Yeah, Write

A Take Twelve Personal Adventure: August & September

While I faithfully took my twelve photos for the Take Twelve Photo Challenge on August 12, I didn't quite get around to making my layout until, oh, September 12. So this month, enjoy a two-for-one!

August

I borrowed one of the Bonus Project Ideas from the Take Twelve Guided Inspiration Kit to guide my August photo-taking project. Instead of going through my day, snapping 12 candid photos of whatever inspired me, I started out with a plan: to snap 12 posed portraits of people I love. Since it was Sunday and the family had gathered at my mom's for dinner, I had plenty of willing (or semi-willing) subjects.

Left page: Travis took the photos of me and Keira. I snapped shots of everyone else. My dad is usually only willing to be photographed if he has a grandchild in his arms—and he usually does if there's one around.

Right page: One brother cooperated, and the other...well, at least he held still long enough for me to grab his picture, staring soulfully off into the distance. Can you tell who that cute little blondie in the top row belongs to? That's my gorgeous niece, Jensyn, who is just about to turn 8.

Full spread: I love seeing all of these happy, smiling faces all in a row. I kept my design pretty simple, creating a row of little layered circles—a design trend I picked up in Scrap Chic: Tricks for being trendy without sacrificing story, which is the first eBook released under the Big Picture Classes brand!

September

I was back to my standard Take Twelve approach in September: a dozen random photos of my everyday life, taken whenever I felt like taking one. I tried to be intentional about snapping photos that related to the changing season, and I borrowed another idea from the Take Twelve Guided Inspiration Kit—try a few unexpected angles.

  Left page: For my unexpected angles here, I took a picture of morning snuggle time that shows just how tightly we like to wedge our little Keira in between us. I then shot Keira's breakfast from an extreme overhead angle, and caught this small sunflower straight on and close-up, making it seem much larger than it really is.

Right page: Here, unexpected angles show up in the gorilla picture (although, what choice did have but to shoot him from above?) and in my self portrait I took while driving. Sound dangerous? It wasn't really. I was actually stopped at a stoplight, waiting for it to turn green, and I held my hand out to the side and took a series of off-the-cuff pictures without looking at the camera. I was amazed I got one that was this good. (And believe me, there was only ONE good one in the bunch.)

Full page: I suppose I'm a one-trick pony when it comes to scrapbook pages that feature 12 photos. I love that horizontal grid. I promise I'll try something different next month. Maybe, I don't know, a VERTICAL grid! I like to live on the edge...

Excuses, Excuses, and BIG HUGE News

For the first time in Yeah, Write history, I managed to neglect my poor blog for an entire month. When I look back at my blog archives, I'll wonder, "What happened to August of 2012? Did NOTHING notable happen during that month? I really had NOTHING to say? That is so not like me!"

And then I'll read this post, and I'll remember.

You see, I've been a little bit busy.

I apologize in advance if The Brady Bunch theme gets stuck in your head for the rest of the day. I've been humming it for the last TWO WEEKS. Even poor Keira has been subjected to it at bedtime, as whatever song I'm humming eventually morphs into Brady territory: "Twinkle, Twinkle little star, who was bringing up three very lovely girls..."

So, yeah, this is my BIG news!

My company, Ella Publishing Co., that I've nurtured and grown for the last three years, is now part of the Big Picture Classes family. And I couldn't be more thrilled! My eBook production duties will continue, and I'm also the new Editorial Director at Big Picture Classes, a position I can continue to fulfill in my pajamas, from the comfort of my home office, with Jovie looking in at me from the backyard window—just like always.

It's going to be a whole new world for me and for Ella, and yet it also feels like coming home. I'm back together with the core team that brought the world Simple Scrapbooks magazine—me, Wendy Smedley, Stacy Julian, Cathy Zielske, and Mark Seastrand (former Publisher at Creating Keepsakes magazine and current CEO of Big Picture Classes).

It's the past and the future all rolled into one. And it feels so good and so right.

And on top of that, I get to spend most of my time doing what I really do best. No more trying to design my own website banners, learning html, trying to understand what MySQL means, balancing books and printing checks, phoning someone in Pakistan from Walmart while simultaneously pushing a crying 18-month-old through Wal-Mart (who was upset because I wouldn't let her open and drink a container of bubbles) in hopes of getting my website back up after it crashed due to massive amounts of traffic heading over from Stampin' Up!'s Facebook page.

