I'm having a Yart Sale and Father's Day is coming!

In my Etsy Shop I currently am offering Free Shipping on all in stock albums and journals, as well as 20% off select items (see Yart Sale Section in my shop for discounted prices).

Father's Day is approaching and I have a great panoramic album for those dads who take panoramic photos - or would just like to put two 4"X6" photos on one page - side by side - how cool is that?


Or how about a birch tree journal for all of his thoughts, ideas, or notes?

2008 A Year In Review Continued...

Continuing Creativity Prompt's December 31st post called "Journaling Prompt #32 - A Year In Review" I have answered question #3: "What is your most remarkable event of 2008?" My answer: our oldest daughter's First Communion in May 2008. Here she (on the right) with her friend on the big day. What makes this most remarkable for us is seeing how important this event was to her - and still is every time she has received the Eucharist since then. Her joy and her gentleness amaze us daily!

Featured!

I just love learning about new blogs, especially when they feature one of my books or albums! Thank you to The Photographers of Etsy Street Team who have featured my Panoramic Album in today's blog post. Their blog is one to see!

Here is an custom 10"X10" album that was just sent off to Virginia:

A Year In Review - question 1

From Creativity Prompt: On December 31st this was the post called Journaling Prompt #32 - A Year In Review. I chose a photograph (or two or three) for each question that Avital posed about 2008. For me, each question deserves a page or two in my family photo journal. It was a motivating way for me to get those pictures on the pages and to write a few words about them. The first question is:

If you’d sum up the year 2008 in one sentence - what sentence would it be?

My answer: It is well.

That was simply the first sentence that came to mind about our 2008 and it fits. All is very well as a matter of fact!

This is my very simple layout using a picture of 6 year old Mackenzie that illustrates the sentence perfectly. I framed the photo with scraps of bookcloth from previous bookbinding projects and briefly wrote with a Micron pen.

I've been anxiously awaiting my free order of 40 prints from Snapfish.com (earned from mycokerewards.com!) so that I can begin recording my 2008 memories in photo as a response to this post from Creativity Prompts. The prints arrived yesterday, so I will begin creating quick and simple pages in my Life Stories Books family photo journal, photographing them, and sharing them with you here. In the meantime, I thought I would share with you a few of the books I've been creating the past couple weeks.

This one is a new Panoramic Album (5"X13") that can hold one panoramic photograph or two 4"X6" photos per page. I'm very excited about this new product that I just listed in my shop:



Here are two books that were given as gifts:


Another book for my shop, this one a journal with the most deliciously textured pages for writing:

Etsy Free Shipping Sale today!

I just posted this announcement on my Etsy shop!

"Order Friday, November 28th through Monday, December 1st, and get FREE Priority Mail Shipping (Sorry, US only) - I will refund your shipping costs via Pay Pal and your purchase will still be shipped next business day! Custom orders will take up to two weeks - but order your custom book today and you will still receive free Priority Mail shipping! Let's celebrate our thoughts and remembrances!"

Drawing from my art journal - Dec. 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just some Thanksgiving related photos for our family that cannot be with us today!
Our festive fireplace mantle that welcomes us when we come home:

Sierra creating the marshmallow and chocolate pilgrim hats for our feast at home (click here to see the original post from Tip Junkie where I got this idea):

The finished pilgrim hats:


And here is Daddy with the twins at their school Thanksgiving feast:

New books on Etsy...

Still working on my digital camera skills, but it was a beautiful sunny day outside for taking pictures!

Thanksgiving goodness

After listening to Danny Gregory's "An Illustrated Life" Podcast with Roz Stendahl about keeping an illustrated journal I truly had to draw something OR ELSE! So while the kids watched "The Sound of Music" on our computer, and the blueberry pie was cooling on the table, I sketched. Here is my quirky drawing of the blueberry pie I make for Thanksgiving every year because hubby loves it. The pie is SO NOT from scratch - but hubby likes it anyway! And my drawing, quirky as it is, has made me happy. I drew it using my micron 02 black pen and my handmade paper journal given to me by Uncle Marc last year. Colored in with Derwent pencils.

Here is Sierra's (age 8) colorful collage of a turkey. LOVE IT!

I've seen the light!

Light is a gift. I've shared this with many preschool children and with my own children. I realized that I have drawn, in my sketchbook, a few items that are a source of light. Other sources of light I have not drawn.

My son's favorite source of light:

The source of light in hubby's and my bedroom:

Our lightbulbs:

Pages from my art journal

More fun with Mosaic Maker. My kids are one of my very favorite subjects to draw. Here are some drawings I've done of the girls:

And here are some drawings I've done of Cam:

Most of the drawings have been done on my favorite 90lb. Fabriano Artistico hot press natural white watercolor paper that I fill all my art journals and photo albums with. Cam's funny face was done in pencil on the closest paper I could grab - white copy paper. What can I say? Sometimes inspiration won't wait!

New Book Cloth Cover Choices!

