card challenge | ormolu

i ran across this post at the Ormolu blog and i knew i wanted to do it!!
i knew the colors that i would do, too!

so this is my un-Valentine Valentine card :)

thanks for stopping by!! :)

just me

i didn't really know how to title this post...
it's just me sharing a little something.
since my post on watercolor fun i have been having LOTS
of fun playing :)
i don't think i have played this much with watercolors since i was a
little girl! fun times :)
when i came across this album cover from a song i purchased recently on
iTunes, it gave me the inspiration to do a watercolor layout.

the song in and of itself is so inspirational. the artist tells his story so well.
i related in a different way.
one of my favorite lines is, "I can't give you half my heart, and pray He makes you whole."
and i thought, i do that, too. i ask God to make me or a situation whole, but i don't always
give Him all of me. the good and the bad. the broken or the beaten down. not always.
He wants ALL of me--all of my joys, happiness, praises, sadness, hard times, anger, and tears.
ALL of it.
this year has been hard for me. a personal struggle of ups and downs. that's life.
but this year has been particularly difficult with the passing of my Dad this past August.
if you ( the blessed 2 ;) ) have followed my blog at all, i have given you glimpses of my hardships.
i don't openly share the full extent of my life here because it's not something that i choose to do.

this layout was good for me because it reminds me that God wants me all of the time and i need to
remember to focus on him more and more everyday. now, i can physically go back and look at this, and smile, resting in His care. i love that.
thanks for looking.
have a blessed day, friends!! :)
xo

she is FIERCE!

i have seen this quote circulated as a tattoo on Pinterest.
i loved it from the moment i saw it!
i decided to create it in photoshop to use for my life.
hang it up. remember.

happy Friday!
have a blessed weekend! :)

added: this girl is worth a listen! you won't believe what you see/hear! :)

watercolor fun

the past few days have been a bit, "bleh"
i needed something to preoccupy my mind.
i saw this video tutorial by Amy Tan on the Studio Calico blog and
thought, "this is it. easy & fun"
let's do this.
Amy gives you step by step instructions on how to get this look.
you have to be freestyle about it or it won't work.
i chose not to water down a lot of the mists b/c i liked the deeper color.
i also added some Studio Calico shine for some shimmer!

i just had these watercolors at home. i probably picked them up at WalMart or Michael's.

i played around with color and even "wrote" with my paint brush. as you can also see, i had a pad of
watercolor paper laying around that i cut down to 4x6. i am planning on using these as journaling/insert cards for Project Life.

i didn't like how the heart turned out on the card below, so i cut it out and am planning on attaching it to the family strip above.

the funny thing was...the whole time i was doing this
i was giggling because i remember how much i HATED art in school!!
art, reading, etc were never disciplines that were encouraged in my home.
i was always a strict math/science girl.
it's funny to see how i have changed over the years and leaned more towards creative stuff.
i still LOVE math & science, but the other side of my brain is getting a good workout as well. :)




one last share...

Happy Wednesday!! :)

happenings| jan. 2012

*things are changing...for the better.
*i am feeling better.
*we are moving--this is something we have prayed about for some time. it's a good thing.
                            same town, different house. downsizing.
*i have been taking pics around the house lately to remember this journey. it's been good.

after looking at these, it seems i have a thing for shadows, light, reflections... :)

*the rain here has been insane! INSANE! not just this winter, but the past 2 years...rain, rain, rain...
some dryer weather would be nice. i think i will move to Arizona.

*i am continuing with my OLW from last year, trust, but on my own. no class.

  i am also feeling the words of a couple of my online friends:  
-->intentional inspired by Jenny Meyerson
-->less inspired by Nicole Reaves

*putting project life aside for a while. i struggle between really having motivation and wanting to love it to saying to myself, "i told you so!"
i am struggling with it being cohesive to me.
BUT, it has helped me to be more intentional about uploading pictures and documenting daily life.
i may end up abandoning the traditional format and giving it a go my own way. not sure yet.
for now, i need to let it rest.

i believe 2012 is holding a lot of potential. i am eager to grab it!

happy Wednesday!! :)
xoxo

sharing | Sunday sketch

when i got an e-mail from the fabulous Kelly Purkey about doing a take on Studio Calico's
Sunday sketch, i was like,"heck, yes, i'll do it!!!"
of course, that isn't what i replied... ;)
you can hop on over to the Studio Calico blog to see the full post and the design that inspired me.

first, the card...

 

and the layout...

i only had to create one thing, but i overachieved a bit and created both :)

i am so happy that i had this opportunity to create and share what i love.

thanks again, kp!! ;)

happy scrappy Saturday!!

i rarely get to scrap on the weekend b/c they are normally FULL of things to do and places
to go. this morning i had the rare opportunity to sit and scrap on a Saturday morning! woohoo! :)

a few things about this layout:
1) it is my first layout using cuts from my new Silhouette Cameo. i think this will be an
awesome machine, but i got dealt a bum blade ...ragged cuts=ruined cardstock :(  waiting on a new one to be shipped...their CS was great! can't complain there.
the hearts, "me & you" and the happy frame were all cut from the Cameo.

