I wanna be me when I grow up.

OLW Blog Hop - March 1

2013-03-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome. If you're joining us from the One Little Word Blog Hop and just visited Julie - I'm glad you're here. Please make yourself comfortable. If you're one f my regular readers - you know I always love having you here as well.

In this month's OLW prompt, we were to create a vision board. In true "me" fashion, I finished mine at about 10:30 last night and snapped the quick photo above with my cell phone. I've ben intrigued by the idea of a vision board for a long time, but had shied away from it. I used to put boards like this together when I was a kid all.the.time - I mean like every single week. I loved the act of cutting images and words that appealed to me from magazines, arranging them on a surface, and gluing them down. I used to simply glue one set of images right over the top of another when I got bored with the previous.

Fast forward to adulthood and while I often tear things out of magazines - I never got to the act of putting them together. It somehow felt too childish. So, the freedom to do this assignment was nice - I "had" to play in order to do the assignment and I'm really happy with the result. I gathered images over the entire span of the month (and dug into some of my art journal stash of images I'd been hanging onto for one reason or another) and then late last night assembled what you see above.

The process was fun and relaxing. A great way to wind up what has been overall a good month, but one that has been extremely busy in terms of my work calendar. However, I've managed to squeeze in a bunch of action (my word for the year). My goal this month was to "live action" - focusing my actions on improving my home. And I did a ton of things. Take a quick room by room tour with me (I don't have photos of everything, but I've got a pretty good list):

Laundry Room - cleaned off the shelf and added plastic shelf liner from the Container Store to keep everything from falling through the wire.
Guest Bath - nothing, but then again I didn't have anything planned
Kitchen Hall

Added a Chalkboard Wall
Replaced Lindsay and Fluffy's food and water bowls so they coordinate

Kitchen

Updated my flour, sugar, and powdered sugar containers - that's an in progress shot - I still need to write up the page. I'm thinking about saving that for a full kitchen redo
Cleaned off and out the fridge
Replaced the old wire shelf with a new rolling cart!!! - I also plan to do a post on this one, but I'm debating painting the cart so that may be a bit later
Moved several things around in cabinets to make the kitchen feel more efficient
Cleaned and organized a couple of cabinets - still more to do here

Living Room

Hung several pictures that had been lying around for a while
Experimenting with some different furniture placement
Patched the tooth hole in the wall from where Lindsay slammed into it while playing with a tennis ball

Stairway

Hung more artwork
I cleaned all the walls downstairs and upstairs

Master Bedroom/Bathroom

I've got paint splotches on nearly every wall and I've chosen colors - now I just need a weekend to paint.
Cleaned and organized the linen closet
Replaced the existing rug with a new one and moved the existing rug to the...

Office/Loft

Put in the rug from the bedroom (temporarily - it's probably going somewhere else eventually)
Painted the long wall
Added Artful Ledges

I didn't do much in the studio or the guest room/bath (which Aaron, my nephew, is currently occupying).

It feels great to get all this progress made on little projects in the house. March is a busy one from a travel perspective so I won't have nearly that much time to pay to the house, but I still hope to get a few things done. But, I'm most looking forward to an "action packed" March and enjoying travel both for work and for pleasure.

Thanks for stopping by! If you're on the hop, you're headed off to see Margareta next. Enjoy!

Lee: http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife
Cheri: cheriandrews.blogspot.com
Lisa: http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/
Michelle: www.table-for-five.com
Julie: www.eggsandherbs.com
Kara: http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com
Margareta: http://www.paperpilekitten.com
Tricia: http://onecreativemom.wordpress.com
Karen: http://womenontractors.blogspot.com
Nikki: http://www.inkyart.com.au/
Melanie: http://mellybirddesigns.wordpress.com
Angela: http://angelanoel.com/
Kathryn: http://www.katlodesigns.com/
Jackie: http://blog.jacquelinewolven.com/
Dona: http://orangegearle.blogspot.com/
Paige: www.approachingjoy.com
Ruth: http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com
Kathleen: http://jkplusthree.blogspot.com
Missus Wookie: http://mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.com/
Naomi: www.poeticaperture.com

Pinterest Challenge - Artful Ledges

2013-02-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's time for another round of the Pinterest Challenge. As I was thinking about what I wanted to do, I knew it needed to meet three simple criteria:

It should fill a need I already had - no truly new projects...just finish one of the crazy ideas I've already cooked up
It should cost as little as possible.
It should involve some sort of art

As I cruised my Pinterest Boards for inspiration, I noticed a pattern on my "For the Home" board. Many of the art display options were something you could swap out easily - whether it involved clips or simple little ledges. So, I decided to finish up a project I started with dad back at Christmas time - my "Artful Ledges".

When I moved out of the farm house and mom and dad moved into it, they did a LOT of work to it - including replacing the old wood deck on the front of the house with a new, plastic deck. When dad demolished the old wood deck I asked him to keep/he decided to keep (it's been about six years - we don't really remember who started it) the spindles that held up the rails.

Over the years, we've talked about a lot of different uses for those spindles, but nothing really seemed right. And then it hit me - they'd make really cool picture ledges.

So, just before I went home for Christmas this year, I asked Dad to grab some of them out of the barn, and set aside some time for a little project.

Step inside the wayback machine and let's head back to December - shall we? Here we have dad cutting my little ledges down to size. The Man loves his table saw!

After he cut them to the length I had marked for him (a little bit of a funny story on that later), I decided where to put the groove. Dad's trusty index cards served as my makeshift art pieces and the pieces of wood that may turn into a second set of shelves in the near future served as the "wall" they would lean against. Marks were made and then dad simply used the table saw to make the groove.

Repeat that times four and we loaded the little guys in my car to head home and be finished there.

Fast forward to February 20 when the winter Pinterest Challenge was announced over at Young House Love. I started cruising my Pins to see what I wanted to take on and noted the aforementioned theme of photo display options and decided it was high time to finish my photo ledges.

The pieces were a color I affectionately know as barn paint red. While I liked the color, a few weeks ago, I picked up a test pot of paint at Lowes in a color that's similar to the reddish color in my home office. I decided to test out that color on the picture ledges. Here they are post painting (and G - if you're reading this - see how handy a crazy large number of skewers can be when you want to keep painted edges up off of paper while they dry.) I let the paint dry for several days. At this point, I'm out about $3.50 for the little sample pot of Valspar paint. Everything else I had on hand or was recycling.

I finally decided I wanted these to go in the sort of travel themed area of my office - the long formerly white wall - holds my last Pinterest Challenge Map project and I may add some more trip photo display groupings shortly - but I'm getting ahead of myself. Where were we? Oh ya - before they can be art ledges they have to get on the wall.

So, Monday night after dinner with friends, I decided it was time to hang these suckers! I grabbed my supplies - a level, blue painters tape, a pencil, 3M Hanging Strips, and a ruler. All of that stuff was in my tool/supply stash already so I'm still only out a grand total of $3.50 in new money.

And, now, it was time for the fun part - a little math. I knew that to get these level with only my two hands was going to require using the tape trick. (And in case you want a YHL quality tutorial on picture ledges - that's the link you want!) So, I first put up a piece of vertical tape using my level to make sure it was as close to straight as possible.

And then it was time for all the measuring and marking. I wanted 9" between each ledge. I figured that was enough for a 5 x 7 size print or even an 8 x 10 laying on its long side - with room to spare. So after a little measuring up the wall and some light pencil marking on the tape (see all my little arrows and lines below) I figured out where I wanted the bottom most ledge to be placed.

With that information, I added a piece of tape on the horizontal along where that bottom ledge would go - again using the level to keep it as straight as possible. I measured up the vertical strip of tape 9" from the top of that first ledge (each ledge is right about 1 1/4" tall) and marked both the top and bottom locations on the vertical tape then put in another piece of tape on the horizontal. Okay - I think in this case - a picture may be worth well more than a thousand words. This is what it looked like when I had all four ledge locations taped off.

And if you're saying to yourself, "Self, why does the bottom piece of tape look closer than it should?" You'd probably like to know that I didn't feel like crawling on my hands and knees, so the bottom piece lined up with the top edge of a ledge while the others marked the location of the bottom of the ledge.

With all the measuring out of the way, it was time to get to hanging the ledges (finally!) But wait! Did you happen to notice these little guys aren't all the same length? No? That's okay - I almost missed it too. Look again - now you see it don't you?!

I don't remember Dad and I purposefully choosing to make two of these one length and two of them another, but we did because two ledges are exactly 1 3/4" longer than their friends. I decided just to stagger them. Quick measuring and marking on the tape and a near crisis of uneven edges now looks like a perfect plan!

The basic process of those 3M strips is to put them onto your item to be hung, then press them against the wall in the desired hanging location for about 30 seconds. Press hard. Then unhook the velcro like tabs from one another and let just the wall side hang out for about 30 minutes. You can get a good idea of what it looks like in progress here. Note the while velcro-y tabs on the wall near the bottom two pieces of tape and the third ledge is just hanging there for a second holding the level while I quickly grabbed a photo.

Even though I made sure the tape was level, I did use my small level on each ledge to ensure it was nice and straight. I have both a large and a small level (the small one is pictured here). The large one was great for placing the tape originally, but it might have been a little heavy to let it sit on a ledge so I was glad to have the lighter, smaller level for that purpose.

I waited the requisite 30 minutes...everything all lined up and ready to go...

...and then it was time to press the velcro bits back together again. And, in just seconds, you have this.

Grab a few postcard swap postcards and other artful/photographic inspiration and arrange to your hearts content.

And, because the ledges are a little over an inch deep, I can add small objects to them as well. The 3M strips are rated for about 12 pounds and the ledges themselves weigh less than 2 pounds so I think this little guy is fine here for a while.

I had been talking with mom and dad on the way home from dinner and told Dad I was finally hoping to finish this project. I texted him a photo when it was done.

(And Fluffy is fine - I worked a weird schedule on Monday and worried I might have left her in my bedroom all day long - so when I'd talked to them on the phone I wasn't sure what I might be going home to.)

