my_weblog

I can bring the flowers to daddy...

We made another visit to Eric's gravesite this week. I don't know why, but I feel closer to Eric when at his resting place. Knowing that he's literally "there", in the physical sense, makes baring his absense slightly easier. I even secretly tell myself that quite possibly, he's listening, or can hear my voice. In truth, the only real listening that's happening is from above, not below. Still, I'm pretty good at fooling myself. Six feet isn't so far. It's reason enough to believe, pretend, even convince myself, that what I say, matters more. My prayers won't go amiss.

I had a full week, hense less updates here. I apologize. I will try to do better next week. Too much going on, but honestly, I don't mind. It's good for me to get out and enjoy life!  

Today's agenda includes sitting down at my scrapbook desk with the latest Elle's Studio kit. They'd recently hosted a giveaway of the kit at the Crate blog. I promised Elle, my sweet friend, that I'd give some love to the kit's contents and create something wonderful from them...should be relaxing, and fun. 

A few final images from the visit..Ethan has been interacting more and more with Eric at the gravesite. He's even taken to brief conversations with him. When in the car on our way there, he suggested I "stay in the car" while he carried the flowers to "Dad". Of course, we both made the trip. I couldn't see letting him do it alone. It just goes to show you how much he loves his dad. 

Spring Time Traditions & New Pop Layout!

 

Like many of you, Minnesota residents saw an early Spring this year. And with it, came warm weather, ranging from the 60's to the 70's. Now, to some of you, that might not seem like a big deal, but to Minnesotans, it's pure paradise. Laugh. Very rarely do we have the good fortune of such temperatures this early in the year. Normally, we experience them around Mid-May or so, but it looks like we got lucky! Already, Ethan's enjoyed the sprinkler, the leaky bubble maker, the disorganized sandbox, the new big-boy bike, and the usual Summer treats, like popsicles and watermelon! We've even taken to walks around the block a dozen or so times...love the warm weather. Yes, we do.

 I snapped a couple shots of Ethan nibbling on a popsicle a few weeks ago during a warm afternoon heatwave. His friends had been over and on the front porch after a long play session in the sprinkler. I brought them towels to dry off with, and strawberry popsicles to nibble on!  They were a very happy group of kiddo's that afternoon. And, for a minute there, it almost felt like Summer!

Last week, while out at Archivers with a friend, I started working on a layout with the photos I had captured. Since then, I've been slowly adding to it. My schedule is so random these days. I do most of my scrapbooking at night, when all is quiet and peaceful.  Last night, I finally finished the layout and couldn't be happier about the outcome - it's a beautiful rendition of lazy Summer Days and all it's coinciding simple pleasures like biking, kite flying, butterflies, sunshine, flowers, and delicious Summer treats.

 

Butterflies {Martha Stewart}  take on a little bit of sparkle via the addition of shiny pink sequins and yellow antiqued brads. Surrounding them are chipboard clouds {Cosmo Cricket}, an animated sun {Bella Blvd. - THANK-YOU Stephanie!!}, a sprinkling of punched yellow chevron dots, red floral buttons {Bella Blvd.}, and large red/pink ornate journal spots {Anna Griffin}.

 

Tucked beneath an array of layers is this cute "Spring" tag from We R' Memory Makers. I'm a huge fan of their die-cut tags! They're well designed, and very affordable. 

 

In the right, lower corner of the layout is a mini shadow box. It's filled with B/W chevron patterned paper, a lt. turquoise  journal spot {Cosmo Cricket}, an Ampersand sticker {October Afternoon}, and other misc. phrase stickers {Bella Blvd., American Crafts}. I propped the surrounding frame on strips of foam core pop dot material {leftovers trimmed into strips}. The frame is from an old K & Company collection - it's cheery and bright. 

 

Snippets, Snippets, and more Snippets. I can't say that I'm very good at using them. Personally, I find random pieces of hand-trimmed papers difficult to work with. Still, I see everyone playing them up with a dissaray of paint drops/mist., stitching, fabrics, white space, etc. I have yet to figure out how they do it, but I envy their ability to see outside the box of everyday traditional scrapbooking. I'm still stuck in "grid format", but it's what ultimately works best for my style. White space has never really been my friend...neither has paint. Laugh. Kuddo's to those that can make magic from both! 

