Journalling the acrostic way...

Everyone has subjects that feature in layouts again and again. With me it's my children - it might be your pet or a particular place you have lots of photos of... When all you can think of is to put their name on the LO - think again!

Firstly, don't forget the where, when and who.

And here's an idea - use an acrostic of their name to describe them or the situation.

Adventurous
Intelligent
Demanding -
A typical teen!
Not a quiet moment...

If you have a difficult letter in there (if you have a Max or a Zak!), it can be easier to try a mesostic version - that means the letter can be anywhere in the line.

 A mAture
fun-Loving
   sEnsible
   eXceptional young lady

Great creative links

Spell with Flickr
http://metaatem.net/words/
Great idea for a title perhaps - see what Flickr comes up with then go out and find your own letters....

Flickr Toys
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/
You can do all sorts of things here... create posters, ATC sized cards, mosaics (my favourite) etc. etc.

Voicethread
http://voicethread.com/
Add voice comments (as well as text comments) to a photo or photos - others can comment too - this is a real digital scrapbook.

Write it on Wednesday: Starting with one little word...

Here's a way to create a whole LO based on a word.

When you start to write or journal about a subject, one way to start is to do a bit of research…

I’m still trying to bear in mind my word of the year TRANQUILLITY

First I looked in a dictionary:

1. an untroubled state; free from disturbances
2. a state of peace and quiet
3. a disposition free from stress or emotion

Then I looked in a thesaurus:

tranquil; calmness; composure, restful, serenity, repose

Then I did a Google search and noted some of the pages that seemed most relevant.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/tranquillity.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tranquility
http://www.cpre.org.uk/campaigns/landscape/tranquillity

The BBC page had a nice picture of bluebells – which reminded me of the picture I took at the crop in April outside the villa where there were beautiful bluebells… and that made me think of other tranquil places where I had taken pictures. And whenever I look at those pictures I feel more tranquil.

My final journalling reads:

An untroubled state
free from disturbances
A state of peace and quiet
Repose
A disposition free from stress or emotion
Serenity, calm, composure, equanimity
Ataraxia - peace of mind
A state I crave...

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Quotes about sharing...

Sharing ...

... could be a title on any number of LOs - about children, about families...

or even an incentive to blog...

"Whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, so that all ingenious people might be informed thereof." Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with others." Robert Louis Stevenson

What does "sharing" mean to you? Does it have a spiritual meaning?

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” Buddha

"It's about sharing. You just give what you have to give wherever you go, and you let God handle the rest." Lindsay Wagner

This one could accompany almost any thoughtful photograph

“Our best thoughts come from others.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you have a LO abut a meal?

"Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.” M. F. K. Fishe

Scraplifting challenge

I put my latest LO on the Chatterbox Chicks blog rather than here. It's a scraplift from Mojoholder blog. It hasn't really got much journalling on it! (Shame on me! - but it's one of those photos that tells its own story.)

Wedding quotes

I was making a card for a silver anniversary, so I thought I would look out some sayings suitable for such a card.

Here are some of my favourites:

“There are three things that last:
faith, hope and love,
and the greatest of these is love.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:13

"Together you shall be for evermore...
but let there be spaces in your togetherness.
And let the winds of the heavens
dance between you." - Kahlil Gibran

Two human loves make one divine. Elizabeth Barrett Browning

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the wedding cup,
Whenever you're wrong, admit it;
Whenever you're right, shut up. - Ogden Nash

Love is the silent link
between heart and mind,
and the silver thread that
ties two souls together. - Flavia

Love is like a violin. The music may stop now and then, but the strings remain forever.
- June Master Bacher

Journalling Quizzes

Simple Scrapbooks have some great quizzes available from their new book Scrapbook Play

Free on their website:

Best & Worst Quiz

My worst subject in school:

The best place I’ve ever lived:

The worst place I’ve ever lived:

By The Numbers: THEN Quiz

The age I actually got married at:

The age I’d go back to if I could:

The price of my first car:

By The Numbers: NOW Quiz, e.g.

Number of things in my junk drawer:

Number of televisions in my home:

Number of telephone numbers I can be reached at:

Just for Kids Quiz, e.g.,

What makes your family special?

Who in the world do you look the most like?

What’s one thing you’re really good at?