I love this project for so many reasons. First of all it met all three of my goals - coming in at only about $3.50 in new money for me the cost was definitely right and it was a project I'd obviously been thinking about doing since Christmas. I also love that I can rearrange the art on it - adding in my own things and pieces from others as easily as picking up the pieces and moving them. I also love that the wood came from my old house and it's found a place in my new home. And, most of all, I love that it's something dad and I did together - even if it got finished while we were 1100 miles apart.

It looks great in the room and adds so much character to the loft/office area.

Have you made anything you pinned recently? Have a great way of making the old new again? I'd love to hear it. Leave me a note in the comments.

One Less White Wall!

2013-02-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

The month of February has been all about getting a lot of little things done around the house. I've already blogged about my Chalkboard Wall and I've got a few other projects to get out of the way before March comes in like a frozen lamb - ushering in a huge winter storm (stay safe if you're in this thing's path). I'm really happy with all the projects I've gotten done in February which is a good thing since I'm on the road a large part of March. (By the way, for those of you that a) know my house well - yes there is a new rug in the master bedroom and for those of you with an eagle eye b) yes - I'm keepin' it real here people - there are a whole bunch of muddy paw prints at the edge of this picture.

Where were we? Oh ya - there is one less white wall in my house. YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

When I first saw my house, the color of the wall in the upstairs loft area (my office) was one of my favorite features. It's hard to capture, particularly since I forgot to grab shots over the weekend when I was actually at home when it was daylight, but this gives you an idea.

That reddish color is on two walls, but the really long hallway wall that spans the area between the bedrooms was flat, dull, builder white. (It's the wall where my Pinterest Challenge map project hangs.) If I could make the paint color - or lack of color - sound any uglier, I would.

I've actually purchased paint for that big white wall once before, but I opened it up and hated the color so I returned it to the store. After that near disaster in color, I think I was a little gun shy. But then, it happened...I had an epiphany, on the way out of the restroom at work.

You see, I had been debating between some sort of khaki/tan color on the long white wall wall or just using some of the rest of the gallon of creamy buttery light mellow (it's not really yellow - it's just perfect). I used it in the studio after Gayle picked it out to contrast with my favorite tomato bisque wall. You can see a crazy middle of the project picture of the studio here to see how the two colors play off each other. I think the lighter wall takes on a bit of a pink tone in the photo below - but trust me - there is no pink in real life. It's just perfection.

So, why did a trip to the restroom at work help me make a color choice? You see, there is a reddish wall in that restroom - it's kind of similar to the reddish wall in my house. All the other walls in the restroom? Khaki. I couldn't have the walls in my house be the same color as the walls of the restroom. And there you have it. Crazy decision making with Kara :-)

So, on Sunday night, I taped up the wall with my frog tape, grabbed my step stool, and set to painting. About two hours later, the wall was that beautiful mellow color that I've come to absolutely adore. I'm also thinking of putting either that or more tomato bisque in the tiny white wall of my staircase - more to come! But, I'm definitely hoping to continue obliterating not only all the remaining white walls in my house, but also the crazy mustard color in my bedroom.

If you watch my Flickr feed, you may have already seen the fun project that I finished on Monday night (which was what necessitated the walls getting painted), but you'll have to come back tomorrow to read about that.

Have you painted anything lately?

Zoo Photography, Week 2

2013-02-25T07:52:00.001-05:00

We've got no lions this week, but we've got more tigers and this adorable bear (say it with me..."Oh, My!"). (If you missed Zoo Photography, Week 1 - you can read it here.)

The polar bear at the Indy Zoo is a senior lady who spends most of her days lounging on the rock overlooking her built in pool. And, no, I'm not sure why I've slipped into a writing style that sounds like I'm trying to write a singles ad for a polar bear. Anyhoo...We walked by her enclosure three or four times over the two weeks and she was doing exactly what I described...until the very end of class - when she was sitting up and I got this shot.

It was very obviously shot through the thick blue glass at the front of her enclosure that would let you have a good view of her underwater if she were swimming. After she posed for us a bit here, she headed over to a big rock and went through a wide variety of poses. My friend Diana said the one I opened with was her favorite. I agree that it's one of the best of the set. I also had to put this one below in because I liked how she just flopped herself down on that rock in a "I'm Sexy and I Know It" pose - and now I have that song in my head to start the day. Ugh!

But, week 2 of Zoo Photography wasn't all good (from a picture perspective only - the class ROCKED!). We started out in Oceans which would generally be my very favorite place. However, taking pictures in here was uber frustrating. The thing I took away is that I experimented and tried to take photos I ordinarily would have just walked away without even trying - like attempting to get at least one decent picture of a ray swimming by. This was the best one - and I still am not happy with it.

A non-photographer friend was looking at the photos I took in oceans and just oo'ing and aw'ing over them. I tried to accept the compliments, but all I see are the scratches in the glass. And this was, by far, the best shot I got. We shot these using off-camera flash connected by a Remote Flash Cable. If anything good came out of the frustrating time in Oceans it was getting acquainted with that camera cable. Jackie had mentioned it the week before and all three of us in the class (one person didn't come back for week 2) went out and bought one to bring to class. I'm really happy that I have it now as I've wanted to take a few shots with off-camera lighting, but pocket wizards and all that fancy stuff is not something I'm ready to tackle yet. The cable is a really good starter step for me.

Jackie let me hook on her Macro gear again to try some photos in the focus tanks. Fish move too much! This was the only shot that I was willing to share.

The penguins were only slightly easier to shoot. I came away with this as my favorite shot. My exposure was pretty high and the photo is still really dark. But, penguins are adorable in any light.

Once we were all severely frustrated, it was time to head outside into the sun. One of the many awesome things about taking a class with an employee of the zoo is that if you're taking the class in the dead of winter when an exhibit like "The Plains" is supposed to be closed - you can still go in there. We had the plains all to ourselves and with the exception that we didn't get an opportunity to snap the lions because their yard was too icy (the keeper in charge of that area was worried about them falling), we got a few great opportunities back there.

First up, were the cheetahs. As we approached, she was standing up on her log - checking us out. I think this is my favorite shot of the day overall.

Realizing we weren't going to be very exciting, she headed over and laid down in the sunshine.

We also spent some time with the wild dogs which you have to shoot through glass. As I shot them and took quick looks at my LCD, it looked like I was getting through the glass okay. Note to self - ALWAYS zoom in when viewing on the LCD. I must have been at a bad angle - in every single position I stood in - because when I got them back to the computer the photos were terrible.

While I'm on the subject of photos I didn't share, we also got a lot more opportunity this week to shoot through the mesh and wire of enclosures. None of those shots turned into something to share - the best shot I got was of an otter's buttocks. However, the concept of how you do it became a lot more clear this week since we got more practice time. Now, all I need the next time I head out is an animal that will actually stay in one place in some sort of stance worthy of a picture and I might have something to share.

While we were back in Plains, we got an extra surprise - four of the elephants were out! Meet Tombi.

The light was pretty harsh on them, and about the only part of everyone but Tombi that we were seeing were their hind ends. But, Tombi was nice enough to hang out right by the water and have his portrait made for a while. I'm not overly excited about any of the shots, but getting to see the elephants is always a treat. The Indy Zoo has one of the most successful breeding programs in the nation for elephants and there are, I think, nine total elephants in our herd. You can read more about the elephant program in Indy here.

Class was almost over, but as we were walking back we swung through forests to check in on Petya (the male tiger who we photographed so much last week) and the female tiger. Petya was playing with the blue ball in his enclosure. I did manage to get him in motion as he pounced, although I'm not entirely happy with the image.

Before taking this class, I probably would have been ecstatic with that photo, but not being zoomed out wide enough to get his whole body was a big mistake on my part and if you're looking closely at the image, there is blur in some places I'd rather there not have been blur - faster shutter speed would have been better here to get a crisper image.

The female tiger across the way was behind DIRTY glass (which made me feel right at home given how dirty Lindsay's paws get and how incredibly hard it is to keep my floors clean during this time of year). However, I managed to snap one good shot of her through a small clean spot.

As we were headed towards the White River Gardens area to wrap up class, we grabbed the polar bear photos I opened with which was a nice way to end the class time.

Overall, this was the best Indy Photo Coach class I've taken. There were only four of us in the class - with only my new buddies George and Amberlee showing up for the second week. Since there were so few of us - and we spent a good amount of time hoofing it between exhibits and just chatting - I got to know them better than I've gotten to know people in all the other classes I've taken.

Jackie was an excellent instructor. She gave us each a lot of individual attention and her calm, quiet manner was just right for me personally. I learned a great deal, but also enjoyed spending three dedicated hours two weeks in a row focused on nothing but shooting pictures. I've not been taking enough pictures lately and it felt really good to have my camera in my hands. I need to schedule more time like that for myself in the rest of the year because I always, ALWAYS feel more motivated and excited when I do.

I hope you've enjoyed this journey with me.

Did you do anything fun this weekend? Snap any great pictures? Share with me in the comments!

Magnetic Chalkboard Wall - Success or Failure?

2013-02-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

If you follow me on Instagram, (Follow @kicki22 if you want to start) you may have seen these two photos on Saturday night (after my incredibly fun day at Zoo Photography).

That's right...I took on another project. My goal was to turn the short wall between my kitchen and living room into a magnetic chalkboard.

I didn't care too much about the magno part (spoiler alert...that's a very, very good thing), but I REALLY wanted a cool chalkboard wall to leave notes on and doodle on. I thought adding the magnetic option would be cool - perhaps to add some fun photo magnets along with (hopefully) awesome chalk art - like they did in this post.

Before I took on this project, I read a TON of articles and blog posts about painting with both magnet and chalkboard paint. (Not enough apparently ...) The one I found most useful was this one by Young House Love on their recent Pinterest challenge which was a magnetic, chalkboard framed piece.

