WEEK 3 (Letting Our Photo's Speak)

I know that last week's assignments may have been hard for some of you, but I am glad you took that step and completed the work. As you can tell, working through a project that requires a lot of journaling can be draining, both emotionally and physically although I walk away feeling better about what I have accomplished. I am sure as Michael Angelo was painting the Sistine chapel that he wasn't thinking about how quickly he could get the painting completed. It was more like a labor of love that took him years of agony to accomplish. What if Michael Angelo would have quit in the middle and decided that he did not want to continue and therefore just made a pretty wall mural? We would not have this piece of art that looks into the heart of this man. Without the Sistine chapel a part of this man would go undiscovered and we would be cheated without even realizing it.

The same is true in our lives; it is our job/duty to record the events of our family and loved ones. If we don't, then who will? We will become nothing more than a bunch of pictures with no stories to tell.

Each artist has left their mark on history, but each artist is distinct in how they have expressed themselves. The paintings/sketches/sculptures that Michael Angelo created did not all look the same, but yet there are similarities that let you know this was his art. Just as you can easily identify a Michael Angelo from a Van Gogh, so should you have your own identifiable mark.

What I am trying to show is that each page or piece of art does not have to be as in depth as the one we created last week. If every project you completed was as detailed as the previous one, the reader would feel like he or she had just picked up a novel to read and it would become tiresome and possibly laid to the side, never to be picked up again. This is why your assignments over the next two weeks will be completely opposite of the previous week's, but yet it will be just as heartfelt.

ASSIGNMENT 1

We have spent time on in-depth journaling, but sometimes our pictures speak louder than words ever could. Now we are going to focus on simple journaling. Sometimes the look on a person's face, or the events surrounding the picture can say it all. This is when it is perfectly acceptable to use "who, what, when, where, and why's".

Take a look at how April creates this type of a layout. Her photos speak loudly to the reader and the title or simple journaling is just what is needed to pull the whole story together.

Title: Know This...
Supplies:
Cardstock (Ranger Glossy)
Alcohol Ink (Jacquard Pinata Color Alcohol Inks: Blanco Blanco, Claro Extender, Chili Pepper Red, Sapphire Blue)
Felt (Fancy Pants)
Chipboard (Heidi Swapp)
Pen (American Crafts)
Staples (Making Memories)
Buttons (Autumn Leaves)
Die Cut (Scenic Route)
Brad (Karen Foster)
Glitter Glue (Ranger Stickles)
Rub ons (Jenni Bowlin)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

Title: All You Need Is Love!
Supplies:
Patterned Paper (Daisy D's, Fancy Pants, October Afternoon, Creative Imaginations)
Tools (Tim Holtz by Tonic Studios: Micro Serrated Scissors, Craft Pick, Craft Knife, Craft Scratcher, Paper Distresser)
Paint (Ranger Paint Dabbers)
Ink (Ranger Distress Ink)
Die Cuts (Fancy Pants)
Stickers (Making Memories)
Pens (Sakura Gelly Roll, American Craft)
Brads (Karen Foster, Heidi Swapp, Paper Studio)
Staples (Making Memories)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, 3-D Glue Dots

For your first assignment this week, get a single photo that has a strong focal point and I want you to journal, but very little. Some of you participate in Penny's Photography Challenge, so you may want to use one that you have taken for one of these challenges. Study your picture and see what it says to you. You may even want to show someone else your picture before you do your layout to get some outside opinions. You never know, it might give you a whole different viewpoint on your photo.

Find an interesting way to document the 5 "W's" and do this by using bullets, journaling strips, random words, etc. Just let the photo speak and fill in the gaps with as few words as possible. I am not going to tell you how many words to use because each picture will require a different amount of explanation. You are the artist, so you be the judge. Don't forget to post your project in the gallery.

Whatever you decide to do, I want you to have fun with this assignment

ASSIGNMENT 2

As the family scrapbooker or artist, we tend to always be behind the camera and rarely tell others about ourselves. Our family and future generations will be blessed to have the treasures that we will leave behind. We will have told the stories, both happy and sad. We will have shown you how each child was potty trained; had their first bath; gotten their first haircut; and, when they graduated. So many wonderful memories will be wrapped up in the volume of books and pieces of art we will have created through the years. But what about you? Who was this person that put all of this effort into letting us know about all of these wonderful events?

Take a look at this layout that Andrea created. She talks about what makes her happy allowing the pictures and even her paper choices to speak without putting a lot into the journaling.

Title: Color Me Happy
Products used: Patterned Paper (Sandylion: Ocean Spray and Tropical Words)
Stickers (Sandylion: Tropical Words and Tropical Paradise)
Stamp and Ink (Stampin' Up!)
Wood Words (Treehouse Memories)
Labels (Around the Block Label Maker)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

And this one shows her fun nature and character. I think these are fantastic layouts to future generations!

Title: Remembering Me
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics: Black and White)
Patterned Paper (Tinkering Ink Noir Blanc)
Tabs and Tags (Tinkering Ink Noir Blanc)
Brads (JoAnn's Scrap Essentials)
Paint (Ranger Acrylic Paint Dabber)
Stamps (Sugarloaf Products)
Ink (Tsukineko Brilliance, Graphite Black)
Ribbon (Tie One On)
Sketch (www.123-Scrap.com)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

Now it is time to get out from behind the camera and tell your family about you! You are a valuable piece of history and it is time to take a deep look inside and tell the world who you are; your likes and dislikes; your fears; your secret wishes; only you know what is inside. Create a project about you by choosing a theme like Andrea did in her layout about the colors that make her happy (or any theme of your choice). Remember that this week's assignment is about allowing the picture(s) to speak and the journaling should be secondary.

I can't wait to see your completed assignments for this week!

Don't forget to upload your assignments to the "Ink What'cha Think!" gallery.

See you for the next assignment!!

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4