Easter Day

Today Judy is going to share her scrapbook layout about Easter Day.

Much thanks to Bernice for putting together this wonderful 12 month creative journey!
Every few months I'll be sharing a faith based layout with you.  I really do feel that if our faith is an important part of our lives then it needs to be a part of our scrapbooks as well.   Feel free to create this in your art journal or on a canvas if you don't scrapbook.   I'll also be sharing how I pull together a scrapbook layout using magazine ads as inspiration - as I'm looking through magazines I find that some ads just catch my eye because I love the clean and simple look.

Magazine ads are very balanced and compartmentalized - 

exactly what I love in a scrapbook layout!

After looking at the advertisement I break it down into parts and do a quick sketch of it -

usually on a scrap of paper that I stick in a notebook.

I have an entire book of these sketches that I refer to over and over!

[My original 'smash book' - ha]

For this post I created the sketch on the computer so it'd be a little neater to work from - I don't have exact measurements but I think you can 'eyeball' it and get a good idea of how it will fit on the page. The one suggestion I have is to be sure that your margins are equal and that the space between the photos / 'boxes' are the same.

And here's my layout

 

 For as long as I can remember my mother has LOVED to attend Easter Sunrise Service. [Is this a Southern Thing?]  Through the years we've attended community services at the local high school stadium or public park.   We've attended them at churches [not as special as being OUTSIDE at SUNRISE on EASTER morning] and even had our own 'family style' services in the past.   Last year was our first Easter after she moved into an Assisted Living Facility.   She's bit more frail these days and I wasn't sure if she could manage it but I wanted to share this tradition with her. S  o we traveled over and got up early to share the sunrise and wonderful blessing of our Lord's resurrection together.   

This is the sunrise as we crossed the river on our way to breakfast.    

 A beautiful day.

You can see that I love to use patterned paper as the background and then add solid colors as mats and journal blocks. I double - matted the photo to fill the space, but I think a large photo would look gorgeous here. And I added just a bit of embellishment.

The title and scripture were printed out on white paper and taken to a local copy shop and printed on a clear transparency. [That's the reason for the 'shine' in the photos.] You can download the title photo by right clicking on it for you to use however you want. [You can print on any color card stock if you don't want to use it clear.]

Here's the layout with a bit more embellishment - I added the binder clip to the corner of the photo mat and changed the flowers to use this precious border from Little Yellow Bicycle.

And there you have it - a very springy faith based layout using stuff from my supplies.

I think I'll hang it at work to remind me of God's blessings.

So now I'm curious - what Easter Traditions do you have to celebrate Christ's Resurrection?

Have you ever included them in your scrapbook pages? I'd love to see some of them!

You can share here with the linky or on our facebook group.

And if you don't have one - let me be the first to encourage you to get up early and welcome the day of Lord's Resurrection at sunrise.   If there's no service near you - you can always get outside with your Bible or music and spend some time praising our Lord.

Have a Happy Easter everyone!

Thank you Judy. 

Not long to go

. . . . until we start on April.  Just tomorrow's post left for March.

If you missed the list for March to check whether you've done everything you can find it here.

Next month's Flower of the Month is the Primrose.  And Anita has come up with some luscious digital papers for us.

When I was planning 12 Months in View I was going to put Easter challenges into April because although for the majority of us, this is Easter weekend, in the Orthodox Church it is the first weekend in May.  However, the plan changed and Easter blog posts have been in March but there may be one or two coming up in April.

Also, in discussion with Susan and Anita, the Flower of the Month for May will be the bluebell.

So, have your camera ready and your art hat on as we move towards April.  Have you done your April calendar page yet?  I have. 

And if you live in the UK, don't forget to change your clocks tonight as British Summer Time arrives at 2am on Sunday morning.  Although the clocks are changing it doesn't look as though Summer, let alone Spring, is arriving any time soon.

See you next week.

Bernice

Cookery ... or is it?

Those who know me well are well aware that I avoid the kitchen at all times.  There have been one or two comments in the Facebook group of dread about today's challenge.

So here we go!

You will need: a saucepan, a glass bowl that will fit in the saucepan but not touch the bottom, a wooden spoon, a muffin tin and a kettle.

You will also need: a packet of Rice Krispies, 200 grammes of chocolate, a bag of mini eggs and some cake (muffin) cases.  Oh and 2 small spoons.  I used Cadbury's Milk Chocolate but you could use any make or dark chocolate if you prefer.

Have you guessed what we are making yet?

That's right!  Chocolate nests.

Break up the chocolate and put half into the glass bowl.  Boil the kettle and put some boiling water into the saucepan. Put the bowl into the saucepan and put it onto a low heat.

