operation 52: RESOLUTIONS

wouldja believe...

(can i get a drumroll here? or maybe a trumpetty fanfare thingie?? yeah...a fanfare's probably better!)

i have *FINISHED* paper adventure!!!

ok, so it was a one-year project which took me 14 months. i don't care. as far as i know, there is no statute of limitations on papercrafting. i am just pleased and proud to have DONE IT...and especially to have picked it back up after it totally got away from me at the end of october.

the final assignment, from the last week of 2008, was appropriately enough, "RESOLUTIONS". for the last couple of years i have semi-jokingly made a new year's resolution to be more selfish! not in a nasty, self-absorbed way... (hopefully!) ...just to try to stop falling into little traps i have a habit of setting for myself, such as feeling like i am responsible for helping out anyone remotely in my orbit, with any project or endeavor, at the expense of my own time and energy. or being "guilted" into taking on something i'd rather not do. (heck, sometimes i guilt *MYSELF* into doing things i'd rather not do!) or just generally being so critical of myself that nothing i do ever seems good enough. which is ridiculous, since i would never THINK of treating anyone else like that!

all this seemed like rich fodder for the very last page in my big fat bulgy paper adventure book; and being quite wordy, i thought it'd make a nice digi-word-art type o'thing...so i broke out some of the many distress/grunge fonts i have been collecting...and the cool chandelier brushes i enabled amy into (in a manouever which totally boomeranged!) and just basically went a bit nuts...and i am actually quite pleased with the result!

(software & background graphics: broderbund printshop; chandelier brushes: scrap-n-fonts; fonts: bleeding cowboys, jamai stevie, mom's typewriter, pea stacy doodle script, sidewalk, cocaine sans, pea missy unicase; photo paper: kodak premium)

text reads, "2009: the year i FINALLY, once-and-for-all, learn how to give myself a break and treat myself as nicely as i treat others. (the OTHER golden rule!)"

in conclusion, i would like to thank the miraculously wise and amazingly talented miss elise blaha for devising and playing hostess for such a great year-long adventure. i had fun, i learned A LOT of things, and best of all...i now have THIS little baby, to keep forever:

(can i get another, more conclusionary fanfare thingie? thanks!!!)

miss elise has said she'll be leaving up the prompts for this project indefinitely, so why not check them out here? if you want--for some reason--to see ALL of my pages, you can click this link...or the "paper adventure" label below. there is a flickr group (to which i must finish uploading) with pages from the many cool people who PA'd last year, and it is here.

operation 51: HOLIDAY!

i know what you're thinking. you're thinking, "ah! operation 51! that implies lauren has reached the penultimate paper adventure assignment...but then...lauren never does ANYTHING in order...so possibly it is a completely misleading idea!"

but no, you were right the first time: this is in fact the next to last page for my book! and we're only six weeks into the following year. go, me!!!!!!!!! :)

for HOLIDAY i decided to go super simple and document a favorite part of the festive season for lovely huband jeff and myself: decorations. we both love them, and we were very pleased to discover, the first christmas we were married, that our personal policies as to quantity (LOTS!) style (SPARKLY!) and location (EVERYWHERE!) overlapped perfectly.

(photo of our pink butterfly tree printed on kodak premium paper; kraft cardstock: bazzill; patterned paper: fancy pants; chipboard journaling card: my mind's eye; word stickers: love elsie, making memories, dcwv, k&co; alpha stickers: k&co; butterfly punch: marvvy; butterfly stamp: hero arts; stick-on pearls: michaels; pens: sharpie; inks: colorbox; other: foam tape, colored pencil)

text reads, "we are definitely not 'less is more' people when it comes to christmas decorations. in fact, we tend to say, 'the more the merrier'!!!"

operation 47: THANKFUL

yet another paper adventure page! (WOOHOO!)

this one was maybe the hardest to think of what to *DO*... (being as i am sooooo magnificently fortunate as to have an almost infinite supply of things for which i am truly, deeply, undeservingly grateful!) ...but then when i finally settled on my theme, it was one of the easiest pages to make.

