4 things

This meme first appeared over at Chunkychooky, and I've seen it popping up on quite a few blogs since - here are my answers:

4 things that I always carry

1. Mobile phone - I hate being uncontactable
2. Keys - well, OK, a couple of times I've forgotten to carry them...
3. Camera - for Project 365 pics and any other moments that catch my attention
4. There's nothing else that I *always* carry, but I've usually got my handbag with me, too

4 things that are in my bedroom

1. A bookcase - there aren't many rooms in my house that *don't* have a bookcase!
2. A pile of clean, dry and neatly folded washing that hasn't yet been put away
3. A decorated canvas of our wedding
4. A box of toys that need to be sorted then sold or given away

4 things that I would like to do but haven’t done yet

1. Visit America
2. Visit Australia
3. Take a photography class (in person rather than online)
4. Meet Tim Holtz (well now, there's a thing....)

4 things that you don’t know about me (depending on who you are, reading this, obviously!)

1. I'm very messy. I'm rubbish at keeping things tidy and at putting away after myself
2. Despite this, I'm actually very organised most of the time
3. I'm like Jack Sprat - I can't stand eating fat and cut it off whatever meat I'm eating
4. I've never read War and Peace, but I've read Lord of the Rings at least four times

4 things I often wonder

1. What shall I cook for dinner?
2. Will The Girl ever stop having temper tantrums?
3. Will The Doctor be home soon?
4. Will anyone comment on this post?

22 of 365

22nd January: A lovely evening spent crafting, chatting and drinking tea with a good friend :-) What could be better?!

Detail: Music

21 of 365

21st January: A friend came over for lunch to discuss a new group we hope to start after Easter. I made a chicken, vegetable and pearl barley soup, which was more like a stew - very filling, and very yummy :-)

Detail: Stem

A few pages

I've always loved Rinda's art journaling, and keep meaning to have a proper go myself. I decided that this could be the year! And I had a flurry of ideas of how I could do pages relating to my one little word, 'details'. So you can just imagine how thrilled I was when Rinda herself decided to do a year long project with a monthly link up for anyone who wanted to share how they were doing with their resolutions, intentions and/or one little word :-) How perfectly did that fit?

Well, I sure hope my enthusiasm continues right through the year, but I'm pleased with how I've begun! I've made 3 little art journal pages for a little project I'm calling '2011: A Year Of Details'. I'm giving myself permission to just play, have fun, try things out, embrace imperfection, go with the flow, and love my pages for what they are. And you know what? I do :-)

Here's my title page:

I picked out any word stamps from my collection that went with the theme of 'details' and added them to the background, then doodled inside each letter of the title to add as much detail as possible! (I don't actually expect it to be a year of secrets, by the way - that's just the way the words fit best on the page!!)

For my next page, I typed up a dictionary definition and a list of words from a thesaurus onto a page from an old book to create 'Defined and Rewritten'.

I went through various scraps that were to hand and collaged a few onto the page.

The third page is a few Details of Me! I just jotted down facts and statistics as they occurred to me until I ran out of room!

My first thought was to sketch a little self-portrait (combining a pencil portrait with the pen portrait of the surrounding words - you see what I did there?!) but I wasn't at all sure whether that would work out, so I went with plan B and sketched a silhouette of my head instead. I've seen the 'wavy lines' journaling in lots of places and always wanted to have a go at it myself; where better than in an art journal?

You'll notice that I haven't worried about whether my pages are portrait or landscape orientation, I've just gone with whatever felt right for that page. My plan is to make a little folder to keep them in rather than try to bind them, I like the idea of having the loose pages tucked into a folder of some sort. Or maybe I'll just tie them with ribbon when they're done. It might depend how many I actually manage to make! But I'm pleased with the start I've made to this project, and it has got me thinking about different ways to incorporate details into my work. I am trying to get more details onto my pages through my journaling, and I feel like that is happening. I am trying to notice the details in our lives. I'm really enjoying my detail photos in my Project 365, too.

My one little word is working for me :-)

20 of 365

20th January: The Children went to their reading group at the library.

