tina's snippets!

Challenge #1 from Queenbusick

So what am I doing exactly with this scrap race thing? Well..check out the blog I've created to post all the race happenings: the Vinegrettes I just got done with Challenge 1 - and going to the blog will let you see the work I did, plus the work my fabulous partner Jannylynn is doing...you don't want to miss her creations!

This race is to get my butt back into the saddle of creating for fun. I haven't had fun with this hobby for a while, it's kind of felt like work. Plus I've noticed that I just really like doing challenges. I love the inspiration that comes with a starting prompt. Plus, I can't resist a challenge - it's like they are saying 'you can't do this' and everything in my soul says 'oh yes I can!'

So maybe it's a backward response to the intent of the challenges' author. But then who says I've ever done life in a straight line? LOL

A taste of something in the works

I mentioned I started the Artist's Way at the beginning of May. This book has been fabulous and like a true artist, I have not moved beyond chapter 1.

That's OK because I am actually using what chapter 1 says to do: call yourself an artist if you create, don't be a shadow artist and create.

I mentioned that I wanted to start digital scrapbook design. So far I have created about 10 pieces. This is one of the patterned papers.

I really liked this color scheme as I was thinking generic vacation for a theme. The colors are gender neutral and will work for any vacation (esp if it's an outdoors type vacation).

Why have I stalled?

- I don't like the teal in the color scheme and I haven't designed anything without it, so I am not crazy about this paper.
-I am suprised at how much time I need to think through how to make my images in my head appear on the screen in front of me. You have to think layers to each image and what I see in my head has to be torn apart and put into layers.

-I am thinking of putting this scheme on hold and finding something bluesy or pinky diva fun to whip something together.

Anyway, I thought I would share what's been going on in my creative life these days. I haven't written a morning page in a while and would like to get that going again. My heart was so freed up by getting all those words out of my way. Hmmm tomorrow is another day!

Larry has discovered his creative bent as well. I can't find his images to share with you, but that is what I have been loving about him over the last week. He has finally found something that is relaxing and replenishing for him. He was never exposed to much art other than an occasional coloring book as a kid. What I have seen as he creates with playdough, watercolors or anything shows there was great creativity stored in there and it's good that the kids have brought that out of him.

Maybe we will just become a couple of hippie artists in our golden years - we could play the part well, live in the desert & wear flamboyant colors - oh we are so there!

Play!

This is how I played today!

I have had these in my scrap kit for a long time..wanted to play..never took the time.

Yet..here's some serious inspiration to get you going..it did for me:

[i]lovelife

Play..

The feel of paper...

Last Friday I went to both a cyber crop and a paper crop - it was a great night of scrapbooking!

But OH my...it was so fun to play with real paper that I've caught the paper scrappin' bug again. I started a new project that was inspired by another LBer. At our spring Mid-MO Gathering of Games, I met Marie. Marie has 3 kiddos and her family has been letterboxing for a couple of years. Marie is also a paper scrapper...she had taken all the pictures for each box they found - the box owner's stamps and created an album out of them that was beautiful.

I loved how this album captured a hobby that the family did/does together. As I went through the pages, I saw her kids grow & how they grew in their letterboxing hobby. I have a journal I/we have been using for letterboxing. It is full of the stamps and notes about what happened on that box adventure. I also have photos of us after every box.

So Friday night, I grabbed a blank spiral album - my LB field journal and some basic supplies and began the story. I only have the some of stamps and the stories in the album now. As I finish pages I will create a photo album here on my blog for you. It was great to sit there and have to draw journaling lines with my vanishining ink pen (yes, there really are vanishing ink pens) - then write the story (i.e. not type it out) and it was AWESOME! Not to mention, I met some new friends to scrap with!

AND - I have re-upped my commitment to this blog this month. I re-joined the April Daily Blogging group. You can see the theme - Awesome April Adventures. Here's to having some awesome April Adventures!!!

Be sure to pop my friend Janny a note...today is her birthday!!! Her blog is in the left hand column!

He Said She Said

This is part of a challenge I am hosting this month at DSS! I like doing Interview Challenges where you create a LO based on the responses you get during your interview!

The interview here was asking He & She the same questions to see how the answers would turn up. It will be hard to read our responses on the layout - So I included them below:

H is for Larry

S is for Tina

He Said/ She Said

1. What attracted you to your partner?

H - The fact that she was very witting and fun-loving and had smiling eyes. For example, one time Tina just undid my seat belt out of the blue which at first made me mad, until she immediately said, ‘It said PUSH – so I did!’ That’s when I knew I really liked this girl.

S - No      matter what, he always has a smart, sarcastic quip in his mind. Plus, I      really like blondes!!

2. What does she or he do that makes you laugh?

H - Cracks      off a perfect insult or a great one liner once in a great while.

S - Well, since he is funny all the time, I stopped laughing at his jokes. Yeah, heard that joke before I would say to myself. Recently, I have enjoyed his weird view of life and started laughing at his humor again.

3. Where was your first date?

H - The      Chinese restaurant

S - The      Chinese restaurant, we had mutual friends that thought we would get a long      really well – they were right!

4. What has your mate said about you that suprised or flattered you?

H - When you paraphrased for me one time a huge emotion I was feeling resulted in me feeling really heard by her and understood.

S - That he understands my need for ‘familytize’ and sees how I make our family strong and happy, without that we are all miserable.

5. Was it love at first sight or a friendship that blossomed?

H - A      friendship with benefits that blossomed.

S - For me      it was love at first sight, I knew something was going to change in my      world because of this guy.

6. How do you settle your differences?

H - Classic duels – just kidding don’t put that – all out fist fights no…blow up at each other, realize how stupid we are and then talk about it.

S - By      calming sitting down…whatever, it’s more like here it is bucko and deal      with it and I will win!

