020517 WM#237 a 5th season

Our Lisa has given a prompt that requires a little background from her Whimsical Musings #237 post:

"So, while the UK and many other countries were having two minutes silence in memory of Remembrance Day at 11am on 11th November (see last week's prompt), here in Germany 11.11am on 11th November marks the beginning of the "fifth" season of the year. Germany celebrates their own Remembrance Sunday at another time.

This fifth season is the beginning of German Carnival, something particularly strong around Düsseldorf and Köln as well as other cities around Germany.  If you'd like to find out more, Wikipedia has a lot of information about the traditions surrounding this "special" time of the year...

 What would that mean to you? Would you want more sun, more winter, more snow, less change? Would you like to create your own fifth season by heading out of town on a long trip at the same time every year to escape weather in your own area that makes you unhappy? ... How about making it a little more philosophical and thinking about the seasons of life - Jennifer Wilson over at Simple Scrapper uses this analogy...  This might be a little more abstract than usual, but I do think that there are ways to take this and make it your own!" 

This was an unusual prompt, however I was actually going through

an unusual time in my life that would suit this to a "T".

 

Last fall we began a house move that is still underway. (I have commented on multiple occasions that it’s been eerily like the movie Groundhog Day!)  I knew immediately that I would scrap a series of moments in the countryside at dawn & other photos taken on the back-and-forth journeys we continue to make between houses.

Because of the location of each home, we almost can’t get there from here - at least not at highway speeds – which makes the whole process that much more painful.

More often than not, on the return trip we look just like the Beverly Hillbillies!
 

Photo credit

My page:

 

 

I placed my title on the overlapping circles in the center 

to convey the feeling of endless trips back & forth. 

 

 

My journaling was done with my vintage typewriter on a tag.

 

 

 I hope you will give this one a try! 

If it leaves you stumped just try another from the Past Prompts link HERE.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

020417 February Archi-scraps Challenge

Positano, Italy

Aaaaah... looks so bright & sunny - nothing like our winter here in Michigan!

This does cheer me up, though :D

As always, Julene has chosen an ingenious inspiration again this month.

The Archi-scraps challenge this month is to use lots of colours.

I actually already have a second layout in the works for this prompt,

but my first go included a stitched title. I printed out the word in a font

that I liked & then used the Tim Holtz retractable piercer to make the holes.

I fussy-cut it out of the photo background to add a little more dimension.

I added my journaling in strips overlaid on the photo.

"I have a trunk full of family treasures.

Some belonged to people I never met.

Some record the histories of those I knew & loved.

Some are icons of my own history, like this afghan.

It hung on the back of Bamma's green sleeper sofa.

What a delight it was to find it in the bottom of the trunk!"

This month there is a prize for Aussie entries or the Guest Designer for March for internationals.

Make sure you link up at the web post InLinkz!

Can't wait to see your colourful creation.

Thanks for stopping by!

010617 CKC January Challenge #1

"Knock knock, who's there?"

 CKC Challenge #1 is to use a door on your layout.

This beautiful "Mantra" paper was part of the Kaisercraft line,

featured in the January inspiration kit.

My Boho Bali kit included this stash-busting 2012 Prima door embellishment.

I also loved the absolutely ancient & totally flimsy heart patterned 

paper from The Paper Company by Sarah Rugg (above.)

This year, I chose "yield" for my One Little Word & this page to document it.

I simply wrote my journaling right on the background.

 

The door opens to this...

...and I've embellished the printed florals with stitching & beads.

That starts my happy scrappy new year off with flair!

Actually, I didn't use any flair... 

Rise to the challenge & scrap using a door!

Don't forget to post on the Linky.

Thanks for stopping by!

010117 January CKC Kit Reveal

I am making a list of "revolutions" for the new year.

I have yet to decide how to document them if anyone has suggestions.

Have really missed playing along at CKC the last couple of months.

Grateful to be settling in at our new home!

I'm delighted to welcome our Guest Designer this month -  a CKC favorite, Cindy Foster. Cindy is a country girl at heart and an amazingly prolific scrapper who has great success with many challenges each month. Be sure to visit her blog, Cindy's Creations for a look at her scrappy style!

So! Let's get started with our January inspiration kit chosen by our own Master Forger, Julene.

In the spirit of national pride she has chosen an Australian vendor, Shop'n'Crop! 
The kit is full of goodies from Kaisercraft's new line, 

Thiz iz Ubud in Bali:

 Bali also makes me think of the sea, so I have divided my kit into minty green plus bluer tones.

It's BAAA-AAACK! Let's open up the Magic Blue Box!

The papers:

I am hoping to have time to list my product sources this month but if I don't get to it feel free to ask.

 Details:

I ran across these perfect metallic accents & tossed them in...

...along with a rogue mini-kit of  sorts that came in quite handy for my first project.
Those snowflakes reminded me of the mandalas in the original kit.

I love having a lot of alpha choices.

Art tools - I am hoping to try forging the mandalas.

Once more I seem to have gathered an uber-abundance of scrap goodness!
I hope you will take the challenge & dive into your hoard & unearth a kit inspired by CKC.

Now hop on!

Guest DT Cindy

Lesley

Leslie 

GO HERE NOW: Lisa

Lynnette

Margie 

Jemma

Kelly

 Julene

Clair

Stephanie

Thanks for stopping by!

  

010117 January Archi-scraps Challenge

Starting out the year with another exciting inspiration at Archi-scraps!

One of the many beautiful domes in the Alhambra, Spain. 

Such delicate work , like fine lacework.
JANUARY challenge -use lace.

This also works for the Whimsical Musings Challenge #241 - lace!

The obvious choice would be product.

The trick for me? Deciding on a photo or story.

Fortunately I came upon the most gloriously frosty window.

I had just pulled my January counterfeit kit for CKC (reveal post tomorrow) and purely for my 

own pleasure had included a couple of rogue papers, one of which totally rocked for my background. 

I used the great assortment of alphas for my title & I couldn't be more pleased.

The frosty Dear Lizzie Thickers were perfect!

The 2008 Fancy Pants Designs "Arctic Chill/Polar" paper by jackie eckles is 

beautifully graphic & the unexpected color makes a great contrast to the black & white image.

 I used silver thread to stitch the pale green Heidi Swapp ghost 

letters down using a simple stitch reminiscent of snowflakes. 

A touch of silver snowflake ribbon top & bottom finish off the page.

My brilliant meteorogist & Bible scholar husband had the perfect verse.

 I'll be watching to see your post in the Linky!

 

Happy New Year!