chat noir

sweet sable
Originally uploaded by soleclaw23.

(as always, you can click the photo to see it larger, and more details/product info)

Sharon and I were lucky enough to get together Monday for a crafty/scrapbook session at my apartment. I love our times together. We usually hook up my iPod to the portable speakers at the dining room table, have coffee, and make a lot of obscene jokes.

Monday, Sharon scrapped circles around me, turning out two beautiful pages to my one page. My problem is that I'm too slow when it comes down to decision making. I feel like I can do anything as long as I have some sort of blueprint or reference point to start from, but Monday I challeneged myself to start from square one, start to finish. I "designed" the page myself, and picked a wonderfully colored patterned paper that I drew my color scheme from. I recently purchased a few cat-themed items and was feeling a non-baby vibe. I have probably 20 pages about E, and 4 about other stuff. That's life when you have a child, and I love every page I have made for my girl, but I just wanted to go somewhere a little more light-hearted. I feel more pressure when making pages for E, because I want her to have something really special to look back on as she grows up.

So, I made a page featuring the lovely Sable instead. Sable has been my kitty since the summer of 2000. We've been through 2 moves together, going on 3. I've saved her life a couple times, and she's made mine warmer. (I should have wrote this in my journalling! LOL)

About the page:
the circle journaling stamp in the top left corner was a new purchase, part of a set by autumn leaves...and I love it! The set came with 6 stamps, and I think I'll challenge myself by using each one for the next 5 projects I do. Does anyone else do that? Have to use a new product as soon as they get it? Sometimes I just stamp my new stamps on scrap paper to see what it looks like.

Also, the two charms on the striped ribbon piece are from one of Sable's old collars. I saved them, knowing I would make a scrapbook page for her eventually.

progression, finalization

Well, Baby E's scrapbook documenting her first year is officially finished. I finished her 1st birthday party page a couple weeks ago. This doesn't mean that one day I may work on another photo of her from her first year and add it to the book, but for now it is done. Finis. I'm beginning work on her second album, and so far have several projects in my mind, and a couple finished.

Here is her first birthday page:

Details on products used, and a larger image can be seen here.

I did this page on Wednesday:

It documents her independent personality and how this photo of her was the only one I managed to snap of her in front of a backdrop before she ran away from me to play.

cherish

cherish
Originally uploaded by soleclaw23.

Sharon and I were able to get together last night, finally. Rick cooked up some fabulous food on the grill. Pork and chicken...GOD it was delicious. We had so much fun, it was like old times except now I have a slightly-older more agile young daugher running around.

We managed to make some decent progress. Sharon in a mini album for a friend of hers, and I made this page for Eleana's first year scrapbook, which is officially finished! Yay!

For details on the products and stuff, go to my flickr page. I'm too lazy to retype everything here. <3

caran d'ache

real earth angel, in progress
Originally uploaded by soleclaw23.

So, I tried my hand at using my new caran d'ache crayons a couple months ago, and never got around to blogging it. I suppose I was nervous about it, because I am so new at the technique.

However, now, the more I look at the finished result, the more I love it. The above image is a simple collage. The photo in the frame happened to be the perfect size for an ATC, and I figured starting small would be easy and more forgivable. I collaged all my magazine clipped elements, then added a thin layer of gesso to give it that white foggy look.

And this is what it looks like now, after I added the caran d'ache, rubber stamps, a rub-on, and some minimal penwork:



I'm scared to part with it I love it so much. I mentioned on flickr that I want to try making copies of this and trade those so I can keep the original. I still haven't done that, but I will I promise.

ahoy!

Since this summer, when Sharon's little one developed an obsession with all things pirate, I was supposed to make something of a pirate nature for her. I struggled with a lot of different options. I had a limited resource of pirate things in my arsenal (read: nothing) and just had no clue what to make for my favorite 4-year-old.

Then, recently, Sharon and her husband redecorated Shay's bedroom to be a pirate theme, and it is so delicious! She's going to post pictures of it here soon, so you'll see what I'm talking about. The color of the walls (a nice oceanic blue) inspired me, and this is what I came up with:



I left the top left portion of the canvas empty so that, if desired, a photo can be added with photo corners. It's an 8x10 canvas, that can rest on a shelf easily. The pirate stamp is a new addition to my collection. I colored him in with markers and jelly roll souffle pens. More of the details can be seen at my Flickr page here, as well as the step-by-step process.

I can't wait to give this to Shayna...I hope she loves it!!