And this year's end-of-the-year photo project...

Is kind of a bomb, really.   BUT it was a fun one.  And the grandparents that are receiving said photo bomb-tastic items will be excited anyway.  You know it's true.

The boys didn't want to go back outside and complete anything that they started.   They had a HUGE base (actually younger chicken boy did it with help from the girls prior to their extravaganza).  So the boys were supposed to finish theirs for photos, and didn't want to.

 So - instead, I had to opt for the kids all together for photos...which kind of went something like ...

 A little bit of this (bad photographer yelling at elder chicken...who looks funeral bound)...

 and a little bit of that...

 ...and a bit more of the other

 ...and chaotic scene ensues

...and I threw some vintage at it and called it a friggin' mess and was over it all.

Ooookay...so printing, fixing colors a bit (hateful camera and photographer irritated, great combo) and sending copies of flippin' chaos to the grandparents.  They'll LOVE this I'm sure (good thing there were school photos already included in their envelopes, eh?).  

Snow Hits The Fan...

Okay.  All four of the chickens were in the same place starting the day after Christmas.   I can almost not express how happy this makes me, to have them all together with us.  I'm not going to expand on that thought right now, well, because I'm trying to share snow pictures and not cry all over myself prematurely with the thoughts of having to take my eldest chicken back (ack...warning...warning...warning...red alert...subject change...)

ANYWAY --- these two girl chickens made a delightful snowman by themselves (it was stressed "without the help of those boys, we did it alone").    They had all gone out at the same time earlier in the day, but left a snowman bottom unfinished - the girls wanted all four of them to finish a snowman and get their photos taken.  Well, part of it happened, though not in the originally intended way.    The boys didn't want to go outside.   The eldest girl chicken was very irritated at this - so the two girls stomped and clucked outside to make the bestest ever.   They managed and conquered :)

Making it happen....  A couple of bad asses...really.  

 AWWWWWWW...

 I'm tellin' . 

 Goofy comes out...

And YES I'll be updating tomorrow when the boys realize what they missed out on and go back outside (after being tormented by the girls, I'm sure). 

and - I have to add - my heart is full this week. Bursting. 

A Monday of Manic Proportions?

:)    Sketch challenge from Diana over @SNC --- I of course had to change it to something other than what it was posted.  (12x12 turned into 6x12).  A photo that was originally printed as 5x7 by someone other than myself.  There was so much "extra" in the photo...basically I just wanted to capture us being "us".  Not glamorous or anything, just a down-time kind of regular-ish day.  

And Manic?? not really that much mania going on, as far as scrapping.  Lots of mania as far as OMG kid homework, projects, extra credit issues, and the girl who put a pencil in her ear  LOL

December ATC and Journaling Challenges you say?

Don't mind if I do...late...but here they be nonetheless...

ATC Challenge:   Christmas "tag".
I think that the mail theme behind this month's ATC is to make something (Christmas/Holiday) related that you won't be keeping... Logan's tag for his gift bag. I figure I can use this for his Bday gift as well, if I don't make another set for the other kids (gotta be fair you know).

And
JOURNALING Challenge:   Random Christmas Tradition
I do at least one of these pages every year.  Last year I already scrapped the PJs -- because my kids and my sister's kids got to be matching and it was a cute pic set so I HAD TO scrap it right then instead of letting it wait (seriously).   Anyway -- this was a trip down a tortured bit of memory lane for me, December 2007.  I had two jobs with the second being at a photography studio.   Literally thousands of pics were taken by me that whole year.  And ... I got my own kids pics taken by me AT HOME on December 24th!!!  Seriously???  Though I have to admit, the 2008 year was a ton busier (and I'm done thinking about it....now.  LOL)

and what does this year have in store for me I wonder?  Never can tell ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

Quick post before a long-ish break?

or maybe me being out of my house and visiting for like six days, I'll find a need to blog MORE? *shrug*   it's a coin toss, never can tell.

OKAY. SO I did some scrappy stuff that I'll share.  Who knows if anything profound will come from this post.  It may just be something to look at - and that'll be it.  Never can tell from start to finish of a post.  Oh, and yes, I am aware that I can edit the post blahblahblah.  I'm not feeling it, so I'm just going on the fly.  It can be cohesive if I so choose, but chances are, it's going to look like a whole bunch of ADD on a blog post.  Why? because that's pretty much the way I roll.  No apologies for being me...nope. Not today.

