The Becker Scrapbook So Far

Hey there.  I know what you are thinking… “Oh no!  Not another scrapbook post.  We want to bake!”  Well, that one is just one blog down the pipeline.  However, I have actually had some readers (two, which is a large percentage of my core readership) tell me that they wanted to see the blank scrapbook I was making for my niece and new nephew’s honeymoon trip through Utah.  So, I have taken pictures of the pages so far.  I love these pictures, and I am proud to show them.
This is the first page. I know it is a little… busy. But I like it. I wanted to introduce an air of excitement. The main paper set I used for this is the Tim Holtz Idea-ology Lost & Found paper stack, but I also picked through my large private collection for anything that had a camping theme.  Unfortunately I do not know exactly what the titles of these papers are, but they were most likely bought at Hobby Lobby.  I included a small just above the title with a large tag halfway inside it for journaling.

Now the pictures are a little more laid back.  This one features stickers, both bought and handmade.  The letters are purchased. The signs in the top corner and down the middles are made.  I cut them from a paper full of them, and ran them through my Xyron machine.
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I like this set of pages.  The first page is pretty blank. I think that the place she is going will more than decorate the page.  I put up a couple of Quickutz suitcase die-cuts to decorate the page, a couple of sticker phrases, and a Tim Holtz sticker of a couple that has similarities to the Beckers.  the second page is just a large matte, for them to fill as they want.  If you look at this picture, you can see that the picture has a pattern.  I think it is a picture of a sweatshirt.

Another two page spread.  This time the large matte is first.  This one was just too cute to pass up.  The second one is another fairly blank page.  I did put more Quickutz handmade die cuts here, such as the US shape, the shovel, and the sign.  I also included a metal finding with a cute sentiment on it.

This two-page spread is more sedate than the others, but I think it is a great spread for travel.  I cut a page with a world map in half, to make the pages match.  The page matte is a wood pattern, so the picture mattes reflect the somber color.  To lighten the mood of the page, I put sticker phrases down, and made a couple of butterfly stickers out of a piece of pretty paper and foam tape.

I just had to use the frenetic papers I had with all the camping signs on them, they were just too fun.  Of course, it did need to be calmed a little.  So I used pickle-colored Bazzill cardstock for both the page mattes and the picture mattes.  All of the accents on this page are hand made, most are Quickutz.  In case you cannot tell already, I have a lot of Quickutz dies.

And finally, at least so far, the two-page spread based on a picture of a Utah mountain range.  I believe the blog about this spread explains this picture wonderfully.  And I love the way it looks.

Below are close-ups of some of the hand made accents I made.  Note that the butterfly is merely two identical cut-outs, stuck together at the body of the insect with a little tape, with the wings of the upper cut-out bent up a little bit.  Looks cool, no?
                      
I think my favorite die cut that I have used so far for this scrapbook is the Swiss army knife.  I used silver metal-looking cardstock for the knife and bits.  And the ladybug… that is just too cute to leave out.
                     

Musical Immersion for Sanity

Musical immersion is something I do when I want, desperately, to be creative but just don’t have the time or stamina to do it.  Work is a great example.  I listen to headphones whenever possible to keep myself focused on the job, because music does that for me.  But sometimes I just have an itch to make something (crafters out there understand this) and can’t scratch it at that time.  So I listen to particular types of music that allow my creativity to… how do I put this… feed and be satisfied until such time as I can do something about it.  I let my stifled energy feed of the genius of other creative masters until I can make my own masterpiece (or at least a masterpiece to me).

My favorite genre of music is film scores.  The music is specifically written to put feeling into the movie, to tell us when to cry, when to feel scared, when to be relieved.  It adds an extra level to the actors’ abilities, or gives them the air of more talent than they have.  Many of my favorites are from movies I could not stand, but the composer was just too good to be ignored.  Now, I love pop music, rock, rap, R&B, gospel, and even country and tejano.  These have great rhythms, and tell stories that are catchy.  But a good score makes me feel.

During those times when I have no time to do anything creative, I love to listen to music that makes me feel creative.  I have five go-to film composers that are my source of sanity when I have too much work to do to make something of my own.  These are Rachel Portman, Basil Poledouris, Ennio Morricone, John Barry, and my favorite, John Williams (the links are to YouTube videos of my favorite songs from their catalogs).  Each one brings a different flavor to the table, which I use to slake whichever creative energy is being stifled.  Of course, if you want to do musical immersion, you can choose whatever music gets you going.  I will try to describe how and why I use the composers, but sometimes it is hard to put into words how they make me feel.  So forgive me if some of this makes no sense to you.

