inspired to record my digi timeline

I’m taking Ali Edward’s ‘Hello Story’ class which offers a story structure each week.  First up was using a timeline as the basis and I was inspired to create a layout about my digital use history – I’ve had several conversations touching on this recently.  I had great fun finding all the icons and looking up some of the dates. 

Being at a University meant that I had access to many new aspects early because they were often used on campus before they were generaly available. 

Have you recorded your history with all things digital?  or social media?

clean and simple success

I’m taking a great 3 month class by Cathy Z on BPS called ‘clean and simple’ in reference to her hybrid scrapping style.  I’ve always been a big fan of Cathy’s approach and design aesthetic and her teaching style. This is the third class I’ve taken with her.

We receive an assignment each week with tips on design and approach to memory keeping, a template and tutorials on using PSE for those who are new to it.  Each LO follows Cathy’s process of designing on the computer and then printing the photos and title and journaling separately and then sticking them together on cardstock. 

There is an interesting mix in class of those who are new to the digital aspect and those, like me, who are comfortable with the digital but have not recently cut and pasted for real (rather than using ctrl c and ctrl v !).  When putting together a LO I remembered how frustrated I am at my inability to cut in a straight line even when using a trimmer and how hard I find it to line things up and how I get glue in places it wasn’t intended to go.  And how hard it is to photograph a LO so it looks square and the colour looks good.

The LO above was easier to keep aligned because I taped the photo block and the journaling block together and then cut them both so the top and bottom lined up. And I doctored the photo in PSE to make it square ( I used the yellow of the background to fill in bits around the edge)

I’m really enjoying the class and weekly assignment.  The class community is very active on the gallery and in comments and assistance and Cathy is present all the time, commenting on LOs and answering questions and joining in chat.  It is these aspects of an online class that I most enjoy. 

And it meant I recorded my enjoyment of all the flowers in my front garden.

Any tips for a returning paper scrapper?

One Little Word–images

My word for 2011 is RHYTHM – in terms of seasons, routines, patterns.  One of the few things that I miss from my days as an academic is the pattern to the year, the changes from month to month in terms of teaching, examining and research.  Having moved hemisphere and changed job and settled down after a year of travelling around, I need to establish some new patterns. 

When I was unpacking my scrapping stuff I found a note I’d written at a Stacy Julian class I attended in NZ in 2008 – ‘ rhythm and routine enables rather than shackles; it provides the structure for doing what you want; remember all houses are built in the same order – don’t waste time thinking of the order in which to do things’. 

I’ve joined the Ali Edwards year long class related to one little word at Big Picture and the task for February is to take 9 images related to your word – literal and/or figurative.  Here is what I have taken in week one:

waves – regular and recurring pattern of movement

brick wall – regular and recurring structure – and relates to the Stacy idea about houses

 

 

 

dancing – this is from a poster for footloose

a weather vane (texture applied) for activities relating to context and knowing what the context is

 

 

 

arched bridge over river – regular, repeated shape gives strength.  Also ‘water under the bridge’ and ‘river always flowing’

tide out at the beach and also the regular pattern in the wooden structure

 

Trying to describe visual metaphor is hard, I just realised.

I also intend to have photos of spring flowers to indicate seasons and also a symmetrical, intricate pattern when I come across one in a stained glass window or some such decoration.  I’m also keeping a lookout for other dancing images.  I want more than 9 so that I can select a good range at the end of the month for my album.

Any other suggestions?

39 project ideas for FREE

 

Have you signed up for the Big Picture Scrapbooking Big Idea Festival ?  Its FREE, starts on Thursday this week, goes for 13 days and has ideas from 13 different instructors, 39 project ideas, daily challenges and its FREE. 

 

inspired by Stacy's 'All About Me'

Welcome to my section of the blog hop Mel has organised, inspired by Stacy Julian's free class on Big Picture Scrapbooking called 'All about Me'.  If you have just come over from Elizabeth at Hooting of an owl then you know what this is all about.  If you have come here some other way and want the background then head over to Mel's fab blog - she also has the full list of people on the hop.

