STREAMATHON Update

Well it is almost here only 15 hours and counting to the beginning of our Streamathon!  And we are as ready as we can be.  I promised on my last update that I would post my supply list for my Desk Calendar.  So here is the list....

Desk Calendar Supply List

PDF of calendar Months    Jan - June
                                           July - Dec
Chipboard       2 pieces @  4.5 in x 8.5 in
                        1 piece @ 4 in x 3.25 in    
several pieces of 12 x 12 patterned paper
Plain cardstock or watercolour paper   12 pieces @ 3.5 in x 3 in
Trimmer
glue of choice
dimensional adhesive

Now in order to keep up to day our wonderful Queen Lily has created an amazing wall of videos that you can use to follow along on our streams! 

 Streamathon Video Wall

SO hope to see you all soon!!!

Yay
PARTY ON!!!!!!!!

Jean MusicScrp

New Year's Eve Streamathon Update

WOW this is going to be so much fun I can hardly wait.  Christmas is my favourite time of the year but for a change New Year's Eve is going to be a very close second.  New Year's has always been a time to celebrate a fresh new start with your friends and this year will be no different.  Even though most of us have never been in the same physical space, we prove that this world wide web DOES bring people closer for GOOD times!  

Here is an update of the stream schedule so far.  I have included links to all the USTREAM channels.  Remember we are still planning and organizing so there could be changes and additions as hopefully we will fill some of the empty slots.  

Australia   
these times are in AEDT for time in your area pleas check the TIMELINE TRACKER below

11:30pm-12:15am - Jen (ozegran) - Simple yearly planner (supply list will be 

                                 supplied - soon)

                                 USTREAM
12:15am-1:30am -   Charley (fairyfloss0) - doll-making (supply list will be 
                                 supplied soon)

                                 USTREAM

1:30am-2:30am -     Mandy (Mandiii20) - craftroom tour & ramblings of an
                                 inebriated Aussie

                                 USTREAM
2:30am-3:30am -     CURRENTLY FREE (otherwise, will be Jen again)
3:30am-4:30am -     CURRENTLY FREE (otherwise, will be Jen again 
                                  tired LOL)

UK & EUROPE 
times are in GMT for time in your area pleas check the TIMELINE TRACKER below.

  5:30pm -   6:30pm - Sarah (seafoamblue aka 3dogsand2kids) 
                                    party chest with balloons
                                    USTREAM
  6:30pm -   7:30pm - Fran (LadyofLostTimes) - activity to be advised
                                    USTREAM
  7:30pm -   8:30pm - CURRENTLY FREE
  8:30pm -   9:30pm - Pavla (PavlaH) - activity to be advised
                                    USTREAM
  9:30pm - 10:30pm - CURRENTLY FREE 
10:30pm - 11:30pm - Nicky (InkyMinxy - The Altered Zone) - activity to be
                                    advised
                                   USTREAM
11:30pm - 12:30am - Lily (ArtJourneyUK) - activity to be advised
                                   USTREAM

CANADA  East Coast

times are in AST for time in your area please check the TIMELINE TRACKER below

  9:30pm -  10:30pm -  Deb (Artzology) - activity to be advised 

                                      USTREAM

10:30pm -  11:30pm -  Robin (northernrobin) - activity to be advised

                                      USTREAM

11:30pm - 12:30am -   Jean (MusicScrp) - Desktop calendar (supply list will be

                                     posted soon

                                     USTREAM 

 USA  

all times here are in EST for the time in your area check the TIMELINE TRACKER below

11:30pm - 12:30am - Darcie (DarcieGlam) & Johnna - Embellished Plastic Box

                                    USTREAM
12:30am -   1:30am - Bren (ElegantTangle & Bren47) - Mini Album using 8"x8"

                                   piece of paper

                                   USTREAM
  1:30am -   2:30am - Brenda (blmoffett) - Crochet Rope Necklace

                                   USTREAM
  2:30am -   3:30am - CURRENTLY FREE
  3:30am -   4:30am - CURRENTLY FREE

TIMEZONE TRACKER

THIS IS A JPEG FILE FEEL FREE TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT 

As additions or changes are known I will update this post.  

