30 Before 30: Final Round Up

When I created my original 30 before 30 list, I thought it was a really great thing to have as a blogging topic. And also good for my life in general. Honestly, I lost my drive about halfway through the year.

Even though I did make the cutest mini book to document it. Still wasn't enough. 


Let's see how I did though, shall we?


1.   Do something that puts me out of my comfort zone
      Done. Went out by myself to hang out with cool people at Artfest Annex. 
      Should do this again.


2.   Finish the 2010 sketchbook project and mail it to the Brooklyn Art Library
       Done. You can see it online.

3.   Do something selfless that only benefits another person
      Done. I donated blood 6 times. And gave to a bunch of charities.

4.   Get to gold level on my Starbucks rewards 
      Done. So worth it. I've earned like 10 free drinks. Yum.

5.   Visit a museum
      Done. Visited SAM; getting membership passes was a great idea.

6.   Visit the aquarium
      Done. Visited the Oregon Coast Aquarium on our coastal road trip.
 
7.   Buy a bike and use it
      Done. Greg and I bought an exercise bike.

8.   Stick to exercise program and be active regularly
      Done. My average is 3-4 workouts a week. Taking the stairs at work is now easy. ;)

9.   Try a lighter shade of red or copper hair
      Done. Thanks Feria Power Reds. (I switched from Ruby Fusion to Copper Shimmer)

10.  Finish 12 projects (1 per month is totally reasonable)
      One: Such Sweet Tierney Guest Design 

      
      Two: Springtime Mini 

      Three: The Mini Smash book

      Four: 10 Reasons to Love Summer

      Five: Portland Mini

      Six: Go Layout

      Seven: Baby Girl Book

      Eight: Baby Boy Book

      Nine: Haunted Cabinet Card Mini

      Ten: Spooky Rosette Banner

      

      Eleven: Thanks Mini

      

      Twelve: Holiday Shadowbox

      The final count for 2011?

         10 Layouts

         8 Minibooks

         4 ATCs

         2 Cards

         2 Artsy Decor Items

         26 Art Journal Pages

      Not too shabby.

11.  Assemble a camera
      Nope. Not done. I need a free Saturday and a tiny screwdriver. 


12.  Carve a stamp
       Done. Love this. Very soothing. Totally inspired by Julie Fei Fan Balzer.

13.  Use my new Big Shot to emboss something
       Done. Done. Done. Tiny polka dots are my new favorite.

14.  Attend a street festival
       Done. Bite of Seattle totally counts. I ate food off of a stick.

15.  Go to the cabin for vacation
       Done. I learned how to Kayak.

16.  Go to the coast for a long weekend
       Done. Greg and I did this for our anniversary this year. It was wonderful.

17.  Continue the search for a new house       Done. And it seems like we are getting serious now.

18.  Attend social events and spend time with friends
       Done. The crop of newborns this year did not help with this though.

19.  Have a party       Done. Halloween was awesome.

20.  Go to Portland and/or Victoria again
       Done. I went to Portland for CKC and as part of the OR Coast trip.

21.  Attend a crafty event
       Done. I went to CKC, both Urban Craft Uprising shows, AND a sleepover crop.

22.  Ensure feet are cute (shoes, pedicures, whatever is necessary)       Done. Thanks go to Groupon for that spa day.

23.  Teach another class       Done. I ended up teaching more than one class. It was a good experience.

24.  Source and wear a new signature scent
       Done. Thanks Anthro. I love smelling like delicious vanilla spice magic.

25.  Invest in better camera gear (get a new P&S and a new SLR lens)
       Done. I bought a new 50 mm to replace the broken one and got a kickass P&S.

26.  Submit photos to Puyallup Fair competition
       Nope. Puyallup what? When? Total fail.

27.  Work on something that involves fabric and/or stitchery
       Done.  I sewed my own waist cincher for Steamcon.

28.  Finish reading all of Sherlock Holmes
       Done. Still amazing writing even after 100 years.

29.  Shoot 6 rolls of film (1 pack of polaroid = 1 roll)
       Done.  Thank you little instax baby.

30.  Redesign blog
       Nope. Still the same.

So... 27/30 accomplished is not bad. Actually, yay. I feel really good about this.

Now to work on my list for this year. Any suggestions (aside from blogging more, obvs)?

Stamp Carving Round 2: Victory!

This week I made it a goal to tackle the stamp carving task from my 30 before 30 list. This was to be my second attempt (see notes on earlier failure here) at stamp carving.

This time however, I was much better prepared. I prepped by reading a few very good blog posts (thanks Julie!) and a very excellent episode of Scrap Time (thanks Christine!). I also decided that nothing less than Speedy Carve (which is the good stuff) would do for a base.

To make it easier on myself, I decided to go with a geometric design, and make a stamp that was medium sized. I used the number one carving nib for pretty much the whole thing. It took me a couple of hours, a can of trusty diet coke and several episodes of Castle and Criminal Minds, but I got one finished!

