Come and get it!!!

Attention Paper and Craft Lovers of the greater Utah Valley!!!

My move is your opportunity for gain. I am a friends and family-renowned purger, and my impending move has caused scrap purging of wonderful proportions! There would be a ton more stuff to purge except that I do this every month or so. This is just a grander scale. The point:

Come Get My Crap!!!

Except it's not really crap. I will be a t Michelle's house tomorrow for most of the day. If you want to root through this stuff, come over her house let's say... after 11 am. I have paper, chipboard, stickers, rub-ons, eyelets, pretty much all kinds of embellishments, chalks, stamps- a little of everything. Heidi Swapp, SEI, Imaginisce, Pebbles, Basic Grey, all that good stuff. There are some exclusive stuff from some companies I've worked for like Leaving Prints and My Creative Life. If you live far and want the leftovers I'll even send it to you. ... Please come and get it.

If you don't know where Shell lives email me or her and we'll let ya know. Seriously, I'm throwing this stuff away otherwise.

Happenings and Creations

Hannah, Linc, Timm and I went to see the latest installment of Harry Potter on opening day. (or 'Harry Monster' according to Eva...) It was quite a treat- I am not one for spoilers, so all I will say is that it did not disappoint at all, and as a testament to it's quality, I never once wondered when it would be over, which I always do no matter how much I like a movie. (Also, I use way too many commas and don't really know what to do about it except that I think it accurately reflects the way I talk. Or ramble as the case may be.)

The first (and possibly last for a while anyway) picture of the 4 of us.

Here are the latest pages I did in my art journal- I whipped these all up tonight while Hannah was over in an attempt to put some of my ideas on paper before all my paper gets packed up.
Excuse the blurriness, but I don't have the best lighting on my couch after midnight, and I never have the best patience to wait for better light.

'Refresh'

REALLY blurry 'Style'.

'Untitled.'

'30 lbs' (Have you ever known a bigger stickler for documentation? That's me in a bathing suit on the web. And no one wants to see it. Least of all me. But in all fairness, I do like the page. Just not the subject matter.)

'Naked mole rat'

Seriously.

And because you all know what an animal lover I am, Lou (Diana's husband and our friend as well-)brought me 3 skulls. Maybe I should take this opportunity to stress that I am a LIVE animal lover. Even though I am a very curious person I am not so much a lover of animal bones- at least in my house. At around midnight he and Diana showed up on my doorstep with 3 different animal skulls. (Buffalo, cow, and deer.) When he asked where I wanted him to put them I stood silent and stock still for an indeterminable amount of time before stammering, 'oh... you're serious.'

They're for Timm to dismantle and turn. They're also on the back porch. Outside. Untouched by me.

Field Trip

I had so much fun tonight- it's the closest I've come to my dream, attending CHA. (Craft and Hobby Association show) I've had a few cool scrapbook experiences through working with some companies, but this was one of the best.

I was able to attend a party/preview of American Crafts new lines and products that will debut at CHA next month. I have made some kits for a new company called My Creative Life, and through my friendship with Robin and the president Mike Casperson, I was invited to attend tonight. I wish I had brought my camera, although I doubt that would have been allowed. We toured their warehouse and it was so pleasing... The aisles of shelves just stocked full of their ribbon was the most pleasing sight to me. I had to keep running my fingers over it all.

They are definitely one of the leaders in the industry, and their new stuff is no exception. Having been on a fairly strict scrap-buying sabbatical for the last 6 months, this was intense. A showroom with all their new lines as well as old and existing favorites. It was a little overwhelming to view the paper selection as I have purposely avoided seeing much of it for months to ease the pain of abstinence.

Let me just say- they have a new gift wrap line that is simply unbelievable. Remember when Chatterbox tried to do that a couple of years ago with their Art Paper? ( I think that's what they called it.) It was overpriced, too small to work with much, and nothing really eye-catching. (Has anyone else noticed Chatterbox kind of fading into the background lately?) Well AC went with this full-throttle. I was simply amazed. They have 5 lines of gift-wrap that include various wrapping paper that is very well-priced (move over Target-) along with paper curling ribbon, paper bows both large and small, boxes and gift bags of all shapes and sizes, ribbon of course, gift tags, label stickers... They are all in the American Crafts style that we have all come to know and love increasingly over the last couple of years. I was awe-struck. It is rare that there is something in the industry that is completely original and inspiring. Most of the time people are trying to make improvements and variations of existing products, but AC has been a front-runner in innovative designs and products. It was exciting to say the least. I was gasping all over the place.

