Friday Thoughs, Food and a Sketch Class

Sunny start to our day here.  Rain should be in again tonight, hopefully we'll get our early morning game in tomorrow. . .it's our only one this weekend.  I have my usual long list of want-to-do things at my elbow, as well as I am taking the 28 Days of Sketches - Part 2 over at Big Picture Classes.  We'll see what gets crossed off.

I was listening to an interview on a podcast earlier this week and they were talking about crafting in general.  How the whole DIY movement is huge.  I just have to look at my own home and life - I'm knitting, though I'm not sure how successful I'll ever be at it; I'm plugging away.  Though I've always been a home cook/baker, I've been menu planning for a couple years now, and just recently I have stepped up making more "staple items" than ever, for sure (Thanks, Pinterest.)  This will be the second year of growing our own garden, third if you count the first year where we just did tomatoes.  In general, trying to simplify life is a need for me, which seems an oxymoron considering some of the additional work it takes to DIY it. 

Anyway, this interview was talking with the CEO of CHA and a movement they are starting where they help people continue to, and share their crafting to encourage others to do so.  He sited some studies showing people who craft are happier, less stressed and seem to enjoy life more.  I know I certainly find peace when I pick up a pair of scissors and some photos, or my embroidery, or even the darn knitting needles.  His point was to share the website Cre8time.org, a social network for crafters of all kinds and abilities (eventually they will have classes and challenges and what not.)  His challenge to people was to really create time to craft.  He suggests starting with a mere 16 minutes a day.  I got to thinking about what I could do, craft-wise, with 16 minutes a day.  I could print photos, I could Instagram the photos for my weekly Project Life, I could create a page in my December Daily, I could knit a few rows on my project, I could stitch a few lines on the ornaments I'm working on.  Is it start-to-finish for a project?  No, but that's not the point.  The point is to make the time to work on something creative and it will become a habit, something that you don't have to "work in" or "reward" yourself with.  Something that's as good for you as the walk you take or the veggies you eat.

Today's inspiration is from the Apron Strings Color Theory board on Pinterest - lots of just fun colors.

 

The first kit I found with this color pallet was in January's Bigger than a Breadbox kit - the October Afternoon Midway line.  Maria Swiatkowski showcases the fun-loving colors of the line.

 

 

The second kit was the September '12 Smaller kit - the Lily Bee Double Dutch line.  Same bright colors, same broad range of uses.  Like this one from Kristin Perez.

 

 

Now after you've done your good-for-you crafting, you need to reward yourself with some super good for you Chocolate Candy Bar Cake found on the Apron Strings I Cooked That board.  I doubt, though, that your thighs will thank you, however, your spirits will soar even higher (since you're on the crafting high to start).  I made this cake on Monday and OH.  MY.  The only thing I'd recommend is after you've poured on the copious amounts of caramel and sweetened condensed milk. . .oh yes and the toffee bits, set it up in the fridge after a bit of a cool down on the counter.  The flavors will meld better.  Actually, this is a "is this the same cake" kind of thing after it sits overnight in the fridge - it gets better, though I'm sure you'll think, after your first taste, "How is that possible?"  Possible it is.  I also did not do a straight chocolate cake, I turned to my Cake Doctor book for a more-than-just-out-of-the-box better chocolate cake.

And finally, as if I haven't rambled on long enough, get your May work uploaded.  Remember if you don't have the kits, or even the lines suggested, there's sure to be something in your stash to dig out and use.  And frankly, that's the whole point.  Let's use it!  This month's goodies is a selection of American Crafts Hello Sunshine products - there's some patterned paper, a stamps set, some tags and I'll round it out with cardstock and some ribbon.  You have until the end of the month to finish any one or all of the color challenges.

 

Happy Friday,

Post Ed Fair

Last night, besides being the number two big thing in bidding farewell to the Class of 2013 eighth graders, it was also a culmination of a trimester's worth of work, planning, researching and writing (well, nine years if you consider these kids all started kindergarten together writing their very first phonic-heavy words.)  It was the Education Fair.  The kids choose their own topic to research, write about and present.  My 14 y.o.'s topic was the History of the Electric Guitar.  He pulled an A for his paper (a hefty 8-pages) and his display earned him a Commendation ribbon.  Besides the giant posters of influential rockers using one each of the major guitar manufacturers (which he will put on his walls - I think that's half the reason he went for the giant posters, was to decorate his room) he created a story-board with photos of founders and guitars, and a PowerPoint showcasing guitar-lick-heavy clips of music timed to photos of the musicians who made the most of their guitars.