I get to write. And edit. And write some more. And teach classes. And brainstorm with brilliant women. Yeah, that's the life for me.

 

Take Twelve Photo Challenge: July

This month, I couldn't resist trying TWO different approaches for my Take Twelve photography challenge and making two layouts to commemorate the day.

First, I decided to follow one of the challenges outlined in the Take Twelve Guided Inspiration Kit and set an alarm on my phone to remind me to take a picture every hour on the half-hour. No matter what I was doing, I stopped, grabbed my Nikon, and snapped a picture.

Here's the layout that resulted from this experiment.

I kept the design simple. Just a strip of butterfly patterned paper (with some butterflies carefully trimmed out and added on top with pop dots), plus label stickers, and doily sticker, and a clock stamp.

Here's the left page closer up. (Click image for larger view.)

And the right page. (Also click image for a larger view.)

 

I found that as I was taking photos every hour, it was capturing a nice overview of our day. But there were lots of scenes in between those alarm bells that I couldn't resist snapping on my iPhone, via Instagram. Here's the layout featuring my 12 in-between Instagram photos.

This page is clean, graphic, and simple. I stamped a Making Memories journaling stamp eight times and trimmed around each one (while watching an episode of Mad Men, of course, since I watched four seasons of the show in less than a month. Can you say obsessed?).

Then I chose two patterned papers by Echo Park, added an orange washi tape border, and built little title accents with orange Thickers stickers, a small heart punch, and gray Jillibean Soup letter stickers. (I LOVE the Jillibean Soup Alphabeans Cardstock Stickers, which are a fabulous size, come in upper and lowercase and have several of each letter, plus numbers!) I used Glossy Accents by Ranger to make them dimensional and shiny, like the orange 12 stickers are.

Here's a larger view of the left page. (Click image to view larger.)

And here's the right page.

 

And I can't forget my sister-in-law, Suzanne, who also tried something new this month with her Take Twelve project. She printed her photos, handed them to her 13-year-old and 10-year-old daughters, and let them make the page. And she chose to scrapbook photos from throughout the month, rather than photos taken specifically on the 12th. Such a fun way to involve the kids in the project!

A Take Twelve Personal Adventure: June

Yeah, the "Family Adventure" thing is a bit hit and miss. My sisters-in-law and sister are still playing along with the Take Twelve photography challenge, but they don't always create their layouts in a timely fashion. And that's okay! The important part is to take the 12 photos on the 12th of the month.

June 12 was an interesting day for me! I happened to be in Los Alamos, NM, helping a friend who is wheelchair bound for another 6 weeks and still recovering from a serious car accident that occurred at the end of April. She has a little boy 3 weeks younger than Keira, and I can tell you one thing: I have a newfound respect for moms of twins! Luckily, she's been participating in Take Twelve all year long as well, so we were able to swap photos and share picture-taking ideas (in between referreeing the toddlers).

(Click image for larger view.)

I was getting bored with all the horizontal grids I've used on my past Take Twelve layouts, so I went for a completely different look, although the 12x12, 2-page spread part hasn't changed. This photo collage was SO easy to create using Aperture's Light Table Feature. (If you're interested, read more on that below.)

(Click image to read the journaling.)

My layout this month is sponsored by a pile of FUN new products I got from Stampin' Up! Their new catalog is out, so it just might be time to get a hold of your consultant (or find one here). I especially love the kraft backgrounds with embossed designs (called Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper if you're searching), which is responsible for my wood-grain background. Everything else on this page is from Stampin' Up! as well (apart from the chipboard letters, which I've had in my stash for quite a while).

I also created a pair of cards, while I had all these fun supplies at the ready. I do love this Bright Blossoms stamp set! I played with it for literally hours last night.

(Click image for larger view.)

About Aperture's Light Table Feature
If you're an Aperture user, select the files you want to work with, then go to File > New > Light Table, and you'll be able to drag photos and resize them in a flash in relation to one another, and then print the collage at whatever size you want! For this layout, I printed two collages, one for each side of the spread, on 8.5 x 11 photo paper. Easy!