The best part- I got a goodie bag! I couldn't thank Mike enough. I heard rumor of a goodie bag, and I expected something small and pleasing. Oh. Once again American Crafts exceeded my expectations and made me catch my breath- several times over. Check out this loot:

Notice the beautiful gift bag and those amazing paper ribbons! There is a huge stack of many of their new papers, 3 packages of ribbon, rubons, 3 packs of stickers, house embellishments... Well- see for yourself! I can't imagine the retail value of this stuff, but I am very grateful. I consider it an early birthday present. I love new supplies, but even more, I LOVE being inspired. I love this business, I love this hobby, this art, this passion of mine. I love all things textile and beautiful. I want to be able to turn my passion into more than just my own gratification... Maybe I'm one step closer to CHA and scrapbook celebrity.

p.s. Go to American Crafts' website and you can download beautiful wallpaper for your computer. It's under Creative Juices> It's for Fun. And it is.

thank you

{60 candy bars}

+

{me}

=

{"danger, danger, danger"}

{but-that}

+

{homemade tags}

=

{cheap and easy 'thank you's}

some may say "slutty..."

Seriously a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who helped me with Lola's Legacy in any way, shape or form! Here's a few off the top of my head:
dad- for sending me cash to by supplies!
Bridget, Audrey, Jill, Michelle, Hannah, Robin, Rachelle, and Diana for coming and making so many of the albums! (And making them well...)
Michelle for making all the demo albums for people to follow at the tables
Hannah and Robin for helping me with some of the prep work
Rachelle for having her girls at Provo Canyon ink paper for me!
Robin and Hannah and Jenn for buying supplies
Thats all I can think of right now, but if I didn't have all of your help, I never would have been able to make this happen. Thank you so much for all of your hard work and contributions. It means so much to me, and a paltry candy bar or thank you does nothing to show you how grateful I am to each of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for thinking beyond yourselves and giving of your time, money, and talents to help those in need, and comforting those who stand in need. I love you all.
update to follow later...

Project Gallery

I know that Jill has given me 'labeling tenure', but something in the back of my mind is still afraid of losing that, so I am posting some pictures of my latest, and not-so-latest projects.

This is the notebook that I made for part of my present at the Blogging Party, and Kristi was the recipient. (I was her recipient as well and am lucky enough to be receiving monogrammed towels from her!)I used velvet stickers that Jenn sent me!

This is the blurry card I made my dad for Father's Day. (It's not blurry in real life, and I can post this because he's already opened it.)

This is the Mother's Day card I made for my mom to be a companion to her present:
A gratitude journal.

This is a sample of one of the filler pages.

I made these for 3 of my nieces, as I was commissioned by my mother-in-law.

I experimented using fabric as the binding, and pom-pom trim and buttons on the spine.
That's all for now folks!

Bella's Birthday Album

It's been a little while since I posted anything creative, and even though Jill said that I was granted tenure with my 'Creative Genious' status, I still worry about being demoted. So in the interest of keeping my title so graciously given to me by Jill, I am posting my latest project. Rather than try and make the appropriate comments correspond to their designated picture, which is usually a failed attempt, I will write, then post photos. You can figure out which is which and what is what. I made the goal of finishing Bella's first year album by her birthday. I started it about a month ago, and am pretty much finished. All that is left is the title page, and the pictures for this, her final month of her first year. For each month I included a calendar pages of all of her 'events', a layout with a 5x7, a layout with a montage of photos from the month, and a brief journaling summarizing her 'events' that month. SO here is a sampling of one month. (It is 8x8 by the way- in 'her colors'-and mine- pink and green.) It turned out to be ridiculously thick- 4 1/2 inches! I had to use jumbo post extenders to hold it all together. Also, please excuse the blurriness of some of them- Can anyone advise... I have a good 'eye' for photography, but the mechanics still elude me somewhat. I've got to take a class at UVSC like Jenn did! I always get blurry shots because there's not enough light indoors. I hate the flash however- I try to get more light in by opening the blinds etc. but I never have any luck! Anyone have any suggestions? It's really frustrating! Anyway- here's the album.

Another Book

This is the book I made for my aunt Denise for her birthday. It's an idea book for her creative sketches, notes, and magazine clippings. I've posted before how keeping my own Idea Book seems to have helped revolutionize my style, and indeed helped me find it. I reference it all the time, am constantly writing down ideas and sketching them out- I encourage everyone to keep one! Even if you're not a scrapper, your ideas about anything! It helps squeeze the creativity out of everyone, in any arena. I am in love with these notebooks since Jill turned me onto them. You can find them at Target (of course) for $3.49, or $2.49 on the East Coast. (don't ask me why!) They are spiral bound with chipboard covers, 3 divided sections with tabs and folders, and a great elastic to keep it closed. There are 4 color variations: black, lime, blue, and fuschia. The pages are also lined and edged in the same color. I love them! But beware if you frequent the Orem Target- I buy them whenever they ahve them! (No, I'm not getting paid for this endorsement-)
Michelle received the one I made for her yesterday, so you can check it our on her site too. :)
I have taken a few pictures with my new camera (Canon S2 IS, since some of you have asked...) and can't wait to post them, but I have to download my software first, so maybe tomorrow.
*How do you organize your ideas?*

Project Gallery

Since I fear another 'demotion' from Jill, I thought I'd post some pictures of projects past. Plus, this way I can pretend that I am published somewhere other than my own blog and get my 'scrapbook celebrity' fix! Sometimes you just need to show people who are in the scrapbook world so they can appreciate it. Have you ever shown someone something you've made and feel like you didn't get an adequate response? That's why you have to show fellow crafters, because they get it. (Seriously though, this is not a cry for praise, but again merely a forum to blog off.)
This is a blurry photo of a card I made for my parents after our Nantucket trip in September.
This is one side of a book I made for Michelle thanking her for all the times she's been there for me.

