Friday's Meeting Goal Setting & Where to Start

Hi Everyone,

Only 2 days before we, start on the Documented Life Journey.  My goal for the first meeting is that we get to know each other a bit and work on setting our goals for the meetings and for our journals.  

We have the Dylusions Journal in stock at Photo Scraps if you want to just pick up your books on Friday for the meeting.   I will have out some gesso, book papers & gelatos to play with.   Please bring paper towels, any paints or other mediums you want to work with, paint brushes, pens, heat gun (if you think you will need this for drying pages).  In general, I will not be providing the mediums to play with.


Here are some examples from the Facebook Page for Documented Life.

Terri Kahrs

The DLP challenge for week #1 was goals, and I expressed my non-specific creative goals with a Black Ultra-Fine Sharpie between drips of Gelatos. As the theme is the "written page", I used a dictionary behind my colored swirls.



Debi Walton Huntsman



I really liked this page too! from - Beth Forenz The Documented Life Project 2015 - The Journal

This is my first time doing anything like this. I used a lot of new things that I had never used before like gesso and gel medium. I'm still getting the hang of what to use when, but I think I'm hooked!



I love this goals page from Julie Hummel Ryver The Documented Life Project 2015 - The Journal

I just saw this today by Erin Merz Stahl.   I love how she has a journal block for each day.  

Documented Life Group January 9th 12-3 PM

Hi Ladies, One of our regular customers, Pat (I am talking about you), suggested that I check into Documented Life Project.  I love that they have weekly challenges and you would be compiling it in a mixed media journal (which of course, we carry).  Everyone that wants to participate will be required to register at their site.   The Documented Life Project is Free.     Starting on January 9th, we will be hosting a Documented Life Project Group at noon and another meeting at 6:00 PM.   I figure meetings will run 2-3 hours because we will be playing with the challenges.   The first meeting, we will be getting to know each other and taking on the first challenge.    You do need to sign up in advance for the meetings so we can be sure to have enough space for everyone.   We will not be charging a fee for the meetings unless we will be providing products to use for a challenge like paint or inks.   If we turn the meetings into a Friday night crop til midnight, we will be charging a crop fee.   Let's get messy and document our lives this year! - Tracy Click here to check out the Art to the 5th website.

Click here to go to the Art to the Fifth Blog Post The Original Documented Life Project:  The Journal - January 1 Hello and welcome to The Original Documented Life Project™  The Journal!  We are excited to kick off the beginning of the year! First, we want to share a little bit about how this will work. Each month we will have a "theme" and each week we will issue an art related challenge as well as a fun and creative journal prompt.  Feel free to interpret both however you wish.  The A5 artists will rotate throughout the year, bringing you creative and inspirational ideas with each month.  Each week on Saturday we will post the new week's details here on our blog.  Be sure to join us on The Art to the 5th™ Academy™ - a thriving "community" and classroom for "The Original" Documented Life Project™!  Details will also be posted in the DLP classroom. We will not be posting to Facebook so be sure to join us on The Academy. Ready? Let's get started!! January Theme The Blank Page and How to Face It! January 1 Art Challenge: Book Paper Journal Prompt: Be Your Own Goal Keeper Welcome to our bold new adventure! You have amazed us with your art and courage which has inspired us to celebrate the artist within each of us with more art and more techniques. Documenting our lives this year will mean telling our stories through art and words. We are so excited to share our vision of storytelling through color, texture and technique. Working our way through 52 prompts, we will build our confidence and fill our tool chest with elements that we will reach for over and over again. To add to the excitement, we have gathered an amazing line up of superstars including Dyan Reaveley, Dina Wakley, Gina Lee Kim and Stephanie Ackerman to inspire us with their documenting art styles. The project is FREE and perfect for both the beginner and experienced art journaler. Join us as we begin a transformative year filling the blank page before us... the rest is still unwritten.

Why your digital photos might die before your grandkids see them

Keith WagstaffNBC News
Jan. 2, 2015 at 9:07 AM ET

My great-grandfather was Popeye. I discovered that from old photographs my father found in his childhood home.

