Hartley Rowe: January 2013

Monday, January 14, 2013

A Little Bit of San Francisco.....

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I had almost given up on the project above, but I was persuaded not to by my son. My oldest son, Andy, is moving back to his beloved city of San Francisco to start a new job. I wanted to give him a small house warming gift for his new apartment so I worked on an inkjet transfer onto wood using one of the photos I had taken there during a past trip. I was not happy at all with the way it was turning out, but he saw a "diamond in the rough". I had abandoned the project and written it off as a "fail". He took one look at it and could tell that it could become a beauty, something he would love to have in his new place. So, with the encouragement of one of my biggest cheerleaders, a.k.a. Andy, I resumed the project and finished it up. I'm happy to say, I have reports of it making the trip to San Francisco safely and it is now in its new home.

Here are a couple of pictures of the transfer of the Golden Gate Bridge onto a reclaimed lumber board. Andy, I hope you like it and and that you enjoy being able to see a bit of the bridge every single day....clouds or no clouds:)

Below is the inkjet printout I used as a transfer onto the wooden board. I love the end result as it appears to be very aged and weathered.

One of the benefits of having adult children that live in amazing locations is that I get to visit them in their wonderful cities......I sure can't wait for my next visit to San Francisco!

I hope you all have some wonderful trips planned for 2013. Be sure to take lots of pictures. You never know what special treasures and creations those photos will become.......

~ Alison

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Tuesday's Treasury List ~ One Day Late.........(my latest Etsy Treasury List)

'I Love My Border Collie!' by hartleyrowe

I had no idea there were so many Border Collie owners who loved their dog as much as I love mine! Here are some great creations honoring this wonderful breed. My dog's name is Jake. What's yours?

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Starting a New Chapter......

There's a story here.....

There's a story behind the pages you see above. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I look forward to reading it as the year progresses. I may not be "reading" it in the literal sense. This journal I just completed will be journeying with my son back to Egypt, his new home following his recently completed study abroad semester there. I will most likely depend on my son's updates to Facebook, his blog, and other social media applications to keep me connected to him. But I will also imagine him writing in this journal each day in a place so far away.

This was my first attempt at bookbinding by hand and it will certainly not be my last. I loved the process beginning...to end. I like the fact that I touched and shaped each of these pages for my son. Hopefully as he records his journal entries outlining his experiences in his new home and at his new career, it will bring him some comfort by reminding him we're here for him at all times. He's a new college grad with an Anthropology degree and he is setting out to study, educate and serve the world!

These empty pages symbolize so much to all of us. They represent an unwritten story of the future waiting to be told, the story of 2013, and beyond. They will most likely reminisce of the past days of 2012 as well. 2012 has been an amazing year for all of us in so many ways. All of our four children have reached major milestones in their personal lives and their careers ~ ranging from our oldest becoming a small business owner while still juggling the act of the corporate world, to our youngest getting his drivers license. It's also been a year of discovery for me as I started the Hartley Rowe blog and opened my Etsy shop. And, to anchor us all, 2012 has become the last full year my husband is a member of our beloved US Military. We are looking toward his retirement from the Navy this summer and all the possibilities and challenges that come along when a lifelong member of the military (he was a Navy kid as well), tries to navigate his way in a civilian world. 2013 will be an exciting one for our family for sure!

So, here's to the beginning of stories...for my family and for yours ~ let's all keep reading to see how they out.

Thank you for stopping by today and thank you for a wonderful 2012 for the Hartley Rowe blog.

~ Alison

P.S. Keep an eye out for a future post with a tutorial on how I put the journal together. If anyone out there has any tips for bookbinding, I would love to hear them. By the end I was covered in glue and fearful it would all fall apart!! Thank you!