“We All Complete” from the movie Never Let Me Go

Rachel Portman is great at the melancholy music, and can take a simple theme to great lengths, which add depth to the movies she is a part of.  Her movies include: The Joy Luck Club, Chocolat, The Cider House Rules, Never Let Me Go, The Manchurian Candidate, The Duchess, and Grey Gardens.  I go to her when I want to be writing but cannot.  My stories are often mired in morality tales, and her sensitivity give me the gravitas I crave when I write.

“Crystal Palace” from the atrocious Conan the Destroyer

Basil Poledouris is a grand, expansive writer.  He uses a strong base for a catchy melody, and then expands it gradually throughout the song, until you are surrounded by his vision.  His credits include: The Blue Lagoon, The original Conan movies, Red Dawn, RoboCop, Quigley Down Under, and Starship Troopers.  As you can see, he is very versatile as well.  I choose Mr. Poledouris when I scrapbook.  His titles are varied enough that I can find something for whatever I want to scrapbook about.  And his ability to form pictures through the sometimes overwhelming use of orchestra is perfect for converting a few pictures into a beautiful page.

Theme from The Mission, played by Yo-Yo Ma.

Brant’s beloved “The Ecstasy of Gold”

Ennio Morricone uses such unique ideas in his music, he is my eclectic guru.  His catalog includes: The Clint Eastwood spaghetti western trilogy, The Canterbury Tales, Once Upon a Time in America, Red Sonja, and The Mission.  He is an Italian composer, and most of his stuff I have never seen and can barely pronounce (his list is huge on IMDB).  In Brant’s favorite song, “The Ecstasy of Gold”, Mr. Morricone takes a simple theme, repeats it, and adds a soprano, some choir wa-waahs, and driving drums to give a feel of desperation that lets you know exactly what those guys are feeling in that scene (from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly).  Mr. Morricone is great for when I just don’t know what I want to do, but want to do something truly unique.

“Train to Johannesburg” from Cry, the Beloved Country

John Barry is a very romantic writer, and believe it or not my go to guy for baking.  Movies that benefitted from this trademark style include: several James Bond movies, Born Free, Somewhere in Time, Out of Africa, Dances with Wolves, and Cry, the Beloved Country.  His signature style, in my opinion, is to take a simple melody and make it more complex through the use of instruments rather than through harmonies and filler.  The melody pulls itself into the orchestra, instead of being held up by it, and creates an expansive feel, as witnessed by the movies he has done.  Simple ingredients and simple directions to make a wonderful palette, full of flavor and a sense of place.  Exactly what I want in my baking.

“Prologue” from Hook, a very underrated film score

John Williams is my favorite!  His use of French horns first drew me to him, because I loved to play his music myself.  You probably already know a bunch of his hits, because he collaborates with Steven Spielberg a lot.  But here is a sample of his enormous catalog: E.T., the Indiana Jones movies, the Star Wars sextet, the Christopher Reeves Superman movies, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the first three Harry Potter Movies, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Patriot, Far and Away… the list of things I love from him is too long to put here.  I go to John Williams for both writing and music composition.  His blending of a full orchestra into one strong voice, separating them into a cacophony of matching sounds, and bringing them back together is better than anything I can do.  And his masterful use of brass instruments to give a feeling of power and dignity for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles has become the theme music for the games ever since.

“Olympic Fanfare” who could NOT love this song?

Ah!  Just writing about him makes me want to go listen to a whole soundtrack right now.  I have to go immerse myself.  You have fun finding your immersion songs.  The list is half the creative fun, you know.

Tips for a Hobby Shopping Trip

I will admit this freely: I am not a shopping enthusiast.  I own about four pairs of shoes, only one of which I wear on a regular basis, I hate clothes shopping, and groceries are as boring as milk toast to me.  But I do love to shop around for one thing: hobby supplies.  My main hobbies are almost in constant flux, with new gadgets put out quite frequently, and everything updating to the digital age.  Whether I am looking for paint supplies, scrapbooking, cooking, or other... it is so much fun to look at the new stuff and imagine all the things I could do with them.  Unfortunately, I have to be realistic.  Most of this stuff likely will not get used, or I won't like it after I get it home, or don't have any real use for it... you name it.  Also, there is a budget to think of.  I know I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars everytime I go on a hobby run.  And my time budget is always precious.  So, here is a list of tips I have garnered from personal experience, both good and bad, to help you stay on target with your shopping excursion.

Rule #1: MAKE A LIST OF WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE WHOLE PROJECT.  Include on your list everything you need, even if you already own it.  For baking, I even put down the oven (and temperature), pans, pots, wooden stirrers, spatulas, everything.  Shopping trips for hobbyists should begin in the home.  After you have made the list, go through your hobby area (for this example, my kitchen and pantry) and cross off everything you already have.  Take this opportunity to put everything in one convenient place, so when you start, you will not have to stop to go looking for the cardamom, or something else you rarely use.

