new scrap chick!

Okay, so, the post previously has a picture of our new scrap chick, Nicole! Not to be confused with me, Nichole with an H. Blogger wouldn't let me click into the box for that entry for whatever strange reason, hence the lack of text or any explanation. Sorry for that, y'all.

I met Nicole once or twice back in Boston at the Dream during a crop. She seemed super awesome and I remember wishing we could get to know each other better. Alas, we had to move shortly after our meeting so we never got to spend much time together. Hopefully we can grow close virtually, as she's made quite an impression on the other ladies here at Made With Love!

Welcome Nicole! We can't wait to see all your scrap endeavors!

New scrap chick!

blind date

Ladies of the paper, pen and glue, I miss you now more than ever! My after holiday scrapping bug has bitten me, and I'm up tonight printing beaucoup pictures to take with me to my first crop here in N.N.

Yes! You read correctly! I'm finally dragging my ass out of the apartment to meet some new people who are hopefully likeminded and a little normalish. Gosh, I've been here over 6 months and haven't met any true scrappers. I've felt so lonely in my craft, sitting quietly at my desk, jamming with headphones in a silent apartment in the dead of night. I feel like a closet scrapper. I think I've even forgotten how to have conversations with anyone over the age of 2 (aside from the hubs, but as most ladies know, they often don't meet the age requirements for adult conversation).

So, like a school girl getting ready for a blind date, I'm scrambling to imagine what I will need to take with me, and what I can stand to leave behind. Other questions are nagging my brain, too. What should I wear? Something comfortable but nothing slouchy. I want to appeal to the older upper class ladies as well, after all! Should I bring snacks? Should I wear my NSD nametag from last May? Would that make me obviously desperate for friends? Will everyone like my bags? If I bring too much will they tease me?

I even asked the shop owner the age range of the typical croppers. Horrid, I know. Really all I wanted to know was if I was going to be the only 20-something bitch there. I wanted to revise my words and tell the owner that I was absolutely open to having friends who aren't in my tax bracket (after all, most of my closest friends are ten+ years older than me) but I fear I sounded like an age-prejudiced bitch after that. Great.

I have to admit that nothing will compare to the Dream. Sorry, but the Dream's chairs alone are worth the cover charge, let alone the plethora of fun stuff we were allowed to use there. Evidently this store doesn't have stamps, inks, or cutters (cricut or otherwise) available for use. So I'll pretty much need to have all my scrapping bases covered...PRESSURE!

And still, like the perfect boyfriend every girl still remembers and dreams of, my old scrapping buddies set my standards for new scrapping friends, and let me tell you ladies, you set those standards high! Nobody will ever compare to you girls, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Wish me luck for tomorrow night...I'm a nutcase over it!

Testing from the newest "BLOGGER"

Thank you ladies so much for allowing me to be a part of you groovy group! I am thrilled to be a member. My grammer is not good at all and I spell so bad thank god for spell check. I am looking forward to getting the inspiration from you ladies and maybe sending some your way as well. Now tell me, how the heck do I attach to this bad boy? XOXO "Scrap Happy" Nicole.

Now Get your scrap on!!! lol

Beauty is in the eye of the...beholder? Behold!

Ladies of the pen, paper and glue. Hello. It's been a long while since I've updated. And lo and BEHOLD it was Jenn who hath encouraged me to revisit my hobby. Blogging and cropping.

Does that = blopping? crogging? Hmmmm. Or how about Blogging + scrapping = blapping? scrogging?

I'd LOVE to wear a SCROGGING '08 shirt to the next event and have everyone wondering what the hell that is. Leave it to me to think that ditty up...

But I digress...

So Ms. Jenn writes in the last two posts how she uses old stuff hangin' around and "scrogs" about it.

First, Kudos to you Jenn. By definition, once a purchase crosses my thresh hold it is deemed "old". Believe it. I'm already dreaming and scheming about the next product. It's all part of the scrog addiction.

Think that's bad? I know a gal who was supposed to go FOOD SHOPPING and ended up scrapbook shopping instead. True story. Because I was there and I saw it with my own two eyes. And she's a member of this here design team. But I shan't name her. She knows who she is ;)

But again, I digress...

So I gave Jenn the ol Kudos for using "old" product. I thought it came out sweet. Sometimes simple and understated is lovely, Jen. You may not appreciate it now, but come back to it a week or month from now. Both your layouts are easy on the eyes. Unlike my layouts, which take a good 30 seconds for your retinas to focus on all the nonsense. Like my Halloween layout for example:

:

I thank Jenn for rekindling a spark to create. To be creative. To be fearless with product. Try new things. Even if sometimes the results are unworthy of my scrapbook - at least I'm learning.

As I walk up and down the aisles during the crops, I see some who are perfectly content with their cut + matte and "just get through the album" mentality. And I'm not judging. That works for some. I'm far too spastic to be so disciplined. My style is to capture "moments". Because honestly, with the exception of my wedding album, I can barely sit through one album devoted to an entire subject, much less crop one.

What initially attracted me to this hobby was Nichole P.'s altered books. From there I created altered pages for my scrapbooks. Today's products lends itself to doing just that. With all the bling and grommets and ribbon out there, it's very exciting to sit down and just let your imagination run wild!

So while some croppers are just cut and pasting their ENTIRE (and I mean relentlessly from day one) history of their children's lives and family vacations, I prefer to document a day in the life or a great moment - say between my daughter and husband. Or maybe I'll create a page around something unusual because the light and colors are fetching. Like once I pulled over in front of a sunflower field at dusk and had everyone get out of the car for an impromtu photo shoot. I believe that was my very first layout with Nichole P. I should post that.

I still go through old albums and laugh at how my style has changed in the one year I've been doing this. And I'm so psyched that you all want to join us as we share ideas and show off our work. There's no right or wrong in this arena. I totally dig that.

Cheers to you all. Here's to a scrap-a-licious '08.

Shasta

No so creative

Well ladies, I have too many projects that I want to work on that I don't even know where to begin!! One of the things I was going to suggest for a challenge was to get out the stuff that you have in the closet that you have never used. I have lots of it. I decided since I changed my mind on the next challenge for us, that I would start my projects off with challenging myself to use said products. I learned why I never used them :)
This first LO I just threw down. Not very creative. Very blah indeed. Not even sure why I am sharing...


This second one isn't all that creative either. I just wanted to get it done. I also wanted to use that paint and foam stamp set that I had sitting in the back of the closet. Thought the lettering came out perfect for a preschool layout, but probably wouldn't use the lettering again....

Teacher's gifts

First, I must give Sharon and Laurie big thanks for these ideas!!
We were all chatting about what to give for school teachers' gifts, and I ended up taking a few ideas and making these little tins and canisters.
I went to the local "dollar store" and found plain cookie tins. They only had 4, I needed 6, so the panic search began through the store for the last 2. I ended up finding cute little glass containers that were already 'decorated' in Christmas-y like fashion, so I thought I would make 2 of those. I used my handy-dandy Quickutz Snowman for the lettering (which, by the way, I said "Oh, I won't ever use that...now I am addicted to!). And then I used the Cricut to make the tags. The jars were quick and easy, I just put a title on the top and then wrapped a piece of ribbon that has cocoa cups on it - too cute. And those were done.
For the canisters, I just used patterned paper for the top, then wrapped ribbon around to hide the seams. Around the canister I used a winter-themed paper. Quick and easy.
I included in each little package some chocolates, hot cocoa packets, gloves, hand creme, chap-stick, tissues, and hand sanitizer. I was quite pleased with the results.

Thanks again to Sharon and Laurie for the wonderful ideas!!