be yourself: live with passion

bringing home the inspiration...

One of the beauties of doing an advertising/inspiration board at Scrapbooks, Etc. is that when it's time to change out the board, I get to bring the inspiration home.

The torso which I cut in half and then dressed (aka Well Endowed Torso Girl) came home with me earlier this week and is now ensconced in the frame I picked up at an antique mall last year.  The frame is above my computer in the studio area of the family room.

I love it when I can reuse something, especially when it fits right in with the decor in my studio. 

My new inspiration board at the store hosts a handmade wreath to advertise the new Creative Genius Workshops that begin this Friday.  I forgot to snap a pic at home and need to remember to take one when I'm at the store today.

Speaking of Friday's class, for those of you who are local, just wanted you to know that the store is also bringing in crafting metal in different colors--pink, brown and black are some--so you can transfer the techniques you learn on copper onto other colors, too.  How cool is that?  If you need a good boost of creative inspiration, call the store (480-854-2303) and get yourself signed up...we're going to have a blast...and, get this, there's even a field trip!

Hope you have a great and inspiring day...I'm off to cut some copper!

storing it pretty...

I don't know about you, but I am a visual person.  Most of my piles and messes are there because I like seeing my stuff...having flowers, ribbons and doo-dads right in front of me inspires me.  After a while, though, it goes into the realm of cluttery and then totally messy, which becomes frustrating and counter-productive to creating.

I found a great storage solution to display my vintage flower collection (which had been stored in a large tin in one of my armoires)...it's easily viewed but yet not cluttery and the flowers are protected from the dust that's inevitable when we spend a lot of time playing with paper.

It's an old-fashioned seed bin which is made of wood and glass and lifts open at the top.

How cool is that?

I bought mine at Mystic Paper but if you don't live in the Phoenix area, you can buy one here.

There are so many possibilities...I ended up decorating the front glass panels with white rub-ons from Basic Grey...that really dressed up the bin a lot, yet I can still see the flowers inside.

The box can be painted-think white, pink or aqua for a cottage look...or maybe black for a stunning, clean look.

Now I can enjoy seeing my vintage silk and paper flowers...pretty storage without the clutter.

Do you have some fun and creative ways to display your pretties...cool storage ideas that also inspire you?

Would love to hear your ideas...and if you want, include a link to your site so that all of us can see...after all, we're all about the visuals!

Happy Friday...hope you have a great day.

WOW!

I didn't expect this...at all!

Your responses have been amazing...I've read them all.  Some of them made me cry, others made me laugh and I found myself agreeing with what you said time and time again. 

The passion you feel for what you do is remarkable.

I wish I would give everyone a prize...you ALL truly deserve one.

I had the comments put into a random number generator and the number that was picked was

NUMBER 14-KRISTA!

who summarized it so succinctly when she said,

"Thanks Carol, great idea. I love the fact that I have a creative outlet, and have met some really incredible new friends doing something I love."

Krista, email me your address and I'll send out your handmade book.

Thanks everyone, for taking time to share your stories and why you love scrapbooking.   I really feel blessed to be a part of this community! 

 

grateful...so doing a giveaway!

It's National Scrapbooking Day and for me, it's a day for which I am grateful.  Grateful that I am professionally involved in the industry, grateful that I am doing what I love to do and grateful that you are a part of my life.

My bio usually includes a paragraph that my childhood dreams were being a teacher, a writer and someone who creates and that in the world of memory arts/scrapbooking, I've found all three.  I know that if someone had told me that I would be an instructor, writer and artist in this field, I would have totally laughed.  But, here I am and loving it.

In celebration of NSD and to show my gratitude to you, I'm going to do a giveaway.  It's a handmade flip book with the face of each page completed and the backside left open for you to add your photos and journaling.  It's about gratitude...creating this book reminded me about how often I forget the many blessings I have...and, I'm guessing that most of us need a little nudge in that area.  I had to chuckle when I came across this quote..."[D]on't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines."  Leroy [Satchel] Paige.  I think I need to pin this one up on my inspiration board!

OK, back to the giveaway!  It's filled with stamped images of children, metal mesh, flowers, buttons and 7 gypsies paper.  It's a signed and dated original...one of a kind.

I'm also including extra paper, some vintage rick rack and a vintage velvet flower for you to complete the back sides of the pages.

Here's all you need to do to be put in the drawing.  Simply leave me a comment about why you love to scrapbook or what you love most about scrapbooking.

I'll keep the contest open until Wednesday, May 7th, around noon Arizona time. 

I can't wait to read what you have to say!

Margaret Cousins said, "Appreciation can make a day, even change a life.  Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary."    I want you to know that I appreciate you!

Hope you have a happy, blessed day!

   

is there life...

beyond the world of memory art?

I've had to ask myself that question a number of times in the past month and most days, the answer has been a definite "NO!". 

One of the reasons I haven't updated much on my blog is that while life has been incredibly busy, it's been more of the same...planning classes, teaching classes, planning kits, making kits, shipping kits, etc. and I seriously don't think that anyone is interested in reading about that several times a week.

On Saturday, I sort of strayed a little and had a girls only day with Sheri (from My Daughter's Wish), her mom Nancy and her daughter, Sierra.

We did some junking...this was some reciprocity for her taking me to Urban Ore in Berkeley where I found some treasures in old books, music, drawer pulls and bell chime hardware.  We had so much fun and I have to tell you that 6 year old Sierra is a champion junker.  She rooted through boxes and bins as enthusiastically as we did...and was rewarded with a whole bag of goodies for herself and her 3 year old sister, Sedona.  Both of the girls are amazingly creative and artistic...definitely in the genes!  It was definitely a productive junking day and got the creative juices flowing...big time.  Here are a few of my treasures.

After lunch at T.C. Eggington's, we took Sierra out to the barn where we board our horses.  All day, she had been looking forward to going "to the ranch" (as she put it) to ride Ashley's pony, Mimi.

What a total kick that was.  I think that Sheri and O.T. are sunk...Sierra definitely has a love affair with horses and based on our personal experience, it only intensifies with age.

Sierra had a good ride around the trail course and took Mimi over logs and dirt mounds...what a fun time.  She had a chance to groom Mimi and get a tour of the barn and meet the other horses, too.

It brought back memories of Ashley's early horsemanship days...and reminded me of some of the reasons that we all work so hard...to see the sheer pleasure on our children's faces when they are doing something they love...being able to provide amazing life experiences for our kids and know that they will be better people for it...wouldn't you agree?

It was a great day...always fun to be together with people who enjoy similar things.

And now, it's back to memory art and the creatologie kit for May...I think you're going to really like it!  Happy May!

sniff and sneeze!

I've been at home quite a bit these last few days...it's kit week so I've been busy sorting, stuffing, packaging, etc.  The front and back doors have been open and there is this amazing fragrance coming into our home...it almost smells like a perfume factory.

I popped outside with the camera to take a pic of the abundant jasmine crawling all over the side wall of our yard...in fact, it's taking over everything out there!

A couple of close sniffs later and I was sneezing like crazy!

What a shame that something that smells so good makes me feel so icky!  'Tis the season, I guess.

I have to show you a flower that won't bug your allergies...it's on a necklace that Ashley made and posted in her Etsy shop.  Absolutely love it and it won't make me sneeze!

She really is enjoying making jewelry and I'm enjoying some of the side benefits, too!

In keeping with the flower theme, did anyone happen to see the article in Romantic Country magazine about Rose Story Farm in California?  It's a 15 acre property with a collection of over 20,000 roses...amazing!  I'd definitely like to take a tour of the place sometime.  Apparently they do weddings there by a large pond and they float roses in the pond in whatever colors the bride and groom choose.  Ashley thinks it would be a great place for a wedding.  I told her that I would be happy to float some roses in our backyard pond when the time came...hmmm, for some reason, she didn't jump all over that.  We planted 3 new rose bushes this year and I'm looking forward to some healthy, happy blooming years to come!

Off to clean up the chaos...the postal service guy just finished loading up his truck...those boxes are gone but rest assured, there are still lots of boxes of product and odds and ends...where does it all come from? 

Hope you have a happy weekend...and, take time to smell the roses (or whatever flowers you have :))!

swimming in a sea...

of pink and brown!

It's all over the house...the satin, grosgrain, woven and stitched ribbons, the kraft chipboard albums, the buttons, beads, flowers, and crystals.  I am loving it...add a few splashes of green...here and there in the die cuts and accents...and I am smiling.

I'm getting ready to post some of the interior detail shots of the "special" album which is this month's kit...check out my creatologie blog for some little snippets.

There are still a few kits left...just in case you forgot to order yours...there's still a little time.

While I was creating my project, I actually added personal photos...as those of you who ordered previous kits and take my classes know, I very seldom add my photos or personalize the projects that I teach...well, on this one, I totally felt inspired to add my photos...a different concept for me, for sure.

Hope you all had a great weekend...and hope you have a great week!

local classes...

Next month starts a new quarter at Scrapbooks, Etc. and with the new schedule and newsletter comes a new class from me.

It's called Creative Genius Workshop.

It's all about projects and techniques...fun, messy, and innovative...no layouts but still based on memory art--your photos and memories.

Who should take these classes?

1.  If you've been in the store while I've been die cutting for out of state classes and asked when I was going to teach those projects locally, you should take these classes.  Some of the new projects I just started teaching around the country will be taught through the Creative Genius Workshop; others will be brand new projects (i.e., you will be the guinea pigs :)).

2.  If you've asked me when I'm going to start teaching projects similar to what I taught at Memory Lane and Ink It, you should take these classes.

3.  If you've been there, done that, and want more, you should take these classes.

4.  If you like preserving memories in a non-layout style, you should take these classes.

5.  If you want to awaken and grow your creative genius, you should take these classes!

The photo is a teaser/reminder that will be displayed at the store...I had so much fun making this! 

My first Creative Genius Workshop will be on May 16th, 10:30-2:00...we'll be doing the easel metal book...altering sheet metal and mesh and incorporating it into a fun and funky easel book.  Check the store to see the sample...there's also a preview of it on my blog.

Spaces are limited so call the store today to reserve your spot...480-854-2303...can't wait to see you there!

balance...

My life has been busy...more than I ever imagined it could be.   New projects, new classes, new kits, plus business obligations have definitely unbalanced the scales.  For me, one of the best ways to bring back the balance is to take time to enjoy the little moments that surround me every day, to find things that make me laugh, to hug someone...

Being in Northern California and teaching at My Daughter's Wish definitely provided me with lots of those moments.  There were so many fun and funny women in the classes...quite a few of them I had previously met when I taught at Wishfest last year.  I had such a great time with them all.

Sheri, owner of the store, graciously opened up her home to me...that was a total blast.  I felt totally welcomed into her family and it's a lively one to be sure.  I loved listening to her 6 year old daughter earnestly telling me a story and sitting on the floor of the playroom with her 3 year old daughter, playing blocks and listening to her chatter away in her high pitched voice...then there were the laughing moments when they covered me with fairy dust...glitter from head to toe.  I trailed glitter all over Sheri's house, into the bed, into the suitcase and now into my home.  Of course, I can't forget about all of the laughter that came from the clown, Sheri's six month old Great Dane puppy who thinks he's a lap dog.  Lots of laughter, lots of hugs, lots of fun.  Thanks, Sheri and OT, for your hospitality!

On the home front, how can you not laugh when you see this little group of pooplets...4 baby doves sunning themselves on the path by our pond.   The mamas carefully watched them from the overhead tree...the babies had all been clustered together but when they saw me and the camera, they started getting a little concerned and broke apart.

What a sight!

Then there's Fred...Mr. Peach Face!

He's totally enjoying the salmon and peach meal...check out the peach hanging from his face.  Charming!

I'm learning to live in the moment...to enjoy and savor the right here and now...to not spend countless hours dwelling on the past...to not focus on the future so much that I lose what's here today.

How do you find balance in your life?  What special moments have you recently savored? 

So much fun...

...is what I've had creating the project for April's creatologie kit, entitled SPECIAL!

Remembering the special people in my life is a good thing.

And using the special products in this 16 page album is also a good thing.

There are new papers from Basic Grey in beautiful shades of pink, green and brown...and these papers are accented by their beautiful flourishes and chipboard letters.

Today, I received the gorgeous border lace doilies...yesterday the fontwerks stamps came in...and oh, did I mention that there were custom labels created just for this kit?

Then, there's special velvet and chenille ribbon, strands of woven pearls, flowers and crackle paint...definitely special.

Here's one of the interior pages...thought you might enjoy seeing another peek of what's to come!

Thanks to all of you who ordered...it's great to see so many of you come back month after month...plus it's also great to see lots of new names as well.

There have also been some names that have come through my email...usually the day after the previous kits have sold out...wanting to know if that was really true and were there any more.  Um, no...really, once they're sold out, they're gone.  If you've put off ordering, you may want to make sure you reserve yours now...so that you can remember the special people in your life, enjoy the special products and end up with a full and complete special album.