Poetry can tell a story....

Hello, and happy day!

     We have been enjoying simply lovely weather here in Northern California, and so when I saw the color palatte for this week's Color, Stories, Inspiration Challenge, I was really inspired.  As someone who really loves working with color, this set of colors made me really happy!

Here's the case file:


     See what I mean? Gorgeous!!
I thought a lot about what subject I wanted to do... since I don't celebrate birthdays anymore (since I've been 29 for a few years now....), and I only have a husband and a son (and these aren't exactly masculine colors...) I decided to do something that would incorporate myself and my son together in a non-birthday setting. After perusing the testimony column, I knew I would have to do "wishes"... for those of you that don't know, my son Miles was born with a rare genetic syndrome, and is permanently disabled.  He can't speak, has low muscle tone, and although he can walk, he is losing mobility as he grows.  He likes to play, but has fine motor issues, so we are constantly trying to find new things for him to do.

As his parents, my DH and I have always tried to keep a positive attitude for him as well as ourselves... but that doesn't mean that we don't wish things were different for our boy.  Although he can't speak, has trouble doing even simple tasks, and can't walk without pain, he is about the happiest child I know... nothing ever gets him down for long!

I have always been pretty good at making up rhymes... I used to do it as a child, and I still love to do it as an adult... it comes in handy too for making up songs for Miles, since he constantly wants someone to sing to him!  I love to use poetry on my layouts, because I feel it invokes a certain response in people- happy, sad, loving, melancholy... whatever the emotion, poetry tells a story.

For this challenge, I sat down and wrote a poem about my son, and some of the wishes I have for him in his life....

 

I wish I had the courage to face your every day...

the way you walk, the way you "talk",

The way you need to play.

 

I wish I could be better at understanding you,

I do my best, I cannot rest

until we can break through...

 

I wish that you could walk around without a lot of pain,

talk up a "blue streak", sing ME a song,

or play out in the rain.

 

I wish your fate were different,

that your life was not so hard.

If it were almost anyone else but you

they might be scarred.

 

You face each challenge bravely,

giving out big hugs and kisses...

my love for you will never end,

and neither will my WISHES...

 

 

So what do you think? Did my poetry tell a story?

 

So without further ado, here is my layout:

 

So for this layout, I used as my "evidence" scallops, circular things,

transparency (the poem is printed on transparency and then sewn onto

paper), dots, labels, numbers, banners and large flowers...





For my "testimony", I used the "wish" prompts...

I also took advantage of the lovely files that CSI provides for each of the

challenges, incorporating the banners, number labels, background paper

and tags into my design.

 

I wanted to create a very special layout for a very special boy, and I do think

I accomplished that...  writing my own poem put a very personal "stamp" on this

layout that my family will cherish for years to come...

I highly encourage one and all to try your hand at writing a poem or a saying to

add that personal touch to your layouts!

 

 

                           Shelley

 

You at the Zoo....

Hi all!

     So I decided to to enter the last of the September challenges at Once Upon a Sketch and their collaboration with Color Stories Inspiration (CSI).... here is their last "case file" for the month...

    I absolutely LOVE this color palette, and knew I had just the right

         picture to use with it....

            Here is how I "solved" this case:

I used all the colors, and the sketch provided for inspiration, and in the evidence column I used leaves and chalk... from the testimony column I used a lesson plan format for my journaling, and all three of the inspiration words, which I highlighted..

 

This was the journaling I did in the form of a lesson plan... I used a publishing

 program to print the lesson, then wrote in the information by hand, using the

inspiration words from the challenge.

I die cut the "You" in the title using the Cricut Graphically Speaking cartridge...

I hand cut the little pennants, then used a white paint dauber on them...

 I stamped the "at the" on them and hung them  from a brown fiber string. 

The "Zoo" part of the title was cut from the Cricut Groovy Times cartridge...

I really love mixing colors, textures and patterns... sometimes I get asked how do you

all make it work and look composed and cohesive on a project...?  My answer is to lay

everything out on the page before tacking it down... don't be afraid to try putting something

on there you think may (or may not...) work... there have been so many times an

 embellishment I thought would work hasn't, and one that I didn't think would work, has. 

 And lastly, PLAY, PLAY, PLAY with your layout... in other words, try to get away

from a picture you might have in your head, and be open to other arrangements... I have

found that very often the project will tell YOU when it's done!