So, how did your Take Twelve adventure go this month? It's hard to believe we're already halfway through 2012!

A Take Twelve Family Adventure: May

One thing I love about the Take Twelve year-long photography challenge is that I have a reason and a deadline, once a month, to take pictures of whatever is going on that day. It's so easy to get busy with life and forget to pick up my camera very often. But on the 12th of every month, I'm behind the lens all day long.

On May 12, my brother's family was in town from Arizona for a dance competition for my 13-year-old niece. So Keira and I spent the day at Lagoon.

Journaling reads:
I spent so many hours at Lagoon as a child. It epitomizes summer for me. I was thrilled to share it with my daughter for the first time. She loved her first ride on Bulgy the Whale, despite being overdue for her nap. We were there for cousin Haylee's power tap competition—me, Keira, grandma Janet, Dan, Alli, Suz, Haylee and Breanna.

And here's a close-up of Keira riding Bulgy the Whale. Cutest thing ever! The ride was moving pretty quickly at this point, so I'm amazed my Nikon captured such a clear shot in sports mode.

And now for my only relative who finished her page this month by the deadline, my sister-in-law Suzanne. Since we were together most of the day on the 12th, we borrowed each others' pictures, so some of these shots may look a little bit familiar.

It was fun to have a buddy to actually scrapbook with this time around. Suz and I scrapbooked away in my office, while her kids entertained Keira in the next room. (And I taught my nieces how to heat-emboss, which occupied them for literally hours!)

Looking for more ideas for how to scrapbook pages that feature 12 photos? Check out the 12-photo layout ideas on the Ella blog. I was in charge of doing the write-up this month, so you'll see my page over there as well.

I love the month of May. I love looking forward to summer. I LOVE having family in town. What are you loving right now?

April Scrapbooking Fun

I may have skipped March's Take 12 layout, but I DID take the photos, which is the important part. And I didn't let being behind on my March page keep me from finishing my April page, though, and I hope you won't either if you're playing along with the Take Twelve photography challenge!

Here's what I created this time around, using coordinated products from Echo Park Paper.

Click image for larger view or to read journaling. One image blurred at request of the subject.

I love how using coordinated paper lines makes creative decisions SO easy. I finished this layout in about 45 minutes this morning, with many cute little interruptions from Keira. And yes, I've warned Jeremy that if he pulls weird faces when I pull out the camera, I WILL scrapbook them. Doesn't hurt me!

And here's my sister-in-law, Suzanne's, layout for April. I love that she's playing along from Arizona; it's a fun way to feel connected from so far away.

 

And speaking of feeling connected from far away, I hope you'll join us at Ella Publishing Co. for Spring Training! It starts next week. You'll spend 2 weeks enjoying 18 videos that will educate you, inspire you, and hold you accountable to daily crafting. And why would you want to craft daily, you ask? Because it's the best way to help you exercise your scrapbooking muscles, try fun new things, and set yourself up so that creative accidents can happen! (And by "creative accidents," I mean awesome creative things that happen by accident, not accidentally stabbing yourself in the thigh with fine-point scissors.)

And because it's my company, and I can do this, I'm going to share with YOU the Welcome video that only registered "Craft-letes" get to see. It's me and Wendy reminding you why this is cool and issuing a little warm-up exercise to get you ready for next week!

 

And, if you've stuck with me through my sporadic blogging of the past few months, you can save 15% off Spring Training 2012 when you enter the code DUMBBELL! It's going to be RAD. Seriously. I can't wait!!!

Procrastinators, Unite!

I was on the Paperclipping Roundtable this week with Noell Hyman, Nancy Nally, Izzy Hyman, and May Flaum. Our topic? Procrastination (or proscraptination if you please). It's a fun listen!

Also, my pal Wendy and I show you how to make pillowcase monsters (aka "Cuddle Creatures") on our Books & Crafts show this week.

Just keeping y'all in the know. Have a great weekend!

Upcycled Book-Spine Vase

It may sound like a mouthful, but it's fun and really quite simple!

New on Books & Crafts for MyCraftChannel.com!

Leap Day? Bleep Day!

