Sunday, August 28, 2011

Post 71 - Rachel is at it again... Generous heart, that lady!... Follow the Prima link below and win the Growth kit, for yourself!

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience... 


Drop on over by Monday, and post... That's all you have to do... You could be the lucky winner of the beautiful "Growth" kit, from Scrapbooking from the Inside Out... 


Just follow this link... Good luck! 


Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Post 69 - Check out the "Growth" challenge at Club CK!

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience... 


Follow link and play along... The "long" challenge is still "on" until this Monday... So, zip on over to Club CK, and get your scrap on!




Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Post 68 - New pages - Lovin' the August "Growth" kit from Scrapbooking from the Inside Out...

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience... 


"Rising Above" - 12" x 12" 

"Rising Above" - 12" x 12" - Detail of sanded chipboard lettering, 
doodled frame, painted wooden dragonfly


"Gaining Appreciation" - 12" x 12"

"Gaining Appreciation" - 12" x 12" - Detail of mist stained ribbon, 
mist dyed flower, mist stamped border, and inked cardstock sticker


            The pages I created with this kit, based on the theme of "Growth", were all titled and focused on synonyms for the word "growth", such as "gain", "become", and "develop". I also worked very hard to emphasize the flexible qualities of the kit, including color focus.
            The pages above are the only two monochromatically blue pages. The blue details, such as the texture "waves" on the "Rising Above" page and the stained ribbon, dyed flower, and stamped dot border on the "Gaining Appreciation" page, were all created with the blue mist included in the kit (which I LOVED working with).         
            The journaling and photo focus for these two pages revolved around my lack of trust issues, with people, and my increasing respect for my beloved Aunt Mary Kay. I worked very hard with this kit to include more than one photo (which is my usual style), and to journal more authentically.
            Check out my blog later this week for another page created from the August "Growth" kit from SFTIO...


Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Post 67 - Win the FABULOUS August SFTIO "Growth" kit... Simply visit the wonderful Ali Edwards, on her blog... But, do it NOW!

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience... 


Follow the LINK, for your chance to WIN IT!... Good Luck!


PS... I will be sharing my creations here SOON... (My new computer is being set up AWS... Yippee!!)


Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Post 66 - Three more pages I created with the incredible INDEPENDENCE kit from SFTIO...

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience... 
Baby Steps - 12" x 12"

Baby Steps - Detail of page layering and depth

Baby Steps - Detail of page layering and depth

Baby Steps - Detail of hidden journaling (side one)

Baby Steps - Detail of hidden journaling (side two)

           The theme of "independence", in this case, brought to mind my relationship with my daughter, and so I focused on the small ways she has displayed independence and how I need to just be OK with it, through my journaling.
           The strongest design choice I made to emphasize my focus included, choosing a photo of my daughter wearing the wrong shoe on the wrong foot (to concretely show her trying to do things for herself). The various papers and details I further added to this page were used to show the variety of uses for the kit components, and how they can be used to create visual depth, interest, and fun... to any page, with any theme!


From the Start - 12" x 12"

From the Start - Detail of page layering and depth 

From the Start - Detail of page layering and depth 

           The theme of "independence", in this case, brought to mind how I see myself, and so I focused on the ways I had displayed independence as a small child, through my journaling.
           The strongest design choice I made to emphasize my focus included, choosing a photo of myself looking "independent" (to help the viewer get to know me, in respect to this month's theme). The various papers and details I further added to this page were used to show the variety of uses for the kit components, and how they can be used to create visual depth, interest, and fun... to any page, with any theme!

Stop - 12" x 12"

Stop - Detail of page layering and depth

Stop - Detail of page layering and depth

           The theme of "independence", in this case, brought to mind how I feel in regards to a recent interaction with my father, in respect to my freedom. So, I wrote fairly candidly about this recent interaction, in an almost "poetic" fashion (as observed by my husband).  
           The strongest design choice I made to emphasize my focus included, choosing a photo of my hand, in an open palm position (to show the open, bare emotions expressed). I further used the kit contents to repeatedly encircle the title, (expressing my base reaction to the threat of loosing my freedom, through the strong title). Also, I decided to use black gesso to take out the background, so I had a "clean" surface to write out all of my journaling, (emphasizing my desire to have a clean slate, with my father). Plus, I decided to do some random doodling on the patterned paper, just because I could and I wanted to, (which is the antithesis of the result of loosing one's freedom).


Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Post 65 - Follow the link below, for a chance to win an Independence kit from SFTIO...

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience... 


Get there quick, and leave a comment, by tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.... Good luck!


Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Post 64 - Scrapbooking from the Inside Out on the Creating Keepsakes blog, and my Exclusive Content offering...

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience... 
             Follow this LINK, and you could win an "Independence" kit, from Rachel and SFTIO!!! Woo-hoo!!! Check it out...
            Also... I was the first Scrapbooking from the Inside Out Design Team member to offer Exclusive Content on the site... I created three Scrap Graphs for the July kit, "Independence", and for the third graph, I created a sixth, and new page... 
I Admire - 12" x 12"

I Admire - Detail of typography and hand-stitching

I Admire - Detail of hand-cut and punched embellishment,  with Stickles


            The above page was based on the following SCRAP GRAPH...
            The other two SCRAP GRAPHS are included in the following THREAD at SFTIO... Just follow the LINK, and check them out!

Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Post 63 - It's Blog Hop Day!... Welcome to SFTIO's 3rd Birthday Blog Hop... 7 a.m. (today) - 5 p.m. (Thursday)PST...

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience... 
             First thing's first... Make sure you are arriving here at my blog from Shaina's, and that you started at the beginning with Melissa's blog... If you are, great! (If not make sure you backtrack, and start at the beginning, so you don't miss anybody's blog, and don't miss out on the prizes... the winners will have their choice of the last three Scrapbooking from the Inside Out's beautiful kits - Independence, Optimism or Friendship, including the subscriber bonuses.)
             For my stop on the Hop, I'd like to share another one of the pages I created with this month's kit, Independence, and what my processes were for creating it.
You Have Always - 12" x 12"

You Have Always - Detail of machine stitching

You Have Always - Detail of hand-cut embellishment 
  
           The theme of "independence" very easily brings to mind my relationship with my husband, and so I focused on the ways he has always encouraged and supported my need to be free, through my journaling.
           The design processes I used to strengthen my focus included, using layers of torn and stacked pattern paper (to emphasize the variety of ways I am encouraged), adding machine stitching around the page perimeter and around my husband's head (to draw attention to who I was journaling about),  adding a hand-cut figure (to symbolize freedom), using soft fibers and a flower (to indicate sensitivity), and adding wax pastel color throughout the whole page (to tie elements and colors together)
           Thanks for visiting my blog today!... Remember, to be eligible for a prize, please leave a comment on this post below, before "hopping" on over to Diana's blog...       
           Have fun today, and come back for a visit sometime!            
Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Post 62 - Lots to share... SFTIO's new kit, SFTIO's birthday Blog Hop scheduled, and my first REVEAL...

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience...




Scrapbooking from the Inside Out's beautiful new kit "Independence" (July 2011) is up, and for sale... I thoroughly enjoyed creating artwork with it, and I know you will too!
            Plus, you will want to check out my blog on July 5th, because, in order to celebrate Scrapbooking from the Inside Out's 3rd birthday, they will be throwing a Blog Hop... I will explain more in a couple of days... So, remember to check back on the 5th!
            And... Last, for today, but not by any means least... Here is one of the five pages I just created, with the first kit I designed with ("Independence" - July 2011) from Scrapbooking from the Inside Out,... Each time I reveal a page, I will be explaining my processes... thoughts, techniques, etc...