The Ed Fair always impresses me with not only the capabilities of these kids, but the wide range of topics, like:  Alcatraz with its full-sized model of a cell; Animation with the presenters own animated short movie; the history of Elitch Gardens (an historic Denver amusement park) with its miniature display of the former grounds and two of the most successful Ghost Towns in Colorado with TWO miniature displays of the towns - trains, mountainsides, "sparkling" gold and all.  I could go on.  They are amazing.

So congrats to them all, but especially for the hard work of my own eighth grader.  Way to go Tom.  You wrote an in-depth paper and produced a beautiful display.  So proud of you!

 

While I could have drawn inspiration from my son's love of bright colors - he has paired that shirt with a fuchsia pink tie.  Aahhh. . .my boy!  I chose instead to go with one of my favorite color combos found on the Apron Strings Color Theory board.  I love teal and red. . .so versatile for summer or winter.

There were quite a few examples of this pallet in Apron Strings kits, but I chose to go with both the September '12 Bigger and Smaller kits.  From the Bigger kit, the Authentique Fresh line was straight off the Color Theory board - blues, red and greys.  Here, Nancy Longo uses it on her layout about a lodge that makes me think "winter" or maybe "cold", the word Nordic just conjures that up, but clearly they are dressed for warmer weather.

From the Smaller kit the My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline's Dilly Dally line was heavy on the blue and red.  Here Kristin Perez's layout leans a little more in this direction, but you can see the added gold color.

Now remember, if you don't have these particular kits, you can still play along.  Just grab another kit with the color inspiration, or dig into your own stash to pull the colors together.  Then share your work in the comments section for your chance to win the May goodie pack.

We woke to morning showers that are supposed to continue throughout the day - dang I love it!  So I'm guessing soccer practice will be off.  Fine by me.  And I'm sure my 14 y.o. prefers that.  The completion of his Ed Fair work is a big deal and I see him taking some serious down time today. . .after his homework is done, of course.

Happy Thursday,

Tuesdays with Rain

Yes!  Rain.  Sweet, dust-washing, green-inducing, rain!  We even had some lightening last night.  I'm so ready for a good spring storm where there is no snow involved!

I was out in the yard yesterday, pulled a few weeds, picked up a few toys and sort of scoped things out. I have chives that returned on their own and a single green onion growing in the containers on the porch.  I cleaned out some weeds from the barrels where the tomatoes grow and found a few volunteer strawberry plants.  However, it was the strawberry patch that I was most surprised with - they are happy little campers down there with plenty of future-strawberry-blooms.  I saw on Pinterest that if you paint rocks to look like strawberries it keeps the birds away.  Maybe I'll have the kids paint some this weekend and see if it works.  I also want to mix up some kitchen-made weed kill and see if it works - though I'll have to wait until rain is out of the forecast to try it on the monster dandelions.

Today's inspiration from the Apron Strings Color Theory board is rich, jewel-toned colors.  They remind me of fall, but with that little pop of pink, they would be fun for Spring, too.  Drop the pink and gold and you have an alternative to traditional holiday colors.

I found the Bigger than a Breadbox Feb '13 - the Echo Park Everyday Eclectic line to have a similar color pallet to today's inspiration.  The colors are lighter and pastel, but are certainly represented in this layout by Kristin Perez.

Also from Kristin Perez, is this more true take on the color pallet which is found in the Smaller than a Breadbox November '12 - the Simple Stories Harvest Lane. 

Work your own magic with the color inspiration and then get it linked up in the comments for your chance at the May prize drawing.

Happy Wednesday,

Project Life Week 6 - WHAT??

May Crowning, the first of the final events for the out-going 8th graders, was lovely.  As those big 8th grade kids stood at the altar, my son included, I could see them all as Kindergartners, much smaller and more round-faced than they are now.  Simple, sweet little-kid dress-up clothes, far removed from the more sophisticated dresses, heals, ties (that don't clip), sports coats, actual dress shoes instead of sneakers and pressed pants.  Nothing was un-tucked or un-smoothed, unlike their Kindergarten days when they were disheveled the minute their feet stepped out of the cars.  Time goes far to quickly.  We're blessed to be memory keepers.

