Alain Clark - Blow Me Away

OMG Life is crazy right now at work and home! I wish I could take a week's vacation and just scrap scrap scrap! I've got tons of ideas and HOPEFULLY I will get some time tomorrow.

In the meantime I want to share this video with you! One of my absolute FAVORITE things in life is discovering new music (at least new to me). I found about Alain Clark thru Jenneke's blog - thank you Jenneke!!! An upbeat, danceable song like this is just what I needed today!

I hope you like it! I will be back tomorrow! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Project 365 - Week Twenty-Two...

It's interesting how I am starting to notice that even tho I take pictures randomly throughout the week, in the end themes start to emerge. Last week's theme seemed to be flowers. This week it's all about the cats...

Monday, May 25: Johnny is relaxed...

Tuesday, May 26: Willie is SUPER relaxed...

Wednesday, May 27: When I was out and about for work, I happened upon the dance studio that I attended for 15 years when I was growing up! Wow, what a blast from the past! It was cool to see it after all these years!

Thursday, May 28: I love how the boys always stick their cat toys in their food dish. I wonder what that means?

Friday, May 29: A mosaic bench at the Ridgedale Library...

Saturday, May 30: A self-portrait done for my circle journal layout...

Sunday, May 31: This is the one I showed you yesterday - the boys were pooped after an exhausting weekend of scrapping...

And here's how the layout turned out...

So simple. But a great way to capture the year. I hope they offer this kit again next year. If they don't, I'm going to have to come up with a way to do it without a kit.

For more info on Project 365, click on the link in the right column ====>

I wanted to get another circle journal layout done tonight too, but it was not to be. I should never expect to get more than one thing done on a work night. Oh well, a girl can dream.

I will be back tomorrow - hopefully with a circle journal layout done! Take care, have a terrific Tuesday and thanks for stopping by!

The Boys Are Exhausted...

It's been a long weekend of scrapping for us and they just can't stay awake any longer...
This is the scene right now as I type this. They are such cuties - snuggled up in their catbed right next to the computer. Always by my side.

So the clock has struck midnite and you know what that means.... Happy June! It's calendar - changing day! I love new beginnings! Every Monday I make my creative to-do list for the week, and at the beginning of each month I update my overall HUGE main Project List. Today I get to do both! Love that!

I didn't get any projects finished tonight, so I've got nothing to show you - drat. I have been busy though. The next Circle Journal layout I need to finish is for Lori and it's on the theme "What Makes You You?" A great theme, but I was feeling very indecisive about who I actually am - HA. I think I finally figured out what I want to say. Now I just need to come up with a layout to go with my journaling. I will do that tonight after work I think. After Project 365.

The new song is up at Scrapping The Music! It's "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker. Remember that one? It's a beauty and so perfect for scrapping layouts about your loved ones! Come on over and play along with us - we'd love see what you create!

Another reason to look forward to Mondays is the new post goes up at The Next Step! And being that it is a new month they will be starting with a whole new technique - can't wait to see what it is!

Alrighty then - that's it for today. I will be back tomorrow with a Project 365 update, and if all goes well, another circle journal layout. Thanks so much for stopping by and for all the nice comments - it really means a lot to me! Have a wonderful Monday!

You Gotta Be Bold...

I found a great book at the library used book store the other day. I will have to get out my Goo-Be-Gone to get the stickers off, but then it will make an awesome art journal! I love the picture on the front, and there are illustrations on the inside too. Check it out...
And I finished another circle journal layout! This one is for my album. Theme is "Scrap a Song Lyric and Include a Photo of Yourself." I had so much fun with this one!

The background paper is white cardstock painted with acrylic paint. I used the current Next Step technique of shadowing with charcoal again on this layout (around the photo). Other materials used include dictionary paper, Jenni Bowlin vintage black star paper, Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday Alpha paper, Autumn Leaves Whirligig buttons, Stampin Up Newsprint Alpha stamps and a black sharpie.

Now I've got a big mess to clean up in the scraproom! I will be back tomorrow with another update. I hope your weekend is going well! I wish you a wonderful Sunday!

Circle Journal Cover...

I finished my Circle Journal cover - yeayyyy!!! I had so much fun with this! My theme is "scrap a song lyric and include a photo of yourself." I decided to title the journal "Self-Portraits in Song," It's made from the record album cover that came in my SiStv Homebody collection, cut down to 9 1/2" x 8 3/4." Here's the front...After glueing on some sheet music, I used spray ink and purple acrylic to muddy the background a little bit. I wanted it to still show but allow the bird to stand out. The bird is painted with acrylic and outlined with a black sharpie. His telephone wire is made from dictionary paper. The title is painted and outlined as well.

