Month: November 2013

I got a peek at “Your December Story” and I’m giving away a free pass

I checked out lesson 1 of Debbie Hodge’s Your December Story this weekend, and I want to tell you about the class and give you a peek at how it’s inspired me. And I’m giving away one pass to the class. (If you already purchased the class, you’ll get a $24 gift card good for any other GIS/MSD classes.)

Your December Story is shaped around the Hero’s Journey

This December, like Dorothy dropped into Oz or Alice tumbled into Wonderland, you will receive a call to adventure. You will move from the ordinary world into a one of magic and tests as the holiday season arrives.

Many of the most-loved and best remembered stories play out in a story form described by Joseph Campbell as “the hero’s journey.” This class has prompts and page ideas for visual storytelling that have you telling Your December Journey, from the heralds, to the challenges, mentors, special tools and the return to the known world and what you take forward.

You can take the journey and get a $10 gift card . . .

but only through midnight Wednesday, November 20th. When you purchase “Your December Story” by midnight PT, Wednesday, November 20, you also get a $10 gift card that you can use for Get It Scrapped and Masterful Scrapbook Design classes. Click here to purchase Your December Story and get the $10 gift card.

This is the layout I created using the first lesson and how I was inspired to create it;

November Normal by Michelle Houghton | Supplies: paper and chipboard; Farmhouse Paper Company, sticker letters; Jenni Bowlin, leaves; Prima, ink; Copic, other; transparencies and computer font

Debbie inspired me to look at the entire holiday season as an adventure, from day to day life transitioning into the preparations and then into the holiday itself.  Year after year I take the standard photos of the holiday season and I find I run out of things to say about the same old, same old photo shots.  I am excited about taking a second look at the holiday and the deeper meaning of the events and emotions surrounding it.  I know just from this first lesson that my pages this season will have more meaning to them and tell “the rest of the story”.

The page I started with is about where I am starting at today.  My “November normal”  I had a fun time trying to capture shots of where I spend a majority of my time and then sharing about each of them.  I used my phone to get these photos, the goal being to make it look like you are getting my exact view of my current world.  Here is what it looks like a little higher up.

The journaling is a little hard to read since it is printed onto transparencies and then layered over patterned paper.  It is much easier to read in person.  Here it is if you are curious however 🙂

photo 1-The daily grind at the Houghton home is where I am at.  This is a look at many mornings for me a large batch of laundry at my feet Maisey near by on her cushion napping.  You could replace the pile of laundry with bills to pay, floors or bathrooms to clean or food prep for later.

photo 2-Computer and art at this desk is still a joy for me.  I spend time both creating and learning at this spot and continue to love creating in my own little corner of the crafting world.

photon3-Car time is a much bigger part of all of our lives than we would like right now.  This year the car time has been bumped up significantly with 4 days at Chow’s Gymnastics and swimming and diving still running.  The girls have become VERY adapt at getting work done in the car!

photo 4-Yep you guessed it, watching.  This is at the gym where I spend a lot of hours these days.  Chow’s is 20 minutes from our home and the girl’s classes overlap so there is no running home to get a few things done.  I will run errands at ovations near by but mostly just like the girls I have become very adapt at using my time.  I travel with my laptop and art work often and get a majority of my writing done at the gym, with my girls flipping away in the foreground.

Next I will do a page about my “heralds” and the “call to adventure”  I am already scheming and trying to think of how to get them on a page.

See how the rest of the blog hoppers are using this class (and get 20+ more chances to win)

• Anna Aspnes
• Betsy Sammarco
• Christy Strickler
• Marie-Pierre Capistran
• Katrina Kennedy
• Carrie Arick
• Doris Sander
• Melissa Shanhun
• Michelle Houghton (you are right here)
• Sue Althouse
• Terry Billman
• Kiki Kougioumtzi
• Susanne Brauer
• Sian Fair
• Jana Morton
• Paula Gilarde
• Kristin Tweedale
• Katie Scott
• Amy Kingsford
• Tami Taylor
• Stefanie Semple
• Katie Nelson

Put your name in the drawing to win the class

Leave a comment telling me how you like to document your December memories. I will draw the winner on Thursday, November 21, 2013.