Word of the Year for 2011: VOICE

It all started at the bakery shop with this:

This is a "cremona". It´s a very flaky bread in a crown shape.

There were two cremonas left. The assistant took the one on the left hand side. Looks good, right? Well, I liked the one on the right better. Did I say anything? No. Why? She had already taken it, there were other persons in the queue, ... you know the drill. I kept my mouth shut. *sigh* That lead me to my Word of the Year 2011.

VOICE

As in letting myself be heard. As in finding my artistic voice. As in singing out loud. As in making my opinion to be known. As in asking for what I want. As in saying I love you to my friends even if I sound slightly odd or like a stalker (I love you!!!!).

It is also a logical development from the Word of the Year 2010: LISTEN

Listen was intended as being aware of what was being offered to me, as in paying attention to my surroundings, to the messages that were being sent. All that listening lead 2010 to be known as "the year of changes" as we took many chances that would have been lost otherwise.

Where will my voice be heard? Working on all these projects:

Daily:

365, a picture a day. {about 270 in 2010, hoping to do better}

Flying Spark, daily inspiration by Gumnut.

Weekly:

Pencil Lines sketch on Sundays for my scarpbooking. {not compulsory as some sketches don´t work for me.}

Wishcasting Wednesdays by Jamie Ridler. {I also have her book, which I will work on most probably on weekends}

Monthly:

The Sketchbook Challenge. This is to broaden my artistic knowledge.

Creative Every Day by Leah Piken has a monthly theme.

Full Moon Boards, lead by Jamie Ridler.

Workshops:

Strathmore Online. More theory and practice.

I will listening to other voices too: reading more books, listening to music, reading blogs, watching movies, learning from workshops.

And when Jaime asks "What do you want to say yes to?", I answer:

I wish to say YES to my voice being heard. I wish to say YES to all my projects actually being completed and "out there".

AEDM 2010: Day 24 Déjà Vu

* You may feel you recognize this CD case. No, I didn´t get the wrong case or posted the wrong picture. For this Monday´s (late) dowload I chose the 1° CD of the 2CD album: ABBA / The Definitive Collection. :) Last Monday I had downloaded the 2° CD.
* When I find a design that works for me I repeat it for different albums. Yesterday I posted "Autographs" for Mati´s Album. Today I used the same sketch (Pencil Lines #214) for Music.

* The pictures are for the same annual Music festival that I posted yesterday, only it´s 2009 version.

Quote of the day: "I have just as much right to spread my cheerful outlook as others have to spread their misery." by Kelly on her post Light Moments.

AEDM 2010: Day 23 School Art

This morning I attended Tati´s school Music & Plastic Art exhibition. That is a lot of art for today. :D

In the picture Years 5A 5B 5C & 6A 6B 6C. There are three classes per each year.
They played several songs on the flute and then sang a few more.
Tati and her painting.
Based on Pencil Lines Sketch # 214.

My son Matias getting his CD autographed by "El cuarteto de Nos" after the concert.

AEDM 2010: Day 16

After downloading Pink´s album last week, I bet you never thought this could be my choice for this week. Talk about ecclectic: ABBA greatest hits.

Today´s chapter from Cameron´s book talks about grounding housework. Taking the repetitive chores as a way to give artists structure out of the creative tide that may sweep them.

Jackey (~waving at Jackey~ The day you have a blog I´ll link to it so everyone can see the cool stuff you make with your granddaughter :) ) asked me today what I was neglecting to be able to keep up with Art Every Day Month.

I have been streamlining housework since January when my help left. After months of trying doing things in different ways I have found the most efficient order to do housework. I thrive on structure so ironing goes from 4 pm to 5 pm everyday (except Fridays that we visit my mom). The rest is a matter of focus. I NEED to get things done as quick as possible to be able to have some spare moments to craft.

Mari also asked me if I sleep. :D Yes, just a bit less this month so I can visit AEDMers every evening. I visit my friends/people I already know I like first and then I do weird number combinations with meaninful numbers. Eg: birthdays of female relatives, so I visit #9 (mom), #21 (cousin Alexa), #8 (aunt Norma), #12 (myself) and so on. Yes, I have a big family. Lol! If I don´t comment on your blog everyday, it doesn´t mean you are not one of my friends. It´s just that I don´t want to be considered a stalker!!! :D

Art for the day: based on Pencil Lines sketch #213

AEDM 2010: Day 11 Take two

Hello friends and friends not yet made! ~~~waves~~~

My art for AEDM:
When I find a layout I like, I usually make it for several albums.

