random stuff i've learned from a year of 3BT-ing

before saying one more word on this subject let me re-emphasize that not just this project, but the ENTIRE IDEA AND CONCEPT of "three beautiful things" is the pure genius of the lovely and amazing clare grant! if you like *anything* about this, pleeeeeeeeeeease go along and check out her blog--you can thank me later!!! there is NO WAY i would ever have thought this up on my own; i am continually awestruck by the way she can distill the very essence of an experience into one perfect...and perfectly evocative...sentence; she has my heartfelt thanks and admiration always!

and now a few summing up thoughts for the year:

1. my friend beshka’s advice, “give yourself permission to make something ugly” …a thing which i at first didn't understand…and then did not believe helpful…is a statement of absolutely invaluable genius for which I am grateful pretty much every single day!

the very first page i made...bird mania had only just begun!

2. “using up” time, energy, and supplies on a “morning page” is never EVER a waste... (i feel i owe julia cameron quite a large and sheepish mental apology on this point!) ...more like an investment; one that pays serious dividends!

3. making “pointless” things (those which cannot be given or sold and don’t “lead to” anything else) is hardly ever pointless…and almost always leads to something else…eventually…that i could not possibly have imagined or planned for.

a recent page featuring the "new baby", whom i have christened "sister klara" in honor of kristie's old pal

4. having always hoarded little bits of paper, stickers, badges, advertisements, postcards, photos cut out of magazines…some wind up in a project or greeting card but lots more just get “saved” in a box or clutter my desk until either feel frustrated or finally part with them. a daily journal provides an EXCELLENT home for such treasures!

5. my handwriting isn’t so bad, afterall; and immediately makes any item on which it is featured uniquely “MINE” (if not always uniquely *readable* lol!)

a recent page made with ZERO planning...testament to instinct kickin' in when it's needed!

6. it sounds counter-intuitive, but 3BT-ing is actually quite effective against mild depression. it turns out there is often quite a bit to be happy about, which just gets hidden or forgotten in the rush and bustle of daily life. especially if there are bigger, less positive things going on...it is quite helpful to be actively seeking the good stuff!!!

7. shaped pages (like, say, a flower) can be challenging to work with…but they make ya think in creative ways! in fact, generally speaking, a "problem to solve" can be your best friend, creatively.

8. planning is excellent…but sometimes “winging it” is great! once in a while you’ve just gotta start drawing/stamping/gluing WITHOUT A PLAN!!! (& a journal is the ultimate no-pressure, no-audience, no-expectation setting for such experiments!)

a vintage party invitation i have been "saving" for...something...yet loathe to use! VOILA! it's been given a permanent home where it can be loved and cherished!

9. i don’t have to love how every page turns out! (you have no idea what a breakthrough this one was for me!!!) pages which are the most fun to make might not be my favorites to look at…or vice versa...and that’s ok.

10. if i never make anything i HATE…i am probably not taking enough risks in my art! sometimes it is GOOD to “go too far”!

11. and finally--this is not a NEW insight, but it bears repeating anyway--there are very few paper-crafting crises which can’t be fixed (or at least improved) by the judicious application of rhinestones!!!!!!!!!!

page 366: it only seems right to come full circle!

there are still two days to enter my beautiful things blog candy giveaway!

leave a comment ON THE BLOG CANDY POST and tell me one of your beautiful things for today! ...AND...if you have a few minutes, go and read the ones that people have already left! they are magnificent, every single one! thank you!!!

ps to those who've very kindly expressed interest in seeing additional pages: if you click on the "3 beautiful things" label at the bottom of this post you will get a list of all the posts i have done on this subject...all of which have at least a few pictures!

