I think that’s the title of a book or movie and I seem to remember something about that if you don’t dance fast enough, something bad happens. Well, I’m not expecting something bad, unless it’s tripping over my own feet, but I honestly don’t think I can dance any faster, either! March has been a frantically busy month and it does seem at times as if I’m being a bit overwhelmed.
First, there’s the WI (that’s the national Women’s Institutes if you don’t live in Britain). We’ve put up a new website (http://www.southstreetwi.org.uk) and although we have a cracking great web guy doing it, I’m still having to liaise with him for text, photos, etc. Not too time-consuming, most of the time. Then I still do the newsletter for our group, plus I started a blog for our group (http://southstreetwi.blogspot.com). And of course, we’re starting up the Programme Committee to plan next year’s programmes, also. And guess who’s doing that again? Yes, yes, yes. Oh, and I’ve been taking lots of photographs for the website, newsletter, and blog, but you can see those if you look at those links to the website and blog. On the 26th of March we had the Annual Council Meeting for the East Kent Federation, and I was the voting delegate from our group. It was a great meeting and we had 850 attendees, so the Women’s Institute, which was started in 1915, is still going strong. I feel really privileged to be part of it.
But then… as if this wasn’t enough, I joined the local Whitstable camera club. Oh, dear… they meet EVERY Friday night, which is a little bit of a downside. I’ve already learned so much, though, that I’m really glad I did. I dug out all my old and new camera equipment, added a few more bits to it (of course), subscribed to a photo magazine, etc.
I belonged to some camera clubs in Colorado and Texas, but it’s been awhile. I didn’t even have a digital camera then…. it was all on film or slides. Below is a sunset picture I took recently from our deck.
So where has all this left my crafting life? Well, photography IS a craft, but I’m still carrying on with my Project Life scrapbooking, too. In fact, it’s probably what has spurred my renewed interest in photography! I’ve been devouring information, inspiration, advice, tips, and discussion online with other PLers this month. I’ve so far finished January, February, and March (I’m doing the month-by-month approach) and absolutely love it, still. It’s not as easy as it looks, though. Here’s what I struggle with:
- getting the right photo in the right orientation (portrait or landscape) for the pocket pages
- getting the right orientation in the right chronological sequence (but I think I’ve given up on that!)
- making my layout look lively and unified, not just a collection of photos slapped into an album
So I’m not going to share any layouts/pages just yet. I will, in time, once I get something worth sharing. I’m accumulating quite a big pile of PL cards, stamps, dies, and page protectors meanwhile.
This represents just a start. I’ve added even since then!
The thing about Project Life is that each layout is a collection of photos of things or people that means something to the person doing it. For example, I’ve seen pictures of meals, manicures, pets, flowers, weather through the window, and other ordinary daily encounters. Unlike traditional scrapbooking, where one or two photographs are decorated and embellished on one page, then admired by everyone for their artistic qualities, the PL albums to me are so much more personal. Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely LOVE looking at other PL layouts even if I don’t know the people in the photographs! In fact, I seek them out, but for inspiration and maybe to validate that what I’m doing is also “okay”. I especially love looking at handmade decorated journal cards. I can see my altered art and art journal experience coming into play here. Someday. When I have time. Umm hmm. . .