FIRST UP:     "Thankful" which is for TWO challenges @SNC   One being for Sherrie's Potpourri challenge for "thankful"...and the second being for Diana's color challenge with an awesome array of (what I'll describe as) cranberry/orange/sage.   so it all worked out well I think - and HOLY WOW DOES TIME FLY!!! These kids are not this small, nor this compliant near each other anymore(and the baby is in kindergarten, so bah).

NEXT UP:   Another challenge for Resa's Ad Challenge @SNC which had two different vintage advertisements circa 1952-ish.   (hence my tag!)    ANd thanks to Lynn and her obsession with sending me blogs to follow - I have now become hooked on THIS BRILLIANT ART SPOT for a LOT of inspiration -- I have had SO MANY "AHA" moments when perusing her blog...I have so many supplies on-hand that I have had forever and she has actually encouraged me (and she doesn't know it yet) to USE THIS STUFF FOR PITY'S SAKE.   Sooooo...here is my Girlz night-in

This is the stuff I've got -- actually I have two more pending photos...I'll get around to it eventually.
and there we have it, nothing profound here *snort*

Wake me when November begins...what?

Oh, RIIIIIIGHT - that was yesterday.  My bad.   So apparently I'm now running 24hrs behind myself - yay. Don't be jealous. You can all achieve this level of greatness if you apply yourself!

Challenge day @SNC brings you a marvelous ATC Challenge brought to you by moi - a spectacular Journaling challenge brought to you by *gasp* me --- and a whole gaggle of scrappy cohorts challenges (I believe that there are NINE posted on the 1st and the same (or one more?) on the 15th.   Loads of scrappy minion goodness is here...check it out.

Without further in-depth procrastination efforts:

ATC Challenge:   CHANNEL YOUR FALL:    Use a quote for fall, loads of fall colors, a technique that reminds you of fall...whatever -- but get your fall goodness packed on that 2.5 x 3.5 piece of freedom.

 a number of fascinating techniques used for this little piece.   I used old book page, whitewashed with water/acrylic paint - went insane with chalk/TH inks, StazOn and stamps, then the tree is made with book page inked/inked and re-inked and torn after being crinkled.    The quote, Emily Bronte  "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the Autumn tree".   Ahhhh...the crispness of fall and it's glorious crunchy leaves!!

JOURNAL CHALLENGE:   "THANKFUL FOR..."    But I don't want just ANY thankful - we know people are thankful for their jobs, their spouses, kids, families, homes, etc...I wanted to take the thankful to a different path.   I should have (could have would have) gotten a bit more in-depth with emotional journaling, but I kept it simpler. 

Without the "frivolous" types of things used to get into direct and near instantaneous contact with family far away (including PreciousBabyBoy Chicken) -- I would be a mess full of sobbing psyche and tissues..in a puddle.   SO - it seemed appropriate to be thankful for the wonderful technologic marvels that make it possible for us to "be there" when we're not able to "be there".   Know what I mean??  you do.

Techniques o-plenty for this one and it was fun - up to a point.    I was IN LOVE WITH the techniques and how this was shaping up at first.  THEN I put the paper in my printer (after doing THREE different drafts on other paper to ensure that it was not going to jack up my page).   and well, it jacked up my page *insert really bad non-kid-friendly words here*.     The base page, white cardstock which I had printed a free printable card template (two cards, one sheet, just print, cut and use)....well, I printed once, then used 2 blank cards and taped them to the page, then did two more, and the greed over-ran my good graces of the printer because it had printed misc. stuff on my original CS sheet.    I sat it aside thinking "well, self, you;ll have to use that for something, you waster".     I started with white acrylic paint and my lovely TheCraftersWorkshop 6x6 template "gears" --- I have two of these templates (finally) and LOVE LOVE LOVE them.      So after I waited patiently for the paint to dry, I used mists, then babywiped the excess from the white paint...*sigh*   resisting goodness!    it was at this point that the printer snafu occurred.   I was SOOOO unbelievably disgusted.  First I tried to paint over the words with white acrylic, which worked/didn't work at the same time. then the epiphany for alcohol ink usage came into play (hence the darker purple).  THen I hated it.   I was loving this for so long, then ran into the brick wall of hatred.  I cut things, tore things, pieced things together, and I became "just okay" with it - but truly it felt like a let-down after being in layout love at first.

