Mastering the Ripple

Oh, the ripple. The crochet pattern that produces such gorgeous blankets (like this one). The pattern that is praised for its calm, rhythmic tempo as one crochets it.

Oh, the ripple. The pattern that I could never seem to master, that caused me great frustration and the occasional tear. Until now.

Yes, I am happy to say that after three starts on this blanket, (meaning I counted the beginning rows furiously and then made some small error that meant the whole thing needed to be ripped apart and restarted three times) that I have finally mastered the ripple.

With these three rows completed, I am on my way to a ripple blanket. It will be all one color, as I was able to get the yarn (Bernat Denim Style) at a sale and the colors were very limited, but if all goes well I just may make a colorful ripple blanket down the line.

But for now, I am going to enjoy making this blanket - it is very soothing to crochet - and be happy in that fact that I was finally able to master this pattern.

Have you made a ripple blanket? How did it go?

Three Things

Today I am off work and have been enjoying a peaceful and calm day at home. I have spent the day baking, doing some chores and errands, crocheting...and as I have pottered around, there have been many simple things that have made me happy.

The weather is absolutely gorgeous. Warm and sunny, and the sky is unbelievably blue. The leaves on this tree in my backyard are just beginning to change color....it is a gorgeous site every year.

I picked a few of the last Black Eyed Susans from the garden. The nights have been cool, so these beauties are almost done for the year; it was nice to have these on the kitchen windowsill to look at while I was washing the baking dishes.

Tea, a chocolate croissant and some crochet at lunch time. A perfect little treat after a very busy work week.

I really love writing these 'Three Things' posts - taking the time to notice the simple, happy pleasures around me and recording it here. Thank you so much for reading.

What has made you happy today?

Birthday Flowers

For my birthday (which was some time ago now) the girls bought me flowers. And they were absolutely lovely.

They stood on the kitchen counter for well over a week and in that time I took many pictures of them. One of those pictures is on this layout.

Now, can we talk about scrapbooking style for a moment?

I have never officially defined or announced my style, but as I was scanning through my layout pictures a while back, I was struck by how linear and uncluttered my pages are. While I love uncluttered pages - I think it makes focusing on the picture and the journalling much easier - I wondered if perhaps I could break out of the linear mold a bit and try something different. Something less straight lined, something a little more random. This layout is an attempt to do just that.

True, there are some linear aspects - the photo and the journalling are straight and are aligned along the right side of the page - but the circles definitely add a more random element.

It took me a long time to finish this layout - it sat on my table for weeks before I glued everything in place - but now that it is done, I love it. I guess it takes a while for things to look "just right" when you are doing something a little different.

How would you describe your scrapbooking style? Are you happy just working with it, or do you try something new every so often?

Seven Years Old

I have another layout to show you today.

Each year I do a layout of my girls on their birthdays. I use a picture taken of them on the day and then list different facts and things about them in the journalling. It is a really fun way to capture who they are at a particular age and also to capture how they change from year to year.

This is Bridget at seven years old. The picture was taken at her family birthday party. She had gotten all dressed up - wearing her pearls, a headband that matched her dress, her watch, and a bracelet. When I showed her this layout the other day she said to me that she was sorry that she had worn her watch (the purple on her wrist) since it did not really match with her outfit - she is definitely a budding fashionista.

As for supplies, I used papers and embellishments from the Sweet Girl line by Echo Park.

Are there any yearly layouts that you do?

Date Night

Good Morning.

I have been doing a little scrapbooking lately, working on a few layouts after a bit of a hiatus. The nights are cooler and it is already darker earlier so being at my craft table seems more right than it did in the the height of summer.

Today I would like to show you a layout I made using a picture of Steve and Bridget.

The picture was taken just before they went out on a date to the Symphony. It was a very special night out listening to music from Disney/Pixar movies. Isn't it amazing how alike they look?

All the paper and embellishments on this layout are from the Cut and Paste line by My Mind's Eye.

I have another layout to show you later this week, so come back and visit on Friday.

Until then, happy scrapping.

Do You Crochet Christmas Gifts?

Working on my Christmas blanket has caused me to think a bit about Christmas. In September, I know, but bear with me.

Specifically, I have begun to think about what I may crochet for those on my gift list.

Do you crochet Christmas gifts?

I really love the idea of doing so, and I have done a little bit in the past, but it has been my experience that not everyone appreciates a crochet gift. I mean, I would love it if someone made me something for Christmas - I love handmade things - but the fact of the matter is that not everyone else does.

So I am left to wonder if it is worth it? If I know a handmade gift will not be appreciated, do I even bother, or do I go ahead and make something anyways in the hopes that maybe this gift will be the one that turns a person on to the the beauty and charm of the handmade?

Paper from the Past

Back when I started scrapbooking, about ten years ago now, I was absolutely in love with the paper from 'ki memories' Do you remember them? Their papers were so cheerful and fun, and I bought many, many lines.

Well, a few weeks ago, overwhelmed by the total mess at my craft table, I got cleaning up and happened upon a folder of old 'ki' paper. In looking at the paper, I was amazed that I could remember exactly the layouts I had done using it: Steve and I at the pool and the beach while on vacation in Mexico. Sitting back in my chair, I remembered the fantastic trip we had - the sun, the white sand, the food, the margaritas, our adventures at the Mayan ruins...isn't it incredible that just looking at this paper brought back so many memories? I put the paper aside, knowing that I wanted to use it again sometime soon.

And then along came the current sketch challenge at The Memory Nest. Here is the sketch:

And get this, the twist is to use old paper from your stash and lots of layers.

Could it get any better? I made this card:

Old paper - check. Lots of layers - check

I had so much fun making this card and loved that so many memories came flooding back when I saw this paper. Thanks to Katie - one of our sketch designers - for another fantastic dose of inspiration.

So what about you? Got any old scrapbooking paper lying around that is just shouting for a chance to be used again. This challenge is the perfect thing for that. The work of the Design Team can be found here (see if you can recognize any of the older papers) and the link up is here as well.

Happy Scrapping!