speaking of *BEAUTIFUL* things…

i think what impresses me most about the online crafty blogging community is the sheer generosity and kindness of folk! when you admire a cool product, someone sends you a link; when you gasp in amazement at a new technique, someone explains how it’s done; when you feel a bit gloomy or down, someone comes along with a cheerful word! it’s AMAZING, and sooooo inspiring! i mean, i'm sure *SOMEWHERE* there’s gotta be some grumpy selfish artsy types...but *I* sure have not run into them!!! as a matter of fact, yesterday was pretty much the BEST MAIL DAY EVER at my house, thanks to a couple of lovely bloggers; i received two--count ‘em two--awesome packages in the mail ! how cool is *that*?! (hint: it is very very cool indeed!)

package #1: recently i saw a card on terrie bailey’s blog that had some really beautiful, really TEENY black star gems on it. having never seen anything like them, i asked miss terrie where she got them. it turns out they are NAIL ART gems that she acquired on ebay…but…and here was the problem: the seller only ships inside the uk! terrie being one of the nicer humans on the planet, as well as a rather astonishing artist and craftswoman immediately offered me some of her own PERSONAL stash of gems. could i pay her back or trade for something, i asked?? no way, she was happy to share! the gems arrived yesterday, a whole bunch of them in all different shapes and colors in a special organizer box! but not on their own…oh no…terrie also sent along this BEAUTIFUL gift set! the gems were in their own handmade mini shopping bag (avec vellum butterfly, naturally!) deliciously scented fancy jasmine soap is ensconsed in a fancy embellished custom box, there's a really gorgeous matching card and tag--complete with one of terrie's signature hand-crocheted flowers on there! well, why don’t i shut up and just SHOW YOU:

needless to say I LOVE evey single one of my goodies and I am very grateful to--not to mention in awe of--terrie! many thanks, girlfriend!!!

package #2: a few months ago i was lucky enough to win a card challenge hosted by elizabeth wickland on her fabulous blog “my inner martha”. (dontcha looooove that name?! i chuckle every time i see it!) as a result, i received a truly awesome prize package of gems and stamps and magnets and ephemera items…all wrapped up in the most adorable hand-made paper purse you have ever seen! obviously i was thrilled…well who WOULDN’T be?! so imagine my surprise when i discover that at the end of the whole series of challenges, the amazingly generous elizabeth took the names of all the previous winners and entered them into an extra round-up drawing! and guess who won???! uh huh. LOOKIE:

do ya see that GORGEOUS card??! An howsabout those little clearstamp sets?! (elizabeth, i have looked over and over again for those “month” stamps--having seen them on someone else’s blog--and my Michael’s NEVER has ‘em!) plus there is unmounted rubber of such fabulosity that i have already looked up how to cling-mount them for ease of use with my acrylic blocks!

thank you VERY MUCH INDEED, miss elizabeth! your inner martha is spectacularly good at making people feel extra-special!

would you like some fun stuff in YOUR mailbox??!

remember you've got until midnight on Friday to leave a comment ON YESTERDAY’S POST telling me a “beautiful thing” from your day to be eligible for my beautiful things blog candy giveaway... (or as the hilarious and wonderful mrs. trashy has renamed it, the see just how clever i am giveaway!) :) it can be big or small...silly or profound…just something that made you stop and say, “WOW! That was cool!” in the same way that terrie’s and elizabeth’s kindness made me do so!

i don't think nina will mind my revealing the secret of the tiny heart...you press ALT and the 3 on your numeric keypad (thus laptops cannot perform this minor miracle) at the same time, et voila: "♥" (i'd have to count this as one of MY 3BT's for monday, btw...for some reason this little bit of hidden technology has totally enthralled me!)

operation 29: QUIET

i know what you're thinking: "this CAN'T be lauren's paper adventure page, it's only got THREE PRODUCTS ON IT!!!!!!!" yes, indeedy, even i was surprised to find myself making something so clean and minimalist...but you know...you follow the prompt...and this is where "QUIET" led me!

