Mosaic Moments Challenge 11 -- Things That Make Me Smile

So many things make me smile that I’ve decided to create a whole scrapbook about things that make me smile. But for today, I’ve picked an object that makes me smile – it’s my bird feeder.

We got the feeder on 2011, so I picked three events that made me smile as they unfolded.

The first is and in the upper right hand corner:

SQUIRREL!

 DOVER, DE — Oct 10, 2011: The manufacturers of this bird-feeder said it was squirrel proof. I guess nobody told the squirrels. That made me smile.

The second takes four pictures to tell the story:

RED BIRD DOWN!

DOVER, DE — July 16, 2012:  I didn’t know a drama was unfolding until one of my students came into my studio and said that something strange was happening around the bird feeder. I ran outside and started taking pictures.

  “Put down that contraption and come help me, fool!” the agitated cardinal seemed to say. I walked closer, clicking pix the whole time. Then I saw Red Bird down!. I brought him into the house and about an hour later returned him to his natural habitat while shooing our cat away. After the class, birdsong filled the air. I knew Red Bird made it home. That made me smile

And the last is in the upper left hand corner:

FEEDING FRIENDS IN NEED

MAKES ME SMILE

DOVER, DE — March 25, 2013: This season’s last snow made our bird feeder the place to be for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or so this Chickadee and Sparrow seemed to think.  Even more birds were searching for fallen seeds on the ground. I can’t help but smile when I see them congregating at this place I’ve provided for their provision. Is this how God feels when He sees us fellowshipping together in His name?

I thought about stamping and coloring corresponding birds but opted for jounaling squares instead. I inked the edges of the journaling pieces with Colorbox black fluid chalk. Now I need to make my husband smile. I’m going to fix his lunch. Have a great day.

Mosaic Moments Design Team Challenge

Our assignment was to convey a “forget-me-not” message; more specifically, what we want others (and ourselves) to remember about oursleves at this phase in our lives. We were also to choose String, Mosaic Moments Cornerstones, and/or Doodles as an element or elements in our layout. 

As far as how I want to be remembered, among, many things, I want to be remembered as an artist. My artistic journey has taken many twists and turns, but it’s always been there, sometimes taunting me, at other times blossoming through me, and always fighting its way to the surface. This layout chronicles some of my artistic endeavors. 

As far as the process involved in this page, I knew I wanted to add doodles, but I wasn’t sure of how many. I started by dusting off some very old Sizzix alphabet dies and cut them out using Paper Cuts Licorice black cardstock for the shadows and Copic Blend-It cardstock for the detail layer.  Using a 0.5 black Copic multiliner pen, I doodled the flowers and colored them with B21, B24, B29 and G21. I liked the general effect, so I continued with the black framing and doodled squares throughout the rest of the layout. I added a little extra depth by placing large faux pearls at the top of each diamond.  I did not pop the squares. They seem to pop all by themselves. The title “Artistic” and books are the only pieces using foam dots on the page. for more on this story, visit my challenge response on www.journella.com.

I don't understand why my pictures keep coming up sideways! Thank heavens they're right in journella. This is my "Bobbie" designOur challenge involved Bahama Blue paper, handwritten journaling, free downloads from the SnapNCrop page, and a sticker. We had choices about which elements we used . . . I used them all.

One thing I love about the Mosaic Moments technique is its simplicity and the ability to accommodate so many design options. This is our seventh design team challenge and I chose Page Pattern 64. Because of an overly busy schedule, I didn’t get to do this project until the evening of March 8^th, the day (evening) after we returned from Stamping By the Sea 2013 in Ocean City, MD. One of the convention organizers (Kathy) has this gorgeous Macaw parrot named Bobbi. Last year I got stunning photos of her with her precious parrot. What better way to show off our Bahama paper than to use an exotic bird whose coloring seems to be the inspiration for this color set?

I even managed to incorporate all the optional elements this time:

1. I downloaded the letters and journaling element from Snapcrop.
2. I wrote a note on the journaling element about my intentions to use Bobbi as my coloring model for a Macaw stamp that I purchased.
3. I used crystal heart stickers to accent the story.

