The Height of Summer: How did we all measure up?

Hello, hello.

When I first pondered turning my little idea into a full-blown interactive silly summertime series about height ... I hoped you'd 'get' it. I guessed you'd 'get' it. I wanted you to 'get' it.

And boy, did you ever!

Let me tell you, if you think your email inbox is strange, you haven't seen anything until you wake up to 5 messages from people you've never met telling you how tall they are.

And I've loved it. Thanks so, so much!

I'll try not to ramble-on too much because, there's not a lot of need to. Judging by the comments I've received and which I know you all have [I've been reading them] I think we've all had a great time sharing or tales.

Let me try to summarise what we can take away from it:

• I'm pretty certain we know more about each other than when we began;
• we've discovered new connections between ourselves;
• we've discovered new empathies; such as realising that the tallest and the smallest alike both struggle to find clothes to fit and have felt self-conscious about their size;
• we learned that many of us hadn't been measured in a long, long time until this month when some of us discovered we'd grown ...
• ... while others found just the opposite.
• we've been privileged to glimpse into your family's lives with some wonderful group photos, wedding photos, photos of your children and your children's height charts being shared.

So thank you. Thank you!

But now for something I wasn't expecting:

I always knew it would be interesting for all of us who've never met but, something I didn't consider was the quality entertainment which bubbled up between those of you who actually already have met!

• All those 'are you sure you're that tall?' and 'I'm pretty sure we're the same height and I'm not that tall' friendly accusations ...
• Your vying for position, arranging yourselves in order ...
• and the occasional calls for a re-match / re-measure .... where I feared I'd have to play referee ...

... they've all been fab to read through!

And finally, before the big reveal ....

Here's all the things I didn't take into account when creating the height-chart:

I didn't allow you to sneak into your measurements ...

• any hats you were wearing ... 
• the kind of flooring you were standing on ... or
• the quality of your root-lifting shampoo ...

Neither did I accept:

•  Any of the 'and three quarters'; 'and a half'  or 'and a bit' extras you added on.

For one; I could never have arranged you on the chart accurately ... plus ...

• If I'd counted up all of those 'bits' you tried to offer, I could have made up an entirely new blogger who'd have been taller than us all!

So, with that in mind ... allow me to introduce the one ... the only Height of Summer Contributor Height Chart:

Here's who's who & where you can find them:

6’0
Marcia http://marciabeckett.blogspot.co.uk/

5’11 We had no takers for the 5'11 spot! Is there a shortage? [Pardon the pun].

5’10
Carmen http://whoopidooings.blogspot.co.uk/
Dawn http://scraphappens-dawn.blogspot.co.uk

5’ 9
Deanna http://searchingsavannah.blogspot.co.uk/ ;
Amy http://overatourplace.blogspot.co.uk/

5’ 8
Beverly http://beglorious.blogspot.co.uk/
Jemma http://just-jimjams.blogspot.co.uk/
'Furrypig' http://chattycraftyartypig.blogspot.co.uk/

5’ 7
Mel http://ispeakmelsh.co.uk/ ;
Ginger http://gingerslifeofspice.blogspot.co.uk/

5’ 6
Melissa http://blog.Mshanhun.com ;
Ruth http://suburbansahm.blogspot.co.uk
Jo http://sugarandscrap.blogspot.co.uk/

5’ 5
Rinda http://gallorganico.blogspot.co.uk/ ;
Miriam http://miriamrogers.co.uk
Chipper http://hotfudgesundaewithacherryontop.blogspot.com.au/

5’ 4
Mel http://melgetsscrappy.blogspot.co.uk/ ;
Julia http://juliaheald.blogspot.co.uk/;
Jennifer http://jennifersjumbles.blogspot.co.uk

5’ 3
Helena http://helenascreativemaven.blogspot.co.uk/ ;
Denise http://deecie.blogspot.co.uk/ ;
Alison http://alisonslife-in-the-slow-lane.blogspot.co.uk/ ;
Jacky http://scrappyjackylive.blogspot.co.uk/

5’ 2
Sian http://fromhighinthesky.blogspot.co.uk/ ;
Lythan http://slightlysquiffy.blogspot.co.uk ;
Alexa http://simplyalexa.typepad.com ;
Nathalie http://anounceofcreativity.blogspot.co.uk/ ;
Me http://notesonpaper.blogspot.co.uk/

5’ 1
Abi http://creatingpaperdreams.blogspot.co.uk ;
Debs14 http://debs14.blogspot.co.uk/ ;
Ladkyis http://scrapbookannie-ladkyis.blogspot.co.uk/

5’ 0 Sue http://soojjay.blogspot.co.uk/ ;
Amanda http://all-kindsofwonderful.blogspot.co.uk

4'11
Kirsteen http://lifeinthecraftlanek.blogspot.co.uk/ ;
Karen http://talesfromthescrapheap.blogspot.co.uk/

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So there you have it. Any surprises? Relief? Conclusions? Observations?

