Well, for today at least.  I actually sat and scrapped.  My rhythm was a little wonky and I had flow problems with my page but at least I was scrapping.  Weird to feel creative but not able to be creative.  Oh, the drama of it all!  LOL

So here is the page.  Not totally happy with it but that happens sometimes.  The point is that I got the story down and I have captured the moment.  I think we all feel pressured sometimes to make "perfect pages" but that is not what scrapbooking is about.  I want my pages to look nice of course but scrapbooking is a way for me to express my life on paper - record my thoughts, my memories, and other such gushy/weird stuff!  I struggle with this all the time because of course I put my pages out there for publication BUT I always try to remember what it is about for me.  Not just a pretty page for publication. OK, sometimes I love to make a pretty page - just for my own joy but it is more to me. More than just stuff on a page.  It really is me in paper form.  Yup, that about sums it up.  Me in paper form.  I like that.  I think I will add that to my little book of notes.  Scrapbooking: Me in Paper Form.  Can't you just see it as a title of a book??

But I digress.  This was supposed to an intro to a scrapbook page.  Instead I got all philosophical on you when all I wanted to say was that it was ok to not make every scrapbook page into a masterpiece. 

Stop.  I am just going to post it. ;)

This is Magnus playing the other day in one of the toy buckets.  Happy as can be - picking out toys from the bottom and happily talking to himself.  Totally cute.

And now I off to think deep thought about the meaning behind scrapbooking.  Remember, me in paper form.

.........................................................................

Are you sick of me yet?  I think the sunshine had gone straight to my head!  Ta ta for now! :)

Today I decided to join.  I have been meaning to for awhile now but just never got around to finding a moment to do it.

OK I have to admit something here.  Social networking sites freak me out. (If my sisters are reading this they will laugh cause they are totally addited to facebook and I have been very resistent to the whole thing! Very resistent - there might have been some ranting to how evil I feel they are, lol.)  So mycraftivity is sort of like a social networking site but, and that is a big BUT, it is for crafters. 

So this is my justification for joining.  It has a specific reason for people to join - their shared love of the craft they "do".  Whether it is quilting, beading, cross stitching, etc - there is a spot for you to connect with others.  Yup, I can back peddle when it suits me ;)

I guess what I like about it is that it is not for just one craft.  Let's be honest - if you craft you probably dabble in a few others beside the main one you create in.  So right now when I am feeling like a crazy craft person I can check out other craft stuff - all in the same place I can check in about scrapbooking.  For me it takes awhile to get used to a new virtual place so one place for a lot of crafty things makes sense to me.

So how what that for justification sisters?  (Maybe they will force me to join facebook now...)

So back to registering.  I was surprised at how easy it was.  It took only a few minutes to plug in my info (I like that it tells you right away if your login name is available) and then I was in.  I set up my 'home' page.  It looks like I can blog there, add a photo gallery as well as join craft groups and even upload videos.  I haven't explored too much - or added anything to my gallery yet but I will soon.

As you can see - I have no friends yet.  This is part of what freaks me out about social networking sites.  Sometimes I feel like it is a popularity contest for some people.  Totally encouraging the wrong type of self worth to me but...please will someone be my friend, lol.  I certainly don't want to be the girl in school with no friends!  LOL  See. I am already getting needy. 

Please read all of this tongue in cheek.  I am not that freaked out and if you have already joined mycraftivity or are thinking of joining - let me know.  Once I figure the friend thing we can connect (I am not sure how to add friends yet - yes, I am that behind on the times - but I am sure it has got to be easy.) 

I am now off to visit the messageboard to see what is happening there.  Messageboards I am familiar with so I figure that is a good place to start.  Hope to see you there.

Oh.  I guess I should leave a link to my page.  Come, visit, we'll hang.

...getting more complicated.

Does that tell you anything about how I am doing creatively?  LOL. Yup, still a little nuts with all the creativity flowing through me right now and still having a hard time focusing.  Harper has caught the bug too and after teaching her how to crochet in rounds (she had only previously done rows on a blanket) she was busy making flowers too!  She even started to make her own designs and patterns which I love.  I love getting the kidlets to create and explore and understand so that they can make their own creations - not just mimic.

And you know I how I mentioned that I had all these crazy plans to make weird creative things - check out this buy.

