Shirley and I combined our favourite colours this week:
Isn't it vivid?
Love it.
On Thursdays, Shirley LeMay and I create a diptych based on a theme. You can view the other great diptychs at the Team Up Thursday Flickr group. Or, if you just want to see ours, they are all here. Grab a partner and join in!
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Cole is growing up. I find the process fascinating having never been an adolescent boy, myself! He is going through many changes - the most obvious being his evolving muscles.
Coupled with that, Shirley has included a photo of her holding her brand new nephew. A study in contrasts to be sure!
On Thursdays, Shirley LeMay and I create a diptych based on a theme. You can view the other great diptychs at the Team Up Thursday Flickr group. Or, if you just want to see ours, they are all here. Grab a partner and join in!
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Following along with our list of Team Up Thursday topics and we've happened upon Simple Pleasures, again.
What simple pleasure am I craving? Simple - warmth! I know Shirley is the same. This has been a long winter and we're tired. (Mine is a bit of a cheat as it's a picture of the sunset in Cape Cod taken last summer - sigh).
Shirley's daughter is enjoying some quiet time with her horse, Caesar. I remember the days! You can clearly tell how she enjoys spending time with him.
Last year? In May this is what was bringing us simple pleasure:
I hope you take time to enjoy a simple pleasure or two today! Enjoy your Thursday.
On Thursdays, Shirley LeMay and I create a diptych based on a theme. You can view the other great diptychs at the Team Up Thursday Flickr group. Or, if you just want to see ours, they are all here. Grab a partner and join in!
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I continue to enjoy these Team Up Thursday challenges and it is great fun to join my friend and wonderful photographer, Shirley LeMay each week combining our interpretation of a theme. I'm always delighted to open my mail to see the final diptych. Check out many more on the Flickr group: Team Up Thursday.
This week the theme was a bit different: CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF ... and this his how we both captured it:
What in the world? The natural for me was "meatballs" so instead of taking a photo we caught the movie on DVD. (Observation: I love how "hero's" in animated features are a bit gawky and normal - with a larger than average schnozz and the females are all sadly the same - even the almost-gawky ones.) Anyway ...
My version: Cloudy with a chance of VEGETABLES in our stir fry; and, in Shirley's version: Cloudy with a chance of CHOCOLATE! This was a very yummy diptych this week :)
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I enjoy these Team Up Thursday challenges and it has been great fun to join my friend and wonderful photographer, Shirley LeMay each week combining our interpretation of a theme. I'm always delighted to open my mail to see the final diptych. Check out many more on the Flickr group: Team Up Thursday.
This week the theme was BOOKS and this his how we both captured it:
My BOOKS: I've been trying to get a "stack" shot all week and I can't seem to get it to work! So, I took a shot of what I'm reading right now: a single book which is huge in it's scope! Kind of like a collection of many mini books (blogs); already out dated when it was conceived but still chock full of great stuff; some blogs I don't like I prefer in book form and it's really opened my eyes to a number of things. So, here you have a single book, but really it is so much more :)
Shirley's BOOKS: I did manage a stack photo - these are various violin music books I've collected through the years - some are recent, some are from my pre-college years. Some of the etude books have interesting "doodles" on them (like how I hated the composer). I have three separate editions of Beethoven's Romance in F Major - my favorite piece in High School.
[Shirley's stack of music reminded me of endless hours studying theory and music while in middle and high school. I took voice and was terrible at instruments - but good with theory. I often forget what a huge part of my life music played for a very long time. Funny how that happens over time.]
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I enjoy these Team Up Thursday challenges and it has been great fun to join my friend and wonderful photographer, Shirley LeMay each week combining our interpretation of a theme. I'm always delighted to open my mail to see the final diptych. Check out many more on the Flickr group: Team Up Thursday.
