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Temporary Hiatus...

Crate Paper CHA Designs :: Find Here

So, here's the deal folks, I'm running two blogs at the same time..might be wondering what that second blog is all about, so let me give you a hint - "Crate Paper". Was that obvious enough? Laugh. Yes, my day job entails working alongside the talented, well known group of people over at Crate Paper/American Crafts. I love my job. Been at it for "4" years..people often are curious about how I came to find Crate Paper. Honestly, it's a long story, and one I'll direct a little later on. For now, I'd like to focus on a minor announcement I've been contemplating the last week or so...

I'm temporarily departing from this location until mid-May. The reason being is because I'm unable to contribute to my blog as often as I'd like and school has me sitting on top a pile of homework that never stops growing. Laugh. In order to maintain balance and to keep from feeling endless guilt about not making myself more present here, I thought a "blog vacation" would do the trick! It's a temporary solution to a busy life! Though, I might still pop in once in a while with a personal story or random project. There are a couple of exciting things coming up that'll probably be worth talking about, including a speed dating session that'll be a first for me, and a published project I've yet to share..yes, life has gotten crazy, but now that I'm here, there's no going back! I couldn't be happier.

Please, do check back on occassion - the official date of return is the week of May 14th.

~ You'll still find me at Crate Paper!! ~

The Pretty Party begins at Crate Paper!

The second collection, Pretty Party, is on display at the Crate Paper blog! Hop on over there to find out what it's all about - cuteness awaits!

 

I feel like the momentum and tandum of quilting is starting to embed itself into my work. And even though I'm no longer a quilter (wish I was 'cause I'm loving the new fabric releases lately!), there's still a part of me that leans ever-so-slightly to the fabric side of things. It certainly doesn't help that Pinterest serves to unite the entire crafts/design industry, given that everything I find there is suddenly influencing my crafting habits, and not necessarily for the better. Laugh. I've too many ideas, and not enough time to try them all out! I'm realizing that there is such a thing as "too much" inspiration...and the "quilt" pins won't leave me alone! Still adore the hobby...

 Every child has a sizable pile of stuffed animals tucked away in their closet, under their bed, or in the middle of mom's living room floor. I've always kept Ethan's animal collection at a reasonable size, however, there are two or three of them that have been stalking him for years, including  this heavily worn shaggy dog. Already, I've had to make minor repairs to it and thankfully, this woman can sew, as it's seams have come apart more than once! Obvioulsy, it's undergone some serious wear and tear over the years, but it's been an immense source of security for Ethan - there's rarely a night he's without it! 

Random patchwork is just that, "random". It's free-form trim work pieced together with the help of instinct and an underlying source of color/pattern knowledge. And just as with traditional quilting, it's centered within the confines of a frame. I chose a dark, neutral colored cardstock for the framework. It's a nice contrast to the white background without competing with the patchwork.

 

There is a little Sassafras "love" to be had in these alphas. Still have a large assortment of them at my disposal from having served as a team member for the company years ago. I've always enjoyed their product and miss them terribly!

 

Stamps - I've not always known what to do with them, but inside a circle label, and secured by a brad, this red "love" stamp is right at home.

 

I'm a collector of die-cuts. I've shown them here previously, but it's been a while since I last spoke on the subject. Let it be known, they're a huge, immediate resource to me for collage work. Either as a whole, or sectioned off into different parts, die-cuts take up space! They can be used exclusively for their decorative features, or for more practical purposes such as journaling or labeling. I tend to view them more as mini sheets of pattern paper, rather than as small individual embellishments. I take off an edge and glue it here or there, and then throw away the remainder. I do the same with small printed transparencies. My Mind's Eye regularily makes available 4" x 6" transparencies with each of their collections, and I buy nearly every single one of them. They're always chalked full of great designs!

K & Company recently introduced a new "nature-inspired" collection titled, Edamame. It's available at both Jo Ann, and Michael retail stores. The vertical orange/pink florals on the layout are from the collection's die-cut combo pack. I distressed them slightly and folded their edges forward.

 

The vacation thus far hasn't been much of a vacation, but then again, it's CHA time! Laugh. Speaking of which, for those of you attending CHA, note that I won't be at the show. A couple of you inquired as to my presense at the event, and sadly, I just couldn't pull it off this time around. School starts next week and I've waiting for me, Business Calculus, Accounting II, and Macro Economics...Lord help me!