Stir the chocolate until it has melted and then add the rest of the chocolate.  (I hope you didn't think you were eating the other half!  I only eat 4 small squares!)

Put the cake cases into the tin.

Take the saucepan from the cooker leaving the bowl in the hot water so the chocolate doesn't start setting. Put the Rice Krispies into the melted chocolate a large spoonful at a time, and stir so that the Rice Krispies are coated in chocolate.  The amount of Rice Krispies depends how choclatey you want your nests to be.  Less Rice Krispies - more chocolatey!

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and make a small dent in the middle  .Put them into the fridge to set.

When they are set put them out on a pretty plate and add the mini eggs.

I hope that you will enjoy making your birds' nests.

Do add a photo of what you make using the linky below.

Bernice

Palm Sunday

Carolyn has written today's post.   Thanks Carolyn.

In the Christian Calendar today is Palm Sunday. This day marks the beginning for most of us of the observance of Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter.   PalmSunday, Holy Week and Easter are observed and celebrated in many different ways around the world, and you can read about these in lots of places, those I have linked are Wiki articles.

Palm Sunday itself marks the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem for his last Passover festival.  All four gospels relate how Jesus approached the city riding a borrowed donkey and was acclaimed by the crowds as he entered the city with shouts of Hosanna and the waving of palm branches.  This was the event that set in motion all the other events of that week, ending with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.   While riding a donkey into a city may seem a rather unobtrusive way to travel, it was also a symbol of a king coming in peace as opposed to riding a horse in war; palm branches were symbolic of triumph and with the acclamation of the crowds there was a direct link to the Old Testament, Jewish prophecy  

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! 

Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! 

See, your king comes to you, 

righteous and victorious, 

lowly and riding on a donkey, 

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

I grew up in a Methodist church and recall how Palm crosses were distributed every year on Palm Sunday. The adults would use them as bookmarks or display them somewhere at home, or leave them to crumple in handbags.   As children we knew how to use them though, they were swords for us to fight with in the grounds after Sunday School! 

My current church doesn’t mark the church calendar in the same way as the one I grew up in but I often find a benefit in recalling the seasons and during Lent (the weeks leading up to Easter) I have been posting a weekly reflection on my blog.   This year I have taken a verse from the Bible each week and simply quoted it along with photographs which seem to fit.   This becomes a meditative process as I sit and read the words and search out images.

I often don’t go for a literal image of whatever is in the words, although I may, but of something that may enhance the meaning, give a new perspective, or express my own emotional and spiritual response to the words.  I only use my own photographs which can be a challenge, but my reasoning is that I want the reflection to be my response and that is best given with those images that have spoken to me enough to be photographed. 

Of course it helps that I love photography!  I find being still difficult and meditation does not come naturally to me, but an active meditation with images or art is much closer to my natural way of being. This is my reflection on the words quoted above.

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,

lowly and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey

As you may see I started with a celebration image and then in the next two photos contrasted high majesty with low and humble before finishing with a further emphasis on the lowly, but with beauty also and the hope of God transforming decay into something beautiful as the horror of the cross was transformed into the glory of the resurrection.

The challenge with this is for you to take a Bible verse if you are so minded, or a verse from a poem or a quote or something that is meaningful to you and as you think about it search out images that fit in with the meaning it has for you. These could be, as mine are, images from your own photographs, or images of your own artwork, or images found online.

On my own blog today there will be a different reflection for Palm Sunday, but done in a similar way.

Thanks Carolyn.  If you take up Carolyn's challenge today, please add your link below.

 

St. Patrick's Day

Today is St. Patrick's Day.  It celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and St Patrick is recognised as the Patron Saint of Ireland. 

He is reputed to have rid Ireland of snakes.

You can find out more on these websites: Wikipedia  or St. Patricks Day

Around the world there are parades to celebrate the day.   There is a big parade in New York where the day is often referred to as Paddy's Day.  I have never heard this expression in the UK!

Green ribbons and shamrocks are associated with today.  Here's some more information about Shamrocks.   I searched on Google Images and found these:

I've also put some images onto my Pinterest board.

Here's a free download of printables to use for anything related to St. Patrick's Day.

And here is a March Reminder Sheet so you can see what you have done and what is to come.

Art Challenge:
Use heart shapes to make shamrocks and then make an interesting layout or art journal page.  Or just use heart shapes.

You could use one of these quotes if you wish
Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.

St Patrick

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time, a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic." Adrienne Cook

I believe in the sun when it's not shining, I believe in love even when I feel it not, I believe in God even when He is silent."
Irish Saying

Don't forget to link any of your art or a blog post using the linky below. 
 