I can hardly wait.  I feel like a 5 year old waiting for Santa.  

Thanks so much

Jean (MusicScrp)

New Year's Eve STREAMATHON

Wow it has been 4 months since I have posted on my blog.  Wow!  Where does the time go?  I have been busy making projects and streaming and hanging out on USTREAM with so many wonderful Crafting friends!  This is truly an amazing group of people who accept me even with all my idiosyncrasies.  It is amazing how close you can be to people whom you haven't even met face to face.  But this is the wonderful thing about the internet.  Proof that it can be used for good.  It has opened up a whole new world to me..AND SO >>>>>>>>>

The reason for this blog post has to do with this AMAZING group.  We have decided we are going to spend New Year's Eve celebrating together.  WE are going to do a USTREAM - STREAMATHON ringing in the new year in as many time zones as we can! Planning is still in progress but here is the information we have thus far.

We are starting in Australia at 7:30 a.m. eastern time and ending in the US at about 3:30 a.m. (or later)  Eastern which is 18 (or more) hours of great streams.  We have 4 coordinators and their information is below.

   Jen (ozegran) - Australia                  http://www.ozegran.blogspot.ca

         Lily (ArtJourney) - Europe/UK          http://artjourneyuk.blogspot.ca

·             Jean (ME) (MusicScrp) - Canada      http://themusicalscrapper.blogspot.ca

·              Mitzi (Mitzi) - USA -                           http://emitzicurry.blogspot.ca 

   Here is a list of the time slots each coordinator is covering...

As we finalize streamers with the time slots blogs will be updated.  Some streamers will be making specific projects that you can work along with them.  These streamers will provide a list of elements you will need if you wish to work along.  So please check the blogs regularly for updates. 

I will be making a 2013 desk calendar and will provide a supply list, including a PDF of the calendar pages, when I finalize the products. 

I hope you can join us for at least part of this streamathon as it promises to be a lot of fun and a great way to ring in the new year as many times as possible!

Thanks
Jean

Painty Fingers Challenge.

One of the wonderful artists I have "met" during my creative journey this past two years is a wonderful southern lady named Dede.  She goes by INKWELL most places.  She does many types of art from portraiture to collage and everything in between.  You can find her blog here and her Ustream channel here.  Not only does she willingly share her talent but does so with humour and without judging those of us who still have so much to learn.  

Although I consider myself a scrapbooker turned mini album maker turned box and paper construction designer, I enjoy all art forms.  But to be truthful never understood collage or abstract art.  Although I have a degree in Music Education, and we covered general similarities between music and and the fine arts, I never had the opportunity to learn much about these two art forms.  Thanks to Dede I now have a deeper understanding and appreciation for collage and am learning more about abstract art.  I don't think I will ever be accomplished at either BUT I do understand more than I did 2 years ago.  

To truly understand how difficult this challenge was for me you have to understand that one of my O.C.D. tendencies (we all have 1 or 2 admit it) is that I don't like dirty fingers.   If I get ink paint or glue on my fingers the baby wipes come out IMMEDIATELY!  

Well now that all that preamble is over with, on to the challenge. Dede challenged me to do an entire 3 hour stream with paint on my fingers.  I was not allowed to remove it!!  GASP.  I know what you are thinking . . HOW CRUEL!!!!    Well a few of you were thinking that.  And you might say "What would ever make someone who doesn't like paint on their fingers accept such a challenge?"  Good question but I have a very good answer.  

You see,  Dede likes measuring about as much as I like painty fingers.  So her end of the challenge was she would build a kit (a Treasure / Card Box kit) that I put together for her.  She has to measure and cut the chipboard, hinges and papers to create a box to hold A2 size cards - or any treasure she wishes to store inside.  

Monday was the day for my end of the challenge.  I started my stream at the usual 4pm est (you can find a link here ) and after gessoing my journal pages got my fingers all painty.  Here is a photo . . . 

 

OK even looking at this I have flashbacks.  Heehee.  I ended up with a journal page that I am fairly happy with . . . 

