Embrace Life

Confession: I'm a font freak

For as long as I can remember I've been doodling and drawing letters. I have a crazy collection of over 1,400 fonts in my Font Book. Now, I have to confess, that has been whittled down over time from a collection of over 2,500 fonts. It is still a ridiculous number.

But there are times when I just can't find the fonts I want in my massive collection!

My most recent additions to the collection include:

Pauline is a font I found over at Simple Scrapper and I just had to have it! So went out and bought it from My Fonts. At around the same time I found Louisiana on a design blog - they no longer use it - and then I found it again in Canadian House and Home magazine - the print, not online, version. It is as close as I can find to what I wish my handwriting was like, consistently! So I had to buy it.

New free fonts include ...

The Serifa was used in my recent Autobiography Project and the Reklame Script reminds me of my days supervising a print shop for a grocery company years and years ago!

Right now I'm on the hunt for some number fonts. Numbers with personality and style! Any ideas, let me know :)

What are your favourite, or you go-to fonts? Share!

LOAD: More 0511 Layouts

Somehow I've managed to keep up with the LOAD (Layout A Day) for May ... and keep at the digi! I have to say, I'm enjoying the "clean up" after making a digi layout. So very tidy! The portability is a plus, too.

DAY 7: So Very Thankful

MATERIALS Digi Printed Paper: Mr. Brownstone (Ashalee Wall); Template: Layered Template 14 (Cathy Zielske); Fonts: Arial & Amelie

DAY 8: A Most Colourful Surprise

MATERIALS Digi Printed Paper: DZ Artistshand2 - Paper3 (Unknown); Template: Design Your Life Class Template (Unavailable, Cathy Zielske); Fonts: A&S Rhino and Arial

DAY 9: His Joyful Moves

MATERIALS Digi Printed Paper: For The Love of Chevron (Ali Edwards); Tag: Holidays in Hand Tag Pack (Jessica Sprague); Template: Design Your Life Class Template (Unavailable, Cathy Zielske); Fonts: Adler and Arial

DAY 10: I AM

MATERIALS Template: Autobiography Layered Template Package (Ali Edwards); Fonts: Serifa

Now, after much hemming and hawing, and advice to make sure this book is submitted and printed, I decided to stick with what works for me, and I changed everything from the Aqua to the more Lee-like gold/orange. There is a better chance of it being put on the coffee table if it matches my decor.

DAY 11: New Normal

MATERIALS Digi Printed Paper: Remarkable (Karla Dudley), Remember This and That (Ali Edwards); Butterfly: Felis Elements (Karla Dudley); Template: Layered Template 28 (Cathy Zielske); Fonts: Arial and Impuls BT

DAY 12: Here & Now

MATERIALS Digi Printed Paper: Felis (Karla Dudley), Miscellaneous (ABR_UrbanLife); Template: Layered Template 1 (Cathy Zielske); Fonts: Arial

DAY 13: Quintessentially You

MATERIALS Digi Printed Paper: Mia Papers (Maplebrook Studios), TKA_CombatINT (Stash); Template: Layered Template 40 (Cathy Zielske); Fonts: Arial

DAY 14: The Details

MATERIALS Overlay: Page Frames #1 (Cathy Zielske); Fonts: Arial

Day 15: Eat Better

MATERIALS Digi Printed Paper: Envy Papers (Ashalee Wall), Kate Papers (Ashalee Wall); Template: Design Your Life Class Template (Unavailable, Cathy Zielske); Fonts: Arial and Amelie

And now you're all caught up on what I've been doing - every morning before the kids get up, I make a layout. I have found it very liberating to get stories + photos organized in such a manner that the story is fresh and told immediately. Seriously thinking a Project Life or CY365 will be far more do-able using this format. Certainly the upcoming A Week In The Life (July 25 - 31, 2011) is going to look different! It really is amazing what a bit of confidence can do!

I am almost always excited about stories + photos, but what I'm really looking forward to are more projects taken on with a sense of getting it all done rather than the fear of eventual overwhelm.

The Autobiography Project

A few weeks back, when Ali Edwards messaged on Facebook that she was working on a new digi-album, I was, as always, intrigued. The minute it became available, I bought it. Then came the hard part. What in the world was I going to do with it?

Take a look and let me know what you think.

[Click on all images to enlarge]

[ETA: Thank you to Lorraine, for pointing out my spelling error! It has been corrected on the original.]

  These are the opening and closing covers:

SUPPLIES: Autobiography Layered Template (Ali Edwards) • patterned paper (Haley Paper Pack)

Now I just have to figure out what to do with it now that it's 100% complete - a small miracle. I'm so pleased now that it's finished. Not only that, it started as a daunting task but once I got going - with some help from my friend Jill (who is always so patient with me), it really didn't take too long to get it all done. Well worth it, I think!

