More Of My Postcards

OK, I finally got most all of my postcards finished.  I am pleased with how these have turned out.  I decided to go with a completely "off the top of my head" style of making these cards.  I had a little help from some beautiful Travel and Leisure magazines.  I just flipped through until I saw a quote or a title or something that just caught my eye.  From there, I just ran with it!  I will be sending mine out on Friday.  Still not telling who or when they are going, except for they will be going to places all around the world!!!!!  I will post the other three tomorrow night.  The first two are posted here again, but one if them I decided to add something to it for a little more pop of color.  Let me know what you think about them.  Comments are always appreciated.

iHanna's DIY Postcard Swap

in wandering around the internet looking for blogs of inspiration, I came across iHanna's blog.  Her header caught my eye, so I decided to read more.  I have to say that her artwork is wonderful!  It has realy inspired me.  So, at that time, I decided to bookmark her blog until I had more time to read and browse through.  When I went back to read more, I found where she is hosting this wonderful postcard swap.  For a small fee, you get your name out in the mix.  She sends you ten names to send your postcard to.  In return, you have to make ten handmade postcards.  I am going to post a couple of the ones I have made, but I am not going to say anything about who I will be sending mine to this year.  All I am going to say is that I will be sending them all over the world, and some here in the US.  When I receive the postcards coming to me, I will post them.  AND, when I know my cards have been received, then I will post about where they went to.  I love the element of surprise and can't wait to get my ten postcards.  So, for now, I am off to make a couple more cards to send out to some very talented ladies.  Good luck to everyone and I can't wait to see what I get.  so, in the meantime, pop on over to her blog and check out her amazing work. (Click here to go to her blog)
~hugs, mel
iHanna's Blog

Posting some new things I have been working on lately!

I am really trying my hand at art journaling.  I became interested when I picked up a magazine on art journaling and thought to myself, "I can do this."  So, I have gathered some of the materials needed to pursue this hobby.  I already scrapbook, so why can't I do this?????  I am working on doodles right now.  I really love them and seem to be able to do them well.  I also want to learn how to do mixed media.  That is on my to do list for this year.  I have also taken the Pinterest plunge.  No one told me that it was that addicting!!  I have seen so much inspiration there and have so many new ideas not just for scrapbooking and car making, but also for drawing and doodling.  So, I am going to post some of my new stuff here in hopes it will upload to Pinterest correctly.  I am still a little technically challenged.
The page with the blades of grass on the side and the poem in the middle is one that I did after reading a poem in a collection by Grace Noll Crowell.  Very interesting collection of poems, many of them are very inspirational.  The second picture with the 23rd Psalm was one I made for one of my patients at work when they were really struggling with being so sick.  My patient told me that it was their favorite Psalm.  I think it helped to carry my patient through a very difficult time.  So, if you like them, please let me know.  Repin, comment, etc., just let me know what you think about it!  Thank you so much for looking and please browse through some of my other work while you visit my blog.

~hugs, mel
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I am Getting Behind!

I have been trying to take a picture a day.  Well, I haven't quite made it this month.  I am going to work on getting my stuff together for doing my books and journals and will start on February 1st doing my picture a day.  This has been a bit more of a challenge than I thought! But, I have found a few different ways to journal my daily activities and I can't wait to get started.  I am going to try my hand at art journaling.  There really is no wrong way to do it.  It seems to be an anything goes no holds barred sort of thing.  I think I can do that!  I already have a few ideas in mind.  One magazine I really love is the Somerset magazines.  I got the recent issue of Art Journaling.  There are so many different ideas and I have already found a few that I want to try!  Hopefully my next post will be of some of my completed work.  So, until then.

~hugs, mel

Week 1 Completed of P365+1

I made it through the first week of my challenge!  I have several pictures that I have to get off my phone so I can post them for all to see!  So far I have taken pictures of frogs, sunrises, my car, people, etc.  I am going totally spontaneous on this.  Some ideas have sparked my interest, but since I am not an owner of a great camera, I am going to try to keep it simple.  So, here are are some of the pictures I have taken of random things.  I am only missing two days so far.

1 January 2012

I know this is a little blurry, but I thought I would take a picture of one of my favorite radio stations.  I love to listen to Air 1 on my way to work.  I work 40 miles from where I live and can't pick it up very well where I live, but I can the closer to work that I get.  Very good station with great Christian music.  I guess listening to it is like my time with God every day!!

2 January 2012

I thought I had fixed this one, but this is a 4x6 piece that I made for my paper P365+1 book.  I love the idea of the different page protectors with the different size sleeves.  I wanted to make some of my own pieces to go in it!!  The stamp in one of those $1 stamps from WalMart in the scrapbook section.  I just colored it in after I stamped it!

3 January 2012

The view of the sun coming up as I was leaving work.  I loved how the orange and yellow colors blended right in with the night sky.  This was taken about 0645 in the morning.  I was so excited to see the morning sun.  I think this started my 4 day off week!!!

