Write. Click. Scrapbook.

it'll end in tears

Not only the name of one of my all time favorite albums, but also how we hope the week does not end.

Most of you are otherwise occupado today with candy, costumes, and last minute decorations. (I hope you all have a safe and happy day.) In light of your pressing needs, today will be short and sweet.

Couple answers. I can hang elements off the edge and still fit it in a page protector as I often scrapbook 8.5 x 8.5 layouts. I love the look of Liz Tamanaha's pages (Paislee Press) and her bitty little pictures. But when I put them on a 8.5x11 they just didn't look right. So I began cutting my pages down to 8.5 inch squares. This means I can hang elements off vertically or horizontally, and they still fit in my 8.5 x 11 page protectors just fine. I just place them vertically or horizontally in the page protector depending on which side the stuff is hanging over. I also like the proportion of letter stickers as titles on the smaller format.

Secondly, the torn up edges are compliments of this little baby:

I'm on my second one, and I love them. (I buy them at the CK Conventions vendor fair, but I think to buy online you need a rep. Mine have been $3 each). They are about 2 inches in diameter. I just hold it in one hand, my paper in the other, and drag it down the edge, going a little back and forth as I do. (If you want more distresser-ing love, check out Bibine's blog. Seeing how she leaves all her edges torn helped me understand that it you tear an edge as you go, just leave it, or add a brad and see it as an opportunity to embellish!) Anywhere I might have before inked edges, I now distress and doodle a line around the edge. I like the little lines of color to finish off the edges.

For my last bit of imparted wisdom (hahahaha), I wanted to tell you the system I have worked out for photo/journaling storage. It took me months of trying various things, but this one seems best for me. In case you haven't yet struck gold on your system yet, here is one more to consider.

I am the one who used to write on the back of every photo ever processed. Name, date, location, and purpose of photo. Then I would put the negatives into an album also so noted. Then all the photos would go in an album. I did each roll of film within one week of picking it up. I worked fulltime and had one child and was incredibly organized back then. Now, I stay home, have three kids, and a digital camera. At last count I had more than 80 000 photo in storage. In four years. I know, I know. Too many. I tried to embed the info into each photo, but it was too big of a task. So this is what I do now.

Download photos. I download by date as I am a numerical girl. Dates work best for me as I remember numbers best.

I go into each date and create descriptive folders separating out different photo groups if there are any.

In every folder, I click through and do my best to take some out, discarding any that are blurry/out of focus/duplicates.

Create an edited photos folder. Place edited copy of these into this folder. (I do NOT delete the originals.) Here is a screen shot for all of September. (it will get bigger if you click on it)

Now, the photos are done, and I go to my typepad account. (My account lets me have three subfolders. On one I put a password and keep it private. This is the account to which I refer.) Here I add all the information I would have put on the backside of the photos. And a little more. I save the date with the same folder name as my photos. If I have time, I upload the photos. If I don't, I can anytime, as they are linked by title and date.

I have been doing this (mostly) successfully for a year now. I feel amazing relief at knowing that all my stories are someplace safe from theft, fire, and memory loss, and all my photos are safely attached to their stories. From here, scrapbooking is a breeze. Any time I am in the mood, my photos and journaling are there and waiting.

Before I got my digital camera, I loved scrapbooking. I kept photo albums for all the pictures, and I scrapbooked about 3-10 photos per roll. I thought I would love scrapbooking even more once I went digital, but honestly, I felt completely overwhelmed by the effort of making every photo (and now I had TONS more) a scrapbook page, lest it not have its story preserved.

Once I stopped trying to make my scrapbooks a resting place for all my combined photos/memories, I rediscovered my love of scrapbooking. It has returned to an art form. To a place of creative discovery where I can take my favorite photos and stories and put them together on a pretty piece of paper. Instead of a chore that caused me guilt for one more undone item on my todo list.

That's it for me. I will leave you with some Christmas cards to segue from Halloween to our new month! Be sure to check in Monday for the new month launch! I have been sneaking peeks and there is some good stuff coming. Craftyp, will you send me your address to marnie at writeclickscrapbook dot com so I may send you some Halloween paper for your efforts on the challenges this week? Thanks to everyone who worked on a layout. I loved them all. And am so proud of your efforts to record yourselves.

xo

1+1=endless love

Congratulations to Sarah. I'm going to have to find that Sting CD. Only two more days until Christmas music starts! (Unless of course, you live in my silly town. We trick or treated last night. (They move it every year.) Strange. But, at least I can break out that music early!)

So today is just a bit of how I put the photos and the journaling into action. Tomorrow will be a bit of organization and to announce the (randomly drawn) winner of the participation challenges. So you have until 8:00 pm tonight to post your challenge responses in the Flickr group. Here is a recap of your daily challenges:

Monday: scrapbook yourself
Tuesday: any layout, but in your comments you need to categorize your photo
Wednesday: any layout with an explanation in the comments as to why you wrote what you did

There will be a bitty prize drawn at random from all who post a layout and leave me a comment to tell me where it is!

