random reflections

52/50

Time flies, and I have seven weeks of my 52/50 Project to share, but even more amazing---there are only five weeks left for the project! I need to find a new photography project for 2014. I'm signed up for the Still Life Photography course with Cheryl McCain but I know that will be difficult when we're traveling. I'd like a weekly project---one that requires me to do more than take a daily shot with my iPhone and something that challenges me to improve my photography. If you come across something, I'd love to hear about it. 

Week 41 found us in Niagara-on-the-Lake for a weekend of wine tasting and theater. Grapes were still heavy on the vine.

The following week (#42) we were in Florida. I walked around the Boca Raton Resort and Club with my 50mm lens one morning and found lots to photograph. This gorgeous flower is one of my favorites.

Most of the photos I took in Key West and the Everglades were with my 18-270mm zoom lens, but I finally remembered to get the 50mm lens on as we drove home through the Blue Ridge Mountains at the end of Week 43.

Technically this isn't the best shot from Halloween (Week 44), but it's my favorite. Skylar was a fabulous bumblebee.

Week 45 found me in our yard. Our relatively new maple tree was in the midst of changing colors.

Tracy and I have been trying to get several good walks in every week while the weather is still good. (I think we may be at the end of that. We had 2-3 inches of snow this week, and the temperatures are hovering around freezing at their highest!) During Week 46 we walked through Highland Park, one of our favorite routes.

Last week (Week 47) we were trying to find a new route and went to the Cobb Hill Reservoir. We walked through the woods first, but I didn't find much there to photograph. The leaves have fallen off the trees, and it was pretty drab. I liked the light on the reservoir through the bars, though, and decided to do a black and white conversion which I also like.

With the upcoming holidays, a wedding, and a quick trip to Chicago in early December, finishing up this project should be pretty easy. Then I'll have to decide what to do with all the photos.

Inlaid Designs

After making a card with an inlaid die cut here, I thought it would be fun to try it with a couple Christmas designs. These are too intricate to mass produce, but I'm quite happy with how they turned out.

Both cards were then stamped and gold embossed with the sentiments. 

I think both cards fit the Curtain Call Challenge this week which is a Christmas-inspired photograph.

I'm off to see what I can purge from our basement. I'm quite sure 50% of what is stored there can go, but that will take more than just one or two days. For now I'm interested in just clearing out holiday decorations, gift wrap, and all the piles on my wrapping table. The holidays are in view, and I'd like to be a bit more organized.

Card Recipe:
Cardstock: Paper Source
Dies: "Wonderland Tree" & "Breezy Wreath" (Memory Box)
Stamps: "Stylish Sentiments: Holiday" (PTI)

CAS(e) This Sketch: Happy Birthday

At the end of last week, I was trying to get all the November birthday and anniversary cards ready to mail. I realized I needed a birthday card for my nephew in Portland. I keep a document with all the current challenge images on it and found the new CAS(e) This Sketch inspiration. It seemed perfect for a "guy card." I stuck right to the sketch this time.

Here's my take:

Back to one of my favorite color schemes: black, red, and white---and the Simon Says woodgrain paper. The Spellbinder's "Label Two" die is a pretty close replica of the label on the sketch, and I used one of the tag images from Papertrey's "2012 Birthday Tags" set.

I embellished the inside of this one as well:

Now all the November cards are in their envelopes waiting for the appropriate date to go in the mail. 

Card Recipe:
Cardstock: Woodgrain (Simon Says), True Black, Pure Poppy (PTI)
Washi Tape: My Mind's Eye
Dies: Labels Two (Spellbinders) and two circle punches
Stamps: 2012 Birthday Tags (PTI)
Stars: Jeni Bowlin

Thanks, Again!

I needed two more thank you cards today, and had quite a bit of fun pulling them together. It was nice to have some uninterrupted creative time. The first one is for the amazing woman who planned all the meals for the youth retreat, purchased all the ingredients, cooked the Saturday night casseroles (delish!), and supervised the rest of us in the kitchen for the weekend. I cased this card design from a card I pinned here quite some time ago.