For day 9 I showed you "Doll", based on Pencil Lines Sketch #212. That one goes to my side of the family album as the focus is on two of my cousins. This one goes to our Home album, as the focus is on my kids but showing them in our entrance hall.

Here´s my wish for Wishcasting Wednesdays by Jamie Ridler. {I know it´s Thursday but yesterday I read the wish after posting}

This Wednesday Jamie asked: "How do you wish to grow older?"

Being 43, I´m closer to "older" than I was in my twenties. :D

How did I imagine myself then? Well, not too different from what I am today.

Degree, husband, two kids. In that order. Textbook young lady.

I didn´t imagine the years in Europe. I certainly never, ever imagined the dog!!!

Whatever I imagined as a child I´m grateful to say I got something even better. Some my own doing, some by good luck.

Nowadays I´m what we´d call more or less "made". My foundations are solid, big stuff out of the way. So, now what? How do I wish to grow old?

"Gracefully". Not only as in dignified old age. I wish to grow old full of Grace, from within and from above.

I wish for: youthful fun, wisdom to see people as they really are, wisdom to keep my mouth shut or speak up according to the situation, a house full of family & friends, a computer full of family & friends (yes, I mean you. Good to see you already here {big happy hug} ), kind words from me and for me, time to devote to others, energy to go places, good health, quick heartfelt smiles, my kids still paying attention to me, being my grandkids favourite grandma ;) , providing a safe haven here at home, a place full of love and laughter. Oh, the list could go on for lines and lines.

That is what I wish for, what I pray for, what I work for. :)

AEDM 2010: Day 9 Late

Muñeca = Doll

As I told you on my previous post, my cousin Alexandra was our tiny doll when we were kids. That is where the idea for the title / concept came from. On the picture our cousin Pablo, who is only four months younger than me and Ale.

Based on sketch # 212 of Pencil Lines.

I finished this layout so late it was indeed the following day! Anyway as I started it on the correct date I´ll take it as part of AEDM and consider myself still caught up.

Gorgeous Making Memories flowers and several types of brads.

AEDM 2010: Day 8 Hot weather and music

It´s been kind of hot this weekend.

36°C deserves a bit of water for both cousins. In the picture taken this past Sunday my daughter Tatiana (11 years old) and my bil´s daughter V (1 year old). Their age difference is like mine with my favourite cousin. She was my doll in my childhood, my shadow in my teens and my great friend nowadays. She is also Mati´s godmother.

For my cd download this Monday, I chose my newest purchase: Funhouse tour by P!nk. I want to dance like her, aeroacrobatics included!

No, I haven´t tried acrobatics yet but I´m getting stronger with yoga and Pilates.

My art for the day: Bonita.

On Mother´s day 1997 my brother in law gave his mother a dog as a present. As she loves poetry I suggested my mil to call her Bonita (Pretty) which was Pablo Neruda´s home name according to an article on the paper that same day. :) Matias has always been very close to Boni and now they are both in their teens they still play like puppies. *heart*
Papers are The Breath Collection by Prima, K&Co tag and Thickers alpha stickers.

Based on Pencil Lines sketch # 210

AEDM 2010: Day 5

"When we are engaged in the creative process, we are engaged with higher forces. Mysterious forms and forces see entrance through us, and we had best cooperate".

Julia Cameron, The Sound of Paper: starting from scratch.

I´ve been reading this book since September 1st (explanation on the three piece kit I made for myself to complete this project is here). I´m writing one exercise a day Monday to Friday. Some are more difficult for me and may have me stucked for a couple of days. Whatever the resistance, I make myself finish each and every exercise before continuing to the next.

I must say the process is working and I find lots of nuggets worth keeping and sharing.

This time the higher forces didn´t make an entrance through me first but through Rhonda Palazzari . I just lifted what she had made and very gracefully provided the sketch for. Call me a copycat. Meow. :D

Papers are WRMemoryKeepers, rub on alpha is doodlebug (all mixed up, swimmingpool large), chipboard alpha is Thickers -both Marja´s gift- pretty buttons and some butterfly punchies I had been sent about ... let me think... yes, about six years ago.

Today is Friday and that means you might share what made you happy at the "The Happy Book" gathering at Jamie´s cyber bookclub "The Next Chapter". This week we will be talking about books and quotes. :) Go share the happy!