 I used The Paper Cut Sour Apple and Lemon Drop paper for my mats. I love it when a plan comes together.

Now, this makes me current on my Mosaic Moments entries. The next one is due TODAY! Aarrrgh!!!!! I can do this; yes I can.

Our challenge was to create a page inspired by our favorite artist. Mine is Akiane Kramarik who was born on July 9, 1994. I purchased a print of hers that she painted when she was nine years old. She has had no painting lessons, ever. Needless to say, she is a prodigy. Her story is remarkable. Born into a home of atheists, she started experiencing visions from God that translated into her art and eventually into her parents’ receiving Christ. I chose “faces” as my subject matter for she is quoted as saying, “Faces are more meaningful to me than anything else, you cannot live without seeing and touching them.”

Akiane’s inspiration for her art and literature comes from her visions, dreams, observations of people, nature and God. In the photo of my grandsons, young Brayden’s stance and posture are awe inspiring to say the least. I can almost hear a choir singing in the background, "Oh come let us adore Him . . . ."

I could not find all the photos I had in mind, but I think these capture a fraction of what Akiane’s paintings speak to me. I used ivory grid paper because it is a soft neutral color that will complement a variety of colors and photos. I used to metal Marvel-style stickers with superhero faces to embellish the pages and graphic novel scraps from a Close To My Heart hero kit to help tell my story.

Grandchildren area perfect subjects for just about any layout – and mine are no exception. Besides being practically perfect, I learned that GBG (Grandbaby Girl) Morgan is exceptionally bright. How many two days shy of two year olds are scrapbooking? At this rate, she’ll be doing MMs before she’s three! This was my the fifth of my design team challenges.

I discovered Morgan’s gift right after her family birthday party. I took my portable photo printer with me to her house in Montclair so I could print her celebration pictures and put them on her scrapbook pages. She came toddling into the dining room, saw what I was doing and climbed up on the chair for a closer look.

Before long, she was gluing and positioning pictures on the pages. Her mom got so excited that she grabbed Grandma’s camera and started shooting pictures; lots of pictures.  How perfect is that for a Mosaic layout?

One of the neatest pieces of her page was the Elizabeth Craft Designs die cut cupcakes. Her page featured cupcakes with cherries; this one has two with one candle each – for her second birthday, of course. This is a great technique that involves double-backed adhesive, glitter, and Copic markers. Once the glitter is in place, then you color the glitter with your marker. You want to “pounce” the color on rather than scrub. I decided on a yellow ribbon because my printed paper is Close To My Heart yellow dotted ribbon.

After I colored the cupcakes, I cut them out with micro-tipped scissors and adhered them to two pink tags but not before I chalked them, the edges of my MM Bamboo paper and all my photos with Memento Rose Bud stamping ink.  My tags came from a Cheery Lane die.

My favorite Cricut cartridge has to be Plantin Schoolbook. I love the letters and symbols. I cut my title using the Tall Ball key at 1 ½” high. I cut my pink heart at 1 ¼”. I used my EK Success centering ruler to line everything up and to place it on my page.

The neatest thing is that “two” seems to play an integral role on this page – two cupcakes, “Look Who’s Two” on the original layout and the number “2” in the MM title. I didn’t plan it that way, but it works!

Once I had the photos and title in place, the last thing to do was add my cupcake tags. I used foam dots to pop them on the page which adds texture and depth.

All in all, it was a fun project to do.

Mosaic Moments Favorite Disney Movie

I had a time with this post! When I added the image from my computer, it came up sideways. I finally gave up and decided to give it another shot today. Then I had my duh moment! I pulled the copy from journella.com! Too bad I didn't catch that yesterday.