She is indeed, all of these things! Here's a peek a the inside, which I kept small and tidy as there will be multiple signers!

The next card is a thank you to Betsy's parents who had us to brunch yesterday. Paul made amazing scrambled eggs with cream cheese (I think) and brocolli. 

I found the Spiral Notebook die laying on my desk and started with that. Once I found the striped paper, the rest came together quicking. I'm a huge fan of these word dies. I have several from Simon Says and a few from Papertrey Ink. They just make a card pop!

I'm linking both these cards to the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge:  Thanksgiving/Thanks.

Card Recipes:
Card #1:
Cardstock: Select White, Hawaiian Shores, Pure Poppy (PTI)
Stamps: You (Simon Says), Movers & Shakers & Around and About Sentiments (PTI)
Dies: Get to the Point (PTI), You (Simon Says)

Card #2:
Cardstock: Select White, Raspberry Fizz, Hawaiian Shores, Summer Sunrise (PTI)
Patterned Paper:  Snap! (Simple Stories)
Dies: Thanks (Simon Says), Spiral Notebook Page (PTI) 

Get Inky!

Another post for two challenges, one of which closes in just a few hours. Both are Simon Says Challenges: the Monday Challenge: Got Ink? (which closes tonight) and the Wednesday Challenge: Thanksgiving/Thanks.

Earlier this year I enrolled in Claudine Helmuth's Big Picture Class, Technique Toolbox. I have hardly touched the content of this class, but it's not because I lack interest. The first technique was Photocopy Transfer, and she provided the handwriting copy to use on the tag. I used some paints, stencils, and Distress Inks as well. Definitely "inky!"

I separated the tag, and inserted the Thanks die cut from Simon Says, added an arrow (PTI) and a heart (Simon Says). The ribbon was in my stash, and once again, I have no idea where it came from or how long I've had it. The three little black pearls are my favorites from A Muse.

It's always good to have a thank-you card in your stash!

Card Recipe:
Cardstock: Parsley (Memory Box)
Manilla tag (Avery)
Distress Inks and Paint: Tim Holtz
Stencil: Balzaar Designs
Dies: Hearts & Thanks (Simon Says), Get to the Point (PTI)
Ribbon: from stash

 

CASology: Triangle & A Bit of Holiday Joy

This week's challenge at CASology was just perfect for creating Christmas trees, and I'm still in need of some Christmas cards. Once again I finished this right under the wire!

Although I could have easily cut a couple of triangles, I knew there were at least a couple in my collection of dies. These came from matching dies for Papertrey's "Hello, Sunshine," and "Tranquil Triology" stamps.

I thought I had the right little star for the top of the tree among my gems, but nothing really worked. Then I remembered the gold mirror paper I've had for ages and used the Simon Says "Holiday Shapes" die to cut the star. That die gets a lot of use! The gold twine is as old as the mirror paper, and I wish I could remember where I bought it. Fortunately, the quantity on the spool is very generous and it's unlikely I'll run out anytime soon.

I'd hoped to get the focus on the star; didn't work, but there's no time to retake the photo and get this up before the challenge closes.

The youth retreat was a huge success, and I'll have a few photos later in the week. The adults were exhausted by the end of the weekend, but I'm sure the teenagers were doing fine today.

Card Recipe:
Cardstock: Select White (PTI), Bazzill Textured green from scrap drawer, mirror gold (unknown)
Card: Paper Source
Patterned Paper: "Christmas Cottage" (Teresa Collins)
Twill: Scarlet Jewel (PTI)
Stamp: "2008 Holiday Tags" (PTI)
Dies: Holiday Shapes (Simon Says), Tranquil Triology, Tag Sale #6 & Hello Sunshine (PTI)

Happy Mail

A while ago, I returned a set of tape runners by American Craft which had broken almost right away. They are my favorite tape runner, and I haven't had too many bad experiences with them. I usually order them in bulk from Amazon, and this particular batch was not good. I filed the email away, and forgot about it.

