random reflections

Papertrey June Blog Hop Challenge

It's already the 25th of June, and time for the Papertrey Ink blog hop. Here's the inspiration photo:

My first thought when I saw this photo was to use Papertrey's "Stitches and Swirls" which hasn't seen enough use. I kept true to the colors, using aqua mist, new leaf, and lemon tart cardstocks. I added a ruffled gingham ribbon to mimic the ruffles on the pillows, and a sentiment from Everyday Classics. One of my best friends just retired, so this card is for her.

And then, because my June order had just arrived I had to give "Lovely Layers" a try. This stamp set is going to get a workout, I'm quite sure. This time I stuck to the same color combinations, but stamped on Select White. The sentiment is from "We Go Together." I love cards like this that can be used for so many occasions.

Card Lifting and Purging

As I travel around blogland, I frequently save images of cards and layouts I love to vi.sualize.us. I started using it long before Pinterest arrived, and although I also save to Pinterest, I use vi.sualize.us a lot more. One of the best things about it is tagging the images so they are easier to use. Recently I've started adding tags for the specific stamp set as well as manufacturers, design, and occasion.

Before either of those internet resources appeared, I clipped ideas for projects from magazines and put them into binders. I realized recently that I never use those binders anymore so I emptied two huge binders and combined two binders that housed articles and class notes from photography classes and blogs. I kept the photography inspiration binder because I want to start making better use of that. Several online photography classes I've taken suggest that keeping an inspiration folder is a great way to help you identify what images draw you in, and suggest possible projects. Going through mine is one of next week's projects.

All of this to say, I used two images from my vi.sualize.us collection to make three cards this week. Two are nearly identical. I needed a couple of retirement cards, one for a man and another for a woman. I was pleased with how they came out. You can see the original inspiration piece here.

Both cards use the "Celebration" stamps from Papertrey Ink. The blue cardstock came from my stash (I'm guessing it's Bazzill), and the patterned papers are from Cosmo Cricket, Lime Twist (MME), Martha Stewart, and Papertrey Ink (Pretty Pastels, Vintage Holiday).

The next card is for dear friends of ours who are celebrating their 60+ anniversary next week. I loved this card by Debby, and used the white on white and cluster of leaves and flowers from her design.

I never purchased the Turning a New Leaf dies from Papertrey Ink, but found both the leaves and the flowers in my Silhouette files. The frame is an embossing plate from Lil Inkers which turned out to be a bit more difficult to use than I thought. I still like it a lot, and hopefully next time I'll find it a little easier to use. The sentiment came from Fillable Frames (Papertrey Ink)

Today is another busy day, but both little blocks for Saturday and Sunday are empty on our calendar. I'm hoping to get a lot of crafting and computer cleaning-out done. Hope yours is a good one!

Coastal Oregon

I haven't given up on scrapping, but life is throwing a few curves right now and I'm busier than I expected. I'm hoping to get a few more pages done before the end of the month, but I'm happy with what's gotten done. I don't often do two-page layouts, but our trip up the Oregon coast was so fabulous, I wanted to include more than just one or two photos. Once I get more photos printed, I'll put them in some divided page protectors behind this layout. That's worked great in the past.

Here's a better look at each page separately.

The journaling reads: 

You would think we would have been better prepared for the beautiful Oregon coast since we’ve driven up much of California’s coast. But we were truly amazed by the stunning Oregon coast. Sunny, blue skies, and relatively warm temperatures made for perfect sightseeing. We started in Bandon on Tuesday afternoon and drove as far as Cannon Beach for lunch on Thursday. Seen here the lighthouses at Yaquina Bay, Yaquina Head, and Hecata Head (covered in mesh for repairs,) crashing waves along the coast near Yachats, the view from Cape Perpetua Information Center, fog lifting outside Reedsport, and the beach at Bandon.

I used some old (but still favorite) grid papers from Scenic Route, two journaling circles from Studio Calico, and two stickers from an old Deja View Travel Sticker sheet. The alpha is a gray Studio Calico which I just love. This is probably as CAS a layout as there is!

Runway Inspired Challenge #14

I took a break from scrapbooking today to get a few cards made. I'll be back later with some more, but I wanted to post my card for the Runway Inspired Challenge. This is the first time I've ever participated in it, but I was so inspired by all the designers' creations, I decided to give it a go.

Here's the inspiration:

What stunning shoes! I'd barely make it across the room in heels that high, but I sure do like them. Here's my card based on the colors.

I love these colors together:  Raspberry Fizz, Simply Chartreuse, and Hibiscus Burst. I used the Papertrey Ink chevron dies to cut both a large and small chevron of each color and decided two small and one large looked best. The sentiment (stamped in Simply Chartreuse) is Think Big Favorites #3, also by Papertrey Ink. I added three tiny gems since the inside sentiment is a continuation of the sentiment on the front:  it's going to be your best birthday yet!

