01/18/16 - MIM Sketch #52

Happy Monday!

You know why it's a "happy" Monday? Because today is "Make it Monday" over at "The Memory Nest".

Here's is today's sketch (MIM #52):

 And here is my take on it:

 "Merry Pigmas"

Journaling: "Hey guys, this isn't funny!"

Hamlet's first Christmas.

December 25th, 2015"

I realize the photos are a bit difficult to see.

First: I didn't mean to print them that small...keep forgetting that when in a collage format the photos come out even SMALLER(!).

Second: as I mentioned on my last "MIM" post,  a black piggy is difficult to photograph if the lighting is not optimal. And w/ the 'hustle and bustle' of it being Christmas Day, I didn't have a whole lot of time to keep trying!

Here is the collage of photos by themselves so you can get a better idea!

But, as I've learned over the years, you don't have to have the best photo(s) to remember a great time!

And celebrating Hammy's first Christmas was definitely a "great time"! :0)

Now it is your turn to play along for your chance to WIN our monthly giveaway. 

You have until the end of the month to create a layout based on this sketch or/and the previous MIM sketch: MIM #51.

Good Luck!

01/16/16 - "Jury Duty"

 

 

 

Good Morning!

I wanted to share this layout I made yesterday.

This is my 5th layout of the year...not a bad start...

I want to share it because initially it started as a "goof" and I wound up loving it!

Funny how that happens!

 

I believe in capturing the "everyday moments" in life as well as the "special" moments.

Being that I was bored and love to take "selfies", I figured a layout about Jury Duty would be something different and definitely capturing "real life" (because real life isn't always doing stuff we love)!

 

 

 

"Jury Duty

Journaling: "My 'stuck in jury duty' face.The only place I hate more than work!

Luckily they dismissed me at 10:40 A.M. and I spent the rest of the day at home. 1.13.16

 

 

Inspired by the following challenges -

 

Scrapbook.com Challenges:

>The January "Color Challenge" - Red and Gray

 - After joining I discovered, after going through my entire stash, that I had no gray paper!!! This is the closest I could get: a paper w/ gray polka dots all over it.
I also used gray 2 page flags and I'm wearing all gray in the photo.

 

>Scrap w/ Your Scraps

- the red photo mat paper is from my scrap box

>Hoarders Challenge
- the BG paper, washi tape, self-adhesive pearls, tiny alphas, and stamps have been in my stash for at least 3 years
(the stamps were the first set I ever bought...back in 2006)

>Use Your Stamps Challenge
- Stamped part of the title

>The Sticker Challenge
- used 2 embellishment stickers and 4 alpha stickers

 

Blog Challenge:

 

>"Challenge YOUrself" - First Challenge of the year "Anything Goes".

 - You can create any project you want as long as it includes a photo of you.

 

Thanks to all the above challenges for helping me make a layout that despite the depressing theme and photo, makes me smile!

 

Good News, I'm done w/ Jury Duty for at least another year! Yay!

 



01/11/16 - Reading Challenge 2016

Hi!
If you recall I did a reading challenge last year:

Thanks to it I read a total of  26 books.

It was fun but a bit too restrictive to me...

True, I was able to pick any book I wanted to read for each category, but it was sometime difficult to find a book I actually wanted to read, that fit the category, and was inexpensive... because, too be honest, I'm cheap, LOL!

I would rather read free or cheap books...

If I purchase a book it's usually $5.99 or cheaper (usually cheaper) with a rare exception here and there...

Book Bub is where I find most of my books... it's free and you get a new e-mail everyday w/ a list of free and cheap books you can download on your e-reader or phone reading app.

I've found most of the books I read later in the 2015 Reading challenge there:

https://www.bookbub.com/home/

Anyway, back to the original topic:

I decided this year to "challenge" myself again but w/ a less restrictive goal:

12 books in 12 months.

Short, simple, doable!

I originally didn't want to give myself a number, just read as many as I could...

But then Good Reads sent me an e-mail asking me if I wanted to "set a goal" of books to read in 2016 and I really like being able to see my progress on a chart, so I went for it!

12 books in 12 months...

That's not a lot at all... and honestly I think I can read much more, but I don't want to feel forced to do so just to meet my goal, especially since I've been scrapping, and art journaling again!