We had no snow to cancel any of the three games this weekend; two losses and a tie.  I'll take the tie, given the not-so-hot-in-the-winning-department season we're having - for both boys.  Only a couple more weeks of soccer and then we'll end the season with a tournament at the end of the month.  It seems like the season has gone on forever and, at the same time,  hasn't even started.

Friday evening I took some "me time."  It was that or really dip my toe into the crazy pool - I opted to scrapbook.  After printing a pretty good bulk of my Project Life back-log, I think I have about six weeks left to print, I spent six lovely hours cropping away.  I completed 10 more pages in my December Daily (to be shown later) and three more weeks in my Project Life (again, more to be shown later.)  Here is Week 6 - just 10 more weeks until I'm current!  LOL  I didn't get any of the challenges during the Big Picture Classes Creative Crop completed but I did mark down several to use in my next "catch-up."  Did anyone play along?

Let's resume with the May challenges by using this pallet from the Apron Strings Color Theory board.

Just because the pallet is fairly monochromatic doesn't mean your layout has to be.  In this case I found two kits where the bulk of the color was Orange.  The October '12 Smaller than a Breadbox kit - the Pebbles Tricks and Treats line definitely leans in the Orange direction.  This layout comes from Nancy Longo also leans more in that more-orange-than-not direction.

The second kit, also from October '12, is Bigger than a Breadbox kit - the American Crafts Pumpkin Patch line.  Here Maria Swiatkowski's layout uses a huge chunk of Orange.  As you can see in both, while Orange is the more dominant color, it is not alone - though if you want to go monochromatic, please do so.

Unfortunately, both of those kits (and their corresponding TV Dinners) are sold out.  So if you don't posses them in your stash, you'll have to dig deep to gather up the necessary supplies.  Once you've created your layout, link up an image in the comment section for your shot at the May prize.

Happy Tuesday,

Friday, Food and Inspiration

On Monday I started with this Spicy Pulled Pork from The Pioneer Woman (I love her!)

 

On Wednesday leftovers looked like - this found on the Apron Strings I Cooked That Pinterest board.

 

 

On Saturday the remaining leftovers will look like this - from my Taste Of Home magazine

 

 

Saturday, being National Scrapbook Day and all, you'll want something quick and easy to whip up for the family so you can head back to your crafting - or if you're heading out to a crop, leave behind for the hungry hoards.  The only difference in the recipe for me, is I'd be adding BBQ sauce to my leftover pulled pork instead of using a prepackaged deal.  If you're cropping and need the prepackaged route - go ahead, we won't judge.  It's National Scrapbook Day!

 

Now today, you'll start with this, from the Apron Strings Color Theory Pinterest board

 

 

If you have one of these kits on hand - April '12 Smaller than a Breadbox, the Authentique Genuine line - by tomorrow you could have something like this by Jennifer Halleck.

 

 

Or maybe you have the Bigger than a Breadbox April '12, the Lily Bee Buttercup line, which could inspire you to create something like Maria Swiatkowski did here.

 

 

If you've used these kits, or didn't get them don't despair, (there are TV Dinners of both these line ;D) search your stash for another kit featuring the color pallet above, or just pull the items from your stash in general.  Then photograph or scan them, upload them to your blog, Flickr or other photo hosting site and share the link in the comments to be eligible for the May goodies.

 

I'm off to get ready for May Crowing this morning.  Then home to tidy and print some photos.  Yesterday I finally, FINALLY, got the multitude of photos I continue to take for Project Life run through Pinterest and downloaded to my computer.  I'll be printing those many weeks' worth today in the hopes of playing some catch-up later.

 

I'll also be checking in over at Big Picture Classes during the Creative Crop -  A FREE EVENT - and hoping that inspires more scrapbooking.  I'll have four hours of soccer games in tomorrow, but that's okay, the event is 10 hours long!

 

Happy Friday!

Sunshine. . .Will it Stick?

They say the sun should be out all day.  And bonus, there's no snow heading our way.  I saw forecasts into next week that looked like it might be in the 70's. . .whatever that is.