7. Do you agree about the temperature in the house?

H - Hell      no! I am in constant fear of spontaneous combustion due to the level of      intense heat!

S - Definitely not, I am required to wear several layers of clothing in all seasons. In the car, I must freeze due to his need for an artic climate at all times.

8. Are there places you'd now like to revisit with your partner?

H - Yes,  Virgina      Beach, Disney World, Arizona

S - Yes, because I found out on his hike to Havasau Falls he found a spot near the falls where he would like to renew our vows. I am going to make sure this happens in the next few years.

9. Who in his/her family adds the most to your relationship?

H - Nobody,      Leigh Ann would if we had a      closer relationship.

S - His mother, she has never interfered with our marriage, but supports each of us. She truly wants the best for her son and she is wise enough to know this is what will make him happy. She rocks!

10. What holiday requires the most compromise?
H - Thanksgiving

S - Thanksgiving is the only holiday we don’t have plans for every year. Maybe because we both think it’s not a real holiday and don’t need to make plans. So neither one of us is proactive in solving what we will do until the last minute and we each want our own way.

Give this a whirl with your mate or friend..see what happens...be sure to post the results in the comments!

Scrap Credits - Kit: Pucker Up by Jen Beschinski www.3ringstudio.com

You know what to do

Proud of her!

Janet has been busy learning how to be a digital designer. She has such an eye for the detail that it takes to do digital design for scrapbooking. She has been selling at DSS, but opened a new store this week at ES

I am just so darned thrilled by her talent that I thought it would be great to show off her work here:

You can pick this up for free..for a limited time so HURRY!

Janny has the best CT ever! OK..well not really, but I am hoping that you will check out her work. You will see a bunch of my pages scrapped in her stuff..not because we're buds and I get her products for free...but because I do like it. I am really picky about what I use, so feel sorry for Janny..she gets lots of feedback from me! LOL

Post-It Art

Don't you love a post-it note? One of my best presents of the year was a pop up post-it note dispenser. Currently I am using bright pink.

This is my creative burst onto a post-it for the day. I thought I would summarize my day in this drawing.

Of course, my inner crittic is ready to burst forth and explain what it is lacking..but it does not get an opinion here...

Yes, I am full blown dance mommy. I have mastered the art of sequins, hair and make-up. R and I are beginning our 3rd year of competition. She dances and I make her look good. That's our team.
Today, was the preview of all the numbers so we could get a small taste of what the girls have been working so hard for since August. The numbers looked great, the costumes are getting there - lots of mommies including myself will be sniffing the glue over the next week to finish up stoning. So a post-it of creativity showing this aspect of my life was my therapy release for the day. I feel better!

Really, R and I have become a team on this. First season, we were both stressed. Last season, we agreed that we were both going to give each other some extra grace and let the other blow off steam, but not directing at each other. Today, no fights or dramas about nothing. It was a smooth operation. I make it sound like ..well if you are stressed and bickering why do it? Trust me, what most people would think is normal irritation for themselves, R and I feel is extreme for us. We just don't blow up on the other in everyday life. So any mishap with dance seems bigger than what it is.

The truth is..we both enjoy it. She has fallen in love with the sport of dance. It was obvious today. She enjoyed the sport and art. There were bumps with costumes and her attitude was 'I don't care, I just want to dance.' With that attitude - we had a great day and worked well.

The post-it art was inspired by the post-it project. This artist has decided to do a post-it a day for a creative outlet..not a bad idea! Doodle away!

{Memory...

Photo Hunters
challenge this week was Memory.

Great week for

 

memory..you've already seen my best of 2006..so I thought I would share a recent memory we created at our house.

We had all been sick through Christmas, so we did not have any plans for New Years..granted we are hitting the phase where it's not that big of deal for us. Yet, who wants to be alone on a celebration.

As always, we opened our home to all of our friends who didn't have plans either. Come by, hang out - the house is open to all! The Brokken's were the only ones who took us up on the offer. We had the best night! Our families work well together. The kids are roughly the same ages and just want to play. With the kiddos running wild, we enjoyed some good laughter and games.

By the end of the night, we had planned out our vacation. Allen & Janet had the idea of our families going on vacation together this summer. Larry & I have travelled every year for at least the last 5 years with various family members and have got good at travelling with others. So to go with people and a family of our own age is the BEST!

It was such a good night of Canasta, Loaded Questions and Kidney Stones...well that was a game Larry played on his own. We all made it to 2007 and let it come in with bubblies and toasts!

Be sure to check out the Current Layouts albumn..I've uploaded some of my newest creations.

All the elements on this page were created by Jen Wilson.

what happened??

So what happened with the design stuff...well that's easy...

I am posted and officially live here at DSS!

At the last count I knew of I had sold 14! I am impressed this is out of about 300 sales,but I am not complaining cause some of these gals have been in the business for a while. I am just amazed I hit over 10!! I am ok with small beginnings...somewhere in my databrain of wisdom there is this proverb..

'do not despise the day of new beginnings..'

was just funky crab rangoons from the chinese buffet or is it good truth?

I am weighing in that it's truth from the rangoons, because I think it speaks to the attitude you have at the beginning of any new venture. If you go into it ho-hum, what do the results tend to lead to? Yup - ho hum..so in my new semi career of designing in scrapbooks...wahooo! It's a great beginning!

In the spirit of new beginnings I haven't been writing because I was seriously

contemplating buying a digi scrapbook website that was up for sale.

I thought it out, checked the cash and kept dreaming about what I would do with my own shop...and 2 days later I made an offer...

They had already sold the site and had a deposit on the site. The good news is ..if it falls through I am next in line. So, there is hope.

Although, I am considering starting my own...now what to call it? Got a suggestion? Put it in the comments!

Thanks for checking in on me!