Thankful...
For the intensity and the devastation that is life, I am thankful that I am here willing and able to experience it. A favorite, that I am sure that I have shared before, but feel compelled to share again.
The Keeper of Spaces
Enid Shomer
I am the keeper of usually
vacant spaces. I am the one
who notes how bare the swamp oak grows
as it opens its arms to the wind
in early fall. I notch
the southern skies with gray
before the migratory birds
fly past.
It is not the voids
but possibilities I see:
the ribbed hull of a leaf
its barnacle grip,
the scalloped calyx cup
where mites drink dry
the bloom.
I am the one who, looking
at my hand, sees not a shape
but all the places
where the hand must go,
and the spaces between my fingers
where life like sand escapes
even as I make
a fist.
Really excited about being asked to join the permanant team of designers for Kits & Pieces as well as accepting the position of message board moderator for their new site. There will be lots of challenges and contests coming up in the near future and it's just fun having a place to chat about everything relating to scrapbooking! Please stop on over and register so that you can hang out with all of us, there are still lots of changes going on as we figure out what we want for the site and a new gallery is on it's way so that we can share all of our beautiful creations with one another. To celebrate, right now we are having a contest we're calling the Sweet & Simple Contest. All you have to do is create a layout (newly created for this contest, any size, two-page or one) and the only requirement is that the journaling has to be in the format of a list. It's that simple! Post it on the Kits & Pieces message board in the contest category along with the others and on February 14th a member of the Kits & Pieces design team will choose a random winner and they will receive a copy of the book titled Real.Life.Scrapbooking., by Rebecca Cooper. I hope that you decide to participate, and if you do we look forward to seeing what you create!
WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
Rosy (the DT manager and Kit Designer) is great about posting weekly challenges on the site, last week's challenge was to create a layout with half of the visual space being comprised of alphas (chipboards, stickers or handwriting/journaling) and the layout posted below was my take on the challenge. This week's challenge is an angle challenge, to have some part of the design in your layout to be at an angle. These challenges are such a fun way to get motivated to scrapbook as well as to share your creations with others! Just another reason to head on over to Kits & Pieces! =)
Fairytale Zoey, Supplies Used: Prima Paintable paper, Collage Press pp (covering chipboard letters), Prima ribbon (black & white), Dewdrop Inks, Ranger Industries pen nibs, watercolor pencils, and Stickles. Misc: satin ribbon
Sometimes looking at my Zoey girl, I swear she is straight out of a fairytale! This is one of my favorite photos of her, looking in her eyes I feel as though I can see her soul!
Close-Up of glitter on the flower.
I used ink for the flower w/ my pen nibs from Ranger and water color pencils for the greens and yellows. Adhered Collage Press pp's to some chipboard letters, cut out w/my craft knife and sanded. Added some glitter to the flower too!
I didn't have enough letters from the kit (I used them all up on my previous layouts!) so I found some miscellaneous ones from my stash and adhered them to patterned paper and then cut out with my craft knife and I had perfect letters that went with the theme of my layout. After cutting the letters out I sanded them for a more finished look.
Nope, I am Not a City Girl, Supplies Used: Prima Paintable paper, watercolor pencils, Collage Press pp (for journaling strips), Prima bling and American Crafts letters stickers. Misc: staples
This was a fun one to do! Journaled about how I am not a city girl, took apart one of the Prima blings and put individual rhinestones in some of the buildings' windows and the rest is my earring in the photo! More of a fun page for my art journal I think, a fun one nonetheless!
little pretties, supplies include: Collage Press pp's, American Crafts letter stickers, Making Memories florals and buttons, Prima bling misc: embroidery floss
Journaling Reads: You love painting your nails and call them your "little pretties" red and bright pink are your favorites (colors). I wish you a lifetime of little pretties Zoey!
Spreading Your Wings, supplies used: Collage Press pp's, Prima ribbon and bling, American Crafts letter stickers, 7gypsies photo turns misc: DYMO label stickers
Journaling Reads: Little Sister - Makes me so proud to see you experiencing life the way you are.
Looking at You, supplies used: Collage Press pp's, Prima ribbon, American Crafts letter stickers misc: DYMO label stickers
Journaling reads: sitting here in the very chair that I sat in for meals growing up with my mother and father makes me so very happy. The paint is now peeling but it still works just fine and was such a special touch and will serve as a sweet memory to hold on to for always. Thanks for being so thoughtful when setting the table mom.
Picture taken at Grandma Sue and Grandpa Ross's, Thanksgiving 2007.
busy you, supplies used: Collage Press pp's, American Crafts letter stickers misc: 7gypsies stamp
Journaling Reads: Zoey I swear that you have to be one of the busiest three year olds ever! On this day you discovered some wood that you took upon yourself to haul to the wood pile. Such a hard worker! So proud of you!
Basic Recipe for Pasty
1 lb ground chuck (which I substituted with veggie crumbles)
1 medium onion, diced
4 large baking potatoes, sliced thinly (I diced!)
*I added (and suggest adding) the following:
1/3 of a medium sized rutabaga peeled and diced
1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3-4 tablespoons of either cream of celery soup or butter (to sprinkle on top of the ingredients before placing the top crust on to bake.
Double Pie Crust
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons shortening
5 tablespoons water
Make pie crust: Mix flour by hand with 1/2 of shortening till crumbly.
Add remaining shortening and continue to mix.
Salt may be added to flour if desired.
Add water- mix with fork until forms into a ball.
Roll out into top and bottom crust.
*You may use purchased crust for this if you wish!*
Preheat oven to 350.
Put uncooked pie crust into bottom of 9" pie plate.
Cover with a layer of sliced (or diced) potatoes.
Sprinkle with 1/3 of the onions.
Crumble 1/2 ground chuck (or veggie crumbles!) and spread over potatoes.
Continue layering ending with potatoes and onions.
Put 3-4 tablespoons of soup or butter on top of mixture and cover with top crust.
Put a few holes in it for steam to escape.
Bake approximately 1 1/2 hours until potatoes are soft.
Let sit 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve in slices as a pie with Chili Sauce (or ketchup) on the side and enjoy!
With Love Comes Hope, Supplies from the kit include: Heidi Grace pp, KI paper lace, Heavenly Prima florals and snowflake, American Crafts chipboard elements. Doodlebug Designs Inc. letter stickers and Glaze pen. Misc. item from my personal stash: buttons.
Winter Play, Supplies included in the kit include: Heidi Grace pp, Bazzill cardstock, Heavenly Prima snowflakes, AC chipboard and Doodlebug Designs, Inc. letter stickers.
And just to show that you do not have to do a seasonal layout using this kit I chose to do one of my in-laws while vacationing this past Spring. The KI paper lace really compliments the photo I think!
Na Pali Coast, Supplies included in the kit: Bazzill cardstock, KI paper lace, Heidi Grace pp, AC chipboard elements, Doodlebug Designs, Inc. letter stickers and Glaze pen.
Flower and Lace Card, Supplies included in the kit: Bazzill cardstock, KI paper lace, Heidi Grace pp, Heavenly Prima flower. Misc item from my personal stash: button.
Snowflake Card, Supplies included in the kit: Heidi Grace pp.
Simple Lace Card, Supplies included in the kit: Bazzill cardstock, Heidi Grace pp, cotton lace trim.
Also, be sure to check out the sale on all past kits this month. Linda is selling past kits at some pretty reasonable prices as well as selling individual items from past kits that were overstocked. I picked up a scalloped 7gypsies self inking stamp, some American Crafts platform chipboard letter stickers, some rub-ons by Fontwerks and more! Hurry, as everything is going fast!