Then one day I was cleaning out that email folder and realized I'd never heard from them. I sent a second email, and got a very prompt and apologetic reply. Evidently the woman I had corresponded with the first time had left the company. Within just a few days, an amazing package arrived on my doorstep with a note saying they'd thrown in a few goodies for my patience.

First, the replacements (more than I returned).

When I opened the box, Tracy and I were both amazed by the amount of product they sent me. The best part is all of it is stuff I'll definitely be able to use. This might be the epitome of good customer service! 

I've made two cards with these goodies. The first one I posted here, for a Moxie Fab challenge, using the Washi tape and one of the metal rimmed tags.  Here's the second one.

The patterned papers are from the paper pad they included and I attached the frame with one of the tiny clothespins. I especially like the birthday text paper.

Needless to say, I use the tape runners every time I sit down to make a card or complete a scrapbook page. I'm know I'll find lots of uses for the rest of the product as well. 

I'll be off the grid for most of the weekend. Our Presbytery is hosting a four day event with Mark Yaconelli, a gifted workshop and retreat leader who specializes in youth ministry. Turns out he lives in Ashland, OR and is a friend of Sarah and Adam's. Today is a conference for adults at Northeastern Seminary, and tomorrow night a retreat for youth begins at the Rotary Sunshine Camp until Sunday morning. I'm on food detail. We hoped to register about 100 youth for this event, but the final count was close to 200 from 20 different churches across the Presbytery. That's a lot of subs to make for Saturday lunch! I'm not sleeping at the camp, but expect to be there most of the time.

Florida Road Trip: Part 2

We left Miami Beach around noon, stopped at a fantastic Cuban restaurant, "Havana Harry's" in Coral Gables and headed out to the Florida Keys. Our final destination was Key West, the southern most point in the United States.

Beside the requisite photo next to the buoy, everyone who visits Key West flocks to Mallory Square for the sunset. It didn’t disappoint.

The sunset isn’t the only entertainment. There was a man who had trained cats to do a variety of tricks, musicians, and a fire eater.

Little did we know, but Fantasy Fest had just begun in Key West. Costumes, and various states of undress were common as you walked down Duvall Street. The folks in costume were more than happy to pose for you. We’d never experienced anything quite like it, and our understanding is that the closer you got to Halloween, the “better it got.”

Although we drove through Everglades National Park on our way to Tampa, there wasn’t a lot to see from the road. I was glad we stopped at the Visitor’s Center and took the time to take a walk with one of the rangers.

Our last planned stop was a visit with our friends, Carole and Gordon, in Charlotte, NC. They wanted to take us to Asheville, NC to visit the Biltmore Estate.

I knew it was supposed to be spectacular, but I wasn’t prepared for how immense it is. If you are used to European medieval castles, it probably doesn’t look as amazing, but it’s the largest private residence in the United States. Built by George Vanderbilt in the early 1900’s, it was a marvel of engineering and construction. We took the additional butler’s tour, and our guide was right out of Downton Abbey. We got to see the servant’s side of the mansion, as well as the amazing heating, plumbing, and communication devices that were state of the art in the early 1900’s. It was fascinating. 

They were decorating for Christmas while we were there. Some of the rooms had as many as five totally decorated Christmas trees. No photos are allowed in the house, but the beautiful decorations put me in the holiday mood. I’d love to go back in the springtime to see the extensive gardens. All the landscaping was done by Fredrick Law Olmstead, the landscape architect of Central Park and many other public spaces in the United States. 

On our way home, we drove a bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Unlike the Adirondacks in September, the Blue Ridge was past it’s autumnal peak, but we enjoyed the slow pace of the parkway before getting on the interstate to head home.

