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The Open Book: Challenge 2, Beside a Burning Sea

Challenge #2 is brought to you by Amy and focuses on the novel, Beside A Burning Sea by John Shors.

"One of my favorite parts of reading a book is being transported into another time and place. And the book we’re showcasing this week is one that truly took me out of my own world and into another. There were moments when I felt as if I was walking on the beach of the island with each character, eating the same food, and talking with the same characters. I think the author did an amazing job of creating a world in which the reader is able to truly immerse themselves. The South Pacific came alive for me in the reading of this book as did the impact of World War II. I have to admit that I’m not typically that drawn to books about this time in history. But, this book made me want to know more, to learn more about this time in our history and the impact it had on so many lives.  This book does a few things really well which I why I’d recommend it – 1. It creates a new world for the reader that is full of detailed imagery that brings everything alive. 2. It creates characters that really compel the reader to keep reading, to find out the next part of the journey and 3. It has some of the most beautiful haiku poetry at the start of each chapter.

 I think it’s a compelling story that gave me a great deal to think about … particularly around war, friendship, sisterhood and the lives of women during that time in our history. In case you’re interested in reading my own review of the book, here is a link - http://amysbookobsession.blogspot.com/2010/05/beside-burning-sea-by-john-shors.html

Have you read it? We'd love to hear your thoughts -- feel free to share them in the comments section.

Here are the challenges Amy came up with for this novel as well:

1. Use this color palette, taken from the book cover:
    
2. Use flowers and greenery on your layout.
3. Scrap about war and how your life or someone in your life has been personally affected (this could be current or from the past).   
4. Scrap about a sibling relationship (your own or someone else's).
5. Scrap a page answering the following question: "If you were to be on a deserted island, what are the 5 people and/or things you would want to take with you?"
6. Scrap a page that includes a haiku -- a Japanese style of poetry that has 17 syllables in just three lines: 1st line 5 syllables, 2nd line 7 syllables, and 3rd line 5 syllables.  

Example of a haiku from Beside a Burning Sea:
She came from the sea
Like a pearl forged from the deep
Light melts an old snow

Here are the layouts our team pulled together this week.

from Laura:

credits: Papers by Jesse Edwards & Katie Pertiet; overlay, mask, & stitching by Anna Aspnes; alpha & date tab by Katie Pertiet; staples by Pattie Knox, all from Designer Digitals. Fonts Problem Secretary, Jane Austen.

from Barb:

credits:Papers, botanicals, stitching, and tags by Amy Hutchinson; Torn alpha by Something Blue Studios; Title alpha by Scarletheels Media; Staples by Christina Renee; Font is Eight Fifteen

from Kerry:

credits: Background Paper Down By The Sea by Kerry’d Away Designs, Red/Pink Paper My Sister by Vinnie Pearce,  Tree Paper  Pieces of Me by Vinnie Pearce, Old Text Overlay by Vinnie Pearce, Stitching Candy Apple by Kerry’d Away Designs, White Brad Sunday Kind of Love by Michelle Underwood, Metal Button Beautiful Endings by Michelle Underwood, Tab My Beach Flowers by Vinnie Pearce, Photo Mask All in the Family Grunge Masks by Kerry’d Away Designs.

from Audrey:

credits: Expectantly Yours album template, papers, elements, and word art; acrylic alphabet; all by Emily Powers Design at Oscraps

from Dawn:

credits:black and red cardstock; Pink Paislee Honeycomb Paper; Maya Road Velvet Blossom Trim - Rich Red; Mark Richards 3D stickers #4004

To participate, just create any paper-crafted item -- a layout (digital, hybrid, or traditional), a card, an altered item, or home decor item using any number of the challenges above. Post a link to your project in the credits, and make sure to share any thoughts about the novel as well. We'll have a new challenge up on June 7, 2010. Thanks for playing along!

The Open Book: Challenge 1, The Help

Do you love to read? Do you love to scrap? Does the idea of combining those two things make you giddy with excitement? If so, then you're in luck!

Welcome to a new challenge series, The Open Book Challenges. The Open Book Challenges are a series of bi-monthly scrapbooking challenges based on the books we've read and loved. Each challenge provides you with multiple prompts, both design- and content-based. Feel free to use them one at a time or combined; the choice is yours! Although we're offering no prizes, we do hope you'll join us every two weeks, as we share one of our favorite books with you and offer you scrapbooking challenges to go along with it.

