Happy Mail Challenge: May 2013

Each Month I'll be Issuing a Happy Mail Challenge. 

These challenges are meant to push you to step outside the box and try a new storytelling technique. Feel free to create any type of project that goes along with the challenge; layouts, mini-books, project life etc.

May's Challenge: Journal Directly on a Photo

I'm loving the graphic look of text on photos, and I've taken to using my favorite permanent pens and writing out my journaling directly onto a photo. If writing on your photos is a bit too scary, try journaling on a label and sticking the label down on your picture. 

Leave a link to your project in the comments, at the end of the month I'll draw a name at random for  a package filled with some amazing great happy mail from Chic Tags, Elle's Studio, rukristin papercrafts and more! 

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5 Tips for Improving Your Handwriting

The Written Word: 5 Tips for Improving Your Handwriting

1. Practice: Work on your handwriting whenever you can. Writing down notes, to-do lists, or just random journaling when you have some extra time. If you consistently work on improving your handwriting, it will naturally evolve over time. 
2. Find Your Pen: Figure out what pen works best for you. My favorite pen is the Penstix India Ink pen. I always have one with me, an extra in my purse, and one on my scrapbook table. Try using thicker tipped pens, thinner tipped pens, ball point, markers, pencils; and find out which one you feel most comfortable with. 
3. Try Writing Differently: Do you normally print? or are you a cursive-type writer? Switch it up and see how changing your writing style can help you to incorporate new ways of making your letters. 
4. Identify Your Weaknesses: What specifically do you not like about your handwriting? Which letters, which loops? Identify those problems and work on them specifically. I hated my number 2 for a while, so for a solid month I spent time every day (whenever I was writing) and worked on making my 2's look better. 
5. Take Pride in Your Writing: Everyone's handwriting is unique. You're never going to have the exact same handwriting as someone else, so try not to spend too much time comparing. Your handwriting should be a mark of who you are, so be proud of it and you'll learn to love it even more. 

I've written before about my favorite writing supplies. Sometimes a new pen or notebook is just the thing to get you motivated in a new direction. Other posts on the written word can be found here. 

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The Written Word: Push Yourself to Journal Everyday

Last week I talked about where I'm headed with this blog. Today I'm going to share a project that highlights two of the areas that I'm focusing on: journaling/writing & putting more me into my creative projects.  

This is my 30 Days of Lists journal. I wanted to go minimalist, but I also wanted something that had a central theme running through all the pages.

My Themes

1. Patterned Grid Paper: Each page is made out of grid paper. Assorted colors, sizes, etc. 
2. Front Side: Single Lawn Fawn Book Stamp with day/list number inside & list title running up the side
3. Back Side: Lists hand-written with number stickers 

List One: I am a lister because...

Writing every day has been important. Its made me write better, write quicker, and it made it easier to come up with topics to write about. Even just jotting down lists helps getting the writing process moving.

This journal lets me concentrate on the writing aspect without losing the fun/creative part. Because I've set those general rules for myself, I can still make a few creative choices (what color paper, or which number stickers) while focusing on the written words.

List Two: Goals for this month...

Check out more information about 30 Days of Lists here.
Looking for some new journaling supplies? I've reviewed my favorites.

Questions for you: 

• What steps have you taken steps to write more? 
• Do you ever feel like certain projects are more 'you' than others? 

Leave your thoughts in the comments section. 

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The Written Word: Journaling Supplies

As summer draws to a close, I'm gearing up for a couple of exciting fall activities:

• School
• Football
• 30 Days of Lists

Along with the changing of the seasons, I'm excited to finally have a firm grasp for where I'm going with this blog. It's important for me to stick with my strengths and tweak them to be interesting to readers. About a month ago I came up with the tag line 'a quirky take on memory-keeping'; and I think that really sums up what I'm going for. Not just scrapbooking, or paper-crafting, or another crafty blog -- but me, and the way I do memory-keeping. iPhone pictures, lists, social-media, all the stuff that gets used on a day-to-day basis. Which will hopefully inspire other people to do the same. So going forward, along with the scrapbooking and paper-crafting posts, I'll be talking a lot more about everyday ways to supplement your memory-keeping. Whether it be journaling prompts, social media tips, handwriting techniques, and whatever else comes along. I'm thrilled that I've finally found my niche. 

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Project Life | July Week Two: Orange & Teal

Project Life | The second week of July

Last week I talked about using neutral tones with pops of color. This week's theme was orange and teal. Once again, I cut off the last quarter of a  Photo Pocket Pages - Design F Becky Higgins page, and used that as my base. 

And the closeup shots:

My title pocket has a silhouette cut with some stamping and washi. 

I've incorporated lots of handwriting in this week's spread, and I'm definitely heading that way from now on. I'll have an upcoming article in Scrap365 on handwriting and making your handwriting work for you. 

I bought a couple of wax crayons to write on slick surfaces, I used a teal one on the strawberry photo to add a little color to that white space. 

Quick self-pic with a hand-drawn frame around the outside. I like adding a couple of embellishments on the pockets where I'm not trying to tell a story. 

The grid paper really helped to keep my (massive amount of) journaling straight. 

My favorite pocket of the week. The background is from Studio Calico's Hey Day collection -- which is this great peachy-orange color. It really went perfectly with this week's colors. 

I had a bit of a rough week emotionally -- and I snapped this picture and thought it was super melancholy and cute at the same time lol. The colors from this (filtered) photo were the inspiration for the orange and teal theme. 

My last pocket -- more wax crayon on top of my to-do list. I'm a crazy list maker, sometimes I'll put them in my PL book, sometimes they stay in my notebook, and sometimes I like snapping pictures of them -- this pic worked perfectly to document getting ready for Chicago. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. You can check out all my Project Life posts here. 

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Right Now: A Me Layout

Happy Tuesday Everyone! 

Today I wanted to share a quick and fun layout that I created over the weekend, inspired by a challenge over at Scrapping From the Inside Out. 

I wanted to record a bunch of things that I love RIGHT NOW--a very 'in-the-moment' type layout. I didn't care if they were trendy things, or things that might not even be around in a few months, I'm into them right now and that was important enough for me.

I used my silhouette to cut a heart shape in the center and my 'right now' title at the bottom. I then backed the heart with some contrasting patterned paper and poked ten holes around the page for the brads. I wrapped a piece of twine around the brad before sticking it into the paper--and then pulled the twine through the center of the heart. I did this for each of the brads and then added a whole bunch of handwritten journaling around the page. 

Thanks for stopping by! If you do any 'in-the-moment'/right now scrapping, please leave me a link in the comments, I'd love to check it out!

Kristin

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