i decided to go with something that has been a big part of my life the last couple of years; something for which it is not too dramatic to say, "this changed my life". seriously. those of you who've been following along for a while will already have guessed what is coming. yepper. it's three beautiful things. (for those of you who don't know what i'm talking about, allow me to direct you to the source of the phenomenon, ms. clare grant, and her magnificent blog; and here's a link which displays all of my posts with the label 3BT (in reverse order) if you're interested.)

ok, so basically, the thing that surprised and delighted me most about the 3BT process is how much the mindset of ACTIVE GRATITUDE...by which i mean making a point of specifically looking for, noticing, and being excited by the good things in your life...has made me feel more positive on a daily basis. it's kind of mind-blowing, actually. i highly recommend it to everyone!

(photo of 3BT journal printed on kodak premium paper, cut into the shape of a polaroid, inked & outlined; patterned paper: creative imaginations; alpha rub-ons: ki & scenic route; other: colorbox inks, zig pen, manual typewriter, aka "sister klara")

text reads, "thankful for...GRATITUDE?! no, seriously! keeping a 3BT journal is the best thing i have ever done. i knew it'd be fun to make and cool to read afterwards, but i had no idea how much it'd improve my outlook. turns out, the act of *LOOKING* for beautiful things makes you see the good that's all around. the more you see it, the more gratitude you feel...the more grateful you are, the more you can see how much you have to be thankful for. it's the reverse of a vicious circle. (and clare grant is my all-time *HERO*!)"

operation 46: SAVE

we are coming down to the home stretch of paper adventure. (many thanks for enduring the marathon of the last few weeks!) for this prompt, SAVE, the lovely elise blaha had this to say,

"I have been spending some time on my other blog talking about recycling and reusing items. And thinking a lot about ways to save money. What are your thoughts this week on SAVING? Or not saving?"

once again i was kind of puzzled as to how i would approach the topic...until one night when i knocked over the "junk bowl" next to my worktable. (this is where i toss the leftovers from projects which are too good to throw out but not important enough to put away in their proper homes. you know the sort of thing: 3 rub-ons i cut out but didn't use, the button i thought would look good but didn't, extra brads and stickers, & so forth) as i picked up a couple dozen tiny treasures, it led me to think not just of supplies, generally, but also how many little baggies and boxes and folders of "found art bits" i INSIST on accumulating. and thus, a page was born:

(kraft cardstock: bazzill; word bubble: bampop; rub-ons: scrapworks; creative imaginations, polar bear press, 7 gypsies; all other items are ephemera--tags, stickers, bits of packaging, things cut from magazines & brochures, buttons, ribbons, paper scraps & so forth)

text reads, "'SAVE ME!' cried the cute little monsta tag from my teatowels. many other tags, stickers and bits of magazine make similar demands on a regular basis. i hear and obey."

operation 44: PRETEND

this was a fun one! i knew right away what i wanted to say for this paper adventure topic. one of the reasons i spend most of my time at family gatherings playing with the nieces is that we genuinely do have an awful lot in common...maturity level, for one thing! :)

all i needed was a recent photo...a little computer-generated text...some alphabet stickers...et voila!

(picture of nieces (l to r) maddie, lindsay, cousin jillian & riley converted to high contrast b&w in photoshop & printed on kodak premium paper; text is "3 hour tour" formatted & printed in broderbund printshop; patterned paper: sei; letter stickers: basic grey; pen: zig)

text reads, "the only thing i ever really PRETEND to be is a GROWN-UP (luckily these guys are not fooled for a minute!)"

operation 49: SECRET

i know i have said this A WHOLLLLLLLLE BUNCH OF TIMES, but i'm gonna say it again anyway: the very best part of paper adventure is making all kinds of pages in all kinds of styles on all kinds of topics that would never have occurred to me on my own.

