A Pocketful of Licorice

By the Numbers sneaks

Yesterday it snowed all day, so I put together my layouts with Cocoa Daisy's February kit, By the Numbers. As you might expect, there are lots of number-y products in this one, and a great CD exclusive number stamp. I love this month's stamps and am still planning to do a few projects to feature them, because I didn't get around to using them on my main layouts. 

I adore the Sassafras Lass paper in this kit! They were my all time favorite paper and I'm still so sad!

More fun with frisket film on this layout. 

And more hidden journaling. I made a big pocket out of vellum on this layout. 

Sassafras paper again, and I made friendship pins. I miss those things on my sneakers. 

The reveal is on January 28th, so be sure to check out the DT gallery when it goes up - my fellow DT members always blow me away with their amazing work!

 

truth

A quick one this morning. Mainly to play with lettering. I want to learn how to do calligraphy. This quote will be my next embroidery project. With the cassette, if I can swing it. I'm not that skilled at embroidery. 

Yeah, I downloaded a Dead song. Shut up. I was inspired by the series finale of Freaks and Geeks. It's a pretty song. 

a few simple things

Hi there,

I'm feeling a little better today, thanks in large part, I'm sure, to the sun. I'm so susceptible to gray weather funks. Stella seems a bit better. I still have that nagging worry, but for now she is content and comfortable, so I'm trying not to let this weigh on my mind so heavily. 

I hope everyone had a safe and fun night. I have a class of freshman this year that I must have told at one point to "make good decisions." I think they were talking about the weekend and some of the things they had planned for it. So as they were leaving, I gave them the standard teacher admonition. Now, one of my girls tells me to make good decisions every day on her way out the door. "Bye Ms. Wade, make good decisions!" Anyway, I hope you all made good decisions last night. 

I did nothing for new year's eve. No, that's not true. I read in bed with the cats. I'm alternating between The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner and The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe. As a typed that, I realized the irony. 

This morning I put together a quick art journal page...

Trying to keep it simple this time. The boom boom came from inside a LUSH bath bomb. I love those. 

Then I looked back through the pages and found this one I did probably a month ago. It seems appropriate to post it now. I still want to do those things, so maybe it will serve as a sort of to-do list for 2012.

So there. Some goals for the new year. A confession: My skeptical, cynical, analytical mind knows that New Year's Day is an arbitrary construction, but the part of me that hopes and dreams is drawn to the idea of a fresh start, nonetheless. 

 

a year in scrapbook pages, or everybody else is doing it...

so I, too, will share my favorite layouts of the past year. And maybe some thoughts, if I'm feeling it. Though not a terrible year, it's ending on a sour note and that's clouding my ability to view the last twelve months objectively. 

I'm actually going to pick them out while I'm writing this. Most of them were made with Cocoa Daisy kits. Here goes...

I still love this one. I really like the way my union jack turned out. 

And this one, I love because I remember it coming together so effortlessly. Usually, I struggle to make layouts that I sort of like. But I threw this one together easily and I love it. 

I really like hand-cut, glittery titles. 

I may never take that note out and read it, but I like that it's there. 

I don't know, I just like it. 

Love the honeycomb stamp and that picture of my C. Bear. 

I love the song that the title comes from, and I like the way the layout came together. 

I almost didn't post this layout because that picture punches me in the heart, but I really like the layout, so here it is. 

This one's my all-time favorite of the year. I love the way the misting and stitching worked out. 

Simpler than usual, but I love the title. 

And I love these sequins so much. I know I just posted this one a couple days ago, but I really like it. 

So those are my favorites. 

Stella won't take her liquid medicine so I'm going to try pills. I'm still worried about her. Sad face. 

Tea and Cupcakes

Cocoa Daisy's January kit was revealed last night, so I'm posting two days in a row (I know, I'm on a roll now) to share my layouts. Lots of sweet little goodies in this one.

Wow. I didn't realize what a crappy picture that is. Kind of blurry. I did the title with a frisket film mask. Most of my layouts this month are about Holiday Fun, which was in Providence/Pawtucket this year. 

To be honest, these layouts were tough for me. Not because I don't love the kit, but because I wasn't in the mood for scrapping. I've heard that some people are able to channel sadness and worry into bursts of creativity, but it just drains me and makes me feel blah. So I really wasn't up for creating anything. I think you can tell, sort of. 

I just don't feel like any of it is up to par. 