I Am Torn - 12" x 12" 

 I Am Torn - Detail of journaling

 I Am Torn - Detail of corner embellishments


The focus and mission at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out is to encourage the exploration, excavating, and discovery of one's own personal experience and viewpoint on life, and express and share those "findings", through scrapbooking. It is more about scrapbooking one's self, instead of the typical scrapbooking about everyone else in one's life... Make sense?
            And, believe you me, even though I have done some of this "about me" writing, this was harder than I thought! But, the rewards are far more great... I am looking forward to more-and-more clarity, as I work with more of the kits, and challenges at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out.
            OK... About the page above... Because the theme/focus for July is "Independence", we (myself and the other Design Team members) were given the assignment to write about ourselves, in respect to this theme, and create pages to support our personal discoveries with the gorgeous items offered in SFTIO's monthly kit. (This, in turn, we hope, will encourage others to do the same!)
            "I Am Torn" is a page about my struggle with letting my youngest daughter, Josie,  grow up, and experience "independence", and how that conflict between keeping her safe, and letting her gain strength and confidence is an ongoing "battle" for me... and, will probably always remain so.
            The photo was taken by my eldest daughter, Lucia, on the day of my second eldest daughter, Nina's, college graduation party. I loved the photo so much, that I knew I wanted to use it for something. When we found out that the July focus was on "Independence", I went about shuffling pictures around, until I knew what I wanted to write about. 
            When the design process started, I knew I wanted to get away from square-edged photos, a bit at least, so I silhouetted the photo. Then, I started thinking about the title, which I had already determined during the journaling process... "I Am TORN"... And, since I hate to measure, because it brings out my perfectionist side, and "torn" paper was a strong reflection of this page's purpose, I went about creating a visual "tear", to emphasize my journaling and feelings.
            And, once I had the page basically "built", my personal design assistant (Josie) let me know it needed something else... I added the torn strips, and finally got the "thumbs up" from the kiddo! 
            I will be revealing all of the pages I created, over the next couple of weeks, with another one on the 5th, for the Blog Hop... See you then, or before... I have lots of photos to share from our Orlando too! (Josie and I had a great time!!!)


Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Post 61 - Another Sketchy Thursday page to share...

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience... 
I flipped the original sketch upside-down (Sketchy Thursday), and created a graduation gift for my daughter, in the process... Two birds with one stone! TFL... Happy Wednesday!
           And, very excited to be... going on our Orlando vacation soon, playing with two gorgeous kits from Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, and just being me... No teaching, except for my own kid... I will miss my students, but not right now... Right now, I just want to be plain ole' me!

Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam

Monday, June 6, 2011

Post 60 - Check out the CK Editor's Blog today, and you could be the lucky winner of SFTIO's June kit giveaway!

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience... 
           Head on over to the Creating Keepsakes' Editor's Blog today, (Monday, June 6) because not only will the Design Team be featured, but Rachel Kaufman, owner of Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, will be giving away an... OPTIMISM kit! (See picture below)




           Hurry on over today, or you could miss this incredible chance at a GORGEOUS June kit, from SFTIO!... See you there! 
Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Post 59 - Lots and lots and lots of altered books...Oh My!... Student work I promised to share a loooooooooooong time ago...

Blogging my evolution as an artistic art educator - An art-based experience...
            The following plethora of artistic work consists of the ALTERED BOOK pages and covers, created by my Paper & Fiber Arts high school students, which were completed this school year.
           There were so many good things going on, that you'll have to forgive me... I have to share them all with you... ENJOY, and please tell me what you think!
           Brief explanation of assignment... The students were required to incorporate: one spread, with the 3-PHOTO-ALTERING TECHNIQUES they learned how to do, one spread, with the PHOTO-COPIED HAND images we created, one spread, with the PAPER-DOLL TREATMENT we learned about in a Claudine Helmuth book, and to create a WRAP-AROUND INTEGRATED COVER design, to tie the whole altered board book together. The focus of the book was the Zodiac signs, and the traits that the students' felt they possessed, based on the research they did on their sun sign (birth sign/zodiac sign).
           Splendid results... if I do say so myself!!... True creativity requires being allowed to make messes, find answers for oneself, and being given just a tad of support, when it is absolutely necessary...


3-photo-altering techniques (examples) 











Photo-copied hands (examples) 









Paper-doll treatment (examples)








Wrap-around integrated cover (examples)










Safety, health, happiness, and peace... Pam