Afterall my reading, I made a pretty simple checklist of things to get/do:

Start by gathering supplies:

Magnetic Primer,
Chalkboard Paint,
spackle and putty knife (I had a few tiny divets to even out),
sanding block (for the spackle)
good quality foam rollers (I used two different ones - one for the magnetic primer and a second for the chalkboard paint - I didn't even try to clean them)
edging brush (I used this ONLY with the chalkboard paint and then washed it out and it was fine. I think the magnet paint would have ruined it)
FrogTape (Love.This.Stuff)
Newspaper or a drop cloth (I started without this, but the magnetic paint splatters worse than anything I have EVER seen - you definitely want to protect your floors)
And, speaking of that, wear clothes you absolutely do not care about - at least for the magno part

I also covered my paint tray in aluminum foil - first time I'd ever tried that trick and it worked perfectly making clean up a breeze.

And, of course, when it's all done, you're gonna need some chalk!

And, the rest of the steps:

Prep the surface by making sure it's clean and dry. Fill any holes and smooth with the sanding block as needed.
Protect the area with the tape and newspaper/drop cloth.
Shake and STIR (and stir and stir and stir and stir) the magnetic primer. Scrape the magnetic particles off the bottom of the can. Stir some more. And when you think you've stirred enough, stir even more.
Apply several thin, even coats of the magnetic primer to the wall - allowing about 30 minutes of drying time in between each. Re-stir the paint after each coat to keep the metal particles that are in it from sinking to the bottom.
Let the last coat of magnetic primer dry for about 30 minutes.
Shake/stir the chalkboard paint well.
Apply one or more thin even coats (I did three coats) - allowing some drying time in between each. I don't know that you have to do more than one coat of this paint as it is VERY thick - but everything I read said to do at least two so I went with what I thought would work.
Let everything dry for at LEAST 24 hours (this is by far the hardest part of the entire thing...just waiting, staring at the board, wondering if you've just turned your wall into a big black hole or if you've created a perpetual art installation)
The step that is NOT on the back of the can, but that is in every article I read, is to "cure" the chalkboard paint. You do this by rubbing a piece of chalk along the board on its side...like this.
Erase and you're ready to create.

So, did it work?

I've already alluded to the fact the magno part was pretty much an epic fail. I put on five coats of the magno paint and only have one area - right along the edge of the wall - that is actually magnetic. A couple of other areas give a little attraction to the magnet - but definitely aren't going to hold it. I used nearly one full can of the paint on a small wall that measures just 2 ft by about 8 ft. After reading more reviews on Amazon, I saw people who said that after nine or ten coats it still wasn't magnetic. #alwaysreadthereviewsfirst

The chalkboard paint was pretty successful, although I think should have waited longer than 24 hours given how many coats of paint were on it. There is one section in the center of the wall that isn't taking to the chalk well at the moment. I'm going to let it cure another few days before getting too excited about it.

I will say it uses chalk faster than what I remember a normal chalkboard to do - I'm wondering if that is all the little iron flecks embedded in the wall from the magno paint. It also definitely looks like a chalk board. To keep it from looking too hazy and cloudy I think will be a lot of work, but all in all, I'm really happy with it and look forward to all sorts of creativity to come on my happy wall. Here is a photo after I'd colored on and erase the whole wall and just started writing a few simple lists.

So, what did you make this weekend?

Zoo Photography, Week 1

2013-02-17T11:59:00.004-05:00

When I left the house Saturday morning, the outside temperature was a meager 13 degrees. I have to say though, with the captivating subjects we captured - that was the last moment I thought about the frigid temperatures.

Sometime back in November or December, I signed up for the Indy Photo Coach Zoo Photography Class. We meet for two weeks - yesterday and again next Saturday - with the awesome Jackie Curts. Jackie is a full-time zoo keeper with the Indianapolis Zoo. This is the sixth or seventh Indy Photo Coach class I've taken and I think Jackie is my fourth instructor at that time - and she is definitely a favorite.

We started out indoors with a brief instructional period. For my style of photography, a few things I really appreciated about Jackie:

She emphasized shooting lots of shots in order to get one good one - these animals move and change and do interesting things for only seconds at a time. You can't get a good photo without time and patience.
She talked a lot of about getting good shots in a zoo setting with fences and mesh and glass and all sorts of other weird obstacles. We walked away from some shooting positions because there was simply no way to get a good shot. Some photography instructors will act as though they could get a good shot from anywhere - Jackie did none of that. No shot in that position - we moved.
The most important thing - focus on the animal. Jackie's photos show off the animal, in the best way possible. The photo may not be technically perfect (whatever that is), but the animal look amazing.

After the brief lecture, we headed into the zoo, where you are greeted by this adorable guy. He was sunning himself on top of this rock feature. My photos of him sunning himself weren't my favorites, although a few of them will be in my Flickr stream shortly. I realized as we were walking away from this visit, I had my focus set incorrectly so some of the images are softer than I would have liked.

The sun was pretty perfect for shooting - it was a bright, but still cloudy day so most of the time, the light was pretty soft - but we'd get moments where the light would shine through and highlight something about the animal. The photos of the Red Panda below show that off a bit.

After we left the seal, it was time to head over to the tigers. Ultimately we also closed our visit to the zoo with the tigers again so I have two different sets from this area. This handsome guy is named Peter. His name is actually the Russian equivalent of that, but I remembered Peter. The shot of him like this, on the rock was enough to make me happy, but then he decided to open his eyes up a bit wider and give me a beautiful face for the camera.

And then he decided to sit up - and was kind enough to look right at the camera.

There is something about wild cats that is so endearing. Don't get me wrong - I know these guys would rip me to shreds if that big thick wall of glass hadn't been between us. However, his pose and that look is so much like my little Fluffy it's uncanny. (Although, sometimes I do worry that she might rip me to shreds as well.)

Across the way from Peter was one of the female tigers. The light was not as good in her area, but I did manage to get a couple of nice shots - check out the tiny catch light in her eye.

One of the many, many great things about this class was that Jackie knew exactly when things were to happen at the zoo - like a Walrus feeding/chat time. So, we wrapped up with the tigers and headed over to the Walrus exhibit. Indy has a big female walrus, Aurora, and an orphaned baby walrus, Pekak, who was rescued from the wild. Aurora had not been doing well emotionally as she had lost her previous pond mates to disease, but she and the little guy are doing well together and she seems to be getting somewhat better. The two of them even treated us to a moment of Synchro Platform Diving :-)

(You can read more about how unique it is to have not one, but two walruses in a zoo - and learn more about these guys on the zoo web site.)

When the trainers came out, Aurora did a little painting - gotta love Walrus art. Jackie indicated these were gifts for donors and/or sold in the gift shop. I later explored on the zoo web site and Animal Art Encounters is a special offering from the Indy Zoo...anyone wanna go with me sometime - that definitely goes on the bucket list!

Aurora is very smart and went through a lot of training activities. Both also got fed - Pekak is still drinking from a bottle so he came away with an awesome milk beard.

Aurora also got some love from her trainer. This photo wasn't that good because of the scratches on the glass getting caught in the reflection - but the interaction was priceless.

As the trainers finished up, we got treated to a sweet interaction between Aurora and Pekak. I missed the shot of them actually nose to nose, but thought this still showed their relationship.

We headed indoors to the Deserts exhibit next. Indy Zoo has a fun meerkat exhibit along with loads of scaley horned creatures. What I had never noticed in here before were the birds - finches and quail in several different varieties.

A few of my favorite shots...

The blue tongued skink - apparently getting a shot of the tongue out is the real challenge with this creepy guy.

The turtles are one of my favorite animals in here, but I never did get a really good shot of them all day. This was the best thing I got, but I'm still not very happy with it.

Post-processing the super colorful finches made me realize that I will need a longer lens if I want really sharp images. My 18-200mm is a WONDERFUL lens, but even at these short distances, it isn't powerful enough to get a truly sharp photo at that distance and zoom.

This guy was actually one of my favorites of the day. He was having such a good time entertaining himself by digging a hole - but when he came out with that bit of dirt on his nose it was just too adorable. Even creepy kids can be adorable sometimes.

This guy gets the creepiest award...mouth closed...

...or mouth open. That's pretty much all he did. Open his mouth and close his mouth.

I popped back over to the Meerkats for a few minutes and caught these two in a sweet pose. The little one on bottom kept closing his eyes and then opening them again - while the snuggler just slept. I imagine this is some sort of protective pose they do, but in a zoo it's just pure cuteness.

Jackie came over to grab a couple of us (there were only four of us so it wasn't too hard to keep us together) to let us know the quail were in good position. I gotta tell you, I a) never would have though to look up above us for things sitting on rocks overhead (Jackie was great to point those things out) and b) was pretty sure I got NOTHING from these shots until I got them back home. Certainly not the best shot of the day, but I was pretty happy with this one ultimately. This guy was on a rock wall about five feet above me so the angle was really hard to work with and let's just say if you saw all the blemish retouching marks on this in Lightroom, you'd have an appreciation for the amount of plant life I had to take out of this to be able to give you a clear view of the quail.

This one though, was pretty much straight out of the camera. It's not a great shot, but it's fun and playful.

We watched the birds for a few more minutes. This guy is apparently planning to do some nest remodeling over the weekend.

Jackie kept scoping out the next area for us (the dolphin show let out while we were in here and these were the only two indoor exhibits on such a cold day). Once snakes got a little less full she ushered us in there. Now, let me begin by saying "I HATE SNAKES". I ordinarily won't even walk in this exhibit. But, the conversation I have with lots of people about the things I will do with a camera in my hand played in my head and I decided, yes, I would take pictures of snakes. Especially when Jackie asked if anyone wanted to try out her macro gear. I tried really hard not to bounce up and down and shoot my hand in the air and go "Me! Me! Me!". That being said, I was still the first to volunteer to strap on her Nikon 105mm and the Close-Up Speedlight System. There was another flash that we put in the hot shoe, but I was too busy drooling over the equipment to know what that was. Will have to ask about that next week. We proceeded into the snake room which is DARK! Jackie picked out a snake and helped me set the tripod. Two shots later, I shot this.

That one was a little out of focus, so after remembering I had to manually focus in macro, I got this shot. I was giddy. Over a snake. That's what macro photography can do for you.

