tammy circeo: telling life stories

7 Days in May — MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Each May, at JessicaSprague.com, the website where I am a mentor for digital scrapbooking students, hosts "7 Days in May". It is a week long celebration of memory-making with a new challenge being given each day. Most years that it has been held, I've been unsuccessful, but this year, I CONQUERED! I accomplished all seven days worth of challenges, PLUS one!

The first challenge was to create a layout using a quote. Where I had just taken a photo of Ken and Goldie "on the edge of the universe", it was an easy choice of photo and subject.

[Credits: JSprague Blue Solid, JS-HAFH-Awning Stripe, JCrowley-BeautifulEvidence, CC-Can odds_ends_JC_Love, KPertiet Stitched Note card 1.]

The second challenge was to use two photos in a "diptych" application ... two photos that have to do with each other, but that are separate. I chose a close up of the tulips Emily and Kyle brought to me on Mother's Day, and a photo of the two of them.

[Credits: Liv_Storyof2_DiptychFrame2-Horiz; CC_odds_ends_tag4, journaling2, remnantb; CC_lil_man_dapperdanb, jumpingjackb; Carina Gardner_dist_pastels1; VinniePearce OldTHings BirdieCutout; MCO_Stitching_Snippets01]

The third challenge required the use of this particular template and any further embellishment desired. Et voila ...

[Credits: YouAreHere Kit by QQ]

Day 4 Challenge ... use something in a repeating pattern.

[Credits: CarinaGardner_grungylines2, dist_pastels6, masksv2-6, dais_paperbits; LivE ColorMe 06 + 07 brushes; JL_Arthouse_Textures1_5; Flergs WW2 Frame; AliEdwards_CapturetheMoment_Twill; MCO_StitchingSnippets02; KPertiet_PinnedNotes3s; Font: Traveling Typewriter]

The Sorbet Challenge ... Linda gave us a color palette reminiscent of sorbet, provided some lovely papers, and sent us on our creative ways.

[Credits: QQ_SContheedge; ITM_Sorbet; CarinaGardner_dist_white1; font: UCU Charles Script]

This is a layout I did ... just on a whim ... not a challenge at all ...

[Credits: InTheMaking Template XIV; CrystalWilkerson TorisRoom 02+03; KPertiet Stitched Notecard; Font: Century Gothic]

Challenge #6 ... almost there! Oof, but Liv tries to derail me by requiring the layout to be about me! INCLUDING a photo of myself. I started out with one idea, but it didn't work with the template (which was required). Then I found photos of Mama Trudy and Emily that I thought would be great for this, but alas, no photo of ME! Liv ... what are you doing to me? After perusing my photo albums, I finally landed on this ...

[Credits: LivE Designs DoodledTemplate; QQ_LuckyDuck Kit; Fonts: Honey Script and Century Gothic]

The last challenge involved Art Journaling about "finding your wings" or "flying". The very first thing that came to my mind was this Scripture verse. It is one of my dad's favorites and Mama Trudy stitched it on a burlap sack and attached it to a piece of wood that she decoratively jigsawed and stained. It hung in my childhood home and has proudly hung in mine for many years now.

And to that end, I count myself a success for the "7 Days in May"!

If you want more info on learning how to scrapbook digitally, take photographs manually, or do art journaling, check out JessicaSprague.com. She is a fantastic and patient teacher and is consistently coming up with new ideas! You could even request "yours truly" as your personal FREE mentor. :)

Le Weekend — 06 May 2012

So much to celebrate over the weekend!! It was a triple whammy of National Scrapbooking Day, Cinco de Mayo, Aunt LaVon and Don's anniversary, and the grand finale of the Spring Show that Aly is in. Oh ... that's a Quad!!

Let's start with National Scrapbooking Day ... YES! That was Saturday and I spent just a bit of time last week getting some of the photos from my recent trip into layouts and I even found a few minutes on Saturday to work on one.