 

I'm still obsessed with American Craft's double stick tape. It's the best adhesive for adding strips of glitter to one's project! Here, I applied gold glitter to a 1' wide strip of double stick tape, and then set it underneath a punched border strip {Martha Stewart}. 

 

Anyone care to take a guess as to the owner of this red bike? That's right, Crate Paper! It's a brand new design from the Story Teller collection chipboard set. I've been looking for an excuse to use it, and finally, it has a home! Makes me want to go out and buy a bright red bike to take on trips to the lake and other bike-friendly locations...currently, I'm without one, but it's on my  "to-buy" list. 

Not sure if you noticed, but I added a "Pin It' button to the bottom and sidebar of my blog. Please do "follow" me at Pinterest if you're someone that adores color and eclectic designs as much as myself. I'm also a big food lover..Pinterest has me cooking, finally! Yeah!

 

A Surprise Arrival + My Favorite Photoshop Actions

I experienced a moment of glee when FedEx showed up at my doorstep yesterday with a large American Crafts box with my address on it. I knew that inside would be Crate Paper's Story Teller & Pretty Party embellishments. Their arrival from China was just a few short weeks ago, so I'd been anticipating them. Around dinner time, I removed the new embellishments from the box and set-up them up for a quick photography run. Thought you'd enjoy seeing them...especially the bronzed copper frames {Made from thick, light-weight epoxy, not metal}.

Supplementing the buttons this time around are floral cabochons brads in various shades of pink. The complimentary mix coincides well with Pretty Party's "precious girl" theme. 

 

Story Teller is similar to a lot of collections out there right now. It cater's to the everyday moments that are vastly popular with Project Life followers. It's also a great neutral collection to have hanging around to use on projects about traveling, family, and other "general themes". And did I mention that it's color palette includes "Navy Blue"? Oh my goodness, I can't get enough of the color these days...and Emerald. Beautiful.

If you hadn't noticed, Crate Paper expanded it's embellishment collection. Sadly, the planned upon Washi Tape release is no longer. Certainly bummed about the news, but these cute clips more than make-up for it :) And so do the new wooden frames!! Yeah! My favorite of the bunch!

 

Finding time to be creative is still a major challenge for me, though to make it happen, I've been scrapbooking nearly every night into the wee hours of the morning.  Normally, which I'll openly confess to, I'm not much of a late night scrapbooker, but I'm desperate and trying to make the best of the situation. Currently on my desk is a layout-in-progress and a bunch of colorful product piles. I love to surround myself with scrapbook supplies while working on projects. Like a map, I go to them for direction as they often lead to the next great idea! I also like to have a lot of options - honestly, I couldn't scrapbook the way I do without a vast and varied selection of fun items to pick from...

I call this a "die-cut/tag/journaling card" pile. I go through each of my color coordinated die-cut baskets before beginning a new project. I focus on only those baskets that support my project's color palette. Takes about fifteen minutes to get through the process, but it's worth it because it forces me to use "what I own". Plus, pretty displays like this one are a nice surprise once the selection process is finished. Seeing it all come together is satisfying within itself.

 

And always on my desk is this bird/butterfly filled bowl. You can never really have too many of them as far as I'm concerned. ;)

 

You know I can't leave this place without showing a small assembly of photos of my little guy. This morning, Ethan took out his old fix-it kit. When I asked him what he was making, he responded, "I'm making the letter "F", mommy. Wanna see? It's really cool! It even plays music - here are the speakers. Look!" Sure enough, there it was, the letter "F". A big ol' grin came over my face. He'd actually built a figurative object, and of all things, a letter! He's so much like his dad...laugh. I love it. And wouldn't you know it, he brought the letter with him to daycare today to show grandpa. I'm sure my dad loved it as well. 

 

I know that some of you have inquired about what I use to edit my images in Photoshop. Well, here's the secret; Kubota Artistic Tools. A photographer friend introduced them to me a long time ago, and I've been hooked on them ever since. They're intended for the serious photographer. The actions themselves are extremely smooth, easy to use, and combine beautifully. They're also built into a separate dashboard that acts as a mini search engine for locating all your favorite Kubota actions. The board is slick, too - Just pull it open after starting photoshop and you're set to go! 