I love these new fabric choices for my hard bound photo albums and journals! I'm gradually getting the listings up in my Etsy shop - one listing per size. You just choose your fabric and text paper - I'll do the rest! I'm also binding several journals in these book cloths to add to the shop soon.

This image was created with Mosaic Maker. Try it out for yourself - it's way fun!

New Bookcloth

Yesterday I finished preparing my new bookcloth for some journals. This cloth has been bonded to thin Mulberry paper, sprayed twice with Scotch Guard, and has been cut to size. I'm ready to start gluing them to the book boards this afternoon.

I Am Sierra

I am a nice girl who loves dogs.

I wonder if I could be a dog trainer.

I hear imaginary dog barks.

I see imaginary dog bones.

I want more dogs.

I am a nice girl who loves dogs.

I pretend that my toy dogs are real.

I feel that when dogs bark they are talking our language.

I touch dog's foot prints.

I worry about dogs getting hurt.

I cry when dogs get hurt or die.

I understand other animals are cool too.

I say, "Dogs rule!"

I dream of dogs talking.

I try to help dogs all I can.

I hope that dogs will live a very long time.

I am a nice girl who loves dogs.

by Sierra

I love this poem that Sierra wrote at school the other day and just had to record it in our family photo journal - with her permission. It gives us a glimpse into how she sees herself right now and it sums up what she thinks, talks, writes, and plays the most about - dogs! I chose a recent photo to go with it that includes her favorite dog, our rat terrier named Oreo, and backed the photo in a blue mat because it matches our red couch and blue is Sierra's favorite color. 

Impromptu photo session

The kids all got haircuts this weekend and the girls posed for the camera before school this morning. They really hammed it up. We are into "themed poses" at the moment and fast photo shoots. Someone just calls out a theme and everyone quickly strikes a pose! Here are just a few that I plan to print and add to my Life Stories Photo Journal:

"Silly faces!"

"Looking up!"

"Birds!"

"Super Models!"

"Suprised!"

Just have some fun today and ham it up for the camera!

It's a great day!

It's a great day! It's a beautiful day!

The kind of day that makes you want to say,

"I'm glad that I'm alive! I'm happy to be me!

And that's the way to be!

Ok, I know that is a Barney (the purple dinosaur) song, and my kids have long outgrown him, but I still spontaneously break out into this song when I wake them up for school in the morning while bouncing on their beds! I can't help it. Have to sing it. I hope it's a great day for you too!

I'm still loving the Autumn trees outside, so in addition to Mackenzie's jumping shadow picture I took last weekend, I will share with you last year's leaf drawing from my sketch book.

Books we read!

Sierra loves to read, but just who is reading to who here?

Speaking of reading, have you checked out Swaptree.com? You can trade those books you are finished reading for books that you want to read and only pay for postage. This is a site that I visit daily and trade every 2 or 3 weeks.

On the handmade book front, I have folded enough signatures for 11 journals and am almost finished cutting the bookboards for them. Next, I'll make bookcloth for them. That's one of my favorite steps in the bookmaking process!

My most exceptional teachers...

Inspiration Prompt #24 from Avital at CreativityPrompt.com asks:

"Have you had an unequalled teacher in your life?" and "What lessons have you learned from your exceptional teacher?"

My response, included with photos from this weekend playing in the front yard, is this:
"My kids are my best teachers. They have taught me to just be completely happy with what "is". To slow down the frequent thinking about what I need to do "next". Enjoy life as it "is"!


Materials used are my Life Stories Photo Journal, printed digital photos, my own painted paste papers from a previous book project, 1 circular tag, 3 eyelets, and a Pitt Pen.

Bookbinding thread jewelry!

With the help of this book, Fabulous Woven Jewelry, by Mary Hettmansperger, I learned to weave a half-hitched cord and made Sierra this choker necklace to show off her love of dogs. The great dog themed beads came from etsy seller LAbeadsupply. I used my waxed linen thread for the weaving. Making it reminded me of when my mom taught me how to macrame way back when!

More happy places...

Here are more happy places from my home:

Do you make little happy places in your home?

New artwork for Cam's new room...

We finally finished painting Cameron's room and I made 3 canvases collaged with more of Jessica Gonacha's scrapbooking papers. They include cutout silhouette's of Cam's favorite "flying things" = airplanes, hot air balloon, bird, paper airplane, and helium balloons. This is a picture of Oreo attempting to wake Cam up for school this morning!

More decorating goodness from Cam's room:

Elements of Life

Avital from CreativityPrompt.com posted this Inspiration Prompt #23:
The Elements of Life. Hans Christian Anderson said, "Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower". Avital asks us if we agree. She asks, "What are your elements of life? Do you agree with Hans Christian Andersen’s list? Leave a comment and share your opinion". Here is my list, written in my Life Stories photo journal:



The photo is of the twins while apple picking last month. The fun scrapbook papers are from Treasuring by Jessica Gonacha. You can get them in her Etsy shop.