I decided that my most successful outcome would be to use some scrapbooking techniques on the journal page. So I used craft acrylic paints for the background and some leftover scrapbook paper for the tree and tire swing.  I stamped the title and printed family photos on regular copy paper and punched them out with my 1 inch circle punch.  Since I used my Epson printer the ink did not run when I adhered the photos with the GOLDEN matte medium.

So my next job is to put together Dede's kit and get it in the mail ASAP.  So watch for a blog announcement about Dede's part of the challenge!

Thanks for coming

Jean

Psandi Mini Album Pattern

Hey everyone I have finished writing out the pattern for psandi's mini album.  I have included the 3 sizes she showed us on her stream.  The pattern can be found here Pattern .  And the stream showing the assembly can be found here on Ustream Video .  I hope you enjoy making this much awaited mini alum pattern.  Once again thanks to Psandi for sharing this with us.

Happy Canada Day 2012

Well another Canada Day has come and gone.  Most of the time I spend Canada Day at my Mom's in Westville, NS where the parade goes right past my Mom's house.  And she usually has potato salad and ham for lunch after.  And just so you know my Mom makes the BEST potato salad in the WORLD.  So I did miss that today.  

This year I stayed here at my "home"  because my mom and older sister, who live with my mom, are prepping the house for company from Germany for my nieces wedding, this coming Saturday.  I went to the fireworks display this evening here in Moncton, NB and watched from Riverview side of the Peticodiac River aka The Chocolate River because of the mud and sand that comes in with the tide from the Bay of Fundy.  What a great display they had here.  Here are some photos I managed to snap.  I set the camera on sport, and continuous shots and got a few great photos.

It was a great display of pyrotechnics great job by our firemen!  

In 5 days I will be catching the bus to Halifax for my niece's wedding at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.  It is going to be such and exciting and special day.  A wedding like no other - EVER.  

So I hope all my fellow Canadians had a great day celebrating the 145th birthday of our great nation.  The greatest nation on earth in my opinion!

Thanks

Jean

Absent BUT Accounted For

Well I know it seems like forever since I have written a post.  I have no excuse really.  I have been around Ustream and Twitter but just have not put my mind to writing a post.  As I have said before I do not like to write.  It appears it always goes to the bottom of my "TO DO" list.  Well second to last because last place is reserved for cleaning and organizing my scrap space. 

It has been a difficult few months in a few ways but a great few months in others. 

I had a very bad several weeks with a neighbour complaining to the Landlord about me TALKING in my own place.  It got so heated that she almost got me evicted!!!  Well I seem to have solved this issue by moving my scrap and computer space into the living room.  Well lets face it my cats Pause and Presto were using this space more than me so I moved my living room into the bedroom where my scrappy space once was.  Since this has put me on the other end of the apartment, I have had no further complaints PHEW.  I love my space and really don't want to move.  

Then I tried to gradually get back to teaching full time.  But alas, my legs would not allow even half-time.  I am saddened by this because teaching is my calling not just my job,  Now I wait for the insurance company to make decisions on continuing my disability or not.  It could be a stressful summer. 

And what is the good you ask?  Well there is lots of good!!!

1.  I have been very crafty these months and would like to share my creations with you.  I always have several projects on the go at once.  The first is an Upright Grand Piano box with minis that i created for myself.  YUP you read that right, a project for ME!!!!!!  It will one day be the home for the photos from my 4 years at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia,  where I earned my degree in Music Education.  (Bachelor of Music Education)

Here are the photos.  It is not yet compete I still have to matte and add photos to the pockets and mini albums.

This is my own pattern I created as I went.  It is constructed from Graffix medium weight chipboard.  The paper line is from the PERFORMANCE STACK from DCWV.  The 'fancy' legs are handles for kitchen cabinets I picked up from the local hardware store.   The medallion was also picked up in the kitchen hardware dept. of the same store. 

 The keyboard is not to scale so no there are not 88 keys.  Just a representation created from white and black fun foam. 

The piano bench opens and inside there will eventually be miniature music books.  I plan to put photos and articles from special music awards I have won.

