Using Scrapbooking as Therapy... today.

As I face my daughter's medical condition requiring surgery, I wonder how I will ever survive the stress. I will do what I have always done... Turn to scrapbooking to escape. Somehow, creating art squashes fear, and provides a way to pass time while waiting waiting waiting. I just now sat at my desk and made a layout with bright sunny pink and yellow patterned paper. Just what the doctor ordered after spending the second day in a row at the hospital. Hopefully, the glittered flowers will stay in my brain, and later remind me of happy things. Lord knows that when you are down, simplicity is best so you can put one foot in front of the other. Today it is pink and yellow, tomorrow may just be purple and green, my favorite! All I know is that when I am in my happy place, my scrapbook studio, all is right with the world. Do you know what I'm talking about?

Back to work, ya lazy bum!!

So... I ate too much. I drank too much. I spent too much, drove around town too much, visited with friends too much, and definitely baked too much. Now I must face the truth... I'm too fat and lazy to get back to scrapbooking!! I look in my studio and say to myself, "maybe tomorrow!" Is this what's happening to you, too? OKAY ladies, get off those big bums and get yourself back on track. You have probably made a New Year's resolution to lose weight, so why not make a New Year's resolution to get some scrapbooking done? I AM!!! From here on, I promise to get in my studio once a day. Even if I have only 15 minutes, I can do a small job like filing ribbons. You know, if you break down your jobs into manageable bits, it doesn't feel so overwhelming. So tomorrow, I will clean off my desk, I will put away all those embellishments sitting around, and I WILL get something done. I want you too, as well!! Write me and tell me how you are getting motivated; I could use the help!! Do you know what I'm talking about?

Scrapbooking and Football?? YES!!

What's a girl gonna do when she is faced with the choice to sit and watch Sunday afternoon football, or go upstairs and scrapbook? Both, I guess! You see, I hate just sitting like a lump in front of the t.v. when I know I could be doing something productive, even creative, in my studio. So in these circumstances I choose to do both... I went up and got my basket of ribbon pieces waiting to be wound on bobbins, and sat with hubby in front of football. I get some much needed time with my beloved football (and oh yea, husband,) and I get something mundane done towards scrapbooking. In the old days, I used to sit and cut out stuff with scissors to keep occupied. Remember that? These days, it's a bit harder to find those little housekeeping jobs that have to be done, but if I can do it, so can you! Go Chargers!! Do ya know what I'm talkin about?

I don't have time to Scrapbook. WAAAA!!

With every event going on right now, I don't have a minute to scrapbook. So how do you handle a 49 year old woman who wants to get in her studio but can't? VERY CAREFULLY!! Tread lightly around me, cuz not only do I have visions of sugar plums dancing in my head, I have this great idea for a blue/green color combination on a tricky layout I've been procrastinating on! Oh, how I'd love to feel that tape runner firmly in my hand. How I'd love to smell some Stayz On ink! How I would love to ri-i-i-p that paper trimmer blade right down that cardstock. BUT NO, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Guess I will have to dream of ribbons and stickers instead. I hope you have the same wonderful, delightful dream as me! Do ya know what I'm talking about?

New Cricket magazine coming!!

That's right, there will soon be a magazine strictly for Cricket lovers! I got an email the other day and though the subscription was pricey, (about $36 for 6 issues) I went ahead and said ok. What I would like to see in this magazine are oodles of ideas. OODLES I say! I don't mind if they showcase a cartridge, and give me 50 ways to use it. I'm talking scrapbook pages, party decorations, and home decor stuff. Card making, vinyl art and glass etching ideas, too! And I don't want to see easy peasey simple darn ideas, only fancy, supercool artistic stuff. Stuff that uses lace and ribbons, tulle and rhinestones, inks and stamps. Ideas that blow your mind. You look at them and go, WHOA, let me get up off this couch and go cut some stuff!! Because I may not always have the best ideas, but boy can I copy something I see. That's right. I'll twist it and turn it and make it my own, but I need inspiration. C'mon Cricket magazine, BRING IT ON. Do ya know what I mean?

WHAT A FREAKIN MESS!!

That pretty much describes my scrapbook studio right now. It's a disaster. A real mess. I haven't put anything away in at least 3 weeks and clutter/product has taken over every available work space! I tried to get into a project last night, and gave up after 30 minutes with just about nothing done. So what does the Queen do when she gets stymied? CLEAN UP. The reason I take some time to do this, is because I truly believe that messes and clutter stop your mojo from flowing. Seriously! How can you have free flowing ideas and unrestrained creativity when you can't find anything, and you have to move piles of stuff just to lay something flat? So for the next hour, I am going to straighten, file, sort and organize from one end of the room to the other. Wish me luck, I tend to not like to do it very much, and there MAY be a few @*&^% words out of my mouth! Good thing I'm all alone in the house right now! Do ya know what I'm talking about?

Scrapbooking at all hours...

I admit I am not a regular sleeper. How about you? Do you get inspiration for a layout at 10:00pm when it's really supposed to be your bedtime? This happens to me all the time! I know enough not to fight it after all these years... I might as well get into my studio and start creating, otherwise the brain won't settle enough to sleep. I wonder if all artists have this happen to them? Just for once I wish that the 'powers that be' would regulate my creative times to the waking daylight hours. That would be SO much more convenient. Now, if you ever call me in the morning and I'm still a little groggy, you'll know that I was inspired late last night. Chances are there is a masterpiece sitting on my work table that just HAD to come out of me. It may sound stupid, but this is really how it works. Do ya know what I'm talking about??

Are all Glue dots the same? NOOOO!

Here's the deal. I use up the glue dots and I think while I am in Walmart today... ok, they've got a scrapbook section and I'll just pick up some more. Bad idea! These generic ones are in a box, on a roll, two wide - who thought of that?? I mean, when you need to put one on a button let's say, you nearly always get the one right by it on your hand, or on a piece of paper where it doesn't go. Me, I like the good old one-at-a-time on a single roll. Yup. Peel back the paper and fold, get the glue dot by pressing the button onto it, pull it up, done. No muss, no fuss. Who knew glue dots would be so darn important or that they could frustrate me so much? And will I throw the less than average box away? No. That would be a waste. But I will not use them sparingly, right? Do ya know what I'm talking about?!!