This week the theme was SIGN and this his how we both captured it:
My SIGN: Caden snuck into my bed at some point during the night. This is usually a sign that he is coming down with something or he needs to talk. This particular morning my little boy simply wanted a bit of mama time. Thank goodness it wasn't followed up with a cold - worse, it was the flu!
Shirley's SIGN: Frost on the inside of the windows definitely signals that it is cold as the dickens outside. When I took the picture, it was 0 degF or -18 degC. That was on Monday and it hasn't warmed up much since. Another "good sign" from the picture - it's no longer dark when I get downstairs to the kitchen at 6:45. The days are getting longer, so warmer days will be here soon.
I have to agree with Shirley. I am greatly enjoying the longer days. For me the realization came at the other end of the day. Claire and Cole are usually collected from school around 5PM and I realized yesterday that I was driving in daylight. Warmer days! Oh, I'm so looking forward to their inevitable arrival. I hope it is sooner rather than later. This year I feel chilled to the bone.
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Each Thursday the plan is to show what my friend and wonderful photographer, Shirley LeMay and I have combined to participate in Team Up Thursday. I enjoy these challenges and am always delighted when I open my mail to see the final diptych.
This week the theme was COMFORT and this is how we both captured it:
I like it!
Check out the other diptychs over on the Team Up Thursday Flickr Group. Grab a friend and join in!
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Each Thursday the plan is to show what my friend and wonderful photographer, Shirley LeMay and I have combined to participate in Team Up Thursday. I enjoy these challenges and am always delighted when I open my mail to see the final diptych.
This week the theme was SWEET and this his how we both captured it (click to enlarge):
Check out the other diptychs over on the Team Up Thursday Flickr Group. Grab a friend and join in!
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[It looks like my Friday DO posts are running a bit long. Like REALLY long! As always, feel free to read through this, my planned album making projects for 2010 - or come on back tomorrow.]
I've been happy with my creative process so far in 2011. Good thing we're only a couple of weeks into things, isn't it? I figure if I celebrate my early success (#reverb10 album DONE; December Daily album DONE), I'll be more likely to continue in effort of further success. Make sense?
I just sat down and put together - what became - a very long list of my album projects, as they are known to me right now, for 2011. I'm sharing them for two reasons: accountability and you know how much I love a list! I have learned that you have to set yourself up for success and in order to do that you must prepare with the end in mind. This is my prep:
MMEL: Move More Eat Less
As often happens, I'm totally inspired by Cathy Zielske. As mentioned in my Personal DO | 01 entry of January 7th, my primary personal focus for 2011 is my weight. Cathy has found a way to combine my hobby with my impending torture and I've started the MMEL project: templates have been purchased AND I've completed my title page AND my first layout, complete with photos and measurements. Scary stuff, but it has to be done!
Album: digital; 8.5" x 11" Orange or Bright Green
Happiness Captured
My weekly photography challenge with Jill Conyers. We are two weeks in and two weeks done! Can you imagine looking back at weeks of things that only bring you happiness? This may turn out to be the real Me: A to Z :)
Album: hybrid; 5x7 red, black or brown; to accomodate vertical photos
Team Up Thursday
My original weekly photography challenge with Shirley LeMay. We are continuing through 2011 and I'm thrilled to be exercising this process.
Album: altered; 4x6; to accomodate vertical and horizontal photos
Yesterday & Today
I am in the remedial program (politely called alumnae, year 2) of this class over at Big Picture Classes. Again lead by the incomparable Ali Edwards. The other day I was on the Log Your Memory site and when we were listing out some of our projects I wrote a simple sentence crushing in its truth: "getting stuck on the yesterday" which may be why it's not getting done. I am an onward person. I recently found a fantastic quote that really resonated with me: "You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space." - Johnny Cash I know that is not a philosophy that jives well with the Yesterday & Today project, but that really is my struggle. Don't expect this to be done any time soon while I wrestle with my daemons.
Album: hybrid, no album decided; put all materials in one big box; file all assignments in folder on desktop; print the rest and put in binder to put in box.
