sunshine under the shade

This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property o jamiepate.com. I do receive financial compensation and products from American Crafts to develop certain blog posts, but all of the ideas and opinions are my own.

This is my middlest. The middle of them all. Middle of the 5. Middle of the two other sisters. This is no easy task.

And here she is found in one of her favorite places. Outside under the tree. Away from the house. Away from the noise. Just her and nature. Where she loves to be.

I took a prompt from the colors found in the photo...her clothing, the trees...and gathered those same colors from Pink Paislee's Atlas. The feeling of exploring and discovering and being in sunshine is captured perfectly with those embellishments. A capturing of her spirit if you will.

Some of my favorite photos are impromptu. I saw her out there being still with herself. Grabbed the camera. And captured her essence. How I know I will cherish this moment in years to come.

This requires me to have a certain level of 'staying in the present' here in the everyday. I am not always good at this. So when I am, I get a little proud of myself. It brings with it a certain level of peace in my heart that I, with camera in hand, found the heart of one of my children. And not only that...took the time to print those photos and write down a bit of her story to treasure and help her remember...to stay in her present too.

journaling confessions

This layout I am to share with you today was created for the Pink Paislee blog and is posted here. That particular assignment was called Design Lab. Design Lab is a study in what goes into memory keeping. The elements that bring it all together for a particular scrapbook style. You can read all the details for that focus on the Pink blog.

What I want to point out here today are photos. In that article I talk about how photos are my starting place. I alluded to the fact that THAT point might seem redundant. But I don’t think everyone does indeed start with the photo. But for me, I gather the images of the moment in my mind and a story starts to form. The story of our life.

One thing that came to the surface as a reminder to me while creating that post, was journaling. I did not list that as a design element. And that’s because, by way of confession, I have let that part of the telling fall off. 

Cathy Z recently reminded me of the richness that comes from truly journaling our stories. She takes such beautiful detail in her telling. She struck a nerve in me. I am not doing my story telling justice. I am not really telling the stories well. I am skipping over that for the supposed sake of creativity and am forgetting the very core of why I take the time in the first place.

So here I am today to place a new line in the sand. I am going to be more purposeful and intentional about my telling. And it starts with the layout right here. I will pull this precious memory out again and tell how we just simply were together the morning of Mother’s Day. How the simplicity of being together in these casual ways speaks to my heart. It’s a peaceable way to celebrate a day, and it meant so much to me. The goofiness of my girls and littlest and how they really act together. The making of breakfast by my oldest daughter in our kitchen. The coming together at table like we do every Sunday morning and the richness that that time is. And how my littles kids (not being so little any longer), love to hang and play a game on the iPad and just talk and banter back and forth. All while still in our jammies.

Simple simple little moments found in our home right now.

national scrapbook weekend ~ pink paislee

Happy National Scrapbook Weekend! The Pink Paislee team wants to wish you a fun and creative weekend! Whether you are at home or at a crop this weekend, we would like to share some inspiration with you along with what this holiday means to us! Start at Pink Paislee's blog and let's get this party started!

You should have made your way here via Patricia Roebuck's blog. So welcome!

To celebrate this very fun scrapbook weekend I, of course, created a layout.

As I was working through the papers from Citrus Bliss by Pink Paislee, and more especially this fab photo from my girlfriend trip to Charleston, I was thinking through the question, 'why do I scrapbook?' And it was actually a really simple answer. Because it makes me happy! That is why I do it.

It makes me happy to play with pretty paper and elements and move them around and place them in a pleasing manner. It makes me happy to have a completed page that speaks to my emotions about a time and place.

It makes me happy to look back at those pages in my albums, whether it's the next day, or weeks from today, and relive the moments and feelings on those pages. We are nothing if we don't have our memories, someone once said. I believe that to be true.

So why do you scrapbook? I don't believe there is any one answer. I believe there to be a myriad of answers to that question. And I hope at least one of those answers includes the simplicity of happiness that it may bring to your life.

Click on over to the next Pink Paislee team member, Gina Lideros, to be inspired! 

Make sure to also enter our National Scrapbook Weekend Facebook Giveaway! Have a creative weekend!

imagine ~ pink paislee atlas

There are so many reasons to document and make creative all at the same time.

We talk so often of telling our story.
Telling their story.
But I struggle with the stories that have not the opportunity of 'The End.