I'd love to hear them!

Personally I'm wondering about the most frequent height being 5'2: my height. Is that just a coincidence ... or did I somehow tempt out more people who thought 'Yeah? Me too?, 'I don't know.

But I do know it's been great fun and a true pleasure to have had your company.

Shoulder to shoulder. Shoulder to ear. Shoulder to elbow. Whichever it was ... it was fun!

Thanks again.

Julie

Art Journaling: The Heart of a King

Hi, hi.

Before I share another size-related art journal page .... a small warning ...

If you wanted to see your smiling face on the Height of Summer height chart I'm putting together - to see where you measure-up amongst all those who've joined in so far - you only have one day left. Today in fact [or early tomorrow, depending on when I get up and how busy my Thursday is!].

I'll be closing The Height of Summer and blogging the finished height chart on Thursday [30th Aug 12] to make room for Friday's Month in Numbers and clearing the decks for a new month ahead. So - if you want to be on the chart, but don't have time for a post, just leave me your height in the comments.

Of course, if you liked the idea, and planned to post something at a later date, I'll still swing by to admire your stature / sympathise with your lack of it.

Now let's move on to the arty bits where today's size-related quote is one I'm certain you'll recognise:

The woman illustration is from the size chart in the back of a Gudrun Sjoden catalogue. Much like with Jack Wills I [a] love the clothes; [b] can't really afford them but [c] adore the style of the catalogues and frequently cut them up for my journaling instead!

I used [very old rub-ons] for the titling and the floral elements:

While the washi tape is from Hobbycraft's new decorative tape range - which I was pleasantly surprised to find in there last week. [Oh, before you think that this is an advert, let me assure you it isn't! I'm not paid to tell you about their tape. I bought it with my own money. Wait .. no ... that's a lie, James actually treated me. But he really did buy it with his own money!].

The patterned paper is available from 3DJean  [OK, that is something I didn't pay for it ... it was in my DT package this month!]

The 'This order has been checked as correct' sticker must have come from a parcel I've received ... I can't remember! And the snippet about 'stateliness' came from a vintage architecture book which has come in very useful when looking for phrases about size and scale during this series.

And here's the finished effect:

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Click to visit the Pinterest board filled with everyone's contributions.

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I know this post has already got a touch unwieldy ... but I just need to sneak in some extras before I go ...

 

I want to answer a couple of questions left for me lately - both on topics I could [and maybe should] elaborate on at a later date ... but I didn't want to leave them hanging until then ... so here's the short version of my answers:

• Q: How long does it actually take you to find appropriate bits of text from real actual books? 'Cos I love the way you do that and I totally want to steal - er, I mean, be inspired by - the idea, but when I tried to find one particular word I got bored and fed up after about 40 minutes of flicking through pages. It wasn't even a tricky word.
• A: I don't often sit and try to find a specific word. It's usually the other way around: I'll browse a few books [possibly chosen as I know the themes are similar] then see if anything leaps out at me. Like I said above - I flicked through an architecture book to find a quote about scale. I rarely have the finished phrase in mind when I begin - I like to let what I find surprise me!

And:

• Q: When you use vintage ephemera on your pages, do you worry about the archival qualities of the elements you are using, or isn't it really a big deal? I have a few older items such as dictionary pages I would like to use, but wonder if they will stand the test of time. Maybe it isn't much of an issue? I'm curious what others think.
• A: As I sell vintage paper I guess I need to have this as a Frequently Asked Question section ... but until then here's the condensed response. In short: it's not a big deal to me at all, I don't mind how my pages will fare in the future, my main pleasure is derived from the 'making' rather than the preserving for the future aspect. I consider it my hobby / creative activity in my 'here-and-now' and so, my attitude toward archival issues is entirely laidback.That said - all the photos I use are prints - so there's nothing precious there to deteriorate.

I hope I've at least addressed the basic principles behind those questions ... thanks for asking them. They've given me lots of food for thought on future topics to tackle!

 

Right, I really am clearing off now ... see you tomorrow.

 

Julie :-)

Art Journaling: Long books + large cuppas

Hello, hello.

I gave myself a few days off from anything even remotely work related last weekend and instead I  devoured several library books. And I loved every minute of it!

So here's an appropriately bookish page from my journal:

The cute bespectacled tea-drinker is cut from a sheet of Jon Burgerman wrapping paper [an artist who I once corresponded with in an attempt to persuade him to go into production of scrapbook paper / stamps. But alas, he never did!]

Meanwhile the quotation ...

... is from C.S Lewis [an author who I once corresponded with in an attempt to persuade him to write about a lion, a witch and a ... no, hang on ... no, that wasn't me.]

 

And the tea cup is cut from a box of tea bags which was too nice to throw away without saving at least a little bit [see, I told you I used food packaging in my crafting].

Oh and, before I go ...

