The Agony and the Ecstasy of a sketch

April 28 2010

Does one really need to reinvent the wheel? How much easier it is to work from a sketch? Why I refer to it as the agony, is because, how many times do you arrange and re-arrange each piece of paper and element to make it look JUST like the sketch. I have spent countless hours agonizing, moving bits of paper and embellishments around on a page....never quite satisfied until I have tried every available option....BUT, the truth is, in years to come, no one will ever wander if the flower looked better on the left or the right....should it have been letter stickers or die cut alphabet? All that will matter is the beautiful page that told a story....and then the ecstasy (or satisfaction) follows.....THE FINISHED LAYOUT.

This layout was inspired by one of the Sunday Sketches from Studio Calico. I really love following these. They take the guess work out of getting started, and let you use, and enjoy all the paper that we so lovingly hoard and complain about never using. For my journaling on this layout I used the label memory block from Stamping Bella, as well as all the Dear Lizzy paper and embellishments. By the way, I really loved making the fabric flower.....wish I could make a whole garden full of them....fun to try, if you haven't already.

I urge and encourage you to take a sketch and JUST DO IT. I am already working on the next Sunday Sketch. Hope to post it soon.

"Please Sir....may I have some more"

April 25, 2010

Are we EVER satisfied with what we have? Is it human nature to always want MORE? Does it make us greedy for wanting more? And how much of the MORE, are we actually in charge of for ourselves? Sitting down to do this page, I realized that I spend alot of time complaining about how much more of this or that I want....but the truth is, I am capable of changing certain things and habits to actually accomplish some of the MORE that I am looking for. This week, I hope to keep in mind some of the things that I have journaled about, and be more responsible to myself and complain a little less....and accomplish alot more.

I will start working on putting together "my week in the life", as well as finishing a layout currently on my table, with some of my best American Crafts Dear Lizzy paper. Hopefully, will post it later this week.....

Enjoy your day, and think about what YOU want MORE off, that you CAN provide yourself.

What to do with WASHI

Washi (和紙^?) is a type ofpaper made in Japan. Washi is commonly made using fibers from the bark of the gampi tree.

Really who could not love washi tape.....it replaces ribbon in every way, shape and form. Not only does it replace.....it is actually so much better. WHY? you may ask. The answer......there is no dilemma on how to stick the stuff down....it is tape, so therefore, it is adhesive. Another advantage.....it is paper, so one can just tear it, as opposed to having to use a scissors. I mean c'mon, admit it....there is always that battle to get the ribbon to not unravel and have those tattered edges. Of course, with washi tape and all the different widths and colours it comes in, one can also layer it. Simply said..... I LOVE WASHI TAPE.

This layout was based on a sketch that Kelly Purkey had during her week of sketchbook. Wherever strips of patterned paper were used, I simply replaced them with washi tape. I also used the Jillibean white corrugated letters, and 7 gypsies 97% complete stickers.

BUT....best of all.....look.....look closely. Even closer now! Check out the stamp "information", which came from the new labels collection 1 set. I mean really, who could NOT want this set for journalling, and for those of you who don't love to journal, this set is great.....allows for just a matter of a few words. By the way.....you can also journal and stamp on WASHI.

Hope that you all get to use some soon....it's fun, you will like it and I promise you will want more of it.

Celebrating Eight

April 19, 2010


Well, I have to say, that I am a little late in celebrating eight....Zoe (my youngest) turned eight years old last November. I have been procrastinating in doing her birthday layout, partly because I did not LOVE the pictures I had, and I was not sure what paper to use. Now, I happen to be a fan of Jenni Bowlin Paper, which I love to buy, but I don't always seem to use. BINGO....Agnes, came in and showed me a layout which I kind of scraplifted.....I don't know where it came from or from whom it came....but I got the circle idea from it. So, thanks to whoever you are.....
For this layout I used Jenni Bowlin Afternoon Tea, Jenni Bowlin By the Yard, Jenni Bowlin Mercantile, Jenni Bowlin Saloon and Sheriffs Office.....all available from Stamping Bella.
BUT....I LOVE each and every definition stamp, and would like if every letter of the alphabet was represented with a word definition.... (now that's alot of rubbah). On this layout, I used the Birthday Definition Block, as well as the Scraplines tickets (which come with cake please, happy birthday and party animal.)

Also, this is Day one of the "Week in the Life"....hope you playing along too.

Here's a good week to all, and thanks for all the comments....it certaintly is very motivating and nice to read....

Just a Little Bit of this and a Little Bit of That

April 17, 2010

Well I did say that I would be posting and including some other stuff that keeps me busy...so HERE IT IS....yesterdays page from my art journal. Now if someone would have mentioned to me five months ago, the term "art journaling", I would have looked at them rather blankly, (Emily knows that look), and thought "huh". Well it was not until i discovered that it is the next best thing, or maybe on a par to scrapbooking. There are so many different approaches to doing and completing a page....sometimes I don't even know what style is really mine, and I incorporate alot of what I have seen and learnt all on one page. I have also stopped worrying so much about what the finished page will look like, and am allowing myself to enjoy the process more....I mean after all, it's my journal, housing my words, thoughts, emotions, lists etc...on the decorated page. Now if this all seems appealing, I urge you to check out Teesha Moore's Blog...that is what truly inspires me.....as well as Kelly Kilmer.

Remember, there is NO right OR wrong in this process...."JUST DO IT."

Also, I am really excited about starting Ali's "Week in The Life"...in fact, I can't wait....I rushed around today at work excitedly gathering the papers that I thought I would be using. The only problem is that, I declare myself, the ultimate Ali Edwards copycat, and NOT being able to have the EXACT same papers she showed, did throw me into a little panicked frenzy....however, with a little help from my friends Agnes and Diane, we were able to put together a group of seven papers which I love. "Week in the Life" really is a wonderful way to document our everyday lives....and I urge and encourage everyone to do it....you will be glad you did.

COLOUR ME HAPPY

April 16, 2010

So here I am finally, in a world I never thought I would be. I truly have to say a BIG thank you to my two fans, Emily and Helen, who if it were not for them and there encouragement, I would have never entered this little land of blogspot dot com. I am here and glad to be able to share with all (even if it is just Emily and Helen), all the wonderful musing of my daily life, which include just the everyday, art journaling, scrapbooking and of course the enthusiasm of where I spend most of my days, at Stamping Bella......Well this all brings me to the title of my first blog entry COLOUR ME HAPPY. I did this layout inspired by all the wonderful stuff we call "Happy Tape", I mean who would not want to own all these rolls of fabulous colour. However, just sitting and doing my layout, reminded me of all the things I truly am happy for....the simple things....the things we tend to overlook when daily life and exhaustion take over.

Sit down and think about it....think about something that makes YOU happy RIGHT NOW. Take a picture of it, write about it, document it....turn it into a scrapbook page.....c'mon.....I CHALLENGE YOU. You will be glad you did in the years to come.

I also used one of the stamps from the new Stamping Bella Scraplines, the label block "Photo of the Day"....got to say, I just love this set.

And now an apology.....my photography of layouts is terrible....sometimes crooked, sometimes cropped, however, I do make it one of my goals of this blog to improve on those skills....so I hope that for all who read this....you stay with me on this wonderful journey, and to the two people who I know will read this first......THANK YOU, I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU.