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

During my Vacation Break...

It seems that I can only scrap purposefully for a limited time and then I have to take a break to play with my supplies.  But first, I must straighten up my area.  This includes not only putting things away, but going through most everything.  Sometimes I reorganize a few things, but the most beneficial of this act is that I find the things I don't think about.  For instance, I had forgotten that I have sooo much of that Echo Park that I couldn't live without nine months ago (remember when I was in the Dark Days and all I wanted was a pack of EP This & That??). Also, I can't believe it's been 8 months since I fell in love with 5th and Frolic! I still love the October Afternoon I'm hoarding and plan to use it on my brother's and my childhood albums.  And what about the basket of embellishments?  Sticker sheets, foam shapes, doilies, frames, pockets - so many things that I just pass over in lieu of my new supplies.  And so it is that, for a little while at least, I plan to try to integrate a few of those things into my scrapping.

Playing with my supplies after a major project also takes the form of mindless pages without intention. Finding a photo I love and using it to showcase new supplies or use old supplies.  These pages actually make me feel rather guilty.  Shimelle stesses telling the stories so much, that making layouts just for the sake of playing with my supplies feels rather... wrong.  But oh well, sometimes my favorite pages are the ones I did just to dribble my new mist or to 'fussy-cut' flowers or to stamp something.  Besides, if I have to have purpose with each page, I'm gonna have to stop drooling over those Glitter Girl layouts.

And so it was that after finishing up the photos I had on-hand of our vacation, it was time I started scrapping with no direction - using muted colors, old photos, anything different.  Here are a few of those layouts:

This of course is My Minds Eye with a little help from Fancy Pants and a Walmart Doily.  And that's the deal with this layout - to my great surprise, the doilies on that Fancy Pants are the exact pattern of the doily I got in a pack from WalMart - EXACT.  Of course, the other deal with this page is that I took a lot of those ideas Glitter Girl was using in her wedding album and put them to use.  I like it.

Oooh, Aaah... I still have Maggie Holmes in stock.  Oh and new Heidi Swapp Color Shines! My HS inventory now is made up of: Gold, Tinsel, Chartreuse (hmmm), Mint Green, Teal, Primrose, and Sweet Cherry.  We need to talk about this later.

This is one of the benefits of remembering what you have - mixing and matching.  I like the CP Maggie Holmes paired with the MME Find Your Wings.  

Now to talk about those HS Color Shines.  I've had my Gold for about 5+ months, and now it seems to not want to come together properly even when I shake it really well.  Is anyone else having this problem?  Is there some secret, or an expiration date or is it just me as usual?  Also, just a reminder - in my opinion, I could have stayed away from Chartreuse... it's lovely in the bottle, but on my pages it just looks like a dirty gold (but I must admit it was perfect for my peacock layout - but that's the only perfect one so far).  Also, when I splatter or drip, the Cherry and Primrose look so similar - same with the Teal and Mint - but when I look at these photos, they are so obviously different colors. What's up with that?  Maybe I just need to use the photographs in a book and throw the layouts away (NOT!!) But anyway, when I spray them as intended, they are very different indeed. Oh, and so you know, the Tinsel is the perfect color for all that gray that's in the new lines. All in all, I love them all (and GiGi said they look beautiful on the shelf - bonus!)!!!  And now all the colors are available at Michaels!! Woo hoo!

Okay, that's all for today.  My monthly kits coming in soon so I'm trembling with excitement.  I hope every is as scrappy as me!

Stay Safe and Scrap On!

“When you make music or write or create, it's really your job to have mind-blowing, irresponsible, condomless sex with whatever idea it is you're writing about at the time."― Lady Gaga

Hello...

Oh my, I finally got to get on my computer and check a few things out. Awesomeness everywhere!  One thing I found was this list from Furry Pig.  We used to pass these around at work and I've always enjoyed them so I was excited to do this one - until I saw the answers.  Still.... it's enlightening.  Why don't you copy and paste it to your blog and just replace the answers with one.single.word. ? It's a great way for people to know you a little better.


1. Where is your cell/mobile phone? desk
2. Your hair? thick
3. Your mother? aging
4. Your father? sick
5. Your favourite food? shrimp
6. Your dream last night? none
7. Your favourite drink? coke
8. Your dream/goal? lottery
9. What room are you in? scrappy
10. Your hobby? scrapbooking
11. Your fear? dark
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Tampa
13.Where were you last night? Home
14. Something that you aren’t? social
15. Muffins? pie
16. Wish list item? silhouette
17. Where did you grow up? Michigan
18. Last thing you did? dvd
19. What are you wearing? t-shirt
20. Your TV? pretty
21. Your pet? Duchess
22. Friends? internet
23. Your life? okay
24. Your mood? tired
25. Missing someone? mom
26. Vehicle? suzuki
27. Something you’re not wearing? make-up
28. Your favourite store? michaels
29. Your favourite colour? cadet
30. When was the last time you laughed? yesterday
31. Last time you cried? tampa
32. Your best friend? mom
33. One place that you go to over and over? TomThumb
34. One person who emails you regularly? noone
35. Favourite place to eat? Fridays

Okay now on to some scrappiness.  I did a few more vacation layouts and then took a break from these for a bit.  Here are the few moments I've done:

 Yes, you've seen these last photos before.  These are the 5x7s from that package and this layout will be placed in the 'Family' album.

I've totally switched gears in the last several layouts I've done.  I've gone to softer papers or older photos.  I will post those tomorrow when I get them cropped down.  Just wanted to drop a line tonight.

Stay safe and Scrap On!

“You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” ― Maya Angelou

Evolution of Scrapping Insanity....

Prologue

Let me start by saying that the little 'area' of Navarre, Florida is totally built on swamp land.  At one time all of this was a swamp and was drained or filled or whatever in order to make neighborhoods. So it comes as no surprise that when we received about 6-8 inches of rain on July 2-4, our lawns definitely flooded.  Since that time, it has rained literally every.other.day.  What does this mean? Well, for one thing, the ground is still soggy with water standing everywhere.  Second, when the sun is out and we get our 90 degree weather, the humidity rising from the ground brings the temperature up to about 108.  Then, because mowing is impossible, the grass is 6-36 inches high causing the bugs to be atrocious.  Finally, it is starting to smell like a swamp around here during the day.  At any rate, it was raining all day again on Thursday.

Chapter 1

So as I was just sitting there watching The Hobbit (for the 110th, 111th, 112th.... time), I decided it would be a good day to do the journaling page for my vacation pics.  This one differs from the 'Trip Notes' because its actually journaling about what we experienced during our vacation as opposed to our road time.  When I started the layout, I had pulled out my embellishments of wood & flair, created a pinwheel, and attached all.  Then it started... I put something else on, and then something else, and then more until I had spent the entire day adding stuff to the layout.  There must be 100 embellishment items on this one page (I really haven't any desire to actually count them).  It literally looks like someone threw up scrapbooking supplies.  Now that I'm finished, my mind still gets scrambled when I put the layout in front of me and I can't get my thoughts together to actually do the writing!

I'll photograph it again when I actually get the writing done, but just wanted to show you how insane I can get on a rainy day when JC's on Xbox and I can't watch Netflix. (NOTE:  The first actual embellishment attached to the layout - the pinwheel - is no longer on the page. Hmmmm....) But you know what is my absolutely favorite thing on the entire page? This...

I put one of these little stickers on the Two Kids One Monkey layout and in both cases it has absolutely transformed the page.  Who knew?  And why did I put so much more on the page when this little flower I added at the beginning was so very perfect?  Well, who knows... I just went totally insane.  But I have to admit, it was really very fun!

Chapter 2

So to bring my mind back into reality and to calm my nerves from all that excitement, I scraplifted Cynthia on Friday.  Not only did I grab the simplicity of the layout, but I even used my Doodlebug letters that have sat untouched for so long.  I simply love it but I'm not sure where I'm going to put it.

See.. I took these photos outside; and, while I was photographing the layouts, the humidity started to do it's thing.  By the time I got to this one, the adhesive on the pink paper was coming up!

Chapter 3

These are the two I did on Wednesday.  They seemed to have gone pretty quickly - especially the Meerkats.  The upside is I actually did laundry that day and a few things around the house.  Plus I did GiGi's hair color.  So it was a busy day and the layouts didn't get finished in time for photos.  Good thing these things don't rot before I get around to photographing them.

Chapter 4

This layout was done Tuesday evening.  It sat for days while it rained and I couldn't take any photos. Then it happened!!! I woke up in the middle of the night... I had forgotten to put the tickets on the layout!  So off I went to the scrap desk to pull up one of the photos and work in that Pebbles pocket with the tickets stuffed in.

Chapter 5

This is the one that I did today... only spent about a few hours on it - but then I was talking to mom on the phone through most of that time.

Chapter 6

I was also very happy that you commented on the last post.  Susan, I can't believe you gave away your Cuttlebug and embossing folders... but then I remember you got a Cameo for Christmas (I don't know anything about those except the awesome cutting, so the embossing surprises me!)... still I don't think I could ever do without the ease of throwing my 'bug on the desk and doing a quick emboss for a card or scallop cut for a layout that I decided I needed at the last moment.  Furrypig, it doesn't take long to start a mighty stash in this craft and I still buy many older things at discount (think Sassafras, American Crafts papers and Thickers no longer stocked anywhere else) so am constantly restocking my old and using my new.  Cynthia... washi, wood veneers, flair and pearls/enamel dots/metal dots don't seem to be going anywhere so I really don't think that's a trend (except that SC discontinues things like 'potty people', etc. which is ridiculous since they could always be used on layouts for kids, travel, etc. and wood is still so very popular. I really hate that discontinuing thing just because it's not the very latest (a year is not so very old to do staple items) - so I do tend to buy several when I buy any - like 4 packs of stars - so that I have them a while after everyone else thinks they're so passe)). Think sequins... I put them on layouts 8 years ago and I'm putting them on layouts today.  And yes, the internet has definitely changed the way I scrap (Note:   I had subscriptions to CK and Scrapbooks Etc for 10 years straight and still scrapped like crap!).  If you guys do blog post about the things you hold onto, techniques you adored and miss or any other 'Remember When' subjects, please post a link in the comments so that we can all go there.

While we're on the subject, what's everyone's fave new paper picks?? Do you ever buy paper because you think "oh, that will go so well with this crap I've had in my stash forever!"?  Even though my monthly purchase is still 10 days away, I thumbed through the latest and greatest in a few online stores last night.  Oh my, I didn't find anything brand new that caught my eye - except the I {heart} Summer and What a Wonderful Day that I've been using lately.  It was very disappointing, so I'm hoping someone has some tips... sometimes it just takes seeing it with a new viewpoint in mind - like the MME Collectible that I wasn't overwhelmed with until Susan started raving, then I checked it out again, found several lines of the one collection and loved it.  At this rate, I'll be buying more MME Skys the Limit and Kate & Co (because I love it!) and maybe more of the Fancy Pants WAWD to pair with Lucky Charm on layouts of anything other than Tampa layouts. 

Epilogue

Well, I'm almost done with my trip layouts - both physically and mentally! Gonna have to find a new adventure to scrap about!  But I absolutely must catch up on Shimelle soon - it's actually been weeks since I really paid any attention to her (think she's missing me?!! LOL!).  I'm sure that she's been doing some awesomeness lately that I need to be inspired by.  Luckily, yesterday I had a chance to roam around the web (if you read here, please comment even just a "HI" so that I can follow your name to your blog and check you out). You guys have been doing some great stuff  and I've really enjoyed checking out all your blogs - I've been inspired by your craftiness and I've been jealous over what you do and where you live!  If I found the button (couldn't quite figure it out on a few) then I subscribed.  Also, I put Google Chrome in as my new internet engine (in lieu of Internet Explorer) and set up my home page - really going to miss iGoogle, but I suppose this may work as well - and I have the app on my phone.  Anyway, now it will be so much easier to read my blog list... and that makes me happy!!!

Stay safe and Scrap On!

and that's all she wrote.

"You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star." - Nietzsche

Remember When...