To the right is a blog button that you can grab and post on your own blog if you'll be playing along (or if you just want to support this idea and help us spread the word). If you click on it, you'll be taken to an index page where you'll be able to find a list of all the Open Book Challenges, as well as bio information for the lovely ladies who are helping me to put these challenges together each month.

Challenge #1 is brought to you by Audrey and focuses on the novel, The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

I blogged yesterday about how much I adored this book; it's such a powerful story in so many ways. Rather than rehash those ideas, I wanted to talk for a bit about my thoughts as I worked my way through this story. First of all, I was completely caught up in it. I stayed up way too late for several nights, reading -- at times I wouldn't even get up from my desk or from the table (after a late supper or two) to find a more comfortable spot in which to read. And I'll be honest, I'm hesitant to share this, because it makes me look dumb, but I want to be honest with you. I kept having to remind myself that this was a book set in the 1960's, not the 1920s or 1930s. I had to stop and remind myself, "No, this was not a long time ago -- this was when your momma was little. This was just ten years before you were born!" A naive part of me wants to think that the violence and ignorance of the Civil Rights movement is long behind me, but I know it's not. Not really. Even my own children aren't that far removed from these same attitudes. The real kicker, though, is that this is not a book about racism and prejudice. Not completely. I'm amazed that such a weighty topic doesn't completely overwhelm this story -- but it doesn't. Because ultimately, this novel plays out as a story of hope and love and friendship and womanhood. And that's where the TRUE power of this story lies.

Have you read it? I'd love to hear your thoughts -- feel free to post them in the comments section.

(As a side note, let me explain the challenges briefly. With each novel we post, we'll include a list of challenges. Some of them will be design-driven, inspired by the artwork, the color scheme, the typeface of the novel. Others will be content-driven, inspired by a quote, a topic, or a theme from the novel. The challenges are not rules-based -- you can choose to do them solo, in combination, or not at all. Perhaps you'll be inspired by the book in another way. That's fine!)

This week's challenges are:
1. Use birds on your layout.
2. Use a scallop-edged frame to hold your journaling or your title.
3. Use the following color scheme, taken from the book cover:

4. Scrap about racism and how your life has been personally affected.
5. Scrap about a time when your perspective on an issue changed because you went from looking at it as an innocent to looking at it as an adult.
6. Scrap about the relationship you have with another woman (or group of women) and how that has impacted you.

Here are the layouts our team put together this week:

by Audrey
credits: Honeybee and Flights of Fancy by paislee press, For the Birds by One Little Bird Designs, Metro alphabet by Taylormade Designs

by Stefanie:
 
credits: vintage school artwork from my schoolbook collection. Map: from my map collection. Bookman Old Style, Kid Print, and Underwood 1913 fonts

by Jennifer:
credits: template, ChrissyW; yellow paper, Audrey Neal - butterfly fancy; bird paper, DHD Spring Fling; purple paper,Audrey Neal/Paislee Press New Leaf;Word Art - Audrey Neal/Paislee Press-Photogenic

by Amy:
credits: From Anotha Mista by Simply Scraps, Solid Paper Pack by Sarah Bennett, Scratch by Secret Garden Creations, Dreaming of You by Shanmomto4 Designs, Mother Nature - A FPD collab kit, Softly Spoken by Joyce Paul and Singled Out Template by Shanmomto4 Designs

by Kerry:
credits: paper is from Track Team Digital Kit and Cherry Blossom kit by Kerry'd Away Designs and the Frames are from the Cherry Blossom Frames by Kerry'd Away Designs

by Dawn:

To participate, just create any paper-crafted item -- a layout (digital, hybrid, or traditional), a card, an altered item, or home decor item using any number of the challenges above. Post a link to your project in the credits, and make sure to share any thoughts about the novel as well. We'll have a new challenge up on May 24, 2010. Thanks for playing along!

two of my favorite things

If you've spent much time on this blog, you know that I love to read, and that I read a lot. I am not exaggerating when I say that I can not remember a time when I was not a reader. It's just something that has always been a part of my life.