Pencil Lines # 53 A & # 55 A

Two pages for my "101 Facts about me".

Sketch # 53 A for Fact # 66: I started learning English in Kindergarten. The pin in the middle of the flower is my schools´s badge. See how long my braids were in Year 7. And I was taller than my teacher, lol!

Sketch # 55 A for Facts # 67: I learnt French for 6 years and # 68: I did NOT dare talking in French while in Paris. *rolleyes*

Pencil Lines # 53, 53 & 54 A

It´s anniversary month at Pencil Lines and they are having even more sketches to try out!

Pencil Lines # 15, 21 & 22

Sketch # 15. It is really a pocket page for the Christmas cards. That´s why the pic is so high.

Sketch # 21. Imagine the pages a bit bluer. ;) Sketch # 22. Title page.

Some Christmas pages I hadn´t photographed yet. :)

Pencil Lines #13, #45 & #52

To begin with, an oldie. Sketch #13. I´m on a vintage pictures roll, lol!

Didn´t my father look cute at 2? :)

The colours are so much richer irl. Any tips on photographing layouts? Please?

I also worked on my niece´s first communion pages. Sketch #52 (this week´s) for the church. Great subject to use more of the pretty flowers Marja sent me. Just as I chose the same church where my in laws were married and dh and his brother were baptized for my kids baptism, my cousin Pablo chose his parents church for his kids.

Santiago Apostol is a lovely church both outside and inside. The priest was a modern one, very upbeat.

Sketch #45 for the party. I used it for UKS´s weekly challenge too, including autumn colours, four of something (eyelets), stamp (title) and the Stop, look and listen title from a Disney list. The rets says: Smile, God loves you.

Pencil Lines oldies

Sketch # 35 Sketch # 36

Sketch # 38

Sketch # 39

It seems I never got around to e-mailing these!!!

Pencil Lines # 43 and # 51

I loved working on my godmother´s page with Pencil Lines sketch # 43. The UKS challenge was to scrap more than three pictures, including the colours yellow, green, orange and red plus something metal on a "happy" theme.

Look at Odesa´s smile at 19, that was a happy smile! And it made me smile to scrap those pics.

After last week´s "Being a child in the 70s" layout I´m on a mission to scrap old pics and pics of family that hadn´t been added to the family tree album yet. That´s why I chose my mil´s cousin and his wife as a subject for another page this week with sketch # 51.

Pencil Lines # 49

I used the sketch # 49 from Pencil Lines for the left hand side of this double layout.

Metal star, star jewels and star epoxy sticker plus round letter brads RAK from Marja. White brad RAK from Wendy. Clear corners RAK from Bren. ~~~waving to the girls~~~

It´s about the Karaoke the moms organized for Year 6 for Kids day. Yes, there is a picture of me singing too and no, it is not on the layout, lol!

Pencil Lines # 50

Six sketches this month! :D

I wanted to use the last scrap of this KI Memories paper so I looked for an old picture and found this one from the 70s. It is SO recognizable. Mu aunts hair with the giant curler, my moms clothes, my cousin with the El Zorro T shirt. Me, I´m the little poser smiling to the camera with her hot pants and stripey sleeveless shirt. ;)

Pencil Lines #42 and #47

Chatterbox cardstock and patterned papers.

Chipboard flowers and frame (thanks again Marja! )

Star brads.

MM foam stamps and acrylic paints.

Got the lemon &lavander/purple, the stitching (around pic and square on right hand side) and the strips and stars (paper and brads). Not managed to include ? though.20 bonus points.

Based on sketches #42 (left) and # 47 (right) from Pencil Lines

Pencil Lines sketches

PL # 44.

Chatterbox cardstock.

KI Memories patterned paper.

Gazillion flowers/brads.

Tati is somewhere on stage, lol. No, really I know where she is but you need to look closely. ;)

PL # 46 100% snow.

KI Memories papers.

Pretty aquamarine thingie with picture holders and brads.

Creative Imaginations alpha stickers.

Rub ons.

Pic of ds with our first real snow in the city.

Pencil Lines # 48

Back on track with week´s sketch #48 at Pencil Lines.

Journaling reads:

"Snow is a title I thought I would never use for a picture taken at our own home.

On the morning of July 9th 2007 a light snowwater fell, causing the telephone lines to collapse as the news spread.

In the afternoon real snow caused the city to become an open air party."

It hadn´t snowed in almost a century in Buenos Aires. An experience of a lifetime!