Decisions Are NOT My Strong Suit

I've decided to play both Horde and Alliance. I wanted to play both of the new races and so I am. It's not easy leveling two toons at once but I'm making it work, thus far. They're only lvls 26 and 24 so I'm still in the easy part of the game. Later on I may need to choose one to finish leveling and then go back to the other. I've made a Worgen Rogue and Goblin Mage. I like them both a lot but find playing the rogue is a bit easier, since I'm very used to the Alliance zones. The quests on my mage are wicked funny and it's a better storyline than Alliance. However, Horde cities suck ass! I can't find anything in any of the cities. WTF! My son has proven a good guide and he's been able to show me where things are but I hate that I run around for 20 minutes trying to figure out how to get from where I am to where the book is on my map!

All-in-all, playing again has been a lot of fun :o)

Cataclysmic

Cataclysm came out earlier this week and I've decided to start playing again. I just have the very tough decision to make of which server to play on. Zach is on Lightninghoof with the Realmsies... pvp server and they're playing horde. Gray is on Bleeding Hollow with his brothers... pvp server and they're playing alliance. A friend is playing alliance on a pve server. Now, generally speaking, I think I would enjoy a pve server this time around. I tried a pvp server and the pvp you get over a pve server just isn't all that fun. I would also like to take my time and enjoy the story in leveling my next toon. I did that with my first but have blazed through levels with all my others since. The story has apparently changed a lot so I'm ready to take my time with it again.

So, who to play with, if anyone?

I love Alcohol Inks!

I know I don't talk much about them but I really love Alcohol Inks. I love them because they are so versatile. I may not use them as much as my distress inks but I do use them a lot. Usually in little ways; and once in a big way!

Last spring, my son was prepping for Anime Boston. He had a blue wig for his Saix costume but it wasn't quite the right shade of blue.

The solution? To purchase a blonde wig and dye it with alcohol inks. Now, getting a couple of tiny bottles of ink to last for a whole wig wasn't easy and I'll be doing some things a bit different next time. We mixed equal parts alcohol ink and 70% isopropyl alcohol (the cheap stuff from the drug store). Then sprayed it on the wig in spits and spurts, massaging it around every few minutes. Here it is while still wet.

 

 And here's a close-up!

It's still not quite the right shade but it looks great. I love the various shades of blue throughout the hair. I told the shop where he buys his wigs about Alcohol inks but they haven't started selling them, yet :o)

Oh how easy it is...

It's so easy to let life fly by without taking the time to breathe. Between moving a month ago and finishing an art journal workshop and making cards and canvases to sell, I have hardly taken a moment to myself. I have hardly taken a moment to spend quality time with my family. My poor son has rarely seen me (though at 15 I question how much he WANTS to see me).

This weekend will be a glorious 4 days so I can do a lot. This weekend I will put up some of the cards I've made, as well as a couple of my latest canvases. This weekend I will be creative just for the sake of getting messy. This weekend I will reluctantly catch up on laundry and housework. This weekend I will sleep in and make some baked potato soup! Yum!

I had an idea today while listing to music at work. I often create with music as my inspiration. I enjoy taking part in Scrapping the Music's weekly song challenge to use lyrics in art and for years I have scrapped my favorite songs. Since I've been exploring art journaling more and more, my mind has shifted gears a bit toward capturing feelings and not just images or thoughts. I am going to expiriment a bit with music. I'll pick a song and put it on replay and listen to it for a set time...say 10 minutes. And I will throw down on paper whatever moves me. I have always visualized abstract images in my mind when listening to music. I can't wait to experiment this weekend

Prima's October Giveaway

Check out what Prima is giving away this month!

Head to their blog for your chance to win.

PL Sketch 41

Pencil Lines is celebrating four years of inspiring us. To celebrate, each design team member picked a past sketch and created a layout based on that sketch. And we were all invited to participate, too! Here's my take on sketch 41.