This cute little pennant string was cut using the Cricut Lite Carousel cartridge...

just one of the many little details on this layout. 

 

 

This project was SO much fun... the pictures are my son Miles' first trip to the

 Sacramento Zoo.. he was a little scared to put his face in the face hole, but

 eventually did and I got some great pics!

 

I hope you enjoy seeing this layout as much as I enjoyed creating it!

 

           Shelley

 

 

Check out my new gallery!

Mornin' everyone!

It's a beautiful day here in sunny (and hot!) northern California, and so I am taking advantage of my air conditioning to catch up on blogging and FB....

I wanted to let you all know I also have a gallery over at Scrapbook.com....Dizzy Blond's Gallery
I have posted some things I did when I was designing and teaching at local stores, as well as some projects that have been commission pieces in the past... I will continue posting projects as soon as I get them done, so I would love it if you bookmarked it and came to visit!

Thanks for all your kind comments... I really appreciate all the encouragement!

Shelley

Another CSI Challenge at Once Upon a Sketch....

Hi...

I decided to enter the next Once Upon a Sketch CSI Challenge... a softer palette than the last challenge, and I am quite pleased with the result..

Here is the "case file"

And here is my interpretation:

The paper is by Basic Grey... "Periphery"

 

 

 The overall layout... I used all the colors and the sketch provided, 

the "evidence" I used from the list was branches, bird, flowers,

misting and woodgrain...

 

 

 I put my journaling in a little pull out tag behind the picture mat...

from the "testimony" I used documenting a pet (or in the case, pets..),

use a border and an inspiration word... "Together".

 

 

Handwritten sentiments are always a really nice touch...

 

 

  I'm a stickler for small details... like the metal dots on this flourish

 and lots of inking....

 

 

  More tiny details... they can add texture as well as visual interest.

 

Well, I'm off to submit this... I really like doing these challenges, because it means I have a

goal to work towards... plus, I can get caught up on some of my personal scrapbooks!

 

So, I can say, another "case closed"!

 

                         Shelley 

Zva Creative Blog Hop....

  So, in my world of being a new blogger, I have seen this fascinating thing called a "blog hop".... I had no idea what that was, so I decided to check it out.  One of the blogs I follow is by the very talented Tara Orr at http://eachmoment-onlyonce.blogspot.com/ , and so that is where I started... Boy, was I glad I did! If you are not familiar with the blog hop concept, you start with the sponsoring blog, in this case Zva Creative, http://www.zvacreative.com/wordpress/  and they provide a list of participating blogs. Start with one of the blogs, leave a comment, and they provide a link to the next blog that is participating... In this case, Zva Creative is giving away a prize package, and the more blogs you visit and leave comments at, the better your chances of winning.  This is a great way of seeing other designer's work, and seeing a company's product in action.  I was not familiar with Zva Creative, and now have a new company to use in my own creations... It was a lot of fun to blog hop, and although this was my first one, it certainly won't be my last!

Shelley

CSI Challenge #37 Layout is done!

Howdy!

Better late than never... I still made the deadline for this challenge, I think! So, to refresh your memory, the rules were to use the sketch provided, all the colors specified, two elements from the evidence list, and one element from the testimony list....  Here's the sketch:


And here is my interpretation... what do you think?

 

 

 The pictures are of my sweet boy when he was a toddler and we went to Muir Beach here in California.  He really enjoyed feeling his feet in the sand!

 

I am really pleased with this layout... hope you like it too!

 

Case Closed!!!

 

 

               Shelley                                                                   

 

Paper: Authentique "Fresh" Collection

Stickers:  Authentique "Fresh" Collection

 

                                                                          





 



Halloween Overload?

Hi all!

     As you may have noticed by now, I really love Halloween.... I know all of the projects I have posted so far are spooky related, and of course, I have another today.... but never fear! I DO make projects other than the tried-and-true orange and black.. I am just in the holiday spirit and happen to be posting these projects to Ebay and Etsy now... I have the CSI challenge layout almost done, which I will post (hopefully!) tomorrow, and some upcoming Christmas and vintage looking projects coming as well....

     So, keep tuning in for a lot more fun things to come!

Shelley

 

Album- Kaisercraft

Tag Embellishments- Seneca Pond Crafts

Paper- Rusty Pickle "Addams Family Collection"