As much as we've enjoyed and appreciate all the travel we've been able to do this year, we're grateful to be home for awhile. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Storytelling Sunday: Better Late than Never

This is my second post of the day, but I wanted to get this episode of Storytelling Sunday up before the link closes on Sian's blog. I missed last month, and there are only two months left for this year's theme of "Pick Your Precious."

When the year began, I made a list of some precious things I knew I wanted to write about. These books were on that list, but I couldn't find them. This weekend we pulled out a huge box from the attic of the books I saved from my classroom library when I retired. I don't ever recall using these books at school, but I must have taken them there for some purpose. I'm delighted to have found them.

E. B. White has been a favorite author since I was a child. Stuart Little was published three years before I was born, but my copy was purchased in 1953. My mother's inscription indicates it was bought in Chicago, probably on one of the many trips we made between Kansas (where we lived) and our relatives in Ohio.

I was four years old when Charlotte's Web was published. Four seems a bit young for Charlotte's Web, but my father read The New Yorker every week, and E.B. White was regularly published there. Thanks to my father, I have a first edition copy.

My parents inscribed my name and often the date in every book they purchased for me, and I have tried to do the same for my children and grandchildren.

I wish I had inherited my mother's beautiful script handwriting! As important as these books are to me, what they represent more than anything is the love of reading my parents instilled in me. My father read aloud to us nearly every night, and continued to read articles and short stories aloud to me even when I was in my forties! 

Here's a scrapbook page I made a few years ago that celebrates that love.

And here, on this Christmas Journal page from 2008, is a photo of my father reading to my brother and me at Christmas time in our apartment in Hays, Kansas.

It's clear that Charlotte's Web needs a bit of repair and I need to investigate how to do that without ruining the value of the first edition, but it's never going to be sold. I know for sure, Sarah will be happy to acquire it for her already large collection of children's books. She's a more avid reader than I am, and Caleb's first phrase was, "read book." It's a good sign.

Florida Road Trip: Part 1

We’re nine days into November, and I just finished editing the photos from our road trip to Florida. There was too much driving, but we had a lovely time. The highlight of the trip down was dinner in Savannah, Georgia at Pearl’s Saltwater Grill. I found it on Yelp (one of our favorite apps, especially when we’re traveling), and called for reservations the night before. We had a window table overlooking the saltwater marsh, and were rewarded with a lovely view.

Then a full moon rose, and our window seat became prime real estate. The food was just as great as the view.

The reason for our trip was Rachel and Juan’s wedding in Boca Raton, Florida. Rachel and Juan had arranged for rooms at the Boca Resort. Truly the nicest hotel we’ve ever stayed in. 

Here’s a shot of the view from our room on the 22nd floor overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. 

The wedding was simply splendid. One of Sarah’s and Rachel’s friends from our church is an ordained pastor, and Lindsey delivered a wonderful homily. We’ve know Lindsey and Rachel since they were toddlers, and it’s so nice to see what wonderful, competent women they’ve become. Following the service, the reception took place on the beach. It was hot the whole time we were in Florida, but the breeze off the ocean kept everyone at the reception comfortable. Here’s a shot of the beautiful bride and handsome groom. It was such a special day!

As in Savannah, as dinner was being served, a bright orange full moon arose over the ocean. It was magical, but you’ll have to imagine it as the iPhone photo doesn’t do it justice.

Monday we were in Miami Beach for the Art Deco Architectural Tour. 

(This shot was taken Sunday afternoon; it was hot and humid both days!)

I knew I liked the Art Deco style, but I didn’t know a lot about it. It’s characterized by geometric lines, eyebrows (more about that in a minute), symmetry, cool colors, and corner windows. In the photo below, look above each window and you’ll see a ledge that hangs over the top of the window. Most of the Art Deco buildings in Miami were built prior to the invention and installation of air conditioning. The “eyebrow” casts a shadow over the window, keeping the rooms cooler. 

I loved this retro automobile that was sitting on the street across from the welcome center.

I'll be back tomorrow with the second half of the trip.