This is to make an adhesive paste.  Picked it up at a bookbinding shop (on one of my crazy adventures last week).  I have never used it before but I need it to create some silk fibre tea light holder that I have in my imagination.  I wasn't kidding when I said that I wanted to try new things.  This new thing fit into the budget so I am allowing myself to try it out.  Will keep you posted. :)

And speaking of budgets I have to tell you I have a mini crush.  On who?  You may ask.  Well, our accountant of course.  We saw him this morning about taxes and I think there was a little mini crush going on ;).  Not the physical person but the smarts that could answer my every question without hesitation and without making me feel dumb.  Taxes freak me out.  I have no idea why.  I have nothing to hide and file everything correctly.  There is just something about them that is stressful  (you know what I talking about!) and one of the things that makes them stressful I think is the lack of knowledge.  I always feel as if I should know something more or that I am missing out on some deductible or something.  I know, yes know, that I could do our taxes - there are wonderful programs out there and I can add and substract, lol - but I would rather have a mini crush on the accountant at this time of year.

Does spring give you a creative boost?  Does it get you all ramped up to make and learn and create?

For me it does.  To the point where I am so ramped up that I am going in circles.  I have a massive urge to learn new creative things, try and experiment and just generally muck about.  It feels like a million ideas flowing through my brain - all at once.

The problem?  It is too much creativity right now.  There is so much going on in my brain and so many ideas that I can't seem to focus.  It happens to me every spring.  The urge to stretch myself is overwhelming.  I want to learn EVERYTHING.  I mean I am reading books on felting, bookbinding, crewel work, watercolors and so many more.  I just flit from one thing to the next - just soaking it all up and wanting to try it all.  The problem is that there are just not enough creative hours to fit it all in.  I mean if I worked all day just making stuff I couldn't fit it all in.  And since I obviously DON'T have ALL day to just create I feel frustrated.  When I do try tomake something I feel like I should be making something else or I need to go and get supplies for the new thing I want to learn and the I end up doing nothing.  Just going in circles I am!

Totally on creative overload and not able to create.  How crazy is that??  I mean I dream of feeling this creative and here I am complaining (well sort of complaining but not really -I have a smile on my face as I type this cause I can see how ridiculous it is!). 

So since I can't really focus I made myself sit last night with a crochet hook and I created these.  Something out of the norm for me and I was 'learning' so I was sort of satisfied - for about 2 seconds, lol!

Just fooled around and created.  A small project and they take little time to make so I was kind of satisfied.  I made MANY more than just these :) and I am not really sure what I am going to use them for but I like the way they look and they are all pretty tiny.  I figure I can use them on a scrap project or something - I have them in just about every color now!  LOL  It felt good to be creating - even if it wasn't some crazy loom weaving project or a wall mural....seriously, I have no room for a new hobby!  Scrapbooking takes up all the spare space in the house!

So that is me in a nutshell right now and probably for the next bit.  All ramped up on creativity and no way to get it out in a way that is completely satisfying.  :) 

Ah, if this was the worst thing in life then I expect that is pretty good! :)

I have a favor to ask you. 

My cousin has a friend who is in college and she is working on a marketing project for school.  She was assigned the topic - adhesives for scrapbookers.  Her group has created an online survey that will help them with their school project and I am wondering if you would take a few minutes to fill it out????

Here is the link.

This not for any company.  It is strictly a school project.

The survey is 20 questions long and only took me about 3 minutes to complete.

Thanks to anyone who completes it. :)

MMM = a Memory Makers Master!

Oh ya!  The rules for 2009 are up!  Woohoo!  Go for it! 

What are you waiting for???  You can't win if you don't try!

Good luck to everyone who enters this year! 

So if you can believe it - I am outside again!  Day started out really crummy but it has certainly turned beautiful. 

But, I am so tired today.  I had a night filled with bad dreams so I didn't sleep well.  Does this happen to anyone else?  I mean the kind where your hubby wakes you up 'cause you are crying or wimpering in your sleep?  Weird, huh?  I haven't had this happen in quite some time but it is something that I have had for as long as I can remember. (This is why I will never watch a horror or really scary movie!)  I figure it might be because I am a creative person???  I am not sure.  I always have vivid dreams - like the time I had a direct line to the Prime Minister of Canada and we were best buds or dreams about the babies who live in my pocket- affectionately named...Pocket Babies.  Oh ya, I love the pocket baby dreams - one of the only reaccuring dreams I have.  (And before you ask - yes I have had flying dreams!  Love the feeling 'cause it feel so real!)

Don't think I am weird ;) - I just have a vivid imagination when I sleep. Plus, I don't sleep that well so I can often remember them.  But the flip side of having wonderful,  vivid dreams is that they can also be horrible and scary.  Not so fun.

