random reflections

Project 365

Here's my layout summary for January. I used the color picker in PSE to color the text squares, and didn't realize quite how bright it was until I printed it. I was unwilling to use the ink it would take to redo it, so went through my stash and found this equally bright graph paper from Paper Loft. The photo template is one of Cathy Z's from Designer Digitals. It's definitely not me, but done. I do like the format, though, mostly photos but a bit of journaling about our month.

 

I played around with some textures and blending modes this weekend, so for this week, I'm sharing the original and the altered photo. For the first one I used an Antique Paper action and then a black and white tint. I rather like it.

 

For the second one I used the pencil sketch action in PSE and adjusted the contrast. It turned the photo into a drawing. I think it's a technique I could use for a transfer or maybe for a card.

 

At any rate, it was fun to play around.

Weekly Gratitude

I've said it so many times this week, there really wasn't any other choice:

Project 365

I know some of you are working on Project 365. Yesterday I came across two articles that I thought were interesting and had some helpful hints.

Eleven Tips to Succeed with Project 365 and Carry Your Camera Around. In the photo you can see a bit of my colorful new camera strap Matt gave me for Christmas. He had it lined with Minky, and it is super comfortable. It's so much more fun than the original.

CPS 151 & 2S4Y 44

One of my unstated intentions is to complete two card challenges each week, and complete one layout. So far, so good. A friend and I went to lunch today and spent some time crafting together. The result:  two cards for challenges. The first is for CPS 151.

 

Here's my card. I've been wanting to make some of these paper flowers but needed a slightly smaller scalloped punch which I picked up at 40% off this week.

 

Patterned paper (Basic Grey, Jenni Bowlin), cardstock & ribbon from stash, buttons & twine (Papertrey Ink)

The second challenge was posted at 2Sketches4You. It's been awhile since I played along there, but I always love their sketches and keep a folder of them on my iBook. 

I needed a masculine birthday card so it was a perfect time to pull out my new Through the Trees stamps from Papertrey Ink. I know this set is going to get a lot of use.

Cardstock from stash, white embossing powder, sentiment (Impress Rubber Stamps), image stamp (Papertrey Ink), ribbon (Ribbon Expressions)

Develop on Fridays: 75 Shots

The first Develop on Fridays assignment was to take 75 shots of the same thing. Choosing a subject was easy since I was given a beautiful bouquet of flowers that very night, and had just purchased a new pitcher from Antropologie. I took well over 75 shots, deleted many of them right out of the camera, and then chose 13 to process. I narrowed them down to eight, and Matt helped me choose the top five. Here they are in the order I like them best. I'd love to have your opinion, too.

 

 

 

Tips for Reading More

Gretchen Rubin posted Twelve Tips for Reading More on her Happiness Project Blog. Interestingly, I have already adopted nearly all her tips. Since reading more is one of my Intentions this year, I was happy to see that I am already doing some things that will help me read more. Another tip I've learned as well, is to set aside some time during the day or early evening to read, especially if I am reading nonfiction and want to remember what I'm reading. If I wait until bedtime, it's too late for that kind of concentration.

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop & Start to Finish

It's Papertrey Ink Blog Hop night. Here's the challenge:

 

And as it happens, this card fits the Moxie Fab Challenge that's due tonight as well!

Here's the front of my card:

I decided to use the message as the inspiration for the inside of the card. As soon as I saw "with a fold in the middle," I knew I wanted an origami heart for the inside.

 

Cardstock (Pure Poppy & Select White), patterned paper (Simple Valentine), stamps (Big & Bold Wishes), ribbon (Pure Poppy), ink (Pure Poppy) All Papertrey Ink; chipboard heart from stash, Marvy Uchida punches, Spellbinders Label 8 Nestabilities, chalk ink (Rouge by Color Box)

Project 365

Here are my three favorite shots from this week. The last one I took yesterday. It was one of over 75 shots of the same object. The paislee press blog is sponsoring a "Develop on Friday" series of posts. The first one was on developing your voice as a photographer. I've pulled 12 of the shots into a folder in iPhoto and I don't know yet if this shot will end up being my overall favorite, but it's my favorite of the whole bouquet which my friend brought me yesterday. I'm really interested in this series, and haven't given a lot of thought to my voice as a photographer. I'm not sure I have one yet!

I bought six of these glasses at the new Anthropologie store that just opened here. I really like the bokeh through my kitchen curtain. The curtains are red plaid, but you don't see any color, just the weave.

Another shot out our bedroom window first thing in the morning.

My pretty flowers. I decided yesterday the living room needed a "new" look. I bought some primroses for the coffee table, and took down the evergreen wreath and the evergreens on the mantle. I rehung our quilt, added some candles, and a vase, and it just seemed too bare. This pitcher of flowers was the answer! I'm much happier now. (In this shot the pitcher is on the dining room floor to catch the sunlight coming in the patio door.)

The Happiness Project & Weekly Gratitude

I loved this book. I've been following Gretchen's blog of the same name for over a year. I thought, perhaps, the book would be a repeat of what I've been reading over the year, but after reading an online review of the book, I decided to check it out. I'm so glad I did.

Gretchen decided to spend one year studying happiness and trying to apply what she learned to her own life. Her reading covered genres from children's literature to philosophy to biography to research studies in positive psychology. I saw myself  (sometimes to my chagrin) so often as I was reading. I laughed; I put lots of post-it tabs on pages, I typed up notes. I loved her voice, her self-deprecating humor, and her unfailing honesty. So many of her resolutions, goals, and ideas resonated with me. It was a great read and very thought-pr0voking. In the few days since I finished the book, her ideas have come back to me time and again as I listen to conversations, read, and go about my everyday life.

This week for my Weekly Gratitude page, I used one of the pages from the original journal.

 

Two Parties

I subbed for my friend today in her special needs first grade. I volunteer there every week, so the kids are very comfortable with me. I love the time I spend there. They are the kindest group of children you could ask to have in a classroom, and my friend is a fantastic teacher so they are making such good progress. One reason I don't miss teaching is that each week I get my "kid fix" and "colleague fix." And then I get to go home without the paperwork, political hassles, and worries of a full-time job.

Yesterday I spent most of the day working on the computer trying to learn some more features in Photoshop Elements 8. I made some progress, and spent a good amount of time working on a watermark for my photographs. Tracy gave me a set of actions for Christmas that will resize, sharpen, and add a watermark to your photographs before you upload them to the web. I've yet to come up with a watermark I really like, so it's a work in progress.

I do have two layouts to share.The first one is from my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party in June. As I was going through some papers recently I found a Doodlebug paper with pennants, and it seemed the perfect embellishment for the photograph that had been in the "to scrap" pile for several months.

 

Basic Grey and Doodlebug papers, tag and ribbon from stash, American Craft "Jewelry Box" chipboard alphas 

The second layout I did for a sketch that will be posted at Scrap-Mart tomorrow morning. It's another party layout from this summer.

Scenic Route, Sassafrass Lass, &  Collage Press papers, title cut from Making Memories Slice "Calendar," Sassafrass Lass border "Gum Drop Garden," circle cut from Nestabilities die, Papertrey cardstock, buttons from stash, Jolee's sticker (I think.)