The reason I mention this is because Kubota is having a huge sale now through April! I'd heard about it via email this morning. All action sets are nearly 50% off! Trust me, this is a really good deal. I went about picking up Viva La Vintage and Pow Wow as soon as I got word of the price. They're reliably good...and are worth the cost.

An Easter Recap + Celebrating Spring

 Easter is one of those holidays that rarely catches me off guard as to Eric's absense. Instead, it brings an enormous sense of  renewal and hope to the inner struggles that often compromise my ability to see beyond just today. My sorrows part way to make room for new possibilities as I watch mother nature transform her surroundings, all of which is beautiful. And the happiness that finds me is a comfort - finally, a chance to escape the isolation of Winter, what a relief....thank goodness for Spring.

On Easter, we spent a greater portion of the day with family. First, we traveled to my hometown of Cottage Grove for an afternoon at my parent's place. Aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and anyone else you can think of was there, along with enough food to feed an army. Leave it to my mom to keep us from starving - love her for that :) In addition, an egghunt of mass proportions had been undertaken by the kiddo's. Each of them stuffed their tin buckets to the top with plastic eggs galore. It had been too much fun!  Now, they'll never be without candy again. laugh. As if the easter bunny hadn't been generous enough, we'll be forever endebted to sweets the rest of Spring. 

 

And there you have it, a petite summary of our Easter weekend "in-action". Tomorrow, I have plans to introduce a new Q & A session, and thereafter, a sneak peek at my messy desk and the inside contents of a special box from one of my favorite manufacturers! Happy Belated Easter to all of you! Thanks for checking in!

Prompt Box: March 20, 2012

 

 

 

"What was the last book you read?" 

Books. I feel like there has been five or six of them in the last couple of months that I've read at least half-way through. Yes, only half-way. Does that ever happen to you? Reach page hundred, and then "what's that? A new book? Yes, please!" And then on to the next subject. I'm easily pursuaded by the barrage of non-fiction books at the local library, especially those found at the new arrival section. Sometimes, if one is lucky, a new "handmade/craft" publication will pop up. I usually grab it, look through it, and if I love it, bring it home.  Though, the last book I read hadn't anything to do with the subject of crafting. In deals more in the personal journey of loss and the "difference between meaningless pain and the manifestation of understanding and wisdom" - and is appropriately titled, "Grieving Mindfully" {Sameet M. Kumar}. 

So far, I have found the book to be fascinating in regards to the subject of grief. Actually, one of the reasons I picked it up is because I feel I've reached a stagnation point in my grief journey. I've fallen into an "inbetween" stage that is about to propel me forward, where there are all kinds of enormous unknowns. Before I step foot in that direction, there are a couple of prepatory items I'd like to take care of, self exploration included. I'm hoping that by reading more about mindfullness, I'll have gained some tools to help prepare for the future and also, to fully embrace the person I am today. 

Now it's your turn...What was the last book you read?

Prompt Box + Q & A

Q & A. Instead of project life, I'm working on a "Prompt" box . What exactly is it? It's a culmination of daily questions and individual-based responses from the perspecitive of both art, and journaling.  The idea came to me a month ago after locating this fascinating journal, Q & A, at a local Barnes and Nobel store. I'd seen it before, but hadn't thought to bring it home with me. Inside, listed on each page, is the date, a self-exploration question, and five response areas. The instructions insist that you keep the journal a total of five years and for each one, answer all 365 questions. It's then suggested that you go back and compare your answers from year to year.

I think the overall concept of the journal is fantastic, which is why I'm using it to create a "Prompt" box. Inside the box, are going to be visual and verbal "response" cards to some of the questions that cross my path while working on the journal.The front of each card is purely decorative - it's an open area to take on a question using a more hand-on's, artistic approach. The question itself and the coinciding response, is located on the backside. Also listed, is the date. After the card is completed, it's tucked into the box along with the others. Once the clear,cube shaped box is beyond capacity, another is added, same color, shape and style. :)

Box Purchasing Source: The Container Store

 

The clear box was inspired by a recent trip to Stillwater's Mara Mi stationary store. While perusing the gorgeous store, I ran across a costly clear acrylic box that was no where near my budget, but was absolutely beautiful! I thought to myself that maybe I could justify the expence if I used it in an exceptionally personal way via a series of something. Still, the price seemed unreasonable, so I let the idea go..until...two minutes later, I ran into a much cheaper version of almost the same thing at the very same store. Lucky Lady! No questions asked, I bought it.