Detail: Frost

Sneaky peek....

Off to the post office this afternoon. Just sayin' ;-)

What's that? You want a peek inside? But I don't want to spoil the surprise!

OK then, just a little look:

Spot the recycled Graze packaging! 

More, you say? *sigh!* You nosey blog readers, you! The teeniest of hints, then:

Hope a certain someone likes her little package! :-)

19 of 365

19th January: These little envelopes are so useful when I have a cheque to pay in! I can get everything ready in advance, and just drop it off when I get the chance to pop into the bank - no queuing required :-)

Detail: Wrap

Another dose of 'Shim'spiration

I was going to call this post A final dose of 'Shim'spiration, but I highly doubt it'll be the last time I get inspired by Shimelle! But here's the last of four layouts I've made inspired by her post here. It's also the first of three layouts that go together in my album, the second and third of which are here. Yes, despite being the first of a series of three, I actually made it last.

This should not surprise you.

So anyway, here it is:

Journaling: A trip to Leeds for the weekend to visit The Friends. A walk to Roundhay Park in the afternoon - cold and muddy, but refreshing!

First to the playground, for climbing and swinging fun. Then a tramp around the lake before a cafe stop!

Thanks, Shimelle :-)

18 of 365

18th January: The first day of term for my papercrafts class. We made 3 different mini albums, starting with just a single sheet of cardstock each time and adding a little bit of patterned paper to 'pretty them up' :-)

Detail: Leek

The angst never truly goes away!

The self-portrait angst, that is! I had my hair cut this morning, and I wanted to continue the tradition of including a self-portrait in my Project 365, to make sure I actually appear in it regularly, you know? I really like and trust my hairdresser, and she always does a good job, but today I was particularly pleased with my cut and was really up for a self-portrait. Yes, that's completely out of character, but it does occasionally happen!

This year, of course, I'm using my new dSLR for my self-portraits. This being the first such, I needed to figure out just how to make it work - and here, my friends, is where the angst came in. Not the usual angst of 'Aaaargh I hate having my photo taken even by myself!'; rather, 'Aaaargh how do I get the camera pointed the right way and focussing correctly?!'

Shall I show you what I mean?

OK - so, I'll just look through the viewfinder and check the zoom and make sure the focus is about right. I won't bother actually taking a photo like this, especially as I currently look like I have about 5 chins..... I'll just lightly press the button to get the focus. *click!* *whirr!* Ah. I appear to have taken a photo after all. *sigh*

Think I've got the focus OK now, so I'll just point the camera at the mirror and smile, all friendly-like. How's that? Ah...... Maybe need to be a bit more specific about WHERE in the mirror the camera is pointing? (Actually, this is one of my favourite photos and I'm definitely keeping it!)

I'll try that again. Point camera towards mirror. Smile. *click!* *whirr!* How have I managed to make that worse?! The focus is on the frame AND I've pointed it the wrong way!!



Right, I reckon I;ve got the camera direction sussed now, let's sort out the focus. This should be about right. *click!* *whirr!*  Or maybe not.....

I did eventually get a shot I was happy pleased satisfied OK with. You'll have to wait till it appears in my Project 365 before you see it, though! ;-)

17 of 365

17th January: There are certain times of the year that, on a working day, I don't see my home in daylight. This was one such day. The misty atmosphere meant that even the moon was blurred and no stars were visible when I got back that evening.

Detail: Blend

Further 'Shim'spiration!

I think I did quite enough wittering and waffling on this post, so this time I shall just dive right in and start showing you the layouts!

Giselle, you said that I had to scrap this photo? Already had! As soon as I saw it - before I even took it - I knew I had to scrap it :-)

The journaling reads: It was lovely to see how well our children got on. We weren't sure, because of the differences in their ages (11, 8, 5 and 3) but they enjoyed spending time together, running around, playing hide and seek, having fun!

I should maybe explain that the above layout is actually the second in a series of three. The first one I haven't actually finished yet, but it's the one that will give the details of where we were and who we were visiting. And then comes 'Friends', while the third in the series is 'Cronies':

Journaling: The Girl and The Friends' The Boy got on particularly well. They 'clicked' immediately, and were pretty much inseparable throughout the weekend! Partners in crime - cronies!

