5/2016

0 Comments

 
One of my greatest sources of inspiration and joy are my two children.  Although they are technically no longer children but young adults, and very amazing ones at that.  My son, whom defines himself as a creative, is always challenging me to see through his eyes.   He has a great eye for what's important, interesting and meaningful to a generation that I'm purely an observer of due to the age difference.

   This year marks an important milestone for him, as he graduates from COLLEGE.  He's a student at University of Oregon, in Eugene, Oregon.

Four years ago we put together a fun high school graduation party for him that I intended to post about.  Well, here we are four years later and it never quit appeared on the blog.    So to reminisce and enjoy it all again here's the details of that special day.
High School Graduation Party for a young man.  Ideas to incorporate color, school spirit and decorations by Aaron Christensen of Embellishments Studio
A graduation party filled with ideas reflecting accomplishment, love and celebration.
The goal of the  party was to acknowledge and celebrate his accomplishments in high school and build excitement for his college experience.   One of the very basic things I started with was working out some common ground between the two school's color palettes.  His high school colors were cardinal and gold and his college was green and yellow.  So I tweaked both into my preferred color palette of vintage look colors.  We were now working with burgundy reds, ochre yellows and olivey greens mixed with the neutrals of  parchment, kraft and burlap.
Graduation Party Ideas, Keepsakes and Decor
A keepsake box of memories, inspiration and encouragement. Blown up heads on a stick act as place holders during the graduation.
I can't take credit for the concept but I can take credit for the execution of the little suitcase pictured.  His school asked that we create a box keepsake and fill it with insightful and inspirational items, quotes and sentiment.  I covered his in stickers I created that represent many of the stages in his academic journey.  Many were logos I already had on hand from events and projects I had a design hand in through the years.

The box itself contained items that were adorned with small kraft tags.  On each tag we came up with short explanation as to why we chose the item.    Some of the items were toys he had as a boy.

The handsome heads you see are blow ups of my son's face.  We used them as markers to reserve the family and friends seats at graduation.   They we fun to wave in the air during the moments we could get noisy and revel.
Decorations, pennants and burlap are used to create party supplies for a high school graduation.
Fringed, rough ribbons of fabric and pennants create a masculine and vintage feel for the graduation party.
At the house I used a lot of props, which as a prop hoarder it wasn't too difficult to do.  Globes, encyclopedias , typewriters, flash cards, things with letters and ones that reflect the 12 in 2012.  A hand painted burlap pennant streamer spans our front porch welcoming guests through the garden.
Graduation Party ideas using old books, globes, suitcases, props and more.
Manipulated and folded books, typewriters and other items act as props to create vignettes throughout the house.
Small vignettes of photos and props were placed throughout the house.  I used books to create fun shapes and opportunities to stage items.  While its something we don't showcase year round the digital photo frame was a great addition to the displays.  Having k-12 photographs scrolling through time was enjoyed by our guests.
Outdoor graduation party ideas
A graduation garden party filled with school colors and decorative details.
Having a very large backyard gives us many opportunities for merry making.  The problem often becomes scale.  How to make a party look intimate and special on such a large scale is often the issue.  To remedy some of that I strung very long strands of lights to bring the "ceiling" down a little and offer light as the evening waned past sunset.  The combination of clear bulbs and paper lanterns were very handsome.
Cricut, Silhouette cutouts, party supplies and theme ideas for a graduation party
Using a Silhouette cutter made creating school logo stick flags easy
In the revised color palette, collections of school logo cutouts, paper goods and decorative details bring it all together.   I found some amazing natural leaf made plates that had great texture.  They were combined with the more graphic striped traditional party plates.
Graduation Party ideas using vintage goods.  Cake table ideas.
Vintage props and decor adds appeal and creates opportunities to display food, gifts and special treats.
A multi layered dimensional height display of suitcases, manipulated books and other props made for a perfect dessert table.  Letters and numbers were cut using my silhouette machine.
Now, we're in the planning stages of his college graduation.  I might revisit some of these props and ideas to create a new but familiar and welcomed look.  Hopefully, I will be good about posting those before another four years passes.

I hope you find a few things inspiring or just fun to look at.  Shoot me over any questions or sentiments for the graduate.  I look forward to your thoughts...
Best,
Aaron
 
I've taken the liberty to host the photos above on Pinterest for your pinning!   Be sure to follow me.
0 Comments

Reclaimed Rewards - a girls loft bed holds secrets.