All About Things Quiz, e.g.,

One thing I’d grab if my house were on fire:

One thing I wish I could throw away:

One thing I’ll never, ever throw away:

http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/Playful%20Quizzes-SP.pdf

Write it on Wednesday: Knickering the elephant

Do you have any family sayings, words or phrases that are unique to yourselves, local dialect appropriated for your use, in-jokes and the like? These are great inspirations for a LO - write about how they came to be - or if you can't remember, just journal how these words are something that makes your family unique.

Here are two of mine:

Mouldywarps

My brother and youngest sister were, for some reason, known as the "Mouldywarps". There were four of us, so we split into pairs, the two older ones - the "girls" - and the two younger ones. Mouldywarp is apparently a dialect word for mole (though I must admit I always thought the Mouldywarp was a mole CATCHER)

What's odd is that in the next generation my son was fascinated by moles. It must be something about the boys in my family... With my son it was because of the story One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth - you'll have to read it to find out why! He has a much loved mole puppet or two and several mole china figures (Molennium...)

In E. Nesbitt's The House of Arden a contemporary boy, Edred, must be tested before he can become Lord Arden and restore the family fortunes. He meets the Mouldiwarp (a mole who appears on the family coat-of-arms).

Perhaps there are more mouldywarps around than I realised! But there isn't yet (at time of writing) a Wikipedia article about it.

Knickering the elephant

OK, it's a strange thing to say - but you'll see what I mean when I explain...

The bigger the duvet you have on your bed, the more difficult it is to change its cover. How do you do it? Do you dive inside? Turn it inside out and grab the corners? Get someone to help you - especially if it's a king-size?

This is such an awkward task that one of my parents (who might have thought it up or might have read or heard it somewhere) declared that it was "as difficult as trying to put knickers on an elephant".

So if you're in our house and someone asks you to "come and help me knicker the elephant", you will know what it means!

Go on, journal your own family words and phrases. It hardly even needs a photo, although the one to go with "knickering the elephant" should be quite interesting!

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Free time - what would you do?

In her August blog as Scrapbooker of the Year 2006 for Creating Keepsakes, C D Muckosky suggests that "free time is a state of mind" (check out 30 August) .

She mentions that time in infant class when the teacher would say "it's free time" in other words, it is a time when you can freely choose what you want to do - to play, to experiment, to get dirty if you want, to play with things you wouldn't at any other time - because it is free time.

What if you had free time? What if you had permission to have free time?

What if I were to say to you... "This half day - this morning (or afternoon, or evening) - is free time, and you not only don't have to but MUST NOT think about anything else!"

What would you do with that time?

And it doesn't have to be scrapping - in fact for this exercise I'd like you not to think about scrapping, and to let your imagination go - transport and money are no problem - what would you choose to do? You're not allowed to do nothing, either, no sitting on beaches or going to sleep - assume you are rested and relaxed and raring to DO something - what might it be?

Jot down what you'd like to do: e.g.,

Go out on a bike
Play with paint
Swim in a river
Play guitar
Bake butterfly cakes

See how many things you can think of to take up your free time.

Two possibilities for the LO now:

First LO - find a picture of you - preferably a bit thoughtful - and do a LO entitled "I wish I were...." and make sure the words "Free time" are somewhere on the LO as well as the journalling you just did....

Second LO - go DO one of those things and make sure you get a photo of some kind either of you doing it or (if it's not possible - a picture representing the activity).

Reaching your goals

I am in a difficult position at the moment - in four weeks' time I will be made redundant for the third time in three years. I work in a sector (HE) in which jobs are often dependent on transient funding. It's dispiriting to be in this position again. I find it very stressful. It seems I just get into a job and start doing some good, and it's over.

I don't have a HUGE goal in life - I just want my family to be happy, and to do some good in society, preferably by using my particular skills to help others learn. I don't want to rock the world...

I guess that if you have something to aim for sometimes it takes a LONG time to reach it. But a big goal perhaps keeps you more on track while you're waiting.

