What Goes Around

Thank you again to all who posted their favorite scrapbooking lines last month on my blog candy post! At around the same time that I did that, Allison Davis of CK fame had blog contest of her own. Her contest involved four days where she shared a new layout each day based on just one sketch. Each layout was so different from the others based on techniques, embellishments and substutions made. She did a very thorough job teaching what she had done to each of the layouts that made them unique. She invited readers' comments each day and gave away a few of her sketch books from a drawing of those comments. I got to be a lucky winner! I had just purchased a few volumes, and was thrilled to have another.

I love Allison's sketches (and those of her mother Debbie Sanders, also featured in the sketch books) because they use a neutral background, help with pattern papers, and placement of embellishments. Yet they are totally adaptable. Here are a few pages I did with one of the sketches. (Yes, I plan to journal, this is a theme album I will journal all at one time to keep the flow continuous)

Thank you Allison! You can find links to her store (Scrapbook Generation) and sketch volumes through her blog .

Half-brained

While preparing for a class at Debbie Hodge's Get It Scrapped, she asked us to take an online exam to determine which side of our brain was more dominant, left or right (or being more logical vs creative). I'm just glad to think that it believes I have one :) !

Here are my results:

Thank you for taking the Creativity Test. The results show your brain dominance as being:
Left Brain 59%
Right Brain 41%


You are more left-brained than right-brained. Your left brain controls the right side of your body. In addition to being known as left-brained, you are also known as a critical thinker who uses logic and sense to collect information. You are able to retain this information through the use of numbers, words, and symbols. You usually only see parts of the "whole" picture, but this is what guides you step-by-step in a logical manner to your conclusion. Concise words, numerical and written formulas and technological systems are often forms of expression for you. Some occupations usually held by a left-brained person include a lab scientist, banker, judge, lawyer, mathematician, librarian, and skating judge.

Blog Candy Winner

Thanks to everyone who left comments on my blog! Using a random number generator, #4 was chosen:


Cori said...
Gorgeous, Jen! I love the new Sugar Rush and Origins lines from BG. The new Kioshi is going to be one of the first I would like too.
January 22, 2010 5:39 PM

Send me your address Cori to redpaperjen at aol.com and I'll get those ribbons and flowers out to you!

A New Year

Things seem different this year. Even as it starts I know some things have changed. One of the big things for me is that the Year of Color blog is over. I was able to focus much of my art from inspiration led by the blog. I was also able to participate in several outstanding swaps through it. I hope to be able to find more swaps to be a part of, but it seems I'm always finding them AFTER the deadlines. I also still need to finish one project from Silver Bella last November, and I was inspired and motivated even from sign ups late spring. Hopefully this will return when I see the class list for this year, I truly hope to be able to participate again!

But with the lack of mixed media focus, my attention has once again shifted to the scrapbook paper arena. Basic Grey has always been a favorite line of mine, and I've been able to dabble in color chemistry on two new collections based on "Nook and Pantry" and "Origins". Of course I started with ribbons! I also loved expirmenting with dyeing paper flowers, dictionary papers, and crepe. Both lines are now in my etsy.

Summer Apricot:
Moss:

Leave me a post telling me about your favorite pieces, or what lines you'd like to see next and I'll draw a name next week Friday (Jnauary 29th) for a free set of Summer Apricot ribbons and Paper Botanicals!

Catching my Breath

Ah, the end of Christmas break. So much has been cleaned, wrapped, unwrapped, eaten. We even spent a fun day at our Frederik Meijer Gardens, a local family botanical center with a fabulous Christmas display. My Dearest Husband and son love the miniature train displays.

And the girls and I love the Chrismas trees from around the World display. A very lovely afternoon spent.

I've been doing several highly involved journaling challenges that have been consuming much of my writing time, but several of those will be wrapped up shortly. I've also laid out the dyes and ribbons/flowers to start a new year in the etsy shoppe. Hopefully soon I will be releasing dyed embellishments for Basic Grey's Nook & Pantry and Origins.

Christmas at Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow Botanical Gardens have done it again! Their magical gardeners have performed their wonders in creating these new hybrids of the peppermint variety, perfect for the holiday season. These particular specimens come from their most hardy bushes, the Ribbon Candies.

These magnificent selections will be forthcoming in the etsy shoppe! Once again we thank Eileen and Star of Star's Fault for their lovely tutorial found here.

Lineage of Love with Pam Garrison

Lineage of Love was actually my first class at Silver Bella. I'll admit I swum against the tide of everyone else's use of cabinet cards and other antique photos by using contemporary photos of my family from last Christmas. Although I love the beauty of old photos and fashions, I knew I would appreciate more an assemblage that contained my family. That and if I messed things up it wouldn't cost too much to replace these photos. I wasn't able to complete this project in class, so I was able to add some Christmas tidbits that I picked up recently, and pretty tinsels and more ribbons.

I currently have the finished piece resting on one of our living room bookcases.

Here is our fabulous teacher, Pam Garrison, with a student who wired a very large banner.

There were a number of very unique banners, some showing a baby aging through adulthood, some with themed photos (costume, Christmas). You easily see individual style coming out in the projects. Thanks Pam!