For today's layouts, I have placed each in a photo pile and then tried to walk through the difference between recording information and recording my heart and memories. (If you click on the layouts, they will get bigger so you can read the journaling.) Hope these examples help you make better sense of the photo piles, and the journaling discussion!

happy | PHOTOS THAT MAKE ME SWOON
who: Poppy & Lavender
what: playing dress up in matching clothes
where: my house
story: just a regular day of little girl play
what I want to record: the sweet delight of having little girls

i wonder | PHOTOS THAT TELL A STORY
who: Lavender
what: hanging out at the Gahanna Creekside Opening
where: Gahanna
story: We went as a family to the opening of a new city center. Just walked around, and listened to the live music
what I want to record: when I saw this photo, I was struck by how curious she seemed, even though I can't see her face. Maybe it was the way she is trying to get through the bars. I realized how I long for her to talk so that she can tell me what she is seeing/feeling.

All She Knows | PHOTOS THAT TELL A STORY
who: my littles
what: eating chippies on one of our many days together
when: every day, though shot in spring
where: at home
what I wanted to record: how much Lavender copies Poppy. This was not why I took the photos, but when I downloaded them, I saw Lavender striking every post that Poppy did. (We actually call her "Monkey Do"(from monkey see, monkey do) often!) She is an Echo and a Shadow. I got to wondering how Poppy feels about this.

Holy Guacalali | PHOTOS THAT RECORD & PHOTOS THAT TELL A STORY
who: my baby
what: loving guacamole
when: whenever possible. on this day, even though dinner was over, she was still at it!
where: at home
what I wanted to record: took these photos to record her guacamole love. And though the photos say it all, I wanted to put down the basics.

experience art | PHOTOS THAT RECORD & PHOTOS THAT TELL A STORY
who: my funny baby
what: paint day
when: a Sunday afternoon
where: at home
what I wanted to record: the recording part: that this is how we paint. every time. no matter how much paper is available the story part: how she painted herself (the photo speaks for this part)

I can tell you that the easiest pages for me are where I grab the camera to record something that has a story behind it. They just seem to build themselves, and not all my pages do.

I hope that in seeing the background to how I scrapbook, that you have learned something about the way you scrapbook. For me, I have found that breaking down my processes helps me to be able to get through times of scrapblock, and to better enjoy my scrapbooking experience.

Until tomorrow,

and the giveaway goes to . . .

And the lucky number belongs to Sarah, who said:

Just going into the stores and seeing all the Christmas decorations gets me in the mood to scrapbook.

Congratulations goes out to Sarah! Thank you to all who left comments. We, too, love to scrapbook with movies, chocolate, and our favorite friends. We appreciated learning your tricks and tips. Like preplanning or pre-preparing pages while we were in the Christmas mood. Such excellent ideas.

Thank you for stopping. Be sure to come back for more Friday fun!

give.away.day.

Welcome to our first holiday

We know you are in the midst of Tricks and Treats, but we also realize there are only 57days until Christmas. And even fewer until your holiday cards are due at the post office! We thought perhaps a little holiday ambiance would help put you in the mood. A little Christmas music and scents will go a long way to inspiring you to create tiny bits of love for all your friends and family.
All you need to do is leave us a comment telling us what helps you get your holiday pages done or if what inspiration we could help provide to you to get them done. Comments will remain open until 8:00 pm PST and the lucky number will be posted in the morning!*

*Actual gift may vary slightly.

The lucky number will be drawn at random. It is the responsibility of the commenters to return to Write. Click. Scrapbook. to verify the number drawn. Gift must be claimed by midnight Saturday. Thank you!

more than words...

another name that tune...

Welcome back! Check out this bio photo! It is an oldie, but still one of my favorites. I took it when Poppy was a baby. Nigel was at school and I set up my tripod and took some shots with the timer. Honestly, I get more than a little flummoxed when others take my photo. Conversely, when it is me and my self timer, I can get my groove on!

I remember the morning this shot was taken. I was having a great hair day (which really means that my hair colorist got it right and I had just spent an hour scrunching and styling and had added enough "product" to give me about 1.2 seconds before it faded to the wrong shade of Napalm Pumpkin and lost all that volume I worked so hard to achieve!). And it was during the time when I was taking weekly shots of Poppy for her 52 weeks album (anyone remember that one?), so I knew when the sun would be radiantly glowing through our only non-underground window. I set that camera up, and plunked my well-coiffed self down and had me a good old fashioned one-on-one photo shoot. I have some b.a.d. shots but there were two in the bunch I dug. This is one. Maybe I'll find the other for tomorrow's photo.

If you haven't taken your photo yet, today seems like a great day. I hear the weather is perfect, gravity has eased its pull for the day, you ate while standing (making the calories free), and well, my goodness, you really do just look lovely today. Why, so good that you should take a photo today. You really should. Wow. Look at you! What a looker! (No, I did not say, hooker! I really didn't. You mustn't have heard me right!)

------------------------------------------------------

So today we are talking about words. I liked our piles of photos yesterday. Today let's sort into journaling styles/people piles.