This layout is a collection of photos of my children feeding a baby alpaca at Mike's Maze last October. I was kinda shocked at how much fun they had feeding a $1 cup of food to the little guy. He was wicked cute and apparently tickled your hand as he nibbled at the food.


I used all Cosmo Cricket papers and rub-ons, except the black cardstock. I colored the flourishes with my black zig and orange glaze pen to mimic the CC flower rub-on. The title was suggested by 2 out of 3 surveyed so how could I not use it!

Quick new layout

STM #155 This is Home and PL Anniversary Sketch 145.

I Can Go For Miles

Here's a layout for this week's Scrapping the Music 151 Get This Party Started and a challenge over at scrapbook.com.

This is Zach as I found him 2 minutes after we got home from this year's Relay for Life. He walked 52.5 miles over 22 hours. He fell asleep on the couch until I urged him to bed a few hours later and then he slept until the next morning... and he really needed it! And even after so much pain and exhaustion, when he woke he was ready to aim for the 24 hour walk at next years fundraiser :o)

OK, I took a photo in the daylight and it's a little better. It's overcast today so I still had to use the flash and just couldn't find that perfect angle for no glare so there is a spot on Zach's arm :o)

Thanks for stopping by!

Couple new layouts

One of Gwen playing in the woods. She is a forest fairy at heart. She can spend days on end playing with rocks, sticks, leaves and some dirt. I love her inquisitive outlook on life and how ready she is to explore the world around her.

And one of me when I was 18 and living in Germany. That was my rebellious time in life, though I still wasn't very rebellious :o) I would skip school to go to the local pool hall with friends and we would drink our afternoon away.

Funky!

Here's a layout using this weeks Scrapping the Music #149 Love Shack and Pencil Lines Sketch 202.

This is a photo of Zach this summer juggling with a fleece contraption he made out of scraps of fabric. He's so creative and once he gets an idea in his head he just goes for it. I love that view on life.

The red frames are the negatives from my iron fence border punch. I doodled anywhere I felt was too bland :o)

Art Journaling Week at Balzer Designs

Last week was Art Journaling week at Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's blog. I took this opportunity to once again try out art journaling.

My first attempt was this page:

I made this after reading Linda Tieu's post. The background was made by first dripping aquamarine and sage green paint all over the page and then brushing it out. I then filled in the white bits with orange and blue watercolor pencils. I'm not pleased with the black crackle sticker. But it is what it is. I started to jot down random thoughts similar to Julie's example and Judy Wise's style (so love her blog)! I'll be honest, I'm not terribly confident in this style. I think more practice is in order.

I made this second page at work on Friday:

I haven't been sleeping well (thus the My mind conspires against me) and Friday morning I woke after an unusual dream; I started randomly writing my thoughts. I then just outlined the string of text... I liked it before the lines. Again, I will need to try this again sometime. I like to just write whatever comes to mind in any random way. I do that often... just never in an "art journal".

This last page is what I made this morning:

This was made after reading this post by Julie. I had the most fun with this style. This William Butler Yeats poem was made into a song by one of my fave magical groups, Elvendrums. We love the song and my daughter gave me the idea to use it on the page. I saw the photo in a magazine and thought he needed wings... that was as far as I had planned the page. Next time I think I need to blend the photo edges into the page more... especially at the bottom.

All in all, this was fun and I'll be making moar (yes, moar, not more! gaming has ruined me and I give up trying to fix this) pages in the future. I won a spot in Marit's Let It Loose workshop and I can't wait to learn moar techniques. Once I've got the technique to apply what goes on in my brain I'll be all set :o)

Scrap Paper Mini Albums

A few months ago I saw a tutorial on Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's blog on binding mini albums. I gave it a go and made these two for some friends (I actually made these as soon as I saw the tutorial in March but I'm so bad about updating my blog).

This one for Liz and Erica's trip to the Grand Canyon:

And this one for Kathleen's new furbaby:

My favorite thing was that I got to use scraps of paper from other projects. On Liz and Erica's album, you can see that I covered the spine after thoroughly destroying it. I did a bit better with Wyatt's so left it exposed :o) I used a 7 Gypsies cover for one and the covers of a Cosmo Cricket album for the other. Check out Julie's tutorial and give it a whirl.