(top: plain white *!* cardstock from staples; buddha picture cut from an advertising postcard; heidi swapp ghost letters; unknown transparency; silver sharpie marker; staples. bottom: creative imaginations notebook paper; basic grey alphas; colorbox ink; sharpie & uniball pens)

the journaling, which is on the back, reads, "QUIET is one of those words like 'balance' and 'minimalist'...i love the IDEA of it...but it's hard to see how to apply it to *me*! i do feel quite content and absorbed at times, though, especially when i'm making something...does that count?!"

possibly the weirdest thing i've ever made

...and remember...

...it's *ME* saying this! :)

like many of my best and most original creations, the idea came to me whilst watching "namaste america" on the treadmill at the gym.

are ya ready?

ok...

but first: if you have never heard of shah rukh khan, the king of bollywood, the premier film star of popular indian cinema...*none* of this is gonna make any sense at all! so of course i will provide my usual wikipedia link...and a cool fan site link...and i will just mention that this entire project is a gift for my friend gill, who's the biggest bollywood film fan i know in real life (apart from myself) and who is perhaps mr. khan's biggest fan.

and now without further ado, i present:

yes, as a matter of fact, that does say,

"SHAH RUKH KHARDS"

and yes, that's an altoids tin. or it was. (don't worry, i cleaned it thoroughly!)

want to see inside?

yep. pretty much what it says on the the box: a bunch of cards...with shah rukh on them.

technically, we can't call 'em ATC's, because they're not the right size...but it's the same general idea. i cut photos out of magazines, mounted them onto black glossy cardstock, and trimmed each photo to 2 x 3.25" before rounding the corners. then i added dymo labels bearing diabolical con-based puns like in-KHAN-solable and eye KHAN-tact. a little ink around the edges...a few mylar stars...

et voila:

a baker's dozen of SRK mini-masterpieces...

...and a birthday gift befitting a bollywood star!!!

just my type

on page one of the manual typewriter fanciers' association* manifesto and recipe book** it says, and i quote,

"the first phrase to be typed on any newly acquired machine must and shall always be 'it was a dark and stormy night'!"

SEE???!

and since i don't want my membership cancelled and my ribbons slashed, of course i have complied!

i have been casually wanting a manual typewriter for a while. not enough to pursue one actively...or pay big bucks...but in a "one of these days i will see one at a garage sale" kind of a way. and sure enough, during a recent weekend foray i spotted this baby. i paid $15 to the daughter of the woman who was its only previous owner. as a matter of fact, i don't think she cared about the money; i think she just wanted to sell it to someone who wanted to own it, rather than re-furbish or sell it. it's a royal portable. it's not super-old, i'm guessing late 60's or early 70's. all the keys, buttons, and levers work.*** it has a carrying case. the ribbons it takes are inexpensive and easily obtained.**** best of all, it goes *DING* at the end of each line. i love it!

now all i need is a pipe, and one of those jackets with the elbow patches, and my best-selling noir novel will practically write itself, dontcha think?! :)

*i just made that up...but yeah...there probably IS one!

**i made that up too...but if you find a copy, can you send me a link?
***the letter "I" sticks a bit...and i cannot for the life of me remember how to set margins...but that's hardly the machine's fault!

****i got 'em at EBS Scantracker where you select your brand/model of typewriter & they tell you what kind of ribbon you need!

i got nuthin'

to say, that is.

this morning.

which is maybe just as well, since i have no time, either.

so why not enjoy a hot dog?

or perhaps you'd prefer a cheezburger??

either way, i hope that you have a productive and ebullient wednesday.

and think of lots to say.

(and have time in which to say it!)

xolauren :)

i am *BRILLIANTE* (...apparently...)

...at least, that's what my lovely blogging friend madonna dunn said! and since she is a rather fabulous card maker, papercrafter, and stampin' up demonstrator, i suppose she oughtta know *BRILLIANTE-ness* when she sees it; thus i thank her very kindly! :)

ok, so here are the rules and regulations regarding said award:

1) Put the logo on your blog. (check! see above.)

2) Add a link to the person who awarded you. (check again! see above, just below the other above, above.)

3) Put your right foot in. (well, that's a bit odd...but alrighty...check!)