Pile one:
Writers. These people love their words. When you read their words, you are transported. They can be witty, clever, evocative, precise. They see the world in word pictures. In their minds, there is a verbal description commentary that runs on everything they see. For them, words are art.

Pile two:
Good with words. This pile of peeps can hold their own. They can move past the who what where and when, to the why and the how. They describe details. They are not afraid of words. They can neatly and appropriately capture the events, and the mood.

Pile three:
Scaredy cats. Afraid of grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and the rules of writing. They can speak and communicate, but when the pen is in their hand, they begin to doodle, pretending that the alphabet was invented for others. Writing, for them, is something other people do.

Did you find yourself in there? Now, here is one of the great mysteries of the scrapbooking world. These same three categories can be given to photographers. Professionals, amateurs, and the rest of us. If you put a group of dissimilar scrapbookers round a table, no one would not put their pictures on a layout as they weren't "good enough." We admire good photos, and don't hang our heads with shame that our photos are more "homegrown" than others. But yet, we refuse to accept our "homegrown" writing. Why is journaling subject to a different set of rules? Why is it we leave off the words of the layout? Why do average photos get on layouts, but not average words? Hmm. Do we have some innate belief that photography is a skill and writing a talent? One you learn, the other you are born with, or done for?

I am going to disagree. Wholeheartedly. But before you go getting your big girl panties tied up in knots, let's reestablish our definition of journaling, for scrapbooking purposes. Let's just consider it writing down thoughts. That's it. Nothing fancier. Try not to imagine it as more. Let's cut loose the chains that are binding us and the deadweight that is keeping us down.

Do you still have your pile of photos from yesterday? Let's start there. Find one of the PHOTOS THAT MAKE YOU SWOON. One that you just love because you love it. I am going to work with this one.

Now, think of the back story for this photo. The who what where why when.

Here is my backstory: We went on a bit of family vacation to the South Carolina coast before I taught in Charlotte this past summer. I drag my family (No, amend that. Poppy and Lavender were smiling and happy, while Richard and Nigel were apparently stopping by the dentist office on the way to our "shoot.") to the beach to capture that radiant glowing beach photo. I am channeling my best Tara Whitney, and I am thrilled to be next to the actual ocean and not just the concrete beach of our local swimming pool. We get to some off the beaten path place and it is teeming with locals. Good sign. But at 10:00 am (well, 10:30 really, see above statement regarding tween and cougarbait) the sun was already high in the cloudless sky and the temperature exceeding 90 degrees with 100% humidity. It didn't take but a minute to realize that I was SO not going to get any sort of picture here. (well, maybe a couple, but not the one I was hoping for!) Not with the adverse conditions, and I am only partially talking about the weather. In choosing to not slay this ugly 12 headed dragon, I suggest we postpone, and we pack it in. (And then have to walk the mile back to the car...Ha! take that grumpy Y chromosomes!) Despite the rocky beginning, we end up having a nice day at the beach. We play. We rest. We stay til 5:00. And now, it is again time. This time we opt for the other side of the island, where we get some nice shots. (Note to self, if you want a photo that looks like something Tara would take, go to the Pacific Ocean and hire Tara to take it. I digress..)

Back to the photo, I wanted for my wall, really. And for the scrapbook. Because with PHOTOS THAT MAKE YOU SWOON, if it's good enough for the wall, it is guaranteed placement in a scrapbook. But what to say on this page? I certainly am NOT going to recount that long, dreadful tale of gloomies, grumpies, and squints for my pretty picture page. If I tell that whole story, I will certainly use either of these two photos. (They are more supportive of my version of events.)

So, back to the good one, what words should I add? Really, I don't need much. In fact, it could just be an artistic page, with very few words. Or I could talk about the relationship I see between my kids as a group. IT ISN'T WRONG TO LIMIT THE WORDS. If you choose it, you are not admitting defeat, you are choosing to be sparse. A matter of perspective that is incredibly empowering.

Now, let's look at the layout where the PHOTO TELLS THE STORY. Here it is again.

I could have written "Nigel drops a ball on Emma's head." But is that why this photo is waiting to go in my scrapbook? No. It is going there because of the guilt that is all over his face. And once I saw that, the rest just came with it.

Pick up one of your photos with a good story. Can you tell me the story? (You most certainly can, as you placed this photo in the "has a story" pile.) Hand the pen to your friend and have them take notes as you describe it. Or if you don't have a friend nearby, pretend you are recounting the tale to your mother in an email. Tell her how naughty your child was for dropping a ball on a toddler's head and how you SO caught him in the act. As your thoughts spring forth you need only transcribe them into words and voila! You have your journaling. I knew you had it in you! You just need some coaching. That's all.

If you can speak, you can write on a layout. If you don't believe me, go into your sent box in your email. Find a tale of a funny story that you sent to someone. Note the date. Find a photo that would fit the time or story and add it in. Suddenly you have become a "worder." You wrote on your layout. I am so proud of you!

Here are a few more places to look. Your tweets. Your facebook account. All those surveys you fill out. Your outbox on your texting account. Once you realize all the places that you store your words, you will jump for joy with seeing potential stories.