I was reading recently about teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, who was 55 when she finally made it into space on the August space shuttle mission. She's been waiting over 21 years for her goal of getting into space... She had trained as a back-up to fellow teacher Christa McAuliffe for the 1986 Challenger shuttle mission. But on January 28, 1986, Challenger exploded 73 seconds after blast-off, killing all seven aboard, including McAuliffe, and delaying for two decades Morgan's own aspirations to carry out a mission with the elite astronaut corps. She had to become a fully fledged astronaut when NASA banned civilians from its flights, and had yet another setback after the Columbia disaster in 2003: she was due to fly on its next mission. How wonderful must it have been, at the age of 55, that she finally achieved her dream!

In February 1990 Nelson Mandela was freed after spending 27 years in prison. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with FW de Klerk in 1993 for their efforts to transform South African society. In the first multi-racial elections in the country's history he was elected president and his party the ANC won 252 of the 400 seats in the national assembly.

Writer John Creasey faced up to 743 rejection slips before he was first published. Now over sixty million of his crime novels have been published.

There are more interesting tales of early rejection and later success at the Handling Rejection website.

So I shouldn't give up, I guess? If only I knew what my big goal was, I'd have something to hold onto!

Now - what are YOUR goals? What's the big thing you'd like to achieve? Make it into a plaque and put it above your computer to remind you. OK I'm getting a bit Ali Edwards here - but giving meaning to your life can transform it in many ways. I know I'm just floundering at the moment - with a bit of focus I will get so much more done - I just need to find that focus!

Some goals:

For my family to be happy
to be healthy and fit
to be calm
to have a worthwhile job
to help people
to make more friends

Write it on Wednesday: why do you blog?

There was an interesting thread on UKScrappers recently when someone asked "Why do you blog?"

Answers ranged from the simple
"I blog for me"
to the casual
"It's a bit of fun"
"Because people told me I should"
to the purposeful
"To have a record of what I've made"
"As an online gallery"
"to share my latest layouts and projects"

I particularly liked Susan(scoobiesue)'s comment that she "wanted to remember when I had done what (also makes journalling on LOs easier!)"

And that's the crux of the matter - if you blog, then you should have a head start on journalling. You can even post the photos along with the writing and you've got a scrapbook-within-a-blog as a backup for if you never get around to scrapping the photos for real.

As you may have noticed in this blog, I often alter a photo to make a very plain mock-up - not really a digi page, but something that approximates what I might do when I get the chance to scrap for real.

And why do I blog?

I write a lot, and teach writing, and while I'm not a good scrapper I thought that by sharing tips and techniques for journalling I could give something back to the community that has given me so much inspiration in the visual sense!
Thanks so much, scrappers!

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Random creativity quotes

Here is a random quote widget. It will produce a new creative quote every time the page is loaded (which means this post is forever changing...)

provided by FocalPower

No Write it on Wednesday this week?

OK, I hold up my hands. I am guilty. I have not blogged enough this week! That's because I've been at a conference with work and while I've had a little time to blog, I have been writing about the conference on my work blog so no time for scrapping. I had some great ideas for this week too... expect a storm of blog entries on here soon!

I've been trying live blogging - that's when you blog as you go - while you're listening to a lecture, or I suppose for scrappers, while you're in the middle of a crop... People were live blogging from CHA weren't they? It often includes pics...

me blogging...

Journalling jar #2

Here is a poem that goes on the journalling jar.
And the instructions that go with it.

Either look pretty printed onto a tag tied round the neck of the jar with a ribbon.
Alternatively one can form the label on the jar.

Poem

Preserve your memories,
Seal them up well.
What you forget,
You can never retell.
Writing it all at once is a lot to ask...
But bit by bit you can complete the task!

Instructions

This little jar celebrates something very important - YOU!
All you need to do is take out one slip of paper each day.
Write the question or topic at the top of a blank page in your
journal and begin to tell all about it.
Just tell your story about YOU!

Journalling Jar

A couple of years ago I made my mum a journalling jar for Christmas. The idea is that you print out all the journal prompts and cut them into strips, pop them all into a pretty decorated jar and give as a present with a pretty notebook. Or make the jar for yourself!

These are the questions I used. Some of them will be applicable to everyone, others might prompt you to write your own depending on the recipient's age and background.

