Oh My...

First, let me just say that I have the greatest blonds in the world.  You guys are the bomb!!! I read the post again today and was worried that it sounded like 'fishing'.  But it wasn't, truly.  It's just observation and feelings.  However, without doubt, I am so very very grateful for the complements.  (And I will definitely check out the Challenge thing as soon as I can get into a scrappy mood.  Right now, it's basically a play thing - it literally takes days to do the simplest layout.)

Next, let me verify that I really do not know my right from my left.  So when I said that I mostly scrap photos on the 'right' side of my layouts, I really meant 'left'.  You may want to save this for future reference.

Third, I finished my Vacation album and so here are those layouts in order:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know that you've seen most of these layouts before, but I thought it might be interesting to see how the whole thing came together.  So this is it just as it is in my album.

I hope all are having a great weekend and are getting their crafty on.

Stay Safe & Scrap On!

“All I'm writing is just what I feel, that's all. I just keep it almost naked. And probably the words are so bland.” ― Jimi Hendrix

Picasso vs Da Vinci...

Honestly, while both are great artists in their way, I am a Da Vinci girl.  Some people love the free-flowing, disorderly-order to Picasso; but I love structure... straightforwardness.  And this obviously flows into my scrapbooking.  I have tried being a mixed-media, avant-garde artist type of scrapbooker and it just doesn't work for me.  I am a Craftsman.  The most free-flowing my layouts get are messy-stacks, bunches of embellishments, or rumpled edges.  I love things to be rather orderly... and it's starting to bother me.  I mean, really - there's only so much you can do with a 12x12 canvas while maintaining my orderliness.  So I'm somewhat worried that my layouts are becoming boring.

On the other hand, when I go through my albums to insert new layouts, I always view each layout from front to back (that's how so many end up changed!).  Also, usually when I start putting away layouts, I have a stack that will be divided throughout many albums.  So actually I get a chance to look at everything... how things have changed throughout the last year or so, as well as if I think the layouts become redundant.  And to tell the truth, they don't feel that way.  Each feels unique regardless of: whether the design is used several times; whether I use the same papers over and over; and, whether it's the same theme repeatedly (best friends, etc.).  I believe the reason all the layouts feel singular to me is that each has a different combination of supplies (even if I use flair/wood/tape repeatedly, it's different flair/wood/tape).  However, there are some things that I am trying to do less.  For instance, I love the look of mist splatter on a layout to lead the eye from corner to corner, but I don't want it on every.single.layout. that I create, so I'm trying to change up the way I use mists.  I love the flair/wood/tape combination, but I need to look at new ways to do that or at least break up the combo.

So it goes, that my scrapbooking has become less lately.  That even though I am having a lot of physical and mental stress issues, I think about scrapbooking all the time.  But when I do get a chance to sit down and do it, I just kind of look at the photos and papers and stuff... and say hmmmmm.  And I guess this is what a serious slump looks like... not only losing your mojo, but second-thinking your entire craftiness.

However, I have got a few layouts to share... we've had quite a lot happen lately (I have made up my mind to only scrap the good stuff - living the bad stuff is hard enough...maybe I'll scrap about it later).

(Bella Blvd Snapshots patterned papers & tape, American Crafts Thickers, Basic Gray chipboard, Doodlebug stickers, Freckled Fawn enamel dots; sequins.  Oh, and that flair is actually some button/pins that I picked up at Walgreens in the school aisle)

(Fancy Pants Trendsetter patterned and corrugated papers, stickers, flair; Glitz tape; MME enamel dots & brad; Simple stories letters and American Crafts Thickers; Doodlebug twine; Freckled Fawn paper clip; Spellbinder dies and EK Success punches; sequins.  Oh, that doily paper is actually Echo Park Beautiful Life.)

