The Dragon's Den

Finding your creative self (aka LOAD Blog hop 212)

2012-01-27T09:00:00.174-05:00

Welcome all you blog hoppers! And any random non-blog hoppers out there. :D

Hopefully you've come from Gayle's blog on your trip through LOAD-world. If you haven't, start with Margie, and make your way back here. :)

First, if you want to know what I think you need in order to successfully complete a LayOutADay, check out this post from last year. And! The post immediately before it talks about the first time I did LOAD, so it might help you figure out what to expect if this is your first time attempting LOAD. But that's not what I want to talk about this time around. This time I want to talk about how, by doing LOAD, you become a better scrapbooker, and you discover your own strengths (and weaknesses) by committing to a month of dedicated creativity.

It's true. It really is true.

Have you seen this poster?

Source: Uploaded by user via Heather on Pinterest

I saw it on Pinterest a few months ago. And then, Stacy Julian linked to the interview with Ira Glass that this quote comes from, and everything clicked.

Do a lot of work. On a deadline. Create a volume of work. As you make more, and learn more, your output improves, until it meshes with your own taste and style.

That's LOAD!

LOAD is how you find your creative style. Or one way to find your creative style. There are other ways to commit to a creative life, but this one works for me.

So this is what you need to do. Commit to making a page every day for the month of February. Don't allow yourself to make excuses. No "I'm tired, I'm sick, I'm too busy," excuses. If you really want to scrapbook, make, no scratch that, TAKE time to do it. It doesn't have to be a lot of time. In fact, having too much time can get in the way of finishing a page. Just make a promise to yourself to do it.

Of course there are things that can get in the way of finishing a page. Important, life altering things. Only you can decide if the excuses that get in the way of creating are important enough for you to walk away from the crafting table. But everyday life? You shouldn't let that stop you.

Listen to Lain's prompts. Do they speak to you? Do they inspire you? Then work with them. If the prompt isn't working for you that day, work on something else. A project you've been working on for ages. A story that's just begging to be told. A photo that just grabs your heart, and you need to showcase it. Do something.

Some days you will love, love, love, what you have made. Other days, it will all seem to fall apart as you go, and you'll be disappointed in the final product. Don't second guess yourself. Just move on to the next page.

Keep everything you create in one place. Make a big pile. Keep it in a binder for your brand new pages. Your pile of pages will grow. You might even make a dent in your stash. (I'd have to do hundreds of pages for that to happen.)

And at the end of the month, look at what you have done. What pages are your favorites? Why? Do you have any pages that you dislike? Again, why? What are the common threads that run through your pages? How are they alike? What makes them different?

By answering those questions, you will discover what kind of scrapbooker you are. Are you a story teller? A technique lover? A fan of color or monochrome?

Only by creating a body of work, and then going back and examining it, will you be able to find your creative process and style. Only by committing to creating do you build a body of work.

If you haven't signed up for LOAD 212 yet, what are you waiting for? This is the quickest and easiest way to build a body of work.

So commit. Create. Explore. Find yourself.

Next stop? Gina!

And here's the links to everyone's blogs, so you can hop and skip among them if you'd rather.

Margie
Kelli
Jennifer
Lisa
Monica
Kimberly
Eileen
Danielle
Pam
Katrina
Cate
Gayle
Heather (that's me!)
Gina
Kristie
Janet
Lydia

Family News

2012-01-17T19:25:00.000-05:00

So have I mentioned that my sister is expecting her first baby at the end of February? Well, she is. And she makes a mighty cute pregnant lady, if you ask me.
Both she and her husband are reading baby books and baby blogs and talking to all their friends with kids to get ideas, advice, and recommendations on what they need to have, and what they need to do, and what they can expect. Of course, you never really know what it's like to be a parent until you have your own child, but it never hurts to be informed.
Our brother has started a betting pool on when the baby will come. I've called dibs on February 29th. My sister is hoping for the 15th, since that was our grandfather's birthday, and he was a pretty awesome guy.
I'm really looking forward to meeting the next member of our family. I know my sister is pretty excited too.

Here comes December!

2011-11-30T15:19:00.000-05:00

December is right around the corner, and I've filled it up with lots of inspiration. This is the fourth year I will be doing a December Daily, and I wanted lots of different ideas to keep myself going and inspired this year.

First of all, if you have no idea what a December Daily is, check out this post from Ali Edwards, who is responsible for me starting this project originally. My kids are responsible for me continuing to do this. They LOVE the books I've made, and are disappointed if I even consider not participating each year.

The thing about great ideas is that they are fun to share, and modify to make your own. Ali's project was originally inspired by Shimelle Laine's Journal Your Christmas class, which she has been running for years. I will be joining in for the first time this year. I am so looking forward to it, since my favorite part of the December Dailies I have done previously was the words. Shimelle is wonderfully inspiring, and if you haven't explored her blog, please do. She's got so many great ideas.

I will be getting more inspiration and instruction from Katrina Kennedy's Capture Your Holidays Through the Lens. My photos throughout all my December Daily books are okay. Some are wonderful, some are horrible, and some just are there. I'm hoping to improve the overall quality of my photos, as well as come up with some different ways to photograph the holiday season by taking Katrina's class. She's taught at the TrueScrap events, and her instruction is always enlightening.

Last but not least, I will also be taking BPC's 12 Days of Christmas. I love the idea of spending the 12 days before Christmas gathering photos and ideas and product and then turning it all into pages beginning on the 25th. This is a great introductory class for people who have never taken a BPC class before, since twelve different instructors will be running the class.

In addition to these classes, I will also be following along with Tim Holtz's twelve tags of Christmas. Each year he introduces new techniques and projects that are a great supplement to any holiday crafting project.

Wow, you say? How can I manage to fit all these classes into the normal craziness that is December? Well, these are all classes that will help me complete my December Daily project. There will be photo ideas, journaling ideas, and technique ideas. Any time I run out of ideas, I will have lots of resources to rummage around in. I don't expect to finish these classes, but rather to use these classes to improve and expand my December Daily. It's going to be fun!

Here's a quick peek at what I'll be using for this year's book.

Hope you'll join the fun and play along!

I am the typo queen!

2011-10-25T21:04:00.000-04:00

I make a lot of typos. I correct them as I go, but when I am chatting or texting, typos just proliferate and bloom and take on a life of their own.

At least I have yet to send out an email with my name misspelled. Which I do just about every time I type it.

Hetaher
Hather
Hetahr
Heathr
heather
Heather

See what I mean?!

10 Years

2011-10-08T23:17:00.000-04:00

10 years ago today, I was very, very pregnant. As in 5 days late pregnant.

I went shopping with my mother, and everywhere I went, people asked when I was due. I took great pleasure in telling them, "5 days ago." What is it about the idea of a pregnant woman going into labor that makes everyone so nervous?

The very last thing my mother said to me when dropping me at home was, "Don't have him tomorrow. Then he'll have to share his birthday forever." I think that idea appealed to him, since I woke up in labor that night and finally met him mid-morning.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day I became a mother. Tomorrow is the day I discovered life is nothing like what I expected, but everything I hoped for. Tomorrow marks the day I began an entirely different set of classes, where you were my teacher as much as I was yours.

Tomorrow you turn 10.

Happy Birthday big kid.

I love you.

Tips for Stamping Success and Chocolate Pudding Pie!

2011-09-01T13:26:00.000-04:00

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I've made just about every mistake there is to make while stamping. Blurred images? Incomplete ones? Ones that just look awful, even though I know there was enough ink on the stamp? Done it. And I have been doing this long enough that I know why I did not get the image I wanted. It can be frustrating to be unable to produce a beautiful image. Here are some simple things you can do to increase your odds. You may think these are all obvious, but anytime you don't get a good image, it's probably because of one of these things.

1. Make sure your desk is smooth and clean. You don't want glitter, or uneven layers of paper under the image you're stamping. You will get voids and lines in your image if you stamp on an uneven surface.
2. Make sure you're stamping on smooth cardstock. Even a little bit of texture can affect how well the image transfers to the paper.
3. Use ink that is appropriate for the surface you are stamping on, and the material your stamp is made of. I love Tim Holtz distress inks, but they have a tendency to bead up on photopolymer stamps. That will get you a splotchy looking image. Dye inks can bleed into very porous papers. Pigment inks take a long time to dry, especially on non-porous papers, so can smudge after the fact.
4. Press straight down, and then pull straight up. Don't rock your stamp. Rocking will give you some ghosting around your image.
5. Don't press too hard on photopolymer/acrylic stamps. They have a lot of give to them, so when you press hard, you get the sides of the image and not just the surface.
6. If you aren't getting good ink transfer, put a foam stamping mat under the paper. That way you will be able to press harder without mashing the stamp. If it's a big stamp, stand up and press all over the image, not just in one place.
7. Lastly, make sure your stamp is clean. Not every last bit of ink is gone clean, but no glitter/glue residue clean.

If you make sure you've got these basics covered before you start, you should have a wonderful image every time you stamp. Unless you're like me. (Please note the remnant of glitter on the "n", and the "e" I had to restamp when I did not press straight down the first time.)

Scrapbooking is important. Except for when it's not.

2011-08-04T23:14:00.000-04:00

You may not know this about me, but I LOVE scrapbooking. It combines so many things I love to do and think about that in some ways I think it has taken over my life. And that's probably a good thing.

My own interests have been pointing me at scrapbooking for a long time. I have had my own camera since grade school, and I have been writing for just as long. I always loved hearing family stories and gossip, and I did a bit of genealogical research as well. And I wouldn't be a member of my family if I didn't make something with my hands. My particular bent involves paper and ink. If I can stamp on it, write on it, or stick paper on it, I am a happy girl.

The wonderful thing about scrapbooking is that it combines all those things into one big, messy, creative, expressive miscellany of personal meaning. And the thing about scrapbooking is that it is entirely personal. The reasons any of us do it, the techniques we use, the products we fall in love with, the stories we choose to tell, are all a result of our own personal inclinations and history. Which makes this a very inclusive and accepting hobby.

Which leads me to why scrapbooking is important. This is how you can tell your story. The story that matters to you. You get to decide how to present it, you get to decide what to emphasize, you get to decide how much or little to do. It's YOUR story. And by your story I don't necessarily mean that it is about yourself. (Although who else is qualified to tell that part of your story?)

So it's your story. But scrapbooking is also a way to become more present and appreciative of your daily life. Think about things like Ali Edwards' Week In The Life project. Who knew minutia could have that much meaning? But it does. It all matters. It's all interesting and valuable, if you look at it in different ways.

Those are the two things about scrapbooking that really bring home how important it is to me. But they also help me realize how unimportant it is as well.

Living my life, and being there for my family is more important than a piece of paper any day of the week. While they may appreciate the pages I've made that share my love for them, they appreciate hugs, kisses and chicken nuggets a whole lot more. If I don't share my love now, it won't have any value to them later.

That makes scrapbooking so much easier. I don't have to be perfect, or even pretty. I don't have to agonize over which paper to use and how big a photo I should print. I just use what I have and go on. It's just paper. It's only words. And I can always go back and do another page if I don't communicate my thoughts well the first time around.

It's only when a page is done that it becomes love.

Copic Markers vs Watercolor Pencils

2011-07-13T16:04:00.025-04:00

copic vs watercolor pencils, originally uploaded by Heather's treasures.

I have loved stamping for a very long time. One of my favorite things to do was use some colored pencils and a dove blender pen to create lovely little scenes. As I used to say, stamping is coloring for grown ups! Until I had one student say to me she hated coloring. That is so sad. I have always found coloring to be very relaxing :)

At any rate, I like to color in my stamped images. I like color!
I have been hearing about copic markers for a few years now. Two? Three? A while anyway. And I wasn't too interested. I have plenty of markers. And I love my Dove blender pen. Absolutely adore it. I didn't need to spend more money on yet another set of markers, when what I have works.

Except I like to try out new trends and techniques. After all, I teach this stuff. I should at least have a passing familiarity with it, right? At least that's what I told myself when I found myself at Hobby Lobby today looking for copic markers. I wasn't planning on buying anything except some kind of craft project for the kids. But I noticed a how-to video on the clearance rack on working with copics. Hobby Lobby carries copics? Let me check them out!

So that's how I found myself with a handful of copics in the check out lane today.

After I got home I puttered around, then decided I really should see if these markers are all that they're cracked up to be. First I had to decide what image to stamp and color in. My favorite tree? Sure. The versamark chalk ink pad was a little dry. Tried my Distress ink pad. Much wetter! How do they stand up to a dove blender pen? They both bleed. Back to the drawing board. I couldn't find my archival ink pad, but I did find my Palette. That did the trick. But when I tried to stamp them on the opposite side of the page, the linen texture kept me from getting a good impression. Okay then. Time for a different stamp. What to use, what to use? Oh yes! New stamp from Studio Calico. Love these circles!

A note about stamps and getting a good impression. You need a fairly smooth cardstock. I'm using the back side of a linen paper from marco's papers that I absolutely adore. Rubber stamps give you a crisper image for the most part, but if you use a foam pad under your paper and do NOT press too hard you'll get a nice image with polymer. If you look closely at the left hand image, you'll see a little ghosting of the ink, from me pressing too hard.