One more thing, remember the photo from yesterday and how it moved me so? If a photo moves you, let it. Then record some words about how. Don't bother "journaling" about it, just record words. You know how. I saw you do it earlier.

Ooh, one other last thing. When I am in a word rut, I try to find a new perspective. Maybe I look at the photo and try to imagine what someone 100 years from now would ask about it. (Now, I know you have scads and stacks of layouts to make and you don't need any other stories to distract you, but you need to get over that. (If you need help on that one, sign up for Stacy's classes. She is guaranteed inspiration on getting over that! Go, Stacy!))

So now that you are over that, look again at that photo. See anything with your future eyes? Wonder how much those jeans cost? How much it cost to develop that photo? What kind of camera took that photo? Or, why did that long ago someone take that photo? If you can't describe at least that, then remove that photo from your to-be-scrapped pile. Label the back with name, date, and place, and get that baby in your photo album instead. If you had a reason, tell me. "I took this photo because my grandchild has me so whipped that I can't NOT take his photo." "I took this photo because my cat means the world to me and is truly a member of my family." Have you already recorded that message? Then turn over the photo, label it with name, date, and place, and put it in your photo album. Haven't yet said that in your album? Woohoo! You now have words for your layout. I keep telling you how good you are good with this word thing. Are you starting to believe me?

Yesterday I told you that I am a scrapbooker who loves photos. I have another admission. I am also a scrapbooker who loves words. I record them in my phone, on my google calendar, on all sorts of yellow legal pads leftover from my previous life. I keep a personal blog for my journaling. I try very hard to note my life as I am old and my brain is mushy and forgetful. Without the words, my scrapbooks would be more like prettied up photo albums. And well, frankly, that's not what I am after. If you are okay with purdy photo albums, then forget the words, be honest with your intentions, and let go of any and all guilt associated with "journaling." But if you want more, take it. You can do it. They are just words, after all.

materials - all paislee press
back story: one of the photos from the first trip to the beach.
who: Lavender
what: at the beach for family photo
where: Hilton Head, SC
when: Aug 11, 2009
category: PHOTOS THAT MAKE ME SWOON
words to include: how much Lavender loved the beach atmosphere
any stories to tell? not with this photo. any connections to make? Yes! one more way she is like me.

all I've got is a photograph, but it's not enough . . .

Can you name that tune?

For the next few days I thought we could talk about how we scrapbook. I think scrapbooking, like much in life, is a skill. One we can practice and perfect. Don't get me wrong, I do not think there is a perfect way to scrapbook, but there are ways to perfect our processes. So here goes...

What do you grab first when you have the urge? No, not chocolate, silly, the other urge. The urge to cut and paste and preserve memories. When this urge strikes, I often reach for a photo. Without the photos, it would, for me, be a journal. And though I love journals and journaling, I am a scrapbooker who loves her photos. Pure unadulterated stabs-me-in-the-heart-and-can-make-me-laugh-and-cry-at-the-same-time kind of love.

Grab a photo. In fact, grab a handful. Let's sort them.

Pile one:

Photos that tell stories. Does your photo tell a particular story? Or make you think of other stories? Yes? then leave it in pile one. If not, proceed to pile two.

Pile two:

Photos that make you swoon. Is your picture the kind of picture that could hang on your wall? Is there something about it that sings to your soul? Then it is for pile two. If not, keep going...

Pile three:

Photos that record. Trips to Disney, to the park. Ballet lessons, sports' days. Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July. Leave these in pile three.

Now, let's begin.

PHOTOS THAT TELL STORIES These are the easy layouts for me. The journaling usually just spills out. Think of being the narrator at a slide show. Some of these really don't need much story as the photo tells the story.

While others ARE the story.

Sometimes these pictures themselves are less the story than the story that is contained once you study the photo.

For instance, when I saw this photo, I noticed several things.
The back story is that my little family of five, was visiting my parents for a week in Arizona. With seven of us in a little rental trailer it was a bit of a struggle to get to church on time. My dad grabbed the brush and was helping to brush Poppy's hair. I grabbed my camera which had the superzoom fixed lens on it, and snapped a quick photo. This is what I got.

But that is not the true story of the photo. (For me, back story doesn't necessarily equate to real story.) When I saw this photo, I noticed so many things. Poppy sitting so still for her Grandpa (in stark contrast to what I get when I comb through her hair). My dad combing Poppy's hair (something that he didn't do for me as a child--leading me to notice & ponder the difference between dads and grandpas). My dad's aging hands (I forget. It startles me as in my minds' eye he is much younger). That my dad was going to church with us (Something which I greatly admire and respect as he does it out of respect for my kids). So from one rather innocuous photo will come many layouts.

So for pile one, the journaling is sometimes obvious (though still record it--you'd be amazed at the difference of perceptions and perspectives), and other times the who what where is obvious, but not the real story. Don't forget to record what your heart feels, and not just what your head says. Let's move on.