Tell something about each of your children, their personalities, their talents and traits that make them different and special.
Describe your favourite holiday since you were married.
Tell about home cures or old wives tales, hiccups, toothaches, earaches, and arthritis.
Where were you and what were you doing the day the wall came down in Germany?
Describe your wedding dress.
Write a description of your husband or wife.
What does retirement mean to you?
Describe your mother's wedding dress. What do you know about her wedding?
Where did you live as a child? Town, country, suburb, etc?
What is your greatest joy, your greatest sorrow?
Do you have a favourite author? Why? Who? Tell about your favourite books as a child and as n adult.
What do you feel have been the most significant world events that have taken place in your lifetime and why?
Describe the most serious illness or accident that you have had.
What are you reading at the moment? What do books mean to you?
Describe your yard as a child - what are your memories? Draw a diagram if you can.
Tell about Family Reunions.
Tell about your teenage social life. Your friends, dances, dating, outings, church functions etc.
Can you remember your first day – at school, University…
What was your first job?
What would you like to be remembered for?
Describe your first home as a young couple.
What lessons did you take as a child? Did you carry any over into adulthood?
What were the favourite places to go with your family when you were young?
Tell about any ancestors that you know about. Names, dates, etc. for historical purposes and any stories about them.
Tell about anniversaries, celebrations, trips, and gifts.
What were your fears, expectations, and anticipations about getting married?
Tell about a special date you had with a boyfriend or your fiance.
What is your mother's best trait? Worst? What are the traits you share?
What is your father's best trait? Worst? What are the traits you share?
One word on how to live successfully.
How do you feel about winning? Losing?
Tell a courtship story about your parents, how they met etc...
Tell the same about your own courtship.
Describe a favourite childhood friend and something you did with her or him.
Tell about your grandchildren - how do you feel about being a grandparent? How did you feel after the first time of becoming a grandparent? How does it feel now?
Have you met or worked with famous people? Who? Where?
How did you become engaged?
What is the most wonderful thing that ever happened to you and the worst?
What is your child rearing philosophy?
Describe your Sundays as a mother or as a child.
What can frighten you the most and why?
Do you wish you had more sisters or brothers, and why?
Tell about your favourite aunt.
What is the most exciting place that you have ever been to and why?
What was your worst, really embarrassing moment?
What games did you play as a child - inside and outside?
Where did your Grandparents live? What was their home like? Did it have a certain smell or look?
Tell about your favourite aunt or uncle.
Did you have a close relationship with your grandparents? Tell about it.
Tell how, when, where you learned to drive and any memorable experiences.
Tell about each of your children's names, birth date, where, doctors, circumstances surrounding the birth, bringing them up, problems, joys etc.
How did you like being the youngest(/eldest/middle etc.) child? What were the advantages or disadvantages?
Tell about a frustrating experience that you have had with a car.
What is your advice to those younger than you?
What sports clubs did/do you belong to? What did/does the sport mean to you?
Did you and your father share any interests together? What and why?
What is your favourite part of scripture and why?
Describe a childhood Christmas.
Describe a typical day in primary school.
What did you do when you were a child that got you in the most trouble and how did your parents handle it?
How did you feel about school?
Do you remember any of your four grandparents? Any greats? What were their names? Any memories that you have.
Tell about your mother: personality, characteristics, stature, coloring, talents, temperament, family stories about her, her role in your home, etc.
What is your personal secret of happiness?
Describe a perfect spring day and activities on that day.
What is the most important lesson, message, or advice that you have learned that you might pass on to others?
Thinking back, was there a teacher who had a great influence on you?
Tell about your own family traditions. Christmas, Easter, birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals, first communions, confirmations etc.
Describe a childhood birthday.
What personality trait do you admire and why?
Did you have a favourite TV or radio program as a child? Tell about it.
Did it snow much when you were a child? Tell something about it, what did you do?
Write about some places you went with your father.
Write about some places that you went with your mother.
Write about some places that you went with your sibling/s.
What do you think about films - what is your favourite film and why?
If you could be an animal, which one would you choose and why?
Describe a typical day during your secondary school years.
What kind of extra-curricular activities did you participate in at school?
Tell about the house you lived in during your childhood.
What do you think brings good or bad luck?
Tell about all the places you have worked.
Tell about your siblings. What made them the people they were? How did they change from childhood to adulthood?
Tell an evacuation story about you or your siblings.
Tell about the war where you grew up.
Describe your wedding day.
What are your food preferences and how did they come about?