We also took a shot of the rattler which is still awesome, but the color of green snake and the detail of those water droplets - amazing! Add macro lens and attachments to wish list!

We headed back outside where a light snow had begun to fall in earnest. I got a couple of good photos of the Alaskan brown bear (one of which was above), but he wasn't really all that excited about coming out to play.

However, the red panda - whose informational sign at the exhibit say if they aren't sleeping, they eating - were amazingly playful and active. We shot these guys for a good twenty minutes.

We finished up our first class meeting back at the tiger exhibit. This was my favorite shot of our little group. I'm not sure who was more captivated - us or the tiger.

The tiger was just doing some loops around the enclosure and so while we sat there at the glass wall waiting, she would walk down the little incline to us and we could snap away. When she'd get to the glass, she'd swipe and paw at us a bit just like she was trying to play (or, perhaps, eat). She had an affinity for George's shoe.

But, after a few shots of my human subjects, it was back to the tiger.

I am looking so forward to our class next week, when we'll be in the Oceans building (my favorite!). I'm also hoping it's a little warmer so the plains animals (giraffes, elephants, etc.) might be out.

Half - Inspired 2013

2013-02-06T22:41:00.001-05:00

I have been a big fan of Katrina Kennedy's Capture Your 365 email prompts for a while now. I have taken a couple of her classes in the past and found the content to be amazingly beautiful in how it is produced. Katrina has also always been very generous with feedback in the forums.

So, at the end of 2012 when Katrina started advertising her new class "Inspired" - I signed right up. While I'm actually pretty successful with taking a photo a day so far this year - I know I tend to lose energy as the year wears on. However, I was nearly positive I could manage one photo a month for all of 2013!

The class is a pretty simple structure...you get one set of instructional content around a photo prompt each month. For January, our prompt was half and, as always, the instructional material Katrina provided was beautifully crafted and so detailed. (BTW...when you see my photos below you should know I didn't follow the assignment guidelines at all...I ran with the word half and pretty much did my own thing...I never have been very good with following instructions.)

Each Friday we also get an inspirational email with some additional pointers, tips, links, etc. I've LOVED, LOVED, LOVED each of those so far. Then, once a month, we have a one hour(~ish) webinar with Katrina which is a photo critique session.

Tonight was our first webinar and I left my computer inspired, impressed, and feeling as though I had learned a LOT. Katrina offered insight into all 40 (or so) of the photos posted in the gallery in just a little over an hour. She got feedback from all the participants on the webinar (or at least I assume all...you don't know who else is on with you) and shared that really nicely. I picked up so much in that just over one hour of discussing the photos...things I know I wouldn't have observed on my own.

I accidentally uploaded two photos to the gallery - so thought I'd share both of them with you as well. The first one I selected was this one:

Loved the motion in the sand on this one. Also love how the light plays off of the sand to make it look almost glittery.

The second one I uploaded was nothing more than a snapshot...a quick notice that if I hadn't grabbed would have been gone. I post processed it to the sepia tones and did some cropping. I know I will always treasure this photo of my parents holding hands and loved the kind of quirky take on the prompt of half (that I am half of each of them).

I didn't notice until we were talking tonight in the webinar and Katrina pointed it out how their hands line up with the line of the sidewalk/pavement. Of course, now it's the only thing I can see so will be working on trying to correct that out of the photo.

Update: I played around with the photo this morning and took out some of the lines - I do like it much better.

Our February prompt is "Two"...can't wait to see the inspiration Katrina has in store for us.

What is inspiring you right now?

Inviting Action - One Little Word Blog Hop

2013-02-01T05:30:00.000-05:00

I'm taking part in Ali Edwards One Little Word class at Big Picture Classes again this year. I think that the idea of selecting a word for the year is so much a part of my new year tradition now that I'd do it even without the class, but I love the little nudge towards creativity this class provides each year...and the accountability the blog hop provides.

My word for 2013 is action. I had a lot of fun with the prompt/assignment for this month. I tried to come up with 12 phrases that used the word action in them that also summarized some big goals I have for this year. A few are a bit of a stretch, but overall I'm pretty happy with them. Each card was made with a hand made stamp with the word action on it and then the phrase for that month was stamped in red using a simple set of letter stamps. I added patterned paper and some little artistic details to the cards. I may go back in and replace one or two of those with photos, but my printer was acting up so I just went with cards for now.

As I was arting up the pages, butterflies seemed to be grabbing me. I had no idea how many butterfly stamps, stickers, etc. I had until I started putting this together. This is one of my favorite details.

I look forward to the adventures with the word action this year - and to seeing what amazing memories I can create. Please enjoy visiting the rest of the blogs on this month's blog hop.

Lee: http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife/
Cheri: cheriandrews.blogspot.com
Lisa: http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/
Lynn: www.crafty-creativity.blogspot.com
Nikki: www.inkyart.com.au
Kathryn: www.katlodesigns.com
Missus Wookie: mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.com
Veronica: www.veronicanorris.typepad.com
Eydie: www.whatwecreate.net
Karen: http://womenontractors.blogspot.com
Kelly: http://www.septemberblue.net
Melanie: http://mellybirddesigns.wordpress.com
Valerie: http://naughtystamper.blogspot.com/
Marya: www.lotustreecrafts.com
Nupur: http://woodpeckertales.com
Angela: angelanoel.com
Janet: http://lifeinsideascrapbookroom.blogspot.com
Dona: http://orangegearle.blogspot.com/
Ruth: http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com/
Naomi: http://www.poeticaperture.com/
Pam: http://pammiek.blogspot.com/
Kara: http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com <--You are here
Clare: http://claresthomas.blogspot.co.uk/
Margareta: http://www.paperpilekitten.com/
Tricia: http://onecreativemom.wordpress.com/
Jacqueline: http://goodwolve.blogs.com/jacqueline/

On dogs and time

2013-01-31T07:21:00.000-05:00

My long weekend in Florida was, for me, time that the ancient Greeks would have described as kairos time - time measured in beats of the heart rather than in ticks of the clock. The water, the beaches, the sun, the sand, floating down a river in a kayak, the walks with dad and Sam, chatting with mom...all those things happened without me ever caring once how long they were taking. Would we be late for something else just didn't enter my mind, nor did it matter. Because when your heart is fully engaged and when your soul is being fed, time sort of stands still. I prefer kairos time over the Greek's alternative of chronos time...kairos time feeds your soul and nourishes you in a way nothing else can.

I'm doing Kim Klassen's Beyond class again this year. To say "again" is a bit of a stretch because I didn't really stay on top of it well last year. However, a new year brings new dedication and I'm trying to stay on top of it as best I can this year. Our first assignment was to set up a shot and shoot it from many different angles and perspectives. I did this with a lot of things from my trip to Florida - like this gorgeous sunrise over the Atlantic...

...and this lovely bird that was standing on a river pier when we stopped on the way home from the Ocean to let Sammy get his feet wet. Sammy was SUCH a good boy standing back with dad and letting me shoot for a good ten minutes while my lovely model just stood proudly and let me get within just a few feet of her (him?) as I only had my 50 mm lens so all the zooming I was doing was with my feet.

And my mom would attest to how crazy I was trying to get a good picture of some gorgeous Plant City strawberries in truly low morning light inside the house...I finally settled on snapping their pic on the step just outside - but not until after failed attempts in the kitchen and living room where there was just not enough light to do their beauty justice. I love photo subjects that you can then eat for breakfast!

But, as I was thinking about Kim's assignment, I kept coming back to the routine of dad and Sam. You see, dad worries every year when they go to Florida that he'll be bored. My incredibly active dad is typically filling his days with yard work, puttering in the barn, keeping the local community center clean and in good working order, volunteering at church, and - even though we wish he'd retire completely from it - going on fire and emergency responder runs with the local volunteer fire department. In Florida, though, he spends a LOT of time with Sammy. The two of them walk about five miles a day - sometimes Sammy gets in the pond - and almost takes dad with him...

And most days, they end up in the park right across from the house playing ball - and getting in a few belly rubs. So, that's why for Kim's assignment I decided to go with the photo at the top...I've taken that specific shot probably a hundred times as Sam and dad are both pretty routine oriented in how this ball throwing and retrieving thing works. But, on that afternoon, with the sun shining through the sprinkle of trees, there was something so perfect about that one shot - that one heartbeat captured forever through the lens.

Kayaking the St. Sebastian River

2013-01-26T18:48:00.003-05:00

When I planned this trip to Florida to visit mom and dad, I prompted dad that I might be up for a little adventure...something involving water. We talked a little about it and he ran with the idea of going kayaking. He found a place that let us rent kayaks and go on a river cruise.

The first part of our cruise was actually a bit adventurous - tiny bit by most people's standards - but still adventurous. The river was pretty narrow as we got started and I used more than a few trees as navigational tools.

As we wound through several miles of river way over about four hours, we saw turtles, 2 alligators (one dad got pretty close to), loads of jumping fish, one manatee, and lots of birds. Since it was such a gorgeous day, we also saw lots of jumpers coming out of airplanes from the nearby airport.

It was a truly beautiful day. I've got several more photos on my Flickr site - dad took most of those as I didn't pack my camera along. I did shoot quite a bit of video. This one is my narrated video.

And this one shows dad's gator encounter, although not as clearly as I had hoped.

This one shows just how peaceful our little journey was. Listen to those birds!

So, while I have a few muscles in my back and shoulders tonight that I didn't know I had this morning it was a wonderful day all around.

Cherishing little moments

2013-01-20T18:35:00.001-05:00

I am sharing my favorite photo of Lucas so far in his young life. This was captured by his Nana Donna.

“With what pleasure do we look upon a family, through the whole of which reign mutual love and esteem, where the parents and children are companions for one another, without any other difference than what is made by respectful affection on the one side, and kind indulgence on the other.” ~Adam Smith

I have always cherished our family. We are, at times, loud, overwhelming, silly, and maybe just a little crazy. But, we are still a family who cherishes one another, cherishes our shared experiences, and celebrates together. Celebrating a new baby isn't something we've done in several years and I am enjoying it so much as we continue to embrace baby Lucas.