So now that I rambled on about my dream patterns...have no idea why such a long ramble...I was just trying to make the point that today I was dragging my butt even though I have tons to do.  I have the laptop outside so Magnus can dig and play (currently he is playing with the tobboggan - go figure??) and I am supposed to writing an article that is due soon (shhh, don't tell that I am procrastinating) but I am not. I have about 100 words done - does that count?  LOL

And since yesterday's post didn't have any pictures I can't do the same today!  Can you guess with all the class planning that I have been doing what my house is starting like?

A scrap store of course!

I am trying to be really organized and put stuff up on shelves in class groups - as it arrives.  I usually end up with a crazy amount of boxes everywhere so I am trying to prevent that.  This way I can still use my scrap space!  Yesterday all the canvases arrived for my Altered Canvas Memory Clock workshop (all 4 GASC shows) and they alone take up one cubicle on my shelf.  I have a feeling I am going to run out of room and have boxes everywhere anyway.  I think I have items for less than 20 of my classes here and I have over 40!  Yikes - it really is going to feel like I have a scrap store in my house!  Anyone want to come over to shop???  LOL

So that is it for today's ramble - hope you made it through ;)

Better get back to that article....

In a t-shirt and squinting in the sun!  Hooray! 

It is completely gorgeous today and it definitely feels like spring!  I guess the weather man heard all my complaints.  I have all the windows open in the house and I am loving it.

So I have a busy few days ahead of me.  I'm trying to get some projects done and off my plate as deadlines are looming.  I feel June looming over me - I know it seems a way off but I have A LOT to do!  I have a feeling April and May are going to fly by and then I start travelling a lot in June and July and before I know it, it is going to be August.  I can feel it flying past me.

So since I don't have any projects or scrapping to share today I thought I might do some enabling.  I recently ordered a bunch of new scrapping supplies from a bunch of different places - thoughout the US and Canada and I thought I would share some great places to shop (that you might not have heard of).

The first is PaperCents.com.  I ordered items and I swear I blinked and the stuff had arrived.  Often when I order things from the USA I have to kind of forget about it for awhile so I don't get anxious (got to clear customs) but not this time. I was shocked - I am pretty sure they mailed it to me the day I ordered it or at the latest, the next day.  Loved it - everything in the order was perfect and the prices were great (I think I caught a storewide sale).

Next is BlackberryPaper.com.  She was out of one thing I ordered but quickly contacted me and let me know that it would be in in two days and did I want to ship now or wait.  I love that kind of service.  When I order and then get a box with stuff missing (even if it was subtracted from the bill) I am not happy.  I mean I order the things cause I want them.  I really appreciate the way she took care of my order.

Of course there is LifetimeMoments.com.  I first dealt with them when I did a chat for a MM book but since then I have been ordering from them.  They have a great selection and are really efficent.  I had a pre-order in (first time ever doing that) and then I needed a few other things.  They gladly matched up my orders and shipped them all together.  Love not being treated as just an order number!

And then in Canada I often order from ScrapbookStar.ca.  Wonderful selection and fast service.  One time a box got lost (the only time that has ever happened before) and they totally took care of things.  I mean it was the postal services fault but they took care of the paperwork and quickly sent out what I needed.  Love shopping there.  Lots of fresh stock which is sometimes hard to find in a Canadian based store. 

And one of my favourites - PapierValise.com.  Just go to their home page and you will see why.  The attention to detail - yum!  This is where I shop for vintage and unusual items.  Everything comes perfectly packaged and often tied up with string...these are a few of my favorite things...sorry I digressed.  Seriously I want pretty much one of everything in this shop.  Oh wait, I already do - just kidding!  I do have a lot from this store though.  Probably more than I need. ;)  And wait until you see the baby pizza boxes that the orders come in!  Love putting them next to the regular boxes - so cute!

Ok that is it for today - happy shopping everyone.

So I got a lot scrapping done yesterday.  (Thanks Mom you are the best!)

Actually, it was class samples that I was working on.  I finished up the sample for the All Boy Mini Class that I have at the GASC in Arlington, TX. (Thursday, June 5th - 6pm)  I love great 'boy' products and the Archaic line from Basic Grey is wonderful to work with.  The colors are so rich yet not too bright and will coordinate with just about any photo. 

And just a quick note about the workshops.  I checked my class registration the other day for Texas and most of my workshops are either sold out or just about to sell out.  So, if you were thinking of registering you better get your butt in gear!  You don't want to miss out - we always have tons of fun! ;)

Have a great weekend everyone!

My mom is here to play with Magnus and I am going to get some scrapping done!  So just a quickie today.