While I agree that freedom is an essential element, my list was much longer than Anderson's.

freedom
faith
family
play
nature
love
laughter
prayer
creating
service to others
color
intimacy
music
imagination
learning new things

Autumn Weekend

This pumpkin decorating idea comes from Eddie Ross' Ric Rac Pumpkin post.

It was a thrilling Autumn weekend for us!

Disney on Ice:



Trunk or Treat:

This photo was taken using my point and shoot, but I used my manual settings to adjust for low light! I know you all probably know your camera, but I'm just taking the time to do so, and am learning that all those settings are there for a reason!

And a Festival that I haven't downloaded pictures from yet.


Have you seen this blog called Creativity prompt? Creativity prompts for your visual or written journalling! I will find time to participate in this one: Inspiration Prompt #23: The Elements of Life.

The Daily Scoop!

I've been featured in my neighborhood Scoop Magazine! I'm so thrilled - I love to read this magazine and am happy to see that there is now an online version with great articles. Even more thrilled to see the wonderful words that they said about my books! Thank you Scoop! Here is a picture of the paris album that they discussed in the article:

An Illustrated Life by Danny Gregory

This book comes out sometime in the near future, but you can pre-order it here. I just finished listening to the podcast with Christine Castro Hughes who is a graphic designer and a contributor to his new book about illustrated journaling. I can't wait to receive my copy!

Digital Cameras

I'm having issues printing my digital pictures and having them turn out too dark. I'm looking forward to learning more about editing in my digital photography class so that I can start filling up my new Life Stories Photo Journal with great looking pictures! Or, at least better looking than they are turning out right now.

For now, the current lesson is on digital cameras. I use a simple a point and shoot Canon PowerShot SD1100. Nice for a point and shoot, but I'm beginning to yearn for an SLR digital camera, especially after learning about them and having the opportunity to try one out this weekend. Here is a picture taken with that great camera:


Here is a great website calledimaging-recource.com with all kinds of digital photography resources. Lots of camera and accessory reviews, forums, and (my favorite area of the website) tutorials! The tutorials seem short and sweet and to the point.

My mom on marriage...

As I listened to a podcast today that discussed marriage and preparation for that important relationship, I thought of things that my mom had told me about marriage when I was younger. I remember asking her before I was married, and had just begun dating Dan, how someone could know that they could spend the rest of their life with someone. I marveled at that! She did not offer practical advice on this but, her response always stuck with me. "Kristin, I have spent 26 years with your father and that's not nearly enough"! Dan and I have only been married 11 years, but I know that feeling. And I'm so very thankful for this marriage that grows, is strong, and is a wonderful adventure!

A drawing of my mom:



Perhaps today you could write about some advice that your mother gave you or things that she said and use a photo or drawing to illustrate it. Please comment here if you do this! And give a link to your blog if you have one - I'd love to see!

Photography as a Fine Arf!

Having started my digital photography class yesterday, I kept my eye and ear open for an interesting tidbit to share with you. My first (for this class) internet field trip was to the American Museum of Photography. Have you visited this virtual museum that claims to be "A Museum Without Walls... For An Art Without Boundaries"? I suggest the guided tour here to explore the many exhibits. Or, if you are a dog lover like we are, you can go directly to my favorite exhibit called Photography as a Fine Arf!. Here is my own interpretation of a current day canine photo titled "Two Friends". I'm glad that digital photography requires so little stillness today, as compared to the daguerreotypes of the 1800's that required several minutes of "cooperation"!

Give Yourself a Present part II

Here is my submission for the "Give Yourself A Present" challenge. I titled it "The Gift of Now" and simply chose 12 photos that had been taken recently that reminded me of how special this life is. It was hard to narrow it down to 12. I feel very blessed!

Digital Photography class starts today when I return home from school/work. I'm hoping to complete the first lesson before the kids return home from their school day. Stay tuned. Perhaps I'll have some tips for recording the digital photos that make up the parts of your life story. I'm planning to use all new photos in my recent Life Stories Photo Journal (5"X7") that I made just for us! And will be making that album (made to order) available in my Etsy shop soon (in any size you want!).

"Give Yourself a Present" Challenge

This tiny photo album came from Anna Aspnes and a contest that she had on her blog in response to this "Give Yourself A Present" challenge by Stacy Julian. The tiny album is only 6cm X 6cm and I can't wait to fill it up with my "presents" and officially participate in the challenge! You don't have to have one of these albums to participate too. Leave me a comment if you DO participate. And don't forget to go to Stacy Julian's blog to let her know too.

Yes, that is the book "Artful Journals" by Janet Takahashi that I used as a background for this photo. I checked it out from the library, but with lots of bookbinding tutorials and writing ideas, it would be one I wouldn't mind having in my personal library.

Fall Family Photo Journal

I made time to sew the album that I shared with you here in a post called "Autumn Bookbinding". My plans for this album include placing digital photos and journalling of the family for Fall 2008. My Digital Photography class begins on Wednesday (online) and I can't wait to improve my skills! Will document them here.

If you would like a photo album or journal just like this, in any size, made for you please contact me. I love custom orders!