Amanda Rose blog

If you don't know, now you know, scrappa...

As we get closer and closer to December, more and more references to December Daily -- or as instagram likes to call it #DecDaily -- are being made.

If you were like me a few short weeks ago, then you have no idea what Decemeber Daily is. However, I was determined to find out and with research and internet snooping, I discovered this:

December Daily was started by Ali Edwards and refers to an album project that documents the 25 days leading up to Christmas.  According to Ali, some people start earlier, and go longer.  It's all up to the individual scrapper.  See HERE for Ali's past December Daily albums (they're amazing).

So it's really just a way to soak up the magical month of December on a daily basis in an album made specifically to document your Christmas season.  I think it's a fantastic tradition to start, and imagine in a few years, when you've accumulated several albums, what joy it will be to look through them. 

I have been going back and forth whether or not I want to do my version of a December Daily.  I feel like I will be doing it in my Project Life anyway, but a separate mini December Daily album would be different.  Last year in December, inspiration flooded my being.  This blog was created, I signed up for a Doodle 12.31 Art Journal Class (which was an art-journal, rather than scrapbooking, form of December Daily...info on this year's Doodle 12.31 here).  
With prompts from that class, I flew, and ended up creating the December pages here, here, here, here, and here.

I hope this has helped you better comprehend what seems like an awesome scrappin' December time: December Daily.

After writing this I'm thinking how could I NOT do some kind of December Daily somethin' or other. So, I think I will.  ...and now's the time to ready your album/journal/whatev for it.  

Updates to come.

Happy Tuesday, ya'll.

Life-record on!

I made a Creative Art Journal alongside Kelly Purkey.

I guess that's what happens when you sign up for a class run by Kelly Purkey called Creative Art Journal.

I should also mention that I was alongside some sweet and crafty ladies as well.

Peek at what we created:

The class was kick-ass for a number of reasons:

1 - I got to meet Kelly Purkey who really knows her stuff about crafting stuff.  Sweet gal.

2 - I got to geek out about scrap things with the ladies around me...shout out to Marianne,
     Shayne, Valerie, Ana Laura, and Kristin!!

3 - I got to make my first very own book with my own title, purpose, cut and placed pages, and
      'binding'.  I'm super proud of it. :) Shwiiiinng!

4 - I learned that making your own book is not that hard AT ALL!

5 - I got to emboss...for the very first time.  Yes, before this class I was an embossing virgin. 

6 - I learned that MisterHuey's mists make super fantastic paints!

I plan to use this book as a Summer2012 keepsake journal in edition to my beloved and continuing *Project Life* album.  Stay tuned for SummerJournal updates. ;)

---------------------------

I couldn't have asked for a better Saturday afternoon.  Thanks again to Kelly and all the crafty ladies for being so sweet and loving paper as much as me.  Hope we meet again! ♥ ♥ ♥

xOxO,

twenty*three & I made her a card

After receiving my awesome Mustard URBANEARS Plattan Headphones from Sister Claus for Christy-mas, everyone in my house tried 'em and wants a pair.  I ordered my sister the Cerise-colored ones, but they have not arrived yet.

I gave her a clue in her card as to what's coming in the next couple of days.

Thanks for allowing me to share, all.

The cute journal cards on the page above were from SMASH pads.

I love my sister x 100.

She's most definitely my best friend by far.

I'm so grateful to God for placing her in my life.

She's my little bitty bop.

Have a happy, blessed 23rd year, sister! Enjoy!

xOxO,

feeling wishy*WASHi

When you've been a blogger for a little over two years, you come across wonderful, beautiful things that were once unknown to you.  You then incorporate these wonderful, beautiful things into your everyday making you a little more awesome, and bloggy, I guess. :)

Such things include, but are not at all limited to:

~ SLR cameras
~ bokeh tricks (here)
~ etsy
~ chalkboard thought bubbles (here)
~ Saltwater sandals (here)

~ uhhhhh...huhh...huhh...WASHI TAPE...

Hi, beaaauuuuu-ti-ful new collection!...well, first collection EVER!

...I just so love them.  They're like little chicks...*chirp*chirp*chirp* Haa haa!

I had posted I wanted them for Christmas here, and I when nobody gifted me them, I gifted me them.

I heard you can also get your crafty*cute hands on some WASHi tape here.  Don't think about trying Michael's or A.C. Moore (at least MY Michael's or A.C. Moore) because fooey, I've be rejected by them fools about three times!

" 'scuse me, do you have any washi tape," I'd ask.  "Any HUH??!!" they'd respond.

Yeah.  No go.

Here's some I stuck on the back of my planner. ♥ ♥ ♥

"Free your mind and the ideas will follow."

One of the best images + cute subtle message I ever collaged with.

Happy Hump Day!

xOxO,

pastel*paper*patterns//a*new*dream//twenty*twelve

Happy 2012, dollies! *yay*

Here's my latest art*journal//planner page, my wrap-up to d'blogala's Doodle 12.31 online art*journalling workshop:

The color palette and overall design scheme came from a notecard set I cut up and placed strategically on these pages.  I found the notecard set at Target.  You can see it in this post.

This page has an interactive 3-D element.

I slipped three thoughts/questions at the forefront of my mind this New Year into the corner of this page.

