Writer's World Wednesdays-Fifty Shades of Child Pornography

Several things combined this week leading up to this post.  Fair warning, if you are here for a short and sweet, fun and fluffy post, turn back now.

Here are the events:

1. Romance Writer's of America's annual convention.  Several of my writer friends attended so I was seeing pictures posted in their Facebook feeds.  In the past, I've heard some of them describe the workshops as being overly abundant in the area of how to graphically write sex scenes to capture a reader's imagination.
2. I overheard a "statistic" that men are the fastest growing audience of romance novels because the level of graphic sex in them is mental pornography.  I only overheard this statistic and a quick Google search didn't turn anything up so I'm not claiming it's true; I'm just saying it contributed to where my mind went.
3. First release of the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movie trailer which also exploded in my Facebook feed both with excited, "Can't WAIT!" and, "This is HORRIBLE!".
4. This news article on recruiting special op's veterans who have seen the worst war can dish out to track down child pornography perpetrators.  The entire article isn't long and is worth reading, but here's the bit that unnerved me the most:

There are more than 500,000 individual computers in the U.S. storing or transmitting hard-core images and movies of infants and toddlers being raped, according to Cooper. Seizure of those computers and arrests involving their owners leads to the direct rescue of actual child victims in more than half the cases, she said.

“Much like trading baseball cards, this crime is predominantly fueled by predators interested in "sharing." The images themselves become the currency in this global trade,” said Cooper. “The demand for new images of children being raped fuels the demand for new and more violent, sadistic images which can then only be met by the rape of additional children.”

“This isn’t a profit-motivated crime,” says Arnold. “It’s twisted. They are collectors and it’s more fun to share. It’s evil.”

There are a hundred ways to weigh in on the "Fifty Shades of Grey" argument, but here's my question: From where are the above-mentioned perpetrators of child pornography drawing their inspiration for "new and more violent, sadistic images"?  Would women be clamoring to read the book or see the movie if the heroine was seventeen? What if she was twelve? How about Seven? Or three? Two months old? Where does the line between what's acceptable to our collective society and what's perverted get drawn?

As a writer--as a Christian woman who writes romantic stories--where do I draw the line?  I firmly believe that God invented sex, created our bodies to enjoy it, and set boundaries allowing us to freely enjoy it.  I don't find anything objectionable in describing how a kiss or a touch can be exciting to the senses as long as it doesn't cross over the line.

But where's the line?

My line is different than yours. My line is affected by how, when I was a young girl, I read innocent Harlequin Romances that led me down a path to more and more graphic descriptions. My line comes from a place where I can no longer read anything that delves beyond what would be considered unrealistic by most because it's sin for me.

As a writer--as a Christian woman who longs to pass wisdom and a Godly example to those who follow behind me--where do I draw my line knowing that even the most innocent descriptions can lead a reader to seek out something "more realistic"?

As a writer--as a Christian woman with a enough sense to know that I can't make choices for others--should I compromise on "my line" to sell a book? What if a publisher wants more? What if they want less? Is my line the standard, or is it what's acceptable to the publisher who knows their audience better than I do?

Not a lot of answers today--not for you and not for me. But I encourage you to ask your own questions and set your own lines with your children and your children's children in mind.

Until next time,

Becca

Hello Friend

A friend of mine says she's not creative...except for writing notes which she's not done in forever.  I thought I'd put a quick set of note cards together for her so she is inspired to start writing again.

Stamp: Verve Friendly Phrases
Paper: CTMH Veranda
Washi Tape: CTMH Houndstooth Lagoon
Accessories: Crochet Flower (CTMH) and sequins (Hobby Lobby)

I used the sketch from Case This Sketch: #86 and the Tic-Tac-Toe challenge from CAS-ual Fridays using "Dots, White, Sequins"

It doesn't get much easier than this.  I hope these bring a smile to her face and to those who receive a note from her.

Until next time,
Becca

Hot Air Pattern Play

Online Card Classes is having a sale this weekend (see post below for link), so I've been playing with a couple of their older classes.  This card is from Pattern Play.  I'm linking it up to Heart2Heart: Some Like it Hot since it uses hot air balloons.

Stamps are from Holiday Tags, everything else is just background paper.

Is that too cool, or what!

Until next time,
Becca

Online Card Class - Playing Catch Up

Online Card Classes is having a sale this weekend so I bought myself two back-dated classes and the upcoming Stretch Your Stamps 2.  Today was spent watching the Inspirations Showcase.  Oh. My. WORD!  I can't believe the number of techniques she takes you through.  It inspired me to create this:

I am adding this to the Simon Says Stamps: Emboss It challenge.

The roses are by PSX with a date of 1997 on the side.  The sentiment is from CTMH.  I white embossed the roses onto watercolor paper and went to town with Tim Holtz Distress Stains in Broken China, Peeled Paint and Spun Sugar.  I got these three colors in the clearance bin at my Hobby Lobby a while back because much of the Tim Holtz stuff, while fabulous in it's own way, is not my normal style so I didn't want to spend a fortune on it.  I supplemented with CTMH inks in Smokey Plum and Tulip to create the deeper shading to the roses and add some purple to the background.