4) Put your right foot out. (ummmmm...this just isn't sounding right to me...)

5) Put your right foot in, and you shake it all about. (ok, nope! this cannot be correct!)

oof! sorry!!! ...SOMEHOW...apparently i have gotten the directions for this web award confused with some other instructions...SO...we will have to do this on the honor system! since we all know that quite clearly EVERYONE who reads this is indisputably *BRILLIANTE* in every conceivable way, you may all chose to either:

A: accept being tagged and pass along the award yourself

or

B: do the hokey pokey*

either way darlings, i hope you have an absolutely *BRILLIANTE* tuesday...because that's what it's all about!!!

*if you are british, you may do the "hokey cokey" instead. (i would also offer a small prize to the person who can essplain why we say "pokey" and you say "cokey" and which came first!) if you are from a country that doesn't have the hokey pokey OR the hokey cokey i will just tell you that it's a bit of a silly dance that, along with the alley cat and the chicken dance, mostly gets done at really small childrens' parties (when i was a little girl, anyway) and really large drunken weddings.

updated later that same day: persuant to a comment from my lovely & hilarious friend the vicious chicken, i have been to read her current blog post, and so should you! it's (partially) inspired by this post; it involves the commedian bill bailey + the hokey pokey/cokey + the german art band kraftwerk + bumblebees, and it made me laugh uproariously, as most of vc's posts do. go. go now! i urge you!!!

2 sketches 4......CAARDVARKS!!!

that's right! your favorite sketch challenge (2 sketches 4 you) and your favorite card-making challenge (CAARDVARKS) have teamed up for our latest double-header: you have until midnight on 8-3-08 to make a lovely new card based on laura's sketch:

or kazan's sketch:


or both! of course this is the course i have chosen...because there was no way i could decide on ONLY ONE of these great sketches!


here is my kazan card:

(patterned paper: making memories, basic grey, creative imaginations, dcwv, vintage ledger paper; flowers: prima; felt border: fancy pants: rub-on sentiment: american crafts; rubber stamps: hero arts; brads: making memories, hot off the press; other: foam tape, colorbox inks)

and here is my laura card:

(photo of my nieces posing as space girls printed on kodak premium paper; patterned paper: basic grey, chatterbox, christina cole; text icon made in broderbund printshop using "3 hour tour" font; other: foam tape, colorbox inks)

text reads,"wishing you a birthday that's out of this world!"

so whip up your own fabulous creations and link them to the sketch challenge post and you will not only be included in our lovely kazan's sketch or laura's sketch gallery... (where surely wolrd-wide fame and lasting renown await you!) ...but you'll also have a shot at a fabulous prize: you'll be CAARDVARKS' guest designer for the august 20th challenge!!!

hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!

we interrupt your regularly scheduled papercraftin'...

...to bring you important JAMES BOND NEWS!!!

thanks to a link sent by m'friend-n-colleague joshua, i have now gazed upon the official quantum of solace trailer. and so can you. it is HERE. and it is gooooooood. in fact it is very very good indeed. heck, even the *logo* is cool! here is a photo which shows said logo...oh yeah...and it's got some guy in it, as well. apparently he's in the movie or something. not bad lookin', i s'pose...if ya like that sorta thing:

hmmmmm...november 7th, eh? think it's too early to go get in line at the theater??! ...naaaaaaaahhhhhh...

swingers!

from left to right: riley, maddie, lindsay

last week i met up with the nieces at a fancy playground near their grandmother's house. there was a big castle with slides and ladders and secret compartments...a zillion sandboxes...smaller forts to climb around on... (including pirate- and princess-themed ones which were MEGA popular with these young ladies!) ...sliding boards of every shape and size...and of course, my old favorite: SWINGS--lots of them!

we tried out almost ALL the equipment...we posed for photos...we ran and squealed and climbed and laughed our heads off! we had a picnic lunch. there were sandwiches and grapes and juiceboxes for all; not to mention--and i cannot emphasize enough the importance of this--DORA THE EXPLORER CUPCAKES!!!

but maybe the most popular feature of the afternoon was this tire swing, on which all three cuties could ride AT THE SAME TIME--what could be better than to have this much fun...ALL TOGETHER?!

