LINARstudio

Favourite Photos of 2008

I have gone through thousands of photos that I have taken throughout 2008. Many are simple snapshots for scrapbook, blog and other documenting purposes. Some are just a little bit better. I uploaded to my SmugMug gallery, my Favourite Photos of 2008. You can find them here. Please, let me know what you think. Leave a comment or observation.

One of my aspirations for 2009 is to take better photographs: photos with purpose; photos with integrity; photos with artistic value rather than those captured through simple luck and happenstance!

To see some of the most spectacular photos of 2008, be sure to visit The Big Picture. What an incredible collection. Forty photos in each part: Part 1; Part 2 and Part 3. I'm not sure if I can pick a favourite one or even a favourite half dozen!

Grow Your Skills!

(After Class #3 taught by Jessica Sprague at the Buffalo CKC in 2007)

As a participant in the Stories in Hand course taught by Jessica Sprague, I had access to 20% off upcoming classes. The original cut-off date was yesterday, I don't know to whom the offer was extended, but if you have a chance, sign up, the offer ends at midnight TONIGHT!

Fortunately, I received my reminder earlier today and reacted almost immediately to the notice of extension. I've been mulling the 20% off and the class offering and the opportunity almost passed me by!

I am a collector.

I collect a ton of stuff that sits and collects dust (metaphorically as well as physically). I collect, collect, collect and often find myself without the time or energy to use or master what I've amassed. In the past year or more, I've collected a ton of stuff with regards to my hobby of scrapbooking. This hobby includes: photography, typography, writing, and all manner of material to make all of those things easier and more creative. (An oxymoron, to be sure!)

I purchased Adobe Photoshop some time ago. I've learned a few things but I was intimidated by an incredibly impatient woman, master of all things, who made me feel stupid and humiliated me in front of a room of my peers because I didn't "get it". Guess what? I've not used it since that one project almost a year ago. I displayed humour, but I was totally mortified. I still own the program and am itchy to use it, but I clearly need someone to help me learn. Someone who knows how to teach rather than humiliate.

I have fonts. I have OODLES of fonts. Funky fonts. Traditional fonts. Serif fonts. Sans Serif fonts. Too many fonts. I just purged about 500 of them, but I still have way too many. Way more than I'll ever need. Do I need them all? No. Which ones do I need? Which can I zap without affecting my MacBook?

Part of my "resolution" for 2009 is to learn from what I already own. Use up what I have. Master what I have. I hope that my signing up for:

• Up & Running (Self-paced Class)
• Now We're Rockin'
• Digi: In Deep
• Type + Writer

will help me be more confident and produce better quality work in the year ahead. I'm putting together a calendar of projects for 2009 and hopefully I can fit in all of my plans! Between the Jessica Sprague courses and those on Big Picture Scrapbooking and challenges on other sites (especially Ali Edwards and Becky Fleck Page Maps), I expect to be busy - in a good way!

What are your plans for 2009? What are you looking forward to accomplish?

Altered Gifts

I had the pleasure of spending yesterday afternoon with my tremendously talented (and funny, and kind, and opinionated, and outrageous) friends Cyn and Char at the Scrapalicious store in Mississauga. We arrived at a little after 11AM and stayed until 6PM!

While there, Cyn very generously gave me a gift she had made and I want to share:

Isn't it awesome? I have to find it a perfect home in the studio.

Life is (indeed) not a rehearsal and I'm so privileged to be going through my life with such wonderful friends populating it every step of the way!

The Portfolio Project

Sometimes I find kernels of brilliance to pass along. Never without help! One blog leads to a site, leads to a link, leads to something else: which lead here.

Often within long, rambling, elipti-speak you can find something that resonates within.

Though I find this "project" presentation a bit creative-snooty and contrived; all the things so-called "non-creative" people find intimidating about so-called creative-types, I believe at it's root there is something valuable within the Portfolio Project - or maybe I just like the title - something that can be brought down to earth and used in a solid, engaging and inclusive way.

Maybe (another) ongoing project for 2009.

Have a listen and see what I mean.

One Little Word

I have a word that defines my life: BELIEVE

I have a mini-collection of that word on the mantle in the living room. This is a great time of year to find different versions in the gift stores - but sometimes they are a bit too Christmas-y. I'm happy with my little collection.

I love words. As a former English major, words are a huge part of what makes me, me. The good, the bad and the ugly! As a current (and hopefully future) writer, I enjoy language and a huge array of words. I've become acutely aware of my dwindling vocabulary as I read less and chat with pre-teens more.

As it turns out, my favourite idea-guru, Ali Edwards has been running a One Little Word project for the last couple of years. I originally found the idea on Jill's blog; and recently was reminded of it on Monica's blog earlier this week (these two women have provided me with tremendous inspiration throughout 2008, for which I am incredibly grateful). I have been hemming-and-hawing, yes, mulling - as it is what I do, my choice. There are simply too many words to pick one for this year! I've narrowed it down to the following:

Energy
Health
Choices
Dream
Patience
Still
Detail
Breathe
Listen
Read
Question
Open

I have little over a week to come to a decision, so I have time to mull at my leisure!

If you're interested in joining in, or learning more, go check out the One Little Word website: here.

If you do decide to join in, let me know your word choice. This should prove to be a lot of fun ... well, it will be once a word is chosen.

This brought me joy: so I'm sharing

It's been AGES since I've posted on this blog, for that I apologise. I have been very busy with the kids and their activities and have not had much time to be creative. I do plan on starting up again sometime soon, so don't forget about me :)

In the meantime, I found this on both Without Filters and Chookooloonks this morning. I really enjoyed it and wanted to pass it along. I hope it brings you the joy it brought me:

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Follow your dreams :)

(For some reason I'm having a hard time with the embed feature, so you, welcome to check out the video clip at either blogs with the link, or visit me over at Lemons2Lemonade!)

Out of the Box!

My Ali Edwards designed Gratitude Spinner Kit just arrived from Cocoa Daisy. I've already signed up for and have printed off the course on Big Picture Scrapbooking. The contents are so exciting because they are SO INTIMIDATING! Transparencies? Give me strength :) This project is going to be so completely out of my comfort zone: I can't wait to get started. As I unpacked there were things I had never seen before: the photo carousel and sleeves, the neat transparencies, mini label papers, and a whole sheet of "narratives". Wow.