I used Create a Shade Pearl Paint and water in a spritzer to create a glimmer mist.  I sprayed that over the top of my embossed roses and then started painting with the distress inks.  The secret to this one was to layer more and more color after allowing each layer to dry.  As you can see from the close up, I wasn't terribly fussy about keeping my color within the lines.  With this technique, the sloppy look totally works.

Between this card and the multiple techniques used in the Inspirations Showcase, I might need to invest in some more of the Distress Stains and inks.  Love, love, love how this turned out.

Until next time,
Becca

Sending My Love

My mom is really going through it right now.  She is one of seven children who get along to varying degrees.  This one doesn't speak to that one, that one doesn't speak to a different one, but all of them speak to her and use her as the family mediator.  Blech!  I called her the other night and she was almost in tears.  I'm pretty good about sending encouraging cards to my friends, but I tend to think of my mother as something of an emotional rock.  Today I thought I would put together a simple card using Freshly Made Sketches to let her know I'm thinking of her.

All supplies are in italics are CTMH.

• Stamps: Cityscapes, Adventure USA, and Say It In Style
• Ink: Whisper, Gypsy, and Cashmere (pigment); Momento Tuxedo Black
• B&T Paper: Smokey Plum (left side under white panel...same effect could be done with sponging)
• Accessories: Slate Ribbon, Liquid Glass (aka, Glossy Accents) over top of car, Black Sharpie for car wheels, gray watercolor pencil  for shading on buildings, foam tape to raise white panel, and Glue Runner to pleat ribbon before sewing to white panel.

I had a different idea when this card began but it morphed.  Then I got fingerprints on the edge and had to trim it down.  Then I fussed a little more with this, that, and the other until it ended up as you see.  The reason I needed the watercolor pencil over top of the buildings was because I did second generation stamping and, after the metamorphosis, it needed more heft.

I hope this helps my mom know that, though we are thousands of miles apart, I can still send her my love.

Until next time,
Becca

Color My Heart with Jubilee

This week at Color My Heart we are using colors from the Jubilee paper packet set to retire in a few days.  I must admit, this paper packet wasn't one I thought I'd use much when it first came out.  WRONG!  The more I play with it, the more I love it.

Both the tag and apple are from the Artbooking cartridge.  I started by inserting the tag at 4.5" then added the apple at 2.5".  I positioned the apple inside the tag then cut.  This process was easier to do with my Cricut Expressions machine but still doable with my new Explore.  You have to do a little more finagling, but it's possible.

I wasn't fussy with cutting my strips of Jubilee paper.  They are random widths and lengths and aren't perfectly flat. Some strips layer over the top of others.  The points don't meet exactly, either, which is why there's a little heart gem covering them up.  None of this is noticeable so it's not worth pulling your hair out as you put a card like this together. 

Once the sunburst pattern was done and trimmed, I placed lots of foam tape around my apple tag and laid it over the top of the sunburst.  I used small bits of foam tape to make sure the areas around the leaf and stem will stay up.

The sentiment was positioned to create a triangle of red with the baker's twine, heart gem, and sentiment banner.

I am also linking this up to Simon Says Stamps for the Emboss It challenge.

And now for my confession...I made this card on Sunday.  It was one of those lazy mornings because our choir is on summer break.  Thinking I had all the time in the world, I decided to work ahead on my CMH Design Team projects.  When I looked at the clock again, it was 10:25  and I was still in my pajamas.  It takes fifteen minutes to get to church and my husband had promised to pick someone up at 10:45 so I had five minutes to take a shower, get dressed, and fix myself up.  Yep...skipped church.  I'll be hearing about that for weeks!

Until next time,
Becca

Writer's World Wednesday-Shopping and Other Totally Off-Topic Stuff

I went shopping yesterday.  For clothes.  I probably do that once every nine months and it's almost always jeans or...you know...the stuff that goes underneath.  This time I needed a dress for an upcoming ball.

Okay, I know it's Writer's World Wednesdays, but the only "writerly" thing that happened this week was a rejection.

Anyway...found a dress and jeans in the same store.  Got crafty stuff from Hobby Lobby. Went to a second-hand store and found the exact pattern of dishware my husband (then fiancé) talked me out of thirty years ago.  I've been kicking myself for not getting it ever since.  So, when I found a set of eight in pristine condition with a few serving pieces for $60, I bought that, too.  Then I went to the Commissary for groceries.

Four stores in three hours!  I swear my credit card was giving me funny looks.

But check out those dishes!

Now, I'm not a "dishes" girl.  I have fancy china for fancy company (meaning it rarely gets used) and everyday stuff which is plain, boring white with nothing--absolutely nothing--on it.  I don't have Christmas china or Thanksgiving dishes or Summer Sunflower plates.  I don't even have Polish Pottery which--in Army circles--is sort of like never having experienced a deployment.  Polish Pottery is a right of passage and I have none.  Because the truth of the matter is I like plain white china...just not boring white.  I have been looking for new everyday never thinking I would find this basket weave pattern again.  And to find it in such great condition with a full set for eight...unbelievable!

And the ball gown was the second dress I tried on at the second store I visited and was under $100.  I was on a roll, I tell you, a ROLL.

Maybe I should have bought a lottery ticket.

I promise to be back to business next week, but I had to share my fun find with you all because, frankly, my husband still doesn't like this china pattern.  I knew he wouldn't but, thirty years later, I bought them anyway.

Until next time,
Becca