Category Archives: Creative Practice

Documenting 2018 with “52 Stories”

Posted in Creative Practice, Documenting Life, Project Gal- Memorykeeping by

I will be the first to admit that the last little while I’ve been getting bored with how I document the goings on around here. I used the weekly or monthly pocket scrapping documenting from 2011 until 2017 and, not gonna lie, it was a lot. Am I happy that I documented every little thing? Yes. Was it time for something different ? Heck yes.

Times change, things change and it was time to move on. I had picked up a Heidi Swapp Storyline album awhile back at Michaels and ordered extra pages. I was intrigued because it seemed like it was getting back to what documenting/storytelling had been when it was simpler. (you can check out what it’s about HERE on Heidi’s website) I organized my photos using smart albums in my Lightroom catalog to pull together photos per month that used the keyword “pl” which designates images I want to use in my weekly documenting.

After coming off a stretch of really intensive documenting, I have to say I felt super energized and a little bit freed by picking just one story a week to focus on. There were some extra stories and goodies thrown in for good measure but that was pretty much it! So without further ado, I present a little video overview of my completed 2018 album!

I’m extremely happy with the results and it was so. much. easier. to manage one story a week. Also… if anyone has suggestions for working with the arkon iPhone stand I’m all ears. Learning new stuff over here everyday. This project was one of my 20in20 projects from a class I’m taking with Stacy Julian and boy was it nice to tick off a project!

Thanks for taking a look, here’s to getting projects done!

“Complete” One Little Word update April – October 2020

Posted in Creative Practice, Memory Keeping, One Little Word 2020: Complete by

Hello fellow crafty friends!

I thought I was more up to date on sharing my OLW album, but as I sit down to write this post, I discovered I’ve not posted about this project since March …which, was pretty much when the world fell apart. Because I don’t want to play catch-up completely in December… and since I’ve already made a little video for August – October…I’m going to go back make a quick video of April – July and tuck that right above August and October and I’ll be caught up with myself! Go me.

I have to say I am quite pleased that I have kept up with this project every month in 2020. Most years they’ve been abandoned by April. Last year I think I did several months in quick succession at the end of the year… so considering all that has gone on this year I’m calling this a big win even though we have two months left to go!

One Little Word is a year-long project, spearheaded by Ali Edwards to choose a guiding word for the year and, through a series of monthly prompts, explore how that word can integrate into your life and you can welcome in and also let go. Learn more about the project HERE

What’s your word this year? How’s your project going?

2nd half of 2020 creative wins – Paper Crafting

Posted in Creative Practice, Memory Keeping by

Ah 2020,  you quickly made us realize this wasn’t going to be like any other year…  fortunately, to keep myself from losing my mind completely, I have lists and lists of projects to make and things to do both for personal projects, family projects, house projects and business projects.   Yes, I am that person.

I am taking Stacy Julian’s 20 in 20 class, the premise of which is to make 20 memory keeping related projects in 2020.  It has not been as hard as it sounds quite frankly…assignment #1 was find a photo you like of yourself, or have one taken.  Check.   So….for the days I think I don’t get anything accomplished, I’m leaving this little list of my first quarter Paper Crafting wins right here to remind myself of what I’ve gotten done.  

1st qtr Paper Crafting

I made a “stick of the day” book about our dog Shadows predilection for picking up sticks on our walks… time to memorialize all the IG posts!

Me-Photo I like… we were directed to find or take a photo of ourselves that we liked… I of course went overboard and put some random photos and some photos I had taken for a photo challenge from Ali Edwards in February called “Pieces of Us” Gathered them all in an adorable little bound book from Heidi Swapp which has become my book about me which I will write in and maybe put a few more photos in as the year goes on.

Gun Digest Covers!  My uncle Jimmy was an artist and illustrated several Gun Digest covers.   My sister saved those issues when we cleaned out our Dad’s house and I made them into a poster for her to display in her home!

December Daily 2019…I was able to complete my album at the January weekend crop I attended….oh the days of hanging out indoors, crafting and sharing snacks with friends for hours on end.  



2nd Qtr

Felt super productive this month considering the pandemic but I guess since there is no where to go, it’s a good time to get projects completed and start new ones!

-Photos and artwork back up around the house – Living Room, Family Room and MBR hallway…I took almost everything down while we were under construction and since we were well done with construction and had been completely deep cleaned…it was time to get everything back up on the walls including art and photos that have been hanging around for years… Now was the time! Feels so good and it was a super fun project the girls and I did together… I have more frames to buy and a few pieces to take to the framer but so happy it’s mostly done!

-Photo Book: Designed and made a photobook for my sister about her (pre-pandemic) birthday get-away trip! 

-Creative Hub notebook shapeup… I did a video tour and posted it so you can check it out HERE

-Half finished digital layouts… In going through and cleaning up my files, I came across a file of partially completed digital layouts… from several years ago ! (Hello 2012 I’m looking at you). I’ll post in more detail but they are all done and getting ready to be sent off to the printer!