PHOTOS THAT MAKE YOU SWOON If it deserves a place on your wall, then it certainly deserves a place in my scrapbook. Sometimes these photos are the foundation for a layout that doesn't say much.

Sometimes they are an opportunity to record an unrelated memory.

And sometimes they are an opportunity to profess your love.

So for pile two, sometimes the journaling will be minimal, sometimes the pages artistic, sometimes another opportunity to express the contents of your heart.

PHOTOS THAT RECORD Did you notice that I didn't call these event photos? Thinking of things as events confuses me as sometimes they are more like moments. I would hate to not scrapbook something as I felt like it had the wrong title! Honestly, for me these are sometimes the tricky ones. If I can tell tell the story with one to two photos, I can handle it, but for those where there are lots and lots of photos, I begin to overwhelm. My introverted nature can't handle so many party guests at once. Too many photos means a mulitphoto layout and multiphoto layouts are panic inducing to me. Hives come to party. My stomach churns. Spots appear. Shortness of breath. Increased blood pressure. Honestly, I would rather break these into nine single photo layouts than do one with nine photos. But that is just silly.

Sometimes when I get stuck, I just leave the photos in well titled and organized folders on my computer awaiting another day where inspiration strikes! How's that for honesty? Seriously, I used to rely on assignments for incentive to complete these layouts. Now, I must provide my own incentive. Like no chocolate until the layout is done. Or no Dr Pepper AND no chocolate. Once I told myself that I wasn't allowed to scrapbook any layouts until I had completed a set of photos. You know what happened? No scrapping for months. Was my worst dry spell ever. Let's not do that! Many of you are experts at these layouts, but if you feel my pain, then just be sure to have a journaling system in place. We'll talk more about this on Friday.

I have decided that an additional reason these layouts are tricky for me is that the words are so secondary. I like having something to say (I know that will surprise you! hahaha!). Just the facts ma'am PLUS having to place multiple photos, and well, let's just say that if this was the only form of scrapbooking, I might have had to take up knitting. Not that there is anything wrong with knitting... : )

I do have one last suggestion for these photos. Mini albums. Love 'em. Spent my evening making a new one for you. (and me, of course!) On March 11, 2008, Lavender donned some fairy wings and wandered with them all day long. I took pictures, for certain, but she was wearing her navy blue Roots sweatshirt. Nothing too fancy. So the next day, I was prepared and had picked out some clothes that would coordinate with her wings (just in case). And when she asked to put them back on, I happily sprinted to get my camera! And proceeded to take 30+ pictures of her wandering around her room as a sweet pink fairy. And they so NEED to be in her album. But how? Honestly, they look just as good in her photo album and don't HAVE to be scrapbooked. So enter, the minialbum. Let's us see them. Let's me pretty them. And she can hold it and love it and oogle at her cute self.

Thanks for joining me once again. As you have sorted your piles, perhaps look and see which draws you in most quickly. Then reach in that easy pile, pull out a photo (or ten), and put it on a layout and post it for me to see. You will be happy you did! And I will be more happy! Or at least as happy!

Oh, and that rockin' bio photo up there? Well, that was taken for the wall at church when we moved to Wisconsin. It is one of my few photos of my favorite hair, ever, and has been safely placed in both a minialbum, and on a page. As I look at the photo I see my sweet baby Nigel, before he was tormented by hormones. I see a batman clasped tightly in his hand, as it had been for two years. I see a happy, adventurous me. Thrilled to have climbed to new hair heights, or to new hair shorths, if I may! teehee! I see a moment captured (gratefully) by a near stranger. All because I prefer behind the lens. Silly me. Silly us. If you haven't taken your photo yet, today is another great day to do so! hint hint...

materials:

Longing | 8.5 x 8.5
patterned paper (My Minds Eye) + stickers (pink paislee) + jewels (Kaisercraft) + distressor (Close to My Heart) + pen (Copic)

caught red-handed | 8.5 x 8.5
foam hand & stickers (American Crafts) + pens (American Crafts & Tombow) + stamps (Little Yellow Bicycle) + ink (Colorbox)

bliss | 8.5 x 8.5
patterned paper (American  Crafts) + stickers (Sassafrss Lass) + punch (Marvy Uchida) + photo turn (Close to My Heart) + pearls (Kasiercraft) + pens (Copic & Tombow) + brads (Making Memories) + distressor (Close to My Heart) + buttons

I Love You, Mommy | 8.5 x 11
patterned paper & word strip (Scenic Route) + flowers (Imaginisce) + brad (Making Memories) + pearls (Kaisercraft) + border punch (Fiskars) + rubons (American Crafts) + pen (American Crafts)

My Poppy | 8.5 x 8.5
patterned paper (Basic Grey) + thickers & rubon (American Crafts) + pink ribbon (Making Memories) + pen (Americn Crafts) + ribbon, chipboard heart

ooh, apples | 8.5 x 8.5
patterned paper (American Crafts) + stickers (Jillibean Soup) + punch (Stampin' Up!) + pen (Copic)

Once Upon A Time | 4 x 6
pen (Copic) + font (2peas graham cracker) + all other materials from Imaginisce

the nameless faceless scrapbooker who hides behind her camera

Hi! I'm Marnie. You may not know me as I like to hide behind my camera. I take lots of pictures of these three,

but not many of me. I have my reasons. We'll talk about that later.

