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!

The Kid's Quotes Journal - Mackenzie

Ok, now Mackenzie's turn!

April 2008
Mackenzie was describing what certain body parts are for, "eyebrows are for laughing, teeth are for eating, tongues are for tasting, eyes are for seeing, and legs are so our feet aren't right to our waist."

March 29, 2008
Mackenzie right after lunch: Mommy, I ate all of my cheese tortilla.
Mommy: good!
Mackenzie: I'm glad I ate it when I wanted it, because now I don't want it.

April 16, 2007
Mackenzie: Sometimes when I laugh it makes me toot, and sometimes when I toot it makes me laugh!

March 15, 2005
(we took Mackenzie to the doctor to remove a teeny tiny toy from her nose the week before this comment)
Mackenzie: No toy up my nose.
Mommy: That's right, no toy up your nose.
Mackenzie: Just my finger!

Can I just say she cracks me up?!

The Kid's Quotes Journal - Cameron

Some of Cameron's quotes that we've recorded in the Kid's Quotes Journal:

June 10, 2008
Cameron: (while looking at his cup that seems to have a milk leak) hmmm... that's odd.
Mommy: yeah.
Cameron: Like the Wizard of Odds!

Cameron: Mommy, if I was a bird would you get me bird clothes or would you let me stay in my feathers?
Mommy: I'd probably let you stay in your feathers.
Cameron: Well, I think I'd want to wear bird clothes.
Mommy: Well then I'd get you bird clothes.
Cameron: But how would you know I wanted bird clothes?
Mommy: ??? (speechless)

March 6, 2007
Mackenzie to Cameron: What is attitude?
Cameron: Attitude makes the tooth fairy come out.
Mommy (overhearing from the kitchen): ???

The Kid's Quotes Journal - Sierra

One of my favorite memory books is the Kid's Quotes Journal where I record all (well, lots) of the adorable things our kids say. It's so fun for hubby and I to reread and laugh til our sides hurt! Today I'd like to share with you some of Sierra's quotes (who is now 8) from this book that is forever in progress:


June 25, 2008
Sierra to Daddy after an eye doctor appointment, "I didn't like it. The doctor put eye drops in my eyes and dilated my pimples."

February 17, 2008
Sierra to Mommy while admiring my iphone, "Mommy, if I lick your iphone can I keep it?"

August 21, 2004
Sierra has wanted a dog for forever! I used to tell her that we would get one when the twins were old enough to be able to treat a dog well. So Sierra, in all seriousness, says to the twins, "OK, the sooner you guys grow up the sooner we can get a dog."

August 5, 2003
Sierra to Mommy, "Mommy, I'm so glad you came out of your mommy's belly!"

June 11, 2003
Sierra saw a bug crawling on the floor with a huge crumb in it's mouth. Sierra noticed this and said, "Mommy, it's helping us clean up!"

January 9, 2002
"I loo" = I love you

Imperfect pigtails

I don't just record the fun life stories and the drawings I'm happy with. Here is a drawing I did to remember, hopefully not too long from now, that Mackenzie has an emotional melt down if I don't get her pigtails "perfect" in the morning. As the moment approaches to do her hair before school my heart starts racing, I start sweating, I prepare myself for her tears. I drew this picture with Mackenzie one afternoon as we discussed her "overreactions" to my inability to provide her with the perfect pig tails. We talked about ways that she could express her emotions in a way that communicates them in a positive way for her AND for me. She seems to have learned through our discussion during my drawing that she can use calm words to tell me she wants a "do-over" for her pigtails. She finished my drawing (using Micron pen) with writing her name. Some good communication, time together, effective parenting, recording of a life story, and a snapshot of her handwriting on that date - so worth the effort! Even though it's not "fine art" (or my best drawing!) I am more than happy with the outcome!

Tagged by an Etsy Blogger

Michelle Lewis of Little Paper Dog and a fellow member of Etsy Bloggers tagged me yesterday. She asked me to tell 6 things about myself that most people don't know and then tag 5 other team members. So ... here they are:
1. My husband is a recreational and a professional pilot and we live here. It's a flying community with a 3000 foot grass airstrip and airplanes regularly taxi by our dinner table! We are a close knit neighborhood because everyone who lives here has at least one thing in common - a love for airplanes and flying!

2. Yesterday while the kids were all at school, and my hubby and I had a day off together, we went for a motorcycle ride! It was my first on his new Ducati and very enjoyable. I just closed my eyes and felt the wind!
3. I like to smell good! One of my favorite things to buy on Etsy is bath and body products. My latest purchase is a sugar scrub from Bathing in Luxury.
4. I am very organized, but loose my glasses on a DAILY basis. I spend way too much time looking for them - also recruiting the family for this task.
5. My favorite snack is frozen blueberries with whipped cream. Mmmmm, almost better than ice-cream!
6. I listen to podcasts ALOT. Favorite subjects include podcasts about my faith, technology, running, creative hobbies, and kid stuff!

I would love to tag 5 more people, but in my search I didn't find one Etsy Blogger who hasn't been tagged yet! If you want to participate consider yourself tagged by me!

Happy Birthday!

Today is Mackenzie's 6th Birthday - the other half of the twin set! Oh happy day! This is one happy 6 year old who is on the school bus right now carrying 2 dozen fresh baked chocolate chip cookies to her classmates.

Happy Birthday!

The twin's are 6! To be more exact, Cameron is 6 today and Mackenzie, twin sister, is 6 tomorrow! There are 2 1/2 hours between them and it stretched over midnight. So we just celebrate all week! Stay tuned for Mackenzie's picture tomorrow!