They were stored with a newspaper article from 1938 describing how Jonathan Wagstaff was inspired to become a Popeye impersonator after winning the title of "Homeliest Man in California" at a male bathing beauty contest in Venice Beach.



Jonathan Wagstaff, the author's great-grandfather, in Popeye and regular attire.

These days, it's hard to imagine documents like that being stored in a box. The photos might be kept on a hard drive or posted on Facebook. Instead of a printed article, you might save a link to a story online.

The problem? Hard drives can be unreliable and Internet companies sometimes fail — taking your memories with them.

Hard drives, hard times

"The question of, ‘How long does data live on a hard drive?' is a tricky one," Ahmed Amer, an associate professor of computer engineering at Santa Clara University, told TODAY.

Digital family photos should be just fine for a few years. But when you start talking decades — like the 76 years my great-grandfather's photos lasted — things get complicated. Your typical hard drive uses magnets to write information. With older hard drives, that can be a problem.

"Just like a credit card, you don't want to put it next to a magnet, because what you have on the magstripe will be erased," he said.

It's not only magnets that you have to worry about. Heat, a spilled cup of coffee and other environmental factors can degrade the information on a hard drive. Newer hard drives are less susceptible to those factors, according to Ethan Miller, the Symantec presidential chair in storage and security at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In fact, the data on them should be fine for decades. The actual hard drive, however, will probably break before then.

"A hard drive is a physical device," Miller told NBC News. "Things like the lubricant and bearings will degrade over time."

Like a car, it's a good idea to take stored hard drives out for a spin every so often. Stored unused in a closet or attic, the mechanical parts in a hard drive can break down over the course of a year or two. At most, hard drives are built to last around five to seven years, Miller said.

Another option is saving documents on a CD or Blu-ray Disc, preferably in a cool, dry area. (Anyone who has left a favorite CD on their dashboard knows why). But those break down over time as well.

Burning a CD or DVD involves heating up a layer of dye with a laser. As it does with photographs and clothing, dye on a DVD fades, causing those cherished photos to degrade.

"There are plenty of CDs and DVDs that were burned 10 to 15 years ago that are already bad," Miller said.

The tech, it is a-changin'

"A lot of people, when they think of data storage, they think, 'Will it survive?'" Amer said. "That's really just a small part of it."

Hard drives are vulnerable. So are CDs. But even if you carefully store your data on a disc that can withstand time, there is the chance that, in five years, nobody will be able to access that data.

"If I gave you a LaserDisc today and told you there was a lot of cool stuff on it, what would you do?" Miller said.

It was only 20 years ago that people could go to the store and buy a LaserDisc player. These days, you can pretty much only find them on eBay. Floppy discs, VHS tapes and eight-track cartridges are just a few example of other defunct technologies. Chances are that the computer cables you used 15 years ago don't work with hard drives today.

Ultimately, Amer said, rapidly evolving technology could pose a bigger threat to your data than a failing hard drive.

Living on a cloud

For many, a good solution is the cloud. Facebook has a team of professionals ensuring that the servers storing your photos are kept in tip-top shape. Their business depends on it, after all. They are a lot safer there than on DVDs in a box in your closet.

There are a lot of other options for people who want to store their photos online, including Dropbox, Google Drive and Flickr. While disk drives and computer cables might change, it's a good bet that the Internet will be around in 50 years.

That doesn't mean your data is safe. Remember Friendster? Kodak Gallery? Yeah, you aren't getting your photos back from them anytime soon. And transferring information from a dying website to a new one isn't always easy. If you store your photos online, make sure to check those sites often.

Cloud services that charge for online storage are usually a good bet, Miller said, because they can just charge more if costs go up, instead of discontinuing a free product that is no longer profitable.

Doing things the old way

There are some radical solutions that the next generation might use to make sure their memories last hundreds of years. In New Mexico, Norsam Technologies etches data onto nickel plates on a microscopic scale — almost like creating incredibly tiny, dense music records. It's called Rosetta-HD.