case in point, the prompt for this one was: "do you have a secret? can you keep a secret?" i was planning to address one or both of those questions in a more straightforward way... (the answers being, "nope" and "theoretically, depending on the secret" respectively) ...but then i got to musing on the nature of secrets, generally...and i wound up making this, instead:

(patterned paper: basic grey; magnetic alphabet stamps: amking memories; needlepoint yarn: dmc; pen: zig)

text reads, "isn't it funny how much SECRETS have in common with LIES? & once you embark on either, you're pretty much in a vicious circle. (bad idea!)"

and i really, REALLY like how it came out. (she said, modestly) i like that it is messy and raw and uneven. i like that the spirally circle thingie is wonky and the letters that i stamped one at a time are imperfect. i also found punching and stitching my way through an episode of monk to be the absolute perfect antidote for a frantic workday! (& i predict that hand-sewing-on-projects will be makin' a big comeback in these parts!)

operation 42: LAYERS

this *MIGHT* be my favorite thing i have made for paper adventure. actually, i am rather thrilled to tell you (somewhat immodestly) that there are quite a few pages in my increasingly bulgy, nearly finished book, which make me positively beam with pride. and--perhaps equally cool--only a few i look at and go, "ewwww". but before i gush more about fabulous ME, let's look at the page in question, shall we?

(vintage: timecard, (thanks debb!) illustration of lady, postage stamps & sheet music; little bird cut from magazine; scalloppy cardstock is a bit of packaging from fancy pants acrylic shapes; k&co diecut adhesive border; prima flowers; making memories transparency frame & jewel brad; rub-ons by my mind's eye & fancy pants; colorbox inks; staples; manual typewriter)

ok, so the theme was LAYERS, and elise's prompt was to describe layers and levels of ourselves or our relationships...but...the very first thing she said was, "interpret this one how you like" ...which is good, because the minute i read the title i had already decided what i was doing! everybody who's known me for more than 15 minutes has already sussed that i will leap, pro-wrestler-like, on top of any possible excuse to make a freeform collage.

any.

possible.

excuse.

seriously.

and this was practically an engraved invitation! anyway, my life and relationships are pretty straightforward, which might be why i like to make my art so complicated?! there's no journaling, per se... (the typed bits are phrases like "birds of a feather flock together" and "a bird in the hand" and "come fly with me") ...nevertheless it conveys everything i had to say!

♥ dontcha LOVE IT when that happens?! ♥

operation 45: HISTORY

(sorry if you're getting a bit bored of non-stop paper adventuring, but i am THRILLED to be ticking these off m'list! take heart, card fans: tomorrow there's a brand new CAARDVARKS challenge & a very silly, whimsical card to go with it!)

another paper adventure topic, another digi-page to support it. (when i've got a lot to say, it's just easier!) this time we're talkin' history. as soon as i read the prompt, i knew what i'd write about. watergate made an indelible impression on me at a very young age, and continues to influence the way i see the world and our political system.

(software: broderbund printshop; photo of richard nixon from t'internet, reversed & printed on kodak premium photo paper; font: arial...just for stef...)

text reads, "A few years ago, during an argument, I was accused of being unremittingly cynical on the topic of politics & politicians. It's a charge I can't deny, but in the process of considering how that had happened, it occurred to me that the first really big news story I remember following avidly was Watergate. I was nine when the story broke. We had just learned about Presidential politics in school by studying the 1972 election in depth. (Already a staunch Democrat, for months I lobbied every adult with whom I came in contact to vote for McGovern!) As each new allegation was revealed I began to realize that even my parents and teachers did not fully understand the implications of what was happening, or know where they would lead. The whole summer of '73 was spent watching the hearings on television. Even while it was going on, even from the perspective of a child, it was totally apparent that we were watching history unfold, and that no matter the outcome, America would never again see the office of the President in quite the same way."

operation 50: WINTER

moving right along with a simple digital page for paper adventure. i realize that where we live (central new jersey) the winters are fairly mild, especially compared to canada, or siberia, or the arctic. nevertheless, i hate them anyway, and moan unceasingly for every moment the tempertature is below 32 degrees. just because.

