a gift from the heart

*pictures to be added

So, if it isn't obvious to those who read my other blog, I've moved. Yes, so long MA, hello VA! I miss Massachusetts already, and I can't say enough great things about the people I met and fell in love with while there.

Before I left, my bestest closest gal pals (Sharon and Adrienne included) threw a birthday/going away dinner party for me. There was tons of good food (at the Melting Pot! yum!), good drinks, good laughs, and presents!

The best present of all was a big shocker, something I really didn't expect. Yes, I sort of expected scrapbooking supplies from a group of girls who identify themselves as scrappers. But the album they made me was gorgeous, and by far my favorite gift ever.

Each gal made a page (or pages) about us and our friendship. Adrienne included pictures of the kids and DJ. Sharon included pics of Shay, and each girl included pics of themselves, and pics of us together up to no good. They each wrote a message on the front page, and each page glows with the personality of my friends.

Being here in this new place is exciting and daunting at the same time. I'm in unfamiliar territory except for the few times I visited Joe when he was in A school here. But the album my friends made me is a quick and lovely way to remember I'm not alone, not truly.

Thanks girls. It means so much to me. (and I'm still waiting for pages from a couple of you!)

Decisions, decisions

So many pictures, so little time.....

I'm sitting here wondering what in the heck I'm going to do with so many pictures. At a new friend's place - cropper extraordinaire Adrienne. Luckily, she's got a layout book on-hand.

I loved looking through all the different possibilities. As well as the finished works inspired by them.

This series was shot by my husband. He captured our daugther helping herself to dessert (without permission) He was so proud of it. I was glad she wasn't doing something more serious, like mixing chemicals.

The layout book showed me I could use all the photos by telling a story. Novel idea, right? Then I used the layout instructions as a guideline. I coordinated my page around the colors in Shayna's shirt. And used my new nifty page ripper thingy for the yellow bars on top and bottom. The layout was just a template, bald if you will. So after the initial strategy, I was on my own.

So I dove in with some tools and material and created embellishment on an ice cream cone. I happily snacked away on scones while I came up with this ditty. I'm most proud of it:

Then I used scraps within reach to embellish the rest of the page (see memories, below) Okay, I was too lazy to get up and walk across the room to my kit. Eating ice cream isn't necessarily a "treasured memory", but it sure looks good!

Good enough to eat.

Scrapping circles around Nichole

On Nichole's last post:

I always feel more creative when working with the HBIC. She has the tunes, the memorized words to go with it, the heart-shaped scones. And I don't go anywhere without the promise of coffee and some sort of flavored cream served upside it.

I schlepped my eclectic assortment 'o goodies with me in the drizzle. No plans in mind. Just a bunch of photos shoved in a page-holder awaiting a new destiny. I dove right in while Nichole calculated her every move with a piece she had in mind. I can't be that focused. Not at that hour. And not with that much caffiene.

Below is part of page-one for my Fall 2006 album. There's a lot to look at so I'm posting this in segments .

I took my time selecting pictures for this album. I want to keep it out on display. This reminds me of a childhood friend who carried around a photo album in her car. I always loved that. She'd frequently whip it out to show off her latest endeavors. She was so disciplined, keeping all those photos in chronological order.

Well, I'm not quite as disciplined. Not even as organized. Which is why I'm just now going back to FALL of last year. Husband turned me onto photography as a hobby and I wanted to showcase some of the pictures I took with my new digi cam. I look forward to Fall each year. Last fall held some special memories for me, so I want to ensure I preserve them.

The series above was taken in a nearby field where sunflowers grow for a short period of time each year. I always wanted to photograph them. But never got my act together in time. Finally one day, without warning, I make my husband pull the car over and I force everyone into family portrait mode.

I used raised dots to give dimension and flow to the grouping. Chipboard, stickers, and metal embellishments weave throughout.

Below is another page for the fall album.

Who doesn't love Halloween? A friend of mine in Georgia sent me tons of her cast-off scrap ware. When I came across the diamond pattern, I knew I'd be using it for Halloween.

Now, although Shayna's passion is Pirates of the Caribbean, she took a sharp right turn at the last minute and decided on a witch costume. Never mind that she'd had the Pirate's costume since her birthday in July. By October, it was all about the witch.

On purpose, I put the main picture off-center. It's more interesting to look at than a dead-centered picture. Or at least that's how I was feeling at the time. The small squares are actually origami picture frames that I made with opposing paper squares.

My aunt gave the origami book to Shay as a gift. I've seen the use of origami roses in scrap booking. But I wanted to do something a little different. And also, I thought the colors would help fill the negative space and give a lift to the eye/design. I have many, many more Halloween prints to come and can't wait to work on them.

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.