Journaling: LITTLE BOYS ... ... make my heart go pitter-patter! And these three especially do. The DS and iPad were a welcome break for such well-behaved boys after the memorial service for Mama Trudy.
(I love how Camden is still holding his rose!)
Credits: Template: JS-PSF030912; Echo Park Abundance Kit; Playground Element; Carina Gardner: WellJournal4, Rave Labels, Lape Basil Card; Vinnie Pearce Old Things Ticket; JHE A Boy Kit Pebbles; LynnMarie White Linens String01; Fonts: Rough Typewriter, Bebas.

Journaling: It is an honor to photograph my son and my dad. I have a special relationship with each of them given that I only have one dad and one son. My dad and I have always been close and I’m grateful to say that my son and I are very close, too. These two join with my husband to make the best trio of men that a girl has ever been privileged to be in the middle of ... Can any girl complain with three such men in her life? I think not. Now where is my camera ... I need a photo of all three together!
Credits: Template 2-3 (ParMoi); Echo Park Abundance Kit; KPertiet Curled Index Journalers; AWolff-SBApril Journal who, where, when; Font: Century Gothic, Rough Typewriter.

Journaling: "Mama Trudy crocheted these flowers, leaves, and border to decorate this hat for a Mother's Day event that she attended wtih LaVon and won the Creative Hat Contest! We found the hat and the photo documenting the event while packing and Dad regaled us with the story."
Credits: Template: JS PSF 012712; Carina Gardner Pretty Posy Papers; TCirceo Bel Esprit; LynnMarie WhiteLinensStringThings02; Carina Gardner Coquette Brads; NJR Certified Stamp3; Fonts: Traveling Typewriter, Ravie.

The first of many layouts from our "family reunion" ... Camden, you stole the show with those pancakes!!
(Credits: Template-ParMoi; Echo Park's Abundance Kit; Hearts-Echo Park Playground; Fonts: Rough Typewriter/Century Gothic)

Journaling reads: "Everyone always tells me how much Aly and I look alike. I never realized until I saw this photo of my cousin, Leslie, and Aly how much family resemblance there truly is. Looks like Leslie could be Aly’s mom!! I’m sure Leslie would LOVE to be Aly’s mom, but I’m sure grateful that it’s me with that privilege! You are both beautiful ladies, inside and out and I couldn’t be prouder to be related to you both."
Credits: Template 2-1 (ParMoi); ampersand sticker (mine); Echo Park Abundance Papers (background paper recolored); Miss Mint Written Word; AAspn Vibrantz Small Stitiched Circle; MCO Stitching Snippets01; KPertiet StickPinzRoundTag; Font: Century Gothic

Journaling: Mrs. Cook met me when I was in 4th grade and met our Emily a few minutes after she was born. She has been like a second mom to me and treated Emily like a grandchild. What a blessing she is to me.
Credits: Template 9H (ParMoi); Papers-mine; LynnMarie CoF WordArtTreasure; LynnMarie White Linens tag01; AASPN-Vibrantz SmStitchedCircle; MCO Tied Ribbon; Fonts: Pristina, Script, Traveling Typewriter.

Happy Anniversary to Don and LaVon!

Cinco de Mayo ... Did you eat Mexican food? Dance the cha-cha? Play the maracas? We had Emily's Chicken Enchiladas, Cowboy Beans, and Mexican Rice. (You can find all the recipes in the Recipe Index ... just click the button above). Then we were off to watch Aly perform in the finale of "Seven Keys to Baldpate", the school's Spring Mainstage. She played an elderly woman magnificently!

And apres-theatre? Flan! The cast and crew then had to break down the set and get organized for this week's One-Act Performances ... those kids aren't getting a bit of a break!

It was a very late night —perhaps I should say "early morning"!— so Sunday was a bit low-key until I gained energy after working out in the afternoon and decided to clean house and move furniture! What was I thinking?

Here's to a new week full of blessings and accomplishments!

Creative Weekend

You gotta love a weekend where you get a ton of stuff done. I was on a creative roll this weekend catching up with stuff from my online classes and mentoring at Jessica Sprague.com.

I started out with a project that couples with the event planning I do at our high school. Each year, we host a Senior Dinner, attended by parents and seniors. It is an opportunity given the parents to publicly "bless" their child (not "bless them out"! ... which where I come from means to give them a mind-full with a few choice words sprinkled in!). I had already designed the invitation ...