2) Martha Stewart office supplies!! at Staples. hello!!!  typed on the old typewriter on the blue label. love. it's just a good thing that we don't have one here in town ;)

3) trying hard to use most of my Studio Calico January kit. i confess that i am bad about not using it and hoarding my supplies.


have a great weekend!! :)

cluster, tilt, sew, staple

after looking through my gallery over at Studio Calico the other day, it came to me!
i have a "style"
it's called... cluster, tilt, sew and/or staple! :)
those are the styles or techniques that are invariably on every layout i create.
just look at the post below for a perfect example!

1)clustering:  i love putting photos, papers, embellishments in a cluster fashion & normally to the right or left of the page.
2) tilting: i can't help myself on this one. i most generally always tilt my photos. it kind of makes me chuckle! ;)
3) sewing/stapling: my must do technique(s) for ANY layout. sewing just adds dimension and a little edginess...edgy maybe b/c i don't stick to straight lines here either ;)
this also helps secure ribbon or anything else that is not sticking well. honestly, i haven't found an adhesive that would do a better job.
recently, i purchased Tim Holtz's tiny attacher and it is a perfect addition to my office supply addiction.

that is my basic foundation for a page, other than making the photo the primary focus.
add some mist, a punched shape, fabric, old typewriter typing, or other fun lettering and there ya go.
most of my layouts also come together in 15-30 minutes. i NEVER over think a layout, which is contradictory to my project life over thinking...that is a whole other story!

now this layout makes me wish for summer...and for the clock to go back 10 years!
what a cute little goob!

happy scrapping!
blessings,
jen

a reminder to me

i was struggling a little bit with Project Life, so i decided to step away and do what
was "familiar" to me.
it just came to me...out of the blue and it felt right.
it was a little reminder to me that i not only need to be creative, i.e., looking, getting inspiration
from others, planning, BUT i need to NURTURE my creativity by PRACTICING it...
ya know, the Nike way, "JUST DO IT"

i'm slowly getting project life...making notes so i don't forget and saving little bits.
i made this to satisfy more of my creativity practice...note cards to jot things down and incorporate into my pages

this whole concept is still a process of progress for me. and that's ok. :)

welcome 2012 & Project Life

i said i wouldn't do it...Project Life
i even talked about it on Twitter...not my style...too constrictive...
i'm such a fair weather scrapper...and i meant it...ALL of it.
Becky even tweeted back at me! :O)

mmk...but i was still...doubtful...there, i said it! ;)
i certainly wasn't going to do it b/c it was the latest trend!

as December was coming to a close, along with my December daily album: (see the start of my album here) i started to realize not only how much i enjoyed making the album, but the SHARING aspect of it as well!
and that's when it hit me! it was COMMUNITY that drew me in. i wanted to continue to share. create. get excited about something! (in the scrapbooking sense, of course)
so i began to ponder Project Life...
could i even do it? what kind of goals would i make for it?
would i be compromising my scrapbooking "style"?
12x12? what?! i was just getting in my 8.5x11 groove!
....
so, i just went for it!
most people that i have seen do a weekly layout of sorts.
i have chosen, at this point, to do a "month in review" approach.
12 layouts at a minimum in one year? totally doable! right? RIGHT!!
if something pops up on a special day or week, i will include it.
i'm also going to mix it up! that's right. including pages of 12x12, 8.5x11, 6x12 and even
a 5x7 page every now and then, to showcase a photo.
i am not getting hung up on journaling, per se. mine will consist mostly of photos--cuz that is what
i LOVE most!
so without further or do....

 

family name title page

 

monthly calendar page that i am choosing to include from Tina 

monthly journaling card on back of calendar page that i created in PS

little bits...

the beginning page....

all together

i chose not to use a project life album, but will be using a black 12x12 We R Memory Keepers album.

i did buy the Clementine core kit, but most of my supplies will come from my stash or Studio Calico kits.

and there you have it. hoping not to be a major FAIL with this. keeping it simple and remembering 

my goals should help! i'm just your average "Joe" creating, making, and sharing my memories. :)

so, tell me, are YOU doing project life in 2012?

please, share! :)


ps...i did a bit of a blog re-design a few days ago! hope y'all like it and it's easy on the eyes!!

edit: i had 2 questions in regards to this post...

1) where did i find my 5x7 page protectors? they are from last year and no longer in production

on Amazon, i saw where Pioneer produces some top-loading 5x7 protectors, though. 

another tip, if you are handy with a sewing machine, you can sew ANY size you need! :)

2) what is the font on the journaling card i made? Blackout Midnight. It can be downloaded for free from font squirrel. also, i have a post below that talks about some cool fonts. :)

thank you to ALL of you for looking, kind comments and encouragement!! :)