The chevron dies are long enough that I was able to make two cards, so now I have two more summer birthday cards ready to send.

Take Twelve: June

It's actually taken longer to find the time to blog than to get the photos taken (on the 12th) and the layout made (on the 13th). The weekend was wonderful, but very busy. I attended a two-day workshop with groups from nine urban Presbyterian churches who have committed to working together to improve congregational life and health and mission in the city. Our church, the largest and most metropolitan of the group, is not declining, but has been holding steady in membership for the last 10 or so years. Most of the other churches, however, are experiencing decline and have some hard decisions to make. It's hoped that a communal effort will open some options up for renewal. The presenter from the PCUSA was articulate and well-organized. There was a lot of information to digest, and I think it will be bringing new volunteer commitments to my life.

But, here is the Take Twelve layout:

Patterned paper: Neapolitan (American Crafts); Banner: Resort (Cloud 9); doily (Martha Stewart); alpha (Paper Studio); Sticker: Garden Variety (Cosmo Cricket); photo template (Ella Publishing)

Journaling reads: 

One thing I love about the Take 12 project is seeing how different each month is. Last month we were in Oregon. Taking photos was so easy. Today it was raining most of the day, so thank goodness Betsy and Skylar came to dinner. Otherwise the photos would be a bit mundane. The rain stopped long enough for me to get a photo of the garden which I finally finished planting and mulching this week. Best photo: water droplets on the lupine. Tracy’s been busy reglazing a windows. I included a photo of my iPad which I was reading as I was getting my hair done. I like that you can see the title of the current book--Imagine: How Creativity Works. Great read! There are also photos of the new Subaru, and my very first Kichen Aid mixer which I just love.                                      

LOAD: Days 9 & 10

When I finished the travel journal, I had a pile of duplicate photos laying on my desk. (Don't ask how that happened!) I've been wanting to use this Sunday Sketch from the Studio Calico blog for a long time now, and these photos worked perfectly. All the supplies except the alphabet (also Studio Calico) came from the June Studio Calico kit. 

Here's the sketch:

I followed the sketch almost exactly, changing only the size of the layout to a 12 X 12.

One thing I've forced myself to do recently is to cut up sheets of patterned paper for layouts. I used to hesitate to do that but I think it was Shimelle who encouraged using the papers you love as you need them. This time to save as much as I could I cut the 12 X 12 sheets down to 8.5 X 11 so I have a another base for a layout if I want it, and then cut the strips.

I started with a sketch for the next layout as well. One from Lisa Day's class at BPC called "28 Days of Sketches." It was one of many courses that I wasn't able to keep up with, but I printed all the sketches and put them in a notebook to use later.

The journaling which talks about the bond Caleb and Matt made during their first visit is on a journaling card tucked behind the right-hand photo.  All the supplies here came from various Studio Calico kits, most from May and June. It feels good to make use of these kits in a timely manner. 

Once I finished the layout, I had some scraps laying on the table, and got a birthday card for a friend (male) completed. I still have some more scraps, so you are likely to see another similar card soon. 

The card base is a ready-made Hero Arts card. The rest is from Studio Calico except the twine and the sentiment (both Papertrey Ink.)

The Travel Journal--LOAD: Days 7 & 8

Before we left for Oregon, I pulled out an Amy Tangerine Sketchbook to use as a travel journal. I decorated the cover, but didn't do much else since the pages are already designed for you to some extent. One thing I've learned after two attempts to scrap as I travel:  I don't. It helps to have it ready when I get home, but there's no point in taking it with me. 

I found the sketchbook a bit difficult to work with. Some of the pages are so small, and I wasn't sure what to do about the photographs. Then I found a digital template by Jennifer Wilson that had 12 Polaroid-type frames. They worked perfectly. I also found I had to work both from the front and from the back to be sure I had everything laid out in chronological order. Editing and printing the photos took the better part of my creative time on Day 7. I don't think the photos need much explanation so here's a photo-heavy post of  most of the project.

This is the front cover, and the inside of the back cover. I made a pocket to hold the postcards I purchased.

In the end, I was pleased with the project. I have another slightly larger sketchbook of the same design which I will use, but I probably wouldn't purchase another one. 

LOAD: Days 5 & 6

I've been doing a pretty good job of staying on top of my self-imposed LOAD project this month, but not such a good job of getting them posted. We've been busy in the yard and garden which badly needed our attention. This weekend I'll probaby have to take a break from LOAD as I'm involved in a focus group that meets Friday night and all day Saturday. In addition, Matt is coming home for a long weekend. I'm always happy to have him here, even though most of his time will be spent with Betsy and Skylar.

So here are two more layouts. Days 7 & 8 are a travel journal I completed about our recent trip to Oregon. I have the photos taken, but not edited for the blog. Soon . . .