{This is front and back.} Jessica planted an idea in my head with her Party Poster project. Because the banquet room for the Senior Dinner is not clearly marked, I decided to make posters pointing the way.

I'll mount them on foam core and display them on easels. Should do the trick.

Oh ... and although it might seem a bit unconventional to use the color orange, I used it because each class at our high school has a Class Color. Can you guess what is the color for the Class of 2012? Yeah.

Then there are these posters ... THAT.I.LOVE.

 

My kids would probably wonder "how" I could take MORE pictures!

It's so important to tell your story ... if you don't tell it, who can? Or will?

LOVE.LOVE.LOVE the cupcake and the invitation to celebrate! Celebrating is way better than moping around, I tell ya! [These principles in these posters can be found HERE.]

Finally, I did some scrapbooking. This photo of Ben and Jake was taken at Christmas 2008. Way yonder too long ago.

[Template: JS-PSF2012-02-17; Papers and Elements: MTerasawa BoysRawk Kit; KPertiet Stitched Notecard; Fonts: Century Gothic, Heartz]

Journaling reads: "My heart is always full of joy watching Ben and Jake together. Cousins that are twelve years apart shouldn't get along this well. It helps that Jake worships the ground that Ben walks on and that Ben adores little guys. Playing games, eating snacks, and reading books are some of their favorite things to do together."

Ben took this photo of Ken and me and I think it will always be one of my favorites. Thanks, B.

[Credits: Template: JS-PSF-02-24-2012; Papers and Elements: CC Odds_and_Ends; AEdwards Twill Capture the Moment; Fonts: JFRingmaster, Bebas]

Journaling reads: "Love bears all things.
Love believes all things.
Love hopes all things.
Love endures all things.
... Love never ends.
The greatest of all is love."

And finally ... my sweet niece ...

[Credits: JS-PSF030212; CG Lape Provence Papers; MFen_Outther Letters (made into a sticker); Sugarplum_Sweet_Notepaper; Fonts: Rough Typewriter, Bebas]

Journaling reads: "Things I love about you: 1. Your sweetness 2. Your blue eyes 3. Your politeness 4. Your creativity 5. Your curiosity 6. Your handwriting 7. Your hugs"

If I can't call that a good weekend, then I just don't know what productivity looks like!

Legacy of Faith

As I mentioned in the last post, I've had a bit of a hard time readjusting to "life known as normal" this past week. I hope when I said Goodbye to my grandmother this past Monday that it wasn't for the last time, but I have no way, of course, of knowing the future. If it WAS the last time, I have the confidence and reassurance of knowing that she and I had a special time before I left ... we shared feelings and tears and I know that I'm daily in her prayers, as she is in mine.

... which leads to this scrapbook layout. Mama Trudy has read the Bible through each year since 1967 and even in her current weakness, she finds strength to continue. When she doesn't have it, my aunt reads it to her and it is solace and strength to her soul.

My aunt captured this photo with only the lamplight, and it is one that will live on in our memories for years to come.

[Credits: JS Template020312, JS Princesa Kit, KPertiet Stitched Notes; Font: Traveling Typewriter]

Le Weekend - 23 January 2012

I guess when it snows, it pours. Or something like that ... the kids had no school all of last week because the white stuff wouldn't stop falling. Then the freezing rain came and immobilized most transportation throughout our area. I wasn't complaining too much since my fridge and pantry were full, my power only went out twice for any length of time, and I have tons to keep me busy at home so that if I never left, I'd still never get caught up!

{Credits: Template-TC-Template15; Papers and Elements: SnowDayKit by PinkPaislee; LynnMarie-White LinensTag01sh; Font: Tammy} [Journaling: Not only did we have a snow DAY ... we had a snow WEEK! We bundled up and got out only once. Our neighbor twins totally attacked Ken with snowballs and he looked a bit like the Abominable Snowman by the time they were finished! I, on the other hand, preferred to maintain my Snowbunny status. :)]

I spent a fair amount of time scrapbooking in quarantine last week. I did two more pages from Christmas ...

[Journaling: The candy cane headband was a hit for our holiday celebration, thanks to Kyle’s mom for making him bring it back from Chicago! They were worn by “almost” everyone!]