(Glitz & Simple Stories patterned paper; Echo Park journaling card; American Crafts Thickers; Doodlebug twine; sequins)

(Echo Park & Simple Stories patterned paper & journaling cards; Basic Grey & Amy Tangerine flair; Studio Calico brads, wood & mistable stars; Freckled Fawn enamel dots & paper clip; TapeWorx tape; EK Success punch)

(Basic Grey Mint Julep & Dear Lizzy patterned paper; Echo Park journaling cards; Glitz flair; Studio Calico wood; Dear Lizzy die cut; MME enamel dots; Simple Stories & Echo Park letter stickers; EK Success punch)

(Echo Park Here & Now patterned paper, stickers, diecuts, journaling cards; American Crafts Thickers;Studio Calico wood; Freckled Fawn enamel dots; EK Success punch)

And this is my experiment... hmmm.  I will say that I really like the brick tape that is the background for my stack.  And I really hate the striped tape, but can't get it off.  So there you have it - avant-garde really does not suit me.  But at least I tried.

(Glitz background paper and roller stamp; Dear Lizzy 6x6 paper; Crate Paper Pinwheel; Studio Calico cork; Prima wood; Dear Lizzy fabric sticker; October Afternoon letter stickers and American Crafts Thickers; MME stripe & Love My Tapes brick tape; Heidi Swapp mist; sequins.)

And so that's all I've gotten done in all this time.  Not much and most of it pretty common.  I'm just gonna say it for you - wow, do I love sequins or what?!!  Yes.... I really do - I'm just a shiny kind of gal.  But at least I mixed it up a bit.  I did notice that I have a tendency to mostly scrap my photos on the right side of the layout - another one of those things I need to change up.

Hope everyone is doing great.  I'd love some comments on how I can change it up a bit without going extreme... maybe it will help me find my scrappy groove.

Stay Safe and Scrap On!

"Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art." - Leonardo da Vinci

Its So Crazy...

We all know what stress does to a person:  lack of focus, exhaustion, depression, and exacerbation of diseases.  I usually deal with my stress in my scrappy place... scraperapy.  But lately that just doesn't seem to be working.  I am wanting to scrap, but that's so much easier said than done.

Actually, I have been scrapping... crappy scrapping.  Well, not too crappy, but definitely not my best effort.  I mean I really really want to scrap, but I just can't seem to get in the zone.  I start a layout and it takes forever to get it done.  I can figure out the papers for the most part - well, same ole same ole designs.  But, even with all this stuff... stickers, wood, enamel dots, flair, brads, paper clips, tape, stamps, chipboard, and all manner of other stuff... I just can't seem to get my embellishing going on.  It seems that every layout is kinda stuck in the 'tape, flair/wood, sequins/dots' scenario with little variation.  Nothing looks original.  My creativity is just zapped.

But I struggle on because of the pure need.  I've even stepped clearly out of my comfort zone (to come tomorrow when I can take photos) trying a variety of techniques just to try getting my mojo back, to no avail.  Each time I sit down to scrap its like the joy has been drained.  It's actually become hard and confusing. But I continue to cut and glue. Did I mention how very much I want to scrap?  How about that I still think about it all the time?

And then the worse part!!!  Because I haven't even really dented last months purchase, I won't be buying any new papers this month.  Because I can't figure out how to embellish, I really don't want to invest money into stuff that will just sit here... and I have enough of the stuff I do use regularly.  So even shopping is not my happy place right now.  BoooHooo.

Anyway, here are a few more layouts that I did during August as my current layouts must wait until the sun comes out:

(Echo Park, Washi and bling - WooHoo!) 

(These two layouts are essentially a double-pager, but in the loosest sense of the concept)

(This one was created for GiGi's album - it is last year's school pic)

(Okay, admittedly this photo is just crooked)

So that's all for tonight.  I will have photos of more recent layouts next time.  I hope everyone is well and carrying on scrappily.

Stay Safe and Scrap On!

“To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.” - Osho

Geeezzzz....

I can't believe it... I have absolutely nothing interesting to say.  Actually, I have very little to say at all.  It's like my mind is totally blank.  THIS IS SO UNLIKE ME!!! My mind is never blank because I have an opinion about everything. And I talk all.the.time.  So what's my problem?!!

