Product Love

Just in case you're wondering - Product Love is the new name for Monday Madness.  The big change is that my product parades are no longer relegated to Monday.  No more rules.  I've been doing a lot of coveting since the CHA Winter 2010 products have started to come out.  I had a hard time choosing what to put on the blog today.  I have a lot of picks from Stamping Bella.  Unfortunately - I can't put the pictures on my blog.  So - I will probably link to my faves at some point this week.  After a little anxiety - I have decided to go with Crate Paper.  They have the most amazing new paper lines.  I'm not usually a big fan of Crate Paper but they really did something special this year.  So without further ado - here's a sneak peek at the lines.  Click here to get a full picture of each line.  Trust me - it's worth it.

Aren't they yummy.  I love each line so much.  The Paper Doll Collection has a variety of multicultural dolls - something I just love.  It's hard to find diversity in scrapbook paper and stamp images.  I'm always ecstatic to find any images.  Take a look here to see cool samples using these three lines.  So very cool.  I can't wait until CKC.  I'm hoping to get my hands on these three lines for me and my sister.

Today:  I plan on going to the local big target.  I'm also going to prepare my calendar for Project 33.  I was inspired by the calendars I found here.  I plan on writing down the project for each day.  I'm trying to decide if I'm going to paint.  My plan is to start doing an art journal during this project.  I bought this watercolor journal yesterday to prepare.  I plan on looking at my art journal books to prepare.  To be honest, painting/art journaling scares the begeezus out of me.  I'm still going to give it a try.  Well that's it for now.  I'm getting a little word heavy.  I hope today is a great day for you!  Until then...here's to simplicity.

It's Simple

You might have noticed the blog has been given an overhaul once again.  Truth is - I haven't been satisfied with the blog for a while - since I lost the cupcakes.  I decided I needed something simple.  Mainly because this is what I'm wishing for my life right now - simplicity.  Honestly I'm not sure if I'll be back blogging at full force again.  I'm not sure I'm there yet.  The past few months have been really hard and I feel a little lost.  The last thing I want is another obligation.  But...this was a place for me to be more of myself and contribute to the crafting world in my own way.  I feel terrible that it turned into one more thing hanging over my head.  My hope is that I will start to pick up the pieces of this thing I've created and come back new and different.  I want to be able to be more honest.  Which is why the blog is going private again.  I'm not sure that many people are checking it - so I think it's okay to take a step back into privacy once more.  I will finally be able to reinstate some of my posts.  For me - this is a journal of sorts - albeit a little more public.  I want to get back to that.

In other news - I have a birthday coming up.  It's rather minor - 33 - but I've been dreading it.  Let's just face it - it's not a great sign using my numbers theory.  But - I'm not gonna let that get me down.  I'm starting a new project on my birthday.  I'm calling it Project 33 since I'm not rocking in the imagination department right now.  I'm going to do 33 projects in 33 days.  How am I defining a project?  It's pretty simple - a project is ANY artistic product.  It could be a blog post with my favorite pictures from free photo sites.  It could be an ATC, card, magnet, collage, scrapbook layout, altered photograph, etc.  I have just three rules.  First, I can only use one sketch a week.  Second, I must enter one challenge per week.  Third, I don't have to follow the first two rules if I don't want to.  Nice, huh?

So that's it for me now.  This week is Spring Break and I'm keeping my vampire hours for now.  I'm seriously a night owl which interferes with my work days.  I'm allowing myself to keep these hours until next Thursday and then I'm slowing moving back into my school routine.  That's it for now.  I hope this Sunday finds you well.  Until then...here's to simplicity!

Changes

Just one more thing!  I've made some changes to the links on the blog.  First, I've added a lot of new links.  I've also brought back old favorites.  Next, I've added a few new headings.  Mixed Madness has links to blogs that have a mix of paper crafts and mixed-media.  Where It's At has links to my favorite manufacturers' blogs.  Finally, there might be some additional changes in the upcoming weeks.  I'm seriously considering deleting the cycle of creativity and favorite quotes heading.  I think those items were more for me in the beginning.  I don't feel like there necessary right now.  Scratch that - the Felix quote and cycle of creativity are going away right now.  The cool thing about blogs is they can always come back.  Well that's it for now.  Hope everyone has a great day!

Hello

Hello again.  I wonder when I won't need to write those words at the beginning of a post due to a delay.  Who knows?  I'm going through a burn-out phase once again.  Not the cute ones that last a week and then you're back roaring again.  I'm in one of those "Will I ever craft again?" kind of burn-out phases.  The kind that kick you in the junk and then stand there pointing and laughing as you try to feel your way through.  I love those.  So what am I going to do about it?  I'm going to revisit this and this.  I'm going to continue to search out inspiring blogs.  I'm going to get my butt in that chair and fake it 'til I make it.  It's the only way.

So - I'm going to try and see this new phase in a positive way.  Instead of dwelling on the overwhelming fear that I might never get back to my card and mini-book making mojo - I'm going to try and see the silver lining.  First, I actually want to scrapbook again which has been a long time coming.  This new shift into balance has made stories begin to re-emerge - which is amazing.  Second, I can focus on my blog again and work on turning it into something that really represents my point of view, likes, dislikes, highs, lows, etc.  Third, I can start experimenting with new things (hopefully mixed-media).  I would like to start using stamping and painting to create stories.  Not really sure what that means or what it will look like - but it's been ruminating in my mind.  Finally - I'm going to read read read.  Since my sister's been here - I'm back to reading again.  I love it so much.  With Charm here - I actually stay up instead of sleeping my life away so there's time to do things that I've really been missing out on.  I hope this trend continues when she goes home.