I made a mini that is tall and thin (2x4).  This is the front page, using a tag, some stickers and a rub-on letter, all attached with a brad.

The project has a list of questions so the mini contains a series of photos that provide evidence of the answers.  I decided to focus my answers on my life over the last 12 months because it has been unusual - I have been a nomad - no fixed address; most of my possessions packed away; living in a range of different places.  That's why I used the balloon sticker on the cover.

I typed onto the full size photos and for the smaller ones I hand wrote on that page.  These show:

1. coloured pens - something I packed in bulk
2. a quote 'often the main skill I bring is a positive attitude'
3. something that inspired me - with very basic materials people still incorporate beauty in practical ways
4. Internet was something I used daily and would have sorely missed
5. my travel coffee plunger was another daily necessity
6. What next? was my 'word for 2009' indicating curiosity and flexibility
7. markets were a 'must see' in every place I visited
8. lizards are a symbol I use a lot and I stencilled them on all of my luggage

Stacy specified only one self-portrait because the rest are evidence.  I used the photo of me as a canvas for the three words that describe me - independent, versatile and curious.  The other pages are:

1. a note on the project - my record keeping and narrative self couldn't complete the mini without these!
2. strawberries as a symbol of my favourite season - summer
3. taking local buses was something I was proud of achieving in each country
4. I collected photos of my feet (an ongoing tradition)
5. my nature love is beaches
6. and the colours I loved were all the bright ones that I saw everywhere

This wee album really does say a lot 'about me' and it was quick and fun to do.  I plan to repeat it next year to reflect the next 12 months.

Thanks for stopping by.  Now head over to the fabulous Deb at PaperTurtle - her album is sure to be a delight to see.

Week in life project begins

I’m following along with Ali Edwards’ week in life project this week – recording the details of life now.  I’ve decided to take 9 photos a day and to add text onto the photos in most cases.  I used the drawn boxes by Ali but changed them a bit and created both black and white versions.

I decided to have a bit of a theme for each day and to start off with I decided to set the scene of where I am – Canberra Australia.  For each day I’ll print one photo large on card – I decided to use this one of a Canberra icon

and then I have page protectors which hold 4 normal size photos and I’ll fill each side for that day.  Here are 4 of the ones I took today, with the text added.

  A photos of the newsreader on ABC news and I’ve listed the first world news item (ash stopping flights) and the first Australian story (talks on health reform between federal and state premiers)

 

 

 

I’ve recorded the temperatures today – minimum 9 C and maximum 25 C

 

 

 

 

I included the other big icon of Canberra – the parliament buildings.  it has grass over the roof and you can walk on it!

 

 

 

I’ll take a self-portrait each day.  I decided to use all that white space to record the basics on why I am in Canberra at the moment (a 3 month work contract) and that this is the longest period that I have lived in Australia.

The other 4 photos for Monday are – gum trees, parrots, lovely evening sky and a big sign saying Canberra.

Feeling good about the photos and writing on them digitally.  What I forgot about today was to collect bits of paper but I can print out stuff from the computer at work to fill the last page for Monday.

preparation for a week in the life project

I’ve decided to play along with Ali Edwards’  a week in the life project this year.  As far as I can tell from reading her posts and looking at some examples, the idea is to record details of daily life for a week.  Doing the project in the same week that she does it means lots of prompts and ideas from her and the online community who are also playing along.  She has chosen April 19-25.

Over the long weekend, one of my projects was to put together the basis for the album that I’m going to use.  I decided to have use plastic page protectors and to do a lot of the writing digitally ontop of the photos.

The cover is purple card and bound with black ribbon

For each day I will lave 4 pages.  1st an A4 photo, printed on card.  Then 4 normal size photos in pockets, perhaps journaling or something else in one of the pockets, perhaps all on a theme.

Then another 4 in the pockets and an A4 photocopy of emails or receipts or lists or other such things from the day.

To decorate it all, give me space to add bits of writing etc I bought a set of black and white stickers – because they will go with everything whatever the colours.  These came from Kikiki the Swedish stationary store.