...unless it's to be a grown-up aunt, standing nearby, with a camera...yeah, that's pretty cool, too! :)

thankie birdie

'member these cool stamps that stef sent me?

wanna see what i made with them?

(rubber stamps: autumn leaves; patterned paper: cherry arte, ki, crafty secrets, paper pizzazz, basic grey; black glossy cardstock: ranger; journaling card & eyelets: making memories; rub-ons: american crafts; ribbon: michaels; gems: mambi; other: colorbox & ranger inks, prismacolor pencils, zigwriter, foam tape, stickles)

it's a thank you card for stef, of course! since that good woman is such an ingenious and creative stamper, i wanted to come up with something realllllllly cool to do with my new rubber...and i think just maybe i succeeded: paper-piecing! i stamped each image several times on different scraps of patterned paper and then layered them on foam tape on top of each other. for example, the heart is one layer, the body of the bird a second one, and his little wing is a third layer. i was quite proud of this innovation and now i want to look at ALL my stamps and see if there are others with which this idea will work!

who put the ING in...

just a few things i've been enjoying lately:

• spelling with flickr: you type in a word and this neat little program uses letters from photos posted on flickr to spell it out!


• sleuthing along with inspector lewis...and now foyle's war...on masterpiece mystery


• reading holly black's awesome "modern faerie" books: tithe, valiant, and now (it just arrived over the weekend) ironside


• enjoying packed lunches featuring a martha stewart recipe that *even i* am capable of making: tuna salad 101


• ordering the super-fun "mini piles of paper" from one good bumblebee


• seriously SERIOUSLY bumming that panera bakery's new menu does not feature their magnificent fuji apple chicken salad!!! (why??! whyyyyyyyyy???!!) (ps: if this upsets you, too, you can leave them a comment here!)


• loving that nowadays summer means new episodes of original cable shows like the closer and burn notice and monk!

what's on YOUR "ing list" right now??!

operation 28: ART!!!

this week's paper adventure assignment is kind of freeform: the prompt is ART...to be interpreted in any manner we wish.

can i get a WAHEY??! :)

ever since i saw the amazing documentary who gets to call it art i have had something that barnett newman said stuck in my head. i have also had the vague idea that i should "do something with" this little bit of wisdom...i just didn't know WHAT. until now.

thanks barnett! and thanks, elise!!!

(birds from a vintage children's encyclopedia; crafty secrets patterned paper; brenda walton clear stamps & provocraft roller stamp; dmc pearl cotton; paper source leaves; vintage beads attached with diamond glaze)

i had envisaged making more of a traditional collage, but when i found this illustration, i knew it was THE ONE...and being as it is on the large size (my book's 5.5 x 8.5) ...it somewhat limited what else was gonna fit on the page. plus, i did not really want to mess with the perfect simplicity of these two sweet little guys on their charming branch. so i went with loads of texture to embellish without covering up. i am quite happy with the result.

here is a closeup of the beads and the leaves and the stitching, unfortunately i could not capture the somewhat metallic & shimmery coating that is on the beads, but in real life they have almost a coppery sparkle.

and yes, you know i would not be my obnoxious but loveable self, if i did not point out with a certain pride that i am STILL CAUGHT UP on paper adventure...at least until tomorrow morning! :)

what i made when i was s'posed to be doin' something else

yepper: a couple of 3BT pages, from the other day, at work. i took a REAL LUNCH and spent half an hour playing with the (admittedly limited) supplies we have on hand and a couple of things i grabbed on my way out the door at home. the first is a free-form collage. (i made the little circular "thought dots" with the holepunch--i felt quite proud about that!)