This is a layout I did for my in-laws for Christmas- sorry the top and bottom are cut off!
HEre is a card I made for my In-Laws a few months ago.
This is a mini-Clipboard frame I made for my mom to put in her office.
This is another clipboard I made for my mom for Christmas.

Trip Update

I hope that I am able to upload pictures.. we are having some technical complications here. It's too bad because now I am in serious need. You see, I have been demoted from Jill's blog from Creative Genious, to just some girl who's giving up sugar. Now I have to try and prove some creativity once again- we'll see. I am trying to post a few pictures of some of the interior of the book I made for my parents. (Oh, they are the recipient of the "If not for You" book.)
Anyway, here we are in windy Philadelphia, my home town. I lived here from the time I was 7-17 and loved it. Now I call Utah home and love it as well, which surprises no one more than it does me.
Like Shell stated, the travel went as well as could be expected. I was very fortunate to sit next to a very kind Indian woman who was just leaving her 6 month old grandaughter, so she was in baby mode. She held her so I could go to the bathroom, talked to her, played with her, helped keep her distracted, and otherwise didn't mind if she got kicked or screamed at. (Though in Bella's defense, there was very little screaming to be had.) The man on the other side of me was a very large man who consumed 3, maybe 4 Beefeater Vodka Tonics, while watching Gunsmoke. (What's up with the name Beefeater?)When we were in a 'holding pattern' waiting to be waved in to land Bella finally started to fuss which prompted a woman to ask me if I had a bottle of tea. She was convinced that she was having trouble with her ears and I should give her tea. (Why would I have a bottle of tea on hand, for a baby no less?) I told her I thought she was just tired, but she said 'No, it's her ears.' Well alrighty then.
Sleeping was a dream last night. Okay that was lame. No pun intended. I'm sleeping on $800 sheets with a featehr bed on top. It is nicer than the finest hotels could offer and a whole lot cuter, cheaper, and friendlier. We are expecting to see Erin later today so I will follow with details!

Timm's Mini Book

Here is Timm's Valentine's Present- the reason in fact, that none of you got anything from me. I apologize-blame Timm. Have a great Valentine's Day!! I will ry and post alittle V-Day tribute later if I have time. Love you all! :)

My Latest Page

This is one of the los that I am submitting for Hall of Fame. Now, it says that they can't be previously published, but I assumed this would be okay- what do you guys think? Let me know...Here's the journaling. (sorry about my shadow....)

"When I was a misguided teenager, I defined myself by the music I listened to, the clothes I wore, and the friends that I had. As I grew older, I eventually shed that image and found more substantial, intrinsic values to guide me. I never would have believed my life to this point if you could have shown me... The last few years have been especially eventful, and at times nearly impossible. I experienced a severe depression after I went away to school, which has only been resolved in the last couple of years. In less than two years time, Timm and I were married, got pregnant, bore and buried our 1st child Lola, got sealed in the temple, and then experienced the successful birth of Isabella. For a while I felt like a victim of so many things. I felt defined by my struggle with depression, which led me to the outskirts of the church and my family. Then Timm and I got married and began working towards going to the temple. Then of course, came the greatest struggle and trial of all- Lola’s death. I felt defined by my grief until this last year sometime, and then defined by my new role as a mother this year. So many life-altering and all-consuming roles I have experienced. These things are all in the past, but live on in the present within me. I have been shaped and molded by my experiences.
So who am I today? Today I feel like I am coming into my own, after a long hiatus. I feel like I am getting to know the true me after being clouded with so much LIFE. I am happy. I am active in church, and sealed to my family- Timm, Lola, and Bella. I have two wonderful daughters- one here on earth, and one waiting for me. I have a sense of peace and assurance about the future and my place. I know that I am a daughter of God, and that is the most intrinsic of all beliefs that guide me. I am feeling great physically. It has taken me 8 months since Bella was born to feel this way. After 2 back-to-back pregnancies, I was able to shed 65 lbs! I feel like I am experiencing a creative revival! Lately I have given myself permission to be more artistic, playful, free, and personal in my design. I don’t feel ruled by anyone else’s vision, but rather inspired by their greatness! Even as a self-confessed embellishment junkie, this page is ‘busier’ than most of my designs, but I wanted to showcase things that I love- all things girly and feminine, flowers, sparkle, buttons, and ribbon! I feel loved, and happy, and at peace. This is who, where, and what I am today- January 20, 2006"