Looking forward to the start of the project now.  All those empty pockets to fill!

Are you planning on doing a week in the life?  have you done it before?

words are my favourite embellishment

 

Letters, numbers and other characters like ? or {} or & are my favourite way to add some decoration or emphasis to a page.  I have a set of alphabet punches and of stamps, I have stencil sets and rubons and stickers>  I also love to create titles and other word decorations using word and the vast array of fonts that are available online.

So when I saw the textuality class advertised on Big Picture Scrapbook I had to sign up.  The 4 week class will look at how you present words, so is not about ways of deciding what to put into journaling. 

I was so inspired by the idea of the class that today my playing session of PSE resulted in the above tile which uses a quote from the Bee Gees song words (although I must confess that I prefer the Boyzown version.  While finding these on YouTube I was reminded of the time that they sang it together which still sends shivers up my spine)

Anyway I made the tile using the fonts Bradley Hand and Papyrus and saved as a jpeg to use here.  Then I made some in different colours which I’ve included below – if you like them please take a copy and make use of them.

acknowledging stars

Over the past three weeks I’ve been taking part in a class run by Shimelle with lots of other bloggers.  One of the things I discovered was the buzz of receiving comments on my posts. 
Today I am awarding ‘in my eyes you are a star’ awards to four fellow crafting bloggers who I noticed have been leaving lots of comments on a range of blogs from class members. I wanted to recognise people who regularly read and comment on blogs because comments are part of the joy of blogging.
I hope that the four recipients will award ‘in my eyes you are a star’ to some bloggers sometime over the next few months.  The award can be given for any reason, this time I chose to reward comment leavers but next time it will be something else that I want to recognise. 
Anyone is welcome to use the picture to award things that make other bloggers stars in their eyes.
The four lovely bloggers I am awarding this time are
Amy from over at our place
Irene  from a room of my own
Elizabeth from scrapbooking by Lizzie  and journaling by Lizzie
Maria from Gallo Organico

Scrapbookers are everywhere

Welcome to Melbourne, Australia in this stage of your ‘blog around the world’ trip.

I don’t live in Melbourne but have been here all week at a workshop. So this view from my window is from a hotel in the middle of the city – hence the mirror glass and buildings. You can just tell that it is sunny – 28C and hotter. Next week I’ll be back in New Zealand and blogging about more crafty stuff.

Please keep going on your blog around the world trip by visiting Amy who is also in Melbourne and I’m sure has a more interesting view from her window.

Day one of class

Received the first prompts for Shimelle’s class today – Blogging for Scrapbookers.  First task is to post intentions for the course and a photo of the blogging at work.

I’m moving around at the moment and in this house the wifi access is shared with next door so the fastest link is by the window.  Not the most comfortable place to spend ages reading lots of blogs but they are addictive so will just do shoulder exercises afterwards. 

I singed up for the course because I am a scrapbooker who has been blogging for a while about my travels but wanted to do more craft related blogging – so my emphasis is on using scrapbooking approach to blogging.  I will probably post alternate days as I have lots of other things on this month. 

Thanks to all classmates who have been to visit and who have left messages – such a buzz to read them.  Looking forward to the glimpses into all these interesting lives as we travel this road together.

blogging course with shimelle

What a coincidence. Monday last week I decided to start a creative blog and then on Friday when I was checking the scrapping blogs I read regularly there was shimelle offering an online course for blogging. Well I had to sign up. Looking forward to a mix of technological how to and creative inspiration plus forum with lots of like-minded people from across the world.

Course starts 3rd November – when I have several other projects starting so it will be busy – but that’s how I like it.

Got the pre-class handout today which included links for blog templates – looked though lots and was tempted but decided to stay with what I have now. I like that it is clean and simple and I hope I will learn how to do some tweaks.  Also had the graphic for the course whish is now on the left.

I don’t have a related photo but don’t like to see a post without photo so here is one I that I like that I took last week on my morning beach walk in Ohope, NZ.