(piece of a kraft-colored box, buddha from an advertising postcard, the inside of my bank statement envelope & part of an ad that was in it; sharpie pen)

the second is a journal entry as written by james bond, if he were stationed waaaaaaaaaaaay out in the suburbs, in a not-very-glamorous cover job, but still a 100% concientous superspy. (heesun is one of my neighbors at work):

(james bond from a discarded dvd cover; p-touch labelmaker; 7 gypsies & rubber stampede stamps; sharpie & mr. sketch markers)

yes, once again, i have managed to crack myself up...as i do onna regular basis! well...SOMEBODY'S gotta do it, right??! :)

lameness, thy name is lauren

my lovely blogging friend kristie had a bit of a birthday yesterday. and not only was my card not in the mail in time (ok, in my case, that SELDOM happens...card-based punctuality, i mean) but..and this is SO MUCH WORSE:

i completely failed to so much as mention or commemorate the day in any manner! (WAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!) and do you wanna know why??! (this makes it EVEN WORSE than previously, so much so that i almost don't wanna tell you) (ok, i definitely DON'T WANNA tell you...but i will; it's only fair)

i was under the impression that TODAY was july 10th.

yes. i *am* THAT OBLIVIOUS. apparently.

miss kristie, i apologize unreservedly! feel free to dangle me out the window of a fourth floor flat at your convenience, and i shall not protest!!! if it is any consolation, this calendrical mix-up also means i've been eating out-of-date yogurts all week. so i'm probably a goner anyway. but before i kick off, lemme at least wish you a belated birthday properly with a hilarious video clip that has nothing to do with birthdays in any way, i just really like it (plus it has a snappy song at the end!):

better still, on this occasion, i am willing to make the ultimate concession, in the interests of friendship:

michael buble DOES DO the best-ever rendition of "new york, new york"!!!

(sorry frank...had to be done...)

something that makes this whole debacle even MORE non-triumphant is that the other day i received a lovely lovely package from said dear blogging friend down under!!!

now, kristie *claims* be somewhat new to cardmaking, but i'm not so sure about that--have you seen the beautiful creations on her blog??! yeah. that's what i mean. they're verrrrrrrrry cool. and wait until you see the card she made for my birthday!

is that a LAUREN CARD, or what??! it's got birds...and flowers...and it's pink and black! what more could a girl ask for? absolutely nothing! except...in this case...there were goodies too:

as you can see... (sort of--please excuse the lighting in my pics!) ...inside a beautifully wrapped packet there were flowers, and ribbons, and little bird-shaped buttons in absolutely lucious shades of pink!!! as you can imagine, i am now ITCHING to whip up something with these goodies on it!!!

thank you VERY MUCH INDEED miss kristie, and i do hope *you* had a WONDERFUL birthday!!!!!

a link...but with SERIOUS disclaimers!!!

overheard in new york is a fairly hilarious website which i have been reading semi-regularly for the last few years. (the "semi" part having to do with me needing extra time rather than lacking inclination.) the premise is simple but brilliant: people send in snippets of conversation they have heard in restaurants, on the subway, or in line at the bodega. many of these are of...shall we say...a "personal" nature. some are very personal indeed. intimate, in fact. (if you can call something that was being discussed on the M5 bus in a voice loud enough to be heard three seats back "intimate"?!) which is where the aforementioned disclaimer comes in: if you are offended by R-rated language and/or a frank discussion of "adult content", this will not be a site you enjoy! trust me. (trust me!!!)

i have a fairly high tolerance for both "gross out" factor and "scenes of a sexual nature"...and even so...at least once a day i read something on OINY that makes me go "EEEEEW!"...something else that i almost literally cannot believe a person would discuss with anyone besides their doctor...and a third thing that makes me laugh so hard i am in genuine danger of death. occasionally i find that these overlap. frequently i am grateful for the absence of illustrations!

but the other day, i hit upon the holy grail: something that was both too funny not to share, and clean enough to be posted on a wholseome family-friendly blog such as my own. i hope you will enjoy it.

