Wonky Frame and Summer Haiku

It's the first of the month, which means a new gallery is up at Write.Click.Scrapbook. This month's approach: look through the WCS Tumblr for inspiration for a layout. If you don't know what Tumblr is (I didn't until last month!) there's an explanation. Here's the layout I made:

I wrote about the inspiration piece in my notes in the gallery...but you can see it here: cute wallpaper. I said this in my notes, but now I am going to say it again. I used to make layouts like this all the time, with the hand-drawn, slightly wonky frames. I'm not sure why I stopped, other than maybe it stopped feeling like a cool, new technique. I hate that about myself, that I allow myself to be swayed. Even though, when I am scrapping, I try to do it my way and not worry about what is popular, I still sometimes struggle with that voice in my head, the one that says "this is ___________" [lame, overused, old, boring]. Sometimes I don't manage to ignore it very well. I'm happy to reunite myself with the wonky frame (I am Officially Naming it that right now).

But here's the deal: when I started working on my layout, I had the wrong thing in my head. I surfed through the WCS Flickr group instead of the Tumblr. (What's with all the missing Es?) I found a lovely bit of inspiration, went happily along making my inspired-by layout...and only when I uploaded my file did I realize: DOH! Wrong thing! So, I am sharing that layout here, too:

It was inspired by this cute mini book (you can see more of it here, on Jennifer's blog). I use quite a few bits and pieces of poetry in my albums, and have even made layouts based on poetic forms, but I would have never gotten to the moment-as-haiku without Jennifer's example. I made this layout completely with scraps, except for the stickers, which made me feel all sorts of virtuous and responsible. I used a few favorite nature-themed quotes and a (very bad) haiku I wrote myself. In fact...I have been thinking about haiku ever since I made this, and have decided to write one haiku a day for the month of October. Is that a weird goal? I'm not sure. I like the way the form forces you to think extremely small, to slow down and notice details and to uncover the hidden thing, the one that makes the leap for you, taking it from a description to an image.

I might even share some on my blog! (Stop rolling your eyes...I know who you are. Eye roller!) Anyone else want to play along?

Comments

[Jamie Bocanegra]

probably not a common goal but then you are not a common gal! you know, (right?), that I mean that in every good way!
I hope you share them with us. I've always liked Haiku. I didn't realize why before, never thought much about it I guess (not a deep thinker here..... ) but you're right it's because they invoke such powerful images by their smallness.

[Helena]

I love the wonky frame layout.

[Britt]

Cute, cute, cute!

[Melanie]

Love your layouts! This makes me want to start scrapbooking again. It's been so long that I have a lot of catching up to do! When I'm ready, I know where to go for inspiration.

[Robin W]

I have always loved haikus; whenever I travel I try to look at what I'm seeing/feeling/hearing and write haikus about it. Later when we're home these poems really bring back the moment for me. I like your idea of writing one a day for a month.

[elizabeth]

Tee hee. Writing a haiku-a-day is a little bit this side of nerdy. But I think that's why I've taken to you so much : )

[JanSC]

Haiku - three lines, 5, 7, 5, right? Creative writing was way too many years ago. Love the layout.

[wendy]

You're so cute! I love Wonky.

And I may have to do a haiku a day, too.