I started by using my Tim Holtz ruler to measure out some triangles that were about .25" high. And I just started drawing until the stamp seemed big enough.

I very carefully and patiently carved out the outlines of the triangles that were to be carved out. I really liked how it looked, so I may do something similar with a different stamp. 

Then I just started carving and gouging until all the pattern was finished.

The whole process was quite soothing, actually. The finished stamp is a bit imperfect, but I'm digging it--It has a little bit of a Yellow Owl Workshop vibe going on, in my opinion. :)

I am so proud! I can wait to use this stamp on a page. Hmm.. the wheels are turning. 

Also super happy to scratch another goal off the list. :)

Happy Friday!

Lens Rental: Canon 24-70 mm 2.8

As part of my 30 before 30 project, I decided to spend some time investigating a new lens for my digital SLR camera. To be honest, I wasn't really sure what I was looking for initially, but Ali Edwards had recommended the 24-70 2.8 lens on her blog (as had a bunch of amazon reviewers and people on message boards), so I decided to give it a shot.

I did not have intentions of dropping 1300 bucks on a lens without knowing what I was getting into, however, so I decided to use my favorite local camera store Glazers, and rent the lens. It was about 30 dollars for the weekend (with a thousand dollar deposit in case of damage).

The weather was kind of iffy, but I really wanted to test out the low light capabilities of the 2.8, so I went down to the market just before closing and got a few test shots done.

So what did I learn?

The bokeh was delicious and the lens did really well in low light. My next purchased lens is definitely going to have to be at least 2.8 aperture. The colors on auto were super creamy and did not need any real post-processing work. 

Overall, I can definitely agree that this lens is really really nice compared to the kit lens. I really enjoyed getting away from the 50 mm for a bit. I appreciated the extra focal length that this lens provided. 

However, it wasn't the best walkaround lens with my current camera strap. This sucker is heavy. Despite the dreamy photos, I think I would be really uncomfortable trekking around all day with this thing tied to my neck. I understand now why people invest in thick straps and camera bags. 

Also, I was really really nervous about hurting the lens, as it was only a rental. It also did not come with a UV filter, so I was super paranoid about making sure the actual lens glass was protected. Because really, who wants to pay on a security deposit?

I think that the experience overall was valuable in helping me to decide what I do want (wide focal length, small aperture) and what I don't want (giant heavy lens) in my next lens purchase.

However, given the sale price point of this particular lens and the ease and cost of rental, if I did need this lens again, I think I would definitely opt for renting vs buying. At least right now.

So the search continues.

I think I might try out a 28mm prime lens next. Anyone got any suggestions for me?
;)

Digging Deeper

One thing I've never been very comfortable with (I say comfortable with rather than good at, as I feel that there shouldn't be any kind of leveling judgement made against this sort of thing) is writing deeply and truthfully about my feelings.

I'm a pretty private person when it comes to my deeper emotions. That might sound weird to say, given that I have this blog, and have been sharing certain details of my life for the internet "public" for a few years now.

But it's true.

I've never been a journal keeper or a diary writer. I have many thoughts that require further processing or emoting before I would want to express them externally in word or action, but they don't often make it onto paper, or any sort of expression in a finished form. Art journaling has been a bit of a gateway attempt to improve my skills in this area.

As has blogging, obviously.

It's not that I don't love words, or writing or any of that. I actually do a lot of writing and documentation for work. I write emails and letters and all that sort of thing, but when it gets to a more personal or emotional level, I feel that I struggle to fill the journaling spots on scrapbook pages with things other than the obvious details of the story. .

I heard something on my favorite podcasts (PRT and the DigiShow) that really rings true with where I'm at right now. It was something like, there's more value in both telling the story and sharing the emotions behind the documentation than in just sharing something that is just pretty pictures and a bunch of product.

I want to be that kind of storyteller. And I want to use words as a tool in that way.

I think that the act of writing something physically allows you intensely process your thoughts, in those moments of composition and expression. As I've really come to learn recently, when you are struggling with something that is difficult, or hard to emotionally process, sometimes it is actually beneficial to just get the thoughts out of your head, and onto paper. Without judgement.

Life isn't all rainbows and sunshine and happy smiley times. But that's not where I want my focus to be, so I've resisted deeper journaling topics for a long time. Even this post is challenging for me to write about.

But this year I wanted that to change. I needed that to change. 

I'm experiencing a bit of a crossroads in my life right now. There are some big decisions coming up that absolutely require intense evaluation and expression and organization that just cannot be done inside my head. The thoughts have to come out, be acknowledged, sorted and acted upon. I have to fully experience and process their value.

I decided as part of my 30 before 30 Project to do something that would make me uncomfortable, that would challenge me, and be outside of the norm. Well, writing down feelings and emotions is pretty relevant to that. 