 

Crate Paper Storyteller + Project Making

Can you believe we're already here, again? CHA TIME! Today, Crate Paper published the first of two collections to premier this week - it's appropriately titled, "Storyteller". The new collection is for scrapbooking both the everday events, and this Summer's memoriable traveling expeditions. If you're someone that happens to be working on a "Project Life" album, Storyteller will be of tremendous use to you as well! Already, I've the collection at my disposal, along with the second one, and I swoon over them every time I find myself in the kitchen (they're sitting on the kitchen island)!! But, let me tell you why..'cause I think these minor details will make you extra happy...

The chipboard accents are no longer matte, but shiny! The colors are deeper and the chipboard itself is thicker and stronger. The stickers feel slightly improved and the typography on them is finely attuned and trendy! The stand-outs sit above the background, rather than within, and just like the chipboard, they're shiny instead of matte. The cut-out tags are adorable, too!! Probably my new fave product from Crate Paper! Speaking of which, the paper is still prettier than ever, and is printed on non-textured paper just like the last set of releases. Though, this time around, the patterns are more versatile! Lots of basics and backsides to coordinate nicely with any and all types of project. 

Concerning project making, I've a BRAND NEW one to share, but the night is late, so here's a sneak-peek to help pass the time 'til my next update (and I promise, it will be sooner than you might think)! Plus, I need to return to talk about Crate Paper's second collection that you'll find hints of tomorrow at the CP Blog! It's so stinken' cute!!! Ok, bedtime! See you in a day or so...

The New CP Girls + Vacation Ahead

The week has been long, and my time here has been fairly sporadic, though for good reason; Crate Paper's brought forth a new team of CP Girls! They were just announced this weekend at the Crate Paper blog. The line-up of ladies is tiptop perfect, too! I couldn't be more pleased, and I'm already looking forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves with the release of Crate's Winter/Spring collections. Speaking of which, keep a close eye on Crate's blog this week...There are pretty things ahead...

And Crate Paper's Winter/Spring 2012 Design Team is as follows...

 

Design Team Coordinator 

 

Challenge Host/Specialty Contributor 

 

Anabelle O'Malley

 

Charline Cundy

 

Claudia Shadler

 

Jamie Warren

 

Kaori Watanabe

 

Latonia Grant

 

Lilith Eeckels

 

Michiko Kato

 

Piradee Talvanna

 

Rahel Menig

 

Roree Rumph

 

Sarah Martina

 

Sasha Farina

 

Shanna Noel

 

Stephanie Dagan

 

Suzanne Sergi

 

And there you have it my friends! A vast and varied group of talented scrapbookers, card makers, and altered project experts! Congrats to every single one of them!

It's my final week before returning back to the classroom, and I've plans to create almost the entire time. This place could use a project presentation boost, don't you think? There's also a couple of items that need taking care of for CHA, and Scrapbook and Cards Today. It'll feel wonderful to finally sit down at my scrapbook desk, amongst my supplies, and without interruption doing the one thing that I love more than anything else - scrapbooking!! It's the kind of week I aspire to most, and only comes around twice a year - to put it quite bluntly, it's "vacation time". Laugh. Well, sort of. I've some work, but less of it. Let's just hope my mojo isn't non-existant this week - good lord, wouldn't that be unfortunate? See you a lil' later!

Digs + Color Queen

Photo Credit: Anna Maria Horner Blog

 If I've a color palette hero, it's Anna Maria Horner. For years, I've been following her fabric destiny and along the way, I've been in awe of her vibrant beautiful  patterns - geometrics and florals included. I simply can't get enough of her blog, where the photography is often rich and overflowing with intense hues that aspire to be on display, whether via a quilt, dress, or wall hanging. I visit there frequently. And absurdly enough, I've this crazy dream that someday she'll make us scrapbookers pretty papers w/coinciding matching embellishments. I should probably put in a request to her for a Anna Maria scrapbook collection. Wonder if she'd take interest in the idea, 'cause I'd cave and buy all of it! I love her COLOR choices!

 

So, why my starting with Anna this morning? It's because I recently ran into a couple of her collections at a local boutique/homemade-supply store called "Digs" in Minneapolis. I've been meaning to tell ya about the place since my last visit there a few years ago, when it was located on the outskirts of town. They made a big move to the cities, and I couldn't be more thrilled! They're a super hip, trendy supply house of fabrics, ribbon, yarn, etc. During my visit to the new location, I picked up a couple of fat quarters of Anna's fabrics, brought them home, made a few flowers, and threw a tiny sample of one on a layout (above). The punchy yellow is just what the layout needed! I plan to revisit Digs to buy more of Anna's gorgeous patterns as I'd love to incorporate more of them in to my projects. Thank-You Digs!