On Thursday evening, I visited Amanda, Steve and Lucas. When I arrived at their house, my brother Johnny (Grandpa) and his wife Donna (Nana) were there visiting. It was a nice opportunity to visit with them and see them as grandparents. My brother has always been demonstrative in the love he shows his wife and kids and that is no different in the way he is treating his first grandson. I think that's why I chose the photo above as my favorite. (Plus, all my photos have Lucas's eyes closed and I wanted one with his eyes bright and open which they often are.) I so love seeing Lucas's bright little eyes looking at his Grandpa - as if he's already listening to his Grandpa's stories...taking in his wisdom.

My sister Susie is in Florida visiting mom and dad so we thought with her tech tools on that end and mine on this end we could probably pull off a quick Skype visit so Great Grandma and Great Grandpa could see their new Great Grandson in 3D. The visit was a sweet moment to share with all of them. Lucas was still awake so Great Grandma and Great Grandpa got to see those beautiful, alert eyes.

I had brought dinner for the kids, so I held little Lucas while he fell asleep in my arms and the kids got some dinner together. It was so sweet to see Amanda and Steve go through the routine of making a meal - something they do so comfortably and easily together. You can tell it's a ritual they do often. So sweet to see them play with "the girls" - their beautiful dogs Maggie and Reagan. And so sweet to see them already settling into the role of parents so comfortably.

I will continue to cherish every moment we all share together, but especially stay focused on how much more special those moments are with Lucas in our family.

around here...

2013-01-14T07:35:00.003-05:00

...it's the first day of classes. If I counted right, this morning this will be my 100th start of a semester either taking classes, teaching classes, or otherwise working in an educational environment (I did double count those terms where I was both taking classes and teaching/working at a school or College). If you stopped living your life on an academic calendar sometime after high school or college was done, it's hard to remember there are some of us who continue doing it for the rest of our lives. It's like New Years, but without the confetti...or the shiny, silver ball.

...I tend to get a little crazy before the first day of classes, so yesterday my kitchen looked like this...

...and this...(Oh how I love using the light inside my fridge as a light source...still the most perfect light I know for photography.) Truth be told, these photos were pretty much at the end of the crazy. At one point, both crock pots, a dutch oven, and two different bowls of melted chocolate were all hanging out in my kitchen.

...I have a thing with soups right now. I made my "sweet" chili (recipe here), as Amanda has said she really liked it when I made it once before so I'm taking that and buckeyes and fudge to she and Steve one night this week. (And, also, to see the most handsome man I know.) I also made some Chicken Tortilla Soup (recipe here) and this chicken teriyaki recipe from Pinterest, subbing Trader Joe's Soyaki for the called for Teriyaki or soy sauce. My freezer is very happy right now.

Source: nibbledish.com via Kara on Pinterest

...it rained here, a lot. Something like 3 1/2 inches. If it had been snow, it would have been more than two feet. I hated the rain, but I'm sure glad we're not looking out at more than two feet of snow this morning.

...Lindsay got a bath on Saturday. I mopped the floors on Saturday. After 3 1/2 inches of rain, both tasks would seem as if they were a waste of time. The photo below was about two hours post bath...she was a little clean. She's not anymore.

...I'm THRILLED that Alisa Burke's Larger than Life online class starts today. I can't WAIT to dive into it.

...and, I'm thrilled there is another round of #30Lists coming up in March.

...but until it's time to get back to the creative endeavors, it's time to get back to work.

I do hope Monday treats you well, regardless of whether it's the first day of classes for you or not.

Did you do any cooking, cleaning, or creative tasks this weekend? Perhaps you did a good deed for someone. I'm still looking for someone to help me Pay It Forward in 2013. Could that be you?

The most handsome man I know...

2013-01-09T22:31:00.002-05:00

The most handsome man I know weighs all of 8 lbs, 5 oz. and is just 20.5 inches long - and he is perfect in every single way.

Meet my gorgeous great nephew, Lucas Owen Stout. He is the son of my niece Amanda and her husband Steve. He was born on Monday night. I'm already in love. The day of his birth was one of those wonderful family events - absolute shared joy. His nana (my sister-in-law Donna) did an awesome job keeping everyone up on events by text message all day. I talked to my brother - who is now a Grandpa!! - just a couple of hours before the little guy was born. Lots of texts between Great Grandpa, his great aunties, and his great-great auntie!

Last night, I drove to Richmond to meet this gorgeous little man and visit with his mommy and daddy. We had a wonderful visit. Lucas is alert...his beautiful eyes keep an eye on everything. His mommy and daddy were tired, but kind enough to let me hang with them for an hour, and let me hold this gorgeous little man.

He is amazing - the true definition of bundle of joy!

What has brought you joy this week?

I'm still looking for someone to help me bring more joy into the world by Paying It Forward. Can you help me with that?

Pay it Forward 2013

2013-01-06T21:27:00.000-05:00

I posted something similar to this on my Facebook status this week after responding to my sister-in-law Donna's post (by the way - I've got at least three more spaces on my Facebook post so feel free to hop over there if you want a gift from me and my blog spot is taken). Then I saw this post on Deb's blog and thought..."Yes, please!" So, if you're interested in helping me Pay it Forward to get 2013 off on the right track...either check my Facebook Status or read on...

Do you like to RECEIVE handmade gifts? Do you like to GIVE handmade gifts and bring joy to others? Do you want to join a blog hop that involves giving and receiving in a PAY IT FORWARD manner?

PAY IT FORWARD 2013

I am participating this project because I believe that giving handmade gifts is important in many ways. Not only does it bring joy to others but it helps us as artists stretch our creative bones, make new friends and connections, and spread the handmade movement further and further into our world. I commit to giving a handmade gift to one person who signs up to participate in this project and who is willing to "Pay It Forward" on their own blog. Ready to join the fun?

GUIDELINES

1. If you would like to participate, please sign up by leaving a comment below on this post.

Follow up by emailing me (kara dot n dot monroe at gmail dot com) with your contact information.

The first person to show commitment to the project will receive a handmade gift from me!!!

2. Post this project on your own blog--I will email you a simple cut-n-paste to make it easy.

Gather one new participant and be willing / prepared to follow through with the "Pay It Forward" part!!!

(I will send your handmade gift once you've shown commitment by gathering one new participant)

Please link back to this original post: ("JOIN THE FUN! Pay It Foward 2013").

I will include a link to your post so we can follow the project from its origin.

3. I will give you a small, heartfelt handmade gift.

In turn, give a small, heartfelt handmade gift to your participant and bring on the joy!

(please wait to send a gift until your participant has gathered their own new participant)

(also please only entry under one blog... unless you are willing to perpetuate more than one chain)

(If you want to join but my slot is filled, follow the link below until you find an open slot)

******

My participant and their "Pay It Forward" blog link:

(to be determined...)

My color wheel

2013-01-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

The awesome Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is doing a series of twelve "mini" online classes this year called the Getting Started Series. I love Julie's online classes - you might remember her stamp carving 101 class from this post or this one or her 30 days in your journal class from these posts. In the Getting Started series she is running this year, there is one class on one topic each month and the first one is on Color Mixing.

I don't have any formal art background - in fact after ~~forced~~ weekly trips to art class in elementary school ended, I never took another art class again until the last two or three years when I started taking them for my own interest and enjoyment. One of the things I've struggled with in all of those classes is color mixing. I've found myself buying tubes of very specific colors because all of the color mixing shown in the videos just alluded me. When I've done Wine and Canvas classes here in town (you can see work from those here, here, and here), the color mixing part has always been something that I've struggled with. So, I decided the Color Mixing class would be great for me.

There are seven videos in the class that are very short and easy to watch. The main "exercise" suggested in the class (there is loads of other inspiration given for applying to your art projects) is to create a simple color wheel. However, in the lesson on tinting, toning, and shading, there was an image of a color wheel with the a broader spectrum of hues - so I decided to try to recreate that using simple acrylic paint. And, I'm very pleased with how it turned out. With only five tubes of paint (primary red, primary blue, primary yellow, black, and white), I created all of the different shades you see here.

If you start in the center and work your way to the outer ring, the first four rings moving from the center to the outside are the tinted hues. The fifth ring is the main color you'd find at the point on a traditional color wheel. The next two rings moving out from that (rings six and seven) are the toned hues, and the final two rings are the shaded hues.

Here's how I did it if you want all the details.

I used a 9 x 12 piece of acrylic paper. That made it easy to adjust my compass to make a 9" circle to start and then each of the inner circles is just set a half inch smaller than the previous circle (using the measurements on my compass). Julie has a tutorial in the class for creating the circle for a simple color wheel and dividing it up into the segments without a compass or a protractor. The math nerd in me knew it would be easier to just grab those handy tools and divide my circle in 12 equal sectors that measured 30 degrees each.

You can't really see it all that well in the photo above, but I labeled the outer edges where the primary and secondary colors should go (you might notice a little scribble on the top left - that says "purple"). Then I also added, in the fifth ring in from the center, a little penciled in X (which I then erased before I painted over that specific segment) to remind me where the main color when in each segment.

Now, it was time to bring on the paint. You only need five colors to create all 108 (!!!!) hues you have in the finished project.

Look at that nice clean palette...it had no idea what carnage was about to waged on its surface. If you're wondering, the palette was a Christmas gift to myself. It's the 16 x 24 inch Tri-Art Palette which I got from Dick Blick with a coupon and free shipping. This was the first time I'd use it and it was amazing. I had plenty of space to mix everything and this morning, the dried paint peels right up - no washing palettes at midnight and never getting all the already dried paint off. Speaking of dried paint...

I started by laying out a big glob of each of the five colors. While I do think it's important to lay down the primary red, primary blue, and primary yellow on your wheel to start with - just to give yourself some good reference points in the big 'ole wheel of confusion (you can see that I did that on the in progress shot below) - if I did this again, I'd only squeeze a little of each of those on to my brush to lay down those sectors and then would start with just two colors at a time (making the hues from the red and blue combined or the red and yellow combined first). I did the hues using yellow last and my yellow paint had already developed a little crust on it because it had been out long enough the air had dried the little blob a bit. Live and learn...