It might be cool, but there is no telling whether it will catch on. Right now, technology doesn't have an easy solution for long-term storage. Digitally storing photos is no guarantee that your grandchildren or even your children will be able to look at them.

As for photos of my great-grandfather, my family keeps them on a hard drive, cloud service and in a good, old-fashioned box. Apparently, that is the smart thing to do.

"Going with a diversity of approaches is really the way to go," Miller said. "It sounds really weird as a computer scientist saying this, but if they're photos you really, really want your grandchildren to see, print them out."

Keith Wagstaff writes about technology for NBC News. He previously covered technology for TIME's Techland and wrote about politics as a staff writer at TheWeek.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @kwagstaff and reach him by email at: Keith.Wagstaff@nbcuni.com

Easy Advent Calendar

Penny Black Painted Cards Thursday September 11th 12-2:30 PM Also, Sunday September 14th 1-3:30 PM

Penny Black Painted Cards
Thursday September 11th 12-2:30 PM
Also, Sunday September 14th 1-3:30 PM
It took me a while to reproduce the amazing Penny Black sample board but I finally did it!  Join me for 4 cards.  You will learn how to use the Ranger Paint Daubers to create beautiful backgrounds and then use colored pencils and white paint to color the images.  $28

Please bring scissors, adhesive, pop dots, and all your colored pencils any brand you have.  I used Prisma colored pencils but Inktense work great also.  Not all brands of colored pencils will work as good but bring them to try out.  We will have some to share and to purchase.    You can also bring paint daubers in Mountain Rose, Red Pepper, Cloudy Blue, Stream and Butterscotch.

Our favorite College Student, Ali, has been Smashing

Hi Everyone,

Our favorite College Student, Ali, has been Smashing during her summer vacation.  She is taking a selfie a day this year and she is using a Smash album to hold all the photos.

I love all the Prima Dolls she used to decorate her pages.

Bugs, Bugs, and More Bugs!

I'm in the middle of last minute preparations for Demo Day tomorrow and I saved the best for last.  I'm spending my afternoon with 100 bugs......eeek!....ladybugs, that is!  I'm creating these little beauties using Viva Décor Glitter Pen and some black Liquid Pearls for the dots.

Many people believe that ladybugs are a good omen. They can symbolize a turn of good luck in cash flow, love, or that a wish may be granted.

So, be sure and stop by my table!  It could be your lucky day!  See you tomorrow!

Alice I.

Cindy's Penny Black Blooming Garden class - the 4th card

Join me Saturday May 10th from 12 - 3 pm for a new card class featuring Penny Black's beautiful Blooming Garden stamp set!

We will be making a total of 8 cards (2 of each of the 4 designs).  I will have a variety of sentiments available so that you can tailor your cards to your needs.

We are going to do a great technique with micro-fine glitter, not only over Copic coloring, but we will also make a piece of glittered dry embossed background paper.  It's super easy!

Please bring the following Copics if you own them:

R family - 29, 89

RV family - 00, 02, 66, 69

Y family - 06, 11, 15

G family - 14, 43, 46, 94

YG family -  03, 13, 17, 67

E family - 35

Blender (0)

Please also bring Scor-tape (or another similar product), pop dots, liquid glue with a fine tip, and sharp scissors.

I look forward to seeing you soon!
Cindy

New Card Class Sneak Peek: Blooming Garden Cards with Cindy

Join me Saturday May 10th from 12-3 PM for an all new card class featuring Penny Black's beautiful Blooming Garden stamp set.

We will be making a total of 8 cards in this class (2 of each of the 4 designs).  I will have a variety of sentiments on hand so you can tailor your cards to your needs.

Here are 3 of the 4 cards we will be making.  The 4th card and a list of supplies needed will be coming soon. Class does not include stamp set.  $29

I'm looking forward to creating with you!
Cindy

Lisa's Chandelier Cards

Lisa Halstead has been at it again.  This time she was playing with a new Chandelier die from Impression Obsession.  She added lots of pearls, bling, layers and sequins.

Chalkboard style cards from Lisa Halstead

Hi Everyone,

Lisa Halstead has been attacked by the card making bug.  It's out of control and we LOVE it!  She actually put aside her scrap book pages to work on cards.   Her latest batch of beauties are using the word stamps that have become popular with the chalkboard style. 