(page made in broderbund printshop; photo from t'internet; fonts: mistral, polaroid 22, arial)

text reads,

Calendar picture, frozen landscape,

Chilled this room for twenty-four days,

Evergreens, sparkling snow

Get this winter over with!
(The Waitresses sum up my feelings admirably)

operation 40: STYLE

weirdly enough, this paper adventure topic stumped me for quite a while. even though--or, me being ME, maybe because--the brief was incredibly simple: "what's your style?" elise asked. to tell the truth, i'm not sure i HAVE a style! but certainly, when it comes to clothing, i definitely have some very strong preferences...so i went with that!

(once again, i apologize for a badly lit photo which also makes my page look crooked; but i've had more than one go at this now, and frankly, it isn't worth more time & trouble to assay what the divine tracy calls, "the uber-scan"!!!)

(patterned paper: dcwv; clothing pics from t'internet; text formatted & printed in broderbund printshop; fonts: ck typewriter & bleeding cowboys)

text reads: "style? maybe...comfort, for sure!"

"95% of the time i am in blue jeans and a black top. if it's summer we are probably talking capris; in winter cashmere sweaters are a must. on formal occasions the jeans might be black velvet & a pair of grown-up shoes could conceivably be dusted off & endured."

operation 43: MUSIC

hooray for moving right along on the paper adventure front!

can i just say (AGAIN) that i am so pleased that i did not give in to my inner critic's nasty little voice; you know, the one that was trying to tell me that being behind by 10 or so weeks, and actually out of the year we were documenting meant that i should forget all about trying to catch up, and mark up another unfinished item on my mental tally. i mention this only because--and i'm a bit embarrassed to admit it--i have, in the past, actually let that voice influence me...and missed out on *GOOD STUFF*!

duh!!!!!!!!!

this time, theme is music, and i decided to go uber-simple and just list the songs that were my particular i-pod faves right before xmas. (i always love seeing other people's lists...and i think someday this will be a cool thing to look back on!)

ok, so the page. you know that magic ingredient in crafting which suddenly transforms a few ordinary items into so much more than the sum of their parts? yeah...well...this thing has the antidote! i love everything that's on it...and i had fun making it...but the result does not fill me with aesthetic pleasure. am i gonna keep working and obsessing and tinkering until i get something that's perfect and FABULOUS??! nope. it says what i wanted to say, and thus i declare it officially finished!

(vintage: endpaper from an old olllllld songbook & illustrations from another music book; glossy cardstock: ranger; music patterned paper: scrapbook wizard; rub-ons: ki, lil davis, autumn leaves; other: colorbox inks, uniball signo pen)

a couple of years ago i read something cathy zielske wrote, in which she described a similar sensation of being not entirely satisfied, but needing at that point to just be done with a project. and she summed up by saying, "sometimes 'good enough'...is good enough"! words to live by, folks! words to live by!

operation 41: WORRY

yes, it is still paper adventure week here at the old blogstead; trying to finish up my book now that i have a little more time. (isn't it amazing how just taking away the holiday stuff makes a regular amount of time...which seemed quite inadequate in november...suddenly seem like "extra"?! niiiiiiiice, i say!)

ok, so this one was worry--something i have struggled with for most of my life. (i come by it honestly...my mother is a figure of some repute in this field!) it realllllllly bothers me that i continue, from time to time, to fall into this habit; since i *KNOW* it costs me dearly in energy & peace of mind...and for absolutely no good reason!