I did all the hues for a single color after I mixed that color...and for some reason I left the primary colors until last. I started with purple, put that down in its little sector and then went on to do the tinting of the purples, then I toned, and then I shaded. Then I mixed up red-violet, rinse and repeat and then blue-violet and rinse and repeat. At that point, I cleaned up any remaining paint on my palette by brushing it down on a clean art journal page so, for instance, I have one big two page spread that has nothing but colors from the three wedges around purple. I also kept a tag handy as I was working on each set of wedges to clean my brush off onto, as I did a lot of mixing with my brush. My big "tip"...the other thing I found handy for "scooping" paint from one blob to another was a piece of a hotel key card. I keep all of the hotel key cards (as well as used up gift cards) in a little container in my studio for just such a purpose. I grabbed one, cut it into a few strips and used them for scooping, scraping, and mixing.

The last three wedges that I did were the hues for red, blue, and yellow. If you're wondering about the weird extra yellow splotch in the shot above - I messed up...literally seconds into the project. Even with my little penciled-in x's to remind me which sector the main color went in, I got excited and started putting yellow in the wrong sector. I wiped off as much as I could with a paper towel and then just painted over it with the first tinted shade. Even up close, you can't really tell there was a "mistake" made only moments after starting when you look at the finished product.

Speaking of finished products...this is how it looked with all the painting done.

This took a lot of time - and I did it all in one night. If I had just started with two primary colors, I probably would have felt as though I could stop at any time after a color was done and pick it up again another day. However, because it was Friday night so I didn't have to get up early and because I just like to see things done, I did finish it all up in one evening. All in all, it's probably about three hours of work but that included frequent breaks to let the dog in and out, scratch the cat's head, get something to drink, and, of course, get distracted by any number of things in my studio. I add that only to say - it's not hard work and you could leave it and come back to it at any time...I just chose not to do so.

I felt like it needed a little "framing" in order to feel finished so I grabbed my big thick point sharpie and a ruler and drew in the lines between all the wedges. Then, in an act of after midnight bravery, I free handed all the circles back in. It wasn't hard - just do one sector at a time and follow the light pencil line that you could still see through the paint in a number of places. I cut along the outer circle and spray mounted the finished circle onto a piece of 12 x 12 neutral colored card stock. Because I'm kind of proud of my little color wheel - here is that finished product picture again - this time without the labels.

I think I'm going to add some writing or lettering to the page and frame it and hang it in my studio as I'm pretty proud of how well it turned out and I like the color inspiration it provides.

Have you taken on any crazy, late night art adventures? Does color mixing befuddle and confuse you? Any big things you want to learn about in the new year like color mixing or some other arty topic?

A new office for a new year

2013-01-02T21:07:00.000-05:00

I am starting this new year in a new office. In the fourteen years I've worked for the College, I've worked on three campuses, in four buildings, and eight offices. This office is large - large enough to hold a small conference table comfortably - it is by far the largest work space I've had thus far - and it's more than three times wider than my most recent office. The other benefits of this new space - my whole team got larger space as a result of our move AND, I have virtually no commute any more. I've gained an hour back in my day!

Obviously the new space comes with some challenges. This is certainly a "before" photo. I've got the little stuff done - desk stuff unpacked, computer and phone working, etc. However, I have a huge wall that is going to certainly need some art and photography. I'm looking forward to creating that.

The other "problem"...you might notice that the window in the back is cracked open. It is Indiana...in winter. It never got above freezing today outside. However, it stayed well above that for most of the day because we left the heat on on Monday when we left.

A few adjustments are well-worth a beautiful, spacious area that is close to home.

OLW Blog Hop - Saying Goodbye, Saying Hello

2013-01-01T09:52:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

It's time for the last One Little Word Blog Hop post of 2012...and the reveal of my One Little Word for 2013. I've enjoyed this project over the last year and have really stuck with it. I now have an album with 10 of the 12 posts done - which is well more than I did in 2011.

In this month's project, we were to journal some facts and feelings about our word and about our year in general. My word for 2012 was intention. It chose me at the end of 2011 - there was no question about that. But, in the end, I don't know that it was the best choice. I continuously felt like something was missing this year. It was - word notwithstanding - an incredibly emotional year. I interviewed for a job I didn't get, I changed bosses, I've moved offices, and that's just the tip of the iceberg of what has happened at work. I struggled all year with the fact that there are things at work I don't feel comfortable sharing on my blog - but things I need to write about and get out anyway. I have the same problem personally - I haven't yet found my balance in blogging and I want to do that in 2013. Learn to share what I'm comfortable sharing and find a private outlet for those things I'm not willing to share publicly, but that I still need to write through. While it has been a good year, I'm not unhappy to see 2012 go and have a fresh start in 2013.

So, the word for this year...it's something I've come to think of this year (not accurately from a grammar standpoint) as the opposite of intention. The word I've chosen for this year is action. I look forward to seeing what I can get done in this new year. And, to get things done, we need action. I was originally drawn to the phrase Lights, Camera, Action...but instead chose to focus just on the last word. I do want to pick up my camera more and I want to lighten a lot of things - from wall color to my own body.

So, here's to looking forward to 2013. I've picked out a few quotes to help guide me this year. I thought I'd share those with you as well. I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Day and that this new year gets off to an action-packed and amazing start for you!

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten."

- Mark Twain

"When you do something all the time, even if you move too slowly for others to notice, the constant motion produces surprising volume and achievement."

- Jude Hill

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

And, the final quote was sent to me by a dear friend as his wish for the New Year. It is also my wish for you my friends.

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art - write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself."

- Neil Gaiman

Be sure to stop by the sites of the other folks participating in the One Little Word Blog Hop. You can use the list below to navigate easily.

Jan 1, 2013 Blog Hop Participants
Margie   http://xnomads.typepad.com
Lisa    http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/
Cheri    http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com
Ruth     http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com
Nikki    www.inkyart.com.au
Veronica www.veronicanorris.typepad.com
Naomi    http://www.poeticaperture.com
Missus Wookie   http://mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.co.uk
Kara     http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com <--You are here
Lee     http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife/

I am also linking this post up with...

December Daily/Journal Your Christmas

2012-12-02T22:28:00.001-05:00

I had one of those super busy, but super great days, that often define the Holiday season. I find myself, during this time of year, more open and more willing to step outside of my comfort zone.

Last night, I went on the Holiday Home Tour in the neighborhood of the old army base. Today, I got up (very early) and made the hour long commute to my folks place for church, followed by lunch, and then a Christmas Tea hosted by the women's group. Today was special in so many ways.

First, today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is one of my favorite parts of the liturgical year. I always keep an advent wreath in my home (although like all my Christmas decorations, it's not out yet) as well as an advent calendar. In Sunday School today, we got a gift from our leader - a little Advent devotional book written by Richard Rohr. I've read today's scripture and meditation a few times and I keep coming back to this part, "Come, Lord Jesus" [the Advent mantra] is a leap into the kind of freedom and surrender that is rightly called the virtue of hope. ...hope is the patient and trustful willingness to live without closure, without resolution, and still be content and even happy because...our Source is beyond ourselves."

Second, I got to spend time with my folks. We had lunch together after church then visited together at home. I sat down at the piano and played through some of our favorite old hymns. The piano calls me more at Christmas time than at any other. I don't only play Christmas songs, by they certainly get me going. Me at the piano equals mom and dad both in the house and us assured of visiting for a while. The cute little fire engine above and also pictured below...one of my daddy's childhood toys which was built by his daddy. He had to do a little repair job, but isn't it adorable. In 1943 there were no steel/metal toys because all metal was needed for the war so grandpa had to build this for his boy. Dad has done a little bit of work on it - the ladders are new and the front plate and a wheel needed a little repair job and fresh paint.

Third, there was a Christmas tea at the church this afternoon. It was sponsored by the women's group. The tea was lovely, but the entertainment made me smile and laugh. It was a puppet troupe from a church near Indianapolis. I snagged a little video of my favorite song, but until I can get that posted, this shot will have to do.

Fourth, we stopped in for an all too brief visit with my aunt and uncle. They are getting ready to move so my aunt has been cleaning and packing. Lots of memories have popped back up as she's run across them and some treasures are being passed around to new homes. And...they brought me wine from my favorite Indiana winery!!! Yeah early Christmas.

Fifth, my friend Gayle and I talked while I drove home. The hour long trip went in a flash and we planned trips!!! Gayle is a travel agent (best EVER!!) so I typically just get to enjoy the fruits of her labor, but it is fun to play along. And, the conversation made the drive go fast.

And sixth and finally...I won a giveaway on Alisa Burke's blog for an online class!!!

I could be tired because of the long drive and running all day today, but I find I'm smiling and happy and full of joy because I lived the depth and the breadth of life today.

One Little Word Blog Hop - November

2012-12-01T10:10:00.000-05:00

You know when you wake up in the morning and among the first things that pop in your mind are, "Where's my camera?" and "I need to use glitter today." ... well you know it's going to be a good day. Obviously, I found my camera (hence the photo above) and, you can't really tell in the photo but there is glitter on the card stock I used to decorate the three extra pockets of this month's One Little Word page.

I had planned to do a whole series of posts on gratitude in November. But, I didn't do much posting at all. November overwhelmed me....and I let it...and that's okay. There are some wonderful memories from November, like my niece Amanda's baby shower - and this precious moment between she and her cousin Ashley...and soon to be here baby Lucas.

We had a beautiful Thanksgiving as a family. I did most of the cooking this year. I am grateful that mom was here to co-cook - even if most of it was from the comfort of her chair in the living room. She won't always be here to remind me to spray the inside of the crock pot before putting the mashed potatoes in to keep them warm and that adding some butter to the stuffing (even plain 'ole Stove Top) keeps it moist.