BUT the good thing about playing around with things?? you get to DO IT AGAIN.   and hopefully DO IT DIFFERENTLY (haha printer, you diabolical menace).

The Witch, her daughter and mini hats/brooms...

Or Transportation+Helmet (thanks dear loving man of mine. No seriously, that was funny and I giggled for a while)

These are from ChickenLittle's need for a dessert for her party @school...I'd have loved this when I was a kid, so BAM...

Fly safely young witches ;)

Time to celebrate the falllllllling of Fall...

with yummy leafy goodness!! 

I have spritzed mist over top of ferns, maple leaves, pine needle spray...I HAMMERED LEAVES on paper (leaving a YUMMY purple stain on the paper)...have I lost it completely at this point??
No, silly.    SNC, the scraptastic minions, have some challenges tossed out there.  

This is my layout that actually hit three of them --- Janelle's scrap-your-stash (to use white scraps) which is what all of my papers (kraft not included in "all") began as.    Also, Sharon's book-of-me (fave season).  AND last, but certainly not least since she is the only one that reads this drivel that I post :D  Lynn's Harvest theme.  Without further blahblahblah...

Fall details @random

until next time ;)

A photo a day for October...with a bonus tale

Okay - so it's been a REALLLLLY long time since I've been able to participate in "A Photo A Day" type of challenges for myself.  I am totally digging the camera.  Of course, I would LOVE to sharpen the colors and such - however - I have a computer with a viral thing going on, so I am NOT going to push it by trying to reinstall PSE#?.  Ain't happening.

Enough technical whining...SO my "plan" for October is to capture images with the overall loose-definition of "nature".   Since I feel rather ATTACKED BY NATURE (aka stink-bugs-that-suck).  Without a further waiting period - here are my first four images.

1.  LEAVES:  working around depth-of-field play.

 

 2.  THIS FLOWER:   I took photos of a flower exactly like this in my Kentucky house waaay back in the day where I got to stay for a weekend.  That is such a story for another time, or not another time...whatever I feel the need for I imagine ;)   ANYWAY - @my "new" place, THIS very awesome flower is here - via nature - just for me and my camera (I can say it if I want to, my blog, my rules).

 3.  FIELD OF YELLOW:   We walk past this field daily to go to the bus stop (yet another story involving our walking to/from the bus @ 3/10ths of a mile each direction, which equals out to me actually getting a bit of a mile of walking in per day whether I want to or not really).  I am so chicken though, I REALLY want to take pics of the kids in this field, but I don't actually want to have to WALK IN THERE BECAUSE NATURE IS HIDING!!!

 #4 CREEEEEPY:  and artsy ALL AT THE SAME TIME.   This thing intrigued me and freaked me the hell out all at the same time.   VERY AWESOME dots of water on the web though.  it's really hard to take pics and watch the manual settings when you're trying to also pay attention to WHERE the spider is while you're fiddling with settings/such.  UGH.

AND your bonus story is actually the following conversation between Steve and I maybe 2-3 fridays ago.  I thought it relevant to the #4 picture:

Me:  THE BIGGEST SPIDER IN THE FUCKING WORLD IS IN THE HOUSE. AND NOW i CAN'T FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIND IT. I.AM.LEAVING.

S:   *SNORT*

Me:  THAT IS NOT NOT NOT NOT FUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNY

S:  Lol lol lol what room?
     Did you scream?

Me:   OUR PLAY ROOM???? MOTHERFUCKER.  I didnt scream... Yelled a tribal scream and turned on the vacuum....which I THINK IT WAS TOO BIG TO FIT INTO...but it was gone...OH.MY.GOD.

S:   Was it black with lightening bolts on its back?

Me:  IT HAIR FUCKING HAIR.
HAIR STEVE.

IT CAN EAT SMALL ANIMALS AND PERHAPS CHILDREN

S:   Lol snort lol choke
Mice?

