Bits & Pieces of Love

This week's project is featuring Glitz Design's Bits & Pieces. These fabulous little cards are perfectly sized for those enjoying Project Life. Since I have not yet compiled the gumption to begin Project Life, I enjoy using the Bits & Pieces as great layering accents for my traditional scrapbook pages. For this project I kept some of the cards "as is", and some I cut as accents. The outline of the U.S. cut out gave it that extra pop against the black background.

"Book Love" layout supplies
Glitz Design "Wild & Free" paper: Arrows
Glitz Design "Finnley" paper: Drips
Glitz Design "Wild & Free" Bits & Pieces
Glitz Design "Finnley" Bits & Pieces
Glitz Design "Raven" Bits & Pieces
Glitz Design "Finnley" Alphabets & Words
Glitz Design "Raven" Alphabets & Words
Glitz Design "Finnley" Giant Rhinestones
Glitz Design "Wild & Free" Washi tape - small hearts
Glitz Design "Beautiful Dreamer" trim

Sparkle & Shine

This week the paper crafting focus falls on Glitz Design's striking giant rhinestones. With self adhesive rhinestones that coordinate with each of the Glitz lines, you always have a way to add a little (or a lot) of sparkle to your project.  

Inspired by several crafty friends using household items as embellishments, I went digging in my kitchen for some goodies of my own. I ran across freezer paper, punched it into heart shapes and sewed them onto my page. They added a bit of translucent tone-on-tone texture to the project.

"Small Packages" Supplies:
Glitz Design "Wild & Free" papers: Arrows
Glitz Design "Wild & Free" 6x6 Paper Pad
Glitz Design "Wild & Free" Alphabets & Words Sticker Sheet
Glitz Design "Wild & Free" Bits & Pieces
Glitz Design "Finnley" Bits & Pieces
Glitz Design "Wild & Free" Giant Rhinestones
Glitz Design "Wild & Free" Washi Tape - Tiny Hearts
Other Supplies: typewriter, sewing machine, freezer paper, staples, tulle, sequins, heart & lace punches (Martha Stewart Crafts)

Back to School with Glitz Designs

As the fall approaches kids everywhere are trying to hang on to the last bits of sunshine and freedom. Since I started homeschooling a few years ago, our back to school moments have changed from packing new backpacks and lunch boxes to unpacking our box of new curriculum and working at the kitchen table. This photo typifies our homeschool freedoms, reading or working in a cozy corner. I figured our atypical back to school routine called for lots of layers of elements and textures with a hint of glitter. 

"Back to Homeschool" Supplies:
Glitz Design "Love You Madly" paper: Hello
Glitz Design "Love You Madly" 8x8 Paper Pad
Glitz Design "Love You Madly" 6x6 Paper Pad
Glitz Design "Uncharted Waters" Whatnots
Glitz Design "Love You Madly" Paper Garland
Glitz Design "Love You Madly" Washi Tape - lace
Glitz Design "Hello Friend" Washi Tape - polka
Glitz Design "Beautiful Dreamer" Trim
other: denim & canvas triangles (Punky Sprouts), wood elements (Studio Calico), Stickles, sequins, sewing machine 

daily life

Wow! These pictures sure stack up if you get a day or two behind. Sometimes editing everyday gets a little overwhelming, but then I suppose it isn't as overwhelming as letting the photos stack up. So here they are. I think I've just about caught up on editing and posting or very nearly. So let's see if I can keep from getting behind again!

For scrapbooking news: I've got a new Punky Sprouts & Carta Bella project that'll be up on the blog on Wednesday. Then we'll have another Glitz Designs blog hop on the 28th of March. 

We copied another hairstyle we found on Pinterest, which as a bonus came out in beautiful waves the following day.

Second day hair. 

Torrey's been working on writing a story for the past month for the Young Authors conference coming up. Every spare minute has been spent clicking away at the keyboard.

This was the final result... her short story Battling Darkness. We modified a photo of Emma for her cover.

A glimpse of spring on our lampshade. 

A little sneak peek at the Punky Sprouts & Carta Bella project that will be up on Wednesday.

St. Patrick's Day we did Emma's hair up into a shamrock in honor of the saint's illustration of the Trinity.

This past week my brother was in town and we did some work on sorting through our parents' things. One accomplishment was getting Dad's library moved over to our house. (The above is just part of his collection.) We also got the girls moved back into their rooms, which they both gave up when Mom and Dad got sick last year. I still struggle a lot with moving their things out of the rooms, and Stan has been more than a blessing with helping me through all of this. We both were able to work together on setting up the library. Made it feel like there was a piece of him here with us, or several thousand pieces!

“Alone of all creeds, Christianity has added courage to the virtues of the Creator. For the only courage worth calling courage must necessarily mean that the soul passes a breaking point and does not break.” –G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

catching up

I've been a little behind on posting Project 365 shots. I'm not sure how a week slipped away from me, but there you have it. So without further ado, here are the missing week's photos (along with a couple of bonus Instagram shots).

Monday: a photo from my Bible Study.

Tuesday: Emma under our willow tree

Wednesday: Stan's grandma's Bible & reading in the rain
 

Thurday: Fog

Friday: Leftover crafting scraps & prayer time at Chruch

Saturday: Hint of Spring

A poem Chesterton recalls writing as a child:

"I asked through what incantation or prenatal purgatories I must have passed, to earn the reward of looking at a dandelion."

This childhood sense of wonder stayed with him:

And since I have owned a garden (for I cannot say I have been a gardener) I have realised better than I did that there really is a case against weeds. But in substance what I said about the dandelion is exactly what I should say about the sunflower or the sun, or the glory which (as the poet said) is brighter than the sun. The only way to enjoy even a weed is to feel unworthy even of a weed. -G.K. Chesterton, Autobiography 

Afternoon of Art

Friday marked my third year of teaching a little class at the local elementary school's Afternoon of Art. They bring in local artists of all varieties to teach the students their trade or hobby for an afternoon. I've enjoyed teaching the photography class for the past three years. I had a great group of 20 some kids for the class. After going over some tips and tricks we took a photo tour of the school using the tips. Torrey was my lovely assistant for the class, and Emma enjoyed visiting with friends and taking a class herself. 

Standing on Washington State in Washington State

On my tummy, in the driveway, in the rain 
capturing the ripples of the raindrops from heaven

"And indeed this is the last and not the least gracious of the casual works of magic wrought by rain: that while it decreases light, yet it doubles it. If it dims the sky, it brightens the earth. It gives the roads (to the sympathetic eye) something of the beauty of Venice. Shallow lakes of water reiterate every detail of earth and sky; we dwell in a double universe. Sometimes walking upon bare and lustrous pavements, wet under numerous lamps, a man seems a black blot on all that golden looking-glass, and could fancy he was flying in a yellow sky. But wherever trees and towns hang head downwards in a pigmy puddle, the sense of Celestial topsy-turvydom is the same. This bright, wet, dazzling confusion of shape and shadow, of reality and reflection, will appeal strongly to any one with the transcendental instinct about this dreamy and dual life of ours. It will always give a man the strange sense of looking down at the skies."-G.K. Chesterton 

daddy love

It is far too late to think of clever things to write. So I will just leave the photos again so speak for themselves about the sweet love between a daddy and his daughter. 

“Alone of all creeds, Christianity has added courage to the virtues of the Creator. For the only courage worth calling courage must necessarily mean that the soul passes a breaking point and does not break.” – G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy