Scrapbook Saturday or How Could I Possible Get All This Done?

I recently found a whole Saturday to get away with my scrapbooking supplies loaded in my car and head over to my local Archivers for a 12-hour scrap marathon. The despair that comes from walking by the half-finished scrapbook page day after day in my work room became too much for me to handle, so I was forced to take action. It wasn't difficult to convince a couple of friends that this day just had to happen. (So sorry to K. who really paid the price for her scrapbooking obsession and ended up in the emergency room instead the scrapping room. It is a fear that many of us have - outsiders shaking their heads unable to understand how any one person could possibly have that many "craft supplies" in their car. Even though the car was damaged, her supplies were recovered without loss.)

Unpacking my scaled-downed supply pile was great motiviation. I was able to jump right in and start working on my prepped pages. I had spent the last few months selecting pictures, matching papers, ordering the left and right pages, and finding sketches, and now I was going to actually get down to business. It was fantastic!

It was such a great  day. I was able to put together all of my Christmas pictures. I have my new commitment to completing the journaling, and it was a motivator to try my handwriting a little more. I never did break out the Cricut. The lack of electrical outlets in the workroom made it more of a hassle than I needed. Instead, I was able to make use of my letter and sticker stash. Except for the glitter white letters for the "Snow Fun" layout that I had to buy while I was there. Sometimes you just have to give in to the call of the store.

I seemed to have lots of two-page layouts, but it was probably because the holidays seem to generate so many pictures. I did complete a page that is unusual for me: a one-page layout with only one photo - nothing more fun that the Thanksgiving centerpiece.  Besides, there tends to be no really interesting pictures at Thanksgiving in our family - mostly of food.

Thanks to all you who have been visiting - I hope you have been enjoying my layouts and projects. 

Read More...

Winter Slapped Me in the Face or Don't We Fondly Remember Fall?

I am not a real winter fan. I know that living in Minnesota and not finding the natural joy and beauty in the snow, ice and "crisp" fresh air of winter (which lasts from November to April, by the way) will probably be deemed a life mistake in my memoirs someday, but not having real, lasting snow until after Christmas and not seeing the first below zero air temps until the middle of January is A-OK in my book. Waking up this week in the morning darkness (thanks, daylight savings) is bad enough, but having the temperatures at -12 degrees with a chance of warming up to ZERO by the afternoon was a slap in the face from Old Man Winter. So I retreated to my scrapbook table with a cup of hot cocoa, got myself organized, and looked at pictures of warmer days. Memories of the cool and colorful days of autumn help take the sting of serious winter off my face. Remember the pumpkin patch? The corn maze? The giant chicken? The Halloween with out parkas and snowpants? (Wait...giant chicken?)
I dug in and committed to scrapping my way through fall. Here it is--giant chicken and all! I did make a promise to complete the journaling on each page before moving it to my album. There are whole years where the journaling is still blank - no matter what my great plan is, the journaling doesn't get done if I don't add it right away. Take that Old Man! Just wait until I start browsing last year's summer photos -- that will melt the ice cube you have for a heart!
Read More...

All Done But the Journaling

Artist at Work [April 2006]

It seems like every page has a story to tell. The photos have been carefully chosen to present the event, action or emotion. The papers were selected to bring together the colors of the photos with the theme of the layout. The title somehow comes through with a nice little punch. It's all there-a terrific layout. All there except the journaling.I have entire albums completed to the last button and brad, sans journaling. I know a some scrapbookers who do little or no journaling, letting the pictures speak for themselves. Their pages may be silent, but they certainly communicate volumes. Others pen their stories and comments in their own handwriting on carefully crafted journaling blocks. My layouts usually include a dedicated design element for my thoughtful, computer generated journaling recounting my remembrances and anecdotes. I plan for them and integrate them carefully into my pages. I just never seem to get around to actually printing them and getting them on the page.

I have grandiose plans for completing the albums and putting them away on the shelf. Truth is I haven't put in a new piece of journaling since fall 2006. I do have the journaling done. It's typed out and sitting in the computer waiting for me to format and size to the individual spaces on each page. Once that is done, I will print them on vellum or clear sticker paper and add them to the pages. It's just that I've already put the pages in the plastic page protectors and put the album on the shelf. I know I need to finish them, but I just want to move forward. My favorite part of scrapbooking isn't the finishing, it's the doing.

Here are just a few of the pages waiting for the final touch. I will get to them; I will finish them. Just not now; I just got a great idea for a page.

Chocolate Smiles [April 2006]

Autumn Style [September 2006]



Our Little Mermaid [November 2006]

Read More...