I had a lovely day on the Friday after Thanksgiving taking photos with my friend Diana. Any time we get together is wonderful! I really liked how this photo turned out from that shoot.

Some things are changing in my professional world as well. All for the better I think.

But, back to One Little Word...I always think that the November prompt should be about gratitude. And, as I was putting together my page today (and yes...I did it today...it's one of the beauties of the One Little Word project...they are meant to be quick), I was thinking about how grateful I am to have connected with the lovely group of ladies who participate in this Blog Hop on a somewhat regular basis. They are inspirational in their writing, photography, design, scrapbooking, and just in how they live their lives...their lovely families that they share, the experiences they have, the places they live.

So, as you visit each of these ladies, I thought I'd tell you why I'm thankful for having gotten to connect with them this year.

Margie    http://xnomads.typepad.com - our fearless leader.  The adventures of Margie's beautiful family in China are so fun to read about - and you gotta love anyone who loves cupcakes.

Lisa    http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/ - who is our guest host this month.  Lisa is a great writer....and she too writes about cupcakes :-).  Her photos are always gorgeous and inspiring.  Her stories are beautiful as well.  

Kimberlee   http://scrapsandsass.blogspot.com - Kimberlee is a story teller...I often find we cross paths in online communities (I just saw she's doing Journal Your Christmas with Shimelle - so I look forward to seeing her in there!)  

Monica    http://scrapinspired.com/category/one-little-word/ - Monica has this beautiful scrapbooking style that I love.  The pages always look and feel light and airy.  I so appreciate her design style.

Naomi    http://www.poeticaperture.com - Isn't the name of Naomi's blog beautiful?  I love the juxtaposition of writing and photography.  Her writing style is informal, inviting, and comfortable.  I always love reading her posts.

Cheri    http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com - Cheri is in my "365" list in Google Reader - the blogs I read no matter what when there is a new post in them.  My favorites.  She always has beautiful scrapbook pages - and is dedicated to memory keeping.  I love that about her blog.  Cheri kept a gorgeous gratitude journal in November.  I want to do that next year! Or maybe next month...you don't have to be grateful only in November.  

Ruth     http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com Ruth lives in London.  I could love her posts for no other reason than that I'm a little obsessed with London and so every time I am on her blog, I read the posts in a really bad British accent.  I aspire to be as dedicated a blogger as Ruth - I don't think she's ever missed a day of posting.

Veronica   www.veronicanorris.typepad.com - Veronica divides a lot (maybe all) of her posts into categories - and they are simple, mostly one word things like bake, sip, etc.  If you've got a second, click on the Five category (here you go...http://veronicanorris.typepad.com/my-blog/five/) and just scroll through.  What a visual delight.  I  look forward to the fifth of the month to read what she has posted and see the beautiful images she has arranged.  Even though they are five random things each month...there is a visual connection in each month's post.  

Kara   http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com <You are here - and I thank you for visiting.  I appreciate all of you!

Cynthia  http://paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com - I'm so glad Cynthia is your next stop this month as I didn't have her in my One Little Word list for some reason.  I look forward to seeing her posts in the days and months to come.

Karen   http://womenontractors.blogspot.com/ - I also didn't have Karen in my OLW list, but she is now.  (Don't you love the title of her blog?!!)  Her word for this year carries some sadness, her writing is open and beautiful.  Her photos are gorgeous. I got lost in her blog for 30 minutes or so while I was "getting to know her"...looking forward to reading her pages in the days and months to come as well.   

Kelly  http://mindingmynest.com - I love Kelly's stories and her photos.  I love her description of herself as a mess-maker extraordinaire...I've borrowed that a few times... (I hope you don't mind Kelly!)

Carolina  www.micinnamons.blogspot.com - I haven't mentioned before...but a friend and I are taking an online Spanish class together (www.spanishmooc.com) starting in January...I read Carolina's blog every post - hoping that some day I'll be able to read the Spanish translation as clearly and easily as I read the English.  

Missus Wookie  http://mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.co.uk - Don't you love that name!!  Missus Wookie is also 

another great daily poster.  I really admire folks who have gotten themselves to a regular schedule

and stick to it...certainly something I aspire to.

I look forward to continuing this journey next year. I'm in a conundrum about my word for 2013. I keep having this short phrase come back in my head...so it may not be just one word for me, but rather a phrase. Can I break the rules like that? Probably so.

Fluffy

2012-11-26T22:32:00.001-05:00

As I write this, Fluffy is sitting here on the arm of the chair with me...an ever constant companion. It's been over a year since we lost Dippy. While I miss him terribly, Fluffy is a completely different cat. I've now owned two dogs who were definitely meant to be in one dog households...it took us losing Dippy for me to realize Fluffy wasn't aloof - she simply needed all of my attention. She was meant to be in a one cat household. If the huge paw-swipe she gave Lindsay earlier tonight is any indication, she'd prefer to be the only pet. Period. End of story.

I'm vowing to pick up my camera as close to every day as possible again. And I'm so glad I did that yesterday. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have thought to grab it to capture this shot. If I weren't trying to take pictures more often, I wouldn't have spent more than 30 minutes on the floor of the studio playing with Fluffy and treating her to belly rubs. She basked in the sunlight and so did I.

I love her look. So serious. I forget that she enjoys having her picture taken (or perhaps she enjoys all the attention she gets when I'm trying to capture her picture). I also love the lights and the darks. The post-processing to black and white - drawing out the very bright patch of sunlight and darkening up the gorgeous shadow of Fluffy's eye near the floor - was inspired by this post on Kat Sloma's Exploring with a Camera series. I wish I spoke Italian so I could do justice to what I am sure is the beautiful word chiaroscuro.

What is calling your attention or capturing your eye right now? Do you need to take a picture of it?

I've swapped the swap!

2012-10-16T22:11:00.000-04:00

The start of October didn't go exactly like I'd planned. I've had a lot of great experiences - and one really, really bad flight - that I need to share out, but I've been trapped in a good share of hotel rooms and conference rooms without WiFi over the last two weeks so I'm noticeably behind. Who traps people in rooms without WiFi anymore? When you have to spend all night at home doing your day job, it leaves no time for doing the night job (the fun stuff like blogging!) at home.

I wanted to post a quick note to say that I swapped out the Words of Inspiration postcard swap info earlier this evening. It came with a minor technology snafu as I tried to get all fancy and use a Google Docs script (which is kind of explained here) to do a mail merge from my Gmail account (Google...if you're reading this...could you just build in that functionality please?). It sort of worked and sort of didn't. Note to self...experiment more with the technology next time so your participants don't all have to get two emails. Thanks again to everyone who signed up - I'm so excited to see all the gorgeous art!!!

For today's photo, it was a gorgeous, warm sunny fall day here in Indianapolis and the light shining through the tree outside my office was beautiful this afternoon so I grabbed a shot with my cell phone. I'm grateful for the fall season - it's my favorite and the last few years we seem to have gone straight from horrible summer heat to freezing winter temps. So, I took a moment to notice my favorite season. I hope it stays around for a while.

I hope you enjoy!

OLW Blog Hop ... Fight or Flight

2012-10-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you're here for the OLW Blog Hop, welcome back. If you're a regular reader who sometimes skips the Blog Hop posts because they may (although not always) be a little more about scrapbooking than usual...there is something here for you.

Today is October 1! In rough terms, 75% of 2012 is gone. In just a little over a week I'm going to be celebrating the culmination of another year of my life. Where in the world has the time gone. I swear that September just FLEW.

There is a LOT going on in October. I have a big, huge, idea around celebrating my birthday that I hope to share next week. I just came back from a fabulous trip...I can't wait to tell you all about it. I am almost done with all my lists from 30 lists...a few are cute and I'd like to share. I've got signups for my first ever Postcard Swap going right now! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SIGNED UP! There is still time if you haven't signed up. Just go to the Postcard Swap page at the top of the page. I had so many hopes for making two or three tutorials/posts about how I like to make postcards...right now I just want to get one post up. And, I have a huge idea about raising money to fight Parkinson's Disease (you can read more on why this is an important cause to me here, and if you haven't done so yet, you can still make that free, three minute phone call to contribute to research on this disease) that I'd love to get into more than the garble of thoughts that passes through my brain at the oddest of moments and share here. But it's just not there yet. There is so, so much I want to be telling you ...because I LOVE blogging and everything about it...but that silly thing called a professional life...well the darn thing keeps getting in the way. Hence why I posted a photo tonight looking out the window of one of the at least four different rooms I'll find myself sleeping in this week. I enjoy travel, but short trips like these are simply exhausting.

Okay...enough whining (hopefully)...Why am I starting off with my perpetual to do list? You see, this month's one little word prompt is something I think every person in the world can benefit from spending five minutes thinking on...go get a pen and paper or open up notepad right here on your computer machine...go ahead...I'll wait for you...

...the prompt is about the battle you're in and deciding whether you're going to let your fight response or your flight response take over. I'm paraphrasing a LOT. Grab a pen and paper...make a quick list of the "battles" in your life...trust me...I'll still be here when you get back.

When I looked over my list and I put that together with all these things swirling around in my head I realize that one of the battles I have to stop fighting is my ongoing battle with perfection. Perfection is rarely my goal - at least that's what I say. I grew to understand a long time ago that perfection is for God, doing my best is for me. However, putting that into practice is a regular and ongoing battle for me that, when I'm losing, normally leads to procrastination, frustration, and/or simply choosing not to do something at all because it won't meet up to this perfect idea in my head. (And for those of you with a better memory than me, you will remember that embracing imperfection was also last month's prompt in general...obviously I didn't pay complete attention.)

I think part of my quest for perfection stems from a huge competitive streak - at least in academic/mental pursuits. I can accept that I'll never be an Olympic level swimmer and simply love and enjoy time in the pool, but when it comes to academic pursuits and creative efforts, I simply don't accept that I can't gain enough knowledge and skill to be the best and so I should do that before I do anything...Yes...I know...that doesn't even make any sense. But there are so many things that make sense to others and even though you know they are right, you can't put them into practice for yourself. I read an article recently that referenced the "just for today" concept that is present across the Alcoholics Anonymous process of handling alcohol addiction. I haven't done enough research to know all the origins and history (because normally I wouldn't even post about it if I couldn't find the right reference), but a quick Google lead me to this set of "affirmations" that seem to fit what I'm thinking...I don't have to win my battle forever. I just have to win it for today.