Lisa's oldest is graduating from High School this year so she is thinking ahead with these fun cards using the schools colors. She even added in a few of the new Doodlebug Sequins.  They are a nice alternative to rhinestones.

Lisa has also been making some great Easter cards.  She used white embossing powder to make the stamp stand out on both of these cards.  On the second card, she stamped on watercolor paper and used distress ink to get the pretty watercolor rainbow.

Remember Laura? She made some new cards for us!

Hi Everyone,

Laura has been so busy with work that she has not had a lot of time to create.  Last time she was in the store, she picked up one of the new Memory Box spring dies.  Today, she brought back these beautiful cards to share.  

Is it Spring Yet?

According to the calendar, Spring has arrived and we should all be outside preparing to plant and make ready for the return of animals and flowers and color! Mother Nature, evidently, has other plans.

Regardless of the mountains of snow we still have around and the temperatures that can't quite crack 32 degrees, Photo Scraps is doing their part to bring in Spring with some new lines of designer papers to help get us into the Spring mindset.

It must have inspired me because after bringing some home, not only did I forget about the snow but I remembered a card project I'd been wanting to try for myself that would be perfect for my paper.

Pop-Up Box Cards are all the rage right now.  I've seen some great box cards created by a few bloggers I follow.

The concept of the box card is to create a card that lies flat (for mailing) but that can stand up and be 3-D.  You can make them in two sizes: 5-1/2x6-1/2 and an A2 version, which may be my next project perhaps using one of the new Graphic 45 lines.

I used a couple sheets of Authentique's Promise Collection, a POW glitter paper I previously purchased, Impression Obsession's little bunny die (can you say ADORABLE!), and a Penny Black stamp set called "Chick to Chick".

I used my Copics to color the images; punched a few small flowers and butterflies; die cut the grass, the "fence" and bunnies; glittered the little bunnies; cut the word Happy in POW glitter paper using my Silhouette; and then suspended many of the elements on strips cut from acetate.  This was so much fun!

 Above is the card flat.  You can flip the two bottom sections up to slide into an envelope easier.

 Front view.

 From an angle.

From other angle, closer.

The sky is the limit with these cards!  As soon as weather permits, I will drop it off at the store should anyone want a closer look.  Hope you'll give one a try!

Be well and stay warm!

4th Northwoods card!!

Finally, I have had a chance to create my 4th card (the daffodil) for my Northwoods Floral Cards - whew!  I really love this card because daffodils and spring flowers hold a very special place in my heart since I missed spring 6 years ago fighting for my life against necrotizing fasciitis (aka flesh eating bacteria).

We will be making this card along with 3 others for a total of 8 cards (2 of each design) on Saturday 3/8/14 from 12-3 pm.  Kits will be available if you are unable to make the class in person but you must call the store to sign up.

**I also made an error on the Copics needed for this class.  You DO NOT need to bring C3, YR18, or Y38 with you** 

I am looking forward to creating with you!
Cindy

Tracy's Techniques - Stampendous Starry Night Card

I made this card in one of my Stampendous card classes. It was so popular, that I made it on the December Demo Day.  Kirstin, the director, finally had a chance to edit the video to share. 

Here are the written instructions

Silent Night

Silent Night Stampendous Stamp

Versa mark

Stampendous Starry Night Embossing powder

WOW! Silver Glitter Embossing powder

Ranger Glossy paper

Ranger Alcohol Ink in Denim and Silver

Ranger Blending Solution

Ranger Felt tool for the Alochol inks

• Use 5 drops of Denim Alcohol ink, 1 drop of silver and some blending solution on the ranger felt tool.
• Use the tool to pounce the color onto the glossy paper until you like the color.
• Stamp Silent Night on the glossy paper with Versamark ink.
• Sprinkle with Starry Night embossing powder and heat set.
• Edge the image with Versamark ink.
• Sprinkle with silver Glitter embossing powder and heat set.
• Attach the top layer with pop dots.