Documenting a Week In The Life

Evidence of spring
Photo Evidence of Spring.

I was hoping for a great week starting today. A week of seeing friends, fun packages in the mail (finally ordered my dream bag), traveling some and even going to a museum. Now my back is still giving me problems so I’m not sure it will be as fun as I was expecting, not if I have to stay in bed another day. It’s boring the hell out of me. But at least I can lay flat on my back in bed and write blog posts, while planning for next week, when nothing special will happen but there is a photography project that I am thinking of joining. And the more I think about it, the more excited I become…

Maybe you’ve heard of the project A Week in the Life? I am think about doing it for the first time this year. Now I am wondering if anyone wants to join in?

I am a huge fan of Ali Edwards, since way back. She is a scrapbooking mom who has made a business of her hobby and biggest passion: to document life (what a dream job!). Among other things she designs digital stamps (words and labels mainly, like the overlay I used here) to use in digital scrapbooking and so called hybrid scrapbooking (where you do some layout on the computer, print it out and then embelish the photo in a treaditional way).

I don’t call myself a scrapbooker, but I have a as big a passion for documenting as any scrapbooker. I think it’s in my blood, and I can’t help it. I call it memory keeping. When I create Blurb books, it might be a form of digital scrapbooking, though I think of it as layout and book making. I just don’t get scrapbook layouts seen online (where it looks like the scrabooker wants to hide their ugly photos behind layers of pretty papers and ribbon).

Still I read every single one of Ali’s posts (and was so sad to read about her divorce). Her blog is just awesome, and is one of the few who continues to be so year after year. Ali inspires me a lot in the way she tackles her life project by project. She writes awesome posts in series, divided into personal topics. She shares a lot of fun photography projects that you are invited to be inspired by – for free (as well as paid online classes). The one that I am thinking about joining, Week In The Life, is free and starts next Monday. Ali describes it like this on her blog:

A seven-day documentary project, Week In The Life is an annual opportunity to capture the simple everyday details of your life with photos and words.

This year the week is April 23-29. That means you still have time to think about it and prepare your camera or phone. Ali stresses that you can document everything, or just one little bit every day. Go huge, or minimize the project. Do it your way!

I’m thinking I will carry my Nikon d50 with me daily and document what I see: people, work, buildings, commute and home. I will try to write too, some daily journaling in a word document at the end of each day. I’m thinking that I want to capture how an ordinary work week might look. I then want to create my pages digitally in InDesign, maybe for a Blurb book. I’m not sure I will include the entire week in the album of 2012, or make a special book for The Week in Life project. I guess it depends how fun it is, how many photos I take, how I feel about it when it happens… I don’t know what or how I will share this on the blog, but I will update you about it, I promise.

It would make me so happy if you guys would wanna join in!? Pleeeease?

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On my Inspiration Board

Inspiration Board March 2012
Handmade postcards pinned to my Inspiration Board right now, all from the diy postcard swap of course.

I hope you’ve got a big inspiration board too? If not I made a tutorial back in 2008 on How I made my inspiration board. It’s a huge frame that I painted white and that I now use for hanging all kinds of inspirations. I still like it a lot, especially when handmade postcards arrive in the mail.

DIY Postcards 1

Today I’ve been creating my very first survey, like a professional business woman. I sent it out to participants of the swap, hoping to get some feedback on how it was made, the fee and when to do it next time. If you were in the swap I hope you can take the time to fill out the survey. If you can’t see it check your spam folder! ;-)

I have hosted the swap for three years and each year after it was finished I was so tired of it all. But this year I am not! I feel energized by it. And I am actually considering to host another one this autumn already… Would it be too much? Would you wanna join? I hope the survey will tell, but feel free to add your opinion in the comments.

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Weekly inspiration: Art is like play for grownups

art is like play for grownups

When you’re a kid you are naturally creative, and you don’t think about it that much. I think art is (or should be considered) play for grown ups. At least the kind of art I want to make is more play than business, more fun that seriousness. It’s about being curious, creative, playful and experimental. What do you consider your art to be?

I hope you will be inspired by today’s weekly inspiration link list. Enjoy!