(raccoon from a vintage children's book; kraft cardstock: unknown; patterned paper: crafty secrets; alpha stamps: brenda walton & provocraft; stickers: creative imaginations, 7 gypsies, hello kitty; rub-ons: royal langnickel & polar bear press; tag: rebecca sower; other: dymo labeller, foam tape, uniball signo pen, colorbox inks)

the text, which is a little reminder of the speech i've given myself for years reads, "one more time...repeat after me: WORRY IS POINTLESS! because while you are busy freaking out about stuff that never happens, something you could not possibly have anticipated is getting ready to blindside you. SAVE. YOUR. ENERGY."

yes, as a matter of fact that *IS* a blue raccoon onna surfboard. what's that??! you didn't recognize him as the universal harbinger of stresslessness & a worry-free existence??!???! how very odd! ok, ok: before you ask, i have absolutely no idea why he makes perfect sense to me in this context, but somehow he just does. i really like that little guy and i am pleased he agreed to be on m'page!!!

operation 48: TRADITION

seeing as how i hardly ever did the paper adventure pages in order even when i was (more or less) on schedule, i figure: why change now??!

(i tend to do them as the ideas come to me...also, in this case, i knew i needed to print pictures for "WORK" and "TRADITION"...and it seemed better to use one sheet of photo paper than waste two half sheets!)

ok, so for this one elise asked us to relate a tradition--holiday or otherwise--that means something to us. since jeff and i had had an entirely relevant conversation about this no more than ten days ago, i knew exactly what i would use!

(picture from internet printed on kodak premium photo paper; heidi swapp chipboard heart; rub-on letters in various fonts from: making memories & american crafts)

yes, that *IS* a big mac. and yes, the text says,

"EVEN THE PICKLES ARE NICE!"

this pertains to a scene from our favorite christmas movie bernard and the genie and is a bit of a catchphrase in our house. the journaling (below) essplains the rest.

(sheet of notebook paper glued to back of the photo & cut to size; epoxy heart: cloud nine designs; xmas sticker & rub-on: creative imaginations)

text reads, "the other day we were enjoying a (very rare) big mac and one of us naturally came out with one of our favorite lines from "bernard and the genie" (the line about the pickles) which made us both laugh. a few minutes later jeff said, "we should really have these when we watch next year...wanna make it part of the tradition?!" ...oh yeah...big macs & bernard...starting next christmas eve. (even the pickles *ARE* nice!) ...and thus a new tradition is born!"

operation 39: WORK

you may have noticed that two words which have been conspicuous in their absence from m'blog the last couple months are

PAPER ADVENTURE!

yeah.

the autumn totally got away from me. and i was bummin' bigtime...not to mention doing a guilt number on myself for having let it slide...particularly when it became clear in december that i could either

A) make christmas cards

or

B) do everything else creative in my life

and then the other day i woke up and thought, "i LOVE paper adventure! i love the group. i love the prompts. i love my 2/3 finished, increasingly bulgy book. i LOVE the bits that are done and i have ideas for the bits that aren't done. i don't care if it's 2009...by golly i am gonna finish it!!!!!"*

anyway, the next one up from when i left off was operation 39: WORK

and here is my page; the photo is eggregious, but i could not get it to come out any better, so i finally just went with it. please believe me when i say that the vellum is more see-through than that, and the letters stand out more, and that it isn't crooked, ok?! thanks.

(photo of the "new release wall" in my video store printed on kodak premium paper; journaling typed on vellum and layered on top; film-themed stickers: mrs. grossman; (god alone knows where i got those!) hello kitty sticker from an old calendar; letter stickers: sei, chatterbox, k&co, miss elizabeth; outlined with zig pen)

text reads:

I CANNOT BELIEVE I AM STILL HERE!

13 years

3 general managers

countless employees

1 fatality

1 relocation

3 spinny chairs

1 tetanus shot

9,000,000 customer complaints (MORE!)

(note: i mean TO me...not *about* me!)

2 transfers

2 "fifty year" floods

3 closed stores

1 arsonist

1 flasher

1 robbery

1 "stake out" (SUCCESSFUL!)

2 rat pack posters

more friendships than i can count

more movies than i can remember

less pay than i deserve (WAAAAAY less!)

...i could quit...but HOW could i...

GIVE UP SHOWBIZ??!

**********

more pages to come as i finish them. but i have to say already it feels good to be working on this again!

