One Little Word: Vivid

It is time again to reflect. The new year always seems fresh event though the day changes the same as any other dawn. "One Little Word" is a project designed by Ali Edwards. I like the idea of choosing a word to filter the year that lies ahead and have chosen several over the last few years. Two years ago, it was Joy. That year, I lost my father and grandfathers. That lead to Art, which I selected to help me navigate the changing world I felt overcome by.

This year, I select Vivid.

Why vivid?

I wanted a word that took me outside of myself. A word that embraced the person I am and want to be. I recently read Fierce Conversations and one of the take-aways I got from the book was that to be happy, the life you want and the life you live, the action you take must be in agreement. If it isn't unhappiness follows.


Vivid: 1. strikingly bright or intense, as color, light, etc.:

a vivid green.

2. full of life; lively; animated:

a vivid personality.

3. presenting the appearance, freshness, spirit, etc., of life; realistic:

a vivid account.

4. strong, distinct, or clearly perceptible:

a vivid recollection.

5. forming distinct and striking mental images:

a vivid imagination.

Synonyms

1. bright, brilliant, intense. 2. spirited, vivacious, intense.

 

The word comes from Latin roots, vie meaning to live.

 

What better word? Strong, real, bright, striking all things I want my year to be. I am going to live a vivid year and be the person I am keeping myself from. I plan to embrace the year, and grab moments that are spontaneous and real. I want to strive for more, for me.

 

 I created a canvas to celebrate my word. I think I captured the spirit well. I used a mix of acrylic paints, both fluid and regular. To make the star, I used foil, chipboard, spray paint and ink.

 

As always, SWAT wants you to play along, choose your own resolution or word, link up and earn a chance at a great prize!

 

Be vivid

~Venetia

SWAT- Sketch With a Twist

It is time for another SWAT sketch! The amazing and talented Bev came up with this gorgeous sketch to work with this week. The twist? Add twine!

 

I ended up taking a lot of liberties with this sketch. I wanted to use a couple of pictures from a pre-combined birthday party. I was modeling some SWAG to wear to the Tiki Bar, because flowers and fez got discounts! I created the fez and hair flowers out of my stash and was playing around showing them off on Instagram.

For the layout, I started with a base and added twine stitching. Then, I used some paper whimsies to add the numbers of my age. It felt better to do that than actually say 37, I mean when did that happen! I added the pictures, and embellished with some Silhouette cuts and more stitching. The outcome was bright and fun, which reflected the event well.

As always, play along with the sketch and share with us at SWAT. The winner gets a gift code for 3 Scrappy Boys!

~Venetia

SWAT- Trendy Triangles

HI! If you are looking for the Scrapbook Steals blog hop click ----->HERE

SWAT's new challenge is Trendy Triangles! Do your best interpretation, and link up your work to the SWAT Blog for a chance to win a 3 Scrappy Boys Gift Card!

I chose to make my own background for the Trendy Triangles. I started with a sheet of kraft paper, and drew 1x1 inch squares on the paper, then I rotated the paper, and drew the grid again to create a paper grid of triangles. I then used Derwent Inktense Pencils and colored in triangles as I liked. Once I was happy with the design, I misted the whole page and then used a paper towel to blot up the extra water. I pressed the paper towel on the page like a stamp, and let the kraft dry. Then, I used Prismacolor Colored Pencils to bump up the color, and add some dimension. I colored some of the remaining lines with the colored pencil, and erased the plain pencil lines. Finally, I embellished and used this picture of my showing my girls to use Robin's Eggs as blue lipstick.

I love how dreamy this layout turned out. Give us your best go at SWAT! I can't wait to see your take on the trend!

~Venetia