Snooze

Today is already been a hit the snooze button kind of day. Nothing to report here on the crafty front. I have posted all of my recent crafty projects. If you are feeling a bit more motivated than me today - check out the challenges. I found a very cool challenge site called Cinema Saturday. The challenges are all based on movies - which is a match made in heaven for me. No doubt about it. I'm going to try and tackle on of those babies very soon. Anyhoo - I need to stop stalling getting ready for work so it's goodbye for now. I hope everyone has a nice Wednesday. Until then...Happy Crafting.

Twisted Tuesday

Today is Memorial day - and I decided to take a little break from blogland. So - I bring to you Twisted Tuesday - there will be no reading corner - mainly cuz I'm not all that interested in books currently. But I will bring the Product Madness. This Build-An-Owl stamp set otherwise know as Wise Owls is so cute. I love the idea of it. It's by Papertrey Ink of course. I've been loving their stamp sets lately. This is another set with an add-on set. You can also get Wise Owl Bellies to add to the variety. Gotta love that. The parade of cards continue. I've been doing a lot of cardlifting. I'm currently making cards for a dear friend for her upcoming baby shower. I've been trying to set the bar a little higher - and I'm not sure if I've been successful - but, I gotta love that I get my butt in that chair and I make things. Because, honestly for me, trying something new is excruciating. I never have faith that I can do things well - and with this it's really no different. But, it also is amazing (in a way) because I love this thing called papercrafting so much that I'm willing to face the failure and the sometimes impossible standards I set for myself. That's a cool thing - and it gives me hope for the future. I thought I'd show the cards here today. I hope everyone has a lovely day. Try and be easy with yourself. Until then...Happy Crafting!

Defining My Process

I thought I would take the time to go over my process of cardmaking. So... First I needed to remember what I love about scrapbooking which really is my first love in the paper crafting realm.

1. I love patterned paper. Love it to pieces. I would marry Basic Grey if it was a man. It would be beautiful and just what I needed. I also love Sassafras Lass, Scenic Route Paper, and Prima.

2. I love buttons. Hands down one of my favorite embellishments.

3. I love flowers - can't do any better than Prima flowers.

4. I love to layer - either coordinated or different papers.

5. I also am fond of chipboard.

6. Magazines and books are a big part of my process.

So over the weekend I tried to incorporate these things in my cards. I used Paper Crafts magazine as a jumping off point and copied the sketches exactly. I made very few changes to any of the layouts. Having pictures instead of sketches is a huge bonus. It makes life so much easier! I wonder about how much easier scrapbooking would have been if I had known about the value of being a little bit sketchy. I'm still working on stamping and card making. I have so many stamps that I love - but no comfy way to use them. So...I'm planning on having a good day today. I hope this day finds you well. Until then...Happy Crafting!

Books = Burn Out

I wish I had a more uplifting view on books right now - but I feel like I'm in no-man's land. I'm not completely back in the groove with crafting and I'm starting to get disenchanted with my first love - reading. So, I went into the Barnes and Noble Monday night believing I might be able to get the new Paper Crafts magazine - but to no avail. Then I decided to take a gander in the crafty corner of the bookstore - and to my utter surprise this book was there. I had been thinking about this book recently and wondering when it would be coming out. And now it's here - in my apartment of course - and I'm wishing/hoping it will be the fire I need to get back on track. Man, I hope it is.

In other news, I had a fantastic Monday evening attending a retirement for my dear friend. She is one of the few reasons I made it through my first year at Mark Twain and I love her dearly. And the cool thing was - I got to see her in her element with the people who love her. And it dawned on me - that this was love/life in all it's goodness - being surrounded by the people that love you. I laughed so hard hearing some of the stories and thoroughly enjoyed myself despite not wanting to go initially. It was very clear that she had really meant a lot to people and made a difference. It was one of those times that life felt good. I love those times. So with that - I'm going to close out this post. May this Tuesday find you well and loved. Until then...Happy Reading & Crafting!

Dilemma

I love Monday Madness. I love this blog despite having been neglectful this last week. It was kind of a low week all around. But this one will be better. So despite my love for Monday Madness, it creates a huge dilemma for the instant gratification part of my personality. Since I started this blog, I have bought 50% of the items I have posted. I am now searching cool products out in addition to finding them in the store - creating a huge boost for the economy and an equally huge problem for me. I'm starting to get a grip a little - at least I hope I am. I had big plans to spend $57 at Stampin' Up (think Branch Out set), $20-30 at Stamping Bella, and $49 at Papertrey Ink this upcoming paycheck. I also planned on attending a stamping convention in June. Thankfully I got a grip. I decided to go with Papertrey Ink (stamps in photos) and the convention rather than spend all my $$$ before the convention. This is a big step for me - it's huge really. It helps that I've been so out of control lately that it's a must. Maybe it'll be the first step to making changes. I thought briefly about scaling back on my Monday Madness posts - maybe twice a month. But, finding new products is part of defining my style - my likes. I really don't want to give that up. I need to just slow down - get comfortable with some of the things I have - here's hoping. I hope you have a great week. Until then...Happy Crafting and Budgeting!

It's an Itty Bitty Thing!