Journaling Challenge

Anna has a creative journaling challenge, involving hopes and dreams, over at designerdigitals.com and a free download for your digital scrapping and journaling for use with Adobe Photoshop or Elements. Since I don't use either, yet, I will participate in this challenge by listing some of my hopes and dreams here that I have recently written in one of my handmade books:

Hopes and dreams for myself:
- to be the best wife and mother I can be
- to help others see how important and special they are
- to help my own children, the children in my preschool class, and the children I teach at church to experience God's love
- to work and play creatively each day
- to continue to grow as a teacher, storyteller, puppeteer, artist, and catechist
- to lead in a positive way in all I do
- to record parts of my family's life story in creative ways so that they can read later and know who they are - and to encourage other's to do the same

These are just a few of my own dreams for myself that I recorded a couple months ago to help me to manage my time and to be sure that I was actually spending my time working towards those hopes and dreams. It's been a great thing to write these down. I wonder how they will change in the next years. Now to think of my hopes and dreams for my family.

The following image is one I drew in my art journal a couple years ago. Seeing these shoes side by side today, knowing that my son put his little shoe next to his daddy's big shoe, just seemed to scream 'hopes and dreams' to me, of a little boy who, thankfully, wants to be like his incredible daddy!

Fall Bookbinding Completed...

Here are the notebooks that I completed with the coptic/chain stitch yesterday. They all use recycled/reused paper (white, manilla, and decorative scrapbook paper) and raw Davey board covers. The leaf and "recycled" images are from my own carved stamps. The two Fall leaf notebooks are in my Etsy shop here. The small one I am keeping for myself. I always keep a notebook in my purse for writing down numbers, product information, ideas, etc. I especially like the reused envelope that I have sewn into the first signature of each notebook for holding receipts, Moo cards, and notes. All completely adhesive free books!

Autumn Bookbinding

I love the beginnings of Fall in Georgia. Today I took my favorite podcasts and green tea up to the crafting room/art studio that I share with the kids and hubby. All windows in the house were wide open and the fresh air was glorious, which put me in the mood for making some Autumn books. Here is peek at what I did with the recycled paper and bookboard that I've been holding onto for inspiration. The leaf image is a stamp that I carved myself for a special order a few months ago. Perfect!


Here is who kept me company in the craft room while the kids were at school all day:

You can see the kids' crafting table with work in progress. I love this room and that the kids are free to make a creative mess up here!

I finally decided to make our new family photo journalling album in the 5"X7" size, using the new leafy book cloth that I made a few days ago. Here are the completely wrapped boards which are now drying in the press (my handy National Geographic set of heavy hardback books!).


Here is a shot of my gluing station:


And cutting the corners for wrapping the boards:


Helpful hint: use one of those catalogs that you get in the mail as scrap paper for gluing. You can turn the pages with each item glued so that you have a clean scrap of paper every time!

I'll be back soon with the completed projects from the photos above!

Bookbinding Etsy Street Team in the Storque!

If you want to check out some other interesting bookbinders see this article in the Storque at Etsy about one of the Etsy Teams of which I'm a member. There is a team blog as well. You can find lots of good info and tutorials if you're interested in that type of thing. I am.

New Bookcloth

Since the moment I spotted this fabric at our local designer fabric store, The Scarlet Thread, I've wanted to make book cloth with it. And, since the moment that I brought it home, I've wanted to make a photo journal/memory album for my own family with it. So yesterday I took time out for personal crafting and made the book cloth. It looks even better lined with thin Japanese mulberry paper - so stiff and smooth and just waiting to be wrapped around some Davey Board. Now I just need to decide on a size before I cut the Davey Board. 8"X8" or 5"X7"? I love the square albums, but the 5"X7" one seems to be more efficient. This album will be perfect for holding photos and my children's narratives from our trip to New England last week to visit family! The cousins had a ball together - there was much noise and laughter!

Easy Postcard Memory Journal Tutorial!

This is one of the simplest bindings you can do - a hole punch, some post cards, and a metal ring! I started this collection of post cards when my first daughter was small. Each time we travelled, whether to the beach or to the local zoo, I picked up a postcard and wrote down what my daughter's favorite part of the trip was, in her own words. Hole punch and add to the stack! We enjoy reading through these when we unexpectedly run across them, dropping everything for just a moment spent together remembering! Sierra was three (now eight!) when we went to the beach and she said her favorite part was "swimming in the waves with Daddy."

Art Journal Supplies

Yesterday's blog post included a drawing I did of my daughter in her pirate costume last Halloween. Today I am sharing the supplies that were used to create the drawing. I do most of my drawings in my handmade Life Stories Books art journal on 90lb. Fabriano Artistico hot press watercolor paper in natural white. This is my favorite paper for making art journals and photo albums. I usually draw the picture out first in pencil and erase any unwanted lines with my handy eraser. Then I went over the lines with my Micron 002 pen. I let the ink set overnight and add color with the Derwent Watercolor Pencil and go over the color with the water brush for the watercolor effect. I take lots of photographs of the kids, but some of my favorite memories are recorded in my drawings - as imperfect as they are!

Talk Like a Pirate Weekend!

When in Jr. High, on Georgia History Day, I refused t' dress like all t' other lasses in Southern Belle gowns! Instead I dressed as a pirate and gave a speech t' me class t' draw attention t' THAT part o' Georgia's history - gettin' me picture in t' paper t' boot! Here be a drawin' I did o' me daughter last year dressed as a pirate for Halloween! A daughter after me own heart!

I've been Smidged!

Click here to check out my Matryoshka dolls album on Smidge!