Last night I'd like to say I took the rare opportunity, and energy, to creep down to my studio and start to clear off tables and counters.  But instead, I burrowed into my room with my knitting (yes, I'm still plugging away).  I don't remember if I mentioned I had to tear out half my sweater because of a miscount somewhere along the way.  I lost track of the length last night, and had to again, rip out a few inches of work.  I was determined to get to the next line of instructions, so I ripped out farther than necessary - got a tad overzealous - and re-knitted to my stopping place.  Now, the next time I pick it up, I should be able to finish this quarter of the sweater.  I currently have three projects going (four if you count each of the socks individually, but why would you) - and apparently I'm not unlike most knitters who have various projects in various stages of completion.  The only thing that separates me from them is they know how to finish them! 

Today, so you can start and finish a project, your inspiration comes from the Apron Strings Color Theory board over at Pinterest.  It reminds me of the turquoise I saw once at the open market in Santa Fe.  However, when I started to look for inspiration from the Apron Strings kits I found that it paired nicely with the August kits from last year; Echo Park's Paradise Beach, which was in the Bigger kit and Little Yellow Bicycles Splash, found in the Smaller kit. 

Here is Jennifer Halleck's take using the Smaller kit.  I love how she used the bold graphic to help highlight her photo group in the center.  I always struggle with this type of graphic paper and then I see an example like this and realize I think too much.

Next is Maria Swiatkowski's layout using the Bigger kit.  She's combined four of the five patterns found in this kit.  Another thing I sometimes have difficulty with is using multiple patterns and again, I'm probably over-thinking it.

So if these two beauties are still in your stash, today's your day for digging them out and pairing them up with photos.  Both these lines are double-sided and can totally be used for non-beach, non-water themes.  They are awesome color pallets that work wonders with pictures from the summer, but would be a great background for winter photos, what with their lack of color.

If you don't have these kits, look for others with a similar color pallet or pull straight from your own stash.  Link up your work in the comment section to be eligible for this month's drawing.

Don't forget to sign up for the Creative Cropover at Big Picture.  It's free and the challenges they issue you can pair up with this week's inspiration here to really get you going.  They've got prizes. . .Hey, whatever motivation it takes!

Happy Thursday,

May - According to the Calendar

Date - May 1st
Temperature - 32 degrees (that's Fahrenheit people)
Weather - Heavy, Wet, Driving Snow
Forecast -  Besides the 4-8" of snow?  That Spring will never be here and we'll just jump directly to Summer (aka the hated month)

Nothing says May Day like white-out conditions.

But today we start a fresh month of challenges.  These will be centered around Apron Strings kits.  Using your stash.  Call it Spring cleaning if you'd like.  Mix a little old and a little new.  My plan is to find color combos from Apron Strings' Color Theory board and match them to kits.  If you're not a kit-getter (you should be).  Or maybe you don't have the particular kit(s) I reference, you can use the color inspirations to draw from your stash - chances are that a kit in your collection has the colors. ;)  If you'd like, you can swing by the website and grab a few TV Dinners to work with.

It being May Day and all, but knowing nobody is gonna brave the driving snow to leave a fresh cone of flowers on doors in my neighborhood this year, today's inspiration will have to suffice.  I love the warm, garden-fresh colors.  But then there's those tulips - mine are currently snow-covered - but they are one of my favorite flowers; second only to daisies.

We'll make the first one easy by using the kits from April.  Below we have examples from Maria Swiatkowski using the Smaller kit - the Doodlebug Flower Box (almost a perfect match) and from Kristin Perez using the Bigger kit - the American Crafts Lucky Charm (also pretty close).  A NOTE:  This is about the "spirit" of the challenge, not a "letter of the law" type of challenge.  So it's okay if your kit, or your use of it includes teal instead of green, or has no yellow, or are pastel versions of the colors.   I say this because I know, sometimes we can get all tied up in the details and use them as excuses to not create.

Now, go get your April kit - it should be readily available - and craft something up today.  I want your work (layouts or cards) here.  I want participation - you can do it.  You can share your work.  I'll dig out a prize to temp you and let you know what it is tomorrow.

Consider your door-bell rung.

Happy Wednesday,