Big Idea Festival

From August 15th-26th, the Big Idea Festival revealed a new word a day. Each day, we were to create a page about our experience with the word. This was very new to me: I had never made digital scrap pages before nor have I ever participated in a class like this. (School classes yes, but those were mostly math and had grades. This didn't.)

I did 6 of the 12 words. Three were posted last week (less, wonder, enjoy). Two others are below: live and play.

The papers are from Biograffit and Magical Moments.

The fonts are my favorites: Arabic Typesetting (words), Mr. Sheffield (cursive), and Engravers (LIVE).

Now with Play, I batted around 2 options--[edited] the final is below.

I used Biograffiti paper and a Magical Moments stripe (free from Oscraps).

BPC: Day 3: Less

Glitter letters by Glitz Alphaz {Green} by Vicki Stegall.
Paper by Biograffiti.

Operation Nice

I've just discovered the site Operation Nice and their NICE tips. I love this. The world should have more of this. Kindness goes a long way. To be clear, I'm not advocating for complete submission and kindness to the point of self deprivation. But I'm advocating for a consideration of other people. Perhaps even above a commonsense etiquette, I'm advocating going a step beyond the norm to make someone smile and brighten their day.

Some of my favorites from the site:

• If you buy something from a vending machine, leave the change in the change thingy for the next person. It's funny how someone finding an unexpected quarter makes their day.
• If you pack lunches for your loved one, stick a small note telling them to have a great day. Similarly, hide small love letters in your significant others pockets/bags/jackets.
• Clear the snow off a neighbor's car after a big snowfall.
• When you see a mom with a stroller going into a building - hold the door for her. She'll appreciate it more than you'll know!
• Send a random e-Card to someone you haven't talked to in a while for no special reason.
• Make eye contact with people and smile.
• Wave when someone lets you merge on the road.
• Let someone who has five items at the grocery store go in front of you and your cart full of items.
• Give a child's old toys to a shelter every holiday season instead of trashing them.
• Let someone pregnant or older sit in your seat when none are available.
• Thank your spouse, significant other, roommate, mom, etc. whenever they prepare a meal for you. It shows great appreciation.
• When someone you come in contact with is doing a good job, tell them.

BPC Day 2: Wonder

For "today's" (i.e. Aug 16th's) Big Picture Class Challenge, we were encouraged to do a page based on the word Wonder. Further, we were told to pick one of the following for our own musings:

-Learn something new. What's something you've been wondering about? Google it, and record your findings on your page.
-Put it back on the radar. Marvel at an everyday occurrence with surprise and amazement, as though you were seeing it for the first time…and then document it.
-Embrace your inner superhero. Are you a wonder in the kitchen? At karaoke night? At your craft table? We all have at least one superpower! Document what it is that brings out your inner Wonder Woman.

I embraced my inner superhero: Wonder Woman! (Get it?!) Seriously though, I'm a big-picture, right-brained woman who finds happiness in the little things of life. My super power might be the ability to find joy. (I certainly can't fly!)

Ever since my wedding and since the best man's speech, whenever I hear the word wonder, I think of that day and my husband. The journalling tells the story. The picture tells the story too. (A friend tells me this picture perfectly sums up my husband's and my relationship. I just think it's awesome.)

This page was made digitally. I wanted to keep it simple so you can really focus on the fun. After all, life should be full of fun.

A couple of fun things of note:
1. There was a fantastic tufted, navy sofa in the pastor's study, so we borrowed it for a few minutes. If I ever find it's twin, I'm buying it on the spot--no questions asked.
2. The stuffed animal's name is Chumba and is a Kelley family tradition: each year one of the 5 kids takes him and documents all of his activities. He's a very well-traveled gorilla. Long story short, 2010 was our year and Chumba made it to the wedding.

BPC Day 5: Enjoy

So y'all have already seen the picture already, but this is my first digital scrapbook page. Ever. Crazy, I know. I've done plenty of hybrid pages, but they just take too long--doing the computer part, then hooking up the printer, then printing, then cutting, then using. It's really quite a mess. But this was clean as a whistle. (Are whistles even clean? They seem like they'd be dirty.)

The page was inspired by Big Picture Classes Day 5: Enjoy. I had to give it a go. What else could one want other than enjoyment? [Childlike] Wonder? Less [stuff & worries]? Oh man, I'm so excited about these daily challenges. And luckily, they aren't due until the 28th, so I can do them out of order! (Which is good because I have.)

I took this picture right before the annual festival in Newburyport, MA. The people walking ahead of me are my husband and his little sister. Walking around with nothing to do and with people I love is my idea of enjoyment. Plus we got ice cream! What's not to enjoy about that!?

Yellow = Happiness

I have a love affair with shoes. My husband knows. When I came back from Switzerland this year, instead of getting me the traditional flowers, he greeted me with a new pair of Enzo Angiolinis because he knows how much I love my navy (2007) and yellow ones (2009). He is fantastic. I love him.

The yellow pair is so beautifully structured and bold, I finally caved and took a picture.

(They are as fantastic as they look and oh so comfortable.)

I met Tom in 2005, so it's been quite a while. Within a few months, he took me to Chicago via Tennessee to visit his brother and our soon-to-be sister-in-law (who have been together a very long while). The pictures of our 2006 road trip have been sitting in the dark for ages. And in classic scrapbook fashion, I finally got around to introducing Tom to my albums very recently. It's a little sad, but hey, we've been having fun. We like fun.

(The picture is from our Toy-R-Us adventure mid-trip.)

cake and candles

I made this card for my sister. I wrote the sentiment on the inside. I used pink, black glitter, silver, and some pink stripped paper that I think I've had for 8-10 years. Go me! I used pink again! Although I could have stuck with something more along the lines of her palate (see Pink, Yellow and Green--Oh my!), I went with something nearer to my own taste. Plus this fantastic sticker!