I put ball chain from the inside of the lid of the piano (they are between the 2 layers of doubled up chipboard so they don't show on the top.  These hold the 3 pockets made to hold the 3 mini albums.  

 Each mini album will simply be titled with the year of the photos inside.  This first one will hold year 1 & 2 photos.   Sept. 1980 - May 1982

 Each page of the mini is a tri-fold and will hold 2 4x3 photos on each section.  The binding for each book is my favourite "HIDDEN HINGE" by Kathy Orta "PAPER PHENOMENON"

 This book will hold photos for the 1982-83 school year 3.

And this album will hold my photos for my last year 1983-84.  Wow it seems so long ago and sometimes I wish I could go back to those wonderful years.  I was 150 pounds lighter and my lynphedema had not yet reared its ugly head! But we have to make the best with what God has handed us.  So I will prevail.

2.  Next on my list of good news is that my youngest niece is graduating from High School next week.  She is a beauty that is for sure.  I have created a great boxed mini album for her as well.  Actually it is a not so mini - mini album.  I designed the box myself.  The paper is the "HIT THE BOOKS" by DCWV. 

I designed and created the Schoolhouse box from Graffix medium weight Chipboard.   Her school colours are orange and black. 

 Front of the Box.

 Back of the box.

Front view with album visible coming out the left side of box. 

Front of the "not so mini- mini album".  See isn't she a beauty!  You can see I used some canvas tape on the folds of the binding because the DCWV paper tore, as it sometimes can when used on a binding edge.  Luckily I had some 7 gypsies canvas tape that matched perfectly.  The frame and Title were cut using my Cricut with SCAL (Sure Cuts A Lot) software.  I also put acetate on top of the photo so it is protected.

Back of the album -  It started out the same paper as front, however, I goofed putting on title and photo first time  AND accidentally put it on the back - upside down of course!  I had to re-cover when I tore the photo off.  This was the last piece of paper large enough left from 2 (yes TWO) stacks that it took to create this album!

 The binding method?  Of course, once again, the hidden hinge by Kathy Orta.  

There are 2 page styles...

  

 This is the first style with a side flap and then two smaller pockets with small(ish) tags.  There is also an 8x8 bi-fold tag in top pocket of this page. 

 The second page style has flaps that open up with the same bi-fold tag in each pocket.  Lots of room for 4x6 photos - or even 5x7 photos.  There are 7 pages.

3. Also very exciting news is that my middle niece (the older sister of the niece above) has been accepted to RMC.  This is the Royal Military College.  This is the Canadian Military's University.  She will have all 4 years paid for and will be paid as she attends.  She will graduate as an officer in the Canadian Navy.  She hopes to be in Naval Communications. 

4.  And, not to be left out, my oldest niece has exciting news as well.  The story begins 3 years ago. While singing in the Choir at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, she met a member of the German Army Band that was also performing.  And the rest, as they say, is history.  Stacia and Carsten fell in love and currently live in Germany with their 14 month old Tillman (Till).  AND they are getting married on JULY 7th as part of this year's tattoo Matinee.  Yes just before the performance begins, 6000 people will witness their wedding ceremony.  Isn't that just the most amazing story.  Here is the SAVE THIS DATE Announcement they sent out...

SO... of course, as a scrapbooker and lover of building boxes and mini albums, I had to create a special album for their photos.  It is not yet complete but thought i should share the photos so far.  I need to add the Royal Blue touches and Titles and photo frames. 

I was inspired by Kathy Orta's Wedding album.  I created 2 boxes that are hinged together.  Mine is substantially smaller than Kathy's because it has to travel back to Germany and I want it to have a place in their apartment.  I used the DCWV stack called "THE BELLA ARMOIRE STACK "

There are 2 albums, one in each box.

I made sure the design allowed for use of 5 x7 photos or smaller on each page.  there are 2 page designs one with a hinged flap that lifts up from the top. 

The other pages are simple side by side pages.

I will update with new photos once I have finished embellishing.  

SO as you can see, although I have been absent from my blog I have been busy creating and building.  Thanks so much for your time.