Our design team challenge was to create a page inspired by our favorite Disney movie. I chose Cars because of the joy it brought our grandchildren, regardless of age or gender. I used the cars movie poster and logo in the design element along with pictures of Parker, Brayden and Morgan playing with the toys. You can see a more complete description on Journella.com

Mosaic Moments Turn Around

This was our third Mosaic Moments project (we do two a month). We were required to use brick colored grid paper, a dated cornerstone, and/or paper tiles. I had everything planned for the perfect page and changed my mind at the last minute. I used the Kodak commercial song "Turn Around" (circa 1960) as my theme. I featured pictures of Matthew (our middle child) growing up on the left and his adult pictures with babes of his own on the right. Of course, the whole time I was laying this out, I was listening to the song which is a tear-jerker (to borrow an Andy Griffith phrase). Here are the lyrics with minor modifications for a boy:

Where are you going, my little one, little one.

Where are you going, my baby my own.

Turn around and you’re two,

Turn around and you’re four,

Turn around and you’re a young lad going out of the door.

Turn around, turn around, turn around and you’re a young lad

Going out of the door.

Where are you going, my little one, little one.

Where are you going, my baby my own.

Turn around and you’re tiny,

Turn around and you’re grown,

Turn around and you’re a young man with babes of your own.

Turn around, turn around, turn around and you’re a young man

With babes of your own.

Catching Up on Mosaics

I'm on the Mosaic Moments design team, but I just realized that I haven't posted any of my designs! How silly of me. Of course, you can find them a , but that doesn't mean you can't see them here! This was our second challenge -- to do a page inspired by your favorite Dr. Suess book. Mine was the Cat in the hat. My Journella entry includes the Mosaic Moments process which you can pop over there to see if you like.In true Dr. Suess form,

Long, long ago, ladies wore hats with a veil,

Like my Granny’s cousin Daisy Linda Boniville.

Today girls wear hats outside to shovel snow

Which my daughter Leslie did some years ago!

Aunt Hazel and David, so young in the 40s

Thought their hats were spiffy and sporty.

Grads in caps & gown

Enjoy their day filled with happy smiles, not frowns.

Babies get hats right after they’re born

To cover their tiny heads, keeping them warm.

Uncle Poke in his hat during the Great War

Big Bro Don in 1961, just before the Not-a-war

Mommy Me before it was over in 1974

Daddy & Me so stunned

To say goodbye in 91.

War was harder again when Matthew grew

To serve in the year 2002

Firstborn Leslie followed, wearing a hat for war,

A hat hard as can be and that’s for sure

My, my how time does fly,

Military families never get used to saying goodbye.

Smokey in his hat never tires

Of saying, “Only you can prevent forest fires!”

Look at the caps atop Cubbies’ heads so still

In packs they have fun while they learn life skills

Punkin’ Nate marched so well

He got a prize for being swell.

Another helmet keeps boys safe

While tackling and pushing foes away.

Some hats are crowns

With lots of sparkles all around.

Hats for tea,

Just my friends and me,

We’re happy as can be!

Now let me add this final verse

Which I probably should have mentioned first.

Since this was for fun, I focused on rhyme

Rhythm and meter are for another time.

I'll be posting our third Mosaic Moments Design Team challenge tomorrow.

Artsy Me

 

 This is it! This is my first Mosaic Moments Design Team project. I decided on a single-page project because I didn’t want to get carried away. In other words, if it was more than one page it could easily have ended up being a whole scrapbook instead of a two-page layout! Instead of narrative journaling, I created a list of the various creative callings in my life. They are listed in by length instead of order of importance.

 

I met the first challenge once I decided upon the title --  “Artsy me.” Now, before I talk about the title, I need to share this one little thing . . . and I can share it here because I’m absolutely confident that my husband will not ever trip onto Journella and see what secrets I’m spilling here. When I got the design team notification, I knew that I wanted to stretch a bit and go beyond the box when it comes to creating designs and layouts. That meant, for me, not relying on cartridges and SVGs or MTCs to create my designs. I wanted to do my own! That meant I needed to upgrade to a different diecutter. At first I thought I would get a Silhouette, but I quickly discovered that a Pazzle would better suit my needs. So, I got one. Of course, I failed to mention to my husband that it was coming before it got there . . . well, I did mention it when he wasn’t paying attention, but that’s a story for another time. I was finanlly able to share my vision for the Pazzle’s role in my artistic endeavors on December 20^th after my husband went out for a doctor’s appointment and came back six hours later with a new car . . . another story, another time.  So, here I am, reading the instruction book and trying to figure out how to make this thing work! When I selected font, I stumbled across the Consigna Font and it spoke to me as clearly as those silly little knick-knacks do on the Ikea commercial