I say writing rather than documenting, as sometimes the things that need to be written down aren't necessarily things that should be shared. Or saved. In fact, sometimes writing something out with the intent to destroy the results later is the only thing that enables me to be okay with physically expressing darker thoughts or emotions (and we all have them) in a written fashion. Going through and being aware that the only way you can be truly honest to yourself in the act of writing something, that process, with no other judgments or repercussions.

So that being said, I took a little baby step.

I bought a journal with some pre-done prompts. It is a 5-year journal, called Q&A a Day. I picked it up as part of my birthday anthro shopping spree (which consisted of some perfume, a big magnifying glass and this book)

I like this book for a few different reasons. First aesthetics. It is a good weight and size and feels nice in my hand. It has nice paper and a decent amount of lined space to write in. The graphics of the design of the cover, etc. are quite appealing. And of course, I really liked the daily prompt questions themselves. There are 365 different questions in the book that range from frivolous to serious. I think it will be a great documentation tool, and I am looking forward to reviewing the responses I'll put in there over the next five years. The questions have also sparked a few good ideas for scrapbook pages, so it's pretty valuable for that as well.

So, is it working? I can tell you that I have been answering a question a day for pretty much three months now, so I think it's working. I'm trying to be completely honest in my responses, which definitely is disconcerting at times. Also if I'm busy and miss a day or two, I've given myself permission to go back and fill in the answers when I can. I'm pretty sure my state of mind doesn't vary that much, from week to week. That kind of takes the pressure off, which definitely contributes to its sustainability.

Thanks for letting me share all this stuff about my journey. I'm not sure if this is going to translate into more journaling here on the blog, but I'm hoping so. Or at least my projects might start to have a bit more included at least.

One little bit at a time. :)

When arts and crafts run into science

So.. as part of my Thirty Before Thirty list, I wanted to successfully carve a stamp. Because, you know, I'm a little stamp crazy.

This weekend, I picked up a few stamp carving supplies at the art store, including various cutting nibs and two different kinds of stamp base. Based on Julie's reccomendation, I picked up some Speedball Speedy Carve rubber, and also a block of this cheap white art store brand (for practice).

I decided to start with something a little complicated.

And... well... it started out pretty good, but I lost patience and this was the result. Craft failure.

Turns out the material I got to practice on was just too brittle for a finished stamp. Well, for one with curves and detail, anyway.

I'm not entirely disappointed though, as I plan to use the leftovers from the practice block to get the hang of my remaining cutting nibs. I figure once I master that a bit more I'll use the good rubber for my base and then start with something simple. Like a geometric design or a chevron or something ;)

Have you ever had a craft experiment that was pretty much a complete failure?

30 before 30

This is a super late post, but I'm cool with it.

At the beginning of this month I turned 29. Um, yikes.

No offense to anyone actually in their thirties or older, but I remember very clearly being 18 and thinking that my "scary age" was going to be 30. (Note: this is not currently the case. I am quite fine with the thought of being 30. I think at this point my scary age has been moved up to 40. Just kidding ;)

Big round birthdays may tend to make one think about things on a big picture scale though. What have I done with my life? Where did my twenties go? What am I going to accomplish in this next decade? How am I going to change? What choices am I going to make? Etc.

The last couple of years I've started taking self portraits on my birthday. So, this is me right now. (I really love how this turned out.. using the mirror and the Thickers as props.)

Inspired by bloggers the world over, I'm also going to post my wish list of accomplishments for the next year. And I'm even going to document it. I've already started a mini, so you know that means I'm locked in.

I'm also planning to share updates on the blog. I've created a new post label of  "30 before 30" to make the posts easier to find. :)

Some of the goals are silly, and some are serious. Mostly I tried to balance between things I wanted for myself and things I thought I could really achieve.

Here we go:

1.   Do something that puts me out of my comfort zone
2.   Finish the sketchbook project and mail it to the Brooklyn Art Library
3.   Do something selfless that only benefits another person
4.   Get to gold level on my Starbucks rewards 
5.   Visit a museum
6.   Visit the aquarium
7.   Buy a bike and use it
8.   Stick to exercise program and be active regularly
9.   Try a lighter shade of red or copper hair
10.  Finish 12 projects (1 per month is totally reasonable)
11.  Assemble a camera
12.  Carve a stamp
13.  Use my new Big Shot to emboss something
14.  Attend a street festival
15.  Go to the cabin for vacation
16.  Go to the coast for a long weekend
17.  Continue the search for a new house
18.  Attend social events and spend time with friends
19.  Have a party
20.  Go to Portland and/or Victoria again
21.  Attend a crafty event
22.  Ensure feet are cute (shoes, pedicures, whatever is necessary)
23.  Teach another class
24.  Source and wear a new signature scent
25.  Invest in better camera gear (get a new P&S and a new SLR lens)
26.  Submit photos to Puyallup Fair competition
27.  Work on something that involves fabric and/or stitchery
28.  Finish reading all of Sherlock Holmes
29.  Shoot 6 rolls of film (1 pack of polaroid = 1 roll)
30.  Redesign blog

So that's my list. Here's hoping I can get it all done. :)