Friday, August 29, 2014

08/29/14 - Art Journaling

Hey there!
I just wanted to stop in and say "hi"
Hi!
and show you what I've been up to.
 
As you know, I have had a lot less time to scrapbook...
Not a bad thing since my time has been taken up by other enjoyable activities, namely spending more quality time w/ David and the kids and taking care of them and our lives.
 
However, I admit I was missing the whole creative outlet that scrapping provided me.
The thing about scrapbooking is, as much fun as it is, it also requires a lot of work. Think about it, you have to think of at least a basic plan for the page, maybe even sketch it out, and dig through all your supplies and pull out what you need, and after making the page, however long that takes, you have to clean it all up.
Luckily I have a room mainly devoted to my scrap hobby so I don't HAVE to clean it up after, but I personally hate messes so I always do.
 
So what is a person to do when they want to be creative w/out all the work?
Art Journaling!
Yup I did it, I jumped on the art journaling bandwagon.
 
I know what you're thinking: "Oh okay, yeah another project she will never complete". I know because I thought it too, because let's face it I am "the Queen of Unfinished Projects"!
But that's the beauty in this...It's not a "project", it doesn't have any kind of deadline whats-so-ever! I just do it when the mood strikes and I have time. Sure my time is limited, but because it doesn't require a lot of prep or supplies, I can actually fit it in to my free time! Yay!
 
If you don't mind, I'd like to show you what I've done so far. 
And, if you do mind, well too bad... this is MY blog! Hahahahahahahaha!
 
 
(Click on images to enlarge)
 
 
 
Pg1 - "Simple Intro Page"
 
 
Pg2 - "About Me"
 
 
Pg 3 - "Groot"
(scanned a bit blurry)
(If I can get my hands on some additional colored sharpies I may go back and color him in)
 
 
 Pg 4 - "Belle"
Madison says she looks like a rabbit w/ it's ears down
I can't argue w/ that, LOL!

(I need to add the date)
 
 
Pg 5 -"Starbucks"
 
If you recall I tried the whole Smash Book thing.
I wanted to like it, I really, really did... but I found the fact that the pages were patterened limited my choices when it came to creating a page. I don't scrap in chronological order but I need any finished "books" I have to be in order and a lot of times the next patterned page in the book did not fit w/ anything that I had that would date-wise fit chronologically in the book! That set my OCD into high gear! Ughhh! I'm having anxiety just thinking about it, LOL! 
The other thing I didn't like about it was it felt way too much like scrapbooking! I was already scrapbooking... I didn't need to do it again somewhere else!
So I gave it up! 

I then came across Art Journaling on IG and I was immediately intriqued!
Blank pages and the ability to create what I wanted when I wanted without a deadline?!?
Sign me up please! 
I'm not sure all I'm going to include...
I'm definitely going to be doing my favorite things: writing and drawing (something I did a lot as a child and as a teenager), and I may do a little bit of scrapbooking, but on a much smaller scale...
but I am also hoping to expand and try new techniques.

I am really excited and loving it so far!
I received my art journal on Thursday 8/21 and a little over a week later I have already filled up 5 pages.
I don't know if I will be able to keep up the creative momentum but, whether this takes me a month or 10 years to complete, it will be something I know I can "finish" and that I will enjoy while I'm doing it!

Saturday, August 23, 2014

08/23/14 - "Doing What They Do Best"

Hi there!
A really quick post to share a layout I created for the latest challenge over at {Pin}spirational Challenges.
 
Their inspiration piece is this super adorbs photo!
 
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/141581982010707602/
 
Awwwwww....just melts your heart right?
I love fur-babies!!!
And that cat totally looks like my kitty...errrr, I mean...my daughter's kitty!
Here is what I was inspired to create (click on picture to enlarge)!
 
"What They Do Best"
 
Yup, sleeping is what Panini and Ivanna do best!
Close second is eating, LOL!
Love them!