One Little Word
Another more "do-able" project over at Big Picture Classes, again lead by Ali Edwards. This is my third year choosing a guiding word. Far more flexible than a list of resolutions which I will fail before I even begin. The beauty of the word idea is that you never fail, you just move on to something that works better within the context of the word. For those of you who don't know, my word this year is DO.
Album: hybrid, 8.5x11, bright green, mixture of page protector sizes. To this I will be adding a "Jill Section" to accomodate all of the photos taken during our One Little Word | Captured challenge of this year.
Picture Winter
Yes, I am a Big Picture Classes JUNKIE! As a follow-up to Tracey Clark's Picture the Holidays, I enrolled in Picture Winter. I rarely, if ever take photos in the winter and this was the perfect way to get in an do just the thing I don't do. I've met some success and more challenges. I really have to start uploading photo on the BPC site!
Album: hybrid, 2-up album, black; alter with wood snowflakes.
12 of 12
I started this project way back in 2008! I've stuck with it every month since and (knock wood) have not yet missed a month. It is such a joy to look back and see how things have changed, and stayed the same. Sometimes I miss the time when the kids were all little, but I am really anxious to see who they become.
Album: hybrid, 8.5x11, black. So happy I've finally settled on the perfect esthetic.
52 Photos
I have decided to forego any P365 attempts this year. I'd rather focus on quality than quantity and actually get the albums DONE. In my effort, I've embraced this project hosted by my friend Monika Wright and her friend Elisabet Ottosson over on Flickr. The photos will do me no good whatsoever kept captive on my blog or in my iPhoto so in an album they'll go.
Album: digital, 8x8, black. I will combine 2 photos per page in an old CM album. Gotta use up the old stuff!
Celebrate Monday
I am practicing my vertical shots and using Celebrate Monday to do it. When Jennifer over at Simple Scrapper started the Celebrate Monday challenge on her blog there were no themes. Since Monday is my most favourite day of the week (how else do you get 52 chances for a fresh start?) I decided to celebrate my everyday Monday experience. I'm going to continue on ignoring the theme :)
Album: hybrid, 4x6, red. I have to find what I want. I think I know, but will only really know when I get to the store. Oh, my kingdom for a Target!
Simple Things
Another photo challenge that needs an album "home" in order to have it housed somewhere off the www and my iPhoto. Rebecca Cooper has the participants choose the simple photo of their week and they're all posted on Sunday. So nice to see how everyone spends their time!
Album: hybrid, 8x8 old Creative Memories album - or maybe another old 12x12 album. We'll have to see. Still thinking about things!
Month In Review
Another Cathy Zielske-inspired project which combines my photos taken during each month with the summary of our month I share here on the blog. Using CZ's gorgeous templates, each month has multiple pages and is a perfect place for those photos that would not normally find a "home" in any other project. I know, is that possible? Yes. It is. :)
Album: digital, 8.5x11, brown. I know, a lot of 8.5x11. LOVING this size for the simple everyday projects. Very versatile especially since I can insert simple page protectors with things from school and other activities.
Upcoming Projects (yes, more!):
EMBRACE IMPERFECTION
An upcoming project - at where else? BPC - lead by the thoughtful and talented Karen Grunberg. As I'm a regular embracer of imperfection, this sounds like it will be a great way to package it all and put it together in an album project.
Album: Unknown. The 1st lesson is February 10th.
A WEEK IN THE LIFE
An upcoming project (I hope). I've completed two versions of this album: October 2008 and April 2010. They have turned out to be the most-read albums in my house. They are in the family room, with a number of other albums, and I often see the kids taking them off the shelf and flip through them, laughing and telling stories to each other. One of the many reasons I admire Ali Edwards so much is that, with her guidance, I created the most valuable albums in our collection. The first two projects were 18-months apart. I like the idea of representing different seasons. Maybe I can create the 2011 version in the summer, maybe sometime in July? Though, I really enjoyed the online community Ali built with the last project, so I may wait and see if another is scheduled for this year.
