Four score and eleventy-seven-hundred seconds ago...or something like that

I figure it's been a long time since I've written on here, when the "click the orange pencil to get started blogging" ... decides not to work.    I know, it's been "forever" in blog terms.  Gimme a break, I've been busy with a lot of ... life and ... just stuff!

I think I had a story line in my head -- good intentions and all of that jazz -- but for now I'm just over this typing business.  Especially since it took me FIVE TRIES to edit this post after blogger accepted the title of it, but didn't produce a place for the content to go.   Now, THAT was odd.   The interenet's own way of Karma.  You ignore it long enough, then return to it and get your punishment.  

As the SoupNazi (from Seinfield) said..."NO SOUP FOR YOU!"...I think I had my own "NO BLOG FOR YOU!" version.    Did you yell that in your head like I did when I typed it?? I hope so.  At least I'm entertaining to myself if nothing else!

August: Stupidest description of a challenge...maybe EVER.

So.   I knew that I wanted to give the journaling challenge at SNC a bump...a bump meaning, I wanted to have a lot of words.  I had a lot to say.     So, did I call this "journal without a photo"? or "journal a one-month synopsis"?  Nope.  Not me.    That would be ... sensical?   I have dubbed this, "journal with A LOT OF WORDS".  *moment of silence*

Okay, I guess you can possibly refer to it as the other two things as well, but the fact that the description that I "had to" stick with was so flippin' stupid??  That's what I'm going with.  OH and to top it all off??? the photo is sideways and REFUSES TO BE FIXED.   totally irritating. 

NEEEEEEEEEEEXT:

ATC/TAG Challenge, which has been on vacation a bit...

The challenge is to use WATERCOLORS on your tag.  I used some watercolors for the background, did some sewing (ugly job with a mini-machine that I found in the garage, and promptly donated), and then stamped with bubble wrap.    

The words are in honor of my new job :) :) :)  

which I had orientation for today (is it proper to feel kind of disoriented after orientation? what?)

Three things done in one week???

Say it isn't so. 

Three layouts done in a week. One for my own Journaling challenge - and one for a scraplift challenge - and one for a sketch challenge.  WOOO!!!

Now, onward to my hideous pictures of my wonderful layouts ;)

 The Lovely Diana added this lovely Sketchabilities (by Karan Gerber) sketch for her July challenge at ScrapNChat

Which I made into this...

...and Barb found THIS awesome layout by Laura Whitaker from the Fancy Pants Design Facebook page for our July scraplift.    I LOVE the colors all in there together, so ....

Mine became "just call me CRASH"...making light of the Rav4 crunching accident that the kids got to experience on day #2 of their 3 week visit with their dad/grandma.  Everyone walked away from the hospital that day - which is a miracle after being hit in the back by a truck going 50 when their vehicle was stopped.   I have a longer more detailed version of things on the back, but it didn't need to be on the front.  Yes, I'm thankful to have been so blessed for all to have been okay, so don't get on my case about "poking fun at a sensitive subject".   Arent the bandaids cool though???? a canvas-like paper and CS created those ;)

July Journal Challenge! Wait...what? I mean, wasn't it just June?

Yep.  April does it again.   Another month (and a half, as if I'm counting) goes by, and there's another challenge due.   Well, technically, I've blown up my own ATC/Tag thing...and literally just remembered that as I typed the word "due".  *insert heavy siiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh*

As my helpful friend LYNN assisted with the following quote, when I asked her for some ideas to shove me off of a proverbial scrapping/journaling cliff...

Vincent Van Gogh said, "If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint', then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."

Well, well, well...let's just say that this screamed at me.  I've been "blocked" forever it seems.  Two layouts since...April??  So, to break through my own mental scrap/craft/journal blockage (which isn't just creativity-blockage actually, I've been a flippin' mess)...I sat down at the computer and decided to just TYPE something.   So, essentially, I had no page design in mind, no color scheme, no theme, NOTHING.  The page was born - because the journaling allowed it to be.   So - give you......

The typing reads as follows: 

July 2013. 

    These photos were taken on the day that I gathered my chickens from their father. They had been there for their very first time of “three week visitation block” (one of two for the summer). 

    Even though we had first separated in August 2008, this was the first time for either of the kids to be with their father for longer than a three-day stretch.  He hadn’t ever requested any longer of an amount of time for visits, as he had always thought he was unable to “entertain” the kids for that long. 

    At the end, the kids seemed to be no worse for the visit (with Brendan‘s exception of staying at my parents for a total of 11 days out of the three weeks, but who‘s counting?). Though, really,  nobody seems to be in a rush about hurrying toward the second three-week-block.
    What *I* learned for the three weeks apart was…I have absolutely NO IDEA what to do with myself.  I missed them both, not in a “woe-is-me” kind of way - and I didn’t barrage them with phone calls missing them horribly.  I did, however, feel like a hunk of myself was “not fitting right” - for the whole time.  Everything was “blocked”…I couldn’t scrap, I didn’t do anything exciting and new - or even just exciting.  Worst mental block EVER. 
    On to the next three week block - I’m determined it’ll be a different “me” the second time around!                  

HOPEFULLY this will work as a break-through for me.  You know, I've missed having a "voice" with creating things, remembering tidbits, celebrating the every-day things, recording stories...I've missed THIS.  A lot.   I know I've said it before, and just because I've said it before doesn't make it untrue.   The psyche is a weird and wonderful thing most of the time, until it gets clogged and creates a back up.  I've been blocked for a long time, so let's cross our fingers, raise our glasses and cheer for another beginning :)

June Journaling Challenge...It's about time.