 I had planned on jumping into the cards tonight, but way beyond the midnight mark :-) Instead, I'll rejoin you in another day or two and give you a full peek at what I've done so far! Questions + Answers included! Here's some more prettiness to hold you over until then...night everyone!

 

Scrapbook and Cards Spring Issue + Cookie Love

Last night, I found a box sitting on my porch. I recognized it right away as "Scrapbook and Cards Today". I new inside would be a layout I'd contributed toward their "Watch'em Bloom" article for the new Spring issue! Let me tell you, I simply adore the magazine because it's well executed all around, the projects are always beautifully photographed, the project ideas are original, the print quality is crisp and clean, and it's available online for those without a subscription for FREE! Have I sold you on it yet?! Laugh. No, seriously, the founder/publisher, Catherine Tachdjian, is the sweetest,kindest person I've ever had the pleasure to meet. And Becky Fleck, the magazine's editor-in-chief,  is a joy to work with! They put a great deal of thought and effort into the production of each and every single issue. Both are huge fans of Crate Paper, too! We love that!!

 

This embossed flower is easy, peasy! 

1. Hand trim three different size circles from Vanilla cardstock.

2. Stamp each with a dotted background stamp using embossing ink. Sprinkle with white embossing powder and melt with a heat gun.

3. Spritz with Robin's Egg Spray Mist.

4. Using a brad and button, combine the circles to create your flower!

 

And if you're lucky enough, you'll find "Cardmaps 2" at your local nearby scrapbook store (also available for purchase at the Scrapbook and Cards website).. Even though I'm not a card maker per say, I still consider card publications like this a valuable resource for alternative technique offerings. It's not at all uncommon to discover me standing at JoAnns with a card making magazine in my hands. Believe it or not, card makers are pro's when it comes to reinventing embellishments and paper layering! They're wayyyy ahead of the curve in this department! And it's super easy to transfer card ideas to layouts! ;)

 ~

It's Spring, so what have we been up to? Lots, lots, lots. Lucky for us, Spring arrived three weeks early in Minnesota. Ethan's been beyond excited about it, so much so, that he's had me outside almost every day the last couple of weeks. We've been hanging out at parks, taking walks around the block and navigating our favorite ice cream shops! It's also the season for "birthday parties" - Last weekend, Ethan's niece and nephew hosted a science themed party with kid friendly science experiments and an actual scientist. It was very cool! 

After having noticed a tree down during a routine "park" visit, Ethan ran straight for the saw dust - while tossing the stuff around, he snuck my iPhone from it's resting spot, and tossed it as well. I just about had a heart attack when I watched the phone hit the ground. Thankfully, the ridiculously overpriced phone case came to the rescue at the moment of impact! Think I'm finally getting my money's worth out of the thing. Jeez. 

One last adventure to share..choco cookie making. If I have one food weakness, it's chocolate chip cookies. I've had great success at maintaining my goal weight since I lost it last Summer, but I still can't stay away from the cookie jar. Just look at these things....they beg to be added to my thighs!!

Ahhhh, relief. Tastes nummy!  And all thanks to Pinterest - so far, it's the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I've come by via Pinterest.

The Infamous Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Have a great weekend you guys! I'm off to bake more cookies for a special friend. Catch you next week!

Mr. Casual + Super Tall Ethan

Hello! Hello! It's slow night and I'm home cozied up on the couch with my computer. Thought it'd be the perfect moment to share with you a brand new layout I made a few weeks ago. Like an underused paperweight, it sat on my desk for nearly two weeks, unfinished! For some odd reason, I'd been quite particular about it's design as I kept going back and forth with ideas. Soon though, the layout reached a happy place and found a temporary home in my living room. It's so very pretty.