Me:   (((sent a picture of the worthless cat holding up his paw and staring at me)))
TOLD DRAGON....HE HAS A PAW IN THE AIR. I TOLD HIM TO FIND A WEAPON

S:  He looks scared.
Sissy cat.

Me:  I TOLD HIM THAT HE SHOULD BE!!!  Arm yourself!!!!   Faaaaawk

S:  Get a picture
Lol lol lol

Me:   Of WHAT??????????

S:   The spider of course

Me:  Fuck that shit Mr V.  If I could fucking FIND IT I WOULD KILL IT M.YSELF. i am freaking out because it's as big as a furrry baby hippo AND I CANT FIND IT

S:  Snort.  Go get the spider spray from the mud room and hit the last spot/area you spotted it Lol lol lol ...tears Mrs V

Me:  WHAAAAAAAATEVER.  I will bet it climbed into the heater thing because IT LITERALLY HAD TO DUCK TO RUN UNDER IT AGAINST THE WALL...

S:   Sure it wasn't a mouse?
Spray the heater all the way across.

Me:   IT HAD EIGHT DISBUSTING LEGS STEVER. MICE DON'T HAVE EITHER LEGS

S:  Snort...did you spray braveheart

Me:   YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

S:   Lol i snorted and hurt myself

Me:  (((note to self, kill him with spider spray if he makes another 'city girl' comment)))

The spider was big. Huge.
at least the size of a baby rhino or hippo, or whatever...but IT WAS HUGE. and HAIRY.   I think it was a wolf spider, which the internet says is "poisonous"??? REALLLY??? *grumble* make fun of me again...ugh.

Happenings and goings on...

Happenings:  I happened to have two layouts to share today.
Goings On:  My computer issues are still trying to kill me, but they haven't won yet muhahaha.

over @ScrapNChat two more challenge were tackled!

First we have Barb's Patterned Paper Crazy challenge to use- 3 florals; 1 diamond; 1 butterfly; 1 solid

and nex, Diana's color challenge - a gorgeous Spring-like selection including lavendar, purple, magenta, sage and light gray:

 and with these two rounding up my September completions (thaaaanks computer issues who suck)...I have a couple of more that I am going to try and sneak in from September....*gasp all of the NEW challenges for October 1st are up and I need to get running with that!

 



SNC October 2012 CHALLENGE DAY!!

HELLO MINIONS!   or Scrappy Minions as the case may be!

October=one of my fave months.  LOVE the crispness of Fall, particularly in central PA, because it's not almost 90degrees like VA Beach ;)    Here's the usual drill, two challenges posted by me @ScrapNChat  for the first of the month.   JOURNALING & ATC...let's move along...

 

JOURNALING CHALLENGE: 

 

 2005:  Journaling ...

    I will admit, that sometimes I am simply shocked by the photos that I find "tucked away" for safekeeping in my stash of things to scrapbook/keep.  These were in my last goldmine find.  A week has passed at this point, since his 15th birthday.  To find an envelope full of his little league photos (which apparently didn't get passed out to family either) at the ripe old age of seven (photo was Spring 2005).  I felt like I was in a time machine. I can absolutely remember his face just like this - seven years ago can feel like "a lot" or "a little" depending on perspective.

 

Dealing with separation as we are at this point - I relaly need to hold on to little moments like this that hug my heart strings, and appreciate the good feelings.  I an celebrate my little man becoming such a young man (soooo close to being 'old', he says).

 

I'm glad that my organizational skills with my photos allows for me to have moements like this --I can go on a mental vacation and hang out with my seven year old little legaue dude for a while.  And I'm also glad for Facebook, where a mom can post pictures of her PreciousBabyBoy and everyone can share the "aww" moment with me ;)

(photos circa 2005/journaling 2012)

 

((((OKAY I'll admit, I made myself cry with this one too. Get off my back already))))

 

ATC CHALLENGE!!!:    GET YOUR SPOOKY LAYERS ON!!

