Sunday, January 6, 2013

Fifty {Two} Shades of Grey - Week 2

The second photo in my Fifty {two} shades of grey photo challenge.
This week is our concrete driveway. Though from a distance it looks and feels flat and smooth, when you look at it close up you can see the texture is not so smooth but is quite undulated. Nor is it really one shade of grey but a mash of many shades.

Daily Photo

January
5 - Recurring

I added this is my list as an exercise to take one photo of the same place over an extended period of time so I can see whatever changes take place over the duration of a year.
This picture is taken from our driveway, by the corner of our house looking diagonally across our backyard.
At the moment the backyard is filled with the pool and the gazebo filled with the outdoor chairs and table. The washing is on the line making the most of the warm Summer day... I love the feel and smell of clothes dried naturally... ahhhh so nice.
I look forward to seeing the changes over the coming months.

Daily Photo

January
4 - Seasonal
Nothing says Summer like a pool. It's not a big pool... if I float lying down I can reach the sides with hands and feet... and I can sit on the bottom and my head is above water. I have loved spending time relaxing in our pool as well as teaching Sonia-Marie how to be more confident in the water.
As New Zealand as a nation is so focused on the water, I think every New Zealander should know how to swim.

Daily Photo

January
3 - Ordinary

Nothing beats a cold drink straight out of the fridge in the heat of Summer.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Fifty {Two} Shades of Grey - Week 1

Fifty {Two} Shades of Grey
Week 1

I couldn't start this challenge without starting here...

Daily Photo

JANUARY
2 - Place


I had to pick up friends from Auckland airport the other day when they flew back from the South Island after their Christmas Holidays. I stopped briefly at the petrol station by the airport as I arrived early so that I didn't have to pay for parking and was taken by these lights marking the rows of parked cars. 
At first I tried taking the photo using auto-focus but I found the lights appeared too clean, too focused, not what I wanted. Then I changed to manual focus and with a little tweaking, was able to create the look of a Bokeh picture, but without actually using a Bokeh shield over my camera lens.
Exploring... my camera and my photography skills.

Daily Photo

JANUARY
1 - Create


I love the look on Sonia-Marie's face as she tries to blow up a balloon (all be it unsuccessfully). She moves from frustration, to determination to excitement when she manages to finally get some air into the balloon... even if it's just a small puff.
Exploring capturing spur of the moment images and expressions.



Weekly Photo Challenge...

Some of you are going to love this idea... and I'm pretty sure that some of you are going to hate it... personally... I think it's a cool idea... which is why I'm making it public and putting it out there. And as I consider it to be part of my "Exploring" for 2013 I'm doing it regardless of what anyone thinks.

For Christmas I asked my darling hubbie for the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy even though I have already read all three books twice on my kindle. He very kindly obliged me and so I have now read all three books a third time. (As much as I love the convenience of the kindle... there is just something about holding a book in your hands and turning over each page one at a time and hearing the soft swish of the page.)

I finished the third book, about the time I decided on my "One Little Word" for 2013, which was also about the time I inspired upon my Daily Photo Challenge. As I contemplated my photo ideas for each day I stumbled upon another photo challenge idea... less daunting as it is only one photo per week... so without further ado... I am proud to announce my Weekly Photo Challenge...

FIFTY {TWO} SHADES OF GREY

Each week I will take a photo of something that is grey so that I end up with a photographic display of fifty {two} shades of grey from every day objects... to who knows what. It's all part of my quest to "Explore" more this year.

Join in, take your own photos of grey or pick another colour if you prefer... what colour do you choose?

Exploring Through Photography

If you saw my earlier post about my "One Little Word" for 2013... then welcome to my first project in honour of "Exploring".

Over the years I seen quite a few monthly photo challenges, where a blog host will give you a list of photo ideas or opportunities for each day of the month. Then the next month you get an entirely new list of photo ideas.

As much as I love the idea of taking a photo every day... realistically that's just not always possible for me. And then to make matters worse I can never remember what picture I'm supposed to be taking on what day... I'm nothing if not honest about my failings!!!

Sooooo, I've decided to do my own daily photograph challenge... with a difference. Yes I will post daily photographs... (okay I have a few days to catch up) but I'm not going to pressure myself or feel guilty if I don't take a photo today but take two tomorrow... or take two today and don't take one tomorrow.