So whenever I get a chance to combine reading with other things that I enjoy...well, I jump on it. Rewind to a couple of months ago, when Wendy Smedley contacted me and wanted to know if I would like to participate in a book-themed scrapbooking project. I didn't even have to read the details...um, HECK YEAH!

Each of the participants created a two-page spread (multiplied times the number of participants in the project) and then Wendy bound them all into albums. Each spread had to contain a photo of the participant, as well as something reading-related. Some people wrote about their reading habits; others included their reading lists for the year, reading stats, top 10s, and more. Here's what I came up with:

I just got my bound album this week, and I have enjoyed looking through it so much. It's a great mix of traditional, digital, and hybrid layouts; plus, I've really enjoyed getting the new book recommendations and finding out more about the reading habits of my friends.

I thought I'd give you guys a look at the album. Make sure to keep on reading, because I've got a great idea I want to share with you at the end of this post. Here's the front of the album:

Angie: blog | Goodreads
I love how Angie's layout was numbers-driven; the stats were a fun and interesting approach.

Beth: blog

Beth's picture was great (I want bigger bookshelves) and her design was simple and graphic. Really eye-catching text.

Elizabeth: blog | Goodreads

I am not playing favorites (really, I'm not!) but I ADORED the pennants Elizabeth put on her layout (made from scanned book covers -- I think I might have squealed when I saw them) and her journaling is really my favorite. 

Jill: blog | Goodreads

I love Jill's layout very much too -- the star theme is a perfect choice, her photo is ADORABLE(!!!!! -- which means more squealing might have been involved at this point), and I covet her handwriting.

Kelly:

Kelly's page had a great collage feel to it, and her colors were awesome. Plus, I found some new must-reads on her 2009 list.

Lisa: blog | Goodreads

Lisa did a GORGEOUS digi page, and I'm going to admit, her journaling really makes me want to give e-readers a chance...my curiousity is definitely piqued.

Wendy: blog | Goodreads

Wendy decorated both the front and back of her pages (why didn't I think of that?). I love how she used three different categories to break down some of her favorite reads; I'm definitely going to check out some of her dystopic fiction choices.

This was a great project to participate in, and ever since Wendy approached me with the idea, I've been mullling over a couple of additional ideas that combine books and scrapbooking.

I would like to start a series of scrapbooking challenges here on the blog that are inspired by the books I love. It could be a book that I'm currently reading, or one of my all-time favorites. It might be a mystery or thrilled, a children's picture book, a YA fantasy novel, or a nonfiction book. Each blog post would talk a little bit about the things you love about the book, and then you'd list 3-5 challenges inspired by the book. One might be a journaling challenge, inspired by a scene in the story. Another might be a text challenge or a color challenge, based on the book cover. There are so many different ways to use books as scrapbooking inspiration.

But I don't want it to be all about me -- I want YOU to be involved as well. I can't do all these challenges myself, and I don't want to do them all myself. So if you LOVE to read and you'd like to come up with a challenge to contribute, leave me a comment and let me know. You can leave your email address in the comments and I'll contact you with more details, OR you can email me at audneal at gmail dot com to find out more. I'm excited about this project, and I hope you are too!

voting, challenges, winners, and sneak peeks

There's a lot going on in digi-land right now!

First up, I'm super-excited that my layout "Run Like You Mean It" is one of the Reader's Gallery choices on the CK Editor's Blog. I can quite luckily say that I am honored to have had my layouts published in a number of magazines, but I've never managed to break the Creating Keepsakes barrier. I'm hoping, with your help, that this might be my chance. If you could VOTE for it (as many times as you're so inclined), I would appreciate it. That layout is one of my all-time favorites, mostly because of the story that it tells about my Cass.

Amanda (of TaylorMade Designs) just joined the Digi Dares team, and her dare this week is a great one! Make sure you stop by and check it out, plus check out the INCREDIBLE layout she did. An absolute work of ART! You've got until 10pm EST tomorrow to get your layout posted.

Emily Powers has a great new kit coming to her Oscraps shop either late today or tomorrow. Since I won't be able to get a post up about it tomorrow, I wanted to go ahead and give you a peek. I had a chance to play with it last night, and it's just so fun (like all of Em's products are -- she's one of my favorite designers, without a doubt, and I'm so glad she's creating again!)

