Memorykeeping::December Daily 2013…and notes for this year

Posted in Craft, December Daily, Documenting Life, In the Studio, Memory Keeping by Sue

December Daily 2013…

Yes, you read that right, 2013…. but, aren’t we getting ready for December Daily 2014? Yes… OK full disclosure, I finished my 2013 December Daily… on October 5, 2014. Yes, 9 months later I finally finished it. And boy, does it feel good to get that project off my work table. Honestly, it took a few uninterrupted hours that weekend to pull it all together, at the end of the day, it really did not take that long

hellooo procrastination!

So what worked and what didn’t as I get ready to document December 2014?

Not focusing on taking a photo a day, some days didn’t have a dedicated photo, some photos I just tucked in anywhere.
Printing photos at home/local photo printing…. I’d planned out the album/photo sizes with post-it notes in December/January so I knew what photos needed to be which size.
Using “themed” products… Last year I fell in love with the “Reflections Christmas” line by Lori Whitlock for EP Designs… because I also work digitally, I was able to purchase the digital package that matched the paper products.
Adding words and embellishments onto the photos before printing
The 6×8 format with multiple options for page protectors…. Love this size, it’s perfect for a project like this.
Transparent elements…If I hadn’t been so behind, I would have used my silhouette to cut things out.
Actual “Stuff” this format was perfect for everyone’s Christmas lists folded and tucked into a full 6×8 page protector. Also lots of drawings and programs punched and put right in or pasted onto cards.

What I used most of:

*Paper….love love love paper, a lot from the line and some I had in my stash that coordinated. I basically bought one or two sheets of every design plus a 6×6 paper pad.

*Brads…some that I bought that coordinated with the line and some I had

*6×6 paper pad… Loved working with this! The scale is just right for the smaller pockets

*3×4 and 4×6 “cards” that coordinated w the line… I’d purchased 12×12 sheets of paper that had 3×4 and 4×6 cards to cut apart…used a lot of these for journaling.

*Digital Dates from Ali Edwards on the photos to identify those from specific dates. I changed the colors to match the colors of the products. Love doing this.

*Card stock and regular stickers from the line

What I didn’t use at all…

*Stamps, did not stamp one thing. The girls had even bought me a cute santa stamp for my birthday to use but I never even thought to pick it up….can use it on a layout but honestly, I just don’t think I’m really a “stamping” kind of gal.

*Rub-ons, had some cute gold stars pulled but never used them.

*Wood veneer which I love the look of but totally forgot to include.

*Washi tape and ribbon…two of my faves but just couldn’t seem to work them in!

Notes for next time…

*Definitely pick a themed product line with a lot of stuff and buy strategically. I have tons of extra stuff…. will look for papers, journal cards, brads, stickers and other dimensional items. I’m hoping that October Afternoon with have an awesome vintage Christmas line this year.

*Print at home/local worked great.

*Using the 6×8 album format…will be my go-to again this year.

*Taking lots of photos so I have lots to chose from…I will say I’ve been taking less photos as I’ve been involved in doing more things!

*Organize my silhouette cut files and files I can convert so I can easily find and use them!

Today is the Friday after Thanksgiving and I’m just getting started working on DD for 2014, tomorrow is a quick trip to my local scrapbooking store and then some strategizing and setting up the album in between tree trimming, house cleaning and Patriots game hosting! I’ll keep you posted on the progress!

1Oct2014

Memory Keeping:: Layout Shares !

Posted in Digital Scrapbooking, Documenting Life, In the Studio, Layouts, Make Stuff, Memory Keeping, Scrapbooking by Sue

I think the turning of the seasons is inspiring me to tidy up…last week the kitchen pantry closet…this week my blog ;-). I realized that I have not posted any layouts from this year on my blog. Last Sunday I did a big photo shoot of all memory keeping efforts on paper and I’ve been slowly going through and editing and uploading, so you’ll be seeing posts as I get different sections of the blog/website completed! Today was Layouts 2014 Jan – Sept…I’ve highlighted one of my faves below but you can see the whole gallery HERE!

2014-44-Silly-Hats-WEB

Now, go make something! I have a pot of chili to get on the stove.

Works of Art

Kit: Designer Essentials Series 1:Stained & Stained (Mini-kit: Era) Template: Template Blends: (Series #1) .

Anticipation-SummerFun-2012-WEB

Anticipation/Summer Fun

Background paper: April Showers Bring May Flowers Kit-Paper 1 Green journal tag paper: Summer in Bloom Paper 1 Template: Anatomy of a Page (Template set 1) – Template #1. Frame: Up-Lifting Frames 1, Frame #2 Word art: Anticipation kit Summer Fun Sticker: LFDD FreebieCollab with Katie Pertiet – Summers Here

Art-Therapy-layout-web

The Cure

Kit: A Little Art Therapy no template, my own page design.

