Some time back I blogged about a new project I was taking on - Project Life - you can read about it here. If you have the latest edition of Etzcetera too you'll see I have devoted some of my article to it too.
We'll last night I finished my first lot of pages for this year:)
(click for bigger )
This is really a fun project to get your teeth into. You do need to carve out some time for it - I think two hours especially if you are editing photos -unless you print straight from the camera - as I used iphone photos I had to do some mucking around with mine.
Already I have found it makes me take more pictures - doesn't matter if they are dodgy shots - which some of mine are - and it makes me document the day to day stuff .
Now the actual pages putting them together can be as complicated or as simple as you like - I went for simple - but I also liked adding a few bits and pieces and some machine stitching and I can see that as time goes on I'm going to be looking for more bits to add.
I like to document so I have told some of the stories -nothing deep just saying how things are.
I have also found its easier to jot a few things into a diary each day - makes it easier to remember the things we have going on each week. I'll share that process a little later - maybe it is my chemo brain but I find it hard to remember without the notes.
I used Paislee Press ( liz's ) free download template for my journalling - see here
Here are the details
I start with just choosing my photos and them match the stories in - with this starting page I wrote a list of stuff that I didn't either have a photo for or that didn't fit within the space or the things I didn't have room to right a whole story about be cause it don't think it's about documenting every single thing - or at least my pages won't be - just the highlights and sometimes the lowlights.
A NEW YEAR
Photo shoot with baby Marcus
Dinner with Paul and Rhonda
Drs appointments and bloods
Shopping for bargains
Three new creative projects
Latest Edition of Etzcetera
Banana Bread and Apple Crumble
Army Wives
Vacation Care for the girls
Back to work for Richard
I've added in some sassfrass cards and stickers to show the date. These are all iphone pictures on this page.
ABOUT ME
I figure the start of the year is as good a time as many to make some kind of statement about where I am at. I have just finished two months of chemo and had surgery. I have recovered enough to start back on 18 rounds of chemo tomorrow. My taste buds are slowly starting to return and I am really enjoying my cups of tea. I miss coffee so much but I am thinking it is going to be many more months before I can enjoy a cup again.
Because I am focusing alot on documenting our year this year and doing some creative stuff when I feel up to it I wanted to share the projects I am working on - Ij ust used screen shots from Elsie's journalling class as I haven't started that and also the January list of prompts from the Photo a day project - I probably won't do that each month but I may include some of my photos that I take or a compilation. You can see my photos here
CREATING
This year I plan on creating some projects that will document our daily life - the good and the not so good. I figure this is my chance to do so knowing that I will be off work for most of the year. I’m playing with instagram and taking a photo a day based on a theme. I am documenting it on an app called project life. As well I was thrilled to see Elsie is offering a new Art Journal course so I signed up straight away.
That first photo is a 4 x 6 compiled of a photo shoot I did with our friends new grandson Marcus. I'm using it in my December daily as well and wanted to include it here as I completed all the editing and gave it as a gift this week.
GOMA TRIP
Each holidays the Gallery of Modern Art has activities for children to connect with Art. The girls and I love to go. I like seeing it through their eyes and the organisers seem to have a knack of not dumbing it down. The exhibitions always make us really think. It was a glittery, pretty wonderland this year filled with colour. We finished up having a picnic beside the river complete with picnic blanket. Bliss.
I loved the smiley photo of Tals reading on the train on our trip to Goma and wanted to include it - so I thought it would be nice to document what we are all reading at the moment too- hence the currently reading list.
CURRENTLY READING
Talia
Judy Moody Around the World in 8 1/2 Days
- by Megan Mc Donald
Molly Moon and the Morphing Mystery
- by Georgia Byng
Sofia
Cabin Fever
- by Jeff Kinney
Tamar
Priestess of the White
- by Trudi Canavan
Richard
Inside Cricket
I took a few photos of us in the cinema but they were dark and yucky so instead I have just added the poster and listed some of the movies we have seen.
HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT
With Richard having returned to work this week its left up to me to keep the girls occupied for a fair chunk of the day. With the hot weather it’s the perfect opportunity to hit the movies. So far we have seen I bought a zoo- which we loved but also on our to watch list is Hugo, Puss in Boots and the Muppets. I managed to sneak out and see Sherlock by myself. I didn’t love the movie but I enjoyed the quiet.
I haven't created a title page yet as I have to get my lot all together for some photos - my husband in particular is tricky to get in front of the camera but I really like Cathy Z's cover page and may do something similar I think.
In terms of product I am working with the page protectors only and then adding my own stash for journalling cards etc. I am loving template A and while I originally bought a mixed box I will be buying more template A in the future.
SO there we have it - Project Life underway - I know Mel is also working on pages and some of my other twitter friends are too - I'd be more than happy to link you up if you are playing in my blog posts so drop me a line in the comments and I'll add you in :)