For you see...
this girl and I are on a journey.
Not unlike many journeys that many a mom and child have been on.
This girl and I have been on a journey of discovery to a place called learning disability.

And it's a journey that only shows us a few steps at a time.

Part of my personal creative journey is to talk to my kids through these picture books I create for them. While I am in the midst of pulling color and photo and words and icons together, I am thinking deeply of the subject at hand. Praying. Meditating. And sometimes even crying. Because I take the time to create said stories and store them away in many an album, it gives way to opportunity later down the road and look back at a place in time. To remember. To reflect. To actually see how God was leading us all along. Even when we did not know where the destination was to end.

When my children doubt my decision on a matter (not that THAT ever happens),  I am often heard to tell them, 'trust me, I always have a reason for what I say'. Same is true for when I create. There is almost always a reason behind the creating a page of photo and image. There is authenticity that can be found behind it.

She and I will need to imagine our way through the unclear path before us. And this will require a new kind of faith on both of our parts.

PinkPaislee's Atlas is found all over this page. A travel themed collection. Because...we will travel this together.

supplies used on this project:
Pink Paislee | Atlas
pattern paper: Souvenir. Take Flight. Here&There.
Ephemera.
Puffy Stickers

Heidi Swapp: pattern paper Hello Today
Marquee Love Tape
Color Shine Teal

label: Studio Calico
watercolor paper: Canson

march mood board ~ jot

I have said it more than once, I love a great mood board. The Jot Mood Board for March is such a fun  and inspirational mix of color and texture and pattern. Loved working with this one again for Jot Magazine blog.

Went with an approach I do not usually take. And that was to use pattern paper for the background instead of a more neutral paper. The mood board was, to me, all about color.

Once this board was out, I knew I had to use a recent girlfriend trip to the Southern California coast as a compliment to these fabulous colors.

Another different approach for me and this page was limited layering. If you know me at all, I have this thing about layering. I wanted to simply share icons and colors to tell this story. The elements are a bit disconnected. But the color and feel of the embellishments keep it all together.

Citrus Bliss from Pink Paislee found plenty of love on this page. See through elements give such a light and airy feel to this mini vacation page. Perfect! You will have to try it!

Now...do you know you have a chance to play along with this Mood Board and win stuff? Check it out over at Jot. And link up. And usher in the feeling of spring with this beautiful inspiration piece.

supplies: pattern paper: Pink Paislee Citrus Bliss. flowers: Studio Calico. photo corner, notched striped tag, camera, clear striped arrow: Pink Paislee Atlas Ephemera. label, xoxo die cut, yellow butterfly, 'it's a beautiful day' clear tag: Pink Paislee Citrus Bliss Ephemera. polka dot butterfly, 'fabulous' clear die cut: Heidi Swapp.

best ever adventure ~ wanderlust

So as you may or may not know I have 5 children. And for many years I took pride in 'keeping up' with their albums.

Cue 2015.

Yeah...not so much. Letting go a bit of this need to perfectly fill each child's album with all the most recent events and what not.

I am finding myself move in the direction of sharing moments with them and speaking to them by way of journaling about the moment more than trying to document each and every occasion and event.

But when I recently came across these photos from a hiking trip in September,  I was just struck by a few things in these photos. So this page now belongs to my youngest daughter and is part of her album.

I look forward to this freedom I think the approach will bring me in the future. Especially now that the older ones are, well, older. The words I want to share with them are so much different than when they were littles.

The collection used here is Heidi Swapp's Wanderlust. It's a beautiful program available at Joann and also showing up online in places like A Cherry On Top.

The collection is so so perfect for any sort of travel or hiking or discovery type layout. The elements help tell the story perfectly. I used one of the Memory Dex Cards here to highlight the date. I have always been a push over for anything tabbed. These cards will be finding their way on lots of my layouts and only maybe actually in the Desktop Memory Dex Tray.

The Memory Dex Pockets, also intended for the Desktop Tray, will wander and be found on other projects. This one here is actually holding my journal card.

Another Memory Dex Patterned Card is used as the inclosed journal spot. I trimmed off the bottom pieces that attach to the Tray and rounded the corner.