*because sometimes ya just gotta give yourself a stern talkin' to, knowwhatimean??? of course you do. so if you are currently beating yourself up about something...KNOCK IT OFF...figure out what the next step is...and just get started! and if anyone gives you a hard time, you just send them 'round to me, ok?! ok. i'm glad that's settled. as you were, people.

operation 38: FALL

two paper adventure pages in ONE WEEK?!?!!!!?

uh huh.
(i'm onna roll!)

the prompt for this one was "FALL". i had some very sensible & lovely foliage pics from when we were up in the adirondacks recently, and i intended to use one of those. but then i happened upon this one, from our anniversary weekend at the shore, and it made me laugh as much as it did when we were actually there, and kidding about the fact that this year fall was going to be so mighty that even the PLASTIC PALM TREES would turn a lovely orange.

so i used it instead! :)

(patterned paper: scrapbook wizard; chipboard letters: heidi swapp; photopaper: kodak; dymo labeller; american crafts pens, colorbox inks)

once again i have used very few embellishments... (but i PROMISE they have not been stolen, miss kristie!) ...it's not that i didn't WANT to embellish...it's not that i didn't TRY to embellish...it's just that when your color scheme is neon orange & sky blue...and your size is 5x7"...there is really only so much YOU CAN DO!!! so i settled for outlining everything in sight! (& i quite like how it turned out!)

operation 37: CHOOSE

once again i have fallen woefully behind on my paper adventure pages. isn't it sad that when it comes to a time crunch we tend to prioritize things intended for others, and put off those which are "just" (& what a giveaway that word is!) for us? i'm not worried though, because i know they'll get done, eventually. why, wouldja look at that--here's one now:

(software: broderbund printshop; fonts: guilty & adler; images from lion brand yarn)

the prompt for this one is CHOOSE. since we are utterly obsessed with the forthcoming election...and since my friend gill had just sent me a link to these hilarious & wonderful crocheted presidental candidate finger puppets...i thought it would be cool to document something that has absorbed us throughout most of this year.

operation 36: COLLECTIONS

ok, so last week's paper adventure prompt from elise was, and i quote,

"What do you collect?"

which gave me a few choices. i have quite a few art supplies, as well you know, and loads of books...but i don't really consider those collections...more like necessities. (hey--some of us are needier than others, ok?!) :) i *do* collect some other types of vintage-paper-based goodness, such as travel booklets, and funeral home fans... (here is an explanation of that one, in a blogpost from last summer!) ...but by far my biggest, longest-lasting and most passionate collection is postcards. i have A LOT of postcards. i don't know how many, and since i'm slightly afraid to count, why don't you g'head and choose a random number...one that seems like waaaaay too many postcards for one person to own....and then double it...which i suspect will get you distressingly close!

but instead of discussing *quantity*, for this page i decided to go back to the beginning of my collection, and document the very first card i bought for myself, aged about eight, on a family vacation. it was love at first sight...and still is!

(reduced scan of my very first postcard, printed on kodak premium photo paper; cardstock: paper co; patterned paper & cardstock arrow: basic grey; rub ons: ki & american crafts; rubber stamps: k&co; ink: colorbox)

text reads, "the very first item in my postcard collection, bought with 10 cents of allowance money, in the poconos, circa 1972; start of a lifelong obsession with paper & ink...graphics & text...this is...CARD ZERO!"

ps: you may notice our little friend the paper pieced deer making a second appearance in as many posts--i actually had this entire PA page planned (but not assembled) and the journaling written down when i found the pattern and made the card below...but then i thought, "well hey! there's a coincidence!" and decided to bring him back for a triumphant encore!!!

operation 35: START

ok, this is one of my favorite paper adventure pages ever because:

1. i loved the prompt (make a page about something we've just begun; in this case, my art journal!)

2. i loved MAKING the page (as you know, i will do freeform collage/indian themes at the least excuse!)

3. i love how it came out (what was in my head actually made it ONTO THE PAGE! heaven!)

see?