Currently I am reading this (see IG post journaling under photo):

"Starting my 2016 Reading Challenge off with something easy...LOL Actually, I REALLY like these books... They're cute and funny. There are times I've actually LOL'd while reading them. I started buying them for Joseph when they first came out, when he was younger, and we just keep reading them despite the fact that he (we) is (are) not the targeted demographic. If you've never read one I encourage you to do so! This is the 10th book in the series. As for the reading challenge... Taking it easy this year: 12 books in 12 months... Short, sweet and totally doable!
01/11/16"

Another year and more books to read... I'm excited!
Are you doing a reading challenge this year? 
I'd love to hear about it!

FYI  - In an attempt to reach all my readers, on Blogger and IG, I may at times post duplicate content.

Along w/ links back and forth.

If you are a follower/reader of both, please don't feel it necessary to comment on both!

But if you do, it is much appreciated!

01/04/16 - Happy New (Year/ Sketch!)

 

Good Morning and Happy New Year to you!!!

Wow... another new year!
I don't even want to think about it...
It makes me sad to think about how quickly time has passed/is passing.
(That's a sign of old age, isn't it? Or, as I prefer to call it, maturity.)

So instead I will think about/write about something that doesn't make me sad:
The first challenge of the year over at The Memory Nest!
This is also the first layout I've created as a Design Team Member of The Memory Nest and I just love the way my layout turned out..

 

Here is the sketch:

 

 

 And the layout that was inspired by it:

"Lazies"

Journaling: "Last night and this morning. Starting to see a pattern w/ these two, LOL

11.26.15 and 11.27.15"

 

 

Those are photos of my 15+ year old malti-poo, Ivanna, and my daughter's 9 month old pot-belly mini-pig, Hamlet, doing what they seem to just love to do... SLEEP!
I found it funny that I caught them sleeping together one night and then the next morning I caught them again.
I mean, they do sleep a lot but it just made me laugh that it was so back-to-back like that: them sleeping, AND sleeping together!
Hamlet is a bit difficult to see in the first photo...one of the pains of having a "black" pig is getting a good photo of him when the lighting isn't optimal!


Hopefully you can tell how my layout follows the sketch.
If not let me explain.... For the 3 scattered "blocks" I used 3 identical Project Life cards and made that the background to anchor my photo. I then took a different but coordinating Project Life card to use for my journaling and included the sideways "banner" to mimic the end of the arrow that's in the sketch. I moved my title over a bit to the left but also included arrows under it to once again mimic the arrow in the sketch. Oh, and the "cloud" in the sketch reminded me of a "dream bubble" and that's what inspired me to scrap these photos in the first place!
And, if you're wondering, "yes" that is paw print patterned washi tape! A must when you have fur-babies! I love it!

My layout is an example of how you can follow a sketch and yet still make it your own.
I had a lot of fun w/ this layout and sketch!

I hope this inspires you to get a layout completed...
If it does, please remember to link it over at The Memory Nest so that we can "Ooooh and Aaaahhh" over it and to be in the running for a prize!
 

12/30/15 - My Creative Life Wrap up for 2015

It's almost the end of the year and I'm not sure how much more creating or sharing I will be doing between now and then...
So just in case I can't get on here again I wanted to share w/ you a bit of my Creative Life as it was for 2015.

As you (may) know for approximately 8 months of this year I didn't scrapbook.
I just didn't have the motivation.
During that time I tried to be creative anyway and my art journal was what I would reach for.
After all, art journals don't require much...just a few everyday supplies (pencil, pen/marker, eraser...) and some imagination.
The catch was...I was lacking the imagination.
I did create a couple of pages but my heart just wasn't into it.
It was like I was "creating" because I had to, not because I felt like it.

I finally had to admit, my mojo was truly gone...in ALL areas.

Eventually my scrapbooking mojo came back and it came back strong!
I started scrapping again in September 2015 and since that time I have created 17 layouts (18 total for the year).
I have also applied and been chosen to be part of a Design Team...
      and I have finally started Art Journaling again!

The art journaling came back via another creative outlet.