Okay then, time to color!
I started with the copics, and used a pouncing motion to color in the image, light to dark for each group of colors. Then I went dark to light to blend them together. Two interesting things I noticed about copics. One, they spread a little as you lay them down, but not very much, so they'd probably be great if you wanted to get really detailed coloring. And two, as you lay them down over each other, they sort of pick up the other color, without muddying up your marker tip. That was nice. Oh and here's a third thing. I went over them a number of times, and they didn't raise the nap of the paper or tear it like markers can do if you get the paper too wet. Although they did threaten to bleed through.

The second circle I colored with watercolor pencils. The left side I used a dry blending technique, which let the texture of the paper come through. You can cover up the texture by using a heavier hand, but I was just being lazy and didn't want to get my pencil sharpener out. The right side I colored by laying down three stripes of color, and then used my blender pen to blur them together.

Which technique do you prefer? I think I like them all :)

Oh, and you can blame this lady for me buying the copic markers. It's all her fault! ;)

Status Report

2011-06-05T22:41:00.000-04:00

My to-do list is certainly not shrinking. Last month was super hectic, and I managed to miss a number of things, in spite of having them on my agenda. (I suppose it would help if I had them in my agenda on the correct day.)
Every day has been very busy, but because of the nature of the things I am doing, I have to frequently switch gears. I finally got one thing on my to-do list checked off today: Ethan's room has been decluttered. Well, except for the two boxes of books and the trunk full of toys that need to be carted up to the attic. But that's 5 minutes work, unlike most of the other tasks that keep piling up.
So let's list this month's highlights, and see how I do getting them done.

1. More cleaning and decluttering. I think I'll tackle Simon's room next. And then the dining room and back porch.
2. Painting. I still need to paint the hall, but Jonathan put his last coat of spackle on today, so I should be able to get to that this week.
3. Replacing the paneling in the downstairs bath. What's there now is just ugly. I hope what's under it is okay, so I can have beadboard paneling on the bottom and paint on top, but we'll see.
4. Yearbook. I'll need to place the order this week, so we can have it before school gets out.
5. Another PTA meeting. And RIF, because last month didn't work for the kids. Can you say state testing? I think I hate state testing.
6. My craft room! I have left this to last, and have been piling more and more stuff in there as I find more things that should probably live there.
7. There's more, like this month's open house and scrapbook social, but those are fun things comparatively speaking.

I just want to be done.

I think I need some curled up with a silly book time, but I'm under a self-imposed time crunch, so it will have to wait until all the big projects are on their way to done.

Speaking of big projects, can anyone recommend a good housecleaning company?

Josefine and Henry

2011-05-27T13:24:00.001-04:00

josefine and henry, originally uploaded by Heather's treasures.

This may look like a page about my niece, but it's really for my sister. Now if only I had a picture of her playing with Henry...

2011-04-30T21:44:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the start of another round of LOAD. I am glad it is starting again, but I expect this month to be much more stressful than past LOADS have been.
In no particular order, here's a brief list of the things that May will bring:

Simon's birthday
Jonathan's birthday
Jason's birthday
PTA meeting
make PTA schedule for next year
figure out how to fit in a school board budget presentation for our parents
run another round of RIF (reading is fundamental--I love this program!)
teach 3 more classes of a beginning scrapbooking class. Also something I love and look forward to.
Open house at JoAnn's to try to get more students to sign up for classes
Scrapbook Social the last Monday of the month. Another thing I love.
Coordinate roofers, painters, and basement waterproofers to finally get done the work we've been wanting to do on the house for years.
Interior painting, cleaning and decluttering. While I love my orange hall, I know most people won't really appreciate the color. And I have more books than most people want to look at as well.
All so I can try to put the house on the market by the first of June.

Doesn't look like too bad a list right? LOAD's totally doable, right?

That's what I keep telling myself. But I've already given myself permission to NOT do a page every day this month. Because, in the end I want to make pages that my kids and I want to read. Not just because I've set a goal for myself. So if I have no stories to tell on a really difficult day, I am NOT going to make a page. Because after a day of painting or cleaning or packing, I may not have any words left to add to my pages, and I find that words are one of the most important pieces of scrapbooking for me.

Not the "go for it!" attitude you're accustomed to hearing from me? Au contraire. I am going to try. But I am giving myself permission to keep it fun. If LOAD becomes a chore rather than a reward this month, I am going to take my own advice and remind myself there is no "should" in scrapbooking. I love LOAD, and I want to keep it that way.

A little video show and tell.

2011-03-11T23:06:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about making a video showing you around my tiny craft room, and finally made one today. Simon helped a little bit by holding the camera for me in the beginning. Every time I see my craft room on film, I am struck by how dark it is. There's actually more light in the room than is evident, but it is really my little crafty cave.
Please forgive all the ums and pauses. I am not good at speaking off the cuff. (However I can type a mean sentence!)

...and now February is fully LOADed.

2011-02-28T22:11:00.000-05:00

Did you do it? Were you able to complete a layout every day? Most importantly, did you have fun?

Goodbye Thomas

2011-02-20T21:41:00.001-05:00

Good bye thomas, originally uploaded by Heather's treasures.

I packed away the Thomas trains after Christmas. Ethan hasn't played with them for months, and while Simon loves the movies and books still, he hadn't pushed a train around in months either.

I think I was the saddest to see them go. Ethan used to pore over the Thomas catalog, and obsess over the various trains that weren't yet in his collection. He didn't get them all (although you wouldn't know it by the picture I used) but a train and some kind of track or building every birthday and Christmas for 6 years really adds up. And then after Ethan felt like he was too old for Thomas, he got very excited about buying it for his brother.

Simon, although he loves the stories and movies, never really got into Thomas like Ethan did. He was more into Hot Wheels cars, which he still plays with.

So the trains are in the attic. I'm saving them, with the hope that one day Ethan and Simon will have kids of their own, who will love Thomas as much or more than they did.

Git'er done!

2011-02-13T17:54:00.001-05:00

LOAD 211 13, originally uploaded by Heather's treasures.

I just thought I'd walk you through how I put together this page. While it's nothing perfect, it's a pretty solid page, and my process might help someone else get their own pages done.

I started by picking a photo storage binder at random. It just happened to be from the first half of 2008. I thumbed through it and came across these photos. I've already used them in a vacation mini-book, so they were ready for some other story. Perhaps, since I've been mentally preparing myself to get some writing done, I was reminded of how inspiring the Winchester Mystery House was both as a visual treat, and a story inspiration.

So, photos, then journaling idea, next? Papers! All the botanical details reminded me of the Basic Grey kit I picked up from Michaels last year, so I pulled all the pieces, except for the kraft cardstock and the Making Memories journaling spot, from it. I decided since I had 5 pictures I wanted to use I needed to do a two page LO, and since a 12x24 LO wouldn't photograph that well, I went with 8.5x11 so I could scan it. I then trimmed the photos to get rid of unnecessary clutter, shuffled them around till I came up with a pleasing arrangement, and then taped the pieces down.

Finally I wrote my journaling, and then added the title. There was a sticker sheet staring me in the face, and I racked my brain to come up with some way I could use something from it. If I don't use it now, it may never get used. So, once again with the architectural details on my mind, I added the flower and flourish. Looking at it now, I may add more stuff along the right side, and under the hinge photo. Then again I may not. I'm not into second guessing myself.

Hope that was somewhat helpful or interesting! Now back to LOAD!

christmas in nyc

2011-02-09T18:50:00.001-05:00

christmas in nyc, originally uploaded by Heather's treasures.

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with the daily pages. I'm trying to not spend too much time online... Yeah that's not working out so well.

At any rate, I had fun with a bunch of papers from the December Studio Calico kit. If I sewed on my pages, I would totally have sewed an edge on the black brackety piece of paper.

Oh, and the little tiny "i" and "n" are from some rub-ons I bought in 1988. Yes, 1988. Apparently I knew I was going to want them SOME day.

Concert Buddy

2011-02-04T19:54:00.001-05:00

Concert Buddy, originally uploaded by Heather's treasures.

I'm embracing imperfection. Can you figure out what picky details I'm not happy with?

I am happy that it's done. And that I found the set list for that evening. It's hard to keep track of such things with an almost nine year old boy sleeping on your lap.

Unstoppable

2011-02-03T19:55:00.001-05:00

Unstoppable, originally uploaded by Heather's treasures.

Today's prompt was to come up with a title using a song. Rascal Flatts to the rescue!

I love this photo of Ethan. I should blow it up and put it on a wall somewhere. It describes him so well.

A page with no title...

2011-02-03T19:51:00.001-05:00

LOAD 211 02, originally uploaded by Heather's treasures.

But it's got some memorabilia on it--the thank you note my brother and sister-in-law sent after their wedding.

On a sadder note, this is the only photo from their wedding that I have. Our computer was dying, so we backed up all our photos on disc and then Jonathan reinstalled the OS. Unfortunately, he (I should say we) didn't double check that all the photos had been saved, and we lost 6 months worth of photos, which includes Ross and Nancy's wedding, and Ethan's second birthday party. Mom, Jess, Ethan and I made the coolest train cake ever. But I have no record of it.

Which brings me to my final point for today: backup, backup, backup. And throw in some off site archiving as well.

Off to a swimming start!

2011-02-01T20:25:00.001-05:00

LOAD 211 01, originally uploaded by Heather's treasures.

Sorry. I coudn't resist the pun.

I'll be updating daily this month, just because I can. I'll try to add in some interesting content as the month progresses, but mostly this month is all about LOAD. It's not too late to join in the fun!

Drum Roll Please...

2011-01-26T21:29:00.000-05:00

The winner of my giveaway for the LOAD blog hop is Jenny McGee. I've emailed her directly. Thanks so much for all your comments. It was so nice to have visitors!

See you in LOAD!

How to Succeed at LOAD Without Really Trying.

2011-01-26T20:38:00.016-05:00

***EDITED--The contest is now closed. The winner will be announced shortly.***

Welcome Blog Hoppers!

I hope you've been enjoying your trip through LOAD world. At the end of my post, I've got a little giveaway, and links to the other blogs participating in today's blog hop, but first, I'm going to blather on about how I make it through a month of dedicated scrapbooking.

I have to admit, I haven't had a lot of problems completing a LOAD. There have been days when I'm less motivated than others, and days when I've been forgetful or neglectful, but on the whole, LOAD has been fairly easy for me.

Part of the reason I've been so successful is my motivation. I'm doing this for ME. Not because I have to, not to win prizes, not to earn the moniker of "uber-scrapbooker," but because scrapbooking makes me happy. Seriously, if you approach scrapbooking as a chore, step away from the glue stick immediately. Go do something that makes you happy. Garden. Organize your closets. Play hockey. Whatever you look forward to with enthusiasm. Do it, and find some other way to tell your story. Blog it. Record it on video. Tell your children as many stories as you can stand to tell, and they can stand to hear. Or keep it to yourself. That's okay, too.You do not HAVE to scrapbook.

So. Anyway.
I am a self-motivated scrapbooker. Think about what motivates you, and then move on. There are a few other things you need to think about and do in order to be ready for LOAD.

Have photos you want to use ready and available. If you're a digi scrapbooker, make sure they're organized so you can find what you're looking for. If you're a paper fiend like I am, make sure you have plenty of photos on hand that inspire you. I just ordered a bunch of pics from Shutterfly, and they should be here with plenty of time to spare.

Do you like to work with sketches or pre-planned page kits? Have those at your finger tips. Have your paper organized so you can find what you want when you want it. Put your favorite embellishments somewhere you can see them, use them, and be inspired by them. Have tools that you use all the time closer to your workspace than things you only use occasionally.

You do not have to go shopping. What you have will work fine. Unless you hate it. And in that case, why are you holding on to it in the first place?

Make sure you have lots of adhesive on hand.

And then on the first day of LOAD, scrapbook. Make one page. Make two pages. Make a mini book. Go wherever your muse leads you. You do not have to follow Lain's prompts. They can be fun to do, but if you're not feeling the inspiration, find your own. You are a scrapbooker. You are creative. And you can do this.

Do not make excuses for why you can't scrapbook. Put scrapbook time on your to-do list. If you're a technique heavy person, work on pages in stages, with one page in the works, while you finish another page. You don't need to do your scrapbooking all at once. 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, really add up.

Commit. If you're one of those scrapbookers who shuffles things around on your page for days before taping it down, give yourself a time limit, and stick with it. Perfection is overrated. And don't look back until LOAD is over. What you get done will amaze and delight you.

Don't forget to upload. Take a picture or scan your layout. Check out the pages of other people who have already uploaded. Share some love, and comment. Don't worry if your picture is blurry. Ask for help on the message boards if you need it. We all want you to succeed.

What it all boils down to is this: Organize your supplies in the way that you use them, and make scrapbooking a priority. It's not just a reward for getting all your other chores done. (And really, when are all your other chores actually done?) It's something that you need for yourself. The latest Paperclipping Round table episode talks about that idea at some length. If you aren't sure about how to organize yourself, LOAD will be a great way for you to figure that out. By scrapping every day, you will be more aware of how you look for things, and you'll be able to organize yourself after it's done. I don't recommend organizing during LOAD, however. While that can be fun, the goal is to make pages, not think about making pages. ;)

I've got a little giveaway for you. Five 2-page layout kits from Creating Keepsakes, a 6x6 mini chipboard album, and a sticker maker from Xyron. I'll include a copy of the assembly instructions for you, in case you want to make your life easy and scrap fast! Here's what I used my mini album for. I'm sure you can come up with a creative use yourself.

