How to get started again

Let’s go back to a few weeks ago - just want to share the process of restarting for anyone who needs this encouragement. After getting a wild hair and making the layout featured in the last post, I decided it was time to get back to scrapping. So I searched my calendar for a way to make it happen. I found an upcoming weekend when my kids would be with their dad and I didn’t have massive commitments. I pondered going away for a retreat, but couldn’t justify the drive to even the closet one I could find - about 7 hours there and back plus packing and unpacking time - so I settled for an at home retreat. I will say, it wasn't the most effective weekend, I got distracted at home - errands, laundry, drop by visits, cooking - you know the drill - there’s always something, but I will also say I got started and that was worth it.

Step one was to clean up the space and make it workable for the weekend. I am lucky enough to have an office/craft space, but it was a mess. I don’t know about you, but I have several landing spots for memorabilia and things that need to be filed or kept so I decided to start there. I sorted out things that could easily get tossed, filed or categorized. Then I put up two large folding tables that I purchased at Sam’s - lifetime brand 6ft tables that fold in half for storage and also have three height adjustments (I like the standing height). And then I starting pulling things out - all of the unused kits I had piled up, half finished layouts from when I had to quickly store the contents of this room before having the floor replaced last December (yes it’s been 10 months since I touched a layout!) and anything else I found. I then sorted supplies, utilizing the dining room table and was ready to scrap. 

I was lucky enough to have some partially completed layouts as a jumping off point, which means I had very few decisions to make and could get back to adhering paper to paper and adding embellishments - which is my favorite part. After a few of these got done I was already feeling like I was back to my crafty self so I started making new layout selections. Personally, I don’t mind having several layouts going at the same time at different stages so I can pay attention to my energy levels and do what works for my current state. 

So there you have it. That’s how I got back at this craft that I’ve loved for nearly 30 years. Here are the partially completed layouts that were the first to get completed. I will be back with more layouts that just needed to be photographed and then the newest ones after that. 

Happy crafting! 

Choose Happy - this was a selfie from an event that I went to where a mentor of mine was being honored.  I decided to take advantage of a fairly good photo to keep my positive self talk going.

I will admit that my daughter is currently in 7th grade, but this layout was too cute not to finish.  The teapot is a mother's day card from her to me.  Yes, I saved the place cards and no, I am not ashamed.

Dress up holiday parties make for the best pages!  Three generations captured here.  I had already fussy cut these flowers but found an entire package of daises that went perfectly - yes, I used all of them - cause why not?

Concert time!  I took a ton of photos at this concert and I am so glad I did.  The layout was a little boring when I started, but a package of stars, some words and way to many clear accent stickers later, it was feeling a lot more festive.    

Here's a close up of the word and sticker fun.  I tucked those paint mark stickers all over the place and I love them - I had no idea how I was going to use them before this layout got restarted. 

Another confession, I stuffed some confetti from the show in my pocket and yes, it is on the layout, again, don't care. 

This layout was complete - only needed to be adhered and journaled.  And then I found butterflies and all was right with the world.

I struggled with this layout some - but once I just gave up and started sticking things down it worked.  Funny how when you make a commitment and then start working around whatever you committed to things seem to just work, 

So there you have it.  Hope you enjoyed. Feel free to share what you are working on or a layout that has you stuck.  

October Round Up

Oh, October, my love/hate relationship with the fall begins with you.  I love the holidays, the sweater weather (though we don't really have that so much in Houston, till February) and the family traditions.  I hate the rush, the projects, the constant struggle to stay on top of things in the fall with work, school, kids, scouts, dance, soccer, etc.  Six months worth of activities, parties, projects, and volunteer work all wrapped into 31 days - days that contain less and less daylight each evening.  But then you give me that pumpkin patch grin and I cave, loving you more each year.  Really, there should be a 12 step program for this.  There was less scrapping in October than September, but it still happened so I am calling that a success.  Here's the round up - which includes a challenge win over on the Cocoa Daisy Blog - oh October, you get me every time.

This was made my my Cocoa Daisy October Kit with pictures from that day at the pumpkin patch.  Love the fox stamp and those leaves fussy cut from patterned paper.  Fall fabulous colors.  

Next up - you know those pages that linger and linger unfinished until something just clicks?  This is one of those.  After the Simper Scrapper Stash Bash earlier this summer, I was cleaning through supplies and pulled out these ancient plastic flowers, sassafras branding strip and what I have left of the Love, Elsie papers and then it just clicked that I had these two random photos waiting to be scrapped and it came together quickly.  Makes me wonder if the stash kit plan shouldn't be used more to target supplies and use them. Hmmmm, need to give that more thought.  

Here's another that has been idling for some time.  And somehow little bits and pieces of leftovers found their way to this patterned paper that had been used for a circle cut out.  It is kinda plain but at the same time doesn't feel like it needs anything.  

To what is currently sitting on my desk. I had intended on a page about what is happening right now and then right now just started happening.  Guess I better get back to that. . . .

The Greece (and Turkey) Album - the start of something

Many of you know that for my 40th - we did a huge trip to Greece and Turkey with family and friends.  It was amazing. The scrapbook is going to be amazing too!

This September's scrap retreat was all about the trip album. Angelia and I were going to work on our books together at the retreat and planned to create things side by side with slightly different photos but the same basic idea.

We started with the My Mind's Eye Hello World collection - we got most of the pieces. This set is travel themed, but not obnoxious. Then we added in random papers that we felt coordinated to add to the pattered paper stash since we couldn't source a ton of the collection and rounded it out with packs of 25 sheets each of Bazzill cardstock in the following colors: Typhoon, Arroyo, Watermelon, Kraft, Turquoise Mist, Navajo, and Beeswax. I found the cardstock at OfficeSupply.com for about $12 a package - I was pretty excited about that.  

We picked up a few other things at the most recent CKC in The Woodlands and then I used stuff from my stash and the 2-3 most recent Cocoa Daisy kits that I had keep myself from using (will power!).  

The other thing we decided up front was to have a few themes. Aside from the coordinated paper colors, one thing was to have an airplane on every page since we flew a ton on this trip. We found this airplane punch on amazon and I'm loving the way it looks.

We also picked up cloud diecuts in several shapes and a set of kraft tags to mark the beginning of each day. We have made it midway on day four and think the combination of things is keeping it pretty cohesive.  

Here is what we got done at retreat. (Clearly I need to add some journaling to come of these - and I will come back and edit this post with some other comments on supplies and thought process when I have time.  But at least these are all photographed!)