I started the project just before I left for my 10-Days in Arizona. I'm glad the completed book is from the pre-trip perspective. My plan is to make another next year when, presumably, I'll be feeling better. I'm curious to know what the differences might be.

So, what do you think? Send it to Shutterfly? Send it some place local? Some other place? Any ideas?

LOAD has started again!

As I mentioned in my reflections post, there is a lot going on in May with plans for participation in  StoryADay, WholeHearted Living, May Merriment, One LIttle Word and LOAD. I've learned that in order for me to get anything done, I have to make the time. I have it all mapped out and its been going pretty well ... so far!

LOAD was first offered in January 2008 on what is now Big Picture Classes and I've been hooked ever since! Lain has created a tremendous community filled with inspiration and support. LOAD has evolved into a February, May and October creative experience for me. Everyone here in my home knows to look out, mama is creating again. I have had months where I've been able to create a layout every day - and some where I've only created a few.

LOAD works for me because I tend to be a "binge" scrapper. This time around, since I've slowly (very slowly), become more confident in my Photoshop Elements skills, I'm going to make 31 digital layouts this month. I'm working on a couple of books and this should help with my confidence!

What do you think?

DAY ONE: Time To Remember

MATERIALS Digi Printed Paper: For Humanity Kit (Designer Digitals - no longer listed); Template: For Humanity Kit (Cathy Zielske); Fonts: Arial, Amelie and AussieIcons.

DAY 2: 8

MATERIALS Fonts: Flick Bold Hollow, Arial

DAY 3: Remember

MATERIALS Overlay: Remember Outline Word 8.5 x 11 (Ali Edwards); Stamp: The Story of This Day (Ali Edwards); Font: Times

 

Day 4: Perfect Practice

MATERIALS Digi Printed Paper: Remember This and That Paper Collection (Ali Edwards); Template: Layered Template 65 (Cathy Zielske); Fonts: Arial and Amelie

Day 5: 10 Things | Caden

MATERIALS Digi Printed Paper: Falling All Over (Jesse Edwards); Template: 10 Things I Love About My Life Template (Cathy Zielske); Fonts: Archer, Times and Rockwell

Day 6: You Are Like Sunshine

(Yes, another Caden layout. I'm coming to the realization that there are many of the youngers as the olders do not want to be captured by the camera. And when the youngers are tired of it, I have to go outside and capture nature!)

MATERIALS Digi Printed Paper: Falling All Over (Karla Dudley); Template: Layered Template 41 (Cathy Zielske); Fonts: Arial

I quite like learning more and more techniques using the digi stuff. I'm actually learning enough that I find some things frustrating - like I cannot kern fonts in PSE6, so each letter has to be typed individually! Once I become more proficient, I'll upgrade, but I have so much more to learn in the meantime.

I love that LOAD gives me the opportunity to USE the templates I've collected. And printed paper! I also like that the digital templates let me quickly tell the stories that might be lost or not celebrated properly - buried in a Project Life or a Capture365 - like the photo of Caden and his acceptance to the Halton Skills competition. All that and it's portable, too!

Are you participating in LOAD? What have you enjoyed the most, so far?

Digi Distraction

Last week, I was cleaning up my desktop and ran across a Word Document with some interviews I had conducted with my kids at the end of last summer. They were so fun I didn't want to just file them away, they had to be saved right away and not forgotten ... again! I went through my templates and couldn't find anything I wanted for this specific purpose, but I did find a perfect template from Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life course I had taken a couple of years ago at Big Picture Classes:

MATERIALS: Template: Cathy Zielske; Papers: Ali Edwards Transitions; Embellishments: Karla Dudley Digi Essentials 2, Digi-Stash; Fonts: Verdana, American Typewriter

I was so glad to get this little bit of our "life in 2011" recorded for posterity! Then I resumed my template search and headed over to Designer Digitals to find the perfect template for the interviews at hand. Now, if you've ever been over to Designer Digitals you'll know how distracting it can be! I got more than a little off course. Sigh. No suprise, I found it - and a few others!

Evidence:

MATERIALS: Template: XX Things Template (Cathy Zielske); Papers: For Humanity Kit: Japan (Girls); dy-springbreeze-pp2 (aka unknown stash) (Boys); Fonts: Arial, Amelie, American Typewriter

It was so much fun to go back and look at the photos taken last summer - so many stories! Reading the little interviews and noticing all of the subtle and bigger changes in my kids in a few short months. It is days like this, putting memories together in the form of stories, in this case, an interview in the words of my kids, that remind me why I love this hobby which is so much more than a simple past-time.

My List of AWESOME

I am a big fan of finding my awesome in the simple that is my everyday. I love how Cathy Zielske cuts to the chase and gives us all access to a beautiful and uncomplicated way to celebrate those things!