Why I LOAD (and you should too!)

2011-01-18T18:31:00.000-05:00

Let me take you back to the fall of 2009. I had been hearing about LOAD (LayOut A Day for any non-scrappers out there) from people at Big Picture Scrapbooking (now Big Picture Classes) and through various social media sources. Everyone who had taken part raved about how productive and inspired they were during the month-long sessions.

I was intrigued. My productivity had fallen off, mainly due to the unexpected death of my mother-in-law that spring. I hadn't fully completed any classes I was taking at BPC or JessicaSprague.com since then, and was feeling a bit disappointed in myself. I needed a challenge. A goal. A plan of action.

LOAD to the rescue!

I wasn't sure what to expect that first day, but I knew what page I had to do first. I'd been mulling over a page about meeting Whoopi Goldberg for days. I took advantage of the wide-format printer that my mother had given me, and printed the title and journaling directly on a piece of patterned paper. A few images snagged from the internet, and I had my first page for LOAD done. I took a picture of it, uploaded it to Flickr, and went on with my day.

I am a rather solitary scrapbooker. I am not a joiner by nature. I don't have friends who understand how cool scrapbooking is. So it came as something of a surprise when I went back later, and had comments and compliments about my layout. I had feedback! I wasn't alone!
This LOAD thing was awesome.


October 2009 LOAD

As the month went along my stack of pages grew and grew. My kids eagerly read each page. They helped me choose topics. Simon even helped me put together one of two mini books I completed that month. (He loves buttons and flowers, just so you know.) I got so much DONE! And my family appreciated what I did. The housework didn't suffer any more than usual. Everyone was fed, and got to bed and school at reasonable times. And I was happier. I was getting creative every day, and feeling more inspired as the mess on my desk piled up. The people on the message board were supportive, and funny, and generous. I spent as much time as I could commenting and spreading the love around as well. I couldn't find a single downside to the whole process.

I still haven't.

February 2010 LOAD

I'm hooked. I love the people who sign up, who take the leap and ATTEMPT to push themselves creatively. There is no failure in LOAD, even if you don't finish a single page. There's only the certainty that you have tried, and you have completed more than you would have if you didn't take that jump.

If the idea of doing a layout each day flummoxes you, if you can't imagine finding the time or the inspiration to make a scrapbook page, you're in luck. The theme for this month's prompts is all about inspiration. Every day you'll get a link to a little prompt with ideas to get you scrapbooking, just in case you have no idea where to start. There will be interviews with Stacy Julian, founder of Big Picture Classes, Julie Comstock, president and designer for Cosmo Cricket, digital designer Anna Aspnes, and Page Maps author Becky Fleck. There will be camaraderie, and sharing of the ups and downs of life as a dedicated scrapbooker. And you WILL get more done than if you hem and hah and dither and live in the world of CAN'T instead of CAN.

May 2010 LOAD

To encourage you, and give you some ideas on how to prepare for a month of scrapbooking goodness, I and a bunch of other LOAD alums as well as Lain are hosting a blog hop Monday, January 24th, beginning at 10am eastern. I might even scrounge up a giveaway from my crazy stash. Join us!

And I said I wasn't a joiner.

Two ways to sign up: click on the LOAD 211 link on the top right (I'll get a portion of your sign-up fee) or click right here. (And leave me out of it.) Either way works, and both lead to FUN! Hope to see you there!

October 2010 LOAD

What are you waiting for?

Just a quick share...

2011-01-12T21:52:00.001-05:00

I am in the process of going through my photos from this past summer and fall, finally. I have an old version of photoshop elements (3!) that I was using, and it has been dying a slow and painful death. But that may be the junk computer I'm using. At any rate, I treated myself to the latest version of photoshop elements yesterday, and have spent today getting it installed, and starting to go thru the past 6 month's worth of photos. (gotta archive them, before something bad happens to them...) (cos it will. I've already lost a total of a year's worth of photos due to computer issues since I got my first digital camera Christmas 2001.)

As I have been going through my photos, this one leapt out at me. Not because of the wonderful interaction between Simon and Jonathan, but because of the imp filling the bottom of the frame.

Made me laugh out loud when I noticed him. How about you?

A few things Halloween

2010-10-31T11:10:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we had a Halloween party for Ethan and Simon's friends. Fifteen kids running around, and no one was hurt! I count that as a success, don't you? Of course I need a shovel to clean up their rooms, but that's not too bad, considering the downstairs is STILL clean. Woohoo!

We served mozzarella eyeballs, veggies and dip, fruit salad, and breadsnakes with marinara sauce. Oh, and monster cupcakes.

Blurry monster cupcakes! What can I say? I was in a hurry.

I think they came out fairly well considering this was our first time playing with fondant. Simon cranked out the cupcakes. Mom and I were rather slow. Mom and Simon also made the bread stick snakes, which, I was told, were very tasty.

My favorite decoration was this rug.

There's something about standing on a goofy rug that makes doing dishes and cleaning up so much easier.

A Little Creative Goodness

2010-09-01T22:12:00.000-04:00

Wow. Apparently August was really busy, since I was not at all here. Just a quick little share tonight.

I've been trying to get my house organized and picked up so that it's easier for me to stay on top of things. I keep thinking a new organizing method or tool will help me be a better house keeper. It hasn't worked yet, but I'm still trying!

At any rate, Simon's craft table was becoming a huge black hole of paper and craft supplies that kept getting bigger and threatening to take over the rest of the living room. So I took advantage of the back to school sales and bought two storage carts (in my new favorite color-orange!) and put a piece of plywood we had lying around on top. Then I got out my years old bottle of perfect paper adhesive, and had Simon pick out some patterned papers (not cardstock.) To protect the surface and to make it easier to clean, I then covered it with clear contact paper aka shelf liner. What do you think?

Some fun things going on:

2010-07-19T16:44:00.002-04:00

Not only is there a scrapbook social at the Joann's at Northway mall the third Tuesday of each month, where you get to spend a fun evening with me, but there's also some fun things going on in the blog world as well. If you look on the right side of the page, you'll notice I've added two blinkies. One is for Ella Publishing's Most Influential Scrapbooker Awards, where they celebrate 9 scrapbookers who make a difference in the world of scrapbooking every day this week. And they're giving away fun prizes, so be sure to check them out. Also, Big Picture Scrapbooking is running a 13 day workshop in August with 13 teachers doing 3 projects. That's thirty-nine pages or projects! For free! If you haven't tried any of their classes yet, this is the time to check them out.

That's all I've got for now. Hope you can join in the fun!

LOM as attitude adjuster.

2010-07-07T23:13:00.000-04:00

I love my photo organizational system that I have set up based on the process Stacy Julian teaches in Library of Memories at Big Picture Scrapbooking. LOM, as SJ's students call it, can be a life changing experience, especially for those caught in the trap of thinking that scrapbooking MUST be chronological. Luckily for me, I never thought scrapbooking had to be told in a time based manner. I approached it as an opportunity for story telling, but finding the pictures I wanted to use was time consuming. Enter SJ's very well thought out and road-tested organizational system. I had read about it in Photo Freedom, and caught glimpses of how it was used in The Big Picture (two of Stacy Julian's books), as well as in articles and the overall philosophy behind Simple Scrapbooks magazine. This was the key I needed to get more stories told more efficiently.

So, my process as it stands right now goes something like this:
Take pictures. Lots of pictures. Upload to my computer. (I mostly use a digi camera, and occasionally a disposable that I have a cd made of when I develop it.) I use photoshop elements (3.0!) to tag my most scrappable photos with a quarterly tag (ie first quarter for jan-mar, etc.), then I upload those highlights to Shutterfly. When Shutterfly has a free shipping event, I have my highlights printed, and then place them in three ring photo binders that I got at Target. I got 12, and that covers just about all the photos I have. Most people could stop right there, and be set for their scrapbooking life, but then, most of their stories would be event or time-based, as opposed to this wonderful connections idea that SJ talks about.

To get to this connections place, photos have to be taken out of their chronological order and allowed to mingle with photos from other times and places. To do this, I have category drawers (photo boxes actually) separated into themes. For example, one box is for pictures all about us, my immediate family. This is separated into further categories like Ethan personality, Ethan highlights (where I stash a picture or two from significant events during the year), all together, for pictures of all of us, or brothers, for pictures of just my two boys together. How does this work? Well let me give you an example:

My husband had just left for a trip, and I was on kid duty for a long and busy weekend. They had been particularly squirrelly and I had been particularly grumpy, so bedtime was a huge relief. To try to get myself out of the bad mood, I decided to try to scrapbook, and started going through my category drawers. Behind the brothers tab in my all about us category drawer I found these two photos of the boys about two years apart that perfectly described their personalities, their relationship, and just why that evening had been so hard to deal with. A scrapbook page was born.

Now what's interesting about this is that I recorded a current moment in time, with pictures from three and five years ago. These pictures have nothing to do with what actually happened that day, but everything to do with how that day felt. I would have never been able to find these pictures, let alone put them together on this page, with this subject matter, without LOM.

This is why I love Library of Memories.

Bonus? A big laugh, and a resultant attitude adjustment.

I ♥ kids books.

2010-06-11T20:31:00.000-04:00

There was a book fair at my kids' school this week, and I couldn't resist getting some stuff. There are some things I have problems saying no to in my life. Books are one of them.
I have read three books aimed at pre-teen/YA readers this week and enjoyed them all.

The first I read I bought simply because the title called me. I mean, how can you resist a book called Whales on Stilts?And the cover artwork totally reminded me of old Tom Swift books I read as a kid in middle school. Which was the point. It's a laugh-out-loud take on the breathless storytelling of kids' books from the 50s and 60s. I had so much fun reading it, Ethan kept asking me why I was laughing.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the 39 clues series:
It's written by the same gentleman who wrote the Percy Jackson series, and if you haven't read that yet, what are you waiting for? Each book in the series is by a different author, so I'm curious as to how they hold together. We'll be reading the rest of these over the summer. They are fun, action packed, and smart, although Ethan was having a little trouble getting into the story, since it begins with a funeral. It picks up quickly after that.

And today, I just finished a book by Marie Rutkoski called the Cabinet of Wonders. Also very good. I think this was my favorite of the three, although there are some positively lyrical passages in Whales on Stilts. (I know! Who'd have thunk?) This is set in an alternative Europe, where magic works, and the main character has a pet mechanical spider. Which if you knew me, you would say, "How can you like a story with a spider character in it? You freak if you think you see one!" To which I reply, "Spiders are fascinating creatures, as long as I know there's no way they can crawl on me." Shiver. Any hoo, simply well done story.

I think I need to read more kid's books.

Starting a project

2010-06-10T12:40:00.000-04:00

I have been meaning to create a scrapbook specifically for the beginning scrapbook class I teach for a while. A LONG while. But the idea of putting pages in a book that my family wouldn't think to look at bugged me.
I use Stacy Julian's Library of Memories approach to photo and page storage, and while I love sharing my albums with my students, I didn't always have what I wanted to show when I wanted to show it.

Enter this past May's Layout A Day challenge. The theme was scrap your style, and Lain Ehmann created prompts designed to help you figure out what you liked and didn't like to do and look at on your scrapbook pages. One of her prompts was "Why do you scrapbook?"
While I created a simple digital page about the subject, I really didn't feel like I had completely answered the question. There are so many reasons I scrapbook. A simple list just doesn't cut it for me.
So I've got these two thoughts brewing in the back of my mind when I decide to start making a list about the things I want to have in a sample album. And then I get it:

I can make an album that showcases all sorts of techniques with the theme being why I scrapbook. And then it gets better (I think) I can make a page about a reason, and then on the other side of the two page spread I can have a sample page that shows how I document that reason in my everyday albums. This excites me so much!

So here's my first page:
There are some things I could have done to tighten up the page from a design stand point. But I've demonstrated a monochromatic scheme, used a quote as a title, hand made my own embellishment (yes I made the flower! Thank you Cheryl!), mixed patterns, cropped and matted. Well, there are a lot of things I can use this as a sample for during the class, including what not to do as well. Next time, I've got to remember to stand up while moving things around, so I can SEE what's working, and what's not. Mythbusters, while a blast to watch can be distracting while completing a page.

I'll post more pages from the album as I go. This is going to be FUN.

Another LOAD down

2010-06-08T11:52:00.000-04:00

And over 31 pages done.

What do you think?