'Friends' and 'Cronies' don't make a double layout, but they definitely go together and tell two parts of the same story, so my plan is to have them on facing pages of my album, with the first page of the trio coming just before - when I've made it! I'll be sure to share it with you when I do :-)

PS I really don't know WHAT I did to Blogger, but it seems to have forgiven me - or at least forgotten - for now, as all my keys seem OK again. (I'd cross my fingers, but that would make it hard to type!) Thanks for your kind wishes xx

PPS Clair, I finished them!! I decided to stop faffing round with extra bits and pieces and just call them done! Are you proud of me? :-)

16 of 365

16th January: Very conveniently, the friends we were visiting happen to live very near other friends of ours. We arranged to meet up with the other friends on our way home, and went out for Sunday lunch together. The Girl was hungry!!

Detail: Lime

15 of 365

15th January: We visited our friends for the weekend, and although their The Children and ours were different ages, they really got on well together :-) We went for a walk in the afternoon and the kids all had such a good time together!

Detail: Glass

Very odd!

Some of e keys on my lapop keyboard ae suddenly sopped working. Tey're fine in apials bu don' work in lower ase. I's really srange, beause ey work fine in Word, bu in Blogger ey jus don' seem o regiser. I wonder wy a is? Hoping a ey reappear afer I'e swied e lapop off en on again..... (Te keys in quesion are C, V, H and T, if you were wondering - i's amazing ow ofen you wan o use ose keys in eeryday blogging!)

TranslaTion of THe aboVe wiTH dodgy leTTers Typed in CapiTals, wHiCH seems To make THem work someHow....

Some of THe keys on my lapTop keyboard HaVe suddenly sTopped working. THey're fine in CapiTals buT don'T work in lower Case. IT's really sTrange, beCause THey work fine in Word, buT in Blogger THey jusT don'T seem To regisTer. I wonder wHy THaT is? Hoping THaT THey reappear afTer I'Ve swiTCHed THe lapTop off THen on again..... (THe keys in quesTion are C, V, H and T, if you were wondering - iT's amazing How ofTen you wanT To use THose keys in eVeryday blogging!)

14 of 365

14th January: Our washing machine broke at Christmas. It was pretty clear that it was beyond repair. We ordered a new one online on 1st January, expecting it to take about a week (because that's what the website had quoted at the beginning of the process). At the end of the process, we were informed that we would be contacted by the 27th January to arrange a delivery date. *sigh* At the time of writing, we still haven't heard; meanwhile, The Mother is very kindly letting us pop round there regularly to use her machine.

Detail: Plasticine

13 of 365

13th January: I figured I ought to include at least one Graze box this year! Oh yum, oh yum.... :-)

Detail: Hummous

Challenge answers!

How did you do? I know a few of you found them all, well done! (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out this post before reading on. Go on, no peeking at the answers first....)

OK then, here are the answers:

I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible. It was a lulu; kept people looking so hard for facts... And for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the names of the books were not capitalised. But the truth finally struck home to numbers of our readers. To others it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments for you. Yes, there will be some really easy ones to spot. Others may require judges to help them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a pastor to find one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found! A little lady says she brews a cup of tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now, for there really are sixteen names of books of the Bible in this paragraph.

12 of 365

12th January: A friend of mine was having a difficult week last week. I knew it would help her if she had one fewer family meal to worry about, so I made a big pot of stroganof and dropped it round for her.

Detail: Flame

Here's a little challenge for you!

There are names of 16 books of the Bible hidden in the paragraph below. See how many you can find - and how long it takes you!

I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible. It was a lulu; kept people looking so hard for facts... And for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the names of the books were not capitalised. But the truth finally struck home to numbers of our readers. To others it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments for you. Yes, there will be some really easy ones to spot. Others may require judges to help them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a pastor to find one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found! A little lady says she brews a cup of tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now, for there really are sixteen names of books of the Bible in this paragraph.

Answers will be revealed tomorrow!!