{Credits: Template: TC-Template11; Papers: JS-HKS WinterWonderland - AquaRedStripe, GreyRedDot, RedChevron, RedCreamDot, RedCreamStripe; Elements: SnowflakeBanner, WinterTapes, SnowflakeCircle, RedSnowflakeJournaling; Font: CenturyGothic} These two Christmas pages are intended as a double spread.

And then it was Photoshop Friday! Again, Jessica did not disappoint with her template and techniques and I got a photo scrapped that I love.

{Credits: Template-JS012012, includes: Liv-CCWYellowSeedsSpill, BH-originaleditionleaves-3, NRJ-Stitching, SF-Star, CW-Star02, CarinaGardner-dais-paperbits10, Liv-tapeItUpNoted-blank-c, JS-stripedRibbon, SF-MixedBagTape, Delicious. Paper: TC-BlackDamask; Elements: KPertiet-StickPinzRndTag, Bittbox-DestroyedHeraldry, Brusheezy PaintSplatters; Fonts: Amelie, Bebas}  [Journaling: I love that many people often say, “I didn’t even have to ask if she is yours ... you look so much alike   !”
I love that when people say that, you smile   as though it makes you glad.
I hope you know how very proud I am of you, how much your dreams motivate me, and how I wish every good thing  for you.]

Emily and Her Guy spent some time with us this weekend and now we are fully into another week and back on the regular schedule. Most of us will be on the regular schedule anyway ...

I hope you are geared up to have one of the most fabulous weeks you've ever had. I know I am!

Snow Day Scrapping

What do we do around here when it snows? We snuggle in, sleep late, drink coffee, watch the flakes fall, and run in the backyard with Goldie ... then scrapbook it all!

{Credits: Template: JS-PSF-011312; Papers: JS-HKS-WinterWonderland - TurqLattice, GreyStars, AnotherStripe, LedgerRed; Elements: JS-HKS-WinterWonderland -  TurqDamaskJournaling, SnowLoveCircle, Canvas Banner, LIV-TapeItUpNotedBlank; Fonts: Bebas, VTOldRemington}

This page was done using the template and instructions from Jessica Sprague's Photoshop Friday 01-13-2012. You can purchase each Friday's class separately ($2.99 each), you can subscribe for the entire year ($70), or you can also subscribe for a quarter at a time ($26). No matter when you subscribe, you'll have access to all the classes moving forward as well as those you've already missed. Subscribing for the entire year is ALMOST a half-price deal and you also get a super-huge kit full of all the digi-goodies Jessica uses in her examples. And by the end of the year ... you'll have a full arsenal of techniques at your fingertips!

This was from the first week's lesson:

{Credits: JS_PSF_0100612; JS-HKS-ClippedCornerPhotoMask, SnowflakeCircle, WinterTapes, TurqCreamStar, LedgerRed, GreyTextDamask, ChristmasPick, ScallopedCanvasBorder, SnowflakeBanner}

So what are you waiting for?! Join in on the fun!

 

Art Journaling

I've always been fascinated by those people who can just doodle on a scrap of paper or even a proper sketch book and tell a story with the outcome. Some of the doodles or sketches really look like something, some look like the alphabet, and some are simply embellished quotes of meaningful thoughts. This process has come to be known as "art journaling" although we can hardly say that it is new to the scene. In the days before cameras were commonplace, many people sketched in their gardens, painted when they traveled, and doodled as they considered what to write in a letter to a cousin in the next county.

We don't even write letters with ball-point pens and paper much any more and keeping a diary is largely a thing of the past as well. In the scrapbooking world that I move in, there's been talk for many years about art journaling, which is defined as using various media to convey a story or thought. I've even seen art journaling retreats advertised!

I was recently made aware that Strathmore, the art supplies company, offers online workshops -- for free. So I signed up for the current three workshops and as I watched the first video where Traci showed her process for creating an art journaled page, I was fascinated with the organic feel of using found items, spray watercolors, and really any other medium at hand to create what ended up being a work of art. The freedom of "no right or wrong" in telling what was in her mind and on her heart was beautiful. As she layered one thing after the other, I knew that the same process could be created digitally.