Wednesday Ramblings

2010-06-02T18:49:00.000-04:00

Just a few random thoughts for the day:
1. Man my cats are shedding like mad. Petting them creates a hair cloud. No wonder I have dust bunnies that look like they could walk and talk all by themselves.
2. Tomorrow is the International Festival at TOAST. I'm bringing supplies for kids to make a scrapbook page about themselves. Scrapbooking is international, right?
3. Watched Australia last night. Hugh Jackman is hot. What makes him even hotter is that he reminds me of my hubby. Not that my husband is drop dead gorgeous, but there are certain things he does in all his films that just call to mind things Jonathan does. Have I mentioned I like my husband? (Love is important, but like is just as important to a marriage.)
4. I wish my mother-in-law's house would just clean itself. Oh, and mine too, while I'm at it.
5. I'm still working on losing weight. January and February were good months. I stuck pretty closely to the medifast diet and lost around 20 pounds. March was good for a few more pounds, but the dieting will was, shall we say, lacking? April and May I just didn't bother, but I'm back on track now, and am working on introducing some exercise as well. First goal, and this is a very simple one, is to get 10,000 steps in a day. Once I'm doing that EVERY day, I'll start adding some strength training exercises as well.
6. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I wonder if I'll have that answered before I die. And yes, I am morbid.

I think this may have been Simon's favorite present:

2010-05-14T23:17:00.002-04:00

Ethan fully explained

2010-04-10T23:26:00.000-04:00

As you may recall from introductory physics, a body at rest tends to stay at rest...

And a body in motion tends to stay in motion.

Any questions?

Creativity is contagious

2010-04-02T23:26:00.003-04:00

Pass it on :)

Scrapbooking without photos. And a few tangents along the way.

2010-03-31T13:12:00.001-04:00

I thought today might be a good day to walk you through my process of creating a scrapbook page with no pictures. "What?" you say, "How can you scrapbook without pictures? Isn't the whole point to USE YOUR PICTURES? Your family treasures?"
Well yes, using pictures is fun, and while it makes you feel like you are making progress, it's really a false sense of progress, unless you include the MOST IMPORTANT THING: Your words.
I have looked through a scrapbook that my grandparents had from when they first got married. There are a few captions here and there, so I'm not completely in the dark, but for the most part I have no idea who all these people were, and why they were important to my grandparents.
I think that is sad.
I want to know more about my grandparents' experiences as kids growing up, as high school students during the great depression, as young marrieds at the start of World War II. I want to know more about their life together raising three kids, and the careers they had, and their take on life. And while I knew them fairly well, and even lived with them occasionally, there's still so much I don't know that I wish I did.
And that is why I scrapbook.
Because even though someone else may get to know me very well, they still can't tell my story the way I am experiencing it. And if my children are anything like me, they will want to know my story, too. And this is why I'm trying to get my mother to write a little about her story, because even though she's still around, and I can ask her any question I can think of, it still won't be HER story without her perspective.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. But I love scrapbooking. Because it's ALL about love.

Another slight tangent regarding why I don't have any photos from the trip I and my husband took to Jamaica. While happily snapping away during the dinner after our friend's wedding ceremony, my camera froze up. The lens cover would no longer open and close, and it would no longer turn on. When a change of batteries did not solve the issue, I concluded that I probably got sand into the camera housing. Getting it cleaned and repaired would cost more than a new point and shoot, so that's what we decided to do. Eventually. On Mother's Day of the following year. So I went without a camera from November to May. I do have some video of Ethan on Christmas thanks to the video camera Ross had given me the previous year, but not much in the way of daily life snapshots.
I took the memory card from the camera to a local photo shop and had the pics put on disk, but didn't print any because I wanted to decide what to print and what to toss first. I remember seeing the pics once, but have not been able to access the disk since. I've got one more trick to try at home before I go back to the local shop and ask, beg and plead for help with my now 4 and a half year old disk.

Anyway. No pictures. But I do have memorabilia. The wedding invitation. The ticket stub for the plane. A business card from the resort we stayed at. A postcard that I sent to Ethan while we were there. (I missed my boy-o a lot, but really relished the child free mornings and evenings.)

How it all began:

Stacy Julian put up a prompt on her website for a color combination she called "spring surf." The colors reminded me of the whole Jamaica experience, so I decided I'd do a page about that. I printed out a screen shot of her color inspiration, and pulled out papers that were close to what she had listed, pulled out my memorabilia box, and threw all the pieces together on my work table so they could live together and learn how to get along. In between trips to my MIL's house to paint the hall, I shuffled papers and memorabilia around, and gradually weeded out the parts that didn't work. I decided to use 5X7 page protectors on one side, so I could have a place for one of the invites and the postcard, and additional journaling, if I want to get into how much I needed a vacation at that point in time. Oh, and to add the weird stories, like the glass bottom boat operator who exposed himself while I was recovering from a bit of claustrophobia after snorkeling, and the walk up the beach to a Jimmy Buffett themed resort to watch football with the guys.
Any way, those stories may or may not get recorded, but I have a place for them if I feel the need to add them. I finally figured out that I wanted just the highlights of the trip as part of the page, so printed them out with word. Using the color scheme, I added bits of patterned paper and cardstock to the small spaces of the 5X7 page protector, and added a strip of lace paper on top of the Jamaica/Caribbean patterned paper I've been saving for 5 years. I placed it over the red part of the collage to tone it down, and used that as the base line to build out the other parts of the page: the invitation, the ticket stub, the journaling, and the business card. I used an old rub-on and some letter stickers to add a title. I probably should have used larger letters for the Jamaican part of the title to make them easier to read, but I'm okay with imperfection. I've got more important things to do than get every scrapbook page exactly right. I added a piece of raffia to the postcard to make it easier to pull out and read. I chose raffia because it echoes the natual fibers Kate used on her wedding invitation, and the thatched roofs of a lot of Jamaican buildings.
If the local photo shop is able to save any of my photos, I'll add them to a divided page protector, and call it done. The trip was a wonderful diversion, and I don't feel the need to spend much more time on it than slipping a few photos into a few pockets. I would like a picture of me pregnant with Simon, though, which is why I'm still trying to get the photos.

What do you think?

National Scrapbooking Day is Coming!

2010-03-23T12:26:00.000-04:00

And I'm so excited!
I'm working on putting together an 8 hour crop for National Scrapbooking Day at the local Joann's. The education department has thoughtfully donated some scrapbook supplies to be used as door prizes, and I will be going through my stash to find some papers and other things to add to the prize pot. National Scrapbooking Day is May 1st, and the crop will be from 12-8pm. Quick question for you--would you rather have a few big door prizes, or would you rather have a bunch of little ones? Let me know what you think.
We'll demo tools, and I'll put together a make and take as well.
I don't have a lot of details yet, but that's what I've got so far. I'll let you know about price, and post pictures as soon as I have more information.

Won't you come join me? We'll have fun!

February LOAD is done!

2010-03-01T09:06:00.001-05:00

While doing LOAD, I kept coming across photos that I thought would make a good story. Or that I'd been meaning to do a page about for awhile, and hadn't done. Case in point:

I bought these paper and stickers with this particular page in mind. He's about 2 in these photos. He's 8 now. No time like the present!
At any rate, as a result of finding and pulling all these pictures my work area on my desk was getting smaller and smaller. So, I attempted more digi with the Port Au Prince kit from Songbird Cafe:

And then the freebie kit that Sweet Shoppe gave away in Ella Publishing's website. Oh, and if you're looking for inspiration and information along the lines of what Simple Scrapbooks magazine was providing, check out Ella. They sell ebooks aimed at the scrapbooking community.

Another template and digi papers and embellishments from Songbird Cafe and Sweet Shoppe. I scanned some pictures of my mother-in-law and went crazy with the paint overlays from Port Au Prince.

And Cathy Zielske had a free template on her website. Which I took full advantedge of. I love free!

Then I got my desk cleaned up, and put together this page: I love the big picture from the U2 concert. and I had fun decorating the grungeboard hinge to look a bit like a guitar.

And then I got started on Ethan's baby book. I know, I know. He's 8! But there is no should in scrapbooking, or at least I don't believe that there is, and now is when I'm ready to tackle the baby book.

I tried to keep it simple, and bright. I really don't like pastels for baby pictures. I like happy colors, not wimpy colors. And my kids really weren't super quiet as babies. I still remember the evenings of Jonathan swinging the kids around in the car seat to calm them when they were fussy.

He didn't start out chunky, but look at him later:

Lots of chins and drool! that's my boy!

The prompt from Lain concerned group photos, and it reminded me of this photo, one of my grandparents all time favorites:

The other comment Grandpa always made was, everyone is smiling, even the dog. Who I cut off to fit the photo onto the page. That was a Jessica Sprague template that I rotated to fit the orientation of the photo.
And then on Saturday, I powered through the rest of Ethan's baby book. I just have to add some journaling spots, and it will be all done. I'll work on that in the copious free time I have;)

And then, for my last day of LOAD for February, I worked on a few pages from my Everyone Can Write A Little class that I took from Cathy Zielske last year. I've got a bunch of tweets and status updates chosen, and I'll add to the book as I have time. Then next year, I'll do the same for 2010, and then for 2011. Nothing like planning ahead, right?

So that's all I've got for the moment. I hope you enjoyed these. I loved adding these moments to my story. Are you telling your story yet?

Loving LOAD

2010-02-19T14:52:00.001-05:00

I signed up for LOAD (LayOut A Day) again this month. It looks like Lain and Tami will be running this in May and October as well. I encourage you to sign up for the challenge. There's something very satisfying about having a new page to show the kids everyday. Ethan especially loves seeing what I've done.

Here's what I've managed to do so far:

I used some old digital supplies from Creating Keepsakes' Kit-Of-The-Month Club for this one. And I scanned the cover of the Happiness Project, a book that I COMPLETELY recommend to everyone, to illustrate the page, along with a photo of myself when I went to one of Pioneer Woman's signings in NYC in December. I didn't have time to do a paper page for some reason. Or maybe I just wanted to dabble with photoshop elements. I don't really remember right now.

I used Core'dinations whitewash paper to do this page. It was fun, except for the whole scrap boss from fiskars that I used to make the dry embossed flower and leaf vine was less than 12." That required some finessing. I love all the way all the disparate papers came together. All from my scrap drawer. I really have to go through those files and purge the absolutely ugly stuff.

Part of the Cricut Mother's Day class I'm putting together at the local JoAnn's. Email me if you want class information.

Least Common Layout for Library of Memories. Although I could do a place page, I have done travel albums, but not much about all the people I love. I thought I'd try to embarass my brother, the most non-mushy person I know.

A quiz from Ella Publishing's Quick and Creative Quizzes. One sheet of patterned paper from Sassafrass Lass with the border still attached. Leftovers from a set of glitter letter stickers. This was SO fast and easy!

Template from Barb Wong, a fellow LOADster. More papers from CK's KOTM. My second digital page for the month.

Mom got me a 3 month subscription to Little Red Scrapbook's Monthly Kit. This is the first page I've done with the kit supplies. I'm really liking the little chipboard Amercan Crafts frames. I cut one apart to make the brackets around Simon's face.

So the prompt for this day was to scrapbook a pile. I have to admit I have taken a few pictures of the piles of laundry I do, but I didn't have any printed. So I used my last piece of 4x6 photo paper to print one-and was rewarded with the odd line down the lefthand side of the photo. I decided I was going to use it anyway, and added some flourish stamps and distressed the whole thing.

I used my category drawers to pull together all these photos for Simon in various boxes and bins. It sort of a defining characteristic.

Since I only have about three pages about Jonathan, I thought I'd do another, with random bits of trivia on assorted tags. I'd like to put a dent in the tags and labels I have. I don't use them as much as I thought I would when I got them.

More Core'dinations paper, and more tags. And a quiz from an old Simple Scrapbooks special edition.

Paper leftover from making this year's classroom valentine's and one of my favorite pictures of Ethan ever. And a quick letter to him because he was missing a Valentine's party and a field trip due to Strep. (Everyone in the house but me has it. I'm not sure how that happened, but I'm not looking a gift throat in the mouth.)

I can't help it. This is what popped into my head everytime I saw this photo. Don't tell me you can't see it.

I love this photo of my mother and sister. They are truly beautiful here. (And other places as well, it's just OBVIOUS here.)

I love the Doodlin' Around paper stack from DCWV. This is from the stack. It's got the doodle flowers and circle printed right on there, along with some glitter. I just added some flowers to add some dimension.

Yes, this is the same photo as the page above. I can't help it, I absolutely adore this photo of Ethan with Lexy's dog Lucky. It so perfectly catches the spirit of my not-so-little boy.

I don't usually do birthday party pages. That's just not what I do. But I thought I should use up some of my supplies. Ethan's eight now, and as you all know, eight is great!

Some paper from Heidi Grace. All the birds are flocked, so I kept petting the page while I was putting it together. That bottom photo makes me laugh!

Ethan had company yesterday, so rather than get caught up with paper and glue I re-used the template Barb Wong made, and some brand new digital paper from Songbird Cafe's Port Au Prince set. (All proceeds from that go to Doctors Without Borders.) And found some flower photos. I have a lot of flower photos. Some of these are on the doors of my craft room cupboard now :)

Thanks for looking! I hope I've given you some inspiration. Are you telling your story yet?

Quick idea for photos

2010-01-29T22:00:00.003-05:00

I've been meaning to do quite a few things around here. Let you know about The Angel Company promotions. When my classes at the local JoAnn's are. How tos and general what not. But, as you all may have noticed, I've been very good at procrastination. (I did start my diet, however, on the 6th. By doing the medifast 5&1 plan I've lost 12 pounds so far. Now comes the hard part:staying the course.)