If you're fighting a battle...you don't have to fight it forever...you just have to fight it today. Are there any other simple ideas like this one that help keep you motivated when you're fighting an ongoing battle?

Thanks for visiting the Blog Hop...you're off to visit Monica!

Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com

Kimberlee http://scrapsandsass.blogspot.com

Kara http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com <-- YOU ARE HERE -->

Monica http://questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com/

Mrs Wookie http://mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.com/

Monica http://scrapinspired.com/category/one-little-word/

Cheri http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Ruth http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com

Lisa http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/

Naomi http://poeticaperture.com

Carolina www.micinnamons.blogspot.com

Veronica www.veronicanorris.typepad.com

Kelly http://mindingmynest.com

Brighton www.dearbrighton.com

Making Custom Luggage Tags #tutorial

2012-09-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

One of the things that I like to do prior to a family vacation/gal pal trip is make custom luggage tags. I've got them from many Disney trips. You can see a line up of some past ones above...still attached to my rolling backpack. I thought I'd share with you how I make them in case you want to make your own for your next trip.

As with any good project, you should start by gathering all of your tools and supplies. Here is what you're going to need.

Chances are you'll have everything you need already, except maybe laminating sheets...but I've suggested a few alternatives you might have...here are the supplies

You'll need the actual tags, printed out...preferably on cardstock. We'll walk through how to make them in just a minute.
You'll need something to cut them with. I'm using my paper cutter here from my scrapbook supplies, but scissors work just fine.
You'll need something to laminate with. I have a fancy little electric laminator that I picked up at Big Lots about ten years ago for $10...love...that...thing. If you don't have a machine you can use self adhesive labeling/laminating sheets (there is a set shown in the picture that I have on hand for bigger projects) or, you can use what my friend Becky uses...clear packing tape...just stick it on - works GREAT!
Finally, you'll need something to punch a hole with. I have a Crop-A-Dile Big Bite...you could use a hole punch or a hammer and nail for that matter.

Optionally, you can add some grommets to reinforce/decorate the area where you punch the hole for fastening these to your bag.

I'm going to use the star shaped grommets you see above. No matter what you use, you'll need to make sure it is 3/16" or wider if you're using my method of attachment. After many, many, many experiments my go to fastener of choice is a plain old zip tie. If you look at the very first pic, you can see how the tags are attached to the strap on my bag with zip ties. In addition to adding these to my rolling backpack, I do normally put one on my regular suitcase. I also put a plain index card inside my suitcase with my name, address, phone number, etc. on it in case the airline loses it and it loses its airline assigned tag. My luggage has been on some pretty good trips without me so it's a good idea to add multiple IDs - and make sure to include one inside your bag.

After you gather your supplies, it's time for the fun part...designing the tags. I started doing these about eight years ago, so at the time all I had at my disposal was PowerPoint...hence why I still use that. I have a PowerPoint template that I use for these and then just customize the text, front decoration and color each time I use them. You can download the template here.

Showing you how I edit these in PowerPoint is a little easier than typing you through it so I have a quick video (about four minutes) to show you the basics of what I do. If you know how to use PowerPoint, you can probably skip the video. If you don't know how to use PowerPoint or don't understand something, drop me a note in the comments and I'll try to explain more clearly.

Unable to display content. Adobe Flash is required.

In the video, I used these cute little photo tags that I saw on Pinterest. You might remember them from this weekly roundup post.

Source: uprintables.blogspot.com.au via Kara on Pinterest

After you've designed your tags, proofed them, and printed them - preferably onto cardstock, it's time to assemble.

My fancy little laminating machine has one fault...it takes forever to heat up. So, I switch it on before I start cutting out the cards...normally once I have everything assembled, the light is on and they are ready to go. If you're using another laminating method, you don't have to worry about this part.

Now, cut out the cards and put the two pieces together. Make sure to check that you've got everything heading in the right direction. You can use a bit of tape or glue to secure the two pieces together. I didn't do that here and they seem to hold together fine. However, if you're using laminating sheets or tape, adhering the two pieces to one another will probably make your life much easier.

Next, it's time to laminate them. I have these bigger laminating pouches so I can fit two in the same pouch. I'll just feed them through the machine and then cut between them. Just be sure to leave enough space between multiple cards to cut them out. If you're using the laminating sheets, you just follow the instructions on the package...be sure to leave a little border of lamination around the actual card stock. With tape you'll probably just want to wrap the card in the tape and then when you punch the hole, you'll punch directly in the card.

I actually fed them through the laminating machine a little too quickly and they stuck together so I had to do a do over on those two sets...you get to see the photo of my error. Don't go to fast or you'll have to do it again.

After you've laminated the tag, it's time to punch the hole so you can attach it to your bag. If you're using a commercial punch like me, follow the instructions on the package for punching the hole and setting the grommet (if you're doing that step).

Here is a look at the finished product ready to go on my bag...just add zip ties.

And, if you've not figured it out by now, these tags are currently in use on our (hopefully since I've pre-posted this) AWESOME trip to Disneyland and Disney Cruise along the California coast. I'm back home soon though so sadly when you read this...the trip will be nearly over. Can't wait to share what I hope are wonderful pics and memories with all of you when I return!

Wordful Wednesday #WW

2012-09-19T08:30:00.000-04:00

As I am off enjoying a little end of summer respite this week, I've had a few posts scheduled for you. This one is the second to last in my series of posts from my summer vacation to the Pacific Northwest. You can read the first three installments here, here, and here. Check back next Wednesday for the final post in the series.

On Monday, we headed for Montana. Our original plan was to make our way to Glacier National Park. However, after much discussion, map measuring, and refiguring, we realized that was out of bounds on this trip...just too far away given the time we had. Instead, we headed into Montana and to beautiful Flathead Lake. The photo above was taken at the overlook just as you approach the lake from the southwest - it's the first real view you get. I must say, I like the photo but it doesn't do the real view justice.

We had a couple of hours to spend in town so we stopped in the downtown area and went to the Visitor's Center/Chamber of Commerce. The folks there gave us a few recommendations on what to see during our time in town. As we left, I stopped to take some photos of the beautiful rose bushes just outside of the building. As I turned from picture taking, this friendly gentleman - and his parrot, were waiting to head into the Chamber building.

After grabbing a quick lunch at a local Art Bistro - seriously the type of restaurant I'd have if I ever had one - we headed just a little way out of town towards Kerr Dam. Some of the most incredible views we had the entire trip....although according to the sign it could have been the most dangerous. Luckily, we saw no bears or mountain lions.

As we headed back towards our hotel for the night which was in Missoula, Montana, we stopped at the St. Ignatius Mission. This beautiful old church is on the National Register of Historic Places. The murals that cover all the walls inside were painted by one of the cooks in the mission in the 1800s. The church is still an active Parish but is open to the public and tourists.

I loved the light coming in through this window - as well as the mixture of the traditional Christian symbology with the Native American tee pee.

Our visit to Montana concluded in Missoula, Montana. We walked around the downtown area a little. I don't know that I would recommend Missoula's downtown area...just wasn't much there on a summer evening. Perhaps when school is back in session it's a more interesting area. However, overall my brief time in Montana was absolutely beautiful.

Today I'm liking up with Wordful Wednesday at Better in Bulk and other sites.

Liberate Swap Blog Hop and My Swap Announcement

2012-09-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

This summer, I participated in Kat Sloma's Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap. This is the first year I've participated in Kat's swap and I am so excited to show you the beautiful cards I received. The one shown above is from Kat...our hostess. Everyone received one of her beautiful cards - isn't that a gorgeous picture?

The first card I actually received was from Karen Claverie. You can find out more about Karen at her blog at http://giddyupletsride.blogspot.com. I love the Zentangle inspired design. The flowers are my favorite part.

I got a second card that featured Zentangle...this one is from Cris. Cris is at http://tangledupinart.blogspot.com. I love the use of color in this one. Gorgeous!

If I remember correctly, this was the second card I received in the mail. This is from Kate at http://www.kmericks.com. She included a lovely quote on the back..."Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will." The quote is from A. W. Tozer. What a great message to include with a piece of mail art.

I received this beautiful photograph from Pam. You can learn more about Pam at http://www.kassiesbeach.com. Pam also included a great quote on her card - this one from Norman Hale, "A friendship is but a flower and this friendship I pass on to you, so please take my flower and friendship so you can pass it on to others too."

The final card I received came all the way from Jan in the U.K. Jan included one of my favorite Picasso quotes, "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."

Receiving art in the mail makes me smile every single time it happens. I also love how so many of the cards I get include quotes in the notes or messages. Since we're writing, normally, to folks we don't yet know, a lot of people include a quote or other sentiment. I want to take that one step further in my first hosted Postcard Swap.

The "Words of Inspiration" swap is open for registration now! The only rules for the art you create:

It needs to feature a quote in the art...add it to a photograph, work it in with mixed media, tangle around the words, etc. Use any quote that inspires you.
It needs to fit on a postcard.

On October 15, I'll send each person who signs up the names and addresses of five other participants. You'll send cards to each of the five people whose names you receive. Sign ups are open to everyone so you will likely be sending cards to International participants if you live in the U.S. International participants will likely have several U.S. names and addresses.

Registration is open now. You should be able to sign up using the form below. If that doesn't work, you can link to the form here. I'll be posting more ideas and samples here on my blog between now and the end of October. If you'd like to see those updates, now would be a good time to subscribe to my blog. If you'd like to see a couple of simple ideas now, check out this post and this post.

You can grab the button for the swap to put on your own blog or site.

If you don't want to sign up now, you can pop back by anytime between now and October 15. If this isn't a good time for you, you can scroll on past the form and head on to the next stop on the Liberate Your Art Blog Hop.