(lotsa fun vintage/funky bits including: sheet music, bengali newspaper, butterflies & typeface from an old children's book, plus images cut from magazines; journaling card: making memories; chipboard letters: heidi swapp, basic grey; decorative chipboard: maya road, k&co; rub-ons: sassafrass, fancy pants, autumn leaves, mambi; flowers: prima; gems: mambi; other: diamond glaze, colorbox inks, foam tape, uniball pen)

i think i'm gonna love doing this week's page, also. it's called "collections" ...and booooooooooooooy howdy do i have a variety of choices for that one! (can you say "pack rat"?!) yippeeeeeee!

operation 34: TO DO

as you know, it often takes me a week or two to physically make and post my paper adventure pages, but it doesn't mean i am not "working on" them before that. often i'll have the whole concept in my head...down to having written the journaling... (sometimes on the back of an envelope whilst driving to work!) ...and even knowing what products i'll use...from 5 minutes after i have read the prompt. this was one of those times:

(patterned paper: melissa frances, american crafts; journaling card, numbers & velvet letters: making memories; cardstock letter stickers: basic grey; roller stamp: provocraft; other: sharpie & uniball pens; ranger & colorbox inks; teddybear sticker; bits of (clean!) tissue stuck on with gluestick)

this prompt "to do" was from the week before last, whilst i was in the grips of COLDZILLA. i read it whilst i was taking a day off and laying miserably in bed and i thought, "well clearly i am gonna have to pick a different day, since today's agenda is pretty much just 'nap' and 'moan'...and not necessarily in that order!" and then 5 seconds later it hit me: *that* list is WAY BETTER than a regular one! i knew i wanted sickly green tones and specifically those fuzzy green letters, but that was as far as i got until this weekend. i found the loved-to-death teddy in with my stickers; but my favorite bit...the tiny crumpled tissues...were added at the very last minute, and they totally make me laugh!

operation 33: GO WORLD!

here is this week's paper adventure prompt, from elise, in full:

I am crazy inspired by the current VISA commercials for the Olympics. Actually, I am just crazy inspired by the Olympics. Take this challenge however you would like, but your starting off point? Go World.

ok, so usually at this point i would explain why i chose to go the way i went. except i can't. i was pondering the prompt while brushing my teeth and the whole entire thing just came to me, in a rush. all i did was write it down. basically, the premise is, what if there were an ACTUAL "mother earth"...and all the countries of the world were her children?

(software: broderbund printshop; fonts: international chunkfunk...hey don't look at me, i don't make the names up!...jules girl talk, 3 hour tour; cardstock: staples; transparency: 3m)

the text is on regular old white index stock; the frame is clipart from broderbund printshop which i printed on an inkjet transparency; it's a separate layer that can be moved so you can see the text more easily. the text--and there's lots of it--reads,

"Treat each other nicely! Would you like it if he invaded your BREAKAWAY regions?? Well, would you?! No pushing and shoving--everyone will get their turn! OOF!!! And no hitting! I saw that! I don't CARE who started it! India and Pakistan, can you please *SHARE* Kashmir?! Thank you! Right--whose turn is it to reduce the world's carbon footprint? Well, settle it or I'll ASSIGN someone. NO DESSERT until everyone's implemented a basic human rights policy! North Korea, do you need a TIMEOUT??! If I have to pull over and come back there, SOMEBODY'S gonna be sorry! China, use your *INDOOR* voice! So what if all the other countries have a nuclear arms program? If all the other countries were jumping off the roof, I suppose you'd want to do that, too?! I said no hitting--HONESTLY it's like I'm talking to myself! Look everyone: Switzerland has made some lovely chocolates! ...and when's the last time THEY had an internal conflict, eh?? The rest of you could stand to be a bit more like Switzerland you know... Big guys, help the little guys! If you weren't too tired to MAKE that mess, I don't want to hear that you're too tired to clean it up! Hey, USA! Nobody likes a tattle tale OR a know-it-all!!! Cool it, ok? Now who'd like to choose the book for storytime?