You and Me

My oldest always will have a special piece of my heart because for a long time, it was her and I spending a lot of time alone together. We filled or days with adventure and play.

Now, I always get excited when she and I get to spend some alone time together, especially when we are working on a project, or searching for adventure.  She is such a sweet, happy soul, and I can't help but laugh spending with her.

Focus- A layout

My sweet youngest child spends most of her time in  her own little world.  She moves at her own pace, which is usually a meander, and she has to look at everything as she goes.  I struggle with this sometimes because getting her to do what I need or want her to do can take quite some time, and I really wish she would focus. The thing is, she really is focused, on what the sun is doing, where the clouds are, the shape of the moon, the color of the leaves, and the amazing world in which she lives.

Today, when were leaving the house, she found a spider web tucked between a bush and the stair railing.  She insisted I stop, look at the spider web, and hear her opinion of spiders (she does not like them, for the record). It was so sweet, and so very her.

Stuff I use on my Layouts

Here is a review of a pen I use often on my layouts, the Stablio Point 88.  Can an $.88 pen be a useful crafting tool? Here are some projects I have done with the point 88.

Born this way

My youngest loves the song "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga. She sings it all the time, and begs me to play it on the iPod.

The song truly fits her. She is so particular and precise as she goes about her day, she can only be herself. She is always steadfast in her actions, even when her friends gets in trouble. I'm not saying she's perfect, because she has a definite view of how the world should be, and if it fails to suit her liking she throws a royal fit.

The thing is, if I ask how she was if I wasn't around the answer is always "She was Budgie" and I know exactly what that means. I adore that about her. She was born this way.

Weaving- My process.

Sometimes when I finish a layout, I get asked how I came up with that.

This layout was inspired from the weaving on baskets, and another take on the quilting idea.  The idea had been tossing around in my head for a bit,so I decided to give it a go with this sweet picture of my snuggly girlie.

I wanted to contrast two patterned papers against each other, and still try to keep the cohesiveness of the two.  When I finished, the edges weren't what I hoped they would be, so I framed the weaving with a 1 1/2 inch border, and angle cut the edges at a 45 degree angle to give it a finished look.

With just the weaving and the frame, the layout was too much for that photo.  I selected a blue mat to contrast with the pink, and that helped the photo some, but not enough.

I added the flowers to help anchor the picture into the layout.  The weaving made the layout "busy" so I had to balance that with larger embellishments.  When I was fussy cutting the paper, there were not a lot of whole flowers, so I added some scallop punches.  On a couple of them, I copied the patterned paper by tracing some circles in the middle of the scallop and adding dots around the edges.

Ultimately, I ended up with this layout, which is one I adore.  I hope you like it too.

My Take on Quilting

I wanted to try the quliting trend, but I wanted a unique look to my layout.  I stumbled across a lazy log house quilt square pattern on Pinterest, and the inspiration for this page was born.  I adore how the paper and the picture work together to create a square.  I also adore the contrast of the warm/cool colors on this layout and the sunshine feel it gives, mirroring the sun/shade contrast in the photo.

What has inspired you lately?

Journaling Prompt: Grey is my favorite color

Sometimes, coming up with the inspiration for a page can be extremely difficult.  Whether it is an artist's journal, a scrapbook page, or a diary, just starting the writing can be a challenge.  Today, I am beginning a weekly feature to help you jump start your creative process. 
What is your favorite color?
What is a title you can use with that color?
Ticked Pink
It was all Yellow
Orange you glad?
Why is this your favorite color?
What memories do you have of the color?
What does the color make you feel?

So here's my go at this week's Journaling Prompt:

Grey is my favorite color.
I felt so symbolic, yesterday (Counting Crows, Mr. Jones). Living in Western Washington you must embrace the grey, or surrender to the gloom that the filtered light brings in the long fall and winter months. My favorite grey is the sky in a deep steel, where the trees and the buildings look striking against the angry air. 

My favorite sweaters have always been grey.  I love the nip of cool air against a warm sweater and a well-loved pair of jeans.  The outfit is perfect for a fall walk where the wet trees drip in the breeze and shower the ground with crimson leaves.  A cup of hot coffee or tea is a welcome treat during an urban stroll along the avenue or after a trail exploration.

The Pacific Ocean flows in the full range of grey, and the foggy mist dulls the landscape into muted greens and browns.  I adore how the waves crash unforgivingly on the rocks, and how the sound of the ocean is enough to drown out the thoughts of my ever busy mind.  There is rarely release from the racing of my thoughts, so the ocean is a welcome harbor of peace.

So much beauty lies in grey.  Grey brings the beauty out of so much.  I hope that I am like grey.   

Sleep?

Time for sleep is not a happy time with Budgie.  She is so happy to be awake that trying to get her to relax is an impossible task, every day.  Her lovely teacher, Mrs. Pam, snuck these pictures of her avoiding naptime.  Sometimes, an expression says everything, and her little smirk in the top picture really makes me laugh at the futility of putting her down to rest, and her little pout on the bottom picture really reflects her distaste for the entire notion of going to bed, whatever the time may be.  Apparently, my baby likes to wear her heart on her face, and her thoughts aren't far from her little, bright eyes. 

Paper: Authentique Delightful.

Mid week Mojo

This week, I did a pretty loose interpretation of Kristy Lee's sketch at scrapbooksteals.com.

