12.30.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:51 pm by PaperDesigns
I see it’s been quite a few days since I updated! Well we did enjoy our Holidays. So much fun. We added in lots of family games and activities, went ‘after Christmas’ shopping, and saw a few movies. And the party is still continuing. My daughter has a friend over for the weekend, there are important sports events on to watch, and of course, New Year’s is coming up.
I’m getting ready. I’m gathering my thoughts together, I’m trying to organize a ‘doable’ plan of action to actually accomplish my goals this year. I imagine setting fewer goals would be the best way – I just refuse to do that. I’m going to shoot for the moon, and then really try to get there. We’ll see…..
I hope your Holidays are going well!
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12.22.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:22 pm by PaperDesigns
I worked really hard last week to get all the finishing touches for our Holidays completed. I finished making up the last of my Christmas cards and envelopes (above), scrubbed the house from top to bottom, got everything put away, got all the teachers’ gifts made and delivered. Made up all the batches of Christmas Bread, Holiday Fudge and Rum Balls. I am so happy, but the “to do” list is empty! Now I can truly sit back and enjoy the Holidays as they unfold. We have some fun activities planned – some wooden ornaments to paint, some beaded ornaments to string, and there’s a walking tour of a lighted park that we’re going to. We have “family fun night” planned with games and tournaments, and, of course, we have traditional foods planned for every meal!
The presents are wrapped and under the tree, the stockings are hung up, and we have 4 days of non-stop partying (family style) to get underway! I’m looking forward to taking the photos of our Holidays and getting them scrapped. The older I get, I find the more of the “little moments” I’m forgetting. But I know that these “little moments” will be the moments I most want to remember as the years go by. These are memories I’ll want to remind my children about – so they can understand their importance, and recreate these times for their (future) children. Traditions to be enjoyed and passed on – that’s what our Holidays are about, and scrapbooking this will help us preserve these traditions!
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12.18.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:24 pm by PaperDesigns
The blog question asks me to write about the senses and winter. I guess the first one that comes to mind is that I feel cold. My feet are cold to the touch, my nose is cold to the touch. Of course, I could turn the heat up, but I hate paying the gas bill – I’m petitioning dh for a pellet stove. That brings me to the smell of winter – for me, I love the smell of wood burning in the fire. The taste of winter is any hot soup or stew. We hardly ever eat these foods in the summer, so I always look forward to a cold winter’s day for a comforting bowl of homemade noodle soup or beef stew. I’d have to say one of the sounds of winter is the wind tearing by the house. It just makes me glad I work indoors! Of course, my favorite sight in the winter is the lovely white snow! I’m from New England, but have been living in more southern climates, and I really love a good snowfall!
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12.11.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:08 pm by PaperDesigns
My co-worker, Jessica, made these altered art projects using papers she created digitally from digital scrapbook kits. I do like the way you can personalize it, if you make the papers yourself.
The blog challenge question asks what I’ll never forget. I imagine there are several things that will remain as clear in my mind as the day they happened, and I think there are things about me that I don’t particularly have to remember – but since they are always there, I don’t forget them.
But for me, it’s not what I’ll always remember that worries me – it’s what I’m afraid of forgetting. Little by little, more and more often, my husband will say “remember when ds said this….” – and I honestly don’t remember. And I wish I did. I wish I had been ‘into’ scrapbooking back then. I find it very difficult to go back and try to get all those memories preserved – and yet, I know I want them. There are so many…. My son was really into the Turtles when he was little, and during the intro they say “excellent” – but he always said “eggs again!”. My daughter called those things she sleeps in “pajabins”. When my son got his first pair of real pajamas, he said “look, mommy, they even have a pocket in the front………!”
There are, if not millions, then certainly thousands of these…. ok, one more…..
It’s Christmas morning, my son was 5. We had been watching a lot of different versions of “A Christmas Carol”. He was always afraid of the stranger who sees you when you are sleeping and knows when you’re awake, and he comes into your house in the dead of night….. so, to avoid his panic attack we let him sleep in our bed on Christmas eve – well, morning came, and I said – Oh LOOK, it’s morning, come on……. He said, “no, that’s okay”. I said “sweety, it’s morning, let’s go out there and see….” he said, “no, I’ll stay in here”. I said, “honey, it’s morning, don’t you want to go look under the tree????” He just wouldn’t go out there. Finally, I just asked him why, and he said “Mommy, I don’t want to open the Ghost of Christmas Present”…………
See, I have to get these into a scrapbook, it’s not what I’ll never forget, it’s what I might forget, and that would make me cry!
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12.08.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:33 pm by PaperDesigns
I love this painting. It’s from my Grandmother’s house, and she (knowing a lot about art) bought it as a showpiece for her new home when she got married. I haven’t scrapped any photos of the wonderful heirloom pieces I inherited from her, and those she had inherited from others. It’s something I should – it’s a real story. If I were to create a whole album around this subject – it would double as a ‘personal inventory’ record of those items – both for insurance policy reasons, and to pass the scrapbook down to the children when the furniture and paintings go to them. That is a great idea – thanks Maureen, that’s exactly what I’m going to do!
PS – if anyone can tell me why I lost the right navigation (side bars) for the blog – please tell me – I’d love to fix it!
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12.06.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:18 pm by PaperDesigns
I love this time of year. It isn’t only the crafting (although that is probably my favorite), but also the idea that with the end of the old year we get to start again in the New Year. The question asks if I plan on making any New Year’s goals vis-a-vis my crafting. The answer is: I hadn’t thought about it, but now that you ask – yes! I find I had a lot of excuses in place for not being as productive and not producing projects I was especially proud of. That shouldn’t really be a sticking point – I’m sure Michaelangelo had some of his projects that weren’t his favorites (not that I’m a Michaelangelo) - but you get my point. By definition, not every project can be your favorite. My goal for the New Year is to give up any and all demurring and just “get to it”. I have a fully stocked craft studio, time, energy, and the will – there’s no hold up, nothing forseeable that I have to work around. I should just be creating more and creating better. That’s my goal.
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12.01.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:43 pm by PaperDesigns
The blog question asks if I prefer to crop online or in person. Actually, the answer is neither. Don’t get me wrong – I love to go over a friend’s house and sit and work on a project (usually something small like cards) – and sit and chat, but I rarely get “my work done”. I can’t imagine on line cropping – how would I craft and type?? Although it would be fun – and then everyone could post what they are working on. That’s cool.
But in order for me to really focus and make the most of my cropping time – I really need the quiet and the supplies that are in my craft room. I went to a crop once, and I knew I was going to make cards by stamping and painting the images – and I forgot white cardstock! See that wouldn’t happen in my craft room.
I am, however, going to my first big crop – ScrapBowl ‘08 – so it should be interesting to see how people get stuff done in such a big arena. Me, I’ll be working on something small – probably cards!
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