Fresh start

It's been a bit busy around here lately. The busyness has brought with it a host of newness. This has been Christopher's first week of Kindergarten--so far, so good.

We started with Kindergarten orientation, a time to see the classroom and school, as well as meet his teacher:




Christopher wasn't very cooperative with photos on his first day of school. That led me to take photos every day so far this week. Here are some of my favs:

School has brought with it a whole new schedule. That means developing new ways of doing things.

Weekend photos

I've been posting monthly photo assignments at SNC. This month's was about playing with shadows and silhouettes to tell your story. Can you guess the story behind these two?

Travelogue complete!

I finished up the Travelogue and was able to proof it as well as send it out for printing last night.
Here's a look at the final project:

10 things on the tenth

This is my first attempt at ten things on the tenth. There's no particular theme here, just randomness.

1. Windchimes--the sound of magic--capturing the wind.


2. Spiderwebs are the magical, intricate constructions that capture my imagination.


3. Graffiti--not normally something I appreciate, but sometimes it makes you think.


4. Running water is so calming.


5. All doors tell a story--what does yours say?


6. Anything can be art. It's all in how you view it.


7. Flowers blowing in the breeze remind me of the importance of being flexible.


8. In all things there is always a choice--one just may not always recognize it.


9. Truth is a one way street.

10. Always remember to take time to play.

Step 2 complete!

My goal for this week was simple: finish 4 of 6 outstanding projects. Last night I completed a second of these projects. I've had a gift certificate for photo books for awhile now. It expires next week. Initially I had different ideas on how to use it. That first idea required the hockey season to come to an end. I have several pages of that book started, but my intent shifted. I will still do that book, but I have chosen two other projects instead. The first to be completed is the Year of the Butterfly book that is shown below. This is a blend of pre-made photo book backgrounds and layouts combined with my photos and digital supplies. I cannot wait to see the completed project in physical form!

One step down--3 to go

Yay! I completed one of the projects on my goal list. I finally finished my SNC 2 page sketch challenge for August. The sad thing is that it was so close to being done. I was able to finish it up last night while cooking dinner.

I actually had more photos than I had room for on the layout so I made it interactive with a flip open photo. Here's a photo of it flipped open:


I did manage to get a good amount of work done on my digital albums as well.

Goals

This week's Explore assignment is to set a goal to achieve over the next seven days. After giving this some thought, I've decided that my goal will be to finish 4 of 6 scrapbook projects. The projects are:
1. Complete SNC 2 page sketch challenge
2. Complete digital Travelogue album
3. Complete digital butterfly photobook.
4. Complete Fabulous album.
5. Complete WITL album.
6. Complete SNC LLS #6.
That's a big list, but I know I can do four of them.

Color palettes

Today in Explore class we are looking at color palettes. We were given several sites to browse for palettes. The first was Design Seeds There are so many wonderful color schemes--I could browse there all day I think. I chose the color stroll palette. It just is really eye catching to me today.


From Colour Lovers I chose this scheme:


And from pininterest:

my color profile

ISFP

I know, what does that mean? It's a Myers-Briggs personality type. In my research for work today, I stumbled across a 4 question (very abbreviated) MBTI inventory.

Here's the description:
Introverted Feeling personality types are usually gentle and kind, they are intense and passionate about their values and deeply held beliefs, which they share with trusted friends. Because of their discreet manner, their enthusiasm may not be apparent. They are sensitive to others' pain, restlessness or general discomfort and strive to find happiness, balance and wholeness for themselves in order to help others find joy, satisfaction and plenitude. They are deeply empathetic.

They live life in an intently personal fashion, acting on the belief that each person is unique and that social norms are to be respected only if they do not hinder personal development or expression. They strive to adhere to their own high personal moral standards and are particularly sensitive to inconsistencies in their environment between what is being said and what is being done. Empty promises of adhering to something they value – such as environmental causes or human rights - set off an inner alarm and they may transform themselves into modern day Joan of Arcs.

They are quietly persistent in raising awareness of cherished causes and often fight for the underdog in quiet or not-so-quiet ways. In a team, they will raise issues of integrity, authenticity, and good or bad, and may to opt out if the team refuses to address the questions raised.

They are usually tolerant and open-minded, insightful, flexible and understanding. They live for the understanding of others and feel deeply grateful when someone takes the time to get to know them personally. They have good listening skills, are genuinely concerned, insightful, and usually avid readers. At their best, they inspire others to be themselves.

I think it does a fairly good job of describing me.

color theory failure--or rebel

This week's theme in the explore class is all about color theory and how we use color in scrapbooking. For me, color is a big deal. It influences everything that I do. I can literally influence my mood simply by surrounding myself, or in the case of clothing, covering myself in different colors.

Our first task was to choose our favorite color. Mine is purple--at least now. When I was young, my favorite was pink. I think it fit into the whole princess ideal. My bedroom was strawberry pink. Somewhere in early adolescence, my color focus shifted to blue. I even painted my bedroom blue. To me, at the time, I equated blue with the sky, freedom, and calm. I still do actually. As a young adult my color choice shifted to purple. I guess it makes sense---if you mix pink and blue you will get a shade of purple. To me, purple is meditative, spiritual, intuitive, and regal.

Yesterday I posted a question on FB asking what color others associated with me. So far I've gotten one response---PURPLE! I'm curious to see what other responses might come.

My second favorite color is lime green--go figure that the car I just bought is close to a lime color! To me, lime green is energizing, healing, and fun. I'm not sure when this preference for green arose, but I don't think it will change anytime soon.

Today's assignment for Explore focused on creating our own color dictionary. Upon completion of this task, we were directed to a color theory website I looked at the site, took the quiz, and failed miserably. I guess it is a good thing that I have never pursued art in a formal class situation. I am a firm believer that color is a personal interpretation that can change with life experience.

I pose a question am I a color failure or a color rebel? You decide.

and WITL gathering has come to an end

The end of my week last week when a little crazy. I managed to get what I hope is enough photos to document it, but, alas no time to post.

It almost seems strange to not be grabbing the camera for every moment I experience. My usually tolerant family started getting tired of the relentless stream of photography. Even my 5 year old started rolling his eyes and saying "There she goes again."

This week should begin the compilation process. I also have two photo books to finish up in digital format before my groupon credits expire. Seems like it may be shaping up to be a heavily creative week.