A bit of trivia about me: my favorite colors in the 3rd grade were

black with hot pink polka dots. I was very specific.

Pink, yellow, and green--Oh my!

Embellish Magazine is having another color trends challenge with my sisters favorite colors this time: yellow, pink, and green. The guidelines are below:

This challenge requires you to create a card, scrapbook layout, or altered item using the color challenge and coloring. We want to see what you can do with the coloring technique. So gather up your markers, paints, and inks and add lots of fun color to your designs.

The main colors are featured in the challenge inspiration board above. Remember, colors can be incorporated into your project in more ways than cardstock. Feel free to use white or cream/black or brown as neturals in your projects.

Working with these colors is a HUGE challenge for me. I have about 5 pink papers--maybe 7. And I am kind of yellowed out from college since gold was one of my sorority's colors. I have sooo many yellow papers and embellishments that I don't touch. They are great in small doses, but to me a little goes a long way. So for this challenge, the true challenge then was not only using the colors, but incorporating the colors onto a scrapbook page a) that I like and suits my personality and style and b) that I can look at and say "this represents the moment."

My friend's birthday was perfect as she is pretty girly and as we celebrated in Charleston, a preppy city. And I had this floral paper to die for. (Ok, not to die for, but very "her" and so happy). The problem with regard to this challenge is that this paper includes some blatant red and a touch of a other colors here and there, but the point of a challenge is to be challenged and boy was I! Pink, green, and yellow, all in one! Eek!

Above: Full 2-page spread based on pink, yellow, and green

(Also, I'm a few years behind in my albums. As in 5 years behind. I'm not too worried about it.)

How awesome was 2007?

Very awesome! And why was it so awesome? Because I was just able to go through all of my pictures and play with Maggie Holmes' Photoshop Action Set. You really have no idea how much fun that was. My dear husband sat by me patiently while I hogged the computer.

(My Dad's big birthday party. We are missing JFKF)

(Christmas in Williamsburg, Virginia)

(The family, sometime near Thanksgiving)

And for Harry Potter. Did I mention Harry Potter? Thank you J.K. Rowling. You are amazing.

We were in the car with the books and book on tape at 12:14. By a very lucky chance, my sister had to return something to Talbots earlier that day. She wanted to see the big, fancy Barnes and Nobles and got us 2 of the few remaining "first 50" wrist bands. The other 4 colors were grouped by 200s. The last group had 500+. It was c-r-a-z-y. Did I mention we were in the car by 12:14? Oh my gosh! I was amazing!

The calm before Yankee Homecoming

Yankee Homecoming was this past week in Newburyport, MA. Newburyport is always well decorated, and the day before the festivities went up, I snapped a few pictures on State Street as Tom and his sister and I walked around. It's a very, very old town with a lot of charm. It's the quintessential "quaint."

(columns and flowers)

(brick and flags, Old-time-y American [with a modern bank])

(old lamps)

All that glitters is gold

Embellish Magazine is having a challenge with my favorite colors: neutrals and navy. The guidelines are below:

This challenge requires you to create a card, scrapbook layout, or altered item using the color challenge and patterned paper. Patterned paper is a perfect way to add design, texture, and color to paper crafts. Find some coordinating patterned paper and create to your heart’s content.

The main colors are featured in the challenge inspiration board above. Remember, colors can be incorporated into your project in more ways than cardstock.

Naturally, I chose a scrapbook page, and my pictures incorporate navy and blue, so that's where the navy is. I LOVE this pattern paper I bought from Michael's. I'm on a bit of a glitter kick and have a soft spot for damask (see wedding thank yous) and books and other old-fashioned things. Basically, I like modern vintage. And a little bit of quirk.

Glitter damask & text paper = modern & old-fashion
Gears = quirk (inspired by my brother-in-law and his soon to be wife)

Full page with brown, tan, ivory and navy (in the pictures)

These pictures were taken in Brussels, Belgium where a good friend of mine lived for middle and high school. My dad and I had the best time there, and she and her family were fantastic hosts! I loved it. The friends, the food, the city (note the old, old stately buildings). The story written here was one of my favorite travel stories. I can't repeat it all here, but there were some language barriers and a bridal shower. It was awesome.

happy hippy

I typically use my traditional stationery for formal thank you notes, but when my note is to a friend, I prefer fun ones. This one was handmade using Anna Griffen paper folded over the front and back of a card and with shaped glitter tape from Michael's. I cut the bottom to match the shape of the glitter. And, yes, I could have added a little white pop-up flag with "thank you" on it, but on my cards, I like what's inside to be a surprise. And the pattern on the paper was just sooo happy!

(glitter!)

Razzle dazzle

I love Chicago, the musical. Love it. I cannot say this enough. I want to be Roxie Hart and have men in top hats and tails and my name in lights. Perhaps it's not the easiest request, but I can at least watch the movie and pretend. And the music is fantastic! (see here. and here. and here.)

I'm throwing a bachelorette party in a little over a month. Given that the bride is also obsessed with Chicago (the city and the musical), it was fitting to do this:

For these, I printed out the black and white invitation on cardstock, put glitter tape just on the inside of black cardstock. I pasted the printed invitation on top of both and glued very thick glitter paper to the back.

The red glitter makes me giddy. I'm not a particularly good photographer, and my camera can't zoom properly (i.e, on the knot), but the bottom image is a satin knot tied around the "to bring" list. I just pasted the printed cardstock on the glitter paper.

Golden

I made this for my godmother who is very religious and so very, very nice. It was quite simple to make with a little ivory, a little gold, and some fancy paper.