I don't know how long you've been scrapbooking, but I suppose in today's terms I've been scrapping quite awhile.  I'm not talking about those scrapbooks about Watergate or camp.  I'm talking about this modern version of colored paper with photos and stickers or diecuts.  When I started, I gathered up colored cardstock and diecuts; my patterned papers and stickers came in an 8.5"x11" book.  I had a trimmer, circle cutter, Pooh & flower punches, corner rounder, deco-scissors, markers, and a few odd little stamps to include an alphabet with little dots on the ends of each letter.  And though each page was definitely different, they were very much the same as well: putting as many photos as possible on a sheet of colored cardstock, in an orderly fashion with cardstock matting and then doing a little this or that to dress it up.

2001-2004 saw me going to my LSS and choose individual diecuts out of bins.  Each A, L, bear, stork, barbeque grill (still have) was chosen and paid for separately (the LSS owner cut these in the back room).  But the good news was we were picking up stride.  I bought loads of themed paper during this time - everything from heritage to military to gardening.  Letter stickers started becoming abundant.  And my grandchildren were in full-swing with a Xyron sticker maker for use on their own layouts and laminating machine to make bookmarks. Those orderly photos in orderly fashion with cardstock matting started looking a little more decorative with occasional themed background papers & stickers or bright colored flowers.

About 7-8 years ago, all my scrapbooking was double-page layouts.  My favorite technique was to print on vellum and then attach that to my layout with eyelets and ribbon.  My mom's favorite technique in any of the scrapbooks I've ever made for her comes from that time as well:  torn mulberry paper. Of course, I loved tearing any paper. I started using fabric and quotes. Glitter raised it's head and I have a few small messes on layouts where I just didn't quite know what to do with it.  But also there were other great things to play with... Glossy Accents and translucent 'gems' to make our own epoxy-stickers; Ranger products for 'antiquing (still using same 'Vintage Photo' ink-pad for edging)'; fibers & chalk & frames & chipboard.  It was exciting and new.  Everyday something new to play with. And still lots of orderly photos in orderly fashion with cardstock matting telling stories.

Five to six years ago, I got my Cuttlebug.  Those pages have paisleys, asterisks, swirls and my own personally-made diecut letters made from glitter paper (because you couldn't stick anything on top of it).  And shaped cardstock backgrounds.  And some DCWV foiled paper pads.  Everything is still a two-page layout.  And even with all of this... I became a little bored as well as overwhelmed.  I'm still placing as many photos as can tell the story on a page, in a semi-orderly fashion, on a 2-page layout; but I've given up matting.  The problem - how to make it unique as it seemed everyone was doing everything and nothing was left for me to 'create'!?!

So now here I am, about 14 years from when I started.  I have a bushel and a peck of patterned paper that I use all the time.  I have a scrap basket that holds more than my entire inventory of product then.    I have boxes and boxes of themed embellishments.  I have punches for borders and scalloped circles and butterflies and all other manner of things.  I have baskets and baskets and baskets and a large binder of stickers.  I have buckets and buckets of diecuts. I have bins and bins and bins and bins of stamps.  I have gobs of ribbon; and jars of buttons, flowers, tape and even a nice little stash of wood.  I no longer depend on the photos to tell the story, I no longer try to use more than 1-3 photos on a layout, I rarely ever make a two-page layout and I have gone back to matting but not on cardstock.  And over the past year, I have gotten back to loving scrapbooking more than I can ever remember loving it before.

And I also have about 35 lbs of colored cardstock... and no idea what to do with it. 

It's strange that scrapbooking has taken such a dramatic road.  That instead of adding to our supplies, we've surplanted them.  While we use black, white and kraft cardstock (we would never have used kraft cardstock 14 years ago, yck!) because every page needs a foundation and most of us don't use patterned paper for that foundation on every layout, our use of colored cardstock lays untouched.  We still must attach things to layouts, but when's the last time you picked up your eyelets?  We loved mulberry paper... didn't we?  When's the last time you tore some paper?  What is your Glossy Accents doing besides gluing things down?  Have you used a shaped cardstock or themed it up lately?  Do you remember that you can still stamp with VersaInk and color it with chalk?  Did you keep all those items?  Or did you ditch them when the trend ended?  

I kept everything... obviously.  I like to think I'm not an on-trend scrapper; but that's obviously not the case.  While I don't believe I need every new thing and that I'm perfectly happy scrapping with things that are 'so last season', the fact that all my layouts for the past year or so have been on patterned paper or black, white or kraft cardstock indicates that the trend has definitely crept in on me. I'm definitely not saying there's anything wrong with being trendy! Of course, we like the latest and greatest... that's why my love of wood veneer and washi tape sits only a few feet away from my mulberry paper.  That's why manufacturers stay in business.  That's what makes scrapping fun!!! 