At any rate I've got a quick project I wanted to show you, inspired by the wall mural Cathy Zielske's daughter did as mentioned here.

That's the before picture. A very dark, and wonderful cherry door that covers the built in cupboard in my scraproom. I've been wanting to do something to lighten it up, and add some color (other than red) to the room. The younger Zielske's idea reminded me of all the flower pics I've taken with the macro function on my point and shoot, and I decided the doors would make a perfect frame for my photos. It's not quite perfect, however, since the interior panel of the door is 9"wide, and 25.5" tall on the top part, and 13" tall on the lower panel. That made it a little difficult to use my 4X6 photos, but what I've done so far works. I think I may add some cardstock with quotes about flowers and beauty to the staggered side, however. Anyone have any favorites?

40. How did that happen?

2009-12-29T21:51:00.003-05:00

I turned 40 yesterday. It's a completely weird idea. I'm so not even close to where I thought I'd be. As a teen I was always dreaming big. Scientist. Author. Even President. (Because I like telling people what to do. What can I say? It's the big sister in me.) At any rate I was someone successful. Accomplished.

What have I accomplished since being a dreamer in high school? Just about every job I've had I've worked my way up to a supervisory position. From seasonal help to store supervisor. Temp worker to forecast analyst for service parts of a multi-million dollar lawn and garden manufacturer. But now? I'm a mom. Of two boys. I always thought I'd have a daughter. But I have boys. And I don't think we'll be having any more. Who wants to have a baby at forty? Sounds exhausting. Looking back, it seems like my whole life was preparation for being the Mom of boys. Always surrounded by boys, whether relatives or friends in college. And cleaning animal skulls as a job completely out grosses anything they can think of. I hope.

I teach scrapbooking and stamping, and sell supplies thru The Angel Company. I could even be considered passionate about it. But I'm not going to force people to tell their stories. I just try to explain that everyone has stories their family will want to remember, and scrapbooking is how you pass them on. Everyone has their own version of events, and scrapbooking is how you get to tell your side of the story.

I guess I should have taken more art classes. I never thought I'd be earning money in any art related field. But I've always been crafty, so I guess I shouldn't be that surprised.

I have gained 50 pounds since college. It's horrible. I'm surprised everytime I look in the mirror, because the outside so does not reflect how I feel about myself. Two years ago, I did manage to lose 20 pounds, and kept 15 off for a year, but the stess of the past year just undid all that work. But I have to lose the weight. My cholesterol count is way too high, and it just keeps getting worse. If I want to avoid pills for as long as possible, I need to loose weight. So. I'm dieting again this winter, and this time I'm going to keep going till I'm where I need to be for health's sake. And yes, I know I need to exercise too, but exercise alone will not help me loose the weight. It can help me loose 5 pounds here or there, or help me maintain weight, but in general it won't help me loose 50 pounds.

So here's my public announcement. Because I'm great at making big plans, but terrible at follow thru. You guys are my weight loss assistants. Feel free to ask for updates, but please don't nag. Nagging makes me feel contrary. Just ask Jess.

On the December Daily Bandwagon.

2009-11-30T18:35:00.002-05:00

I have been meaning to write this all month so that if anyone wanted to play along with us, they'd be able to. However, we're all familiar with the problems of even the best-laid plans, so it's no surprise my haphazard planning has led me to post this at the last minute.

For those who are not familiar with it, Ali Edwards has been running, or perhaps instigating, a December Daily Scrapbook group for three years now. She has put together a flickr group, and posts her planning, designing, and creating process on her blog. For info about this year's group go to her blog. That will give you all the information you need to play along if you want.

This will be the second year I do this. Last year I did not manage to take a photo every day, but I got photos and story for most days. I thought I'd share what I did with you. I'll also post before and after photos for this year's book on my flickr page (link on right) and try to update here on a regular basis.

I used a planner from Martha Stewarts' craft line, and added a bunch of different papers to try to achieve an eclectic look. I may have only made it to "hodge podge," but I like it. Of course there are some pages I like more than others. I'm only including the ones I found interesting here:

I loved using the acetate overlays and plain pages. They added a fun element of depth and unexpected layers. Here's a couple more from later in the month:

And page 14? A piece of Tim Holtz's grungeboard. I love that stuff. I even used craft foam for a couple pages:

And I used die cut pages, and shaped my photos to conform:

Other favorite techniques included full page photos on the backs of single sided papers.

Not all my photos were well composed; some of the ones I used could be considered downright awful, but they documented our life last December. That was the point. To be in the moment, rather than trying to recapture a feeling or thought months after the fact. And to enjoy that moment for what it was, in all its daily messiness. I hope you'll consider playing along.

I only have duct tape so I can make costumes. And hold doors together until the contractor can get here.

2009-11-12T16:14:00.005-05:00

Making Ethan's Lifesaver costume was very easy. I measured how tall Ethan was from his armpits to his knees, and around his chest, then got a piece of scrap material in those dimensions. I laid out a piece of florist's wire on each end so I could give the finished piece some shape when I was done. Then I just covered the cloth with two strips of duct tape and used each color in turn.

I just taped the sides together on the inside and outside of the tube, then made two straps out of duct tape folded over on itself. (Simon took the photo above. He does a good job for a four year old, don't you think?)

To make the label, I cut a piece of handmade paper that my sister gave me to approximately the right size, and cut out letters with my little cricut. I think they were 5 and 5.5 inches high, from the Opposites Attract cartridge. I just used a glue stick to attach them, then used a piece of clear shelf liner to attach and cover the whole label on the tube.
And now may I present Darth Vader and his LifeSaver:

Fully LOADed

2009-10-31T22:42:00.002-04:00

Well, I made it. Actually I made a lot. Two twenty page mini albums, 28 more layouts, 5 of which were double paged, for a total of 73 pages done. That's 131 photos out of my storage albums and onto pages. I need to push myself like this more often. How's February sound? Anyone want to join us? I'll be sure to let you know when that starts getting organized.

Anyway, here's the rest of my LOs for the month.

I was feeling rather worn out and sicky, so I thought about just slapping a photo on some cardstock and calling it done. Then I thought, what about using labels to make a photo mat, and it just snowballed from there. This has an awful lot of stuff on it for a slap it on the page kind of day. Oh, and have I mentioned how much I love grungeboard and stickles? Cos I do.

This photo has been sitting on my desk for weeks, calling me. I scanned it before I put it on the page, and then had fun weaving some patterned paper scraps together. I'm really loving these particular letter rubons. Getting them on clearance at AC Moore's may have something to do with that.

This is an inside joke for the adults; my kids will never know the pleasure of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Since some days seem like I'm living in a zoo (Who am I kidding? Most days...) I thought the nature documentary style journaling would be appropriate.

And here's today's page. I figured I'd do a Halloween page and get in the spirit. After all Halloween may be the most important holiday for us, since if it weren't for a Halloween party thirteen years ago tomorrow, I wouldn't have met my husband. He was a pseudo-french intellectual with the Communist Manifesto under his arm, and a cigarette in a cigarette holder. I was the night sky. We've been together ever since.

That's all I've got for now. Look for a wonders of duct tape as costume material post soon. You too can be a GIANT roll of LifeSavers.

Heading Into the Home Stretch.

2009-10-28T13:33:00.004-04:00

We've been rather busy lately, but I've managed to keep up with LOAD. I've been trying to keep it simple, so I can do other things, like dishes and laundry. You know--housework! You all know how much I love and enjoy that, right?
Anyhoooo....
This was my next page, one 5x7 and a mat only attached on two sides makes a cute pocket for some journalling. If you're looking for something to say, writing a letter to the person in the picture is a good place to start. Love this kid.

Another thing you can do, is to make a list of traditions or meaningful things, and then expand on that idea. I love this page. Not only are the photos okay, but I love all the product I ended up using. If I could use the Making Memories journalling cards on all my layouts I would be a happy woman.

And I'm seriously loving all the pieces I ordered from Scenic Route. It's really sad that they are going out of business.

Another thing I'm really really enjoying is the Doodlin' Around stack from DCWV. There's a page for every season.

This is not a great page from a design point of view, but it really carries the idea of legos well. I used paper strips and a circle stamp set to make the "legos."

I have had piles of brother themed stickers lying around for ages. I decided I should use them before my children are grown and out of the house.

Simon's been helping me by picking out photos to use. I've had a craving for jellybeans since I made this page.

I got a book called Scrapbook Page Maps by Becky Fleck. There are all sorts of cool designs, but what I really like about the book is the set of cards in the back. I now have a deck of sketches for quick and easy reference and inspiration.

Feeling no creativity, I used a kit from Creating Keepsakes Kit of the Month from a couple years ago, and took advantage of someone else's creativity.

And then I figured out which pictures I could use to go with this paper. The design of the paper totally dictated how I did this. I can see a few things I might have done differently now, but on the whole I like it.

And then I made another mini-book. Twenty pages, most of them very, very simple.

Here's the title page:

And then we were back to Simon for inspiration, and a sketch from Page Maps. Love the arrow from Scenic Route, and the mesh paper has got to be at least five years old.

One more Page Maps Sketch, and more of Simon's favorite foods. I didn't use any patterned paper on this page, but used stamps to create my own on the strips on the right hand side of the page.

That's all for now. I've got today's page almost all done, I'm just waiting for the glitter glue to dry before I finish putting it together. Four more days, and LOAD will be done for October. It's been a fun ride so far.

LOAD Week Two

2009-10-14T20:38:00.003-04:00

Or perhaps this should be titled "Maintaining My Groove?"

At any rate, I began week two of LOAD with one of my favorite photos--a picture of Simon and I wearing Little MissMatched Socks. Four different and colorful socks makes me a happy camper. If you haven't given yourself permission to wear mismatched socks, go check them out now. They're too fun for words.

Ethan turned 8 on the ninth, and I decided to actually do a birthday page. I think this may be the second birthday page I've done, ever. What can I say, I don't concentrate on events, but rather moments. As an aside, he would have been very unhappy if he had not gotten any legos. When I saw the little guy holding up the page below, I knew that set was for Ethan. The lego figure even looked like him, don't you think?

I put this page together while working the table at my local Joann's for the meet the teachers open house they do every month. I think it may be a little bare, but I'm not going to waste my time second guessing myself. Moving on...

This photo was taken by a family friend (Hi Marios!) I used paper and stickers from DCWV, and I love how they all go together.

Next I used some new papers I got in my order from Scenic Route. They are going out of business (sniff), so if you like these papers, order some quick. When they're gone, they're gone!

These are the first two pages in my Me:The Abridged Version book. The design is by Cathy Zielske, and she put together a great class teaching this at Big Picture Scrapbooking. Even if you don't take a class from her, you should make a book like this. It will change the way you see yourself, and how your family sees you.

This page I did NOT do for LOAD. I made this at the beginning of the year as a memento for choosing the word "JOY" as my word of the year. This is something Ali Edwards talks about, and it's a great idea for bringing mindfulness to your life.

The prompt for yesterday was to revisit your word of the year, if you had picked one, and make a page about it. This is what I came up with. Hankies may be necessary.

I finished off the week on a decidedly cheerier note, with a photo Simon took of me last spring, and a bunch of silly quotes I like to use.

So that's it for this week. Seven layouts, and nine pages, for a total of 34 pages this month. Woo hoo! Nothing like list making to make you feel more productive :)

The Perils of Pioneer Woman

2009-10-13T22:39:00.004-04:00

When you read Pioneer Woman as often as possible (which I do) you tend to get your camera out more often. You read the manual. You make your kids pose for 49 pictures at a time. You scan your house for the best possible natural light. But there are times when you may take your Pioneer Woman addiction too far. Times when the macro function on your little point & shoot camera has no business being used.

Like when you're in the middle of cutting up a butternut squash from a friend's garden to try in a untested recipe, and you decide the light is really nice, maybe you'll just try for a little close up on the squash. And you get this:

I'm not sure if this is really good, or really scary.

My first week of LOAD

2009-10-07T16:32:00.001-04:00

I've managed to keep up with a layout a day for the first week of October (and then some!) My first page, inspired by a chance watching of The View, and recalling meeting Whoopi Goldberg:

I even dreamed about making that one. Day two I got out the stamps, and then proceeded to mess up the title. Oh well. This isn't for publication, but for fun!
That's one of my favorite photos of Ethan as a baby. Day three, and I needed something quick, since we were busy going to a concert. Cue the dog pictures, and color-blocked paper:
Day four, and I wasn't sure what I should do, and then Simon suggested working on my zoo pictures. I've only had a plan for these since 2004. I did four pages (6x6) since they're so small.
Bite-sized even!

Day five was more of the same: Simon helped me do 6 more pages for the mini zoo book by putting on the flowers and buttons.

I decided I wanted to do the prompt for the day as well, which encouraged using fall colors, so I did my first, quick, completely digital page. Now I just have to get some 8.5x11 photo paper.

Day six, and Simon and I finished up the mini zoo book. That's ten pages for you.
Day seven, and I used one of the leftover zoo pics to do a page about my favorite sister. (Hi Jess!)So that's 25 pages done so far this month. I rock! (If I do say so myself.) More next week :)

On your mark...

