enJOY it

Wanted to answer a few questions left in the comments or via email:

+ I use a cheap Polaroid camera that I bought at Target. It does nothing exciting except spit out pictures. I did not even realize there were multiple types of Polaroid cameras until seeing the amazing work of artists on flickr. My camera takes 600 film and the only secret to it is that it does much, much better in bright sunlight.

+ The words in the layout above (and on the yellow circle layout from yesterday’s post) were made from De-flecto rub-ons. They are sold at office supply stores and come in huge sheets. The are my favorite text items to work with because I can stick them anywhere and they are small enough to get a lot onto a page. (To make the background for the above page, I photocopied polaroids of the sky onto a piece of paper multiple times.)

+ I do not have a letterpress. I rent press time at an art studio called Pyramid Atlantic in Silver Spring, Maryland. I really stumbled on to the place through a lady I met while at work. I would do some research online if you are interested in finding a letterpress place in your area. I provided links to some great letterpress websites in a feature I did for Heart Handmade.

+ I currently have no place that I display my layouts or scrapbook pages – mostly because I have not been making any layouts or scrapbook pages. I designed for Cupcake Scrapshop for many months, and had a great time playing with the kits, but that was the extent of my layout making. For the most part, these days, I just put together mini books and those all get displayed here on the blog. Recently – I have started uploading art journal pages on to flickr. I would love to get back into regular posting in a gallery again. I just have to do some work to actually put up.

+ The geese have disapeared from our lives. We returned from Hawaii and they were gone. Paul and I were quite upset for awhile and I still find myself looking for them whenever I leave the house. Hopefully they realized that there are such things as lakes and decided to move on to something better.

+ I am very interested in any and all letterpress projects. Wedding and otherwise. I have no portfolio other than what you see in my etsy. I am quite sure that the first big project I take on will be the paper pieces for my own wedding. But let’s be clear – I want to get married for 1000 reasons besides letterpressed goods. 🙂

Have a fantastic Saturday.

Rough last couple of days. Missing Paul + setbacks at work + humid weather = not much sleep and too many tears.

Ugh.

But last night was good. Paul + I decided that it is important for us to start eating dinner at the table and talking for that half hour instead of watching TV. It is a small step that I think is going to make a big difference. Taking advantage of the little time that we have together between my odd schedule and him spending nights at the hospital.

I feel quite like a grown-up.

Today and tomorrow are going to be a little retreat for me. I have a to-do list of good things: art journaling, clothes shopping, greeting card shopping & polaroid shooting.

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And I am providing goods for a giveaway on the fabulous Black Eiffel blog. Head over there if you would like to win a set of custom stationery. And if you would like to skip the whole giveway option – order yourself some! I promise it will be fantastic. $25 for 10 custom letterpressed cards. An excellent deal, my friends.

Marta was right, nothing beats the blahs like watching The Bachelorette. I stayed up late, late, late after work to watch all three hours of reality television. Which, when you fast-forward through all the commercials/flashbacks ends up taking about 14 minutes. But OH MAN am I so glad she picked who she picked. The other guy always bugged me. Much too eager. Or excited. Or something. Either way – this season seemed to be the most real yet. I loved it.
 

Yesterday, while at work I decided to start an art journal. Something a little more abstract than usual…and hopefully something a little more complicated. I have a ton of great supplies sitting around and so rarely get them out and use them. This week, my goal is to make a page a day – a challenging (for me) page a day. Above are the first pages that I started last night. Stamps + transparencies + cut up pieces of mail. (And the cardboard cut like a cloud is completely Kara inspired)

Annnnd also yesterday, my “look book” from Wiksten came. I love the clothing pieces that Jenny creates – I just cannot quite afford them. So with these little cards, I got a piece of them. And the photographs are completely inspired + inspiring.

Three things – only three things – snapped me out of my blahs. Very good.

Hmm. I seem to have caught a bit of the blahs.

It is Monday.

I have very little to say. Other than I started a new 28 day workout plan. And today is day 3. I already know I will make it at least four days because tomorrow is a “rest day.” At least I know I can get through a rest day.

Paul started his rotations at the hospital. His first one is surgery. Everything seems a little bit up in the air right now as he is figuring out his schedule. Which so far we know includes two nights of on-call per week. Me, being me, thought “on-call” meant stay at home and they call you if they need you. But “on-call” really means be at the hospital and sleep in the “on-call” room. The Grey’s Anatomy watcher inside of me is kicking me for not knowing that already.

The cats are gone. They were fun while they lasted but I now know that I am not on the market for a cat, dog, or kid in the near future.

So yeah. Blahaahahahahah.

I hate boring, blah posts. Very sorry about that.

I got into Georgetown early this morning and decided to wander in search of red + white + blue. I really must act like a tourist more. I get better photos when I do not care who is watching. And when I keep my camera in my hand instead of my bag.

Here is to a quick eight hour work day, peanut butter bars, good eats, good drinks, fireworks and crafty endeavors. Here is to freedom and pride and hopefully peace.

Have a great weekend.

 

Last night we hosted a fondue dinner party. Because nothing brings a table together like melted cheese. And nothing makes everyone laugh like ABC’s Wipeout.

Also yesterday, I posted a challenge at The Sketch Book, a New Zealand based scrapbooking community. My challenge was to create a mini album using just photos and a few words. I picked some photos from Kauai and paired them with the Hawaiian beer caps I collected while on the trip. 

Today I ventured to letterpress land to make some more prints and postcards.

I ran a second round of my favorite print and a few other pieces. All have been uploaded to my etsy shop … and if you are interested, there are a few more mixed paper books in there right now too.

Have a great Wednesday.

My to-do list is about 14 miles long today. It is so long that I cannot see the start and the end at the same time and just have to start plucking away somewhere in the middle.

Look for a new challenge and exciting giveaway here within the next couple hours and a minibook challenge will appear here as soon as I can get my hands on some photos.

Today and tomorrow I am off work and I am so excited to get through some stuff. But first things first…I have to watch my DVRed Bachelorette from last night. AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE I JUST SAW A SPOILER GRABBING THAT LINK?!?!?!?

Cheers to Saturday.

Yesterday was busy. We ran errands and traded in Nalgenes for BPA free Nalgenes. We shopped and I bought over $400 worth of clothes and shoes for $164. I love Martin+Osa. And I adore good sales. We enjoyed fine dining and entertainment (mushroom chicken + South Park). And of course the cats were around. Playing with ribbon and stealing my paper.

Today we went shopping for Tuesday’s dinner party and then went to Crafty Bastards in Silver Spring. I love craft fairs. Especially good ones with letterpress and hilarious cards. I decided I am going to try to get a booth at their fall fair. My mind is starting to spin with plans.

Currently, I am trying to figure out the best way to clean up the piles that have grown around the house the past couple days. And then I am going to go on an internet hunt for a button maker and chipboard supplier. And then I have a plan involving some flat bottle caps. And after THAT, I am going to grab my favorite man and brave the humidity to meet up with some California friends who have ventured to the East Coast for the weekend.

Life is good. Cheers to that.

So we are cat sitting.

Two little teenage felines.

Paul has always owned cats but this is a first for me. I feel a bit like the paparazzi chasing them around the house. It is so exciting to have something mobile to photograph although I think my plates and foodstuffs are slightly jealous.

When I am not trying to take pictures of them I am shouting out their behavior to Paul. Turns out Paul really does not care that they are jumping in the bathtub. Apparently, that is what cats do.

Regardless, these dudes are here for a week and a half. I expect to have them fully trained in Gluestick 101 by then.