Scrap Happens

Best Friend

I made this little birthday card for my best friend Claire. Not only is it totally adorable, but it may just entice her to get the rest of her wedding photos to me so I can get her big album done...my gift to them for their wedding.

 
 

Accordian to me...this is cute!

I found these cool accordian albums on clearance a few months ago, and bought all of them. Yes, it is the junkie in me...I tried to only buy a couple, but they were such a good DEAL! So tonight, I did something for ME and made a cute little brag book out of some of my favorite pictures from this past summer. I love the results!

  


 

Mini Greeting Card

This little 4x4 "card" turned out so cute! This was a gift I made for a client to give to his wife on Mother's Day. It actually does hold a gift card, but he used that area to include his own message. She loved it!

 

The Dark Side of My Desk

As promised a week ago, here are the pictures of my "haven" in full-blown scrap mode. After a weekend of endless projects the status of my work area is in shambles. I was going to clean it today, but thought better of it as I am not through the graduation season just yet. Honestly, it is kind of like making a bed. Sometimes I wonder why I bother when each day it ends up messy again. After the graduates are gone, I have Father's Day. Then quickly move into holiday projects....did I just utter the word "holiday"?

 

Groovy Graduation Gift

This funky little album was a blast to work on! I love SEI papers, and finally put the stacks I have to use. I would love to see this one when complete with pictures of all the recipient's BFF's!

    

Gettin' Shabby Baby

This is one of my favorite mini-albums, I keep holding on to it thinking I will use it as a gift, but I can't seem to part with it. The elements are vintage with tattered lace, tiny crocheted embellishments, and antique pins. I think I did this one just for me!

 

 

 

My Creative Haven

I am so blessed to have this expansive work area, I love it! As soon as I can locate the file...I will post the "not-so-tidy" pictures of when I am completely immersed in a project...when I fling paper without a care, and leave piles of paper dust all over my desk.

 

 

Why I Scrap

While working on invoices tonight, I came across this submission to a contest I entered. I didn't win, but I am still proud of what I wrote and thought I would share it here, instead of letting it sit in "My Documents". Maybe one day I will actually win one of these contests....

Scrapbooking is a craft or hobby to millions of individuals worldwide. Providing a close network of friendships, bridging distance between countries, cities and generations. In recent years, this “hobby” has become a form of appreciated and respected…art. The ways in which this industry has affected my life are enriching and abundant.

 

In the year 2000, after the birth of my first daughter Emma, I struggled with post-partum depression. For nine months, I kept this secret. Trying to find my own way out of the darkness. My days were full of negative thoughts and hopeless energy. Finally, the fear took over and I sought help. While medical support and love from my family were very instrumental in my healing, the discovery of scrapbooking was an unanticipated anecdote. By putting my daily events down on paper, creating beauty instead of negativity, (through my thoughts), I regained positive focus. Call it, the healing power of creativity. The artistic person I had always been was no longer squandered under those clouds of doom. And, it absolutely regenerated my world through a fresh network of other Moms and fellow scrappers. The sun began to shine in my life again!

 

This hobby has been enriching to my family and me. For as long as I can recollect, I have yearned to be an author. My ideas are plentiful. And while the subject matter has changed over the years, my desire to write has never waned. Alas, reality has set in, with the advent of two babies, a house and a small business; I realize this ideal is on hold. Or perhaps, has just taken a different path. In launching my own custom album business I have the opportunity to be the “author” of many wonderful, fulfilling stories. My own life has been so blessed by the stories my clients have allowed me to “write” using their photographs and memorabilia. Through their generosity, I can weave a tale that will be embraced for generations; a treasured book among the novels and literature on their family bookshelves. In this joy of building legacies, there lies a silver lining. I can be a stay-at-home Mom to my daughters Emma and Jessa, and help provide financially for my family. By being home full-time, I can watch my own legacy flourish day-to-day. And our family bonds in the spare time we have together by scrapbooking. My girls are learning this art and have started to “author” their own stories at the ages of six and four.

 

I will continue to achieve personal and professional growth through this enterprise. The industry will continue to challenge scrapbookers like me, with contemporary, ever-changing products and techniques; encouraging us to think outside the box…lunge out of our comfort zones! I look forward to the growth of my own community of clientele and friendships. It is such an exciting prospect to think of the stories I’ve yet to “write”. My own tales through my prized photographs will be endless, their legacy…timeless. Emma and Jessa will be fortunate to grow up alongside our diverse scrapbooking industry, allowing them a healthy, positive, and creative hobby during adolescence.

 

Health. Enrichment. Growth. This is how scrapbooking affects my life.

Little Bug Head

I captured these pictures last fall, as my daughter was collecting the tiniest of bugs from our backyard fence. She was so thrilled with the tickles on her hand as they scurried to get away. The sun was in a perfect spot to land these adorable pictures of her innocence.

That said...she also has a seriously spirited side. She used the word "butt-head" at some point, and with more frequency than we thought appropriate. So, having been reprimanded for it by having her radio or some other prized possession taken away, she amended her words to "bug-head" so as not to get in anymore trouble. She says it now with a certain amount of pride, thinking she has beat the parental system and code of behavior we impose on her.

One smart cookie...and a bit of a stinker!

 

Educate?

I am thinking about teaching local scrapbooking classes. Like, Scrapbooking 101. Do I have the energy or the time? Maybe it is time I share my knowledge.

I think I'll start with a small get-together of nine year olds, see how good I do with them before taking on adults!

Stay tuned...