What I am saying is... what kind of scrapper are you?  Are you a trendy scrapper who weeds out the old stuff when new stuff comes along?  Or do you still have those items of yesteryear... those things that we couldn't have done without?  Did you hang on to all of the things from a season, year or 5 years ago or just a certain something that you just hoped you'd find a use for later?  And most importantly, what on earth do you plan to do with your colored cardstock!?!

Today, I don't only want to know what kind of scrapper you are, but what was your favorite (or least favorite) trends along your scrapping journey.  And a little something different... a challenge:  make a little something out of your older supplies.  Whether the oldest you have is last season or 10 years ago, use it on a layout or even a card.  Be brave.  Post your photo (will it let you do that?) or a link with your comments.  I can't wait to see what we dream up!

Stay Safe and Scrap On!!

and that's all she wrote.

P.S.  This was supposed to be posted to the blog before my vacation photos were started, but somehow was left in 'draft' mode.  I still really do want to know what you think of colored cardstock, etc.

"When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on Earth. So what the hell, leap!"
- Peter McWilliams

Dreaming... Again.

Anyone who 'knows me' (translate to 'been reading this blog awhile'), knows that I dream about scrapbooking.  It is not uncommon when I'm working on a lot of layouts - classes, vacation, whatever - to post them and then nights later make changes.  Literally, I wake up in the middle of the night and go to my desk, pull out the layout that's on my mind and either make changes right then and there or pull out whatever I want to add/change and lay it out for the next day.  This has happened more than once lately; for instance these changes have been made over the past few days:

 

 



As you may have noticed, sometimes the changes are bigger, sometimes just tiny.  You see, usually I do these blog posts just before going to bed.  So, when I upload the new photos, I go through the entire Picasa album.  I suppose it's looking at these images so close to falling asleep that causes me to dream about the things that just feel off to me.  (Note: I do the actually falling asleep watching television but never dream about movies, etc. - I'm so weird!).

 

 I only finished two layouts today, one that was photographed during the daylight.  But on the upside, I did get a load of laundry finished, swept the floors and cleaned the bedroom & bathroom - yea for me! First time I've actually done any real housework (kitchen doesn't count) since I starting scrapping the vacation pix!

 



 

 



I'm going to mention something that I have relearned about myself during this scrapaganza... I really love colored cardstock.  You know when you take a Shimelle class how that is always one of the exercises - go back and look at your old layouts and find something you really like about them to try again.  It's been a real problem for me during the classes.  However, when going back through my layouts on Picasa, it became very clear.  As evidenced by the change in the 'FAVE FOLIAGE' layout above, I really think it makes a dramatic difference in my layouts that I absolutely love.  Don't get me wrong, I still love those neutrals: kraft, white, black, gray; however, using colored cardstock, I suppose, has the same affect that using a patterned paper!  So this need I had to start to whittle down my stash has turned into a change in scrap concept for me as well.  I still love the variety of backgrounds in my albums that include patterned papers and neutrals, but I am so very pleased to rediscover my love of colored cardstock as well... whether 'on-trend' or not! 

 

Also, while there is no doubt that I prefer to scrap 4x6 photos, I have learned - through necessity - that scrapping a ton of smaller photos on a layout can be challenging and fun!  You see, my album is already almost full (and we were only gone one week!) ! And yes, there are some 'extraneous' layouts - like 'Two Kids One Monkey' but even those remind me of the fact that each day found new adventures and that many more lay undiscovered.  So, when I go back to finish the St Augustine album (which I have enough pictures from ONE day to do an entire album!), I will use the technique of putting as much on a layout as I feel I can get by with - sometimes one photo, sometimes eight. 

 

Okay, goodnight.  I hope everyone is having a good time and  being as creative as they possibly can.  Stay safe and scrap on!

 

And that's all she wrote.

 

"There's room for everybody on the planet to be creative and conscious if you are your own person. If you're trying to be like somebody else, then there is isn't." - Tori Amos