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Having successfully cut my Pazzle, I faced an even bigger challenge! Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve done a screen shot? I think it may have been in the late 80s or early 90s! I couldn’t even find the print screen button on my laptop! It’s not a keystroke I use, obviously. But I did find the print screen snuggled under the home key. But that wasn’t enough. I finally gave up and hit F1 to see what Microsoft had to say about my screen image. It sent me to the Paint program that didn’t seem to want to accept my copy . . . so I accidentally opened a Word document. You’ll never guess what I found there! Right there on the insert tab next to the chart element is a “screenshot” button. My life was complete – and here’s what I found.

 

What a victory! Once my Pazzle cut the image, I fed my die-cut title into my Xyron 1.5” sticker maker. Then I began the “what-if” search for how to present it on my mosaic page. I considered my options – printed paper, glitter, flocking, and more. Suddenly I found the perfect medium -- some American Craft Foil Paper I bought at AC Moore about four years ago. The next problem – color Now, I want you to know that I’m a gold-kinda-girl. My wedding ring is gold, trimmed in onyx. I wear gold earrings, and I like gold jewelry in general. So why do my current, ex and future daughters-in-law prefer silver? I mean silver’s nice, but gold is GOLD! So I decided to incorporate both colors into my title and subsequent 1” square embellishments.

 Oh! And of course there’s the color of Mosaic paper. I opted for Pewter because it offered a softer backdrop for Artsy Me than black or white. Once I finished with my titling, the rest was a piece of cake, sort of. I can’t say that the photos convey the artsy story I hoped for, but they do present a collage of sorts. These photos cover about five or six years and are but the tip of the iceberg. I write and produce Christian audio plays that we perform in prisons, with homeless shelter clients, and in churches. I also minister through audio theatre and storytelling on the mission field. Not only do I teach others to do what we do (directing), but I’ve been known to preach from time to time – in this case both in Granada and Trinidad, West Indies. So that’s one side of artsy me. I am also a writer and have taught classes at several writers’ conferences. Best of all, I’m a grandmother of three – the two youngest are shown in this first project.

 My husband used to tell people that God stuck this funnel in the top of my head and keeps pouring ideas in it . . . even when I was in the Air Force, the artsy or creative side of me hovered in the forefront, refusing to be ignored. So, for me, recognizing and preserving the creative me in a highly pragmatic environment continues to be my challenge. I have a few years under my belt and am thoroughly intrigued about the “what’s next” that promises to unfold in the road ahead. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone on the design team and to rise to the challenges 2013 promises to present.

Morgan's First Christmas

Who says Christmas has to be red and green? I'll be using this layout to teach a Christmas Mosaic at Clare's Keepsake in October. While looking for decorated Christmas trees online, I stumbled across one with such an unusual color pallet that I had to incorporate it into a design. Guess what! It was the perfect color scheme for my grandbaby girl's first Christmas. I'll be using traditional colors for the class sample which I'll post next week.

I used Mosaic Moments Bahama Blue grid paper and Paper Cuts Razzle Berry to mat my photos. I used Elizabeth Crafts Alphabet 2 upper and lower case (1251 & 1252) in silver for my title and Numbers 1 (815) in black to note the year.

Dave and I had a wonderful time at the Garden State Horse Show in Augusta, NJ. I used Mosaic Moments Forest Green grid paper for the background and Recollections Burgundy cardstock for the mat. I used an off-white letter-size cardstock my journaling and t itleing. I still plan to create some traditional pages documenting this event, but am somwhat happy with the outcome.