Here's the inside front cover. I used the latest technique challenge from The Next Step, which is to use charcoal for highlighting. It's very subtle, but I charcoaled around the edge of the sheet music...
and I also charcoaled around the scallops on the inside of the back cover. I like the effect. It gives it a little extra whimsy...

and here's the back cover, which is also the back of the record album...

I still have to add a middle ring (I only had two handy), but other than that it is done!

So, I'm SLIGHTLY behind on my goal of completing all 7 Circle Journal layouts this week - I've only done one plus this cover. LOL. I've still got the rest of the weekend tho, so we shall see...

I'm so excited to get my Studio Calico kits I can hardly stand it! Happy mail is so much fun!

I'll be back tomorrow with another update - hopefully more circle journal layouts!

Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Miscellaneous Rambling...

Diane B asked where I got the Rheotech paints. Thanks for the question Diane! I got them at a local art store called Art Materials. Here's a link to their online shop. You can also go directly to the Rheotech site to find out where to buy them near you. If anyone tries them, I'd love to know what you think!

I've been playing in my scraproom all night and it's been really freeing. I am working on the cover for my circle journal for sisversary - just playing and going with my gut which always makes me the happiest! I finished the front of the cover, but I want to wait til it's all done to share. My theme is "scrap a song lyric and include a photo of yourself." More to come on that.

I just found out tonight that Dina Wakely is doing another art journal class - HOORAY!!! It's called "Art Journaling 201 - A Masterful Journey." I have taken two of Dina's art journaling classes already and each one was amazing. You can read more about it at Dina's blog here.

Life is so inspiring right now I just can't even believe it. It's like there just aren't enough hours in the day. Here it is 12:30 a.m. and if I didn't have to get up and go to work in the morning I swear I could stay up all night scrapping! There's something so magical about night time for me.

But - the days are magical too, and if I want to enjoy them, I guess I need to get my sleep. I used to always wish I could just have a windup key so I didn't have to sleep - LOL. I wouldn't go that far anymore. Sleep is a lovely thing.

So that's it for today - I think this is the first post without a photo. It feels weird. I am such a visual person it doesn't feel complete if I don't have a photo. Well, I will make up for it tomorrow with at least two photos. Ha.

Have a wonderful Friday my scrappy friends - thanks for stopping by!

New Scrappy Supplies on Their Way!

Oh my! I meant to do a bunch of scrapping tonight, but I got caught up in the hoopla of "Reveal Night" over at Studio Calico! I had a gift certificate to use (that I won over at the BASB challenge blog), so I decided to try one of their kits. Turns out they have a big party every month on the night they reveal the new kits! It was a lot of fun, and I ended up buying the main kit plus two of the add-on kits! Yikes! They are so cute I couldn't resist! It will be fun to have new goodies to scrap with!

I did get started on my circle journal cover tonight, but I didn't get very far. I will get more done tomorrow for sure!

I got some new heavy body acrylic paint the other day and I am absolutely LOVING it! This stuff is so thick you can hold the jar upside down and it doesn't move! It's super creamy and the colors are so intense! I only got two jars, but I can tell I will be buying more in the future! The brand name is Rheotech - here's what it looks like...


So, that's all the news I've got for today. I will be back tomorrow and hopefully have some finished projects to share!!!

Have a wonderful, beautiful, happy day my friends!

Project 365 Week Twenty-One

On Monday, when I mentioned that it was the memorial day holiday here in the U.S., I got a few questions about what the memorial day is for. Our memorial day is set aside to honor the men and women who have died while in military service. You can read more about it here.

So, on to Project 365 - we are in week 21 already! Wow, almost half-way through the year!

Monday, May 18: Michael and I saw these lilacs on our walk and it reminded both of us of our childhood! The smell is so sweet and nostalgic!
Tuesday, May 19: I used the Starbucks gift card my Secret Sister sent me to get a Large Iced Soy Caramel Macchiato with extra caramel! YUMMY! Thanks Secret Sis!
Wednesday, May 20: This is my creative project to-do list that I keep in my scraproom.
Thursday, May 21: These two just amaze me.
Friday, May 22: My sweet man washing my car for me - he is so wonderful!