The fuzzy mugshot was taken by Ethan just last week. I love it.  I think he caught me at a really good moment :)

Speaking of which, here's a fresh image of my lil' guy! I swear, in the last month or so, he's grown signifigantly taller. I'm close to calling a bet that he'll be taller than me by the time he reaches second grade - what do you think? It's not hard to topple 4'11", not when your dad is 6'3" and contributes half his genes to you. :) 

 ~

 During my last semester at Argosy University while training to be a veterinary technician, I met up with this cute fella, Casper, from the humane society. He'd been brought in to be "prepped" for adoption. Sure enough, I grew attached to him right away, and eventually, I'd been given the option to own him before his dismissal to the shelter. I didn't hesitate a second in making my decision to bring him home. Fast forward seven years, Casper is twelve, and there's no mistaken that he's the COOLEST CAT to have crossed my path. I call him Mr. Casual 'cause nothing bothers him - he's a happy kitty and we love having him around.

 

Most my layouts start with a specific technique in mind, such as this one with it's glass glitter polka-dots and stamped windows. The dots are trimmed from American Crafts extra-wide double-stick tape using a small pair of scissors. Their then applied in and around the vertical line of windows, before given a sprinkling of glass glitter.

The windows are pre-stamped {MME/Stella and Rose Collection} with their centers removed via scissors.Tucked behind them is a sheet of yellow floral pattern paper {MME/Miss Caroline Collection} and a playful arrangement of phrase stickers {Cosmo Cricket/Tiny Text}.

 

Sometimes, the prettiest of prints can be found in small hand-held journals. I keep a couple on hand for taking apart during those moments when I'm desperate for uniqueness and unpredictability. Traditional scrapbook products occasionally feel monotonous to me. To change that up, I reach outside the realm of everyday norms and pull in design elements one might not think to use on a regular basis, such as this watercolor bird from my favorite illustrator, Geninne D. Zlatkis .

 

Since the start of this hobby, I've managed to collect a couple dozen 7 Gypsies themed sticker sheets. I keep them in a bin with the rest of the "phrase" sticker sets I own, which is further divided by manufacturer. The "to purr is feline" is from 7 Gypsies "Feline" sticker sheet. It's positioned on top a piece of Crate Paper chipboard {Portrait Collection} and is layered with kraft cardstock & yellow patterned paper that fits snuggly inside this adorable Crate Paper polaroid frame {Random Collection}. The yellow rose card just beneath the frame is naturally, October Afternoon {Farmhouse Collection}.

 

I find it vastly fun to figure out new ways to utilize my much neglected ribbon collection. This time, I went the route of trimming two different kinds of ribbon, vintage and new, and layered them between two flowers, one fabric {Prima}, the other paper {October Afternoon/Farmhouse Collection}.

**Hint: Staple the two pieces of ribbon together first :) Makes pairing them super easy!  Saves on the whole adhesive dilemma as well.

 

Vintage cameras are a common theme amongst scrapbook manufacturers this season, not that I don't mind, because I adore them to pieces. This camera sticker from Echo Park {This & That Charming Collection} sat waiting on my desk, but was facing a serious problem; it's lenses were missing. Laugh. With the assistance of two clear epoxy stickers, I was quickly able to bring it back into focus. 

A couple extra details shots... 

And there you have it my friends, a new fancy, shiny layout to admire for a couple of days before my next update. And I so appreciate the warm welcome that many of you gave me upon my return last week!! Yeah! Made me so very HAPPY! Thank-you!!! I feel improved already and I'm steadily anticipating what's ahead, both in my personal & creative life! I'm also in the middle of a new mixed media class - I'll tell you all about it soon! Yeah! Thanks again you guys! You're the best'est!

 

Permanent Return - Hello Friends!