I'm still super focused on all things small. I still can't bring myself to whip up a scrapbook page - I plan on setting this right tonight. However, I have devoted this reading corner to the small things I love right now - namely mini books. Outstanding Mini Albums by Jennifer Acs has already been showcased - but I wanted to post it again since I know own it and am reading it. It really is fantastic! It has 50 mini book examples with instructions. Many of the books are unconventional. Most I can make now from my stash. The book also has templates in the back to create more books. Love it. Love it to itty bitty pieces. Finally, I have included Ali Edward's book, Sharing Your Story. It's not instructional for the most part. But, it's packed with inspiration. If you like minis or are interested in giving it a try, I highly recommend these books. Until then...Happy Reading and Crafting.

Monday Madness

I believe my healthier body has left the building - so until further notice - the motto here is quick and dirty. So Monday Madness brings an AMAZING stamp set from Stampin' Up. It's called Branch Out and it gives the most amazing impressions. There are a few very cool examples here, here, here and here. Gotta love trees - I know I do.

In other news - I had a very productive weekend. I finished my Lime Rickey kit and made 3 cards for a special someone. I'm still trying to get in the groove of cardmaking - but I'm hopeful I will learn to do it well. I also organized my scrapbook materials. I boxed up the two lower shelves of my bookcase to make room for all of the scrappy goodness I've purchased recently. Believe it or not - I could probably use another shelf. I didn't get a chance to try the Bandana Technique.

Today: I plan on having a GOOD day. I have a lot of data to enter and I want to try and get ready for the move. I also want to take a walk after school and try the Bandana Technique. We'll see how it goes. Until then...Happy Crafting.

Reading Corner

I've been really skeptical about this series for a long time. But, a friend from work asked if I had read the books after she saw that I had read the Twilight series. Honestly, I felt like this book was most likely crappy fluff. I thought it was in the Romance section which I shun like the plague. Then, over the weekend I wanted a quick mindless read. I went looking through the romance section at my local Barnes and Noble and couldn't find the blasted thing anywhere. I finally found them at checkout. Since I had already given up before spying the books at the checkout counter - I had already paid once. I had the same cashier when I purchased the book. Feeling a little embarrassed, I felt the need to explain why I was buying something else - I explained that I couldn't find the book anywhere else. He asked if I checked Science Fiction. Uggh No...I avoid that section too. Anyhoo - I got the book and really liked it. I already bought the second book. It's a nice book to have when you just don't want to read something that is long or requires a ton of thought - I tend to gravitate to those kinds of books. Also - if you decide to read it - let me know if you notice anything Stephenie Meyer might have "borrowed." I swear someone should have said something about it by now. I hope Tuesday finds you well. Until then...Happy Reading & Crafting.

Monday Madness

Another Monday Madness is here and I really am struggling with what to present. Mainly because my money has been burning a hole in my pocket and I have left no stone unturned. It's a stress response. I need to reduce my stress or I'm going to need to make a house of scrapbooking supplies and books - and no one likes to roll like that! Since I'm still deep in my love affair with buying stamps - I really am wanting the butterfly kisses set from Papertrey Ink. For some very cool inspiration using Papertrey Ink Stamps check out Nichole Heady's blog. Not sure when I'll be buying these. I really do need to lay off for a while. We'll see. In other news, I am really wanting to buy every single set of these gems. I love the Painterly Petals line by Prima Marketing. I recently bought white flowers to be able to color and embellish. And, I've been very happy with the result. However, I know there are some things I just can't do as well as what is available in stores. Painterly Petals are a prime example of something I don't believe I could do better. I love them so much. I've included some pics of these pretties at the end of this post.

This weekend: I spent a lot of time sleeping and relaxing. I really need to get all of the mess swimming around in my head under control. I'm going to try and make it through the week without wanting to fall into a puddle of tears. We'll see. I spent a few hours on Sunday making cards. Still not always liking the outcome - but getting more used to it. I'm really depending on magazines and sketches to get me to a more comfortable place. I haven't regained my interest in all things scrappy quite yet.

This week: I wish I could say I was hopeful for a great week - but that's just not how I'm rolling right now. I'm going to try and get through the week without any major mishaps. I'm going to try and be positive and hide it better when I'm down. That's really all I can ask of myself right now. And sometimes, that really is ok. Hope your week is good. Until then...Happy Crafting.

Can You Imagine

Can you imagine...

*Waking up in the morning pain free?

*Being able to rock out some art like this or this?

*Making layouts this cool or this cool on a regular basis?

*Making cards this beautiful?

*Having the hand dexterity AND talent to do this?

*Being someone's momma?

*Being mobile enough to live in New York City?

*Owning your own craft store - something like this?

*Your life changing and actually being okay with that?

*Being able to draw, paint, and collage?

*Going to all the movies you want to see this summer?

*Taking photos like this?

So...I can't imagine ALL of these things. Some I believe can't help just because of circumstance. There are some things on this list that I know are possible. I can imagine it - I can make it happen. It's a good attitude to have on Friday. It's an EASY attitude to have on Friday. I hope your Friday is spectacular. Until then...Goodness all around and...Happy Crafting!