EXPLORE - Day 1

Day 1


Today I commenced the official EXPLORE class with Shimelle.  I've been eagerly awaiting this workshop for whats seems like months.  Initially I wasn't sure what I was signing up for and to be honest even now on Day 1 I really have no idea what lies in store for us.  Shimelle is like that - her classes are inspiring yet slightly eclectic and just when you think you have it all covered - whoosh,  you are spirited away on another tangent. Guess she likes to keep her students on their toes and I love her for it.

As she says ...
Over the next four weeks, we’ll set out on a personal adventure, exploring the world around us
and taking note of those surroundings in a new way. It’s about seeing those little details in a new light, changing some definitions and giving new things a try.




Our first port of call on our Explore journey was to make our little playbooks if this was the route we each intended to take rather than just blog our journey (obviously I am doing both).  Her own one is really cute but at 4x6 I wasn't sure whether it would be sufficiently large enough for all I know will be packed into it along our 4 week journey.  I ummed and ahhed for a while - checked out a lot of blogs of fellow classmates to get a feel for what everyone else was doing.  Dithered over 8x8 and 6x6, checked out supplies - lamented over not buying a blasted SMASH book when I had the chance as this would be the perfect vehicle for this project (and of course you cannot get these anywhere for love nor money) and eventually came right back to where I started and put together a 6x4 using bits and pieces I have in my scrap basket.  I also decided to call my little book "Explore Life" as I think this it what we will be doing along our way.

Next step was to take a self portrait (holding camera) for first page.  WHAT!!! A self portrait - what are you thinking Shimelle?  I don't do self portraits - I could nearly feel the wave of angst washing across the miles as the same cry went out around the globe.

Oh OK Shimelle if I must ...

A sweet sketch prompt ...

I haven't been able to do as much scrapbooking this week as I might have liked - school holidays can do that to you ! - however I have managed to put together a digi layout for Shimelle and her sketch of the week.

I'm continuing on my theme of only using photos from our holiday to Coffs Harbour in January.  I figure by the end of the year I should have exhausted my supply and have an album complete just from Shimelle sketches.  Here's my take on this week.

From Screen 2 Scrap - July

The latest movie poster is up over on  From Screen 2 Scrap.   This a very much a blast from the past - a classic movie called "All About Eve" starring Marilyn Munroe.

Entering the challenge each month is always easy - just do a layout based on the movie poster presented and for extra bonus points include the monthly criteria.  This time it is:-
Use 4 x colorful Arrows = 1 pt

Use Hearts = 2 pts

Use 1/2 or 1/4 of a face from a photo = 3 pts


This is my take on the challenge.

You may well be wondering how a poster on All about Eve could inspire a layout on antiquated music memorabilia.

I had a discussion recently with an older friend of mine who was bemoaning the fact that her 3 year old granddaughter quite regularly showed her up in the technology arena. This led to us reminiscing about life when technology was a tad simpler and listening to music was as easy as merely pressing a button - naturally that got me to thinking about how much things have changed in the music delivery department over my lifetime! I have my four arrows, hearts and a delightful (not!) half face – now how flattering is that lol. So All about Eve is really all about music .... and me!.

So head on over to From Screen 2 Scrap and pit your entry in - wonderful random drawn prizes are up for grabs every month - you just need to be in it and you could win it!!
 

Seaside impressions ...

I loved the painting used on ARTastic this month - "Argenteuil" by Edouard Manet.

I remember studying the artworks of Edouard Manet when still at school.  He was a french artist during the mid 1800's who did not follow the art conventions of his time but rather chose to depict the everyday life of ordinary people in his paintings.  Many of his paintings showed Parisian street cafe scenes or picnics on the River Seine.  He was one of the founding fathers of the Impressionist movement. 

I love how someone one hundred and fifty years ago had the foresight and courage to step out of the mainstream and record for future generations the lives of those around him.  It shows how important it is to depict the everyday, the mundane and the ordinary.


The bonus criteria on ARTastic was to include:

1. Two People in the photo = 1pt 
2. Use striped pp = 2pts
3. Include a boat somewhere on the layout = 3pts

I'm afraid I had to dip out on the two people in the photograph as mine has three but I certainly have used striped patterned paper and my layout features a gorgeous array of boats. 

More Shimelle ...

I managed to get my weekly layout for  Shimelle done early this week - I seem to be always rushing to complete it and get it up on her site which isn't the most productive way to work.