Very fun place! If you're ever in the Twin Cities area, this is a must stop shop! I'll share more of it with you later on...

As to the layout, enlisted is a bunch of close-ups below, along with a few general ideas. Take a peek, even though Christmas is well beyond us already. Personally, I've still a number of Christmas memories to catch-up on! I imagine they'll be finished and tucked away in albums by Spring. :)

So, I caved, and bought Martha Stewart's Score Board. I've been postponing the purchase of the gizmo for a long time. I didn't really see the point of owning one, but now that I've laid claim to it, I'm more than happy to dedicate space to the thing via my crammed scrapbook space. I even made my very first accordion flower using the handy dandy tool. :) It was so much easier to make than I thought it would be, and with the board, I can make them any size I want!

 

Another Tara Anderson fabric/thread flower. Slowly, my collection of her handmade flowers are disappearing. I hear there might be more on the way though, thankfully.

 

Had you spotted Anna's fabric? I tucked it beneath an old chipboard frame, which allowed me to skip the adhesive issue. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to adhere fabric to paper. Anybody have any ideas?

The epoxy heart set is from another old, Jo Ann Fabric item (Heidi Grace - love her stuff!) I had sitting in my collection. I'm curious to find out if there's a technique out there to make similar style, clear epoxy shapes. I'd like to learn to make my own...

 

Old holiday chipboard shapes from K & Company's "Swell Noel" - one of my favorite holiday releases from them. 

 

I'm all about bringing together elements from a vast variety of manufacturers and altering their appearance slightly with the addition of other materials. For example, these cute red banners are from Bella Blvd, and the letters, Jenni Bowlin. Behind them sits a large American Crafts Label Sticker framed  in Vanilla cardstock. 

 

I'm attempting to make the process of creating my flowers simpler, so this time around, I went with almost all October Afternoon flower die-cuts. The folded patterned paper layer is from Bella Blvd.'s Christmas Wishes collection. Would you of guessed that? The vintage leaf and ribbon is Tara's - not surprisingly. 

I'll end it here for the moment - I've ample work ahead of me today! Take care, everyone!

Love. Patience. Respect.

Due to the significance of today's date, I just barely made it through the day. The first half encompassed illness and fatigue, and the second half, a series of breakdowns as I thought about the unconditional love Eric provided me the twelve years we'd been together. This last year, I learned that the kind of love shared between us, is a rarity. To find it again is like searching a haystack for the one tiny needle. Almost impossible.  So today, I think back, and truly appreciate the man that stood by me through good and bad..and at the end of the day, still told me that he loved me. What an amazing gift it had been and remains to be...

There were always certain things that Eric would do to show that he cared deeply about me. And for the most part, they were unique to "us", as a couple....

- Waving good-bye from his car window when leaving for work in the morning if we happened to be exiting the driveway at the same time. 

-  Following me around at Archivers and always picking up the tab...numerous times.

- Routinely repairing my PC and keeping it alive. Now, I own a Mac because I know nothing about PC's.

- Listening, even if what I was saying meant very little to him or wasn't resolvable via his expertise. 

- Giving me space to partake in my passions, including scrapbooking. Supported me in it, as well.

- Complaining about the credit card bill, though never asking for a contribution. Lucky Gal.

- Bringing home flowers when I least expected it and trimming the stems before placing them in a vase.

- Leaving notes around the house as reminders of his love or of a future outing together.

- Patience, lots of it. 

- Always reminding me to put on my seat belt and position two hands on the steering wheel. 

- Doing dishes and laundry, daily. There's still a reminder sign on the wash machine to empty the dryer before starting a new load. Love him for that. 

- Holding my hand in public. 

- Accepting my quirks, including the irrational ones. 

- Telling me my 2" inch hair-cut looked nice, even though he preferred long hair.

- Letting me take a shower, first, in the morning, even though it cost him "hot water".

- Building a house with me, and starting a family.

- Kissing my forehead after throwing me up against a wooden beam during the grooms dinner.

- Taking me camping and showing me that there is more to life than just the cities. 

- Never walking away without kissing me good-bye. Always.

- Helping Bring Ethan into the world and loving him with all his heart.

