6th photo in 6th folder

Well…I had to modify this a tad bit — I had to go 4 folders deep before I got to any photos (I’m a little anal)…but this is the 6th photo in the 6th folder four folders in…it’s a neat tag that Becky Fleck phosted on her site. The idea is to “randomly” pick the sixith photo in the 6th folder in your pictures directory and write about it.

This photo is from last summer when Emily was in drama camp “Spaced Out” — she played the planet Mercury (hence the thermometer hanging around her neck.) I still can’t determine what the fuzzy ball headband things were…but she loved them all the same. She lit up on stage like no other child that day. Objectively speaking, of course. She had a ball — no fear. Actually she was a total ham and to some extent, I thought, disruptive to the others because she kept “stealing” center stage. While many of our friends thought it was adorable, I was a little embarrassed…but Mike and I laughed all the way through it. The big disappointment was forgetting the camcorder.

But, all in all, she’s a star and this first theatrical performance surely implanted the acting/singing bug in her. Like mother, like daughter.

a SWEET challenge

Once again, Beck Fleck (owner of my favorite sketch site pagemaps.com — see my favorite links) has challenged us with a sketch. I think I am getting in BARELY under the wire…but, here’s my take on her latest sketch challenge. You can’t see it in the photo really well — but I added liquid glass and glitter to the bottom halves of the chipboard letters SNOW — it looks cool, if not a little more subtle that I anticipated, in person. And, of course, the papers & photos look much brighter in real life, too. Thanks for checking it out!

Yes, that is your face buried in the pile of snow

I’ve spent some time looking at some of the other entries — it’s so fun to see how others interpret these sketches. Here are a few of the MANY I found inspiring:

http://www.scrapinstyletv.com/portfolio/view_layout.php?layout_id=150677&user_id=9361

http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/pg.asp?cmd=display&layout_id=1438674

http://emilyjones.typepad.com/controlledchaos/2009/01/basic-grey-yum.html

http://creativelymine.blogspot.com/2009/01/bittersweet.html

Awesome job, ladies!!!

PageMaps Ye Be Thankful Sketch Contest

Okay…so, I try. Really I do. I completed the last contest Becky Fleck posted. The winner would get to be published in an upcoming issue of the magazine…I went out an bought new paper. Did a really cute page converting her 8.5 X 11 sketch into a 12 X 12. I just loved it. Got it done early. Never got it posted. Ha! Bummer.

So, here she is, challenging us again (THANK YOU!) She rocks, by the way, so if you haven’t checked out her site and you’re a scrapper, you are missing out. Check her out HERE. This challenge is to scrap a single page of something we are thankful for. Lucky me, I had recently taken this picture of Emily. She was actually looking at the camera — and I (mostly) have her in frame and in focus LOL! So, it’s not that original…I am mostly thankful that she is in my life and that she is just who she is. I wouldn’t change a thing.

I altered the sketch a bit with a hidden journaling block. But, most everything else is dead on.

I just love these Crate papers -- double sided makes it tough, though, because I hate "wasting" the side I glued down!!

Here’s with the tag out:

Showing the journal block

And, finally — some of the details. I pierced little holes along the bottom of the scallop, added some rhinestones along the doodled border, distressed the edges of the cardstock (close to my heart) and glittered “lucky” in my title.

Thanks for checking it out!

Get out to vote (and don’t forget the camera)

While I primarily post scrap pages, lately I’ve been to wrapped up in the outside world to do much scrapping. I am anxiously awaiting the elections on Tuesday. I feel so emotionally connected to this outcome, I can’t stand it.

This year, regardless of what happens, history will be made. I will have my camera on hand at the polls to take pictures of the lines (I hope there are long, long, long lines!!!), the sineage on the street corners and maybe even the ballot itself. (I don’t know if there are rules against cameras in the polling locations…?)

I am also volunteering with Kids Vote, which encourages school-aged kids to cast a ballot for the presidential elections as well as the local ones. Hopefully, I can snag a few pictures of these kids, too.

Whatever your political stance — whichever candidate you support, go out and make your voice heard! Vote on Tuesday. Vote, vote, vote. And, if you’re like me, take your camera along so you can scrap this page of yourself doing what we are blessed to be able to do — vote. And share this bit of history with all your generations to come. They will know we were there on the day that history was made. How cool is that?

Scrap Weekend

I am attending an all-weekend scrapbook retreat in November. I am so excited and mentally ready…but my scrap situation leaves much to be desired. A while back I started scrapping “out of order” and now I am left floundering…I don’t know where to begin collecting the items I want to take with me. Finish up some “old” albums? Begin a new one? I have been contemplating going back and starting an album about me and my life….there is so much to scrap, and all this pressure I put on myself to “get caught up” and to “finish”. Why do we do that to ourselves???

I think I just need to approach the weekend with a fun, relaxed frame of mind. Perhaps if I approach it with a “girls weekend away” with scrapping on the side, I can allow myself to just have FUN and not worry about how much I get done.

Having said that…I do like to go in organized. I need to come up with a system of organizing papers and pictures so I have everthing I think I’ll need to get my LOs done….hmmmm…..

ColorStory Challenge #8

It’s been a few months since I’ve had time to play. But I am back in the saddle and had to give this colorstory challenge a whirl. I loved the colors and loved the idea of “quilting” together a page…if only I knew how to sew. I have the machine…collecting dust in my guest bedroom…perhaps one of these days. It’s a bit hard to see, but I distressed the edges of everything–including the base cardstock. The effect in person is stunning…it actually looks like cotton material. Love it. Thanks, colorstory for the inspiration!

 

Wet and Wild

 

Click the image to see a larger view!

PageMaps Blog Challenge

Okay, so I may be new to blogging, but I am not new to Becky Fleck’s PageMap sketches. Her sketches (and her site –) ROCK! I’ve been a huge fan (and avid scraplifter) for a long time. She now has a blog and is offering a challenge as a way to jump start it off. By the number of posts she’s received on this challenge…I am sure her blog will ROCK as well.

Here’s my take:

I’d hate to be the one to pick just one entry –I checked out several (by no means ALL!!) and found some that were just simply too awesome not to share:

My Daily Snapshots

Scrappy Side of Me

Melanie’s Photos

Four

Five

A little class I’m teaching for Cut the Crop!

Okay! So, here is a little something I’ve been working on lately. This is a class that I will be teaching during Cut the Crop’s On-line Crop June 20-22. I’ll be “teaching” this June 20 at 9PM EST. In addition to my class, there will be other classes, an “ugliest page contest” and a bunch of games and challenges. It’s so much fun to get involved – come give it a gander.

It was my first attempt at a clear album – and it was SO much fun…and surprisingly simple. My biggest challenge was the 3″ circle!!! (I like to work BIG!) If you’d like to play along, go to cutthecrop.com and check out all the crop details.

There are also some other great classes being taught by other design team members. If you have any questions, just ask!

Friday Evening Post

While I am no Norman Rockwell, and certainly blogging was beyond his wildest imaginations, here I am on a Friday evening, venturing into this world of blogging. I often said, “Not me. No way. As if…”

However, I have found some wonderful inspiration for my scrapping hobby (some would call it a passion) on the web. I love how so many artists post their pages and their work for all to see. As a graphic designer by day, I enjoy the collaborative effort and sense of community blogging provides. So, welcome to my blog. Thanks for coming on this adventure with me.

And, with a little luck, I just may inspire some of you!