-Photo Album: Designed and made a Photo Album for my little sister for her wedding in 2018 !!! Sending this off to the printer as well… it will be a total surprise for her as she just turned everything over to me to take care of!  I also ordered a large black and white metallic print/wall art for of my favorite photo for them to display in their home!

-May Everyday Album…another project that was totally NOT on my layout but was super fun to do and very low stress/didn’t buy anything to complete/used what I had.  

   

On to the second half of 2020!

2020 1st Q Creative Wins !

Posted in Craft, Creative Practice, Every Day Life, Fiber fun, Handmade, In the Studio, Knitting, Make Stuff, quilting, Quilting, Scrapbooking, Sew this, Yarn hobbies by

May 3 – I am finding one way to grab any kind of positivity out there is to look back and acknowledge things that I have completed (Complete – my 2020 word) and celebrating that…since 1/3 of the 2nd qtr of 2020 is done (how did that happen…because we are all just working and/or sitting in our houses) I figured it’s high time to note what I managed to complete in the first quarter of 2020 for my own tracking…

January

Memorykeeping: Finished my December Daily album (38 layouts) and made 10 other pages. Worked on Stacy Julian’s 20in20 class setting up project ideas and completed 1 project for that, finding photos of myself for an project about me.

Fiber: Started a Cables and Colorwork Class taught by my friend at Cambridge Center for Adult Ed. Worked on broken rib cowl, worked on Briochealicious shawl. Finished mini quilt and quilt blocks.

Went to FLA with the Fam ! (Album or photo book forthcoming this year)

February

Memorykeeping: finished my OneLittleWord album for 2019 (27 layouts), and made 8 other pages.

Fiber: Continued C & C class, broken rib cowl & Briochealicious shawl. Finished a cable knit hat, with fun faux fur pom pom. Started the Hinterland dress in yummmmyyyyyy red buffalo check flannel. Took old binding off of circus quilt…

Other stuff: Designed a poster of Gun Digest covers painted by my Uncle, James Triggs.

March:

Memorykeeping: Made a photo book of Shadows “stick of the day” and sent copies to the girls at school. Completed my March One Little Word work. I think I only did one digi-layout … I know I have other scrappy layouts but quite frankly, March was when the world fell apart so I am amazed I did anything at all…

Fiber: Finished! Hinterland dress in yummmmyyyyyy red buffalo check flannel (photo before I put the black buttons on… I actually don’t think I took a photo of it completely done… at any rate, it qualifies as secret pajamas.

Re-bound the vintage circus quilt (Pretty sure it was my sisters quilt when she was little so it’s going back to her so she can use it with her grands!) Binding is still one of my bugaboo’s in quilting, v tricky for me to get right on both sides with the machine stitching… but I keep plugging away at it.

And March was when mask making and scrub cap making started… I only made two caps for my Dr friend but began what would end up as over 200 masks for family, friends, church family and donation to a nursing home.

Alright then. Things are so weird right now, no other way to say it… I find that if I don’t jot down or take photos of what’s going on… it all becomes one big blur of mush overlaid with nothing but bad news from the outside world, especially from the middle of March onwards… But that is why we make things right? To keep our hands busy, our minds calm and to spread some cheer in the world.

What are you making this spring? Stay safe and wash your hands everybody…

2015 Islamorada Vacation Album!

Posted in Creative Practice, Documenting Life, Memory Keeping, Project Gal- Memorykeeping, Scrapbooking by

I guess I am crafting my way through the pandemic…that and walking the dog, cooking and puttering around the house is kind of keeping me sane. That and the occasional zoom cocktail hour with girlfriends!

Last week, I finished a project that was not even on my radar to work on-at all ! I am taking Stacy Julian’s 20in20 class (which is a memory keeping class to complete [there is my word again] 20 projects in 2020) and she was hosting FB Live class on completing an album in two evening sessions using her “short story” method of organizing, cropping and embellishing pages. Honestly, I wasn’t even going to join until about 30 minutes before the first session was to start…I was thinking about what I could work on that already had photos printed (you needed around 35-50) and an album, page protectors and white cardstock… plus your patterned paper and a very limited range of embellishments.

Because I had just finished inventorying my unfinished project bins AND my empty albums, I realized that I had photos and memorabilia printed from our 2015 April trip to Islamorada AND I had an album, protectors and paper already cut PLUS a super gorgeous kit from October Afternoon (now sadly out of business) that I had been hoarding saving for a good cause… so I grabbed all my stuff, cleared off the table and dove in.

Over the course of two 2-hour Live casts plus some extra time-because I had more photos to do, I finished the album !! I will say I had my doubts but it worked out and I’m super happy with the results! Here’s my amateur video tour of the album. One huge check off the unfinished list!

What unexpected wins have you had lately? Working on anything to share?? Hang in there everyone, stay home and wash your hands! xo