They read:

Then, underneath the interactive pull-out ponderings on paper, I wrote down what this past week off of work had me thinking...

(In case you're curious...that 'SHiFT' is talked about HERE.)

I guess I got a bit cheesy/deep/serious on the above page.  *tee*hee*

I hope the 'light' (no pun intended) and airy of this other page makes up for it:

My Martha Stewart glitter*glue is such a great friend. 

Yes, I went there.  It's just the best, and I love it so much.

Uh! I can't get over the pretty pink glitteriness of those flowers! *teeeee*

.  .  .

Oh, Dawn of Doodle 12.31, I can't thank you enough for creating this workshop.  It was honestly/truly the best medicine for my spirit this month.  I'm so proud of the pages I created, and the times I set aside for myself to create them were invaluable gems to my sanity.

To you, Dawn, and every one of you much-appreciated readers, I wish you - from the bottom of my heart - a Happy New Year...keyword: HAPPY.

xOxO,

"...I wish it was Christmas today-ay.."

Supposedly, Horatio Sanz, Jimmy Fallon, and crew did a 2011 version of one of my all-time favorite skits** last night on SNL.  I've been trying to google-find the video with no luck, so if you find it, let me know. :)

**Title of this post from that skit.

Christmas week is here.  So are my latest art journal//planner pages for d'blogala's Doodle 12.31 online doodle workshop. 

Those "GIFTS for him" are actually gotten for the boyf, by me.  I can't wait for him to receive.

Eh. One more week to wait.

Those "GIFTS for &her (a.k.a. me)" are wishes. Some of those wishes are found in this wishlist post.

Still in*love with my Martha Stweart glitter glue.  Michael's had a SALE on them a while back.  They were 50% off. Got 'em for $15 instead of $30.  Awesome deal!            *tee*

Truth: "GOD BLESS THE HOMES THAT HAVE ME AT CHRISTMAS TIME."

The above is my favorite sentiment this year.  My family has so dispersed these past 5-6 years.  I remember when we were all together at the holidays.  That my family WAS the holidays.  Now, I'm thankful for my boyf's family.  For their open, welcoming arms and smiles and how included I feel around them.

It's so important to laugh and eat and be idle and restful and chubby and content during the holidays.  These journal pages have some of that anticipation glued underneath, I think.

Enjoy this Sunday.  Think about next Sunday.

See you soon!

 

penguin poop smells like peppermint

Here's my latest submission to d'blogala's Doodle: 12.31 holiday doodling/art journaling e-workshop.

I've been leaning toward a pastel palette of blues, pinks, and purples (see last week's submission), but this week I went more contrasty with black&white additions.

These pengiuns have been in my head...???...and when I put {new black sharpie marker} to {paper}, they just kind of popped out.

Also, my new white sharpie extra-fine-point oil-based opaque paint marker on an expired black glossy EXPRESS coupon book added that b&w stark effect as well.

My background this time around was made from tore-out pages of a weird 80s-teen book about skeletons in a canyon.  The pages were turning a yellowish hue (as you can see), and worked so extremely well.

I even found some fun phrases in the tear-outs (see above image; see below). 

This season I'm grateful for...

...magic moments of inspiration.

They've been pleasantly surprising me since Thaknsgiving. :)

Hope you enjoyed these two pagie-poos.

Comment or e-mail me with any questions about technique or materials.

xOxO,

...a Christmas BLISSard

please press play:

Title: Christmas Time Is Here // Artist: Vince Guaraldi Trio

I'm participating in d'blogala's Doodle: 12.31 holiday doodling/art journaling e-workshop.  These two pages are my lastest creation summoned from within by the workshops's prompts, inspirations, tips, and tricks.

i SEE: my Martha Sweart Glitter glue in. my. dreams.  It's totally rocking my world right now.  I found out about this glitter glue amazingness from this lady who has used it on this christmas craft and on her nails!  She's too cool for school.

i HEAR: a very She & Him christmas...especially this song and this song and this song.

i FEEL: like I found something I lost...and turning 27 last month + Thanksgiving break + needing so desperately to have my own thoughts again + Christmas*Christmas*everywhere has made this kickstart into December an exciting and pleaseant one...

...one where I've been BLISSfully happy...

xOxO,

"December, come to me..."

This post has a soundtrack. :)

Please listen: song: December // artist: Norah Jones 

"...I hope I can see

you not just in dreams..."

 

The greatest gift I could have given myself two days ago was a whole hour before bed of doing whatever I wanted to do.

My activ. of choice in that hour was to collage a wittle December collage for a number of reasons:

a) because I haven't had a single extra second to myself to do so in a long long time

b) because collaging destresses me to the max and puts me in the "zone"

c) because I couldn't buy and decorate a Christmas tree ORRRR unpack the decorations and do outside the house in the rain of two nights ago in an hour's time

d) because today marks the very exciting start of d'blogala's Doodle 12.31 online workshop I signed up for (*yay*!)...so this was a warm-up collage :)

e) because it's December 1st, and I'm totally feeling the word "holiday" this year, and I absolutely adore this song that's the soundtrack of this post

f) ...and finally because I collaged Decemb1st pages last year and it might become a cute blog*tradition :P

Have you given yourself any *gifts* lately? If so, do share.

How are you planning to spend this first week of Decem-buh-nator??!!