Tuesday Mosaic: pink and navy

1. Pink DS Collection, 2. Old Navy, 3. Pink for the Cure, 4. Moonset, 5. whisper baby pink, 6. Plum Tree and Blossoms in the Night, 7. A dream in pink, 8. Grapes, 9. Day 251/365......think pink

Since I started some wedding talk I figured today's should focus on my colors.

Note that when you type "navy" into the search box on flickr most of the results you get are Navy, as in the armed forces. I managed to find a few that didn't have men and women in uniform or pretty airplanes flying about.

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Scrap Retreat Part II: plus inspiration notes

Another busy weekend had by all, but I must say it was a good one. I had scrapbook retreat part II, which was thankfully, only an hour and 15 minute drive from home. My friend Bonnie goes twice a year (in Jan and Oct) up to Jasper, GA with friends from her church to scrap for the weekend in the fresh mountain air. I tagged along because they needed another person to fill up the house. I was a little shocked at how much fun I had. We ranged in age from myself (I think I was the youngest or at least close to it) to women who have children my age. As always I enjoy an infusion of talent, ideas, creativity and style. I love forcing it into one room and seeing what comes out, seeing who changes what to their style, process and more.


Of course I'm always self concious at these things, as I don't truly consider myself an artist. I look at what I do as art, but myself, as a person is not an artist. I credit some of my best LOs to "luck" which I imagine others would probably tell me it's talent. Nonetheless I don't feel like I have that "talent" spark, but perhaps I'm wrong.


What did amaze me about this trip though was how people reacted to some of the things I do on a daily basis that I feel is completely uncreative (or directly stolen from someone else). One example was how I cover chipboard and similiar mediums. I worked on another mini board book this weekend (did one last weekend too) and in order to get the photos or paper to cover the whole board I glue down a portion of the paper and go around the edges with the exacto knife. I typically sand the edges after cutting to ensure a smooth sort of edge. This technique caught quite a few people off guard (most asked about how to get the photos the same size and what i cut them out on). This shouldn't surprise me as Amy had just asked me about the same technique a few months earlier, but still it made me think twice. Where did I even pick up this technique? (I lean towards an old ScrapGoods kit, but I could be wrong.)


I also impressed the masses with my inspiration notebook. The poor book has been abandoned until just recently (when Amy sent me home with a giant stack of scrapbooking magazines). It's a simple enough concept though. I have a notebook that I cut out pictures of LOs from mags that I like, I sketch some other LOs that I like (esp if there are two on the same page front and back in a magazine). I have other sections tabbed out for other topics such as colors, quote etc. I'm planning on doing an "Anatomy of an Inspiriation Journal" post later this week (since people seem interested).

I photographed all the LOs and all but two side alteration type projects from the weekend and as soon as I'm done cropping and uploading photos I'll post them here so stay tuned in.

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Inspired! mini book ideas

OLW this week has a guest designer for the current challenge (THINK). I am totally inspired by her mini book she made that I'm probably going to steal part of the idea for something for Champ. Here's the inspiration.

I want to theme my book about what I think of when I think of him. Bear with me while I jot some ideas down...(somewhere where I won't lose them)

When I think of you it's:

--all the little milestones as we round the corner on two years. Two years since we met, two years since we had our little spring break fling, two years since we were dating but not admitting to it, two years since we actually gave in and admitted to our feelings for each other. Two years for me is this huge thing that I've never accomplished before...I'm going to relish every moment.

--Excursions. Braves games, shows at the Fox, watching football at Stooges, Vegas, Amelia Island, movies at Atlantic Station, shopping trips to Target and Walmart...Everything is an adventure. You're the only person I've met who can consistently make everyday chores seem like a game.

--Support. Through all my ideas, my journeys, my plans and my messes. Everything I do and touch is worth your time to listen to me talk about it or have it thrust in your face. Most would have become overwhelmed or annoyed, but you run with it. You enjoy it.


Lack of sleep takes over. Jotting down the initial ideas works nicely though.

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Good things to check out, good news and updates

Updates first: I'm now to the seriously considering starting up a forum that crosses the scrapbooking globe if you will. I'd love to see us all together sharing what we have from our different kits, LSS shopping experiences, conventions, online vitories and Hobby Lobby overbuys. Plus with so many of us considering breaks (or at least spending less time) on other boards linked to different kits, it would be shame to see friends go their own way without a home base for us all to come back to.

So right now I'm just working on putting together details with which site i want to run the forum off of. I've narrowed it down to about three different sites. I just need to do more research. Expect things to get launched very soon though. I'll need your support getting things going and getting others involved.

Some good things to check out (most of these are from Ali's post today...but these were my favorites and they deserve sharing):

--Loving the concept of the Hope Notes, part of Hope Revolution and seriously considering playing along. Even better yet, check out the flickr group.

--Service: this might make you cry. Don't watch it at work.

--This fasicnated me. I love old pictures. I want to find all the old ones from when my mom was a kid, perhaps a trip to visit my uncle is in the works as he still lives in their old house. I have to wait until it's warm because I won't brave upstate NY in the winter.

I mentioned in a previous post about the Design for Mankind e-zine about Inspiration. You can see the first issue here and the second here. The newest one was just released this week, so it's brand new. I love this. I love seeing the inspiration that other people have, where it comes from. And Erin, who's in charge of the whole things, always posts things like "email me if you want to be involved in the next issue".

Today I took the plunge and emailed her. I told her I wasn't published, or accomplished, but I was different because I was an engineer and an artist. I thought I had something special to bring to the table. I asked her what it would take to be included. I hit send and then before I freaked out about it, I went back to work.

Minutes later an email popped up from her and she wants me to submit my stuff. With a focus on an inspirational corner of a home (can anyone else say "my brand new scrap space"?) . I freaked out, told her immediately i was interested and now have until the 16th to get my stuff in order. So keep an eye out for me. Holy cow. (I keep telling myself to breathe and not panic, haha).

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inspriation

A friend today showed me this, which got me all creative-feeling. Started thinking about getting where I get inspiration from in a blurb. Thought about it while walking around work. And I thought it would be a good idea to share it.

I'm deep down, born or at least completely trained to be an engineer. I'm awed by symetery, aerodynamics, order, patterns and math. Fractals even. Airflow, shockwaves and the way things break.

But I also consider myself a writer, so I'm captured by words, by synonyms, by long novels and short peoms. Imagery, metaphors and sometimes even the run-on rambling sentence.

And there's inspiration in other places too. In the sky, with its sunrises and sunsets. In colors...all colors. In flight. In smiles, movies, friends and family. In things created by other people.

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