I was feeling really nostalgic and wistful earlier this week on the eve of Mei-Lin's second grade graduation, thinking about how quickly time is flying by. I knew I wanted to capture this feeling before it went away, but didn’t want to spend a lot of time since it was late in the evening.

I pulled out a box of archived photos from 2002 (filed in my scrap armoire under "Mei-Lin, 2002"), quickly sifted through a handful of photos and came across a blurred chubby-faced version of my 8 year old. (Who says blurred photos aren’t scrapworthy?!) Perfect!

I grabbed October Afternoon’s Cherry Hill 8x8 paper pad and stickers that were in my "Pending" basket. I'd left them there because I love the patterned papers and hadn't wanted to incorporate them into my paper file folder just yet. But I also hadn't been able to bring myself to use the papers because they’re all just “too pretty” and “I should save them for a mini album.” So, instead, I cut some of the patterned strips from the paper pad cover. Problem solved. Perfect!

Next, I pulled out my favorite go-to letters from Making Memories. Always perfect in my book!  

And, finally, rather than agonizing over a design, I scraplifted from one of my favorite simple scrapbookers, Tina Cockburn. Love her style! Perfect!

1 crummy photo + 3 strips of scrapbook packaging + simple embellishments + a scraplift + 25 minutes = an emotion captured perfectly 

journaling: Where does the time go?! Love you, girlie * Feeling sentimental on the eve of your 2nd grade graduation * June 8, 2009

supplies: Adhesive (SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L) * Cardstock (Bazzill, Doodlebug) * Letters (Making Memories) * Patterned paper, sticker (October Afternoon) * Pen (Uni-ball)

Weekend challenge: Document something quickly before the feeling slips away. It doesn't have to be perfect to be ... perfect.

Best,
Beth

Do you ever feel a little "off" when you don't get a chance to create? Ever just feel better after scrapbooking even if—or especially if—you've had a lousy day?

It's probably no surprise to you, then, that crafting offers therapeutic benefits and can serve as a way to help people improve their health and feel better. That's the philosophy behind Craft For Health, a blog launched by design & craft expert Kathy Peterson and nurse practitioner & RN Barb Dehn—The Craft Practitioners. They recently joined forces to share empowering anecdotes, inspiring stories and crafty tips about the benefits of crafting. Launched a few months ago, inspiring guest blog entries are pouring in on how crafting has helped people cope with stress, job layoffs, post-partum depression, grief, eating disorders, chemotherapy and more.

If you need a little reminder about the benefits and importance of crafting—and how it can help you through life— check out craftforhealth.typepad.com.

We're pleased to have author extraordinaire Joanna Campbell Slan share her best advice for beginning and keeping a journaling practice, journaling prompts, and writing inspiration and resources.

Joanna knows what she's talking about, as she's the author of seven technique books on scrapbooking, as well as the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series featuring ace scrapbooker Kiki Lowenstein. Paper, Scissors, Death, the first book in the series, was an Agatha Award finalist for Best First Novel. Cut, Crop & Die is the newly released second book in the series. 

Today's article is about inspiration. Check back tomorrow for 42 journaling prompts and additional resources!

Happy Friday, friends! We have a fun giveaway to kick off your weekend!

We're giving away SIX copies of the new movie New in Town starring Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick, Jr. The film follows a successful Miami businesswoman (Zellweger) who adjusts to her new life in a tiny and cold Minnesota town. (Scrapbooking also plays a role in this warm-hearted flick!)

For details and to enter, click here.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Katie

Happy Tuesday, readers! Was your Memorial Day full of fun activities, relaxing and catching some sun? Even if you don’t have any photos to show for it, you can still scrap a meaningful page about the weekend.

The first rule breaker in Cut Loose (by Crystal Jeffrey Rieger) is that a great scrapbook page doesn't always need a title, photo and journaling. Case in point (Crystal's layout from the book):


Supplies: Cardstock, patterned paper (My Mind's Eye, Paper Salon, Sassafras Lass, Scrapbour); chipboard letters (CherryArte, Heidi Swapp); die-cuts (My Mind's Eye); doiles, label (Dollarstore); stamp (Class Act); claim check, clock accent (Paper Valise)

This rule breaker is such relief to me, since I love documenting memories but never seem to have any photos (bad printer + lazy photographer = no photos). So, when I came across this gorgeous layout—sans photos—by crafter and blogger Tara Anderson, I was completely smitten.



This next lovely layout includes an absolutely beautiful photo, but works well without a title. And the photo could easily be swapped for a magazine clipping on a similar layout.
 


Call them layouts, collages, art journal pages, it doesn’t really matter. These pages record Tara's thoughts in a beautiful, artistic way, which is completely encouraging and inspiring to me. What do you think?

For 29 more scrapping rule breakers, check out Cut Loose. To expand your creative horizons and explore the world of art journaling and collage check out Journal Bliss, Journal Revolution, Taking Flight and The Art of Personal Imagery.

~Kristin

Make your plans now to attend the Great American Scrapbook Convention in Chantilly, Virginia—June 26 and 27, and you'll find a long list of things to do related to your favorite pastime. Each day is packed with activities from morning to far into the evening, so you can plan a full day whether you're an early bird or a night owl. 

Choose from more than 75 hands-on workshops Friday and Saturday designed for scrapbookers of all styles and all skill levels. You'll never find this many scrapbooking pros in one place, so plan NOW to try something new! Experiment with new scrapbooking tools and techniques, or just have fun creating. Learn from experts in the field including designers, authors and Memory Makers Masters. But hurry! Registration closes at 1 p.m. EST Tuesday, May 26!

And don’t forget the cropping and shopping. Crop Thursday to get into the scrapbooking mode. Then, hit the show floor on Friday and Saturday to shop 'til you drop. Evening cropping parties Friday and Saturday are a great way to relax and unwind while experimenting with the techniques, ideas and products you've collected during the day.

Plan a two-day getaway to reconnect with friends, learn new skills, recharge your batteries and get inspired by the creativity of thousands of other scrapbookers!

Our Memory Makers team recently has been experimenting with collage, thanks in large part to the inspiration we’re getting from our Mixed Media columns. Christy, Katie and I have basically bought out all the on-sale 5x5 canvases at our local art supply store just around the corner!

Mei-Lin and I took a little time this weekend to make our own artwork. While she was creating a freehand “M” painting for her room, I took a more analytical approach and happily painted, punched and pasted patterned paper onto canvas. We both liked the result so much that she created her own, too. Hers is the first, and mine is the second, below.

Here’s how I made mine, and Mei-Lin followed the same process:

1. Paint the edges of the canvas and let dry.
2. Create 16 paper squares with a 1 1/4-inch square punch.
3. Apply matte medium to the top of the canvas.
4. Place the 16 paper squares in the desired patterned, 4 to a row.
5. Brush over the collage with matte medium and let dry.

supplies: 1 1/4-inch square punch (Creative Memories) • 1 piece textured cardstock (Bazzill) • 15 patterned paper scraps (K & Co.) • Adhesive (Claudine Hellmuth Matte Medium, Ranger) • Paint (Ranger) • Misc.: 5x5 canvas, paintbrush

We're going to hang these in her room, and voila! Simple homemade artwork. We're going to make more with different patterned paper for some friends and as an end-of-school year gift for Mei-Lin's teacher.

Best,
Beth