2009-09-30T21:41:00.002-04:00

I signed up to do a Layout A Day for the month of October. That's LOAD to you ;) That's a scrapbook page every day of October. Even the days I'm teaching, or celebrating my darling sister's graduation from PA school, or wandering the neighborhood trick-or-treating. Just the idea of this makes me happy, simply because I will have 31 more pages of my story done.
And by my story, I don't just mean pages about me, although there will be plenty of those, but also pages about my lovely children and my goofy husband and the rest of my wonderful family. The idea of having physical reminders of how much I love these people just fills me with JOY. That is my word for the year--to share joy and spread joy, and find joy in the everyday.
So are you ready? Do you have a story to tell?
Get set...
Go!

Growing Up

2009-09-13T19:04:00.002-04:00

All of a sudden, the house is quiet for hours at a time. I thought I was more than ready for you to start school, but I miss you. You are racing into the future, and all I can do is watch you go.

As I walked you to school for your second day, you looked up at me and said, "I love you Mama," and then smiled that all encompassing smile that you have when you are completely happy. I just wanted to freeze that moment forever.

So here's to the wonderful boy you are becoming. I love you, too.

Home

2009-07-08T20:54:00.003-04:00

I've recently been expanding my scrap blog reading, and came upon Lain Ehmann's blog called ScrapHappy. She recently posted about what "home" means, and quoted a line from Finding Nemo: "I look at you, and I'm home." Then she challenged others to make a page using that as the inspiration point.

Since the simple idea of it got me all teary eyed, I started thumbing thru photos, and came upon one of my guys all together and smiley in the back seat of my mother's car. So here's the layout I made with Lain's inspiration:

I used some of my favorite products: flowers from making memories and close to my heart, tim holtz' grungeboard and distress stickles. The patterned paper is from DCWV's sweet stack, I believe. I think it looks like chocolate cake, how about you?

So, what makes you think of home? Is it a person, a place, a smell? Cleaning out my mother-in-law's house has made me a little more aware of what makes me think of home.

Little gift folder/card

2009-06-05T14:32:00.000-04:00

I made some cute little gift cards for my relatives for Valentine's day. (With some help from my youngest.) I thought I'd show you how to make them, since they're so easy and cute. (I wonder how many times I can say "cute" in this post?)

I used the new Green paper stack from DCWV for the ones I sent my relatives, with dotted swiss bazzill paper as the inside page. The final one you'll see here I made with scraps when I realized I hadn't taken any pictures of the finished product. I'll think of someone to send it to, I'm sure.

You will also need a strong double sided adhesive, like redline, or stick-ease. I'm not sure a regular tape runner is strong enough to hold the pockets shut. (I used tombow on some we made for my son's class, and they did not stay put.) And of course you'll need a trimmer, straight edge (aka ruler), craft knife, and a bone folder or stylus, as well as a long reach hole punch. And stamps, stickers, or photos that you love.

Start by cutting off a four-inch strip from a piece of 12X12 cardstock. I wasn't too concerned about how "finished" the inside would look, since I knew it would be filled with pages and candy, but that may concern you, and you may want to use something double sided.

Just as an illustration, the above items are a bone folder, stylus, and scoring blade for the fiskar's trimmer I was using. Any of these will work to score folding lines in your paper. You want to score three lines across your paper strip, one in the middle, at 6 inches, and one at 2 15/16 inches from each end. Just run your bone folder, stylus or scoring blade down the center channel of your trimmer. I prefer my bone folder because I can be rather heavy handed, and have been known to break through the paper when using the scoring cartridge.

For those of you who are mathematically challenged, here's 2 15/16 inches:

I hope that helped :D

Next you're going to cut off the top outside corner of each end. You could just fold the corner under (I'd use a glue dot to hold the corner down) but I wanted to make these as light as possible since I was going to mail these all over the eastern seaboard.

The next step may require a little help. Stamp, sticker, or otherwise embellish a 4X6 piece of solid colored cardstock, and score a line down the center (at the 3 inch mark if you need specifics). This is where my little helper came in. For any family reading this, each of your pages tells a complete story. I have no idea what the story was; you'd have to ask Simon.

Then run a piece of double sided adhesive along the edge of the flap, and tape down. Voila! You've got a little two pocket folder. It's not quite big enough for school work, however. I put a piece of candy and a bookmark in each pocket after I finished assembling the card, but gift cards or love notes might work too.

To assemble, place your decorated 4X6 piece of cardstock inside the folder, and punch two holes just a bit above and below the center point. I wasn't too exact here, I just wanted a little distance between the holes so they acted as a hinge, rather than a pivot point. From the outside, thread a piece of thin ribbon through each hole, then back out the other hole. Tie together and you've got a cute little package for someone special. I also added a little heart on a pop dot to the front of our valentine's cards, but I think this pirate's ship is pretty cute, don't you? It's from TAC.

I hope you'll try to make one. It would make a great holder for a gift card or cash for a graduation or wedding present as well. Have fun creating!

What happens when you eat too many jellybeans:

2009-05-05T16:36:00.002-04:00

Just so you know.

Too Many Plates

2009-03-27T21:58:00.002-04:00

I had a bunch of posts planned for this month, but life has just gotten a little too complicated to keep up with the fun (read non-stressful) things. To give you an idea of the things that have been happening around here:

My oven decided it didn't want to light anymore. Stovetop, fine, broiler, good to go, but bake anything, NO WAY!

My washing machine decided (at 13 months of ownership) that it didn't like where it was, and started vibrating/walking all over the place.

My computer, with all my pictures on it, wouldn't turn on. It was just the power supply, but I went out and got an external hard drive and backed up all my favorite photos and uploaded them to an online site as soon as I got it back.

My dog, while fooling around in the backyard by himself, managed to stab himself in the chest with a 6 foot long tree limb. $500 and a few sleepless nights later, and he's fine.

My mother, who's been doctoring for heart trouble for a few years now, was told by her doctor that she needs to do open heart surgery within the next 2 months. I'm trying to talk her into getting a tattoo when it's all over.

My mother-in-law, who had been sick since Thanksgiving time, was finally diagnosed with cancer in February. It had spread from her colon, to her liver, and into fluid around her lungs. The weekend before she was to start chemo, she passed away. Her memorial service is tomorrow.

So that's why I've been unable to keep up with the blogging and writing lately, in spite of it being one of my resolutions for the year. Here's hoping we have some wonderful, positive things coming our way soon.

In the middle of winter...

2009-02-23T20:21:00.001-05:00

Things get a little cold around here. Even our homes freeze over:

(2009 Ice Castle at Saranac Lake.)

Sometimes I don't know where my kids get it.

2009-02-02T19:28:00.003-05:00

There are times when my kids do something that is so very different from myself and my husband that I wonder where the impulse originates. Take for example, peas. I really don't like them, and neither does Jonathan. We both can relate stories of swallowing them whole just to get them down as kids. However, Simon loves them. He'll ask for them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's gotten to the point where we'll keep a bag of frozen peas (and some green beans, too) on hand for whenever Simon's got a hankering for green drops. (As they are called in Charlie and Lola.) In fact he asked for them today. Twice.

He loves peas and will gobble them up just like that. How did we find out he liked peas? He asked for them at a restaurant once. And after reading this. Now they're a staple.

Now, since both Jonathan and I don't like them, and neither do our mothers, where do you think he got a hankering for them from? I'm betting on his great grandmother K, who, although she made a salad for just about every dinner, never really liked vegetables. Except for peas. She loved peas.

Miss you Grandma.

Some cards to whet your appetite

2009-01-22T10:19:00.002-05:00

Here are some cards I've worked on the in the past few days. I've used two stamp sets, and leftover pieces of cardstock and patterned paper from the Juliette collection. I hope you enjoy them. For information about the open house this weekend go here.

Jack Johnson

2009-01-21T21:24:00.001-05:00

This is what I've been listening to the past few days. I hope you enjoy it.

Kids books we love

2009-01-21T21:11:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to recommend some picture book favorites. I went into my son's school and read these to his class today, and they all seemed to enjoy them.

The first is one my son requested, and is a fun look at the common complaint "I'm bored!"

This is the second book I read, and it has some fun wordplay on color and cool text design. We've had this book for years, and I still love reading it to the kids.The last is one we've had for a couple years, and is a fun way of finding different ways of describing the same person. If I get a chance to, I'll be using it to work on a book with my son's class. I hope we can manage to do that, because I know I'll have fun doing it.

Enjoy the stories!

Open House January 24

2009-01-11T11:07:00.003-05:00

Finally getting back in the saddle again, and restarting my monthly open house. This month the free class will be an embossing workshop, for those just getting into and exploring the wonderful world of stamps. For those of you who are looking for scrapbooking or journaling projects, we'll make our own mini-book, using the bind-it-all and the DCWV brights chipboard stack. The class fee for that is $5, to cover supply costs. Here's a photo to get your book-making ideas flowing:

Please let me know which class you'd be interested in, and if you have any requests.

I'll be here from 12-5 on the 24th, and I'll have snacks to ward off the empty stomach grumpies. Kids are welcome, and will be sent to play upstairs with mine if they don't want to make things with the grown-ups. Please let me know if you have any dog or cat issues, so I can get the fur beasts out of our hair if I need to. Email me for directions. Hope to see you soon!

Sale on the angel company stamps

2009-01-05T14:17:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to share some good news. There's a sale on all T-coded stamps (their item number starts with a "t") at the angel company. Details are below. Let me know if you have any questions.

http://www.theangelcompany.net/Promos_Flyers.html

Happy Holidays

2008-12-27T15:12:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to say Happy Holidays. I hope everyone's having a wonderful holiday season. I'm still plugging away at my Daily December book. When it's done, I'll post pictures so everyone can ooh and aah ;)

That would be the Christmas morning aftermath. And this? This is a super cute puppy. He's almost one. Say "hi!" Connor! "Woof?"

A little Phineas and Ferb for a Tuesday morning.

2008-12-16T07:55:00.001-05:00

If I could buy a Phineas and Ferb soundtrack, I would.

This makes me think of Mom. Love you :)

Latest layout from class

2008-12-01T21:12:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to share the latest layout I did in class. It follows one of Cathy Z's layouts pretty closely, but it really shows my style as well. I hope you enjoy it:

Caught in the Act

2008-11-17T21:08:00.002-05:00

I love when I manage to catch a little piece of someone's character in a photo. Don't let this boy's cuteness fool you: he's really a mischevious 3 year old, and he'll smother you with smooches and squeezes with just a moment's notice. Then he'll bug you for something to drink. And maybe a snack. And after the bowl of checkers is gone, he'll breakdance with Hip Hop Harry. And then bug you for another drink.

Christmas projects

2008-10-29T21:05:00.003-04:00

I'm doing an open house on November 8th. Email me if you'd like more information about it. We'll be working on Christmas cards and projects. Here are a couple cards I've done before:

They're from ideas I've gotten from various catalogs and things. I'll have more ideas we can play with by the 8th.
Below is a project people can do if they want. Since supplies are limited, I will have to charge $5 for it, but it's pretty cute, I think.
front:back: And that's all I've got for today. Hope your day was a good one.

I like Fall

2008-10-28T09:10:00.002-04:00

I just thought I'd share a layout from my DYL class, and my thoughts on Fall:

The journaling reads:
Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the colors of the leaves in the bright sunshine, and on gloomy days too. I love the smells of fresh baked goods and apples and squash ripening, and I love the sounds as leaves crunch under foot, and fires crackle in the evenings. Every fall is an opportunity to start over, and to finish what I’ve started. It’s hope and familiar comforts, wrapped in brilliant color.

Short and sweet and to the point. How's your Fall going?

The reason why...

2008-10-26T21:24:00.002-04:00

I'm really enjoying the class I'm taking at BPS. Cathy's worked hard and given us some great information, and the handouts are useful, too. I can definitely see reusing quite a few of the pieces she's designed.

There are a lot of reasons I signed up to take class. Primarily, I teach scrapbooking, and I wanted to be better able to explain why a layout was working or not. While I know what the basics are, doing this class will give me samples to show people when my mouth disconnects from my brain. (A not uncommon occurance, unfortunately.)

Another reason I signed on is because I love her design sensibilities. I like the simple, structured approach to scrapbooking. While I appreciate the more artsy things you see in magazines lately, that's not the style I'm comfortable with. I want to create things with lasting beauty, and that's more likely to happen with a simple design approach.

And the final reason I signed up? I wanted to make more pages. I have made hundreds of scrapbook layouts, but have very few of them here. Most now live with other people, and while that was the intention when I made them, I miss having the tangible reminders of what I've done. I want pages for myself, and for my family. And it's working. Tonight while he was supposed to be going to sleep, my eldest came in and read the journaling from every layout I've done so far, and exclaimed over the pictures. He got real enjoyment out of the pages about himself and his brother. This is why I scrapbook.

Thank you BPS and Cathy Z, for helping me get our stories told.