LEFT:

RIGHT:

MATERIALS: Story Guide No. 04A Layered Template (Cathy Zielske), Miranda Paper Pack (Michelle Martin)

WORDS:

1. The first sip of coffee, in an oversized mug, in the morning.
2. “Chasing Pavements” by Adele. Sigh.
3. Claire, Cole, Chloé & Caden.
4. My MacBook Pro.
5. Walking the mall in the mornings. I can now make 10 laps around without stopping – that’s 5K!
6. Perrier and cranberry juice.
7. Perrier and anything, really.
8. Miso soup, especially when I’m not feeling well.
9. Living in a house on the lake.
10. Regaining my health.
11. Cheering my kids at their events. Volleyball, hockey, choir, rugby, and more. So many events to attend and support them in their pursuits!
12. Enjoying ever improving grades.
13. My blackberry.
14. Unexpected spring storms that bring over a foot of snow.
15. Sleeping with at least three pillows – all flipped to the cold side.
16. Putting on my old and worn black “duster” sweater. Like a hug.
17. Finding a new and simple recipe that the whole family loves.
18. When someone unexpectedly buys you a glass of wine and enjoys their own glass with you.
19. A juicy seedless clementine, or two.
20. Dancing through my house with headphones and a feather duster.
21. Realizing that a Wholehearted life is the best life to live. Working on it. Every day.
22. “The Good Wife”, “Blue Bloods” and “Big Bang Theory” gives me hope for network television.
23. Finding a good book and making it mine with underlines and notes in the margins throughout.
24. Waking up to an empty kitchen sink.
25. Leftover Chinese take-out for breakfast.
26. Sunny days – warm or freezing – when the sun sparkles off the lake.
27. Finding a cure for my psoriasis – thank goodness for a great naturopath!
28. The rare occasion when the laundry is done, the house is clean and dinner is in the oven.
29. Sitting on the couch surrounded by my children.
30. The internet.
31. Always having a place to go and something to do.
32. Black Uggs in the winter and black flip flops in the summer.
33. Having the perfect come-back when I need it – not 10 minutes later when I’m already in the car!
34. Carrot Cake.
35. Full use of my shoulders.
36. Enjoying the company of good friends, especially when we are all laughing and talking at the same time.
37. The (finally) finished shower in the basement.
38. My Asics.
39. Colour, especially earth tones.
40. photos + words + pretty paper.
41. Enjoying creative get-ways with other creative types.
42. 18 °C days.
43. Being and ex-smoker of 10+ years.
44. Learning, every day. Always growing and open to change.
45. Cathy Zielske, Ali Edwards, Brené Brown, Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell. So much brilliance, so little time to read it all!
46. The heavy salty air that is Cape Cod in the summertime. Every summer. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful place in my life.
47. Finally having my children embrace a more frugal and restrained approach to our life and our future.
48. Sauvignon Blanc.
49. Documenting life.
50. Being here. Now.

What about you? What would be on YOUR list of awesome?

. . . . .

I do have one thing to add to my list - once you start, you get on a roll. Later today and tomorrow, I'm heading off to Kitchener with a couple of girlfriends and we are attending a couple of Donna Downey-led classes. They are so completely out of my comfort zone, I can't wait!

I'll share photos as soon as I have a chance. Hopefully I create something sharable! That's okay, you'll get to see it regardless of the result :)

Family Day: Amazing Layouts

Last week I immersed myself in many digi projects. Most taking the form of selecting, purging and organizing what is left to do in iPhoto that I didn't get to during my Digital Detox. To give myself a break, I made a few layouts and finished up Claire and Caden's - on Family Day. The irony? My kids were busy elsewhere!

I enjoyed making the conversations layouts earlier, here, here and here - where my kids answered questions about themselves. These "amazing" layouts give me a chance to offer observations I've made about each of my kids - recently. This is a great project to slip into their scrapbooks (when I get them back from the printer once I find/decide where to send them - 8 1/2 x 11 is not a normal size in these parts!). Years ago I got bogged down with making four similar yet different layouts for each of the kids to include in their books and stopped due to utter ovewhelm. I think I may just have twigged on the thing that will make their books a bit more complete!

I enjoy Cathy Zielske's layered templates and will make more, for sure. I have, of course, downloaded a bunch of other templates and I've spent some time trying to manipulate those I already have to make them more functional in other projects. I'm stuck on a few things, but that's part of the fun. The fear is almost all gone - whoot! The intimidation and not wanting my layouts to look like CZs is almost all gone too. I love her work and it is distinctly her work - I think I've found a way to incorporate the best that is CZ with what I consider to be the best of me.

A lot of my new found comfort is the discovery of digi-paper I like. I'm thrilled to have discovered Michelle Martin over at Designer Digitals as she has some lovely papers; as well as Ashalee Wall at Design Pink Ink with her gorgeous paper collections. I'm far more a photo + story + paper scrapbooker than I am a bling and dimension scrapbooker - even digitally, so it was a thrill to find simple and sophisticated patterns and colours.

The only thing left to conquer are brushes and overlays. Working on it!