I'm Still Gonna Shine

Here's a layout I made for the Scrapping the Music #147 - Remedy by Jason Mraz and Pencil Lines #200. This week's PL Sketch also had a color palette to inspire us.

Here are the sketch and color palette:

And here is my layout:

The photo is kind of dark and you can see the brown pillow I propped it on for the photo. I need to take the layout into work to get a better photo on our light table! I'll do that tomorrow :o)

These are some photos of Zach over the past year. When I read the lyrics, "You can turn off the sun but I'm still gonna shine" I immediately thought of him and how he refuses to give in to society norms. He likes to push people's perceptions and make them rethink how they judge people. I've said it before and I'll say it again, he's a great kid with a great head on his shoulders. He is so very caring and fun and funny and smart... and I'm not just saying that because he's my son... others will tell you the same. He just so happens to love coloring his hair and wearing rainbow clothes and prancing through parking lots :o)

The hidden journaling tag reads: At 15 you STILL know who you are. Not many kids your age can say that. Don't ever let anyone get in the way of you being you. You are loving, funny, fun and smart. Keeping shining through all the dark moments life will throw at you. Love you always <3 Mommy

Let Go, Jump In

Here is my latest layout inspired by this week's Scrapping the Music 146 Let Go. I used Pencil Lines sketch 199.

Journaling says: Zach broke out in dance and showed the world even teenagers can have old-fashioned fun.
Hidden journaling says: This photo is Zach at last year's Relay for Life, 2009. The kids cooled off by hitting up the Spray Park at Look Park. Here he is dancing in one of the up-sprays :o) I love this photo of him!

Shiny Happy People

Here is a layout inspired by this week's Scrapping the Music challenge #145, Shiny Happy People. The photo is Gwen from last summer's Relay for Life at Look Park. The second day of the Relay was crazy hot so the kids would make pit stops at the Spray Park. They really let loose and had a lot of fun. I just re-found these photos and can't wait to scrap one of Zach's... he's dancing in the middle of one of the up-sprays.

Two new layouts

Since returning from Spain I've only done a couple layouts. I've spent most of my time getting life back to normal...or as normal as life can be for us :o)

Sibz is a photo of the chillin's last summer. They were doing some crazy racing up and down a hill. Since Zach has about 2' on Gwen he would pick a non-traditional racing method. First he ran backward... and won. Next he tried doing a round of somersaults. He couldn't get back up the hill but held the lead up to that point. Then it was onto the two-legged jumping. He didn't make down the hill still on his feet :o) And so was obviously disqualified. All in all, they both had a lot of fun and I wanted to capture that.

The layout itself was created as part of a round robin scraplift challenge at sb.com. The person I lifted had a circle in the bg and so I made a broken circle design to put behind the flowers and photo. But it just looked too busy so I took that out and added spokes to keep a sense of circular frame.

Mouse is a layout I created for my sister who struggled with addiction for years and has recently taken huge strides toward sobriety. I want to encourage every positive step she takes to the life she deserves. I wrote the lyrics to a chant I love around the edge of the bg paper:

I've been searching through the darkness.
Return to me beloved.
For the night's gone on too long.
Return to me my love.
I won't rest until I've found you.
Return to me beloved.
And you bring me back the dawn.
Return to me my love.

I made the little flowers from a tutorial on the CC blog and stitched on a piece of ribbon, the beads and circle jewelry charms. I made a hidden journaling tag talking more about why I made the layout. I first had the lyrics written under where the word return is but it was so blah I had to change it. So I cut out "RETURN", inked the letters on the same green paper that's behind the photo and attached the letters with 3d foam dots. I Used PL Sketch 194.

I'll be camping again this weekend but need to get to creating again. I have so many ideas sketched out while on vacation and I will lose my enthusiasm if I wait too long :o)

I Love 7Gypsies

I'm back from an amazingly relaxing vacation and catching up on my favorite blogs. 7 Gypsies is posting again and have made this cute video:

Relay Update!