An "aha" moment

2008-10-13T14:51:00.000-04:00

So I just have to share this with you:

Learning from a pro

2008-10-12T18:43:00.005-04:00

As you may have heard, I'm taking an online class at Big Picture Scrapbooking from Cathy Zielske, who's one of my all time favorite scrapbookers. I thought I'd share my layouts as we go along, and try to explain what I was trying for with each one. (And some legalese for you: Layout and concept provided by Cathy Zielske's Design your Life workshop at BigPictureScrapbooking.com)

This was the layout assigned before class actually started. Cathy said to get it all out of our system, so I went project happy, and turned each square into a little canvas. (Not actually canvas, but the idea of each as a separate work.) I did alcohol ink techniques and stamped on the upper left, and stamped the fabric flower on the upper right. I added some of my favorite new products: grungeboard, stickles glitter glue, and those jewel like pebbles. I tried to use all scraps, or papers I hadn't looked at in ages. I had fun. I even wrote on the photos the idea behind them. Create Art, Cherish Moments, Remember, Share Love, Find Beauty, and Be Me. That's pretty much why I scrap. Any questions?

This is the first layout, where we're working on the concept of balance. I chose papers and product with my hubby in mind. Masculine papers, distressed grungeboard, and tanks. What more could a Tank Man need?

This is the second assignment about symmetrical balance. It's purpose was to be more about the time that my brother and BIL spend with my eldest, rather than about play sword fighting. He adores his uncles, and they get that he'd rather play with them than have expensive presents (although presents are cool too.)

This last assignment for the week was a real world color challenge. We were to try using colors from something in the real world, in this case an ad for a cool modern rug. This one was easy. I had the colors on hand. The one for this week is hard: Orange and pink and brown. I'm not much of a pink person, in case you didn't know.

Well, I hope you enjoyed these. If you ever get a chance to take a class from Cathy Zielske, do it! She rocks!

Like father, like son

2008-09-30T22:26:00.002-04:00

I get a lot of comments about how much my oldest looks like his father. Most of the time, I don't really see it. Hubby looks like hubby, and number 1 son looks like himself. But this photo really nails it:I have seen that expression on my oldest's face so many times. This may be where he gets it from. He is a pretty handsome boy:

But sometimes he just doesn't want me to take any more pictures:

I'm not sure I can really blame him. But at least he smiles for most of them:

Where did September go?

2008-09-24T21:45:00.004-04:00

I had big plans for this month. I was going to post more how-tos and pictures of projects and get lots of exciting things done. And I have gotten lots of things done. Finally finished my wedding album. Made birthday presents for my sister and sister-in-law (I'll post pictures after they've been given.) Gone to PTA meetings and scrapbook socials and had an open house at my own home. Already visited my niece (and my bro and SIL) once this month, and get to go again this Saturday. Yay!

On our first visit we all crammed into my mother's car:

Aren't my guys just the cutest, cuddliest boys you've ever seen? Connor didn't really want to ride in the back, and at one point climbed over the seat and sat on Ethan's lap. Such a cute dog.

At one point while we were there, all the small animals decided to gang up on my brother. And yes, I do include my sons in that description. (Ross has Brownie and Simon hugging him, and Ethan's probably regalling him with video game information. Or asking if he can turn on the XBox.)

This was the first time Simon met Josefine. He decided this was how she needed to be entertained. She thought this was very interesting. My brother worried about germs.

So that's the tip of the iceberg for September. Hopefully I'll have a decent picture of Jessica with Josefine after this weekend, not to mention Nancy. (Nothing I've taken so far has been really nice.) If either of you read this before Saturday, plan on posing!

Play Time At My House

2008-09-04T20:56:00.002-04:00

I'm going to host my first open house/ scrap and stamp play time next Saturday, September 13 between 12 and 5pm. I'll send out an email with details on how to get here. If you're going to be in the area and I haven't sent you an email, let me know. We'll play with stamps and paper, maybe do a card or two. The first ten people who come will be able to make a little purse shaped card from this set of diecuts. If anyone has any techniques they want to experiment with, let me know, and I'll make sure I have the materials ready. Otherwise, we'll play with watercolor stamping techniques. Check out Tim Holtz's blog for inspiration. I don't claim to be as good as he is, but we can play with his techniques.

And for anyone interested, I've signed up for Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life class, to pump up my design savvy. It starts October 3, and runs thru Christmas. I'm really looking forward to it. Anyone else want to take it?

Oh, and a word of warning for visitors next Saturday. I have 4 cats, a dog, two rambunctious boys and no offstreet parking. So, yes, kids are welcome. I'll have a table set up with kid stamps and stickers, and number one son will be on entertainment duty. (Now he just has to keep his room picked up between now and then.)

First Day

2008-09-04T12:11:00.004-04:00

Today my eldest started second grade. I now officially am old. (At least according to my kids.Ed-In my son's defense, he read this and said, "you're not old, Mom!") Here he is in all his almost-7-year-old glory:

Only one more month to go before his birthday. What am I going to do? And how can I stand this cuteness on a daily basis, and not squeeze those cheeks? (I apparently was meant to be an annoying distant relative, only seen on major holidays.)
And yes, he just lost his first tooth. He was very excited about it. The tooth fairy paid him a visit, and left him with a 50 cent piece. I'm dreading the possibility that he will loose his teeth the same way he got them: all at once. He literally went from no teeth to 5 teeth within the space of about a week. At nine months old. Immediately after minor surgery. On a holiday weekend. It was fun.

So the next time you see this guy, ask him how school's going, and count his teeth. They may not be there very much longer.

Schemes/Plans/Blueprints/ Design planning

2008-08-30T14:11:00.004-04:00

One of the things that makes my life easier when I'm putting together an album or mini-book that has a theme (ie vacation album, birthday album, baby book, favorite things, etc.) is to take the time to plan a layout that I can use repeatedly throughout the album. This can help unify an album, even if you don't use the same colors or products from page to page. I don't have to use the exact same layout on each spread, but can modify it as needed.

What exactly is a layout? Well, think of it as a blueprint for your page. Photos go here, different papers go there, an embellishment or two or three go here, and so on and so forth. For example, the pages I did for my niece can be summed up by this plan:

To do the second page, I simply rotated the plan 180 degrees, and replaced the title and journaling block with another photo.

The fun thing about approaching scrapbooking design this way is that you can find inspiration anywhere. A label on a piece of clothing that you like, an ad in a magazine that catches your eye, a piece of furniture with interesting lines are all places where you can find inspiration. Beautiful design is everywhere, you just have to be paying attention. Once you notice it, you can apply it to your own designs. Just remember the basic components: a focal photo, a title, and a place for you to write. Everything else is icing on the cake (or page, as the case may be.)

As one final note, I told you I was going to make a page about the Police concert I went to, and as threatened here it is:

I really like the way it came out, but you may not be able to see it very well. It does have a little structure, but this was a more organic process. This was more of a move everything around until it works page.

So, take a look around you, and look at the structure of things you like. Then go mimic it. It'll be fun. Try it!

Point and Shoot Beauty

2008-08-21T22:21:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to share a few photos I've managed to take with the macro option on my little point and shoot camera.

Hibiscus:

Echinacea: Hydrangea:
Hydrangea again:
Black Eyed Susan:
Not bad for a point and shoot, don'tcha think? I haven't even photoshopped them (yet).

Quick and Easy Card

2008-08-02T20:10:00.005-04:00

Materials:

Floral Favorites stamp set
Basic Birds stamp set
Juliette SWIC
Ultra Smooth White Cardstock
Juliette coordinating cardstock pack
Versamagic-perfect plumeria

Tools:

Paper trimmer
acrylic blocks for stamps
adhesive

Instructions:

1. Cut a sheet of white cardstock in half to measure 8 1/2 X 5 1/2. Fold in half to get a 4 1/4 X 5 1/2 card.
2. Cut a 4 1/4 strip of paper from the striped paper in the Juliette SWIC paper pack. Tear about a 2" piece off. Adhere along top edge of white card.
3. Cut a 4 1/4 strip of paper from the light tan cardstock in the coordinating cardstock pack. Tear off a 3" piece. Adhere along bottom edge of white card.
4. Ink oval flower from Floral Favorites set with versamagic perfect plumeria, and stamp on left over piece of white ultrasmooth cardstock. Trim to small rectangle. Rub ink pad along edge of rectangle to add hint of color. Adhere over joint between striped and tan papers.
5. Ink "enjoy" from Basic Birds with versamagic perfect plumeria, and stamp on small tag from Juliette SWIC. Adhere on bottom right-hand corner.
6. Rub ink pad along edges of card front to add color and definition.

Fill the inside with a favorite quote or a short note, then share. Repeat as needed.

Waking Simon (a vignette)

2008-08-02T20:10:00.004-04:00

After getting out of the shower, I found Simon had crawled back in bed with Jonathan and had fallen asleep. I had to document the cuteness.

I love my baby.

The Police Rock!

2008-08-02T19:49:00.009-04:00

Hubby and I went to see the Police last night at SPAC. It's the last week of their reunion tour, and I'm so glad I was able to see them. They're playing one night in New Jersey, then 2 nights at Jones Beach, then finishing out at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. If you can manage to get tickets, go! Unless you despise them. Then you probably wouldn't enjoy yourself.

As proof that we were there, and that I shouldn't quit my day job to become a concert photographer I offer:

I know these are just awful pics, but I'm still going to use them on a layout. I'm crazy like that.

Love this layout!

2008-07-24T19:59:00.001-04:00

I had to do something with the photos I took of Josefine, and I had some lovely Heidi Grace papers I wanted to use. I've been looking for an excuse to use some Stampin Up Rub ons, and I found some alpha stickers that I hadn't been able to come up with a use for before now. Fran, one of the women who also teaches at JoAnn's kindly gave me the glitter stickers, which added just the right touch of glam. And the buttons were the final touch.What do you think? I thought it came out nice. Oh, and the felt flowers and ribbons were from the dollar bins at Target. Yay Target! On a trying to be more thrifty (but not doing too well) note, I used a left over piece of cardstock to mat the picture on the left. This is the back. Jess and Jason might recognize the letters, since I used them on a Christmas gift for them 2 years ago. And yes, I do keep everything. I have a box full of baby food jars in the attic that I just know I'm going to find a use for someday, just wait and see.

Lazy Sunday

2008-07-20T22:08:00.003-04:00

Today has been a weird mix of indolence and productivity. I did 6 zillion loads of laundry (only slightly exaggerating) and never got out of my pajamas. I worked on a layout, and still managed to fit in some reading and also waste time on the computer. I did no dishes (Have I mentioned I hate dishes? No sooner do I get caught up on all the dishes, when some one decides to make something and not clean up after themselves. In spite of the sign.) but did give the kids a bath. Like I said. Lazy Sunday, but strangely productive. How was your weekend?

Introducing Josefine!

2008-07-08T21:07:00.002-04:00

Meet my new niece, Josefine. She was born June 26, a whopping 5 pounds, one and a half ounces. She's cute! And tiny. And the collecting of future blackmail pictures has already begun ;)

Page Review

2008-07-08T10:06:00.004-04:00

I just thought I'd share with you one of the scrapbook layouts I've done. I'll occasionally post more, when I think something I've done is interesting or pretty.

The letter stickers are some I'd gotten for the kids one time, but on seeing them again, realized they'd go perfectly with this picture. The "attack" letters are some of Tim Holtz' grungeboard. I love his stuff. The stamps are from Close to my Heart. The stamps from CTMH are clear polymer, and are very sticky. They can be a little difficult to peel off the storage sheet. But they do have some nice designs. The papers are from DieCuts With a View. While I'm at it, I'll post one of Ethan, too. Here:

Either Mom or I took this photo when she was having her pond installed. These are all Angel Company papers and stamps, and the transparent shapes are from Heidi Grace/Fiskars. I love this paper. I want about ten pieces of this exact paper, but I'd have to buy 10 sets to get that. And while all the papers and tags in the set are beautiful, they don't make me say "I need you" like this particular design does. Oh well. Reason not to spend money.

Hope you like the pages :D

I got lucky!

2008-07-02T16:26:00.003-04:00

So I read a few different scrapbooking and stamping blogs, and sometimes the ones hosted by people with connections in the industry have giveaways. Sometimes the winners are chosen by the host, and sometimes they use random chance.

Tim Holtz had a giveaway last week of various Ranger products. I won a complete set of the distress inks. So completely cool and amazing. They arrived today. Look:

How cool is that? What do you think I should do first? I'm thinking grungeboard or chipboard. What do you think?

Does this make me a bad person?

2008-07-01T20:30:00.002-04:00

So today's been pretty rotten. I'm sick, I'm tired and grumpy, and I didn't sleep well. (Okay who's playing the world's smallest violin? Louder now!)

The point is that I'm not dealing well with being a Mom today, ie telling my 3-year old to stop crying because it's just a scrape on top of the scrape he got yesterday, and keep walking cos I can't walk dog, and carry him and keep his big brother going too when I'm sick. It's just pain! Suck it up and deal.

Anyway, after dinner we go outside and play with chalk on the sidewalk. The dog tries to eat some chalk, and in playing keep away, I notice the chalk leaves nice bright lines on his black coat. So I write DOG on both sides of Connor, and am beset by helpless giggles.

Does that make me a bad person?