Spring is here! It means a new beginning. A fresh start. And I sure could use one right about now. It's been a brutal Winter  on many levels. I discovered I wasn't ready for love. After a couple dozen dates, two potentials, and my rejection of both, the truth was realized; I have a ways to go before giving my heart to someone. My identity is still on the fritz. It appears that the unforgiving nature of widowhood is demanding I refurbish a safety jacket for myself before jumping ship. I can't say I'm thrilled about it, but I believe that God has sincere intentions in all of this - I have to be patient, listen to my heart and be ok living the solo life. More importantly, I believe he desires that I know more of myself, and that I jump with both feet hitting the water at the same time. It make's perfect sense, but the processing continues on my end. Rebuilding is hard work, but I'm not where I thought I'd be at this point. "So, what exactly was I expecting by the fourth year?"  Here's the list...

• Complete, total self-reliance - turns out that I'm not very good at managing light fixtures in our home. I pulled one off the ceiling a couple weeks ago by accident. Thankfully, Jeff, a close confidant of mine, is an electrician and offered his services to replace the fixture - hurray for handymen!
• Man Material - supposedly, year five is the ticket to finding Mr.Right...straight from the mouth of a psychic. So far, she's a 100% accurate!
• An Established Career - guess having that piece of paper is important afterall. Two years to go.
• A Blossoming Social Life - here's the biggest confession of all; my social life is 'nil. There's no time. And I don't even know where to go to meet people. I'm making it a goal to "get out" this Summer. Anyone up for a weekly scrapbook visit at the local Archivers? Love to start a local scrapbook hub of sorts...looking for members to join me. 
• Peace with the Past - there are still occasions when I'd like to hit the rewind button, followed by the pause button. No such luck. Living with loss takes time.
• Identity Crisis Year Two, not Year Four - Sometimes, I feel like a stranger to my own self. Very little about me is recognizable these days. A door has opened and the person inside is requesting I get to know her better. She's the next great challenge on this widowhood journey -  .
• The Single Parent Expert - There are days when I feel like pulling my hair out. Being a single parent is tough business. It is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Amazingly, we're chugging along smoothly...but, I'm  still no expert.
• Chasing Dreams - Not enough time in the day to chase them. Plus, food and shelter are always first. :) 
• ART - I love art. It's a passion that's followed me since childhood. I put it on the back burner years ago. Lately, it's grip on me has been impossible to ignore. Creativity is calling!
• Inside the Widowhood Community - last, but not least, I always pictured myself connecting indepth with other young widows. Just recently, I located a local "young widow" organization - it's been a goal of mine to find out more about them. I want to contribute. I want to be useful. 

It's a hefty list, isn't it? It might even be too much. I'm firmly aware that I shouldn't be so hard on myself. None the less, to reflect upon it is healthy, in my mind. In a small way, it establishes a clearer picture of what I need to work on the next couple of years. Positive attitude, right?! Ok then, I'm done..and yes, blogging is in my future. I miss it tremendously. Stick with me, and I promise to turn this place around, starting with a couple updates a week ;)

I plan to make it a weekly routine to partake in a night of scrapbooking at one of the local Archivers. Anyone already in the habit? Would love to find a group (or create a group)to enable my scrapbooking addiction! :))

Temporary Hiatus...

Crate Paper CHA Designs :: Find Here

So, here's the deal folks, I'm running two blogs at the same time..might be wondering what that second blog is all about, so let me give you a hint - "Crate Paper". Was that obvious enough? Laugh. Yes, my day job entails working alongside the talented, well known group of people over at Crate Paper/American Crafts. I love my job. Been at it for "4" years..people often are curious about how I came to find Crate Paper. Honestly, it's a long story, and one I'll direct a little later on. For now, I'd like to focus on a minor announcement I've been contemplating the last week or so...

I'm temporarily departing from this location until mid-May. The reason being is because I'm unable to contribute to my blog as often as I'd like and school has me sitting on top a pile of homework that never stops growing. Laugh. In order to maintain balance and to keep from feeling endless guilt about not making myself more present here, I thought a "blog vacation" would do the trick! It's a temporary solution to a busy life! Though, I might still pop in once in a while with a personal story or random project. There are a couple of exciting things coming up that'll probably be worth talking about, including a speed dating session that'll be a first for me, and a published project I've yet to share..yes, life has gotten crazy, but now that I'm here, there's no going back! I couldn't be happier.

Please, do check back on occassion - the official date of return is the week of May 14th.

~ You'll still find me at Crate Paper!! ~