 

Enter the newest class I'm taking at JessicaSprague.com. Jessica started this class this past Monday and is teaching us how to create such a journal digitally ... and providing a whopping huge kit of digi goodness to help us get started.

To be honest, I didn't think this was my thing. I thought it was too willy-nilly and wouldn't direct me enough. Turns out ... that's what I like about it! I'm free to take a word, prompt, or thought, and create using the things that come to my head and heart.

The first page was created using only the word "heart" as inspiration. I immediately thought of home, then I thought of my kids leaving home, and what I wish them to feel as they go. That page is the artistic culmination of my thoughts and feelings on that using the tools that I had on hand.

The second was created using the word "treasure". My first thought was the Scripture that states, "Where one's treasure is, there also is his heart." But I wanted to explore that word further and found this quote by Shakespeare. It reminds me of the Biblical proverb, "A good name is rather to be chosen than fine silver or gold."

Sometime, I would love to play in watercolors, acrylics, chalks, pastels, stickers, papers ... anything that can be used to "journal", but I am so pleased that I am in this digital class. The layers of the end result at still there and the mess is not.

Have you ever doodled or sketched? Have you kept those renderings? Do you do "art journaling"? Do you journal at all?

If you are interested in joining this digital art journaling journey with me, you can register for the class until midnight EST, January 11. There's still room for you!

Our Tree

The week between Christmas and New Year's Day is usually a very nice week. The pre-Christmas busyness is finished, Ken is off work, the kids are off school, and the days are spent more leisurely than normal. This year, that means that I've allowed myself time to put some photos from this season onto a scrapbook page already! This is record time, folks!!

Because our tree is artifical, we can afford to put our tree up on Thanksgiving weekend. We traditionally take it down January 1st, but this year, we are leaving it up till January 6, Epiphany.

Journaling: Our Christmas tree is one of my favorite things. It is artificial because of Aly’s allergies, but that doesn’t detract from its beauty. It is filled with ornaments that are at once beautiful and sentimental ... ornaments from Germany that once belonged to Ken’s Oma, ornaments the kids made, photo ornaments, Hummel ornaments collected by Grandma Circeo, ornaments made by friends, and ornaments that reflect our loves and interests. The trip down memory lane while decorating the tree is one that I enjoy year after year.

[Credits: Template-mine; Kimi-inkededge-recolored; TC-ChristmasCircles (freebie on my blog); JM-12DaysChristmasPP1 & 4; carinagardner_ess_stitchesv1_vstitch_light; LindaGB_Stationeries_Notepaper_4; feistuff_fortunate_staples]

If you missed out on downloading the Christmas Circles, click here and scroll to the bottom of the post. I used the black "The Tree" circle, recolored it white, and erased the tree in the middle. :)

Christmas Digi FREEBIE!

It's Christmas time ... time for giving.

Sometimes the holiday season can have us running in circles with things we want to do, have to do, or get to do. Since the cart at kaBoks has been non-functional recently, I created a small set of Christmas Circles as a gift for you and hope you will find them useful in your scrapbook layouts, on cards, or gift tags.  The set includes black and white PNGs as well as color with nine sentiment circles and 31 day circles. Although the preview shows the day circles to be smaller, all of the circles are 2.5 inches. You can use the PNG files digitally, or you can print them as a full sheet to be used "in hard copy"! Convenient, huh?

Merry Christmas!

Download ChristmasCircles

New Scrapbook Collection!

Just in time for your Thanksgiving feast, I offer my Colors in Autumn Scrapbook Collection. Fifteen papers and 47 elements!

Of course, if you only want round tags, paper strips, parentheses, ampersands, and stamp tags, then you could have those separately in their own kit.

But then maybe you only want frames, journaling cards, and word art ... You can have just that, too.

And lastly, maybe you only want some papers. There are patterned papers, stripes, houndstooth, small polka-dots and leafy ones, too.

You can have part or you can have it ALL! All of these papers and elements can be used digitally, or can be printed and used in hybrid scrapbooking or crafts. I'd love a link to anything you create using Colors of Autumn.

To see all of my designs, click HERE. Visit kaBoks.com, too, and watch the whole site develop.