- Fighting Brain Cancer: Three Craniotomies, five invasive chemo treatments, and the courageousness of a father who loved his wife and son, and would do anything to be there for them, no matter the cost.

 

Ethan is like his dad in so many ways, but the greatest similarity between the two of them is their knack for precision and perfection. So, when Ethan saw that most the grave sites were accompanied by turned over wreaths, lights, and ornament trees, he thought it his duty to upright everything! And that's exactly what he did while I spent time with Eric. One of the items he "saved", was this precious evergreen tree. He even opted to give it a hug. I'm sure Eric was more than happy to see Ethan's display of tenderness, as I certainly was - he's a great kid and honestly, I wouldn't know what to do without him! He's everything to me...

 "We Love you Eric - Love, Patience, and Respect"
 1973 - 2008

What is a Best Friend?

 

I often ponder the number of "best friends" I've been fortunate enough to have thus far in my life. But, it begs me to wonder, "What is a best friend"? Seriously..have you thought about this? Given the number of people I've met over the years, I can claim only three or four as the "real deal". What gives? Why do some people come into our lives temporarily, while a very meager few stick around forever? As much as I've thought about this question, especially recently, there doesn't appear to be a rational explanation, minus the fact that sometimes differences are to blame or that change is inevitable, for everyone - What works today, might not work tomorrow. And some how, like a gift from God, a special friend falls from the sky  to make everything better.  That's exactly how I feel about Tara, and the few other friends in my life I consider to be especially sacred. It's been "them" that have saved me on my worst days, embraced me for all my imperfections, listened intently as I repeated the same stories over and over again, and fed me the truth when I most needed to hear it! They also laugh with, and at me..which I appreciate because life needn't be serious all the time. Together, we're the perfect pair!

I ran into a number of quotes while doing a search on the word "Friend" at Pinterest this evening. Above is my fave, but there were a couple of others that peeked my interest as well...

  

SO TRUE! Laugh. I sometimes think that my closest friends are duplicates of me. Funny how that works..anyway, thought this might be a topic worth bringing up since I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Love to have your take on it! DO SHARE! 

Speaking of which...

Tara's been extremely generous lately. Over the holiday's, she sent me a box full of handmade goodies and comfort items, including a small white box full of stylish, made-from-scratch flowers! I adore them to pieces. They sit on my desk so that if I want to look at them, I need not go far. They've also been a source of inspiration for making my own, which I plan to share here at some point in the future. The sewing process is slow going..laugh. Tara keeps telling me to use my sewing machine!! I should listen to her..it'd probably save me a huge amount of time! Friends always give the best advice...

Hello 2012!

Finally, the new year has begun and with it, a fresh start awaits! I've already begun the process of "thinking ahead", as I expect major life transitions to continue. In entering year five (Eric's anniversary only four days away), I ponder what's next?  The first three years were devoted to the healing process. Last year, I began working on the "bigger life stuff", including substantiating a new identity and developing solid ground for myself and Ethan. I set the way for some big, new transitions, too,  including continuing my education and taking on the tumultuos, though invigorating, world of dating. Also, my career and passion for the scrapbook industry turned a corner. Crate Paper joined the American Crafts team a few months ago and I'd been granted an amazing opportunity to work under the AC umbrella alongside the "Crate Paper" brand. It's been awesome thus far! And finally, Ethan turned five, leaving mom pondering how on earth is it that I'm suppose to be able to keep up with the kid?! Laugh. Just this morning he was standing pillows on top themselves and then running at them at the speed of light with the clear intent of knocking them over like bowling pins. I can't keep up with him! Laugh. Before you know it, he'll be running over his mom, too. ;)

The BIG GOALS  for 2012 - work my way closer to the graduation finish line, find a Summer marketing internship,  forge ahead in finding that "almost" perfect guy,  and just maybe, fly out to Arizona in the Fall to visit Tara, and make it a family vacation (it'd be his first plane ride, and my first time visiting Arizona!). As far as scrapbooking, well, I've still lots of dreams there, just not enough time to list them all at this moment! More later...

What would you like to see from me here, in 2012? I'd love to hear your feedback or ideas! 

 Here's a sneak of something I'm going to talk about in my next post...

See you in a few! And yes, I regret not buying the pretty bird apron...wait 'til you hear about the cool store in which I found it at! 