Saturday, May 23: A little father-son game of catch in the yard - Michael and Tony...
Sunday, May 24: It was a beautiful day at Lake of the Isles. Michael and my first walk around the lake this year...

and here's how the layout turned out...

I am loving this project so much! It has completely freed me of the feeling like I should be scrapping a layout for each event - there is no more feeling of not being caught up. Snapping a photo a day has become such a routine and fun part of my life. And putting the weekly layout together doesn't take long at all. The thing that takes the longest is trying to get a decent picture of the layout - it's hard to photograph clearly.

If you want to know more about Project 365 - click here.

That's all for today, but I will be back tomorrow with another update - take care and thanks for stopping by!

Why I Scrapbook Circle Journal...

I finished my first Circle Journal layout for my Circle Journal swap! This one is for Becca's journal, and her theme is "Why I Scrapbook." She also specified that it should include journaling! I had so much fun making this! I am calling it the 65-hour layout cuz I kept changing my mind as to how I wanted to do it - it's the only thing I got done all weekend - LOL. It's an 8x8 double page spread...Everything is hand-drawn except the words "life is" which are done with Doodlebug alpha stickers.

There are seven of us in the swap and the way it works is - each person comes up with a theme and then everyone in the swap group creates a layout for that theme and gives their layout to the person who came up with the theme, so she ends up with a whole album of layouts which include everyone's interpretation of her theme. Does that make sense? So I have seven different layouts to do - one for each group member. I have wanted to do a circle journal swap for a long time - it's so much fun to finally do one!

My goal is to get all seven layouts done this week - one a day. I hope I can do it!

OH - I just want to mention again about the voting over at Lotus Paperie. It's the final day and I could really use your vote! I am behind right now by two votes - aargh! I think it's over at like 8 am or so. So, if you wouldn't mind checking it out and possibly voting for me (if you like my layout) I would really appreciate it! Click here!

Have a wonderful Tuesday my friends! I will be back tomorrow with another update!

Free To Be Me at Scrapping The Music!

Happy Monday! The new song is up at Scrapping The Music and it's "Free To Be Me" by Francesca Battistelli! I must admit I had never heard this song before we featured it, but I love it and it has sooooo many great lyrics for scrapping! I had originally picked a different lyric to scrap, and was having a terrible time coming up with a layout - I think I was pushing myself too hard - then I realized that the lyric I really NEEDED to scrap was "Perfection is my Enemy," because really - once in awhile I start worrying too much about it and I forget to just have fun. So silly. I am working on this tho, and there is nothing more fun than just playing with art. This is my ode to imperfection. The title is the lyric, the rest is just my own journaling...
Come on over and play along with us!!! I'd love to see what you create!

So, how has your weekend been going? I had a wonderful Sunday! Michael and I went back to my neighborhood from when I was single - in the city, and walked around the Lake. It was an absolutely gorgeous day!!! Here's a few of the sites we saw...

I love the guy stretching his back leg, and the other one looking straight at me - so cute!




So, I'm excited about having today off (it's memorial day here - is it in other countries too?), and I am just going to scrap scrap scrap! Yeayyy! SiSversary is starting to get close and I have lots of swaps to do!

Have a fabulous day! Thanks for stopping by!!!

Hallelujah

My online friend Marit recently did a beautiful art journal page inspired by the Leonard Cohen song Hallelujah. That song is on my mind now, and I wanted to share my favorite version of it - Jason Castro from American Idol. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Meanwhile, I am working on lots of projects today, but nothing is finished yet. Last night I worked on assignments for Collage Couture - which by the way is a super fun class! Today I am working on my circle journal layouts for SiSversary. As soon as I have something finished I will post.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend my friends!

Project 365 - Week Twenty

The theme this week seemed to be color - Everything looks so beautiful this time of year!

Monday, May 11: I'm still loving my Mother's Day bouquet...
Tuesday, May 12: Willie is more interested in sniffing the camera than having his portrait taken...

Wednesday, May 13: The trees are in full bloom at Lake of the Isles...

Thursday, May 14: The trees in our yard are breathtaking!

Friday, May 15: I need to clean up my scraproom! Clutter creates a logjam in my brain...

Saturday, May 16: My new haircut...

Sunday, May 17: My beautiful oil crayons...

and here's how the layout turned out...

I hope you are having a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by and I will see you tomorrow!