Rule #2: SEE IF ANY ITEMS CAN BE BORROWED.  This is true in all my hobbies.  It is great to have a circle of friends who all do the same thing.  When I lived in Auburn, I would scrapbook on Saturdays with a friend of mine, whose nickname is Six, and we would spend a good deal of that time using each others die cuts, stamps, inks, trade papers, you name it.  It saves a lot of time if you have an item your friend needs, and vice versa.  This also cuts down on the amount of stuff you own but rarely use.  This rule is also a blessing if you don't follow the next rule, because friends often want stuff you do not anymore.

Rule #3: ONLY BUY WHAT IS ON YOUR LIST.  As a scrapbook paper hoarder, please learn from my experience.  Even if you are just starting out scrapbooking and have virtually nothing: DON'T BUY EVERYTHING YOU LIKE.  I have a ton of paper that I bought in those giant paper books that I think are so boring and atrocious now, I don't think I will ever use them.  Everything looks good in the store, all nice and unused.  Your tastes will change, so don't buy just because they look cool.  Buy only what you need.  And along with this tip, don't buy any bulk items unless you are making bulk items.  Don't buy a Big Stack of paper wtih designs for pets on it, unless you are making a pet scrapbook.  The only exceptions to this rule are neutral cardstocks.  Black, white, and the browns are okay, just don't buy a ton of them.

Rule #4: STEER CLEAR OF SPECIALTY ITEMS IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.  Back to scrapbooking again.  I can always talk myself into buying specialty paper, like vellum or mulberry, because I like to use it.  But this rule relates back to rule #3.  If you buy a lot of things you don't need for this project, they will get lost, forgotten, what have you.  And when you need them, you may not even remember you have them.  I have about 100 sheets of clear vellum for this very reason.  Specialty items get easily lost.  Specialty items also include new equipment, three-dimensional stickers, the ten thousand different ways to stick stuff to paper, oddly shaped baking sheets, a new keyboard... anything you don't already have that you didn't know you needed.

Rule #5:  IF YOU CAN MAKE IT, DON'T BUY IT.  This sounds easy, but it can be tricky.  I can make most of the things I put on a scrapbook page myself.  Three dimensional stickers are totally simple to make, thanks to Xyron machines.  But, you have to include in this equation how much time you have to make these things.  If making accents for your page takes up half the small amount of time you have to scrapbook, I would consider it likely too hard to make, and would buy them.  The same goes for baking.  I can make my own blended spices, whipped cream, icings, and glazes, but sometimes I just can't budget for the time.

Rule #6: CHECK PRICES ONLINE FIRST.  All of my hobby stores are online, and I have those saved as favorites.  Hobby Lobby and Michael's both have weekly coupons that I treasure.  Some websites can even tell you if the item is in stock at the store before you go out to get it.  Heck, order online if you don't mind waiting for it.  Many stores have free shipping if you are willing to pick it up at their physical store.  And price check with online only stores, like Amazon.  If, again, you are willing to wait for the items, sometimes it is cheaper to order it there.

Rule #7:  SET LIMITS WHEN BREAK A RULE. Don't be hard on yourself if you slip up on one of these rules.  It is a hobby, not a job.  You won't get fired if you just have to have that adorable new baking pan for mini donuts (guilty).  The trick to not getting depressed here is what you mother probably did for you when you were little and she needed to go shopping herself: set a limit.  If you just have to buy the new toys, limit how much money you will spend.  If you forgot to check for coupons online, see if they have paper ones near the entrance before buying items full price.  If you decide that the Jolene stickers are way better than what you think you can make, go ahead but keep the purchase small.  If you were so excited about going shopping that you forget to see if your friends already have some of the stuff on your list, just buy what you are sure they don't have.  I wanted to get something shiny for baking the last time I was at Bed, Bath, & Beyond.  So I decided a little baking sheet was much cheaper than the awesome baking sets I saw there.  And the end result is: this weekend I am making mini donuts.

Happy shopping.

Creative Dreaming

I get pretty stressed out at work.  A lot of it is in my own mind, but still, I get stressed.  I found, thanks to my Brant, that thinking about being creative actually helps me get through many stressful days.  Here is what I think about.

We have talked many times about opening an eatery called “Sci-Fi Café and Bakery.”  I love to plan what I would serve up at that bakery if I could do anything I wanted.  So far, I have imagined making mini-bombes, one for each of the planets in our solar system, with three others for the Sun, the moon, and Pluto (which is no longer a planet, but who cares, right?).  FYI: a true bombe is a French confection consisting of several layers of frozen sherbet or ice cream made into a dome shape.  The bakery I used to work at fudged the idea a little by making it several thin layers of a cake and flavored pastry cream, shaped into a dome and covered with fresh whip cream.  I would come up with the grand flavors of each of them.  An example would be Mars: Chocolate-chili pepper cake with cinnamon filling, iced with red chocolate whipped cream.