Album: hybrid, 12x12. Bright Green.
Wow.
Reading through that huge list my plans looks very busy. I think if I put the processes in place it should be manageable. I find that my most effective album making is done in more project format than some never-ending album of ephemera - items, thoughts, ideas and photos. I enjoy making my 12x12 layouts and giving the time and attention to certain events, but it is the everyday stuff that really makes me love the combination of photos + words in simple contained projects.
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I have teamed up with my friend, and wonderful photographer, Shirley LeMay, to participate in Team Up Thursday. I enjoy these challenges and am always surprised when I open my mail to see the final diptych.
This week the theme was HATS and this his how we both captured it (click to enlarge):
Check out the other diptychs over on the Team Up Thursday Flickr Group. Grab a friend and join in!
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My friend, and wonderful photographer, Shirley LeMay, and I are going to continue to participate in Team Up Thursday again this year. I enjoy these challenges and am always surprised when I open my mail to see the final diptych.
This week the theme was NEW and this his how we both captured it:
Recognize my tree? I love my tree. It is the first sunrise of the New Year, though a bit late. There as no sunrise because of rain and dreary weather skies until January 3rd!
As for Shirley, in her note to me she said: We bought a new treadmill on Sunday and the kids were breaking it in. It is the new "toy" in the house. We only bought it because Erica wanted one. I hate using a treadmill - it's a last resort for me!
Not only is this photo very indicative of both of us, it saves me sending a note to Shirley about which brand of treadmill to buy for me! She may not like a treadmill and opt for running outside (brr) I would just be happy to move - and transporting and folding laundry isn't enough!
I hope you are enjoying your NEW. Check out the other diptychs over on the Team Up Thursday Flickr Group.
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Remember Team Up Thursday? That project I participate in with my uber-talented friend Shirley? Well, we've been busy, as mums of teens and almost teens, tend to be and we were waylayed by life. Hopefully we get back on track now that the busy holidays are over!
My Nutcrackers are the definition of December for me. I wish I could have taken a gentle snowy photo like the one captured by Shirley, but alas, there was little snow to record around here - she had snowfall records broken!
Check out the other diptych's on the Team Up Thursday Flickr Group.
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This week I chose the theme LACES. I was inspired by Claire's new Converse, they go all the way up to her knees! Shirley, like most of us, has interesting ephemera in her car - in this case, laces from a company gathering in 2007 :)
I think it turned out pretty well. Thanks Shirley, even though I'm often late, I love participating in Team Up Thursday with you!
Each Thursday,or somewhere thereabouts, Shirley and I create a diptych based on a theme. The Team Up Thursday challenge was started by Megan and Melody. You can view the other great diptychs at the Team Up Thursday Flickr group.
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The super talented Shirley LeMay has been very patient with me, as always. We've been a bit scattered in our (read: my) timing and consistency, but have managed a few Team Up Thursday dyptichs lately.
Water:
Transportation:
Signs of Change:
Garden:
Micro:
If you are enjoying these assignments and want to see more, head on over to the Team-Up Thursday Flickr Gallery and check out oodles of creative and fun diptych examples.
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The diptychs I'm sharing this week are in such contrast with each other. My Team Up Thursday partner, the super talented Shirley LeMay has been busy, as have I, and we decided our themes should reflect the season: one about holiday and then about our re-entry.
Holiday:
Re-Entry:
If you are enjoying these assignments and want to see more, head on over to the Team-Up Thursday Flickr Gallery and check out oodles of diptych examples.
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When I chose the topic for this week I knew exactly what I wanted to include: vanilla oreos! I don't have them often, but when I do ... yum.
Our diptych this week is such a contrast: much like Shirley and myself. So similar, yet so different :) Her cool smoothie on the right and my warm mug of green tea and cookies.