I love these old pics of my oldest in the snow. She's always been a toughie, unswayed by cold, hurt, or obstacles. She loved the snow. She still does. I love my strong girl. Hope she stays strong.

Valentine Canvas

I am loving making altered canvases.  This one was made for my husband on Valentine's day.  There is something fun about mixing media, and I adore how this turned out.

Supplies:
Paper- Authentique Journey
Paint- Daniel Smith Acrylic
Ribbon: May Arts

TAGS is awesome

I wanted a stamp for ATCs and cards. TAGS Awards and Trophies is in Lacey, WA and they do custom stamps. I did the art, and they made me a custom stamp! It was under $30 for both stamps, and well worth it.
http://www.tagstrophies.com/

Birthday Card

My dear friend celebrated a birthday yesterday, so I adapted a Kristy Lee sketch to make this card.

Her daughter stole it, so I suppose the card was a hit.

Paper: Crate Paper Farmhouse
Ribbon: May Arts

Love My Tech

Authentique Sketch Challenge

Papers from splendid and gathering

Hero to me

Another scrapbooksteals.com Mid Week Mojo. This week's sketch matched this picture I've meant to scrap for a couple of years.

My Grandad is my hero. He dropped out in 3rd grade, but is the smartest man I know. He grew up poor, the salvation army gave him shoes, and when he married my Grandma, he brought one box of things. She kept waiting for him to move in, and finally asked when he was going to bring his stuff, to which he simply answered, "I did".

They were Okies and sharecroppers, but he wanted better. They bought a fishing lodge in the Texas Hill Country and ran it themselves. He did all the work, and had to stay up on heavy rain nights to keep the dock from anchoring too low and sinking.

I learned to tell a story from him. He can tell a tale completely unbelievable, and you believe every word. It wasn't until I started telling my own that I realized I had learned from the best.

Kissing ball redux

Some projects turn out so pretty that it's fun to explore changing them up. I did a second kissing ball for a friend who requested a neutral color scheme with robin egg blue.

I just love how this one turned out too.

Ribbon- May Arts
Paper- Authentique foundation. Journey and Gathering.

Kissing Ball

The intern in the office loves to decorate her cubicle for holidays. I thought this would be a sweet gift that fits her personality.

Coasters

My dearest friend Heather and I craft while our hubbys watch football and our kids play. Yesterday, she decided to make some amazing coasters and asked if I'd play along. I'm always in for a project with Heather. The funny thing about Heather and I is that we are very much inside each other's head. I had been meaning to make coasters for about 6 months.

Of course the project started with a trip to buy tiles. While the tiles were needed, the trip was needed more. We each have spent the last full week stranded in our homes with our wonderful husbands and children, who turned out to be less wonderful in a large dose with no escape. It snowed, then iced, then snowed. On my street each day began with neighbors digging out their cars only to get stuck, spin out, and eventually giving up to return home. Except for the one set of neighbors we helped dig out three times because they had to work. The weather brought a stout dose of cabin fever, so the supply run was a welcome escape.

When we returned, we sat down and began the task of making the coasters, about halfway through, T, Heather's hubby, walked through and surveyed the scene.
"What are you making?"
"Coasters"
"You know that's paper, right?"
"Yes"
"It's gonna get wet"
"Yes"
"It's paper" (at this point he calls Greg in to survey the situation.)
"Greg, they're making coasters"
"Cool" (Greg has learned not to question our awesomeness.)
"It's gonna get wet, so are you gonna seal that or something?"
Heather quickly answers "We're sealing it"
"But you need spray or something"
"You mean this spray?" Heather points to the spray can on the table.
Meanwhile, the game does something interesting, and the boys wander back to the TV.

After we have a laugh at the boys, we continued on. The coasters turned out beautifully. Each set turned out to really represent our style. Heather's in the muted pink and and grey paper, and mine in the vibrant hot pink.

Play

Another MWM from scrapbooksteals.com. If you are looking for great sketches, go to their blog and search MWM. The amazing Kristy Lee is so talented when it comes to designing usable sketches.

I loved putting this one together because the photos caught my daughter's play so well. She's a busy bee and it's hard to capture the energy she has.

Opposites

My girls are polar opposites. My oldest is carefree, clumsy, and full of unbounded joy. My youngest is reserved, graceful, and precise. The youngest greets the world with a glare, the oldest, a smile.

They went to a local high school auto show and had a glorious time. Orange is the oldest's favorite color and the owner was happy to oblige a snapshot. The outcome of which is this photo which illustrates their contrast so well. They both were happy, but together, their personalities contrast each other so clearly.

The photo I haven't been able to get is the expression of my youngest's grace. She doesn't walk, she dances, and it's hilarious to watch. It is so sweet and lovely. For now, it's just ours to see. So baby, you keep glaring at the world, and share your grace as you see fit.

Snow Day!

I used Authentique Journey for this layout of Greg. I just love him grinning with the girls playing behind him in the snow.

My little one hated snow and cold, and could barely be drug outside by her older sister wildly professing her love for the winter scene. B would be out for a minute or two and then beg to go inside. A, however would be happiest staying outside until her fingers are completely numb.

Greg loves his little girls and indulge me by taking them out while I make the crew homemade hot cocoa. Our house is rarely calm and these brief moments in front of the fire with cocoa make me feel blessed. I love our crazy life, it makes the sweet moments so special.