  • Creativity with crayons – awesome blog post by Alisa Burke about the many ways of crayons. Talk about art as play for grownups!
  • Video: Caine’s Arcade – 10 minute video about Caine, a nine year old boy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade at his dad’s used auto part store. Now he is about to have the best day of his life… Super cute must-see video [via Kim]
  • Free e-zine: Scrap2Treasure – it’s a one page mini Zine by favorite blogger Ninox. She suggests a few fun ways to use scraps, and free zines is always a joy, right? Check it out, I’ve already printed my copy!
  • Audio: Creative Mojo Podcast – I’ve just listened to the show from March 28th with blogger favorites of mine, like Seth Apter, Michelle Ward and Julie Prichard! Mark himself talks so fast that he stresses the heck out of me, but if you can take that (and if you’re American I bet you’re used to it) I think it’s worth a listen! ;-)

And to finish us of, a quote:

Write. Start writing today. Start writing right now. Don’t write it right, just write it –and then make it right later. Give yourself the mental freedom to enjoy the process, because the process of writing is a long one. Be wary of “writing rules” and advice. Do it your way.
/Tara Moss [via Advicetowriters.com]

I’ve also got a page called Inspirations where I post links to everything awesome and creative, daily!

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Owl journal revisited: I painted it pink!

Pink Owl Journal close up

Do you remember the leather journal my mother bought for me in Lithuania? I have been so into the moleskine brand that I haven’t used this one yet. It’s been resting in the notebook bin for a few months.

Then at Easter I finally decided to give the blank pages a try. I’m about to finish my peanut diary, and because I don’t have an empty molly waiting I decided it was the owl journal’s time to shine…

But first I had to do something about that cover!

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Art Journal Peacock Peek

If today was not a productive day don’t beat yourself to death over it. Wake up tomorrow and start from there. Try it. It works. We can’t go back. We can only go forward. Let’s go!
/Terry McMillan

Peacock detail

Art Journal Peacock

Art Journal Peek is becoming a regular feature on my blog. It’s where I show a spread in my beloved art journal that I like. This one shows a proud peacock on the right, and an ornamented feathery bird on the left (it’s a colouring page that a kiddo friend gave me two years ago, now incorporated into my art journal). And lots of scraps, because I have plenty.

The above quote is perfect today, because I have back problems and have not been able to sit on a chair. I’ve been resting flat (working/reading), walking and standing up all day today. I hope it doesn’t develop into full on lumbago.

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What to Do during April Weather times

April Snow

The lost Bear that Karen made, is sitting in the window looking out. One day when it was snowing outside, she thought to herself: I think I will stay in and make art!

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In My Easter Window

The Easter Window
Easter Decorations

My Easter decoration efforts make me happy. I love the colours and figures of Easter. The Easter twigs (of birch tree) is a Swedish tradition that I ♥, especially this year when it was snowing outside. Then we bring spring around anyway, and it bursts into bloom indoors. I love that we celebrate with little silly chickens all around. Happiness!

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The Spring Chicklet

Spring Chicken
Isn’t this the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? It’s a spring chicklet on the loose, wishing you all a happy easter! And I’m in love with my own creation. It’s lovely when that happens, don’t you think? :-)

I love this. I loved coming up with the idea, sketching it and finding the right fabrics for it. I loved composing the picture. And I love handsewing. I so enjoy embroidery, appliqué & quilting in combination.

Here the whole thing:

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Art journal peek: Turn the page

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to write, all the art journal pages I want to fill, all the fabric I want to sew together and all the craft materials I want to explore.
/iHanna (inspired by a John Burrough quote)

Art Journal edge
The crusade challenge in March was about restraining yourself, simplifying your journal pages, being a bit minimalistic and leaving some space blank…

Do you know how hard that is?! Very!

I’ve started a practice notebook, for wee collages, but other than that I am going in the opposite rout right now, as you can see from the art journal spread here. It’s crazy busy!

You Can Turn the Page

I started with a b/w magazine headline, You can turn the page, in the middle left page, and then just filled the whole spread with little bits of this and that. Busy busy busy – but super fun to throw together.

I like the fringe that is sticking out from the page:

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Inspiration

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
/Ralph Waldo Emerson

Inspiration mosaic - Jan, Feb & March 2012
Inspiration mosaic with photos that I’ve favorited in Jan, Feb & March 2012. Click on the photo to visit each crafter and photographer if you want to see the entire photo and a lot of other awesome stuff they’ve made! Or view this big (makes a great desktop background).

I have been awarded me with The Versatile Blogger Award, from both Quinn and Diana. And Tammy mentioned “pretty in pink Hanna” (that’s me!) in her award post! Wow. Three in a row luck! Versatile means to be capable of or adapted for turning easily from one to another of various tasks, fields of endeavor, etc. Thanks girls!

I hope you’ve had a crafty weekend too. Happy April!

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