I'm so proud of Zach and his team! They stayed on track and had someone on the track for the whole event.

Zach set his personal goal to walk for 24 hours. Unfortunately, he became too exhausted after walking 51.25 miles over the course of 21.5 hours and I had to pull him off the track. He will be trying to walk the 24 hours again next year.

While I was chaperoning through the night I did this layout. I started working on it at about midnight and finished it at about 10 a.m., meaning I got to the journaling and doodled at about 28 hours of awakeness. I'm the sort of person that really needs a full 9 hours of sleep to function properly so I was quite delerious. I didn't work on for the straight 10 hours but did so off and on. I used PL Sketch 188 and the title is from this weeks Scrapping the Music. I also followed the criteria for a couple of challenges over at scrapbook.com. It's a summary of the past year with my family.

NoHo Relay for Life

The Relay started just about 1.5 hours ago and I can't wait to get there! Zach and I baked about 200 cookies last night and decorated them with purple ribbons. He's really excited this year and is going to be trying to do the 24-hour walk. I will be heading over after work to cheer him and his team, The Fireflies, on. Wish him luck in walking for 24 non-stop hours!

Here he is last year after 2 hours of sleep and 19 hours of walking! Good thing Gwen is so light or he'd have toppled over!

If I Only Had A Brain

This day is not going well for me. It's as though I left my brain in bed, snoozing away on this chilly spring day. I forgot that I paid rent on the first... like I have on the first of every month since 1998. I sent an email to Gray asking if he remembered why I withdrew such a large sum of money from my account on 06-01. When I realized it was rent, I emailed him to let him know I figured it out. Except that instead of entering his email... I entered my own. A few minutes later I got an email from me...omg. and it's not even 11, yet.

Plugging away at Gray's Nan's album he asked me to make her. I've only done a handful of mini-albums and still struggle with the tiny size. I might start over. I've only attached a few photos and am just really not at all happy with it so far. I think if I go with a more square size I will be more in my comfort zone and happy with it. While I think it's great to experiment in my creations, I have a deadline that I will not meet at my current rate... too much second-guessing everything I do and redo... a few times.

Work is a bit ugh, too. I just can't get into the groove... and I'm not being very efficient....which is why I find myself posting this message just before 11 on a Wednesday... a time I should be doing something work-related.

15 days til vacation! Yay! And friends will be staying at our house to take care of the fur-babies. Yay!
I was so worried about having to put them in a kennel. With Miss K out of school and the Mr. and Mrs. working just up the road from me they'll be hanging with Nakor and Persanna. And it's a good short-term summer job for Miss K. I mean, who wouldn't love a job playing with extra-fuzzy bundles of cuddly joy?!

Anywho, back to work...bleh!

Two more layouts

I've wanted to scrap this photo of Zach for quite some time. I just love how happy he looks! He's a really happy kid, even at 15, but trying to capture that bliss in photos can be very difficult. His smile hasn't changed in the past 10 years.. it's still ear to ear, full on every time he smiles. He's not one of those kids who try to downplay their smile... when he's happy the world knows it.

This second layout is of Gray, Zach and Gwen at the white house on Mt. Holyoke. It's from a couple summers ago and I love that it's a photo of the three of them together. I really enjoyed making this layout. The circle was made with paint and a scrap cardstock circle I had laying around. I used a toothbrush to add the paint and just kept dipping in 4 different colors of paint and let it take shape. I like how soft the edges became because the paint was so wet. I then used two speckled flower stamps, stormy sky distress ink and silver glittery embossing powder to frame a space for the photo. I found the cut strips of orange/pink paper left on my table from a previous layout (Traditions) and thought they worked well with the paint. I had a few nearly finished off packs of rub-ons so used those up. I ran a few stitches on the page to hold down the photo and matting papers and then felt it was all too center-heavy. So I started to give it a thin edge of the dark blue paint I had left from making the center. My toothbrush slipped a few times and it became a thicker line :o) All in all I had fun making the layout and am really happy with the results.