I realized I forgot to post about our Earth Hour night.  We fully participated with every little light turned off and spent the evening chatting, playing board games by candle light and I got a chance to play with my camera a bit. 

Low light photography.  Yup, it is hard.  And often I get photos that I am not happy with.  So in an effort to understand my camera a bit more, I played around with it in the semi darkness to see if I could capture what I was seeing.  I got a few shots that I was happy with but I have a long way to go.  Practice, practice, practice!

So happy scrapping if you are out there scrapping today. :)

It's frozen again.  All that melted snow has been frozen into ice.  I am ok with it though because the sun is out today.  Yes - the sun!  I will take ice if I can have sun!

I am not blue today.  Got some sleep, the sun is out and I remember that my new Basic Grey arrived!  I have no idea what I was thinking yesterday!  LOL  I actually got up this morning and dove right into it.  Actually went right to working on my All Boy Mini Album class.  (This one is only at the Texas GASC - Thursday, 6pm)  I am offering this class because it is sometimes hard to find classes and products that are definitely boy.  The new Archaic line from BG just screams boy!  And this class can be used for any male theme - from little guys to our biggest boys!  Here is a sneak peek of it so far.  Hopefully will get a chance to work on it later so I can finish it up.

It is turning out really cute.

It looks as the GASC - Chantilly, VA show is open for registration if you are thinking of attending.  Hope to see you there.

And now because we can all use some inspiration every once in a while check this out.  Art by Peter Callesen.  My mom forwarded me this thinking that I would love it and she was right.  This amazing artist makes works of art with paper.  A lot are done with an ordinary piece of paper.  Something we see everyday and he sees as the base for his art.  Simply stunning. 

Be sure to check out his website and see some of the big pieces.  Here are two of my favorites from regular paper.

Holding on to Myself, 2006

47,5 x 37 x 7 cm

Acid free A4 80 gms paper, glue, acrylic paint, and oak frame

And this one.

Happy Fools Day.  I am feeling much too sorry for myself today to play any tricks, lol!

I cannot even tell you how sick I am of winter!  I feel like it is never going to end!  Even now as I look out the window I notice that it is snow a bit - SNOWING!!!  What?  I do feel like I have the winter blues and could use some sunshine to give me a lift.  I know I am Canadian and supposed to love all things winter but, shh, don't tell...I hate it!  I mean we have been there, done that - time to move on to spring!

So tired of looking out my window and seeing this.  Snow and dormant (let's be honest - dead looking) plants.

It is totally dragging me down and it definitely has an effect on my creativity.  I have not been creating at all these last few days.  I have had insomnia for a few nights which doesn't help but I got some new goodies in the mail today and nothing.  Nada.  Zero.  Ziltch.  No desire to create with them - just spread it all out so I can admire it.  It all feels so wrong, lol!  Why?? **insert me shaking my fist at how wrong it all is***

So with all my beautiful new Basic Grey sitting on my table and not getting any attention from me (it is the new stuff that I am making a bunch of classes from - I will keep you posted on those classes - you really do not want me designing classes when I am feeling this creatively sorry for myself - LOL) I went outside to look for signs of spring.  Well, actually Magnus dragged me out, kicking and screaming and I brought the camera along to cheer myself up. 

You know what I discovered?  There are lots of signs of spring (they are just not far along enough!!). 

What I like to call  "pre-signs" of spring.

Water.  Everywhere.  The thaw just started the other day so everything is flooded.

And toys - long lost in the snow and now being rediscovered.  (This 'puddle' was to the top of Magnus' boots - he loved it!).  But look - there are bare areas!  Spring has got to be soon right?

This is my driveway right now.

At first I felt like everything just looked like a giant watery mess.  Bits and pieces all over the place and just generally looking gross.  But then I looked through my camera and looked at the details.  It was pre-spring.  We need this soppy mess in order to get to the good stuff - green leaves!  That is what I like about taking photos. 

Looking through my lense makes me focus and see things in a new way.

That's it.  My deep thought for the day, lol!  This is not a new discovery for me - my love of taking photos and how it changes the way I see the world but today I got to appreciate it again.

And then look what I discovered.  Something that really made my heart sing.

Burried under the garden mulch some early daffodils & tulips.  **insert heart singing here**  Planted just for this reason - so I would know that after a long winter that spring eventually will come.

Ahh.

So I guess spring is on the way for me now. 

I know that some of you who read this have had spring already start in your area (grrrr) and are probably thinking - what?   Just know that you are lucky.  Enough said.