Raise Your Hand If You Wish You'd Been There

20-something tall black bellhop: I challenge you, right now, to a salsa dance-off.

70-year-old short Latino bellhop: Go get a radio.

--Peninsula Hotel

Overheard by: Carol

thoughtfulness, thy name is STEF!

stephanie severin, that is! those of you who post on split-coast stampers or caardvarks might well know her as smilyn' stef......i am proud to call her my friend-n-colleague! i am even prouder to display my latest acquistion of stef-based art. behold:



isn't it *beautiful*??! and guess what? that IS NOT store-bought indian-themed shimery background paper...stef MADE that!!! can you *imagine*?! yeah, me neither, but she essplains it HERE ...and being as she is a very good teacher, even i understood the instructions!

but wait, that was not ALL that was in the envelope she sent me the other day. oh no. there were STAMPS in there, too!!! really, reallllllly COOL ONES! wanna see:

stef said when she saw them in a store on her recent stamping road trip they just seemed to be crying out to come and live at my house. and you have to admit, they are *VERY* me! i mean, heck: a bird IN a heart...AND a crown??! who knew autumn leaves had started a "lauren only" line!!! wow--this niche marketing is *GREAT*, innit??! :)

thank you thank you thank you miss stephanie!!!

and now, if you'll excuse me...there's a little birdie here who needs my attention!!!!!

an unaffilliated card

it's been a while since i've posted a card that wasn't made to any particular sketch or for any particular challenge, but here's one from over the weekend. it is for our friends trish & juan who are celebrating two years of wedded bliss. they had soft pink and chocolate brown as their wedding colors. they had flowers, as well. and clearly there was a certain amount of "true love" involved. however, to the best of my knowledge, there were no owls present at either the ceremony or the reception...i guess that is what you call "artistic license"! :)

(patterned paper: basic grey & paper company; cardstock: bazzill; glitter paper: dcwv; flowers: prima; ghost hearts & chip letters: heidi swapp; rubber stamps: sassafrass lass; felt shape: fancy pants; gems: jewelcraft & mambi; rub-on swirls: making memories; rub-on letters: junkitz; other: colorbox & ranger inks, prismacolor pencils, foam tape

operation 27: SO FAR SO GOOD

we're at the official halfway point of paper adventure, and here's the prompt for this week's assignment:

What has been GOOD for you so far in 2008?

What are you doing?

What is making you happy?

What is GOOD?

well not to be a brown-nose, but actually i feel like one of the best things i've done this year is paper adventure, itself! and now that we're well past the point of no return i can confess: before this i had never made so much as ONE layout about myself...and i was not altogether sure i was going to like it! but having been entranced by elise blaha's blog for about six months when i stumbled upon the announcement of her cool new project during christmas week; it seemed like it would at least be interesting if nothing else, so i decided to give it a try. (the first assignment, before we even started was, "make a minibook"...so she pretty much HAD ME right then!!!) :)

and you know, that was such a good call! i've met soooooo many cool folks this year! i've seen some AMAZING art! i've experimented with new techniques...a new format...and different ways of communicating ideas with words or pictures or both. i've thought about stuff i doubt i would have considered under any other circumstances. (and then figured out how to write down the results!!!) occasionally i have felt stumped, or overwhelmed, or (as in the last few weeks) so far behind that i might not ever catch up. ...BUT... i have never ever felt like i wanted to quit, and i don't think there's been a week gone by--even ones where i WAS quite far behind--that i didn't think to myself, "boy i am LOVING paper adventure!"

and wouldja look at my book, halfway through??!!!