Check Out Celine's New Class

What will you do during the Soccer World Cup this summer?
Your husband is CRAZY about Soccer and you already feel anxious about the World Cup being the NUMBER ONE priority in the house?
Scared to be bored?



NO WAY! COME AND SCRAP WITH ME INSTEAD!
 

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·      a private blog with workshops posted every Tuesday and Friday with exclusive and brand new layouts made by Céline

·      new color combos twice a week

·      new sketches posted twice a week

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·      my "soccer" and "non-soccer" thoughts and feelings (always in a funny way)

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Don't feel like you HAVE to watch the Soccer games, get READY TO SCRAP!

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SCRAP World Cup online Class

For those of you whose husband doesn't like soccer, or if you go on vacation, know that you'll have access to the online class for the whole summer! (or winter, depends on where on the planet you live) :)

SIGN-UPS until JUNE 10th 2010. BEGINNING OF THE WORKSHOPS : JUNE 11th2010. END OF WORKSHOPS : JULY 11th 2010.

Busy Weekend!

I was so crazy busy scrapbooking this weekend. My car broke down Friday night so I couldn't really go anywhere. And what else is a girl to do when trapped in her house for a rainy, miserable weekend? Scrap! And I have to warn you... this is a bit longer then most of my posts!

First, here's my layout for this week's Scrapping the Music - The Rainbow Connection. I love this song and knew I wanted to scrap my children for it. This is them last Autumn at Mike's Corn Maze. The day started out rocky but this is how they were by the end :o) I love seeing them so happy together! I used Pencil Lines 185.

Then I finished these two for some challenges over at scrapbook.com. I just love challenges... they really push me to think outside my comfort zone.

First is this layout using the Material Girl/Garden Variety double deck I won on the Cosmo Cricket blog. I made the flowers from a tutorial on their blog as well.

And then I finished this one last night. My daughter, sister and niece posing so well while visiting Fort Michilimackinac last summer. My daughter was even panting in the role of the family dog :o) They were really getting into it! My brother, sister and I used to visit Mackinac a lot as children and it was so fun taking my daughter and niece there for their first visit. I would like to make this a 2-page layout but need more of that Graphic 45 paper I used for the background. Here are the 2 other photos to go with it:

And finally, I started this layout because I love these photos! They make me laugh every time I see them. My son is getting quite tall.. he's about 6' now. My brother is 6'4" and last summer Zach asked, "Hey Uncle Don, do you think you can still give me a piggy-back ride?" So, up he jumps and of course, if Zach does something, Gwen wants to do it, too. So, up she goes, on her brother's back, who is still on their Uncle. And poor Miss Alexis couldn't be left out she over she ran to be held by Uncle Don :o) However, every time I look at the layout, I just see the awesome photos and great memory. I haven't put anything on the page and can't think of anything to put on the page! Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome :o)

Keep Your Head Up High

I created this layout for Scrapping the Music 131 Just Fine and Pencil Lines 184.





My niece was born with epilepsy. Each time she has a growth spurt her medications fail and she begins having siezures. Many of them occur while she sleeps and this has started affecting her education and ability to store what she's learned. As she becomes more aware that she is different she loses confidence in herself. So, to her I say Keep Your Head Up High.

A Scrapping First for Me!

I have been playing along with the Scrapping the Music challenge blog lately and won this week's challenge with my "Will You Hear Me" layout. The song was Just Fine by 40 Dogs. I am really inspired by the lyrics each week and sometimes even the music inspires the look of my layout... sets the mood, if you will. I highly recommend you come join the fun and play along :o)

Will You Hear Me?

For Scrapping the Music #130, 40 Dogs, and Pencil Lines 183



Picture it flipped and with less paper, more ink :o)



As Zach works through the teen years, at times we struggle with our relationship. More then ever I feel the need to remind him that he's a great kid and I will always love him.