Of Benches, Loops, and Clicking

Happy Bench Monday!

My hook is flying madly whenever I find time to park myself on the sofa…mostly in the evenings, watching Jane Austen movies with Mom and Dad.  Doctors’ waiting rooms also make fine crochet studios, especially once you’ve been through the pattern repeats a bit.

Sólás Caomh by Jodi Euchner

This is one of the most difficult patterns I’ve ever done.  Now that I’m going strong, it isn’t so bad, actually, but the first few repeats were murder.  Cable crochet in and of itself isn’t so hard…what makes it fiddly is the “Shut up, I’m counting!” nature of the pattern, plus the unfamliar motion of working front post stitches behind stitches you just made.

Anyway, I’ve now completed six of eleven repeats, and I’m supposed to have it done for a baby shower on Saturday, complete with border and blocking.  Eh, piece of cake, right?  Riiiiight…

Or, it would be if I didn’t keep taking breaks to scrap a bit.  Hey, in my defense, the poor hands need a rest now and then.

Yesterday (yay!), PencilLines posted the sketch for this week.  Sketches help so much when inspiration is scarce.  As you can tell, I’m a bit behind in my scrapping.  (Yes, that 19-month-old eating the green popsicle is entering First Grade in a couple of months.  Don’t even ask about their baby albums.)  In the past, I jumped all over, scrapping whatever photos hit my mood at the time.  However, I’ve taken a cue from my dear friend (and scrapping/design guru), Karah.  I’m approaching it methodically now, working my way through 2005.  In a few months, I should have an album to show for it!

Sweet Treat Credits:
Sketch (reversed) by Anna Bowkis for PencilLines blog (#137)
Background paper by Audra Little (A Little Ensanada)
Krafty Brackets Paper by Christine Honsinger for ScrapArtist.com
Noteworthy Alpha by Birgit Kerr
Stitching by Birgit Kerr (Easy Living)
Scrolled Alpha (recolored) & Bird by Lori Musser/Page Frocks (Paper Dreams)
Swirl Stamp by Amber Clegg (Tranquility)
Cardboard Circle and Scalloped Border by Amy Martin (5255 Collab Kit)
Flowers & “Cool” Word Art by Shabby Princess (Happy Go Lucky)
Journaling Lines by Designs by Lili for ScrapArtist.com (Pieces of My Heart)

Back to Scrappin’

Since my external hard drive crashed last spring (yes, that’s spring ’08), I haven’t quite had the heart to spend the necessary hours recalling backed-up data, reinstalling and retagging in ACDSee, and admitting what I’d lost.  (I had last backed up on January 28, losing quite a few good supplies, and more devastatingly, about twenty really great layouts.  Lesson learned.)  Consequently, I haven’t scrapped in about fifteen months.

I took the plunge this week, though, reisntalling ACDSee, and digging out my back-up CD’s.  I went a step further and organized my digital photos from 2005-2008, setting up bone structures for those years’ photo albums.  It’s exciting to be back in the game.

Of course, I still need a little bit of inspiration, especially when I’m working at 10:30 pm, so I searched out challenges, sketches, and templates, and I found the ladies over at Pencil Lines.  Woo hoo!  Weekly sketches and templates!

So, without further ado, I give you my re-entree into the world of digiscrapping, based on this week’s sketch.  (Credits below)

As a side note, I’m getting really peeved that my photos are showing up fuzzy here on the blog.  What are crystal clear, sharp & pleasing when I view them on the computer are coming out just blurry enough to look out of focus here.  I’ve tried several things (including Save For Web), and I know it’s user error…so what am I doing wrong?  Any hints??

Credits:
Sketch/Template by Anna Bowkis for Pencil Lines blog
Tan paper by Birgit Kerr (Easy Living)
White paper w/ swirls by Amy Wolff (Barely There 3)
Mesh by Lori Musser/Page Frocks (Paper Dreams)
Painted paper circles by Amy Wolff (5255 Collab Kit)
Circle label by Amy Wolff (Gratitude)
Stitching by Amber Clegg (The Gazebo)
Font: DJB Susan by Darcy Baldwin