If you are enjoying these assignments and want to see more, head on over
to the Team-Up
Thursday Flickr Gallery and check out oodles of diptych examples. If
you want to join in, you can visit Melody or Megan and let them know
you want in on the fun!
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Shirley chose our assignment this week: look up. We've had typically Spring-like changeable weather and the clouds have been rolling in and out with frequency. I didn't want to miss a shot of it. I managed to wait for a few minutes without any rain and captured the shot on the left. The weather in Illinois is clearly nicer than in Southern Ontario! I love how in Shirley's photo there is a hint of the bright blue skies above.
If you are enjoying these assignments and want to see more, head on over
to the Team-Up
Thursday Flickr Gallery and check out oodles of diptych examples. If
you want to join in, you can visit Melody or Megan and let them know
you want in on the fun!
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This week, I chose the theme Sport since both of Shirley's kids, and half of mine, are active in some way shape or form. Shirley has an avid baseball player (which made me miss that this is the very first year in 10 that I have no one playing any form of bat-and-ball) and my Cole is playing his first season of football.
If you are enjoying these assignments and want to see more, head on over to the Team-Up Thursday Flickr Gallery and check out oodles of diptych examples. If you want to join in, you can visit Melody or Megan and let them know you want in on the fun!
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My friend Shirley and I share an affinity for mornings. I love the light and the quiet. Shirley chose the theme for this week: "Around the House in the
Morning".
My photo of Caden enjoying his breakfast is on the left, Shirley's steaming cup of coffee is on the right.
If you are enjoying these assignments and want to see more, head on over
to the Team-Up
Thursday Flickr Gallery and check out oodles of diptych examples. If
you want to join in, you can visit Melody or Megan and let them know
you want in on the fun!
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I have been trying to figure out how best to incorporate Team-Up Thursday here on my blog. I'm doing fine keeping up with the assignments which is kind of a surprise to me given that my schedule, of late, has been something more than a little hectic! It's been a nice distraction during the day and I have only one person to thank: Shirley!! After all, I just take a photo, she does all of the work. For that I am immensely grateful :) I've been a bit stuck on how best to share our project. So, I've settled on sharing our Team-Up Thursday on Friday.
I posted our first diptych here: Spring. You can find Shirley's post on the assignment on her photography blog: here.
The next assignment was Pastel. I know Shirley, who chose the assignment, thought it would be pretty easy since it was over the Easter holiday but it really was a challenge for me. Everything in and around this house is either bright, primary or earthy. All pretty rich tones. Nothing pastel. Until I remembered the collection of sidewalk chalk that was getting ready to make it's seasonal debut:
Here is Shirley's take on the pastel assignment.
Now for the catch-up:
Since I've been gearing up for a bit of Spring Cleaning around here, I thought a good next assignment would be a household chore we ENJOY since there are so many that are not any fun at all! My favourite almost-daily chore is laundry. Particularly folding:
Shirley clearly enjoys cooking which would not even be in my top ten choices! It's the differences in life that make it interesting, don't you think?
If you are enjoying these assignments and want to see more, head on over to the Team-Up Thursday Flickr Gallery and check out oodles of diptych examples. If you want to join in, you can visit Melody or Megan and let them know you want in on the fun!
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I was thrilled to receive an invitation from my good cyber and IRL friend Shirley, who is an incredible photographer, to participate in the Team-Up Thursday challenge offered over at Shutter Sisters last week. The idea we came up with was to capture an image representing "spring" and send it to Shirley to create a diptych of the two images we shot.
This is the diptych we created:
Shirley's shot is on the left, mine on the right. A great example of the pace of Spring in the US Mid-West and Southern Ontario! You can follow along these exercises on Shirley's photography blog: here.
This was a fun exercise. We're going to continue on with another theme to be posted this week. What about you? Are you in for the challenge? Need a bit of a creative kick-start? This was a lot of fun.
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