Is this allowed? I ponder this very thing when I do it - hand off the camera to Ethan. I should really know better, but then again, I want him to have the freedom to express his curiosity for the lens. After all, he sees me with it all the time. Still, I should show caution...the lens is irreplaceable on today's budget.
One of the major downfalls of being a young widow is realizing that time is not on your side. I mention this because I feel like I'm aging at a rapid pace and every time I look in the mirror, I say to myself "What on earth is happening to me?" Maybe it's the stress or the fact that I'm not taking better care of myself..I'm not really sure, but I could use some tips for maintaining a semi-adequate appearance if there's ever to be an opportunity to meet another guy in the near future. Yes, I'm there. I'm thinking about the whole dating thing too. It scares the living daylights out of me to contemplate it, but I almost feel it's time. The biggest challenge will be figuring out how to meet other singles my age...I'm not a member of a church community and I rarely get out of the house to partake in late evening activities. I'm also without friends who know of other singles, so I'm pretty much on my own here. On top of that, I'm a total hermit! I love being home...I've never really had a reason to do anything different as Eric was a hermit too. Simply put, we were both nerds and to this day, I still am. So, I'm not rushing out the door every night to hang with the girls or hitting up events to mingle with people. It's not something I would do...how then does one go about dating again, especially at this age? I've not a clue....and the clock is ticking.
Now I'm really going to change the topic on you and introduce this latest layout that was instigated by one of Ethan's ferocious, cheezy grins. It was caught on camera during a late night routine trip inside the tub. This seems to be the going "grin" of the month because every time I take out my camera, it's what ultimately greets me and the lens. Typical four year old....still cute though.
There's one technique I want to point out from the project - it's of the butterfly above. I originally was going to play it safe and keep with just the two butterflies and compass combination (MME), but opted instead to add a few more layers. Not entirely surprising...I know. If you look closely though, you'll notice a plastic thick transparency circle between the two different sized butterflies. Do any of you remember when Fancy Pants released pre-cut transparency shape sets? I bought nearly every single one of them and boy, I'm sure glad I did 'cause I'm still crazy about plain ol' clear transparency shapes!! This circle is actually from one of the sets. On the backside of the circle, I whipped onto it a few minor paint splatters. I then housed it between the two butterflies - it brings another material to the table and ups the detailing. Love it.
Ring on top of ring. Both of them house a semi-transparent "U" (My Little Bicycle) which is hiding beneath it a peach/pink rose chipboard piece from "Dear Lizzy", American Crafts. The the smaller ring is trimmed from an Elle's Studio Kraft journal label and the large ring was taken from an Amy Butler Die-Cut collection pack (Jo Ann Fabrics - nearly retired).
I really want to make an effort to use more ribbon on my projects, but not necessarily long pieces of ribbon per say. Bits and pieces here and there seem enough to justify my expanding ribbon collection. I'm guilty of hoarding lots of ribbon (especially the vintage stuff!).
The wee lil' birds are from Brenda Walton's new Flora & Fauna Collection - find them here. I adhered the bird duo on top a medium size button and then positioned the button on a small section ribbon and Martha Stewart label sticker.
Journaling doesn't always have to jotted down on a clean background. I hadn't a ton of room to journal on my layout (well, technically I did, but not in the preferred location), so I took to adding it to an Elle's Studio Vintage Flashcard even though it's not your typical journaling spot. Sometimes, as scrapbookers, we have to think "outside the box" and resolve creative dilemmas via other alternate methods that are just as good or "good enough". Imperfection usually leads to great discoveries!!
I'm going to leave you with this thing here..yes, it'd be a cat in a sink. My sink to be more specific. The cat's name is Casper and I found him in this spot for no apparent reason other than maybe he's thirsty? Difficult to determine...cats have a mind of their own, especially this aging critter. Don't tell him I told you that though...he's still the most lovable cat I've ever owned!! I rescued him from the confines of a cage at the local humane society during my days at vet tech school!
When and if you have a chance, Tara Anderson has a flower tutorial that'll go live Wednesday morning at the Crate Paper blog and they're insatiably cute!! Paper Circles and Glitter - do visit them at some point today!
See you later!