Despite my current burn-out phase - I do have pics of some projects I completed in January.  I made three mini-books in that month starting with the Intentions mini-book.  My intentions are inspired by none other than Ali Edwards.  I usually do a scrapbook page but decided to change it up a bit with a mini book.  I have pictures of the mini book before the words and photos were added and the finished project.  I hope you enjoy.

 

 

For the background of the mini-book, I used card sketches.  I got this tip from Christine Middlecamp after she purchased A Card A Day.  I really love Christine's style and found this tip to be very helpful when making my mini-book.  It also helped to have wonderful paper from SEI.   I found this paper pack over Christmas break on clearance at Michaels.

So...that's my intentions project.  I'm sorry the pictures weren't better quality (or straighter).  I liked the finish project.  I also enjoyed the chance to give my new Making Memories Slice a spin.  Sorry for the word heavy post.  What can I say...I love the words.  Anyhoo.  I hope this Monday finds you happy and well.  Until then...Happy Crafting!

Something is Working Against Me

I have had a real bang up day - no week.  I had big plans to show pictures of my three mini-books completed in January.  Unfortunately, my camera battery is dead.  Then I planned on posting one of my favorite quotes - but the html was all wrong on my post.  For the record, I have no idea how to fix html.  So I leave you with this small post without a picture (evidently that was causing problems too) - just to say that I'm thinking about you.  I'm still remembering to blog and document this crazy life.  I know things will get better - they have too.  It's sheer luck.  But here's hoping to those great moments when luck has nothing to do with it.  Until then...Happy Crafting!

Monday Madness

Okay...deep breath.  I'm so friggin' excited to present this week's Monday Madness.  I want to give a little background first.  Last year, Creating Keepsakes KOTM club offered an amazing project idea/album by Becky Higgins called the 365 project.  The kit had sheet protectors, journaling cards, weekly cards, stickers, embellishments and more for only $39.99.  I talked to my good friend about it and got her excited about the idea of doing a 365 project using this super cool kit.  Creating Keepsakes did an article about it in their magazine with examples from their top designers.  I was super excited to start my project.  Alas - it wasn't met to be.  The kit sold out in like 10 hours with thousands of customers confused and pissed.  Becky got a lot of insane comments about the matter and no additional kits were ever manufactured...until now.

I was reading Ali Edwards' blog recently and saw that she was doing a 365 project using Project Life by Becky Higgins.  The concept was identical to the 365 project but with different materials.  I looked into it more and found out that it is indeed exactly like the 365 project.  And - now you can do your project digitally.  Digitally there is a day or month option.  So it goes without saying that I'm going to be doing something with these kits.  I haven't decided if I'm going to do the paper kit or try digital.  I'm really interested in doing the monthly digital kit and focusing on the word balance.  We'll just have to see. The paper kits are being sold on Amazon here.  Needless to say - I'm shaking in my boots over here.  Can't wait to get started - just need to make a choice.

This week: I plan on putting all my layouts in their new categories.  A while back I read the book Photo Freedom by Stacy Julian and adopted her approach to categorizing my layouts; People I Love, Things I Do, Places I Go, & All About Me.  I'm adding one more binder soon - New Layouts.  I want to be able to look at my new stuff before filing it away.  I really like the system and I highly recommend reading the book.  I also hope to get back into the challenge swing.  That's about it on the crafty front.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday.  Until then...Happy Crafting.

Balance

For quite some time I've been watching the year by year progress of Ali Edwards' one little word project.  My take on the project is as follows: first, choose one word to focus on for the entire year; second, explore this word and how it fits into the context of your life; third, use any creative construct to explore your thoughts, feelings, progress in terms of the word; fourth, let go and have fun.  After years of just watching Ali do her project, I have decided to take the plunge.  I've chosen the word balance.

Funny thing is...I originally chose the word open.  I even started the new year with the word open (please don't tell anyone).  Then one night I was thinking about the word open and how I wanted to integrate it into my life this year and the theme of balance kept on surfacing.  I started thinking that balance was the first step to being open.  After questioning whether it was OKAY to change my word.  I decided to give the rules a swift kick in the junk and did what worked for me.  So here I am with the word balance. 

Recently I was eating Chinese food at a restaurant next to my favorite scrapbooking store in my area.  When I opened my fortune I was a little irritated by what it said.  "You need to make many changes before you will be happy."  Nice, right?  I left the table a little irritated.  Over the next few days I started to think about it more and how it related to my word (at the time it was still open).  I've known for a while that changes were going to have to happen for some more positive things to start happening in my life.  Finding balance seems to be one of the keys.

I'm happy to be moving forward into this year with the word balance.  I'm going to try and keep a journal and create a layout at least once a month about my word.  At the end of the year, I'm planning to have a scrapbook completed focused on this one word (or possibly my first digital book).  If you'd like to know more about the project, Ali Edwards has information here.  If you're interested in participating, check out Ali's blog or the now defunct challenge site, One Little Word.  I hope everyone has a nice Sunday evening.  Until then...Happy Crafting!

Hello Again!

Okay...so I didn't get right back into it.  I'm sorry for being away so long and honestly I have no excuses.  I just haven't been motivated or inspired enough to get my tush in the chair and bang this thing out.  I'm not really comfortable starting again.  I honestly wish I never would have given up doing something I liked so much.  However, when the burn out phase comes around - it's mighty difficult to fight (for me anyways).  So - here's my plan.  I'm going to try to post 2 or 3 times per week.  At lease one post will focus on what I'm doing now.  I would like to return to Monday Madness without the crazy spending that goes with it.  Whenever possible, I will try and show projects using previous Monday Madness items.  I also would like to start something called Fun Finds (more on that later).  I think this is a solid plan for now and I'm looking forward to getting back into things.  I hope everyone is doing really well.  Until then...Happy Crafting!

P.S. I'm hoping the new design of the blog will get me back on track.