Stencilled Newspaper

For Spring I chose the colours lime green, lemon and bluebell blue as the colour scheme.  But if you haven't got those precise colours choose something close to them or choose your own colour scheme!

For this challenge you will need:
Some newspaper
Gesso or white acrylic paint
4 or 5 colours of acrylic paint
A spray ink - Dylusions or Colorwash or something similar
and
9 (yes I said 9) different stencils.   This could include the same stencil but in 2 sizes.  If you haven't got 9 stencils then make your own.

Now watch the video:

And now go and have fun.

When you've stencilled your page decide how you will finish it.  You could cut it up into various shapes and stick them onto another background.  You could stick it into your journal or leave it as it is and add embellishments and journaling.  Or add a photo related to Spring.  

Whatever you choose to do, don't forget to show us on the linky below.

Bernice

A seasonal book

A big, warm welcome to Carolyn

When Bernice asked me to do a quarterly guest post on children’s books I was thrilled: not only with the opportunity to be involved in this project, but to be able to contribute something included two major passions, creativity and books.  I’ve loved books as far back as I can remember and although I started reading books aimed more at adults when I was probably only just in double digits, I never went through a phase where I stopped reading ‘Children’s’ books. I now have quite a collection! I collect anything that appeals, including picture books, early readers, classics, books I loved or my children loved, but mainly I collect ‘20^th Century Girl’s Literature’, commonly called Girl’s Own and more often than not set in boarding schools. There are so many reasons I collect all types of children’s books, apart from being a bit of a hoarder, but I love so many of the illustrations, the ‘other worldliness’, the happy endings, the ethos, the way so much skill is needed in the writing to put across the ideas and characters whilst keeping the language accessible…well I could go on! Suffice it to say, I love books, and children’s books are special.

For Spring I have chosen a series of picture books by a Dutch artist. The first of these iconic picture books was published in 1955 and since then there have been over 30 books, a film, TV series, clothes, accessories, stationery, badges, posters and ephemera galore.  The books are very simple with a strict style and feature a little white rabbit as the main protagonist.

Have you guessed?

Yes, Miffy by Dick Bruna.

These picture books are aimed at children around 4-6, have 16 pages of story with a full page illustration for each page of story. Each story page has 4 lines of text, with an abcb rhyme scheme. The illustrations use a limited colour palette and a minimalist style and yet are instantly engaging and recognisable.  When I read them to my own children the rhythm and rhyme made them easy to read, and the simple pictures made it easy for the children to not only follow along, but to focus in on the story and interact, adding in their comments.  Those are all good reasons for these to be classic books – but my main reason for choosing them has to be the wonderful simplicity of Miffy herself. I look at her and I smile.  In spring we want hope, smiles, and the promise of growth and these are the emotions I associate with these books.

I intend to show you a book related project each season, and for Miffy I have followed the idea of simplicity through.  The simplest book project is a bookmark, and here is mine:

A Miffy Bookmark

I wanted to keep to the simple look of the Miffy Books, and to make a bookmark that was reminiscent of childhood. I started by cutting a piece of watercolour paper (cold press, textured) to size and printing out a Miffy colouring page from the website. I then roughly cut out three little Miffy characters from that. 

I coloured the background with a distress stain, broken china, which fits in with this season’s colours. I then looked at placement of the Miffys and the alphabet stencil I wanted to use. Having decided what was going where I used Kaz Hall's liquid pearls and stencil technique (which you can find here) to make the letters. After doing the A I realised that rather than use a credit card to spread the pearls, due to the thickness of the stencil it would be better to squeeze the liquid pearls directly through the stencil and use a figure to spread. 

I coloured Miffy’s dresses in with pencil crayons, using a paper stump to polish up and remove any obvious pencil lines. I trimmed the characters down and glued on using matte multi-medium. I went round the edges of both Miffys and letters with a black pen, to highlight the black lines as this is one of the characteristics of the Dick Bruna illustrations. Finally to finish I rounded the corners and inked the edges with a black ink pad.

Since I had a spare Miffy I made this double sided. I put a different colour distress stain on the back and wrote a message with black pen before inking the edges again.

It is my intention to laminate this in order to a) protect my books from any liquid pearls or ink that may transfer and b) to prevent the Miffys getting rubbed off with use.  However since I don’t want to waste most of a laminator pocket, I will wait until I have something else to laminate as well.

I do hope you will join me with these seasonal book challenges, and create either something along the same lines, or something else inspired by the books I mention – or even share other books you relate to each season.

If you want to read more about Miffy, or find some images, you might like to look at these links:

http://www.miffy.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialMiffy?feature=watch

http://pinterest.com/carolynphillips/children-s-books/

Thank you Carolyn.

Please add your bookmark using the linky below.

Bernice