Monday, August 11, 2014

08/11/14 - "Me and My Luv"

Hello and Happy Monday to you!
How goes it?!
This past weekend we celebrated my husband's birthday; his birthday being on Saturday!
We had a fun, busy weekend but I was able to squeeze in a bit of scrapping!
 
Before I share my layout w/ you I want to share where I received my inspiration.
 
Over at "Pixels and Paper" they have this colorful picture:
 
 
The picture reminded my of a colorful piece of PP that I had in my stash so I dug it out. Also the paper has word bubbles on it and the shape of those word bubbles reminded me of the roundness of the sheep!
 
After picking out the paper I had to decide what picture(s) to scrap.
That's where my next inspiration came in; from "Pinspirational Challenges":
 
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/141581982007873391/
 
So thanks to the 2 inspiration pieces I came up w/ this!
  
"Me and My Luv - 5.11.2014"
Journaling: "At the pool. Excalibur - Vegas 5.11.14"
 
Pictures of David and me at our "Home Away From Home": Vegas!
Not only is the color of the BG paper perfect for the pictures...but I threw in a "playing card" card from my Project Life kit to help tie in the Vegas theme.
 
I also doodled around the word bubbles that I felt pertain to the day and us in general (you know how much I love doodling!):
"Kindred Spirit/So Alike",
"Best Day",
"Besties/So True!",  and
"Let's Have Some Fun/Yay!"
 
And just a little fun tidbit... the washi tape on this layout comes from this:
 
 
I received it for last year for Christmas but I just barely opened it!  I'm not sure why because I love Washi Tape and I love this dispenser!
Honestly I think it comes from my not wanting to open new things because then they are no longer "new" LOL! I have scrapbooking kits that are unopen for the same reason.
That's a bit OCD isn't it?
Anyway, it's open and I look forward to using it more in the future! 

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

08/05/14 - 1st Day

Hi there!
Well, yesterday was Madison's 1st day of school.
She is now in the 7th grade.
I say this every year, and every year I mean it...she is growing up way too fast!
Part of me is so happy to see her growing and thriving and becoming her own person and another part is like "stop it, slow the heck down!" LOL!
She is my baby so watching her grow is a little harder on me than watching my son grow, although that was pretty hard too!  Also, she's a girl and I think it's human nature to feel more protective of our daughters than our sons. I think for the most part we tend to feel the need to let our boys grow into men and to push them to leave the nest...whereas our daughters need to be held on to and protected just a little bit longer.
Well, maybe that's just me...
It was weird though not having a first day of school picture of Joseph this year, after 12 years of taking one!
 
I wasn't there to take Madison to school since I had to leave for work before she had to leave for school, so David took her picture. He sent it to me and the first things I thought were: "Wow, she looks so grown up and pretty!" and "I can't wait to scrap it!" Hahahahahahaha!
 
The problem is I did have to wait since I was at work.
But when I got home, while my husband was busy watching wrestling, I decided to see if I could come up w/ something.  My mojo has been coming and going so as excited as I was to scrap the picture, I wasn't sure I could come up w/ anything...or anything I actually liked!
But I did! And here it is!
 
"1st Day of  7th Grade"
 
I used a lot of old product on here...some of it over 5 years old!
What I am most excited about was that I used some of an old "Grade School" paper pack (BG PP and photo mat paper)! The reason I am excited is I have more than half of that pack leftover and I thought since both my kids were no longer in grade school, I would never use it again.  But I made it work for this layout! And I love the black title letter stickers... not only are they cute, but I only paid $1 for the pack! When letters are cheap like that, it makes me not feel so bad when I have leftovers, which I always do!
 
She had a successful day of school and I had a successful session of scrapping, so all in all, yesterday was a good day! Not bad for a Monday! 

03/27/23 Planning with Urban Journal Season Ink

My printer was having issues and I fixed it but during the interim I was not scrapping and lost my mojo ::le sigh:: But I've still been ...