So let's become friends. Here are some things not about me...

I am not celebrating a regular (non-decade) birthday soon.

I am not in school, and have no tests for which to prepare.

I am not coming to you from my vacation home in Aruba, as I have not yet struck it rich.

I have not yet purchased the perfect bicycle.

I do not run marathons, half marathons, or even around the block.

I am not as tall as I thought I might be.

I do not prefer to read pedantic prose professing to be literature.

I am not currently a redhead nor a brunette.

I am not single, or widowed.

I am not male.

I am not fond of people who cannot tolerate light sarcasm.

I have not yet seen Fast & Furious, in spite of my fast & furious efforts to do so.

I have not dreamed of Brad Pitt, Vin Diesel, or Jason Statham for at least four nights.

I have not not had chocolate for as many days as I can remember.

I am not addicted to Dr Pepper.

I am not as fond of American Oreos as I am of Canadian Oreos.

I do not have an ability to restrain from eating an entire package of Golden Oreos in one sitting.

I do not add salt to any food that I cook or eat (unless you count butter--teehee!).

I did not kill Miss Scarlet in the kitchen with the lead pipe.

I did not read fewer than five books this month.

I have not mowed my lawn this year.

I am not too proud to belt out some heartfelt vocals on "You Oughta Know" with a Rockband microphone in hand.

I do not believe that anyone might possibly love Sarah McLachlan more than I.

I do not often miss Harry Potter movies on opening week.

I will not be ashamed to see New Moon opening night.

I did not kiss a boy for the first time at 13.

I did not fail to recognize the impact and importance of my library card.

I did not fail to create a layout about the importance of my library card.

I have not climbed Mount Everest.

I have not climbed my stairs fewer than fifty times in any given day.

I have not yet found the laundry fairy who comes at night and leaves your clothes clean, pressed, and put away.

I do not live in a big house.

I do not live with a grey mouse.

I do not eat green eggs and ham.

I am not opposed to a good Britney Spears song.

I do not miss So You Think You Can Dance. I am not capable of learning the choreography, despite my best efforts.

I do not see the importance of not watching tv.

I do not wear panty hose under my jeans.

I do not underestimate the power of spanx, kindness, and money.

I do not believe in doing anything halfway.

I do not think my house is clean if the beds are unmade.

I do not believe a child can be loved too much.

I do not believe love and spoiling are the same.

I did not understand how much motherhood would deepen me.

I do not miss being a working mother. The same is not true of being a worker.

I am not sure how there are people out there who do not scrapbook.

And lastly, I did not underestimate your ability to become distracted, so I will stop.

Once I typed out this big list, I thought to myself, "Self, that would make a great layout." But when I looked for a picture of just me, the most recent one I could find was from June. When I needed a headshot for my Write. Click. Scrapbook bio page. And I know I didn't like that one, as the one on my bio page is from January, again when I needed one for work.

Here are my list of excuses. Feel free to add your own.

Too lazy.
Camera adds 100 pounds.
Bad complexion day.
Bad hair day.
Bad hair month.
House is too cluttered for a nice background.
Bad lighting.
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.

On and on. But here is what I need to remind myself. (Feel free to answer your own excuses now...)

Too lazy. - Stop being lazy.
Camera adds 100 pounds. - Liar.
Bad complexion day. - So what? That's what Photoshop is for.
Bad hair day. - So what?
Bad hair month. - Double so what?
House is too cluttered for a nice background. - Go outside!
Bad lighting. - Bad excuse. Try tomorrow just before twilight.
Etc. - Your children don't care.
Etc. - Your children's children don't care.
Etc. - Your children's children's children want a photo of just you. Today!

So me and my three giant facial blemishes neither primped nor preened as I handed the camera to my four year old to take a photo. Yes, my big slr. And no she did not break it, drop it, or wreck it. And yes, she took a photo. (Don't trust anyone with your camera? Get over it. Or get a little Point & Shoot. Hand your toddler your camera. Yes, even your good one. Tell them which button to push. It's hard to be self-conscious in front of a little kid.) So my middle took a photo, but it wasn't the best focus, so we handed up to the 10 year old.

He thought the sunset looked pretty cool tonight (thanks to a rockin' science teacher who has him following Jupiter, his eyes are locked upward these days!) so he panned out and included that awesome skyline. Which didn't make for a great shot either.

So then it was time for the 2 year old to have her turn. One quick shot of the neighbor's tree and we handed it over to my sweet cougar bait who quickly took 7 shots. Two were out of focus, one had me between Top Model poses, three were Top-Model-poses-gone-wrong, and one was just going to have be good enough.