Especially the Providence College layout, above. I totally hate the way that one turned out. 

This is the only one I kind of like. I don't know why I hid the journaling. It's about little things that make me sad. Like Elliott Smith's voice. It's not super-personal. Sometimes I write things I don't feel like sharing, I guess. 

There's something wrong with Stella's liver. We're trying medicine, which may or may not work because the vet doesn't really know what the problem is. Have I mentioned that I love this cat more than almost anything? I keep randomly crying. I'm kind of a mess right now. 

I'm about to try going to the gym. Because I feel like some exercise could improve my outlook and I've been away for a week now and I need to get back. Please don't let me cry in public. 

on a break

Hi there everyone,

It seems I've been on an extended blog break since September. I knew this school year was going to be rough on the blogging, but I thought I'd manage more than once a month. Currently, I'm on an actual break from school. We have this week off. But I'm out of the habit of blogging regularly. And I'm kind of sad and worried, which saps any creative or productive impulses I may normally have. I think my cat is sick. I'm waiting to hear from the vet about test results, but I can tell something's wrong and in my head I'm making up worst case scenarios. Which is what I do, because I'm a pessimist. I love her with a ridiculous intensity, considering she's an animal. Anyway, I'm sad. I wish she would get up and act normal, but she just lies there. And every time I look at her I want to cry. 

So that's what's happening this week. I have no excuse for the rest of the weeks of this month. 

But I have this layout to share. I did it a few weeks ago. 

It's about a box of cassettes I can't bring myself to throw away. Sentimental sap. 

Cocoa Daisy January layouts are coming tomorrow, and our gallery reveal is tonight. Check it out on the message board. 

Amber Snowflake

Cocoa Daisy's December kit is Amber Snowflake, and although we don't really have any snowflakes yet here in CT, I loved playing with this kit. It's warm and lovely and perfect for me since I don't tend to use traditional green and red christmas stuff. 

Here are some layouts I made with the kit...

I love the way the cool, neutral, wintry accents in the kit worked with my Hipstamatic pics from last Christmas.

Hidden journaling. I love this stencil!

C. Bear is too adorable. It's not even fair. 

Go check out the DT gallery for more lovely layouts with the kit, and stop by the store. The main kit and most add-ons are still available!

 

 

Thanksgiving favorites

Thanksgiving is always at my uncle and aunt's house and it's always nice, but this year, I really had a blast. It was great to catch up with my cousins (and a couple of my brothers I don't get to see all that often). And I got to gobble up Baby Claire, who is cuter every time I see her even though that hardly seems possible. Here are a few pictures...

Seriously, we can't get enough of that baby. 

Hope you all had a nice holiday!

Evolving

Today, I wanted to share some recent Instagram snapshots of my house. Things are gradually taking shape, although I feel like I've still got a million projects to do. 

The cat's pajamas print from the Black Apple is the newest addition. 

I'm not super keen on fake flowers, and real flowers are kind of a pain to keep up. But I've been rocking these shimmery berries for a while. I really love them. 

I didn't make this afghan, but my goal for the winter is to learn to crochet. I think I can take lessons at the yarn store in Putnam. Will look into it. 

Man, I love ridiculous ceramic objects. 

And I'm feeling the need to embroider more words soon. I just need to find a suitable quote or lyric.

Someday, there will be pictures of entire rooms. Right now it's just little corners that I'm happy with. 

the rest of the crop layouts...

from last weekend. I really got a lot done. When work gets busy, I feel like my creativity is sapped. But I feel like I found it while working on layouts for the crop, and it felt good. 

We'll be picking winners for all the crop challenges really soon. The deadline is 8PM eastern today. It's been exciting to see all the wonderful work our members have created!

I did this one for Ali's typography challenge...

And this one for Danielle's ceramics challenge...

And this one for Julie's lettering challenge...

And this one for Lisa's labels challenge...

And this one for Kim's re-purposed challenge...

And this one for Sharmaine's jams & jellies challenge...

And this one for Emily's knit & crochet challenge...

And this one for Alissa's decoupage challenge...

And I think that's it. All sixteen of them. Whew! 

By the way, I just got December's kit, Amber Snowflake, in the mail and it's absolutely stunning and possibly a new favorite and I've already started working with it. I love non-traditional Christmas kits. Though we're also offering an absolutely gigantic Christmas kit for those of you who want to do a December daily or just stock up on all the newest Christmas goodies. The Christmas kit is on sale now!