 

Remember that sneak peek I posted a couple of days ago? Well, here's another glimpse:

It will be debuting in the Paislee Press Oscraps store tomorrow. Make sure you check in here for a giveaway, as well as a special offer. Don't forget that tomorrow is also release day at Design House Digital; I've got 9 new products and a freebie going up in the shop, so you won't want to miss that either!

Speaking of giveaways, here's the winner of my Lovestruck kit giveaway:

Congrats, Courtney! Email me at audneal at gmail dot com and I'll get those download links to you.

commented on Facebook: Courtney Brogdon Zadik love your new kit...can't wait to make something for v-day...some hybrid cards maybe? ;)

Posted by: Courtney Zadik | January 18, 2010 at 04:32 PM

Courtney left her comment on my Facebook page; if you haven't become a fan of Audacious Designs on Facebook, I encourage you to do so. Sometimes I'll be holding random giveaways and offering other goodies to my Facebook fans. The same applies to Twitter followers -- you can become a follower just by clicking up there, to the right. :)

Scrappy Sunday challenge: a common expression

Last weekend, Chris had to go in to work on Sunday evening. He works for the help desk on campus as a computer technician, and the students were moving back into the dorms, which meant plenty of opportunity for computer issues to arise. At one point during the evening, Cami came into the kitchen where I was washing the supper dishes and said, "Mooo-om, when is Dad gonna be home?" I explained to her that it probably wouldn't be until after 9, and she whimpered, "But I want him home now." It was quite pitiful, and later, when Chris called during his break, I found myself telling him about it. "She's quite the creature of habit," I remember saying.

That phrase stayed in my head all week long, and when I downloaded Spencer Nugent's Monster Jam papers, word art, and stickers, everything clicked into place. 

CHALLENGE:
Let a common expression or turn of phrase dictate your page design. In my layout, of course, I played off the word "creature" in the expression "creature of habit" and used monster-themed papers and elements, plus a silly photo (silly is one of the key words in one of the papers, so everything tied in nicely. That was a plus, since I couldn't really find a photo that worked with this character trait).

credits: Monster Jam (papers, word art, stickers) by Spencer Nugent; Rectangular Frames by Spencer Nugent; Organic elements (tied and flat ribbons, tag) by Audrey Neal; Winterberry elements (journal strips) by Audrey Neal

Make sure you stop by tomorrow; I've got a new kit releasing in the shop. Also, there's something incredible coming to Oscraps in just a few days -- you won't want to miss it!

12 of 12: January 2010

Edited to add: I'm so excited! My Glimpses layout made Gallery Standouts today, which RARELY happens for me.

credits: Winterberry kit and solids, tag from Organic kit (both from Audacious Designs at DHD)

Did you capture your 12 of 12 yesterday? At first I really thought that I wouldn't have much content for my pictures because I work full-time and much of what I do looks the same all day long. But that's the great thing about carrying a camera around with you all day long -- you start to see things from a new perspective. You notice more. What I think I'm going to like most about this project is putting more of my daily life into my albums. I do a lot of documenting what goes on for our family as a whole, and what each of the girls do invidually. This is a way to document all the bits and pieces of my day; I'm also willing to guess that my days will not end up as similar as I had first feared.

If you are looking for a quick and easy way to scrap your 12 of 12 photos, I'm going to be offering a new template for sale in my shop at Design House Digital each month. Here's my first offering:

If you completed your 12 of 12 (photos, layouts, whatever format you chose) feel free to link to it in the comments -- I'd love for you to share!

And just because I was on a scrapping role last night, here's another quick layout share:

 

credits: Winterberry kit, Winterberry Solids, Winter Piecings, Winter Word Art (tree), 1-2-3 Template (see how easily I substituted other elements for those numbered circles?), all by Audacious Designs at Design House Digitals

12 of 12 -- anyone interested?

I'm going to be taking 12 photos tomorrow, since it's the 12th of the month, and then scrapping them. Anyone want to join me? I'll have my layout posted by Friday.

Sunday Scrappy Challenge: Changing Perspectives

Every week, I plan on posting a scrappy challenge -- you can play along if you'd like. Mostly, though, I'm doing this for me, as a way to make sure I do at least one layout a week that's just because.

