little gi

a creating bug....

has bit me :)

having lots of fun creating & creating & trying new things & just having fun this weekend...

here are a few of what i've been whipping up around here:

a quickie layout:

a new art journal:

and a couple of entries for said art journal:

an 8x8 mini book to house all of my summer weekly round-ups:

isn't that tree the coolest?  it is from the etsy shop riff raff designs...such super cool stuff in there

& the streak is continuing!  tonight i'm finishing up a long overdue circle journal entry for nicole's journal, doing my week 1 round up layout & noting down how much my dear friend, beth, means to me...there will be polka dots involved :)

hope you had a wonderful weekend!

happy day :)

xoxo

gi

sum up summer week 1....

my super inspiring friend, patty, is at it again...
going & thinking up of a GREAT idea to capture those details of life...
simply...
artistically...
effectively...
authentically...

i was over on her blog & she is doing a "sum up summer" layout each week of the summer...
hello, genius...

i'm totally hopping on this bandwagon :)

so here is my sum up summer week 1 snippets edition...**layout to follow soon**

* mulch, mulch, mulch and more mulch
* harry potter & the sorcer's stone
* catch the bug reading club sign-ups
* mets v. mariners...live w/ chilli dogs & bud w/ lime & mike & me time
* wading pool football with ryan
* first sweet peas of the season
* "ryan...PLEASE find something to do!"
* kelly & ryan's first art cards
* "SHOW TIME!!!!!" kate on the uneven bars at the gym
* final soccer game & trophy shirts & a most improved player award for kelly
* SUPER report card  from Kelly's first year....look out 2nd grade!!
* mike breaks in the pool....oooooh it's cold still
* daily walks around the 'hood...kate touched poop on the street...yeah...she did...EWWW!!!
* ryan's friend catty the caterpillar escapes after being incarcerated for 45 minutes
* rediscovered a favorite piece of jewelry & have gotten compliments on it all week
* who wears short shorts??? me!!!  got a great pair at the gap & i LOVE them!!!

have a great weekend!!

xoxoxo

gi

my altered art journal....

LOVE this project....shared it with my students (my very first ever students :) a couple of weeks ago...
& we had a blast spending our hour together collaging and painting away..
by the end of that hour i was so inspired...those women really kicked it up a notch or two :)

definitely fun & SO easy...
i had stumbled upon this idea strolling through anthropologie on 15th street...they had tons of these folded book inards things decorating their shelves....& it struck me....voila!  this would make such a cool art journal :)
SO...if you'd like to make your own, here is a quick how to :)

grab a kinda old book....
the subject matter is not a focus here...you are looking for some good book bones :)
**tips:  should be about 300 pages or so and not at the crumbly stage so you can have fun altering & arting it up :)

now take that kinda old book...rip off the total cover so all you are left with are the book "guts"
(i.e.:  bound brick of pages)...grab some gaffer tape & reinforce your binding...you are going to need that binding to hold b/c we are gonna be giving this book some new life :)

***i'll take a picture of this stage tomorrow so that you can see clearly what you need to start with before the folding begins:)***

now take that bound brick of pages & start folding...fold each page inward in half...
you can see how it should be in this picture pretty well

keep folding until all the pages are done & that brick should have turned into a cool "column" of folded pages that can stand up on it's own

now grab your paints, your vintage elements, your everyday ephemera, your photos, your punches, your embroidery floss & needle, grab some  labels & go...

create
enjoy
have a grand old time :)

& link me up if you got down to it :)

happy tuesday :)

xoxoxo

gi

a very good friend...

sent me this....

to my true blue friends...those amazing women who have e-mailed me & called me & gone above & beyond for me this week & have given me the benefit of the doubt because THEY KNOW ME...because they could see through the muddy waters & still KNEW ME...

thank you...your kindness really touched me...your loyalty astounds me....

& i don't think i ever will be able to repay you for how full my heart really was this week...

how really happy i am today...

it is because of my family...it is because of my REAL friends....

i will never ever take your friendship for granted...
nor will i mistake smoke & mirrors for what real friendship and support is...

that blank page is before me....

i'd better get to writing on it :)

happy friday!!!!!!

xoxoxo

g

the rose colored glasses are off....

just a little programming note here :)

i resigned as fashionsita yesterday....unfortunately, jeanette then felt the need to deactivate my account on the site....that makes me sad...i have always enjoyed being a part of that community & have made numerous friends among the SISters...

i'm still here...
i still will create...
and i'll still have friends in the scrapbooking community who i treasure....

i'm just a lot wiser today than i was last week about certain things....
and i think i'll leave it at that....

hope you have a happy tuesday!!!

xoxoxo

gi

ETA:  just to set the record straight.....i resigned at 4:04 pm EST & was "terminated" at 6:18 pm EST
& i never ever EVER have breeched my contract at any time EVER...

those are the facts...
i hate this drama but at the same time i cannot just stand by & let the smear campaign continue