(patterned paper, alphas & magnetic snap: basic grey; tab sticker: ki; rub-ons & rubber stamp: autumn leaves; rhinestones: mambi; other: colorbox ink, foam tape, zig writer)

my journaling (which is similar in theme to what i've written above in this blogpost) is inside the folded card to which my half-way paper adventure journal photo is adhered:

not too shabby, eh? can you imagine how it's going to look six months from now when it's all finished?! but i definitely have to find bigger book rings. and soon.

ps: for those of you scoring at home, i am now--for the first time in a couple of months--officially & totally caught up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am full of the joy of accomplishment...a feeling which will last all the way until the new assignment is posted...ummmm....ok...that's tomorrow morning, actually! (not to worry: if i *were* to ever experience the feeling of caught-up-ness for more than 24 hours i would probably OD from a lack of practice!!!) :)

operation 26: HOME SWEET

this week's paper adventure assignment...or rather, last week's paper adventure assignment ...is to tell what represents home to us. which is totally simple, in my case: my home is less of a where and more of a whom; i could live pretty much anywhere...all i really need is lovely husband jeff, on the couch next to me, watchin' the weather channel...as he is in this picture:

(patterned paper: ki & a vintage children's dictionary page; fabric paper: love elsie; chipboard & decorative tape: heidi swapp; key diecut & journalling tag: k&co; other: colorbox inks; vintage game token with bird onnit)

pigs and geese and ducks better scurry...

...got to make a card in a hurry! well, not that much of a hurry, you have untill midnight on 7-17. but hoooooooooo doagie, it's another caardvarks challenge and it's time to get down...

...down on the farm, that is!

yes, card-makers, this time the assignment is to make a card with a farm theme for a shot at the big prize! make it, photo it, and link it to the appropriate post and your lovely creations will go into the gallery with the fabulous homegrown, country-style work of the design team!

as a matter of fact, here's my card, now:

(far side cartoon by gary larson; patterned paper: carolee's creations; glossy black cardstock: ranger; ribbon: michaels; sticker: american greetings; rub-ons: american crafts, k&co)

remember, folks:

you HERD it here, first!!! :)

the world's slowest TAG-turnaround!

the lovely and amazin' terrie bailey tagged me LAST WEEK...and i am only just gettin' to it...sheesh lauren!!!

THE RULES OF THE GAME: Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers.

Ten years ago....

my dad had just died suddenly, in may. i am sure we must've done things that summer which didn't involve my mom, her house, her yard, fiancial paperwork, and taxes...but i have no idea what they would've been...

Five things on today's "to do list"...

oof! only *FIVE*??! ok: find a grocery store that is open on 4th of july; write my blogpost for the new CAARDVARKS challenge tomorrow; do my exercise walking outdoors (the gym is closed--arrrgh!) without getting heatstroke; goggle with amazement at these peter clark collages (sent to me by stef!); remember to tape doctor who tonight...

Snacks I enjoy...

ooh easy one: raw veggies, mung beans, celery parfait... HAHAHAHAHA! kidding!!!! ...ok, i actually do eat loads of fruit and granola bars and healthy stuff like that...but only b/c i don't want to weigh 900 pounds any time soon! however, i regularly spulrge on frozen desserts: ice cream, gelato, and so forth are a serious weakness!!!

Things I would do if I was a millionaire...

travel, travel, travel!!! oh yeah, and i would fill up my gas tank without having a heart attack!!! :(

Places I have lived...

i currently live 15 miles from the house where i grew up...which, in turn, was only about 10 miles from the house where i was born...it's a bit sad, really. except that we are talking about absolutely BEAUTIFUL suburban locations in hunterdon county new jersey and bucks county pennsylvania...so i've got NO COMPLAINTS!!!

ok, now...WHO IS TAGGED:

1. if you're reading this and FEEL LIKE being tagged: you are tagged!!!

2. if you're NOT READING THIS...you are tagged! (yeah, i know, it's gonna be hard to enforce...but i can't wait to see what the pope says...and the director of the metropolitan museum...and of course daniel craig...grrrrrrr....) :)

3. if you're wearing anything ORANGE...you are tagged!

4. if you know all the words to "I'VE GOT A GAL IN KALAMAZOO" ...you are tagged!!! (that's how they got me!)

have fun, darlings!