This made me want to research different types of pastries.  If it was truly going to be a sci-fi bakery, not only would I have to come up with unique and delicious pastries not often sold in Birmingham, but I would need to put a sciencey-fictioney theme to each one, to brand them for the store.  So I researched pastries from places OTHER THAN France and Italy.  And I zeroed in on Hungarian pastries.  There I found the Zserbo, fluffo, Isli, beigli, and kifli.  They all look delicious.  I decided to try to make one of them.  The end result of this daydreaming was that I could make zserbo, and make it pretty darn good on my first try.  It is basically five layers of handmade pastry dough, rolled thin, with apricot preserves and crushed pecans in between and topped with a chocolate ganache.

Another daydream sparked my baking creativity to try another pastry, this time from the British Isles – banoffee pie.  Banoffee is a mash up of banana and toffee, the two main ingredients.  This decadent treat is normally made by boiling an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for a couple of hours, but I wasn’t willing to do that, because of its possibility of blowing up.  So I compromised on the dulce de leche filling and made several mini pies instead of one large one.  My co-workers and Brant adored this one.

Long story short, don’t be afraid to daydream once in a while about what you would do if you had this or that.  If I had a bakery of my own, I would make my own versions of international pastries that no one around here has ever tasted.  And because of that dream I found out that many of those pastries are well within my abilities now.  Why don’t you try it, and let me know what you come up with?

Blog Dedication

I would like to take this blog to dedicate it to my biggest supporter. My husband, Brant.
I have always known that I am an anxious person, and I have come to live with that. But Brant met me, dated me, found this out (along with my laundry list of other faults) and still decided to ask me to marry him. He gave me a dog for Christmas several years ago who, no matter how much training we give him, still occasionally poops on the floor, and barks at noises as if his life depends on it. And he loves that dumb mutt almost as much as I do. He lets me baby talk to the dogs, and baby talk to him. He lets me spoil his own dog to the point where she has become my personal foot warmer.

He gives me loads of kisses and cuddles whenever I want, and many times when I didn't know I wanted them. He exercises with me but never calls me fat and doesn't like it when I call myself fat. He randomly tells me he loves me. He lets me plan all out meals and tells me I am a great cook. He eats anything I bake for him with gusto. He lets me express myself through the myriad of hobbies I have and enjoys the fact I take so much pleasure from them.

He asks me about my day, and listens. Brant tells me about his day every day. He always says "I love you" before leaving for work, and makes sure my car is in good order for me to get to mine. He listens to my neurotic rants when I have had a bad day, and lets me cry it out without any judgment. He shares his worries with me. He lets me help pick out his clothes when he needs new ones, and values my input. There are so many more things about him that I love I cannot possibly put them all down.

Brant is the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I thank God everyday that I managed to get him into my life. I love you, Brant.

No Time for Creativity

Welcome to my new blog, "No Time for Creativity."  This is my place to put what enspires me, what I like, and what gets me to create when I come home from work too exhausted to do anything but sit.

If you are reading this blog, you might recognize this scenario.  I work from 8:30 to 5 at my job, but it takes me about an hour to get there and a little more to come home.  So the majority of my waking hours are spent doing something about work.  I barely see my husband until the sun sets most of the year.  I don't have kids, but I have two dogs who are more underappreciated than they should be.  My weekends are also filled.  Friday evenings we have game night with friends.  Saturday is grocery day, chore day, cooking for the week day; and Saturday night we often have friends over for movie night.  Sunday is also a chore filled day, and every other week we host our science fiction writing group, which takes up most of the afternoon.  It is a filled life, but a happy one.

But I long to be creative.  To make pretty things, useful things.  To turn something used up into something useful.  To be creative.

The problem is, when I get home, cook dinner, and eat with my husband, I am too tired to do anything.  Sometimes it is physically tired, but mostly it is mentally tired.  I am drained, and all I want to do is vegetate.  I have dozens of projects started, but rarely finish anything, because I know it takes so much prep work to start a creative endeavor that it will take days to see the fruits of any labor.  I don't know about you, but I find it really hard to start a project if I don't have the time to finish it that evening.

My husband, Brant, said I should do something about it.  "Write a blog about what you do, your take on the things you make.  You have a very interesting take on what you do, and there are people out there who need to know it.  And you are wicked smart..."  Or something like that anyway.  So, I picked three of my hobbies that I don't ever feel I have time for, and make time for them.  These three are: baking, scrapbooking, and writing music.  I hope to fill this blog with where I find ideas, how to get started, how to stop in the middle of project and not forget about them, and pretty much anything else I can think of.  I hope you will stay with me through all these ramblings.  And together, maybe, we can keep our creative juices flowing.