Our weekends end up being "clean the house" day (spread out over two days, of course). I also end up doing a lot more "spot cleaning" since all four of us are home, usually for the entire weekend. This weekend has been worse than usual, because the girls also had two snow days, which resulted in a four-day weekend. I was making my fourth or fifth round of the living room, picking up piles of things, when Cami's boots caught my eye. I noticed that the toe was scuffed -- that kid is TOUGH on her boots, but she loves them. From there, my eye continued roving around the living room, noticing all the little bits and pieces that she leaves behind her as she moves from spot to spot, playing with her Barbie dolls, reading her Tinkerbell books, or posting her Sunday School lesson on the refrigerator door.

It occurred to me that I could choose how to view those piles of things, and that change of perspective is what inspired this week's challenge. I hope I'm not someone who seems to always be complaining; I try to take whatever life hands me and make it work for the best. That means changing the way I look at things, most of the time. If you can't change anything else about a situation, then try changing your point of view.

CHALLENGE:
Change your perspective. This could mean working through a problem from a different point of view in your journaling, taking a photograph from a different angle, or creating a layout from another's perspective -- it's your choice.

 

Credits: all papers and elements from Winterberry (releasing Monday 1/11/10 at DHD); messy stitches and notebook paper from Pieces of Me kit, Sketchy Stamped Alpha; frames from upcoming release

Photo 365: Week 1

January 1

Even with two weeks of Christmas break, the holidays -- and time spent with family who live too far away -- seems to pass all too quickly, even when all we do is spend a lot of time sitting around, talking, eating, playing games, and watching the little ones.

January 2

The dessert table was by far the largest at any of our meals; in addition, Cami and I made a pretty big dent in the tub of soft peppermints.

January 3

With new sheets and a fuzzy new blanket and pillow, her room is starting to look very much like that of a teenager; she takes the role quite seriously.

January 4

It was absolutely frigid all day long, and after waking too early, all I could think about was getting back to this spot -- a cup of hot chocolate, a book, and the blanket from my childhood bed.

January 5

Mealtimes wouldn't be complete without having to stop eating multiple times to howl with laughter at something they say or do.

January 6

Sometimes you just happen to be in the right spot at the right time -- and you end up with a wonderful surprise that you weren't expecting; it makes you feel so blessed and you realize that this is how you prefer your life to be.

January 7

I'm positive that the anticipation of a snow day -- going to bed wondering if the ground will be covered upon waking -- is almost as good as the actual snow day itself.

a tutorial + qp giveaway

Okay, you're going to have to put up with another post about Liz. I realize that I talk on and on about Liz and her products frequently here, but I can't help it. I don't think there's a more talented designer alive, and Liz's aesthetic is just so perfect -- that fantastic mix of modern and vintage. It's eclectic and elegant and easy to use; I think everything she does is just plain genius.

For those of you who are new to the whole digital scrapbooking arena, quickpages are a great way to get started. Even if you know your way around Photoshop pretty well, using quickpages can be a definite time-saver and a great go-to when you need something gorgeous in a pinch. Quickpages were my obvious solution when I put together my Shutterfly album, and I couldn't be happier with the results.

Liz has designed a beautiful freebie and even put together a wonderful tutorial on her blog that walks you through the process of using quickpages step by step. She used one of my favorite kits, and I couldn't resist combining the page with one of my favorite recent photos of Cami. You know, I'm a staunch believer in journaling and creating scrapbook pages that tell a story, but sometimes, sometimes you just want to show off a gorgeous photo. And I'm not sure you could get more gorgeous than this.

 

Another great thing about quickpages is that you can add to them; I wanted another little bit of that patterned paper, so I added a second strip down the right-hand side just to balance things out a bit more. It's all up to you. The basics are provided for you and you can use everything as is, or add extra elements. The choice is yours.

In addition to offering this great freebie, Liz has issued a fun challenge to her blog readers:

A PAISLEE PRESS QUICK PAGE CHALLENGE

I hope you had fun working with the quick page! I want to see what YOU did with the quick page. To make things extra fun, TWO of you will receive a $5 gift coupon to my shop. One coupon will go to the person that submits the most innovative + creative use of the quick page and the other coupon will go to a person chosen by random drawing. To enter this contest, create a layout using this quick page, upload your creation to an online gallery of your choice then come back here and post a link to your layout in the comments section below. I will be taking entries thru Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 9:00PM PST. I'm looking forward to your seeing your creations. Good luck!