Easter-Dresses-2007-WEB

Easter Photo Shoot

Kit: April Showers Bring May Flowers & April Showers Bring May Flowers (addition kit) Template….can’t remember where !

SpencerDouglasRoe-WEB

Spencer Douglas Roe (Yay he graduated!!!!!)

Kit: A Graduate and A Scholar Template: BPC Class-Sketch Solutions, template free with class (!)

Now… Desk is cleared to document more memories!! Would love to see what you’ve been up to, please link to your own memory keeping projects!

29Sep2014

In the Studio: knitting a Scottish Reel

Posted in Craft, Fiber fun, Handmade, In the Studio, Knitting by Sue

Last summer I was able to spend a weekend at Squam Art Workshop (I’m super excited that I went for a whole week this year!). During the Vendor Faire, I spotted this gor-ge-ous cowl at the Knitspot/BareNakedWools booth. It looked so complicated, it was beautiful, I even loved the name…Scottish Reel…so romantic! I thought there was no way I would be able to make it (note to self: you know more than you think you do) It’s even beautiful draped on a mannequin… f55adef2704ab2be80586d968cbfb0d7.image.450x337 The lovely gal who helped me was so encouraging… her: Can you knit and purl? me: yes, definitely her: have you ever knit in the round? me: of course her: then you can make this, it’s only knit and purl me: whaaaat??? no way… I’ll take one !

So all last fall and part of the winter, I worked on my Scottish Reel…with this beautiful ghillie yarn (which is fingering weight…very fine!) on size 4 needles (I think the smallest I’ve worked on yet). I knit watching TV, at friends houses, at karate practice, on airplanes…everywhere! And I finally finished it….this spring…and it’s sat in my studio waiting to be blocked and be ready to wear this fall. Aaaaand finally….it’s all done!! So excited to wear this as the cooler weather sets in, I have more yarn leftover to make a smaller version or something else. It’s so pretty and I will say, hides some of my patterning mistakes quite nicely thank you! It’s also lightweight and warm and big enough to wrap around twice and still be able to pull part of it up for a hood….love love love.

Here is the link to the pattern from Knitspot for the Scottish Reel Cowl and the beautiful ghillie yarn or you can buy the whole thing as a kit!

Now, go make something!

25Sep2014

Squam Art :: The magic of Nicola Taylor

Posted in Creative Practice, Make, Make Stuff, Photography, Soul Work, Writing by Sue

I really can’t tell you when I first learned of Nicola’s ethereal images, but they captured my imagination from the first time I saw them. I had decided to go to the fall Squam Art Workshop partly for scheduling and partly because the workshop offerings were not really fiber-based (the June Squam offerings skew much more toward the fiber arts in general) but collage, and mixed media and jewelry making and photography. Things that were not in my comfort zone. At. All. Time to experience something new.

I was soooo excited to see that she was coming all the way over from North Yorkshire in England to teach at Squam and I was fortunate enough to take a workshop with her. “Finding your Inner Muse”. Que the hand clapping and jumping up and down. If that wasn’t enough, there were two of us in the Thursday class so we got to spend loads of time on our projects.

First up… Finding our muse. We had brought/collected items that had some meaning for us, that we were drawn to….of course we had each brought many things, so we had to whittle them down to 6 (ok, 7 snuck one in ) write about each of them, create kind of a collage and then form a statement to guide our work. (It was really much more in-depth and thoughtful, trust me this is the cliff-notes version)

After lunch it was time to take the photos that evoked our muse. Let me just say at the outset that I love to take pictures but I am in no way a professional photographer. I couldn’t get my (just purchased and taken out of the package) remote shutter release to work, my camera was a little wonky on the tripod (which I had used several times before ) and my long lens decided to stop working… oh and did I mention that it started to rain…and Nicola had to tutor me on the proper way to fling fabric to make it look effortless

…in the rain, when you’re on the dock in your bare feet and a nightgown and a prom dress rolled up underneath for a petticoat…It was fun anyway and Nicola and our helper and my classmate were lovely and encouraging and so so patient with everything…and I’m very happy with my images… just a little bit of magic and a whole lot of learning.

When we were done with my photos, we worked on several photos of my classmate who was expecting her first baby and wasn’t sure she would ever have a photo of herself expecting. We made the most beautiful photos for her and then we all had a good little weep.

Sublime. Divine. Nicola’s magic on the moors transferred to a lake in northern New Hampshire. Thank you Nicola for your grace and generosity in sharing your work and yourself, it was a day I won’t soon forget xo