under construction

Under construction as a descriptor of my life is wildly understated. As it seems this girl is always under construction in some way, shape, or form.

And this blog, today, is no exception. A little remodeling going on, so if a link does not work for you, please be patient as my little re-do gets re-done.

Another overhaul is my saying good bye to 3 and a half years of designing with Work In Progress kits. Trish was so gracious to see some talent in my abilities almost 4 years ago and asked me to be apart of her team. It has been a pleasure to get to know her, to work along side (in a cyber-sense) with the many talents that came through WIP, and the highlight to teach at her Bertram Retreat last fall and meet her in real life. The time has gone by so fast, and I am so thankful for all the it brought to my life. And thank you, Trish, for all that you have done for me. Thankfully, with instagram and facebook and the like, we will never be far away. Today I say good bye with a last look at some projects using the WIP August kit.

As changes go, I continue to be introduced to the Heidi Swapp Media team. This week on the blog is a 'Getting to Know' series and a chance to meet the team members. Yesterday highlighted my friend from down under, Kim Jeffress, and today we meet Maggie Massey. Hoping you will all stop by and meet them by way of their blogs.

Now...off to go make some pretty stuff...to share soon.

Hoping you have time for pretty stuff in your life today.

more July WIP

Today...
a very whimsical take for me...
details over here.

Had some fun with Little Yellow Bicycle die cut + Bella Blvd...

Made my own photo file...

with hidden journaling and extra photo underneath.
Told you you may or may not see more of this interactive memory keeping.

Are you doing any interactive layouts these days?

Interactive Scrapbook Page

Today I am posting over at WIPkits.
Please go and say hi.

This project made me so happy. It is an interactive scrapbook page/mini album.
I was inspired by Heidi Swapp and her Memory File system.
But mine has it's own twist.
The layout is on a 12x12 base.
And the pages are graduated, meaning they get a little larger in size as you move through them.

I found this a fabulous way to document photos and journaling from several events.
This one in particular shares highlights to my oldest son's summer of 2011.
April's WIP kit of Echo Park's Note to Self was a perfect, perfect kit for this sort of project.

This is a look at the first layout after the cover.
Throughout the pages I included several of the tags that Trish included in the kit for journaling spots. They were perfect.

Notice on this page I included a generic 4x6 index card. I adhered it flap style, with room for even more photos underneath. I love how interactive this project is.

This is a view of the second page.
Manila folders were used here and there. Above it is used as background paper to sort of calm all the pattern. Don't get me wrong, love all the amazing patterns in this kit, but I just needed a home for a journaling piece and some embellishments.

Under the pattern paper on the left side of the page there are more photos and hidden journaling. Some things the teen male just doesn't want out there for all to see. So I made this for some privacy. The beauty of hidden journaling.

On the right side of that page there is an interactive flip book that made room for four more photos and words.

The last page. This last part is attached to the 12x12 base. And do you see the rounded corner pattern paper peeking out from the layout on the right?

It is home to one other photo...painfully on the way to school orientation...(yikes...my focus is off...)

I do love this technique.
It still easily slips into the page protector of his album.
It is home to many events...but wrapped up into the theme of one summer.
It is home to 20 photos.
It was just plain fun to work on. And I love it when that happens.

now go. create.

wip sneak peek

bringing a few sneak peeks for the WIPkits March gallery.
the gallery should be live on thursday here.

this kit was equal opportunity boy/girl elements and papers.
the pattern paper is gorgeous. echo park this & that really nailed it.
i went heavy on boy...as you can tell...
and there is so much left over to tell the many stories i need to tell of this little guy.
so i am sure you will be seeing more of these papers and elements.

tomorrow will be the March olw blog hop.
hope you can stop in and say hi.

february work in progress

If you follow me on facebook, you have seen the gallery already for February's WIPkits.
(March just went live, but is already sold out, however Feb is still available, and I highly suggest.)
Which is a good thing since I am lagging behind in posting my projects on my own blog.
It's been one of those kind of months...
not for lack of nothing else to do, mind you.
I gave up bon-bons and soap operas years ago.

It felt as if it had been a long time since I did a traditional scrap project.
Felt as though I was a little rusty.
But when you look at that little boy's photo album...it is more than obvious that I have fallen off telling him his story.
ProjectLife has taken over some of that.
But I did enjoy the creative process of telling the little mr. the story of his day out on the snowy hill.
And the journal tag did indeed get filled in...
love that blue and grey together. And don't even get me started on the chevron pattern.

We have had such little snow the past few years, Since the Jan WIPkit was full of winter wonder goodies, I was so glad I had good stories to tell.
These girls and their neighbor friends were so thankful for Christmas break-time snow storm. The golf course out back was a perfect wonder land of deep snow to fill their love of this winter time activity. So happy they had these days like this just before Christmas. Perfect memories.

Birthday pics of the eight year old. Cannot believe this one is eight.
She is witty.
Gorgeous.
Vivacious.
And knows how to pose.
Love it all...even though at times it can exhaust.
I added journaling to this layout right on top of the solid pink cardstock.
The 'white' space was begging for it, plus I had something I wanted to share with this birthday girl.