Here's the story (as told on my Instagram Account on 12/21/15):
About a month ago I bought a small notebook from @Target. I bought it because I'm a sucker for office/art supplies and for Target's $1 spot...but I had no real goal for what to use it for. Fast Forward to last night when my husband and I were having a convo about art and "hand lettering" came up... I know, weird right? But I suddenly knew what I would use my notebook for! I'm always looking for ways to grow as an artist and have been interested in hand lettering. I googled a few free tutorials for some tips...but realize I will have to buy a book or take a class if I want to get serious. I like my handwriting but I know that I can improve it and take it to the next level...

So thanks to a new creative interest, and a cheap $1 notebook, an old creative interest has been revived.

Here are the pages I have completed so far along w/ the journaling I included when I shared the images on Instagram:

Created 12/18 and 12/19

(Journaling for these already shared above)

 

 

 

"Snicker Doodles" and "O'Christmas Tree"

#HandLettering / #ArtJournal pages from last night 12/21/15.
While watching "It's A Wonderful Life" for the first time ever ( or actually, I should say, 

 the first time I ever stayed awake through the whole thing, LOL). Good movie!
FYI -I saw the Snicker Doodle quote on IG on another artist's page: @heatherosebee13. I do

not take credit for it but I loved it so much I wanted to include it in my Art Journal.

 

 

 "Coffee O'clock"

Yesterday morning I took a photo of the wall of coffee mugs at @starbucks. Later that

afternoon I came across a cute hand painted quote over at the IG account of @oneartsymama:

"It's Coffee O'clock"
Coincidence? I think not...
and so this #ArtJournalPage was born!
12/24/15

 

 

 "OITNB" and "Harry Potter"

A couple of Art Journal pages to share today.
Left - The "Orange is the New Black" logo....My inspiration: Christmas Evening David went to bed early due to a headache and Madi was in her room being an 'anti-social teenager' so I binged-watched all but the last 2 episodes of the latest season of "OITNB" (yeah , I had to tap-out but I finished watching the next day).

Right- "Harry Potter"....My Inspiration:@GetMessyArtJournal; an Art Journaling Inspiration group. I'm not a member but I'm considering it. I found out their latest theme is "Season of Magic" and decided to create a page. When I think of 'magic' I think of Harry Potter.
I found this cute tutorial that teaches you how to draw a chibi version of the Harry Potter characters and followed it to create this page. It was fun! I may go back and draw some of the other characters.
12/30/15

 

 

I'm really enjoying this renewed feeling of wanting to create!

I am looking forward to carrying it over into the New Year and to learning new techniques!

 

I want to thank you, my loyal readers... or as I like to call you... my friends for being here for me even when I really didn't have anything very interesting to say/share.

 

I have enjoyed following along in your journey as well and will continue to do so.

Here's to a Happy, Prosperous, and Creative New Year!

XOXOXOXO

 

12/27/15 - Reading Challenge Update

I haven't stopped trying to tackle the list...
But I did slow down quite a bit.
With it being a busy time of year (at home and at work) and having found my artsy-mojo again (yay), I haven't had as much time to read.
The year is almost over...4 days away from a new year...and I know I wont be able to squeeze in any more book reading, or at least book finishing, before then so I am here to report the last of my list.

The last 2 books I've read are:

"Murder in Christmas River"

 

Which satisfies the category of
   . a book set during Christmas

 

 

 and

"Side Effects May Vary"

 

Which satisfies the category of 
   . a book written by someone under 30
The author turned 30 this past November but published the book in March 2014.

Both books were "okay".
If your looking for a book to just pass some time, the first will work.
The second was a bit better, but I kept comparing it to John Greene's "The Fault in Our Stars" which it had a faint similarity to, but it just wasn't up to par as far was writing goes. It actually dragged for me so it took longer to read than I had planned.


This finishes off the challenge for me.

I read 25 books and checked off 23 categories (26/24 if you count the one I made up!).
Not too bad...but definitely not as close as I would have liked.
But it was still fun!

I plan to do another reading challenge next year, but I plan on making it a bit more flexible:
1) It will not require me to check of categories
2) I will not set a number of books to read, I will just try to read as many as I can...
The challenge will be to see how many I can read.

Finding time to read next year will be a challenge in itself!

12/23/15 - Coming in 2016

Remember about a month ago I blogged about trying out for the "The Memory Nest" Design Team? Well, I was chosen to be part of the Team!


I am sharing with you part of the Design Team Introduction blog post.
To read more of my bio and meet the rest of the Team, click on this link: 2016 Design Team