 

As regular readers here will know, some of my favourite long, tea assisted, books of recent times have been Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies - and I know some of you have also been reading the. So I wanted to check ... have you heard about the TV adaptation?

 

Of course I'll be watching ... but with great trepidation! What if they ruin in? Tell me they won't ruin it? And really - only 6 hours long?? For both books? Around 1100 pages? How much screen-time does that work out as per page? Oh dear ... maybe I should be saving this for Friday's Month in Numbers ...

 

Can you tell the news has thrown me a bit? Perhaps I need to sit down with a nice cuppa ...

 

Julie ;-)

Scrapbooking with Plundered Pages: One of Yours?

Hi, hi, hi.

I've spent much of the week cutting into dozens of vintage books in order to create the Autumn range of Plundered Pages packs [I also, almost accidentally, created another, brand new, art-journaling inspired range while I was there ... but that's a story for another day!] ... back to Plundered Pages ...

Yes, so, I've had some quality time with old books and a blade this week which has led to:

• fewer paper cuts than you might imagine;
• zero craft knife accidents;
• as much sneezing as you might imagine and;
• as many delayed meals as anyone who gets as absorbed as I do in some tasks will recognise!

It's also meant that I thought it was a good time to share another scrapbook page I've made using the kinds of vintage paper items which go into my Plundered Pages. Not only to prove that vintage items are something I use, and love, in my own crafting, above and beyond creating the packs for you too ... but also ...

... because I was very touched that several of you left comments on my recent layout posts telling me you'd actually missed me sharing my pages here. That came as a surprise. A nice one, but a surprise just the same!

So here's my latest:

That figure heading off down to the sea is my Dad.

He didn't know I took that photo at the time. He will now I guess!

Hello Dad.

As I watched him wander off toward the waves, where there was a large ship on the horizon, I wondered if he was remembering his time in the shipbuilding industry ... which is where the vintage pages come in to their own:

Buttons: 3DJean ¦¦ Cloud sticker: Echo Park

As you can probably tell, the flags, taken from an old encyclopedia, depict various shipping companies one of which I'm pretty convinced he actually used to work for! [I'm sure he'll let me know ... by text ... any minute now ...].

Once I'd found such a perfectly appropriate page, I was more than happy ... but still went on to seek out a few extra, complimentary, items as I generally like to use at least 3 instances of the same element on my pages as it:

• [a] balances things out and ...
• [b] helps prevent the 'sneeze effect' as my friend Jan would call it: where items look out of place and randomly, aimlessly, sneezily, thrown down on the page!

So next  I added in a little snippet about sea conditions, from the same encyclopedia:

And then I turned to my vintage postage stamp collection and found something suitably nautical to tuck beneath my photo:

Wooden disc: The Range ¦¦ Metal charm: The Ribbon Girl

 Then finally I snipped some wording from a 1970s children's comic to add to the top amongst some appropriate phrases on the backing paper [Studio Calico, Heyday]:

I made the triangle / wave design by inking over just the top section of this Christmas Tree mask 

And the finished result again [to prevent you scrolling back up again and getting carpal tunnel syndrome. See how I take care of you?]:

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Right then, I'm off to make my dining table vanish beneath oceans of vintage paper. And I'm not coming up for air until I've turned them into a new selection of Plundered Pages.



click to browse all available Plundered Pages

I'll see you soon ...

Julie

Art Journaling: A Short Guide to Avoid Errors in Scale

Hi, hi, hi.

Ahhh ... I must have been rather imperious and commanding in my previous post [or else I sounded desperate ... either/or] because several more of you have thrown your heights and height-related posts at me since.

There's even a few more 'perfectly in the middle' types [that's for those of you who took exception to the term 'average';-)] and tall ladies revealing themselves too. Meaning that that height chart I'm compiling is now filling out nicely with lots more of you sitting up there above me. [While you're there ... I should mention that yes, my hair needs dyeing. I hope my roots aren't too distracting for you ...].

Today's journal page begins with a combination of some rub-ons I've had for a million years and a phrase plundered from an old architectural book, all swiftly followed by a Shakespearean quotation [because there's very little in life which you find yourself wanting to say ... but which good old Will hasn't already said. Better. Much, much better.]

The quote's taken from A Midsummer Night's Dream and goes thusly:

Though she be but little ... she is fierce ...

The super-cute bunny - who I've customised here - is from this digi-printable from Kirsty Neale

 I can't imagine why that particular phrase appealed to me ...

And what page would be complete without some zebra-print washi tape?

And here's how it all hangs together on the full page:

I don't think Kirsty will mind me toughening up her bunny girl in the name of art-journaling and Shakespeare!

Thanks for swinging in today.

Julie :-)

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Click to visit the initial Height of Summer post for more ideas on how to join in: 

But, if you just want to get yourself on the height chart ... you just need to leave me a comment with your height and then I'll go grab your blog avatar to use.