4 January 2012

IT'S HERE!!!  I ordered the core kit for Project Life from Becky Higgins for a start for my paper P365+1 book.  I fell in love with the colors of this one and the idea of how easy it is to put one of these albums together.  I am going to eventually order all 4 of the kits.  I also picked up the card stock set that goes with this and a couple of packages of the page protectors.  You can see all of the Project Life line at www.BeckyHiggins.com.  You will love it!!  She even offers a digi version!!!!!!

5 January 2012

This is one of the twins' math tests they did on this day.  They are in kindergarten.  Both of them made 100% on it!!!  I was so proud of them!  My babies aren't babies anymore!  They are learning how to read very well.  It is hard to believe they are growing up so fast!!!

6 January 2012

This is a glass pendant I purchased at the local bead shop near my house.  How great is it to have a bead shop less than a mile in one direction and the scrapbook store within walking distance in the other direction????  Especially when those are two of my favorite hobbies!!!  Anyway, this is for a necklace I promised one of my Canadian scrappy friends.  I really love this one!!

9 January 2012

Here we are to today!!  I missed the last two days because of work.  Shame on me!!!  Anyway, this is where I do a lot of my creating of stuff at!!  Yes, this is my desk area.  It looks like a tornado hit it!!!  But, this is my little piece of paradise, I guess you could say!!  I am currently working on a cookbook for my church, so that is what the big green box is.  The "Cremo" box is an old cigar box that my great grandmother gave back to us after my great grandfather passed away back in the early 90's.  It had pictures of people I didn't know at the time, but have since found out that many of them were of my family.  Family I never knew.  Many of them are still a mystery, though!!

So, that is what I have so far.  I do have many more pictures I took on some of the days, but these are the ones with the best stories behind them.  I am going to stick to my commitment to complete this project.  Hopefully I can actually see what I have done over the course of a year!!  Should be fun.  Join me if you would like to do so!!  For now, I think I will go watch a little TV until I can fall asleep!!!

~hugs, mel

Project 365 (or 366) for 2012--Want To Join Me??

I am going to tackle the Project 365 this year.  I have found several inspirations to get me started.  One that I really LOVE is Project Life from Becky Higgins.  You can find her site HERE.  I really love her ideas and think this will be one of the easiest ways for me to actually get this done!!  Here you can find information on where to buy, inspiration, and other bits of information.  AND.............for those of you who prefer to do it all digi, there is even the information there to where you can purchase the digi files of the kits!!!

I have also found a few others that offer digi kits for Project 365.  One of them is called My Projects 365/2012.  It is available at Catscraps.  It is by Ju Kneipp Design.  You can find the whole kit in here store HERE.  There is also some kits coming out from Katharyn Brine that are looking like they will be great.  You can find her blog HERE.

Whatever your method, paper or digi, I invite you to join those of us who will be taking this journey this year.  I know it will be fun, and in the end you will have a wonderful project of pictures, notes, etc. that you can look back at years from now and see what you were doing in 2012!!!  I am even going to try to work on some bits and pieces for those of you who like digi or hybrid scrapping!!!  Be looking for those soon!!

~hugs, melanie

We Got our Elves the Other Day!!

I finally gave in and bought the twins each an elf.  We had to get a boy and a girl elf.  I brought them home and hung them up on the fire place.  Then we picked the twins up from school.  They came in and were so very surprised to see that two elves had "just showed up" at our house!!  The twins were very excited to see them!!!  Justin even asked for Santa's autograph, email and phone number.

After they talked to them for a while, we went to the capitol to see the Christmas tree and the lights.  We ate downtown, too!  After they got home from all that, they found the elves in a different position.  They were so amazed!!  They couldn't believe that they had moved!

 

So, they went to bed for the night.  Sometime during the night, the elves got up and decided to have some oreos and kool aid.  Ashley found them first and she couldn't believe what she saw!!!

Justin said it was OK for the elves to eat some of the oreos.  He said they could have all they wanted.  We did our running around for the day and finally went to pick up Justin from Nana's house.  When we got home, those little elves had decided to move again!!

They ended up on the hearth of the fire place.  Ashley was so worried that they were going to eat the reindeer food in the bags they are sitting by there on the fire place.  So, we finally went to sleep for the night.  They decided to sleep in the living room and watch TV for a while.  Once they were asleep, the elves decided they were going to gather up the sock monkey and doll and color.  They also had a little snack of Cheez-its and some...............reindeer food!!!!  And Ashley was upset because they were "eating" the reindeer food!!!

"Justin" eating reindeer food.  Actually it is some glitter glue and oats!!

"Brittany" getting into the reindeer food.  Can't wait to see what they do tonight!!!

So far, Ashley and Justin are enjoying the Christmas season.  They are so excited to see what they are getting for Christmas!  But, even though they are excited about all the presents and stuff, I have not forgot to teach them why we have Christmas.  It seems to be working.  Justin told me the other night that Christmas is Jesus' birthday.  I am glad they know the real meaning of Christmas.

~hugs, mel