Don't forget to pick up our free gift in this week's Cover Stories. Like what you see, check out all of Kellie Mize's great products in her shoppe.take care,{storyteller} deann
it's a wonderful day at {wst}...
I loved the brightly colored tabs on the black background of this week's Cover Stories inspiration. The flip marketing graphics are so fun and modern.
I thought the colored tabs would be fun on a black frame. Grab it here --> (take me to the forum)
Lori created this oh-so-sweet page with it:
And designer Molly joined in the fun with this gorgeous layout:
Don't forget to post your own creations in our gallery. Have a great week!
{storyteller} kellie mize
First of all, let me apologize for my blog absence last week. I was in the midst of three days of solid travel and meetings for work, and I was just feeling so under the weather that I didn't have it in me to put anything together about our next chapter in Ralph Fletcher's Breathing in, Breathing Out: Keeping a Writer's Notebook. I'm feeling much better this week, so let's get to our next chapter.On my first read-through, I worried that there wasn't much in this chapter that was applicable to scrapbookers. But then I remembered just how many of the events my family enjoys take place out of doors, and how often I love to experiment with photos from the natural world. Nature, for me, is a place of reflection -- and thinking about that connection opened a door into this chapter for me.Some passages to think about:
"It is difficult to observe the world if we are preoccupied with other things. But we can learn to do so. I find that there are plenty of times when I have to gently tell myself, Shut up and pay attention to what is going on." (p. 31)
"As you start paying closer attention to the physical world, try to push beyond the sight into the other less glamorous senses: smell, taste, touch." (p. 33)
"The notebook is the place to record honest perceptions of and reactions to the physical world. You will want to record important specifics, but you may also be tempted to move away from strict accuracy and begin to invent. Go for it! The impulse toward play begins immediately in many writers, from the initial act of breathing in the world and writing down a perception. Such play can take place through analogies, metaphor, puns, or personification." (p. 34)
It is through those last two passages that I think Fletcher makes a great point -- as we work to improve our writing, the actual words we place on the paper and their order and sound and impact, focusing on sensory images is a great place to begin. What's more, though, is that our lives are so much richer -- as are our memories and our stories -- when we move beyond just what we see and include our other senses. There are so many things, for example, that I love about my girls, but one of the most vivid things to me is the way Cami's head smells after she comes in from playing outside. It's an earthy, warm, sunshiny, little kid smell, and it is all her, and it makes me just want to bury my face in the top of her head and breathe in the scent of her childhood and bottle it up forever.
I'd love to see the layouts you make this week that focusing on the physical world -- just post them here in our gallery {stories} and then link us up to the layout over in our forum {tales}.
Don't forget our Book Fair -- we've got a great kit for you from one of our newest designers! Enjoy!
write on,
{storyteller} aud
This week I'm expanding the definition of a cover to include packaging. Just check out the cool and graphic back of my son's Star Wars Legos box:
It was the perfect inspiration for a high tech template. Grab it here --> (take me to the forum)
I ran with the techno theme and made a layout documenting the websites I visit daily:
Courtney went in an entirely different direction which turned out beautifully! I just love how versatile templates are.
Can't wait to see what you all come up with! Don't forget to post your creation in our gallery.
{storyteller} kellie
Are you ready for another edition of Cover Stories? This week's inspiration comes from the cover of a graphic design book from Rockport Publishers. Their series of 1000 books are full of cool and modern inspiration:
How fun is this alpha? Grab it here --> (take me to the forum)
Estir created this monochromatic and totally groovy page about her daughter's love of puzzles:
I used the alpha to express my love for all things Target (say it with me, "Tar-jaaaaay"):
Kelly joined the fun with this darling page:
Enjoy and don't forget to post your creation in our gallery.
{storyteller} kellie