Your challenge this month, should you choose to accept it - is to break out the spooky for your ATC.  Hopefully in layers, because layers of spooky is much better than straight out scared ;)

 

 With my sample, I started with a tan CS card (2.5 x 3.5 is standard ArtistTradingCard size). I then used gel medium (though thin ModPodge would have done the same, but I found my gel medium and was in love all over again LOL)...and started layering bits and pieces of newsprint all willy-nilly, no rhyme/reason other than BECAUSE I WANTED TO. I used a layer of medium over top, then watered down some acrylic paint for a wash over top...darker in some spots than others. I had found this awesome owl and tree picture (in the paper!) as an ad, and decided to do 1/2 fussy cutting and lahyer it over top. Not enough layers? nah - looked too "clean" to me so I tossed some faint stamps over top of that, layered with the gel medium over top again, and BAM.  



My inner make-a-mess-goddess was happy and gel medium/paint covered.

 

OH, and as a bonus...

the long-legged freak show that was

RIGHT BELOW MY CARD THE WHOLE TIME.

you ca see him in the 1st pic, but I wanted to END the post with him, not start. 

That's another can of worms...er, spiders. eww. ugh. nature.

 

Thanks in advance for playing along (lynn *snort*)

Memory Keeper. I volunteered.

This layout, done for another of the challenges @SNC, the BookOfMe bySharon - it was a difficult one.

I literally had this sitting on my desk for two days.  Not because I was necessarily stuck on design or anything fun like that, no.   Papers? Nope, they pretty much picked themselves.    The journaling - that had me at a standstill.   Strange, right??  Being that I'm the one that gives the journaling challenge @SNC, I would normally be ALL OVER the journaling.  And usually I am.   This time, not so much.  Here is the "Dear Gram,"

My picture is sucky not so good - so I will be so kind as to transcribe my writing for viewing: 

Dear Gram, 

I am so very glad and thankful that we have had you in our lives as long as we have.  My kids lives are better for having gotten to know you.  You may not always know me, but I know somewhere, where your memories are being kept - I am there. I think of you often - particularly when crafting - one of the things you brought to everyone.  Along with the ability to organize a party for any one at any time. Your friendly personality could keep anyone at ease.  I have learned much from you and even though you may not always remember - I have the memories for you and I'll share them with you any time.      

ARE YOU STILL THERE??   and this would be the reason that I put it off...and put it off...I kind of knew what I wanted to write.  I just didn't really want to write it.   Writing it makes it more REAL?  More permanent?   I don't know.  Maybe I was just hiding from the feelings.  Because I know for sure that I had them, while thinking about what I was going to write, definitely while writing, and even while transcribing the same words for all to see.   I cried more about this layout than I have in a while. I had to toss myself in the shower when I was done because I felt a watery mess already.  My grandmother, always free with ideas (crafting or otherwise) has dementia.  The last time I saw her (the day of this picture), she knew my kids.  She even knew their names.   Mine?  Not so much. I know that she knew me, but she didn't give a name to me, and I didn't press to give her one.  Who am I to upset her when she's having enough of an issue with life every day?  Doesn't seem right to make it just ONE MORE THING that she can't remember even though she knows that she should.  I would not be the cause of that frustration. 
 
But you know what, my friends?  This needed to be done, even with as vehemently as I tried to avoid completing it.  Scrapping is, afterall, a form of therapy for me.   I am supposed to be able to string together thoughts/feelings/emotions and get a person to SEE and FEEL with me.   Tell me, did you feel something?  I know I did.

and yep, crying again.

another day, another challenge.

@ScrapNChat, Resa tosses us a "scraplift" LO to use.  The gist of this time around was to use "blurred" photos (not a problem. our kids were wild animals when we were trying to snap pics anyway, so blurry was the only option). 

I have started a "new trend" with myself --- the "& Again"  series of pages.   We take pictures of the kids the day that we leave.  It helps ease the kids emotions a little (some times more than others) and gives them something to look at in the next span of time until they see each other again. 

here we have "& again 9.2012": 

It also helps remind the kids (and ourselves at times too) that "it's not goodbye, it's *see you later*".

Challengezzz...that's "really very plural"

I am a self-proclaimed slacker with this blog.   My apologies to my peeps @ScrapNChat, *I* am the one that about 2weeks or so ago said "I DARE YOU to complete as many challenges as possible ASAP...GO!!".    And ... uh... I havent posted them because I'm blog-lazy.   I am nothing if I am not honest. 

All of that out of the system -- HERE WE GO with the challenges I've completed!! 