So with one decent'ish photo in hand, and a list for journaling, I made this:

Have you scrapbooked yourself lately? Why not? Are you not in your scrapbooks as you have nothing (important) to say? Phooey! Sit down, and make a list of all the things you aren't. Or if that takes too much grammar, make a list of all the things you are! Then slap that picture and your list down on some of that awesome patterned paper you've been hoarding. Add some trinkets that reflect your personality. Voila! Fini! No excuses are good enough today. Scrap the excuses, then scrap your photo and list. And post it in the Flickr account. I'll be watching for them... (and just might have a fun reward for those who do...)

Whoa, got a little excited there. Truth is, I have been traveling round the country this year and asking how many of you have scrapbooked yourselves lately. I am stunned at how few of us tell our stories. I am guilty too, but I am trying to be better. So be better with me. Let's start today with a simple photo and list layout. And if you can't get a photo today, then how about a mini-album that doesn't need one? I gained a mad girl crush on Katrina and her week of W. The creative juices were oozing all over with ideas, but no time. So yesterday, I sat down and made me a little fact album. The who what where why and when of me. Circa right now. It was fun. And cheap and easy. (Which happens to also be my current favorite way of doing anything: fun cheap and easy! Minds wandering now... And returning now...)

In just two hours I made a little book that has all sorts of tidbits in it (and I didn't even have to pose for another round of photos!).

Let's not let another day pass without getting in and on a layout. (No, sitting on one does not count. Nor standing. You know what I mean...) Promise? I can't wait to see your amazing work!

Thank you for stopping! Now go take that photo! (Said with love!)

 

Halloween

photo and quote selection by Rebecca Cooper

a monster mash of halloween inspiration

And with this post, I shall bid you adieu...

I've had a great time hosting the blog and hope to be back soon!

Today I would like to share a big mish mash of a little something I like to call "things I wish I had of thought of first"(or more to be more concise we can just call it inspiration... whatever blows your hair back).

These first couple I actually did think of first and I'm posting them for Rhonda because she left a comment earlier this week asking if I had any baby room ideas. 

And I do! 

And here they are:

 

 

I made this using some pieces of acrylic that I had cut at a local glass store - I think each piece was about 7x18 inches and cost me under $20 for the lot of them.

The letters were vinyl wall lettering from Making Memories, but you could cut them out of patterned paper, use your Cricut or any other large lettering you have available.

Here's another project:

 

I used pre-made frames from My Mind's Eye (I think, it's been a while!) with chipboard behind them.

And if my memory serves me, I made this to go with:

This shows that you don't need a lot of stuff, just a few little touches on a framed photo (and a really cute baby never hurts) :

Remember those embroidery hoops that I posted the other day? 

Here's a little decor hoop action for you to enjoy in a nursery.

I'm pretty sure she used fabric but you could totally use paper. 

When I made mine, I just used a circle cutter that was about 1/2 an inch larger than the hoop, cut out my paper and then made little cuts all the way around so the pieces would fold back and be hidden by the outer hoop. 

Now on to more Halloween magic!

I found that photo at Me and Wee

And check out Danielle's work here:

I'm pretty sure it is the 2nd cutest Frankenstein ever.

Only because this is the cutest one, hangin' with his handsome friend, Draclia.

"WHY, OH WHY didn't I pay more attention in French class?", she lamented dramatically.

No, I've never used algebra again, but I sure could have used French now. 

And this is why:

 

Mr. Owl found at Blue Cricket Design (she even shares her list of materials)

 

I dare you to try to leave without checking her other posts (no, I was kidding, don't do it!  definitely check out her other posts).

This project makes me want to get a big bowl of candy and just sit and admire it. (who am I kidding, just about everything makes me want to get a big bowl of candy, maybe I should qualify that statement with the words Halloween Candy) 

Found at the Rusty Pickle Blog

And now that I have candy on my brain...

Courtesy of Rachel Ricks

Pamela O'Connor from Cherish Your Memories made some cute (and necessary) chocolate lover's survival kits (my chocolate lover's survival kit is also called that box of chocolates I have hidden in the downstairs freezer under that package of old freezer burned buns that thankfully no one ever seems to move - but these ones are definitely cuter).

My favourite part of this clever banner is that the O's are multitasking as eyes! 

I've always found that the O's are the overachiever's of the alphabet set. 

And the bat eyebrows? 

Brilliant.

 

You can find it here!  (and how about those houses in her banner. I know, right?!)

Another excellent use of a black frame - love how this one has no mat and she's left some of the glass clear.

 

Click me here! 

Okay, I know I said this was going to be about stuff that I found inspiring, but then when I was looking for that old frankenstein layout to share with you I found a few other home decor projects on our old hard drive that I have made but don't currently have in my home for various reasons.

So, yah, I kind of lied, but what are they going to do?

Kick me out of here? (see how cocky I am on my last day blogging?  think I would have tried that on Tuesday?)

So here they are:

 

Monogram for my scrapbook room made with some rub-ons and another Making Memories wall letter.

Dry erase board, I used BoBunny papers and 1/2 a Heidi Swapp daisy:

 

(*note:  no boys were harmed and/or spanked in the making of this board)

Yet another cupboard door:

And another....

 

(Products: Autumn leaves papers, Making Memories chipboard JOY)

And this "life" quote is actually in my scrapbook room.