Anyway, here are a couple of my layouts for Bubba's and my albums that I did using MME Find Your Wings:

American Crafts used as background paper.

The next two are a double-page layout... and we all know how much I hate these! (I used the same formula for another one that I did for my Vacation album.)

Echo Park This & That background paper.

Well, that's all I have today.  Hmmm.... honestly, I'm having a look at that 2nd page of the double-pager and thinking twice about it... we'll see. I hope everyone else is well and scrappy.  Thanks for stopping by!

Stay Safe and Scrap On!

“Don't be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.” 
― Rumi

Oh Me, Oh My...

Needless to say things have not gone well in my scrappy place for over a month.  I did get some scrapping done through the first part of August; but after my second injection and around the time to start getting ready for school to start, my mojo was just obliterated.  I couldn't even photograph the layouts that I had completed until today: 23 layouts have been just sitting there waiting for weeks.

But in my defense, it has been rather insane here.  Not only with school starting, but mom & dad came home on that day.  Cleaning in preparation, adjusting to their being here (more stressful than anticipated), and then the decline in my dad's health since their arrival.  I flaired the first 10 days they were home and then my dad started falling (off the couch, out of bed, in the bathroom).  We took him to the ER (diagnosis: bruised ribs - not!) and a week later finally talked him into letting us call the Paramedics.  He has now been in the hospital three weeks.  He has pneumonia to the top of his lungs and then strep sacs all over the outside of his lungs requiring a chest tube; they have had to reinsert the feeding tube because he has done nothing but aspirate into his lungs every.single.thing. that has gone into his mouth for who knows how long; oxygen; catheter; and a PIC-line of four continuous antibiotics.  He is very alert and is planning on when he eventually gets to come home... that man has the most determination to live than can be imagined by almost any- and everyone who meets him.  On top of that was the cat bite and when I eventually got out of bed and regained the use of my hand, GiGi fell in our kitchen and fractured her wrist (last Thursday).  Then this past Friday I had JC in the Dr's office with bronchitis and his mom's in bed with an RA/Lupus flair.  Like I said, it is totally insane here.

I wanted to share some of the (horrible) pictures I took today of layouts.  Also, in the event you might find this of interest, my favorite two paper lines at the moment are Echo Park's Here & Now and MME's Find Your Wings - and boy are they on the separate ends of the scale.  Here & Now has super intense bright colors and Find Your Wings are more muted and pastel.  So whatever mood, I'm covered.  I'm trying out a few more lines as well, but will report more on those later.  I will say that one of the lines I've gotten in is the Bella Blvd Snapshots which also has very bright colors; but, it is not half as lovely as the EP.  If you get a chance, check out these lines - I know the MME line is a Spring line, so it may become more readily available soon.

Also, if you decide you want to take a chance on A Cherry on Top, please use me as a referral as I do get points for referred customers.  And if you are an online buyer, check them out!!! As with all online suppliers, always sign up for the newsletter before making a purchase so that you can start getting a heads up on discounts (they are constantly having discounts - like daily!).  And look at the "Message Board", 'Hunting Cherries' and 'Review' policies because each of these (and possibly more) lead to a points system that can add up to discounts.  Oh, and then each month the Message Board does a 'Envies' game whereby you are assigned another player and each person buys items (minimum $10) from the others Wishlist - the items are sent directly to your counterpart.  It's rather fun - I didn't tell my partner anything about when their shipment went out so it was a total surprise for them to receive the package in the mail.  Plus I've met two local (within 30 miles) scrappers on the boards... that's uncanny for this part of the woods.

Now on to the layouts.  Rather than show 23 tonight, I'm just going to show the few of GiGi & KK together:

So after the first small slump, I did this page.  It is absolutely an example of rediscovering my Maggie Holmes and playing with my stamps. While it's super different and crazy, it has grown on me tremendously.

 Oh that lovely MME Find Your Wings paired up with that old DL 5th & Frolic - just a little shot of heaven.

 Yes, this is that fantastic Echo Park paired up with a little Simple Stories Snap and some Amy Tangerine fabric & wood stickers.  See how awesome!