Simple Layout

2008-06-25T22:52:00.007-04:00

Last weekend I taught a 30 minute class to 30 seniors with some help from my mother. (aka SuperMom!) There were two basic ideas I tried to get across: You are your family's historian, and scrapbooking is flexible. You can make it as simple or as ornate as you like.

The case in point: A very simple layout I used as a demo.

As you can see, it's very simple. I'll probably jazz it up later. It needs more pop. I brought in another layout I did not finish so I could show how a picture and papers could be rearranged to suit different ideas. For example:

As you can see these are little variations that give slightly different impressions to the page. Just a thought. Now go play with some paper. Or candlesticks. Or your garden tools. Rearrange until "happy."

Family Vacation in Virginia

2008-05-29T11:44:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to share some photos of the family on our recent trip to Virginia Beach. This is the second year we've gone, and stayed in a cabin at First Landing State Park. The cabins, and the park itself, are wonderful. I really recommend staying here if you're ever in the area.

And we had wonderful sunny days while we were there:We made some new friends and worked very hard:

And I really do mean very hard:

And we documented the rise of the beach zombies in broad daylight. Very scary! I thought they were only supposed to come out at night:
All in all, a wonderful little beach vacation. If you like zombies ;)

Have Family, and Dog!

2008-05-29T11:00:00.005-04:00

The last weekend in March, we adopted a dog from Homeward Bound, a local rescue agency. The name he came with was Condor, but after two days of getting caught on the "d" every time I called the dog, it became Connor.
He's a retriever/ hound mix, with big paws, so he'll probably end up in the large dog category when he's full grown. He was about 12 weeks when we got him, so he's almost 5 months now. He's mostly black, with a white blaze on his chest, and a few white hairs on his paws, and on the tip of his chin. (I thought we could call it a soul patch, and call him sweet baby James, but no one else thought that was a good idea.)

He's mostly house broken--he's just not quite making it through the night yet. He has good moments and bad on the leash, sometimes pulling, and sometimes heeling. If he pulls too much I make him sit and calm down before walking more. We're only doing one walk a day so far, but he's out in the back yard quite a bit, and he's learning a few tricks--fetch and sit and stay and lay down. I want to do at least 2 walks each day, but I need to get him to be well behaved on the leash at least 75% of the time before I start walking him with the kids. I can't multitask that well when I've got kids on the swings, in the dirt pile, and a dog eager to meet every other creature that wanders past.

One of the reasons we're a little lagging in the training is Connor contracted Parvo virus a week after we got him. He was at the vets for a week on an IV, and I couldn't walk him for another 2 weeks, because he was still shedding virus. He's better now, thank goodness.

Temperamentally, he's, as Cesar would say, a medium energy dog. He's a little timid, very friendly, and has a big bark which sounds scary. He keeps asking the cats to play with him, but all they do is run away, or threaten to swat him if he gets too rambunctious. Basically he's an average dog, which is good, because that's what I wanted. :)

My First How-To for You!

2008-04-03T19:18:00.005-04:00

No one signed up to make a perpetual calendar tonight (see the sidebar), so I'll show you a simple project you can do with stamps tonight. This will work with any stamp. I'm using a very architectural stamp, but you could use an animal stamp if you've gone zoo crazy, or a Christmas stamp if you're putting together holiday cards, or a ball stamp if you've got a kid whose second word was ball. You've got the idea.

A word about stamp pads

There are a lot of different inks. But when it comes to putting ink on your stamp there's only one thing you need to know: is it a felt/cloth pad or a foam pad? If it's a felt pad like the one on the left, you bring the stamp to the pad and tap it gently on the pad, then give it a little twist before lifting it off the pad. If it's a foam pad like the one on the right, you turn your stamp upside down, and gently tap your pad on the stamp. No twisting! You can rip or separate the pad from it's case if you aren't gentle. If you follow these instructions, you can have stamp pads for years! They will need re-inking eventually, but that's another easy thing to do. How to tell if a stamp pad is felt or foam? Get your fingers dirty! A felt pad feels like a piece of canvas, and a foam pad feels like, well, foam.

The Technique

We are going to make a background. I used this technique to make a card and a scrapbook page, but there are lots of other things you can do with this idea--even use paint and you have a home decor treatment that looks like wallpaper, without the need to scrape and peel in ten years when you decide you must have been crazy to do that. First you need to choose a stamp. Base this on what your end project is going to be. I knew I was going to be doing something with my husband in it, so I chose a stamp that could be considered masculine. (Maybe.) From this stamp set from theangelcompany (aka TAC). Then I chose three colors--2 colors close in hue, and then an accent color. I used Niagara Mist, Hint of Pesto, and Night Sky . (I'm linking you to Michael Trent's website because I haven't set one up for myself yet. He's the wonderful guy who sent me a catalog from TAC for free! It's his fault I'm selling TAC now.)

Start with the lighter of the two colors close in hue, and stamp in a staggered pattern, leaving room between images for the image in the darker color. If you aren't comfortable with eyeballing it, stamp the image on a post it note, with as much of the image on the side with the sticky strip as possible. Cut close to the image, and you've got a repositionable place holder that you can use to help space your images. In StamperSpeak, it's called a mask, and it's a very useful trick for layering images, and creating scenes. That will be a future technique.
After you've filled the page with the lighter color, choose where you want your accent spot to be, and stamp the image once with the accent color. Then fill in all the empty spots with the darker background color. Don't forget to go off the edge of your page. This will ground your background, and it won't look like it's just floating there, waiting for you to finish it.

I used it for a page about my husband on his birthday two years ago. I hope you like it.

Before and After

2008-03-28T22:20:00.005-04:00

Did I say it was spring? Well I lied! I looked out the window this morning, and this is what I saw:

Simon was mildly distressed about the whole snow thing, and then he decided we should go outside and have a snowball fight. Which we did. Well, the outside part, but we ended up shoveling the front steps instead.

So here's another before and after for you:

Which one do you like better? I think my husband looks better with the facial hair, but he's a lot nicer to kiss without it. Although, it may just be that he needs a haircut. Okay, where's my clippers? Honey?

Spring is coming!

2008-03-27T19:51:00.005-04:00

I went outside to do some measuring of the fence to figure out how much I would need to buy to repair one side, and put a gate on the other side of the yard, and look what I found! I love crocuses. They're a wonderful spring surprise, since I'm never really expecting them when they arrive.

For the two people who read this blog who aren't family, we've got big news! I'm going to be an Aunt! My brother and his wife are expecting their first baby in August. Here's my bro practicing his baby skills with his dog Brownie:

And last but not least, check out my new glasses! Do they make me look more hip? Or are they just loud? What do you think?

Oh, and I've been dieting for 4 weeks now, and I've lost 13 pounds. Let me hear the applause, people!

Easter Baskets

2008-03-26T09:47:00.000-04:00

Well, we didn't do much for Easter, except have baskets for the kids and color eggs. Ethan really got into the spirit of coloring eggs this year. I had fun coming up with something other than a chocolate rabbit for their baskets. Simon has been asking me to read Max's Chocolate Chicken repeatedly, so I went looking for a chocolate chicken and found a very cute one at Walmart of all places. And, since Ethan has decided he doesn't really like chocolate, I made him a rice krispy treat. See if you can figure out what it is:

Yes, it's a rice krispy treat castle! Just what every sword mad 6-year-old needs. Don't you wish you had one? I'm such a good mom.

Shameless Self Promotion

2008-03-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

So, I've decided I've got to make my paper crafting obsession pay for itself. To that end I've done some things, and am planning on doing a few more to try to drum up some business.

Done:

Signed up as an Angel Company demonstrator. They have beautiful stamps and papers, and a very generous attitude towards crafters using their images in handmade items. I'll eventually sign up to use their online store as well, so people can order from me directly online. For now though, if any one needs any stamps or papers, you can email me. :)

Started teaching at the local JoAnn's etc. I've only taught a few classes, but I'm starting to get into the swing of things, and my class sizes are increasing! (From one to four, but hey, any increase is a good increase at this stage of the game.)

In the Pipeline:

Putting out flyers and handing out catalogs to anyone who will take one. I'm almost done with making a small pile, then I have to figure out where to put them. I've also been handing out business cards any time I can think of an excuse to give one out.

To Do:

Make samples/ put together a sample file of cards, scrapbooks, and classes. I'll have hard copies, photos, and then I'll put them online as well. I've got some together now, but this really needs to be much more organized.

Keep entering contests. I really want to get published. (I know, so do half the other papercrafters out there.)

Publish instructions for projects with pictures, so if any of you are feeling the need to play with paper, maybe I can help you with some ideas and how-tos.

A little further out:

Check out etsy. Selling cards and scrapbooking stuff online. Why not?

Look into craft fairs and shows in the area. I've got to try to sell myself. I've never been really good about that, but I'm working on it.

So, that's what I'm working on. Wish me luck!

Hot Wheels! Beat That!

2008-01-26T17:55:00.000-05:00

So, I'm working on pages for a submission to Creating Keepsakes magazine's Hall of Fame contest. One of the things I'm working on is a little mini-book detailing the boys' love of all things Hot Wheels. I just thought I'd show you a couple of the photos I'm not using in the book:

The one on the left is Ethan's idea. He said it was his Hot Wheels Supermodel pose. The one on the right was my attempt to get them to do their "Hot Wheels! Beat That!" pose. This one was the closest, but Ethan's elbow was in the way. I'm using a different one for their book, but you'll have to wait to see that one.

Cat in the box!

2007-10-25T22:09:00.000-04:00

Just a gratuitous cat picture to keep my sister up to date on kitten well-being. We got a package from my brother today, and as soon as the box was emptied and set on the floor Henrietta hopped in and made herself comfortable. Who needs cat toys when you've got boxes?

Halloween Prep

2007-10-25T21:11:00.000-04:00

So we decided to have a Halloween party instead of a birthday party for Ethan this year. We've been getting costumes ready this week. Ethan is going to be a soldier (aka knight) and Simon is going to be a Hot Wheels driver. We finished the costumes today for the most part, and I thought I'd share them.

This is Simon's car. We made it from a cardboard box and duct tape and picnic ware. I think it's one handsome little car. All we've got to add is some shoulder straps so that Simon can stand and carry the car, instead of driving around on his knees.

I made Ethan a tunic from some fabric that looks rather chainmail-y that he can wear under his breast plate. Mom made him a stick horse that looks really cute. He gave it a good gallop across the living room earlier this evening. I'll try to post a picture of that later.

Well, we've got games planned, and a few kids have called and emailed to let me know they're coming. Hopefully they'll all have a grand old time. We'll have rice krispy treats and cookies and juice boxes, and I'll send them all home wired. It'll be great.

Fun is Energizing

2007-10-21T23:09:00.000-04:00

So last night, instead of folding laundry or picking up the fallout from my kids I played in my craft room. I made the excuse that it was a Halloween decoration, and that it needed to be done before our costume party. That was just an excuse. I really needed to feel a little creative and fun, and relax with some paper and glue.

What I made was a cute little Halloween House with a kit from Doodlebug Designs, and papers from Rusty Pickle. I got out my decorative edge scissors, and some ribbon and stickers and my favorite spider stamp. With the help of my detail scissors and an exacto knife, I gave the ghost and one of the skeletons a little dimension, and turned some cute buttons into pumpkins and a doorknob.

I think it came out well, considering I do not own a glue gun. And I got a huge load of dishes done. I think I need to do more crafting, so I don't mind the housework.

Simon's Style

2007-10-13T14:18:00.000-04:00

This really illustrates Simon's way of doing things. He isn't any more messy than any other 2 year old. In fact, he seems to really have a thing for putting things in order. Notice the stacked stamps? That was entirely his doing, I had nothing to do with it. I'm just glad I noticed it when he was done with his stamping. He puts thing in order all the time. When my brother was here, and they were playing "Hot Wheels! Beat that!" his favorite part was parking the cars:

He got very mad at his brother when the cavalry would ride in and crash through all the cars. Of course, when it's your birthday and you've just gotten this:

It's very hard to resist using your brand new soldiers to create havoc at the parking garage.

And on that note, Happy Birthday you wonderful 6-year-old! Have another piece of birthday pie!

Compare and Contrast

2007-09-12T19:33:00.000-04:00

Ethan!

Are you sure Simon looks like me and Ethan looks like Jonathan? Cos, well, I think they look like each other.

Same expression, different kid!

Kitten and Kid Update

2007-09-07T14:29:00.001-04:00

I just have to share some so-so pictures with you. Kids and Kittens are being excessively cute lately.

Please meet Henrietta and Toby (short, of course, for Tobias). Our kids wanted to name them Pie (the tiny one my sister conned my husband into taking) and Joshua (the gray stray that appeared on our porch the other day.) But my husband took one look at baby stinky butt kitty (she's only five weeks old, and not good at cleaning her butt yet) and decided she really ought to be called Henrietta. And then we remembered our Thomas the Tank Engine. Henrietta--Toby the Tram Engine's coach! We have a winner! (Joshua was just too awkward to call out the back door.) Here's a slightly closer shot of kitten cuteness for you:

And a couple other kids just generally being cute photos for you:

Simon wearing my glasses

Simon in his big bad race car/ box

And finally, Ethan's getting so big I feel like crying at times. Where did my baby go?