I've been MIA --- I'll have to update that later...or not.  I could pretend like I have no idea about the passing of time HAHAHA.  Whichever.

ANYWAY, here is the LO for the challenge.

 PROBLEM with this being, there's NOT MUCH JOURNALING ON HERE.    Problem? Not usually --- EXCEPT THAT THIS IS THE EXAMPLE FOR THE JOURNAL CHALLENGE, APRIL.  

Okay - let me explain just a little about the WHY this is my example.  
I wanted to do a tribute to my Gram for a challenge.  Couldn't do it.   So, with me already having not so much mojo, I was taxing myself to come up with something...ANYTHING that I would be able to scrap.  I've had a ridiculous time with it (room construction/travel/end of school all contributing to a "physical" extent along with the mental block).  

Pick a group HERITAGE photo - and I'm hoping for "as old as you can find" (mine, circa 1951).  TELL THE STORY. 

My hope is this -- that you have a story to tell, no matter where/who you got the story from.   My reason behind it is this -- This photo that I used, the Schake family - is actually my Great Grandmother's family.   I met my Great Gram (mother of my Gram that just passed), but I never met anyone else in this photo.  The thing that squeezed my heart when I found the photo, is the fact that I HAVE no story, other than names. I got those from my Grandma a few years ago when she gave me a box of photos (knowing me like she does, and thinking I would be the only one that would care about them).  any photos without names on the back, I got her to give me names...if there was a "what/when/where/why/how" that she knew, she gave it to me.    This photo - other than giving me the names, and telling me that it was "a reunion/gathering type thing" - it has no further story.  

Though my absence from the site (and my blog for that matter) does not prove this to be true -- I love scrapbooking.  I love the journaling.  I treasure the photos.  I hoard the stories.   I toss all of this together as art-therapy, and I think that all of these things will be treasured in the future.  I want to be able to preserve the essence of the past with snippets of voices/tales/anecdotes.   So, show us your family's past...and I'll cheer you on as I read any story you can gather and put to the page. 

A3C Introduction and onward #1-4

I'm a bit late to my own party - which is OKAY, because it's MY party ;)

Welcome to the A3C 2013, aka April's April Artistic Challenge 2013!!!

This is the third year for the A3C, thus far, 2011 was the most awesome.  I'm hoping for just as awesome this year - come and play along! Or just come and look and see what I've destroyed each day ;)

This year, I received a 55% off coupon from ACMoore.   What to do, what to do.  I decided to jump on over to the SMASH book (by K&Co.) isle to see what I could damage.   Well, I decided on the mini-SMASH book.  Purse sized, convenient to carry, awesome that it has a pen/glue stick combo, very willing to accept my Washi tape addiction (seriously, I think I've developed an issue).   SO - $8.99 original price - and hit with my 55% off coupon -- I feel that even if this turns out sucky, it won't be that big of a loss.  However, I do have higher hopes for this!

INSIDE FRONT COVER/INTRO PAGE:

 why is this sideways ... ugh.  ANYWAY, I used a scrap from a transparency and made a pocket to go on the inside cover.   This is to hold any "little extras" that I will be putting in the book.   Funny thing is, this picture shows neatness...you should see the pocket now ;)

 For the "intro" page, I used the vellum partial page that comes with the SMASH journal, basically kind of like an instruction sheet on "how to use" -- I did a turquoise acrylic paint brush-over, and then watered it down and wiped with a papertowel after.  The grungier the better  ;)

A3C #1:

I had gotten a 12x12 sheet of artistic quotes -- SO MANY MANY years ago that I don't remember where it came from.  I have an idea that it was an "extra" with a kit I'd ordered, or maybe a remnant of a DT thing of the past?   I don't know, but I have a lot of these things, already cut and prepared for use.  

 

 A3C #2:

Start with the emotional page - right off the starting line... sheesh.

 

 A3C #3:

I changed directions three times for this, and finally decided to just add in photos.  Really, too much thought just jacks stuff all up.   

 A3C #3.5 (Pocket/Tag page for extra pics):

Yoda, found in the garage during the cleaning session...filling you in on the content of the pocket.   Little helper pants is he.

 A3C #4:

 Receipts - many many little stuffs to do.  UGH.

Not much was said on #4, because paint circles and flowers were more interesting after running errands all day.   Play with paint...it's good for the soul.   Just don't wear a shirt belonging to someone else when you do this, it could end badly.   Saved you - you're welcome.  

A3C 2013 -- and oh, let us pretend that March never happened...

Apparently, on my blog, March never DID happen.  That's weird.

ANYWAY - lots to post today because ..
IT'S THE INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRD ANNUAL A3C CHALLENGE!!
(April's April Artistic Challenge that is).  

BASICALLY - it's a challenge to do SOMETHING every day.  Whether it's sharing a grocery list, shopping receipts, photos? Watercolor on paper, doodles, scribbles, notes to self...WHATEVER.   Think back to PRE-ProjectLife, okay?  It's more random than that system is.  

The first year that I did this - it was because I had gotten some new mists  and watercolors and had found a blog on doodling....so I wanted to DO something.   That was for 2011...and that has to be one of my FAVORITE projects --- A3C 2011 ROCKED!!!   

Last year, uh, I had just moved into my parents' house, and well -- I dropped the ball somewhere around the 11th and didn;'t finish.   I didn't embellish it - it's actually extremely sad in comparison to 2011. It was so pitiful (and my life was so ... cramped with me and the kids at my parents' house) that I didn't even blog about it.  WOW.  

This year - I got a mini-SMASH book...I know, I know, today is only the 5th, but this one feels ROCKIN' to me ;)

COME AND JOIN ME, WON'T YOU???