Be back later in the week with a tutorial on how to construct the pattern paper flowers.

project life ~ week.five.

welcome to project life. week.five.

Someone once told me the days go by slow, the years can be slow, but the weeks fly by.
It is ever my intent to have pL posted by the middle of the week.
Although I am sticking to my predetermined schedule of having the pages done by Tuesday, a habit I continue to cultivate this year, the posting of the project is a whole other issue for me.
But alas, here it is. Hoping it instills someone with inspiration to continue to document their own story.

A theme was struck this week with it being the beginning of the month of February.
A theme of hearts & pink.
If you know me, I am not one for pink.
But rhonnaDESIGNS has me all over the pink this month with her Kiss Me collection.
As someone close to me recently described me, I am feminine, but edgy.
So the pink is a bit of a stretch for me...but I am lovin' the challenge of it, and it will continue throughout the month.
So here's to pink.

This week I am using Design B and C. Late last year the Photo Pocket Pages -Big Variety Pack was at a fabulous price. So I grabbed them up. The jury is still out as to whether I like having a diversity of sizes to work with. It can sort of throw me off when planning my photos. But I am making it work and having fun with it anyway.

I took one of the page protectors and cut it in half and used as a middle insert. I really wanted to tell the story of the snow. The two days of snow we had! which is sort of rare for us. And how much my Dad's dog loved it! and how much there was drifted in the yards. So I added those to the back side of the insert and really am glad for how it worked out.
On the front side there aren't any photos. Instead I chose to add part of the bulletin from church as the series we are in has been so engaging and life changing. There is a little mini layout (i love adding these this year to the pages...I am always thinking now of how I can add those mini's in here.) One side is the quatrefoil pattern from the KissMeCollection background kit. The other half is some word art included in the WIPkit for February. It's a gratitude quote that is completely in sync with where we are right now as a couple (mr. pate and i) and our family.

Valentine (or anytime) Treat

Today I am over here at WIP Kits sharing a tutorial...

journal

jour-nal: /'jernl/
noun:     a personal record of occurrences, experiences, and reflections kept on a daily basis.
              diary.
              daybook.

I journal everyday.
Big things.
Little things.
Full text.
Bullet points.
Notes on a calendar.
Jots on my to do list.
The keeping of a prayer journal.

Habit. It has become the habit of my life.
It finds it's way in all aspects of my life.
The One Little Word Project.
Project Life.
Documented events.
Birthday letters.
Art that turns the heart.

It is also a lovely excuse to make my own journals.
Often.
Some have been very simple.
Others elaborate.
Some house important quotes.
The prayer journal is home to ninety days of musings. thoughts. prayers. cries of my heart.

And this is the most current::

I hear it said all the time::
oh...I don't journal.
oh...I don't have time.
oh...I am so behind.

Start now.
One thought.
Write it down.
Make a book.
Make it yours.
Go back and read.
Growth.
Renewal.
Awareness.
A journal is so many things.

learn to pause...or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you.

I just want to inspire you today. If you have not already. Journal.

All supplies:: January Work In Progress Kits
{note: i never let a good cereal or cracker box go to waste. i save them. cut the broad size to about 5.5x8, and they become my journaling covers.}            
             

2012 wall art

Part of this months kit from WIP kits included several die punched tags.
I wanted to use the '2012' tag to celebrate the new year.

Actually...i just wanted to find a way to use the yellow damask...so pretty.

This piece starts with the Melissa Frances scalloped chipboard backdrop.

Black cardstock (included in the kit) is ModPodged on the top portion. Then a pattern from Carolina Breeze is added to the bottom portion.  I did not get the stamps with the kit, but there was a great polka dot stamp included with January's kit...so instead a punchinella stencil from Scarlet Lime's Mixed Media kit was used to add silver paint here and there. An acrylic wash, in manila, was used over the damask to create a dreamy feel about the pattern. I like how it adds a bit of grunge, yet the yellow pattern and flowers still sets this piece apart with a feminine touch. I can personally relate to that. 

A small junque bow tops the the tag. The 2012 tag is layered over a solid grey from the Carolina Breeze paper by Teresa Collins. The 'wonderful day' chipboard element (MyMind'sEye) in kraft was a bit too dark. It was sanded down a bit, stenciled and washed with an acrylic in manila.

Paper rolled flowers was inspired by this pinterest pin. I had never worked with them before. They are a little rough, so don't look too close. A pearl or two was added to the middle of them because the girl is finding her way back to pearls these days.
The chipboard ruler was also washed in manila acrylic and used as a border between the solid and the pattern part of the piece.
Ah...this was fun...mixed media is a growing interest of mine. I may have to add it to the weeks blog post repertoire...what say you?

true beauty

a couple of weeks ago i gave you a sneak peek to this album.

and today i am posting the details over at the work in progress blog.

this is one of my more favorite mini books of a long time.
there is so much of my poured into all of it.

i hope it inspires you to pour yourself into a project that you love.

my prayer is that you find your true beauty in every part of your life today.