It seems that this "extra" day, this February 29th that only comes around every four years, is cosmically cursed. Everything was going along swimmingly until 12:30 last night (technically this morning, I suppose, when we crossed into this tacked-on day that shouldn't really exist, apparently ;).

Here's what happened:

So for the last month, we've been building up to the release of an exciting new Stamping Secrets eBook at Ella Publishing Co.! The entire month has been leading up to this day and the release of this new eBook:

So, at 12:30 last night, I finished writing the big announcement email, and prepared to fall blissfully asleep a full hour or two earlier than I had for the last three nights.  I was exhausted; my body was SO ready for rest.

And then Bleep Day happens, in the following order:

* I meant to schedule the email for several hours later—early this morning—but accidentally sent it right away. #$*#%!

* Then some scheduled site maintenance for ellapublishing.com went awry at 1:00 a.m., causing the site to go down RIGHT AFTER I EMAILED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, INVITING THEM TO COME OVER. #$*#%!!!

* I was able to wake up one of my website developers and get him working on the problem, while I lay on my sofa, not sleeping, debating whether to send a retraction email saying: NEVER MIND, DON'T COME OVER YET. NOBODY'S HOME!

* I fall asleep for exactly one hour, all the while dreaming that my site is back up, but everything I've added to it in the last week has disappeared. #$*#%!!!!

* As morning on the East Coast approaches (when people will awake and actually see the invitation to come over to the deserted party) the developer throws up his hands. He's tried everything he can think of. We need to try the other guy, whom we can't reach until after 7. #$*#%!!!!!

* I decide to send the DON'T COME OVER email to the 8,000 people I mistakenly emailed earlier and just go to sleep. And I instantly get an error message saying I've exceeded my allowable number of business emails for the month. And if I want to send this one, I'm going to have to PAY through the nose. Or, I could wait until March 1, and then the email would be part of my regular plan. (I wanted to scream that in any other year,  today WOULD BE be March 1st, but somebody had to go and tack on that extra day.) #$*#%!!!!!

* I fall asleep again for exactly one hour, knowing that while my website may still be down, at least I've warned people not to come over. And at 7 :15 a.m., I finally hear from the other guy, who had the site back up in 2.2 seconds! And none of my recent work was lost! It was just a weird little thing only he knew how to do. Hooray!

* And then I send the IT'S OKAY, YOU CAN COME OVER NOW email (again paying through the nose because it is still not March 1st, although I think it definitely SHOULD be). 

* I then proceed to have similar, gremlin-like issues with two other completely unrelated online services that I depend upon for my business. #$*#%!!!!!

* And then Keira awakes, and my day begins. She smears her entire head with peanut butter at breakfast, and then feeds my credit card to the dog, who chomps right through it in one bite as if it were made of fruit leather. :)

It's okay, I can do this. I've survived on 120 minutes of sleep before, I'm sure.

I'd like to turn off every machine in my house and pretend like it's 1906. But it's freezing, windy, and gray outside today (of course) and we'll need the furnace at least. Wish me luck.

Sorry about my language.

(And thanks to my friend and marketing guru, Yvette, for coining the term "Bleep Day.")

 

A Take Twelve Family Adventure: February

Of the four family members I roped into the Take Twelve photography challenge, just two of us have completed our pages so far. And that's okay! The important part is to take the photos. Pages can always be made later, if life gets in the way of your scrapbooking. But photo opportunities don't keep.

Here's my scrapbook page this month, in traditional Valentine's colors:

 

I used some stamping and embossing techniques, in honor of it being Stamping Month at Ella Publishing Co.! (New stamping-related eBook coming at the end of the month!)

 

And here is my sister, Michele's, who is creating one page at a time for a photo book she'll print at the end of the year.

I'll add Suzanne's when I get them!

In the meantime, go check out what Ella's Take Twelve Team  created this month and/or revisit my family's January pages!

 

*UPDATE* 11:28 a.m.
Breaking news! Becky just sent me her page. :)

My sis-in-law, Becky, chose a fun angle for this month. Her son, Payton, turns 6 this month, so the photos were all about him. He got to take pictures himself, and choose who got to be IN the pictures. How fun to see the Take Twelve project from a 6-year-old's perspective!

Click on images to see them larger and/or read the journaling.