5/1/2016

0 Comments

 
The kids designer, Aaron Christensen brings to life his clients dream ideas for a girls loft bed.
My friends at Boy's Fort in Portland referred a wonderful family to me.  They wanted a loft bed for their daughters room, one that was rustic, modern and that worked well with the other furnishings in the room.  

  After a couple rounds of drawings and pouring over finish samples, the idea came to fruition.  It was to be made of reclaimed old growth fir.  I designed into it a headboard that had a classic shape to it.  The horizontal lines from the boards were highlighted by not butting the boards together.  The finish complimented the bed underneath and drew in the variations of cream and gold around it.

Reclaimed wood is fashioned into a rustic loft bed for a girls bedroom.
To retain the coarse grain of the old fir it was necessary to create thin veneer sheets of it to cover any new saw cuts.    That way ever board was full of rustic texture highlighted by the paint techniques.

A surprise "hiding" spot was designed into the headboard.  Of the three sections one remains closed and the other two have a flip lid.
My clients loved being part of the design process.  The final product definitely reflected the points they were enthusiastic about.   I also loved the opportunity to put my personal spin on those elements.
Custom loft bed made of reclaimed fir for a girls bedroom by Aaron Christensen, the kids designer.
 The custom loft bed offers two secret storage area.  The bed is by Embellishments Kids, the studio of Aaron Christensen
The finishing techniques allowed the grain, vintage saw cuts and character to come through.  Light sanding and application of multiple coats of matte clear and a final waxing assured that the texture would not be rough to  the touch.

It's always great bringing to life the dreams others have.  In a way its like being an interpreter of sorts.  Translating vision into reality.  I love my job.
0 Comments
    Artist Aaron Christensen of Embellishments Studio
    Welcome to Aaron Christensen's Embellishments Studio Blog.
    Picture
    JOIN ME ON-
    Instagram
    Pinterest
    Facebook
    Follow

    RSS Feed


    SHOP OUR HUGE COLLECTION OF ART FOR KIDS AND THE HOME.
    shop now
    Welcome to my Embellishments Journal, it's a new feature.  I will be posting about some of our projects, sharing pictures and interesting things.   Chime in, ask questions and keep your arms and hands inside the ride until it comes to a complete stop. -Aaron
    SHOP MY FABRICS ON SPOONFLOWER.COM
    Visit Aaron Christensen's Spoonflower Fabric Shop

    Categories

    All
    Aaron Christensen Art & Design
    Art Spotting
    Contest / Give A Ways
    Contest / Give-a-ways
    Dentistry
    DIY's
    Embellishments Kids
    Events
    Fabric
    Free Download
    Halloween
    Holiday
    Huh?
    Kids Design
    Mood Boards
    New Introductions
    Out And About
    Parties
    Products
    Projects
    Recipes
    Retail Design
    Sets And Props
    Sports
    Video Clips
    Visual Display
    WALL ART & DECOR
    Weird And Wild

    Archives

    October 2020
    June 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    July 2012
    December 2011
    September 2011

Picture
HOME | ABOUT/CONTACT | SHOP | EMBELLISHMENTS KIDS | ETSY | WHOLESALE | SHIPPING | TERMS OF USE  | CUSTOMER SERVICE  | NEWSLETTER SIGN UP |

Share

Connect

Shop top selling  wall art, paintings and prints for boys, boys rooms,  kids, teens, adults, tweens, nurseries and rooms by artist Aaron Christensen.  Vintage sports art, racing art, scoreboard art, rock and roll art can be found in our shop. View works by interior designer Aaron Christensen, whom specializes in children's spaces, theatrical and themed spaces, pediatric office and retail environments. Based in Portland, Oregon. All images, text, DIY's and art copyright Aaron Christensen. All rights reserved.

Picture
Shop with confidence -128-bit encrypted & DDoS mitigation service

Copyright © Aaron Christensen All rights reserved.

Sale on Wall Art Decor for Kids  teens boys men man home interiors  of sports superhero cocktail camping travel inspiration. Site Hosted By MediaCor
Picture
  • HOME
  • SHOP
    • INSPIRATION
  • Art & Design Services
    • Embellishments Studio
    • Embellishments Kids
    • Login / Join
  • FABRIC
  • BLOG
  • Contact About
    • Customer Service Information
    • Login / Join
  • Holiday 2020 Important Dates