This week she used a large photograph as a feature on her layout - this is something I rarely do with paper scrapping but an easy method when you digi scrap.  I'm continuing on doing layouts based on our family holiday to Coffs Harbour in January - at this rate I will get them all done.

Here is the sketch and Shimelle's take on it.

I wanted to keep this layout simple with a minority of embellishments for several reasons.  One because the large photo really doesn't need anything else around it and there is little spare space to use anyway and also because I think the picture speaks for itself especially with the bright tropical colours I have used.

Computer time ...

It's Saturday morning and everyone in this household is on a computer - yes we have four (well actually that isn't quite true - we have six.  One is on it's last legs, keeps overheating and takes forever to start up so I don't really count that one and the other is old - not fast, very clunky and really should not be here, just waiting for a local technology drop off day so we can donate!).

ds is up very early and straight on line with his friends playing Rowblocks or some such online game, dd is watching downloaded TV and playing with her study assignments, dh is "busy" trying to finish level 60 (its SO hard!!) on Zuma Deluxe and I'm updated my blog.  What we should all be doing is enjoying fresh air and sunshine outside since we haven't seen much of it these past days .... but we aren't .... maybe after lunch .... perhaps.

Here are my adorable offspring - different rooms, different ages but little carbon copies of each other - even down to still in pj's at 10.30am.

Another Shimelle Wednesday ...

Gosh is it Wednesday again??  Is it just me or are these days seeming to flash past faster each week?

Time yet again for some Shimelle inspiration.  Loved her sketch and sample page this week.

My take on this ...

You might have noticed that I have been doing digital layouts for Shimelle's sketches.  I do about 60/40 paper to digital these days.  I love playing with paper and if I have time to dwell on a layout or want some creative therapy it is my medium of choice.  Palying with paper is a must do at crops and retreats but I do love digi though - adore the crisp look of the pages and the ease in which layouts come together.  I think if I was to start over with scrapbooking now and had both options fully explained to me from the onset I would have made a conscious choice to go totally digi but I haven't, didn't and wasn't and now with a small shop of supplies (or so it seems) in my craft room, fully converting really isn't an option.  Still I do a fair bit of this style and Shimelle's sketches seem to fit the profile.

I'm over it ...

It is SO wet ...... wet ....... wet ......... wet.  I know how Arthur felt.

5 things ...

We have had the most deplorable weather this past week I just had to list the five things that were needed most to survive the tremendous downpours and teeming rain that came down in sheets every thirty minutes or so.

Umbrella - goes without saying a total must have even just to go to the letterbox.

Gumboots - ever found sinking into several inches of rain sodden grass a pleasure - No?  well gumboots are the answer.

Windscreen wipers - yep had them going non stop on nearly every car journey - some days it was hard to see out the windscreen even with these little beauties on at full pelt.

Slippers - along with the rain came the cold and the old tootsies felt it the most on the -degC mornings.

Hot chocolate with marshmallows - enough said!

What I'm reading ...

I picked up this book at an op shop a few weeks ago.  I have an hour or so to wait while ds is at afterschool tutoring and my normal procedure is to either go for a walk or if the weather is unpleasant to read in the car (usually with aid of hot coffee).  This particular day I had forgotten my current book in my rush out the door and was on the lookout for a cheap substitute when I stumbled across it.  I'd heard of Anne McCaffrey in fact I'm sure I read one of her Pern series many years ago but had not sort her work out.  Well all that changed within the first chapter of  "Freedon's Landing".  What a great story - easy to read, funny in parts with the added bonus of my own personal rating system - a desire by the reader (namely ME) not to put it down, to read well into the night and in fact rush off the the local library the very next day to borrow the second in the series.

I might add - I am now into the fourth and final book in the series and have loved them all.  Seems I've found a new author, well not so new, Anne is well into her 80's and has been writing much of her adult life, which for me is a wonderful blessing as I have dozens upon dozens of her science fiction works to discover. I just hope they are all as good as this set has been. 

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Shimelle sketch of the week ...

It's that time of the week again  ... Shimelle sketch of the week time.  Another beauty this week.

and of course my take on it.

FS2S challenge for June ...

The June challenge for From Screen 2 Scrap is up over on the blog.  I really loved the inspiration poster for this month. UP is certainly one of my favourite animated movies.

The bonus criteria  for extra points is -

1) Use clouds = 1 pt


2) Use Balloons or a Hot Air Balloon= 2 pts

3) Use or make a 3D embellishment (raised from the page) = 3 pts

There are some wonderful layouts from the DT for your inspiration including my own.  Hop over and join in the fun - great prizes await.