 

(Products: Autumn Leaves Rub Ons, American Crafts stickers and Making Memories wall letters)

And finally, a clock made using a blank Creative Imaginations base (but guess what?  i have also used cupboard doors to make clocks.  I'm sure you're shocked.)

 

And this concludes possibly the longest most rambling of WCS blog posts to date.  

I invited you to share any home decor and/or halloween projects you have made in our flickr group and then post a link to it in the comments!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my week and I hope you have too!

halloween is the new black

The countdown is on my friends. 

T minus 8 sleeps until the big night.

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!

Reasons: 

• a reason to dress up, who doesn't love dressing up?  And those people that hate it?  Well, it is my experience that they are always the ones that have the most fun when they are coerced into it (and I consider myself a full fledged coercer, among other things)
• candy (I still have my children convinced that "oh honey, don't even bother trying that type of candy, it's foul, let mommy take that and get rid of it for you")
• scary things. Okay, I have to qualify this slightly.  I don't really usually love scary things.  Movies I can sort of sit through, hidden behind my hands, but I don't enjoy them so much.  The Haunted House thing at Universal Studio that my husband convinced me last year was a Horror Movie Museum still gives me nightmares (and I swear if any of those "actors" had of gotten any closer to me, our stay in California probably would have ended up with me being bailed out of jail for assault.)  But Halloween scary stuff I like!  I like the dollar store eyeballs, the creepy sounds CD's, fake skulls and I even like the Monster Mash (which I supposed is technically more cheesy than scary, but I'm throwing it in there anyway.)
• our annual Halloween party              
• the opportunity to make more seasonal decor items (bet you saw that one coming, eh?)

And that last reason is my seamless segue into a few things that I have made and would like to share:

I made this with a wooden embroidery hoop:

Inspired by this:

 Found here:  Lushlee 

Then I shoved it in one of those cheapo black wreaths from Michael's and hung it up like this:

(psssst.....that little stand thing that Cliff is resting on was $2.99 at the thrift store, just needed a bit of what what?  Yup, Black Spray Paint)

I bought this old typewriter at a garage sale for $5 a few years ago (this is the same typewriter that is part of one of those stories that my mom tells over...and over...and over...while marching my new find up our front sidewalk (which at the time was plywood because we had just built and had only mud for a front yard) my toe caught an edge and down I went.  Face first into the mud.  And my loving mother not only burst into hysterical laughter but now re-enacts it at most family gatherings. I will be doing a layout about that very soon...)

Normally I tuck photos of friends and family in the keys, but for Halloween I printed out Poe's "The Raven" on Kraft cardstock, threw some brushes all over it (I used winter branches), printed it and roughed up the edges (my favourite tool for edges is this one from Making Memories)

And yet another frame (are you sick of me and my frame this, frame that, frame, frame, FRAME!!! ?  And if you are, would it help if I reminded you it was a sickness?)

(products: Making Memories)

And here is our friend, Steve, who you caught a glimpse of the other day. 

As you can see Steve is bleeding from his eyeballs (or what once were his eyeballs). 

Whatever could have happened to Steve?!

Did someone touch his Lego?

Was he subjected to listening to the nine year old who lives in this house practicing drums?

Was the drummer's eleven year old brother standing next to Steve while he was trying to blog singing the four lines that he knows from the song "Barbie Girl" over and over?

Stay tuned in and find out after the photo!

What, in fact, happened is that someone took Crystal Lacquer (or any other thickish glue that kind of drools down when you pour it out) and filled Steve's eyes with it.  Then, that someone took American Crafts Opaque embossing powder (in rouge, naturally) and liberally applied it to the glue. 

Set aside to dry.

Tried not to touch.

Failed miserably, washed glue from hands and physically removed self from situation until glue was somewhat dry.

Then use a heat gun to melt embossing powder, the glue will melt a bit, but that's okay, it just kind of adds to the bubbly icky effect which you are looking for anyway.

Finally, throw Steve's head and assorted bones into plastic cauldron with a bit of cheesecloth, ahem, I mean shroud cloth that you've distressed a bit with ink (perhaps a nice tea stain, by Tim Holtz), and display for all to admire.

Or what about this guy?

A pickle jar, specimen from dollar store,interesting facts about said specimen printed on some cardstock, water and a bit of green food colouring.  Doesn't get much cheaper or easier than that.

Or does it?

Check out these amazing labels from Love Manor's flickr that you can download for free and mark any bottles of vampire blood and poison you might have laying around.

 
So that is what I have for Halloween so far this year.

And to cleanse your palate of all this gruesomeness here are a couple of Christmas decor items I made last year, I know it's early for Christmas stuff, but they would make nice little gifts and it's never bad to have a few things hidden in the closet (other than blank frames) to be able to grab as a hostess give on the way over to a friends house.

And just a quick aside, through the magic of autopost, I am posting these while being camping three hours away and computerless, so if anyone has any questions please post away and I am not ignoring you, I am probably shivering in the trailer or treed by a foraging bear and I will do my best to get to the comments when we are home!