#1   

This one "A Day Out On The Town", done for the Barb's RECIPE challenge @SNC:

 #2 and #3 

  "& Again" done for TWO of the challenges combined:

*Janet's "flower from Washi tape" was genius (I chose rosettes)

and *Peggy's STAMP challenge "balancing act" inspired my Teresa Collins 'remember this' stamp with a StudioG butterfly :)

bringing us to ... #4 and #5

"I Know"

*Lynn's HYBRID AIN'T JUST FOR CARS challenge (thus my genius word-art heart and computer journaling

*Janell has a ScrapYourStash challenge with MONOCHROMATIC this month (hence my WHITE usage)

ALSO, I did participate in another ( #6), which was Peggy's CARD challenge to use a silhouette.  Gracie and I made a get well card for her grandma.   I was alllll kind of proud of myself that we did that quick, blahblahblah...then stuck the card in the mail....no photo of the completed card *snort*

AND THAT is why, when you toss down a gauntlet, you have to not be blog-lazy like me ;)

SPEED SCRAP!!!

PAM @Scrap N Chat had the bright idea that we would have a SPEED SCRAP drill tonight :)

She put up a "sample" which has elements (should you choose to use them in part or in total) and the object is to complete and then share.   

MY example is below: 

Mz ChickenLittle's 1st day @her new school.  She did have fun ;)

Until tomorrow - my scrapping minions!

FINALLY something done.

Well, I say that as if I haven't done ANYTHING in the last two weeks.   I have.   Not a whole ton of "creativity" for fun, but I've done a lot of things.  

THIS layout I started ....I'll stick with "a while ago" (read:  almost two weeks ago, on the 4th) for a challenge over @ScrapNChat.   Thank you to Sherrie for the challenge of a "sunburst" pattern on the LO.  I k]now she was probably intending for patterned paper usage, but I am a rule breaker /massively creative genius ummm..an outside the box thinker? I don't know.  I see sunburst though (and the blue bird of happiness in the background of the totally amazing pic).  

 and no, I don't mean that my pic posting is the amazing pic, because quite frankly it is horrible and should have been a do-over.  BUT, laziness won that battle and THERE IT IS.

NOW, back to my mad home-making skillz ---- I gotta go paint something ;)

Falling back into the swing of some things...September scrap challenge??

Yes, I am aware that my scrapping instances have been sooooo far between. 

Thanks to the great and spectacular group of ladies @Scrap N Chat - they have allowed (or is it tolerated??) my mojo being completely hidden from me, and having pretty much the whole summer off of my challenges.  I have felt some mojo flowing (actually, a mojo is an awkward thing sometimes, because it can show itself in non-scrappy ways, which I guess is cool, unless scrapping is what you NEED it for!) and my two challenges *should you choose to accept either* are as follows :)

Journaling Challenge September 1, 2012: 

Use multiple journaling spots.  This can be multiple handwritten on the paper, multiple die cut by you/prepurchased (such as mine on the following)...and yes I actually did have another one planned incase my words ran away with themselves and didnt fit ;)

Also, this continues with my family theme of RANDOM #____ layouts.  Are they really in numerical order?  Heck no.  I just try not to repeat the same number - and if I do repeat it?  I don't really think it matters, seriously.  It's not like there are any rules or that I would actually follow them if there were any.  (Rules=more like guidelines anyway. the best thing learned from Pirates of the Caribbean movies)

Close up of the titling: 

close up of the journaling: 

AND......

ATC CHALLENGE September 1, 2012

*Americana* 

in honor of labor day weekend ;)

I started out with a piece of 2.5 x 3.5 chipboard as a base.   I used red/blue mist and did an acrylic paint wash with white paint (I actually did that first, before the mist and after). I used a masking technique then for the heart and the USA...and added some TimHoltz ink for a rustic-type look.  my "i" made out of a Ki Memories American flag and rhinestones and fibers (compliments of Lynn -which came from  Great Balls Of Fiber which OF COURSE she now wants back because I used it *snort*

 

SO - your challenges are posted!  Should you chose to accept either of them, one of them, or neither (if you wanna BE that way) --- come visit us at Scrap N Chat ;)

Happy Labor Day Weekend