 More Here & Now... and there's more to come. Love.Love.Love. This is the happiest paper I've ever played with.

So that's all for tonight.  I hope to get to catch up on my blog reading soon... I miss you all.  Heck I'm four weeks behind on my Glitter Girl fixes so that just goes to show you that it's not personal.

Hope you are all very well and very happy.

Stay Safe and Scrap On!

“The inner fire is the most important thing mankind possesses.” -  Edith Södergran

Just when i thought it was safe...

and my mojo was creeping in... and my new kit came in... and mom paid for a great order for my birthday... Yes, the day USPS brought me two boxes of sheer scrappiness, Hairy Pawter snuck outside.  Short version:  He was traumatized before i realized he was outside, i was carrying him in when by big outside cat approached, it terrified him as i was trying to open the door to put him inside, he bit my hand - HARD.  Now my right hand looks like a baseball glove, I am in extreme pain all the way up my arm, I'm taking antibiotics and going for xrays Tuesday if the swelling doesnt stop getting bigger.

WARNING:  Cat bites are one of the most dangerous animal bites.  Look this up so that you'll know ahead of time if this ever happens to you (instead of waiting 14 hours to go to ER like I did).  something about the cat enzymes mixing with the natural staph in your body, i'm too tired to remember.  just want you to be aware - and yes, he's had all his shots in the last couple of months.

This is my hand today:

anyway i'm over and out (again) for a while as i really am having a terrible time trying to type with my left hand.

stay safe and scrap on

Going Through My Albums...

I'm not dead... just out of sorts.  Lots of changes have gone on here in the past weeks - like mom & dad coming home, MS flairing, school starting, etc.  But I have thought of you all often and missed you like crazy... I just couldn't blog, then I couldn't take photos, then I couldn't scrap - my whole mojo is so out of whack.  But I thought I'd just add a little something today to try to get back in my groove.

Every once in a while I have to go back through my albums. Sometime it's to add or rearrange layouts. Sometimes it's because I've got a new album that is just a little more perfect for the subject matter. Sometimes it's for a challenge to scraplift myself.  And sometimes it's just to see what I've done.  But almost all the time, these forays bring changes.  Sometimes they're small, like maybe a few more sequins or a little twine.  Sometimes they're major, moving objects around or adding entire embellishment clusters.  And always I am so much happier with the layout.

It's surprising the way just one change can totally revamp a layout.  For example, I did this layout back in the fall during the Shimelle Scrapbook Remix class.  I liked it well enough, but something always bothered me.  I wasn't quite sure what it was until the other day when I was moving some layouts around from one album to another to better organize my stories (this one was in completely the wrong album!).  Anyway, even though I knew I wasn't crazy about it all along, it amazed me when, as soon as I turned the page, I said aloud, "Oh that title has to go!".  And so it did.  Now, with the new letters in place, I love this layout and am proud enough to take it out of the "Hmmm." spot and put it smack dab into GiGi's album.

Before:

You see what I mean!!! It's not just the bad lighting on the original layout, but the dainty pink letters across the page totally change the 'feel' of the layout.  As a result of this one little change, I am carefully looking at each layout in each album to see if there is anything else that I am not tickled with.  After all, I actually let people look at my albums if they want to (doesn't happen often, but just in case!).

And while I have 'been away', some scrapping did get accomplished the first week or two.  Like these 'heritage' layouts:

Yep, that's summer of my SS I {heart} Summer mixed in with a little October Afternoon.  Those quilt looking squares just didn't find a place in my vacation album, but I think they're really appropriate for these types of layouts.

This has to be one of the most startlingly unattractive layouts I've ever done.  When it was finished, I thought twice about redoing it. But then, the subject matter was startling and so I think it looks very appropriate.  I want it to grab attention, for you to think about it, for the look to represent how I feel about that event.  So it is what it is, and it stays... and it's kind of growing on me. Hmmm....

Okay, hope everyone has been well and scrappy.  Stay safe and scrap on!

and that's all she wrote.

“There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into sun” ― Pablo Picasso