The second thing I am going to do is have the same challenges for every month this year... so I can add one list of photos as a note in my phone and I will be set for the year!! For this reason I have deliberately left my photo topics nondescript and open to wide interpretation.

You are more than welcome to play along... or just enjoy the evidence of my "Exploring" through photos.

So here is the list of photos... yes I know not every month has 31 days... that just means I can either, post multiple photos on some days or just skip some photo prompts some months... see no stressing!!!

To download a copy of the list in a Word document follow this link - download.


1.       Create
2.       Place
3.       Ordinary
4.       Seasonal
5.       Recurring
6.       Event
7.       Dramatic
8.       Mundane
9.       Magical
10.   Artistic
11.   Sensual
12.   Art
13.   Small
14.   Happy
15.   In
16.   Self
17.   Down
18.   Exploring
19.   Up
20.   People
21.   Nature
22.   Colour
23.   Light
24.   Moody
25.   Dark
26.   Work
27.   Out
28.   Extraordinary
29.   Big
30.   Texture
31.   Home

Happy New Year... Where to now...

Another year is over... already... though it feels like it should still be mid April, maybe May of 2012, not early in January 2013. If the grey hair and deeper wrinkles did not give away the fact that I am getting older, then certainly the speed with which time seems to now be passing would definitely indicate this fact.

I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed a magical start to the the New Year.

There are a lot of popular projects around throughout the scrapping and crafting world. There is "Project Life", monthly photo challenges, Tim Holtz's Tags, "One Little Word" to mention only a few. Some crafters will follow these plans and projects strictly to the letter, while others will follow bits and pieces or the general concepts of the project.

I tend to be the later... I take an idea or a concept and make it my own... sometimes following the concept or the intention but in my own way and other times I will head off in a complete tangent so that I end up bearing little resemblance if any to the original idea.

This year is no different... so like a lot of scrappers and crafters I have been thinking of my word for the year for several days. I tossed a few words around, mulled them over, thought of some more and in the end kept coming back to the one word so by a process of elimination concluded that it was to be my word for 2013.

I should say I tried this last year... and failed... miserably... but I live in hope that this year will be different... any way so now for the big announcement... my One Little Word for 2013... is
I have a couple of ideas already of how I will be adding this to life as I know it... and no doubt there will be more exciting opportunities and projects as we progress though the year.

I hope you will join me on my journey as well as sharing your journey with me.

Christmas Craft Challenge - Day 24

Day 24 - Calendar - July to December 2013

(Sorry I was planning to post this last night but blogger crashed on me so I went to bed)
July and August back on to each other but between them are two pull out folders for writing down birthdays and the like... wish I had thought to do this myself!!
 September has pockets from mini paper bags with indexed tabs inside for writing all your dates to remember on - love this idea!!!
 October has a flip up front... as well as two mini file folders tucked behind for important dates.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Christmas Craft Challenge - Day 23

Day 23 - 2013 Calendar - January to June

Love, love, love this idea... 
Get six friends together...
Allocate each person two months...
Everyone makes six versions of those two months...
Swap with each other, so you all end up with a calendar for the next year...
So want to do this again next year!!!

Some people made their month double sided, others adhered there months back to back...

Christmas Craft Challenge - Day 22

Day 22 - Altered Ornaments Continued...


 (another cool bag I want)



Labels for the Christmas mini album

Christmas Craft Challenge - Day 21

Day 21 - Altered Ornaments








More to follow...

Christmas Craft Challenge - Day 20

Day 20 - December Tag Swap - Theme "Altered Doiley Tag"

Okay this is about as far from Christmas themed as I get... but given they were done in December I figure they count!!

Love the textured look of this tag by Faith, especially the netting in the background. 
 I hate the way the colours never seem to look as good in photos as they do in reality... this was shimmery and so delicately toned.
 Nice grouping of embellishments and love the paper heart. Another cool background.
 Love that Karley brought the colour onto the back of her tag (I always forget) and want my name on stickers like these!!!
Jude always creates such amazing tags. I so wish I had half of her stash!!! Love the 3D "Timeless" sentiment. 
Brenda really spoilt us... two doileys both hand crafted. One attached to the tag, the other crochet doiley can be removed so we can use for another craft. 


Loved this bag... I want some!!! 
Stunning tag by Jeanette. Both the front and bag are decorated. It's so over the top... scrapping decadence I love it!!!