The last thing I wanted to share by way of the design is the Sentiments Foil Rub On Kit. I took the 'best ever' image and rubbed the sticker part on pattern paper. Then the gold foil was rubbed over the sticky using my finger to add some heat. And tad-dah! A beautiful gold foil feature. That and the Salmon Color Shine misted 'adventure' Wood Veneer rounded out this project and gave it it's name as well.

cut files ~ jot magazine issue 9

What an honor it is to be part of the Jot Girls 2015 team. Truly I am surrounded by a stunning community of creatives. It is always good to be around those that inspire and challenge in a good way to be your very best.

The magazine has several themes one of which was Cut Files. My submission for that category included a couple different cuts from my Sizzix eShape collections.  The 'sweet'is found here. The floral vine is found here. The last one is from the SpringToday collection and I thought it was a perfect soft detail against all the Wanderlust from Heidi Swapp that makes up most of this page.

I have sort of shied a way a bit from pattern paper for a background. But this piece here called Paper Cafe  just drew me in.

This girl is found reading ALL. THE. TIME. It's a good thing. I know. Capturing her in her truest form made me happy and want to share this moment to remember years from now when her life gets a bit more chaotic. She needs to remember the importance of down time and reading for pleasure and all the joy that is found in this activity.

So here is to the new issue of Jot Magazine. Sweet cut files. And time to pursue good things.

color fever wanderlust ~ heidi swapp

I am over at heidiswapp.com today sharing my edition of the Color Fever theme that the team posts for some amazing inspiration.

The details for the above layout are all on today's post.

Hope you will hop over and take a look. And then I REALLY hope you will play along. Please tag me up on Instagram @jamiepate. Include the hashtag #HScolorfever.

oh deer ~ sizzix shape store

Last week I introduced my newest little collection of cut files for the Sizzix Shape Store. You can see that post here at the Sizzix blog. You can see how I used this collection to make ready some Valentine boxed gifts in a glittery fashion.

 Well today I wanted to share with you how I used that same collection for a little boy layout.

The 'oh deer' was cut with September Skies from Heidi Swapp. I love how it is so perfect in that pixelated grey pattern. I roughed up the edges a bit to give it a bit more of a 'manly' feel. Are ya feelin' it?

I cut the Heart in Heart design in different sizes with water color paper. I love the texture water color paper brings my pages and how the Tinsel Color Shine gave it such a perfect texture for this little boy page.

Hope you will stop by and check out the collection at the Shape Store. Link me up if you do any creatin' with the set. Would love to show you off!

february mood board ~ jot magazine

We all need inspiration. Inspiration to be better people. Inspiration to eat well. Inspiration to decorate our homes. And even inspiration to create pretty stuff. I love the inspiration found in Pinterest, Instagram and even Facebook. I think we live in a time of amazing visual inspiration to be found all around us.

Kim Archer from Jot Magazine put out the most inspiring mood board for February. She found wonderful images that when put together create a visual feast for the eyes. As well as the paper. I loved this board so much. I am sure to find myself creating even more with this board as the month continues. But so far this is what I came up with:

I kept the page fairly white and light. I really wanted the black and white stripes with touches of gold to pop and keep a lot of focus on that little selfie with my littlest guy.

That little guy is my huggy-snuggler. I have never had a kid hug like him. He was all over me this day when it was just he and I home hanging out together. He's a poser, that's for sure. This photo needed a page all to it's very self.

Now to just decide if I keep the page for MY album or give it up to him...hard to know. (oh...and note to self...add the date BEFORE ya take the photo.)

I created the LOVE die cut with my Sizzix Eclips. Now...tech poor skills alert here: when I learn how to host that little die cut, I will be sure to make it available for free to you all. The glitter frame is from Heidi Swapps frames but I cut off the sentiment so to just have a simple square. The 'happy' card comes from her Capture30 class. It just worked with the green that Kim included in the board.

The floral cluster is also a mix of Heidi Swapp. The pink rose is from September Skies and the green chipboard is from last years Hello Today.

The slide frame is also one I created and then added my own marks to it to give it that stripe. And then it's wrapped in a glitter sticker from Heidi Swapp.

Hope you are inspired by this mood board. If you are, and I think you should be, be sure to link it up over at JotMagazine for the challenge over there.

supplies: cardstock: White Wood Grain (AmericanCrafts); pattern paper: Heidi Swapp: Hello Beautiful (black and white stripe), Hello Today (pink blush); Minc Foil machine and  embellishments; Glitter Shapes Banners; Glitter Frame; Inspire Lovely gold hearts; Studio Calico gold sequins.