Rebecca Sower

fun with letters

It's been a while since I've walked down the scrapbooking aisle at the craft store.  A lot has changed and a lot has remained the same.  It's all good.  I picked up a few things that I liked.  But, just like back in the day, when I went to use them I couldn't help myself from adding some handmade touches.

I liked these cardstock alphas and thought they'd be fun to use in one of my journal projects.  Lots of color and great fonts.  And to make them more 'mine' I pulled out my box of paint pens, put on some good music and started doodling (before I punched the letters out, much easier)...

And after some relaxing, sketching, playing time I have a stack of colorful, store-bought/handmade letters to use when I need them.

With plans to do more...lots more!

May you find peace and joy in this day.  Love!

 

jumpstart journal

You already know how much I love journals--making them, enjoying them, teaching workshops on journaling.  It's all interesting and fun to me.

For a long, long time I've been meaning to put together what I'm calling a 'jumpstart journal kit'.  All the components, a little nudge in the right direction, and then letting you take it from there and run with it to make it your own.

Here's the sample I put together, one I know I'll use a lot.  I've always been a huge music fan (living near Nashville and all) and love love lyrics.  So many good things are spoken to us through the songwriters.  This is where I'll start to write down the ones I want to hold on to.

I found that working on this new journal was really relaxing for me.  A process to get lost in.

I hope you like these new kits.  They're really full of lots of components to start you on your way, starting with a partially-finished cover.  You can add as much as you like of your own pieces.  It'll be fun.  Here are some pics of my journal's page in progress...

Anyway, if you're due a new journal project...stop by.

I hope life is good to you today!

 

the sweetest gifts are friends

"There are people whom one loves immediately and forever. Even to know they are alive in the world with one is quite enough."  { nancy spain }

I am reminded this week that women friends are unequaled treasures in one's life.  Whether they've been a part of my life for as long as I can recall.  Or a new one that I possibly haven't even met face-to-face yet.  They are each one a warm embrace on a cold day.

And when I walk to my mailbox on this lonely old country road and find packages with surprises like these inside...

 ...Wow!  I am blessed indeed.  From my heart, thank you Sue, Pam and Nina.  And thank you too, my blog friends, for spending a few moments with me now and then.  You are truly appreciated.

Love someone today.

love

"it is in loving that we are loved"

{ from the prayer based on the teachings of Saint Francis of Assissi }

Happy Valentines Day!

2013 planner update

Since I've gotten more than a few inquiries asking for more details about my 2013 planner, I thought I'd share in this post...

The most important thing to remember is to make is completely and totally yours.  Otherwise you won't use it.  Make it a size that feels good in your hands, that's user-friendly for you.  Mine is about 6"x8" closed.

I have a big (old) commercial heavy-duty binder that makes a very secure book.  You can have this binding done at a print shop or you can use a 3-ring binder which has the huge advantage of being able to add and remove pages.  For the dividers themselves, I folded medium- to heavy-weight scrapbook papers, stitched monthly tabs (made on my computer and laminated) to the folded edge and wrapped printed packaging tape over other side to reinforce holes.

I used clear stamps for numbering the actual days.  This process takes a little while but perfect to do when you need a tv-watching task possibly.  These stamps were exactly what I had in mind for mine and love how they worked out.

So, for the date pages I list appointments and anything else date related.  For the flip-side pages, I list things going on that week, or lists, or blog ideas...anything!  I've provided the templates for the day pages and the flip-side pages for you.  To print the pages, you'll want to print out the date page (2-up) then put that page back in paper tray and print the back template onto the back of that sheet.  I've used this paper for projects like this for years and love love it.

{ and here are links to my favorite glue stick and pens to use in my planner }

It's mid-February but that's not too late to make your own planner.  There's plenty of 2013 left to enjoy!

 

love one another

"And remember the truth that once was spoken...

to love another person is to see the face of God."

{ final lines from Les Miserables }

Been working on these little art pieces and have now listed them, and some journals, in my shop for those who might be interested.

I hope you are in love with life today!

long live love

I was looking back through some of my old lettering files (and by files I mean the ones in a drawer in a manilla folder, those kind of files) from way back when I designed products for scrapbooking.  And found these rub-ons circa 2005 maybe?

From all those pages of hand-drawn alphas, I put together a little love note for you.  Click on the image below for a full-size version that you can print and make a project with me...

Decide what paper you want to print on.  I wanted old ledger paper so I glue-sticked some onto printer paper and fed it through my printer like so...

Next you can machine-stitch around it...

Add a little color with colored pencils...

Add any stickers, stamps, little photos, etc. that you'd like to embellish...

Cut around perimeter where you see fit and adhere to some kind of hard backing.  I used lowly cardboard...

Punch holes and tie a ribbon.  Then I dressed it up a little more with a scrap of fabric and a couple of stitched felt hearts.  You do as you like of course...

Step back and say 'ta da!'.

Long live love!

 

my 2013 planner

Now that we're toward the end of January, I finally finished my 2013 day planner.  If you're one who loves keeping track of yourself on your phone/ipad/computer you won't be very interested in this post.  I wish I could do that.  I've bought at least three apps, downloaded programs, etc.  And gave up.  So maybe I'm just so very old-school handmade everything that I have to keep track of myself with something like this planner.  Anyway, here's a little more info on how it all came together...

I sewed the cover pretty much the same as I do for my art quilt journals, using the free-motion stitching on my machine for the title...

On the inside front and back covers I stitched little pockets to hold my cards and pens and such...

I laminated a copy of the 2013 year calendar and put that in the front.  On the back are a listing of the 2013 holidays...

For the dividers, I cut some pretty scrapbooking papers, strengthened the hole side with fancy clear tape and stitched on some month tabs that I printed out on the computer...

Next (and I'm really liking this) I made a sort of bookmark where I will keep a master to-do list in pencil.  I'll move it through the calendar as the days go by, erasing and adding to it as time goes...

For the actual weeks I created a page for each week of the year on the computer.  This is where I'll keep track of specific things needing to be done on certain days, appointments, the usual calender stuff, with some random notes and such.  On the top, I've left blanks where I'll plan out my blog posts, keep notes, sketch ideas, whatever...

That's about it!  Here are a some details and couple more photos...

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The goal is to spend a few minutes each morning with my day planner, updating, filling in, dressing up...just playing around and tweaking it, with the overall dream of taking better care of my time.

 

 

oh where have all the good men gone?

designs from a decade ago...

You know I love textiles and stitching.  Always will.  For those of you who may not know, however, my love for all things paper and journaling and scrapbooking used to be huge.  I have stacks and stacks of page layouts from back in the day (it all started here I think).  Haven't even looked at them in many a moon.

Hanging out with Pam last week and seeing her art journals again ignited a desire in me to get back to journaling and creating with paper and paint.  And something in our conversations and introspections made me want to come home and dust off those old albums for another look...

And you know how these things go...I spent most of the morning flipping through all my old scrapbooks, laughing, remembering, cringing.  But I also found myself saying 'hey i kinda like that!'.  Then realized I want to give it another go maybe.  Not to scrapbook like this, but to feel the feeling that playing with paper and scissors brings.  To write sappy things to my children even though they're long past little.

I don't know how this will all come together.  Don't even know if I'll be bold and transparent enough to show you here.  But I need a diversion.  Now's a good time (there's my word!).