Week 16

I thought all week about how to include the events in Boston in my layout for the week.  I didn't really want to include pictures from the event, but I knew this week wouldn't be complete without it.  It wasn't until we were walking out of the hockey game on Friday night that it all fell in place.  As we emerged from the Coliseum, I saw the flag flying at half mast and knew immediately that was the picture I wanted.  It represents what I want to remember from the event, not the horror of what happened, but the beauty that rose out of the aftermath as strangers took time to help another and showed us the better side of humanity.

I actually started with the journalling first.  Once I was done, I started really putting the rest of it together and realized I needed more red on the left to balance out the big block of red on the right, but I didn't have any more of that red paper and nothing else in the Basic Grey paper pad seemed to work.  So I pulled the picture off and cut out the red paper behind it.  I laughed as I was doing it because I just listened to Shimelle talk about about doing that on the Paperclipping Roundtable.  I was grateful to know I wasn't the only one who has been desperate enough for some paper to pull apart a layout to cut out a hidden piece.

 

Learn Something New Everyday

While that's a great motto for life, it's also the name of the class I'm taking.  On a lark, I decided to do Shimelle's class Learn Something New Everyday and, of course, signed up after the class had begun.  I mean why shouldn't I make it the most challenging it possibly can be?  After all it only has a daily lesson when I already know that this month will be busy and, then, to make it better, start out behind!  Yep, that's the best way to go.. well, not really.

I've been thinking about it for a while, but the whole idea of taking a class is a little daunting.  I mean I still wake up in the middle of a night in cold sweat thinking I've got to take a final in the morning and I never opened the book or attended a class the entire term, and I've been done with school for... well, quite a while now.  I don't really want to think about how long it's been because that just makes me feel old.

But I just adore Shimelle.  I get so giddy when a new Glitter Girl video is available and her blog had encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and try new products and techniques, so the idea of a class of hers was just enough to make me take the leap (plus it was pretty inexpensive and I get to come back year after year...).

[Pardon my little break.  Chewie just came into the craft room and declared it necessary that I immediately clean the litter box so she could use it.  I thought the benefit of not having kids was that I wouldn't have these interruptions to take someone to the bathroom, but apparently our cat thinks I need to have that experience in my life.  Sheesh... at least with a kid, there would come some time at which the child would be able to take him or herself to the bathroom alone.  But, Chewie is now five and still thinks I should take her to the litter box and clean it before she will use it - even if no one else has used it!]

So today I caught up on yesterday's lesson and did today's lesson too.  Although there's not much room left for embellishment because *shocker* I'm a little verbose.  But I did get to use my new My Mind's Eye washi tape in the Indie Chic collection and my date Smash stamp from K&Company.

Now I just need to think about what I'm going to do to cover my journal.  I selected this one because
I just love the little books that Vickie sent me after her trip here that have these great little pockets (meant for business cards, but handy for holding tickets, receipts, etc.) and I find myself using the post-it notes everywhere (marking recipes to try in the newest Cooking Light, masking a stamp for a layered stamping design, etc.).

The only drawback is that I'm not not hugely fond of the company's logo on the book with my "classwork."  But now that I'm thinking about it, it makes me think of subway art and I think that needs to be my cover...  Aahhh, the feel of inspiration!

 

But that may be for another day because, I'm tired after canning apples all day and it was only two buckets full!  Here's a shot of my first attempt at making apple butter.  I still feel sticky after stirring this for so long...

 

The first items in the canner were these beautiful apple ring jars the hubby put together after I sliced the apples on the mandolin.  I am still singing the praises of his cutting glove.  I can't tell you how many apples I sliced on that thing, but I can tell you I didn't get cut a single time even when I was pushing the apples through with my hand!

 Here are the cooling cans of apple rings (front left), chunky applesauce (front right) and smooth applesauce (back).

 But that's not all, here are all the cute little jars of apple butter...

Lots of work, but hubby and I make a good team so it's lots of fun too, especially when it's all done and I get to sit here listening to the jars making their lovely popping sound in the background while I listen to the hockey game (it's only pre-season but I'm so excited anyway) and watch NASCAR in the background in case something interesting happens.  







Now and Then...

What a fabulous weekend!  The girls came over to craft on Saturday.  Well, honestly, not a lot of crafting happened.  Instead we spent a lot of time talking and catching up.  Elaine was probably the most productive us all; she actually finished an adorable layout.  I spent most of my time showing her how she can use the Cameo in her crafting.  After all the time I've spent lately looking at hexagons and thinking I should use them in a layout or card, the first time I actually worked with them was helping Elaine cut some for her layout and now I'm even more convinced I'm going to have to use the hot trend on something. 

I did a little on my applique.  It's coming along pretty well for my first attempt, but I can see the mistakes.  But today I had to take a break.  All those little stitches are getting to me.

So today I used my time to make my first layout since reorganizing my craft room.  A couple of weeks ago, my dear friend Becky sent me her son's graduation announcement and a senior photo.  It's hard to believe that Nick is old enough to have finished high school; it still remember the little boy who ran up and down the hall at night trying to avoid going to bed.  I've been wanting to do a then and now type page ever since I got it, but every time I started, I realized I needed my computer.  Now that it's back and my room is ready to go again, I was so excited to get to it and, when I saw today's sketch for Sketch Inspiration, I knew it was perfect for this layout and I just knew I wanted to use the Note to Self collection kit from Echo Park.  I just love this kit, even more so since there are great coordinating elements for in it the Silhouette Design Studio. Even though this was the very first time I broke out the collection to use, I know I'm going to use every last scrap of it.  I loved the little tab; it was perfect to hide my hand written (gasp!) journaling.

It's also the first time I've ever sprayed Glimmer Mist on a project after I had it "done."  I've watched Shimelle (oh and thanks Shimelle for the preview of the upcoming Echo Park collections, I see more of them in my future) several times and I've always found it a little intimidating.  Yep, it's still intimidating even after trying it myself now.