Widowhood :: Big Girl Pants

This lil' album is still a work in progress, but let me tell ya, it's been a major source of therapy for me!! There is still so much about this widowhood journey that is all-consuming, including the complexities of dating. I think I'm getting better at grasping the size and scope of it, but that doesn't go to say that there aren't moments I'd rather forego the frogs and stay living in the palace all by my lonesome. Laugh. But, I'm not going to let a few "toads" get in the way of me meeting Mr.Right! Also, I don't desire to live in an empty palace the rest of my life. It's all about re-initiation and staying afloat - If there's anything to be had from this whole widowhood ordeal, it's that "big girl pants" are non-optional! I bought myself a new pair - they're toad resistant, too.

 

I've taken to hiding a portion of this page, but those details will never come to light here. Instead, because this album is of a more personal nature (autobiographical), I'm going to focus on the various elements and techniques that I think might be of interest to you. And there's quite a few that went into the two pages on display today.

The first encompasses a 4" x 6" (My Mind's Eye) transparency that is layered with a host of patterned papers and random embellishments. And because of it's transparent nature, I had to take into consideration the corresponding page beneath it. So, it was essential that I paid attention to both pages during the construction process. Each influence the other, and the overall design. 

 

I usually take on a detailed page like this in sections. On this particular page, I started in the upper right corner. I trimmed a rectangular section of neutral patterned paper (Studio Calico), and adhered it down. I covered the top portion of it with a small square cardstock frame (Quikutz Die) backed with a clear definition sticker (Making Memories). Before positioning the chipboard bookplate (American Crafts) with tiny pearl brads (My Mind's Eye), I applied a brown label sticker over the definition, and a label rub-on emphasizing the word "Joy" (Basic Grey). I distressed the chipboard bookplate with a nail file.

 

A netted pink flower (Prima) finds it's way onto two more that our both dotted and neutral (October Afternoon & Making Memories). Anytime you've a solid color flower to work with, for a quick easy boost, partner it with matching neutral color flowers. I use this technique frequently so as to emphasis the prettiest part of the flower and to avoid clashing colors and patterning. 

 

This is my favorite page from the album thus far - it's color palette is punchy and poignant. It also emphasizes the "strength" and depth of the moment documented - there's also another item from it that stands out...

I plan to bring about this subject via it's own post, but I've a very special friend out there that I've grown immensely close to the last six months. We talk nearly everyday - and I'm grateful for her company. Tara Anderson recently sent me a small box of her handmade flowers and embellishments. Some of you might be familiar with her popular Etsy store and have been lucky enough to purchase an item or two from her (sells out fast!). If the case, then you know how much work and time goes into the construction of her pieces. They're astonishingly lovely...I recommend regular visits to her blog to keep up with her latest Etsy releases.

I removed a flower from the box and added it to the page. I laid it on top a large doily rub-on (Basic Grey). Note the pretty stitching and beadwork. I must take to creating some of these :) If only I had Tara's knack for modern, fashion forward color combo's! 

 

As to some of the other items on this page, here's a quick run-down: Butterflies (Making Memories), Yellow Rhinestone Brad (Pink Paislee), Rose Sticker (October Afternoon), Epoxy Rose Sticker (Making Memories), Best of Luck & Better Soon (Papertrey Ink Stamps), Journal Card (October Afternoon).

 

A required American Crafts Chipboard Alpha Set, "Hardcover" - available in four different hues. If I see'em, I buy'em. 

 

Filling up! This altered album will be a constant work-in-progress.  I'll supplement it with new pages as needed - and if more space is required, I'll pair it with a partnering album. The best part about autobiographical journals is that they can be whatever you want - the ending doesn't have to be clearly defined and time is never an issue! It's also the perfect means for trying out new techniques and using up supplies you might of otherwise ignored. :)

For further album info, send me an email! Have a great day my friends!

Peace & Joy

If there's one gift to gleam upon today, it's the simple peace and joy you feel when among the company of family and friends. Treasure the moment, and say your "I Love You's". Relish the gift of life. Say "thank-you" for the boxed gifts you receive this weekend as I imagine a few will find you. And don't feel bad while eating that slice of candy cane pie - it's suppose to be cherished and consumed without guilt. Feel free to have a second slice. Take some home, too. Embrace it all, even the imperfect parts such as loss. For some, the loss is fresh - if the case, take it easy on yourself. However you feel at this very moment is perfectly normal. There's always tomorrow, don't forget. Finally, share in a private conversation with God, whether at church or in the privacy of your home. Thank him for today. Tell him how guilty you felt eating all that pie. And ask him for peace if at a loss for someone you love. Merry Christmas.