I wanted to get a layout done about our weekend in Washinton, D.C. I started with a photo template by Kitty Designs. Since there were a lot of photos, I kept the rest of the layout pretty simple--just some journaling and a tag from Ormolu and two flags from Basic Grey. The chipboard alpha is one of my favorites from the Amy Tangerine line by American Craft.

The journaling reads:

The impetus for the weekend get-away was an exhibition of Annie Leibovitz’s photographs entitled, “Pilgrimage,” which was showing at the Smithsonian American Museum. No photographs were allowed at the exhibit. The photographs filled just two or three rooms, but were so interesting especially since they were such a departure from her usual portraits. I’d like to own the exhibit book someday.

 The weekend turned out perfectly: gorgeous weather and not too many crowds. I had plenty of time to capture photos of the Washington monuments. The last time we were there, I took a whole roll of photos without realizing I had no film in my camera! I’ve been waiting for another opportunity for over 20 years. The icing on the cake was meeting up with Susan and Eric whom we hadn’t seen in nine years.

 from top to bottom, left to right: Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King Memorial, Pentagon Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Building from the Old Post Office tower, the Supreme Court, the fountain at the  World War II Memorial, one of the fountains at the FDR Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the C&O Canal in Georgetown

The next layout has been in a file "to scrap" for over a year, and was a lot of fun to make.

The patterned paper is Echo Park's "Dots and Things," and the cardstock thickers are from American Craft. I'd forgotten I had them in my stash, but was delighted to find a black and white polka-dotted alpha. I also had an old Making Memories brad with black and white polka-dots. I made the cow embellishments with the die from On the Farm by Papertrey Ink.

The most important part of this journaling points out how Tracy goes to great lengths for me to get a photograph. This is not out of character at all, and often it is he who asks if he'd like me to pull over so I can take a picture. Before he pointed them out in Massachusetts, I'd never heard of Oreo cows.

Ten Things: Newport, OR

I recently took an online photography class from Kat Sloma at Kat Eye Studio. I've known Kat for several years through a photography site, but had never taken one of her classes. When she offered "A Sense of Place" in April, I knew the time was right. I love to photograph when we're traveling, and we had upcoming trips to Washington, D.C. and Oregon. I hoped she'd provide some inspiration and information about capturing those places we visit more effectively. I was not disappointed. The eight week course was packed with thought-provoking information, and beautiful photographic examples. Ironically, because I was traveling, I wasn't able to participate in the class as fully as I hoped. I did read each lesson as it arrived, however, and was able to incorporate some of it. In the next few weeks, I hope to return to each of the lessons and complete all of the written and photographic assignments Kat included in the lessons. It's material I'll return to again and again.

One of the things that has always interested me in travel photography are the details that make a place different from the place where I live. Newport is a harbor town, so you'd expect to see photographs of boats and fishing gear. I did capture some of those, but what really captivated me in Newport was the community artwork painted on the walls of the buildings along the main street. So without further ado, here is a look at Newport.

 

 

Not surprisingly, Newport has many fish packing plants. I loved the way the pipes had been painted such bright colors.

And now for the community artwork:

 

 

 

This is one of my favorite shots. I love the contrast of the bright red truck with the blue boat, and the sense of scale that it lends to the mural.

 

I'm linking this to Shimelle's Ten Things. You'll find lots of interesting posts linked up here.

 

Three Cards

I've been having fun with the new Papertrey Ink stamps "On the Farm." Like several other bloggers, I thought at first I wouldn't use this set very much, but by the time the release posts were over, I realized there were a lot more ways to use a set of farm images than I imagined. The first one is cased from K and R Designs. I made it for our friend who celebrated his birthday over Memorial Day. The inside sentiment reads:  "Herd it was your birthday!"

I finally used a 6X6 stencil "Mini Chicken Wire" from Crafter's Workshop that I picked up awhile ago. I sponged Tim Holtz "Antique Linen" ink over it and distressed the edges of the card with PTI's tea dye inks (my favorites for distressing.) The patterned paper is from MME's "Everyday Fun Day" 6X6 paper pad, and the dies are "On the Farm" and "Spiral Notebook Page." The twine is PTI as well.

The next card uses the same set for a baby card that I based on Ashley Cannon Newell's card posted during the release.  One of my best friend's son and wife just had a 9.1 pound baby boy. I ended up cutting the hen and her chick with the Silhouette since the die and stamps were the wrong orientation for what I wanted. The card is from Paper Source and all the patterned paper were scraps from an old piece of Making Memories "Pitter Patter."

I wanted a card for my friend and her husband which I tucked into a bag with some board books for the new grandson.

This one uses PTI's "Bitty Baby Blessings" set, always a good standby. I used two different Spellbinder dies for the mats and handcut the onsie. The card is from Paper Source and both of the patterned papers were in my scrap file.