BIG SALE on QueenJeannePages.etsy.com!!

Hello followers,
Thank you, valued customers, for your loyal patronage! I have recently accepted a position that will allow me new creative outlets, so my website will be shutting down very soon. Make sure you take advantage of the sale!

One a Day...

No, I don't mean vitamins! I'm talking about one layout posted on my website a day. Just one new layout to entice the throngs of women out there looking to make their scrapbooking easier with pre-made pages! That's the goal for this week. Do you know what I'm talking about?

Where oh where have I been???

Once in a lifetime does one get the opportunity to plan and do something big to commemorate a special occasion! My darling husband (DH) started planning our 25th wedding anniversary trip early last year, involving my friends, a travel agent, and a special savings account. Well, let me tell you THE TRIP ROCKED!! Though it got off to a rocky start (missing suitcase on the cruise portion, boohoo) it quickly became the trip of a lifetime! I'm a notoriously bad traveler - motion sickness- but managed, with help, not to lose my cookies on the ship. Then our eastern Caribbean week was spent drinking too much rum, hanging in the clear blue ocean, and sightseeing galore. 20 days away from home, woo hoo!!
But what I really want to tell you is that I had the coolest inspiration for scrapbooking EVER while out of the country. LOVED the different culture, colors, and food. Really dug the business signs, cool clothing, weird food, and driving on the wrong side of the road. I made a ton of sketches in my little notebook; like a new tile pattern that would make excellent background paper, and a very avant garde use of circles I saw on some drapery. Studio, here I come!! I'm going back to work, and no one can stop me!! I'm prepared to make layouts that will wow you, and thrill you! Please join me on my journey at www.QueenJeannePages.etsy.com. I'm looking forward to the creative juices flowing once again! :)

I've gone a little crazy, but...

You wonder why my mind thinks like it does. For example, this morning I knew I had to work and make new layouts. But, I didn't want to, I really wanted to sit on the couch and eat bon bons (My husband's view of my world.) So I decided that at a specific time on the clock, I would get up and go work. That time passed. What to do, what to do? I decided alarm clocks work for me every morning, so why not utilize them now? So, I set the alarm on my Iphone (a blaring & annoying fire-alarm type noise) then I set the alarm next to my bed (God help me if I don't remember to set it back tonight) and I even set the one on my husband's side. Watched a little more t.v. The big laugh here, is that even tho they were all set to the very same time, they didnt go off together! However, it DID get me up, it DID make me climb those stairs, and it DID get my butt in gear after all. Okay folks, feel free to use my methods of madness! It worked, didn't it? Do you know what I'm talking about?
p.s. apologies for skipping my blog in March - best month for the website so far, House warming party, and general busy-ness. Thanks for your emails!

Here comes the Queen!

Yes, Yes, Yes! I am teaching a class with 17 people in it tomorrow! It's a basic Cricut 101 class; and I'm looking forward to getting on my velvet robe, my crown, and parading into the classroom to an Olde English Trumpet Voluntary where I will preside over the training of my loyal subjects! Sounds like JOY to me! Here's the kicker... these ladies don't know it yet, but hopefully, some of them will become my friends real soon. That's right, I'm on the search for new friends who scrapbook! Miss the gals from Tuesday Group in Vista CA, so I'm just gonna get new ones. Simple? No. But I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I'm going to be nice to everyone and see what happens! Please send me good MoJo and hopefully I will have great big success!Do you know what I'm talking about?

When you are faced with LEMONS...

Well of COURSE you make lemonade!!! But I don't mean the kind you drink, I mean the color lemon yellow. Sometimes I take a piece of cardstock and look at it very closely. This morning I picked up a yellow piece and the first thing that came to mind was lemons. Well I sat right down at my studio desk and I began to create the most gorgeous lemon-y yellow layout with nothing but lemons in mind!! I chose the title "Pucker Up" because it went with lemons... and I thought, gee, candid shots of a couple kissing each other would be perfect! So you see, you can scrap BACKWARDS if you want. Who cares if you have photos that go on it yet... you just may, one day soon! Don't be afraid to let a creative idea take you where it wants to go. Do you know what I am talking about?

Wanting to be published...

Yes my pages have been published before. But not for a least 2 years! I haven't submitted anything at all, so shocking! I think it's because I have been focusing on other things in my scrapbooking world. But that's okay, never fear, because I have made a New Year's Resolution! That's right, I am going to submit for publication! I will keep you posted, but plan on hearing from me very soon on this issue! I hope to get a spread published by August 2001. It's a goal! What words of wisdom do you have for me now? Would love to hear what you think of my new goal. Do you know what I'm talking about?

The Stress, The Stress of Football!

It's the 4th quarter of the Superbowl right now. I am rooting for the Packers... just cuz of my affiliation with Wisconsin - used to live on the Illinois Wisconsin border and LOVE Club Scrap in Wisconsin. Sooo, I am actually YELLING at the t.v. right now, getting a little hot under the collar, and decided that I need some way to cool off! Grabbed my computer and listed another item on my website, and now I'm bloggin my cares away. Once again, SCRAPBOOKING HAS SAVED ME!! Who'da thunk that I could escape my cares with the wonderful art of scrapbooking! Now back to the game... Green Bay just scored, so I am infinitely happier! Phew. Do you know what I'm talking about?

WHERE have I been?

That's a good question... where have I been? Well, when you move into a new house there are many things to do! From the minor hanging of a hook for your robe, to the major arranging of the furniture, the tasks of moving can keep you from other more creative pursuits. So there I am washing the crystal vase that needs to be displayed in the china cabinet, all the while thinking of this GREAT pink ribbon I picked up at Michael's and what paper would go well with it! My mind doesn't stop thinking about scrapbooking, even when I am doing other things! How about you? Have you gone down the aisle of a store and thought, gee, the price tag on those jeans would be perfect on this layout I'm doing? Or, have you seen a color combination you like and feel sure it will work with the photos you have of that birthday party? Well, this is called INSPIRATION. So GO, WORK, PLAY, but never stop thinking about scrapbooking! Do you know what I'm talking about?

New Space, New Attitude!!

It's official, I am set up in my new Scrapbook Studio! I worked from there this week, and aside from a few power problems, it's really looking good! Now, it's not the absolute perfect space, but I have moved so many times that I have proven myself to be quite adaptable. So I made a few layouts for my Etsy Shop this week, and worked out a few kinks. Well, turns out I was a WILD WOMAN! My mojo was flowing! I got a lot done, and I thought they were good, solid layouts! That got me to thinking, why now? Well, it was probably the new setting. Some place different, you know? Not the same four walls to look at every day. Energizing! Amazing! My advice to all of you... try this yourself! Working on a stagnant layout? Move to a different table in your house and see what happens. A project you just can't finish? Set up a card table in another room and temporarily work from there. I know you will feel something different, and it might just impact your creative juices in a positive way! Do you know what I'm talking about?

Powerful, Powerful, Powerful!!

What do you do when you hear a quote, or a line from a song, that really just revs you up? SCRAPBOOK IT!! I carry a small notebook in my purse for writing down interesting things my kids say, or if I hear a song on the radio that sports a great page title. I usually ignore what I write down (great intentions, you know?) but sometimes I get it out and look it over. When I have been scrapbooking a lot, my Mojo can get low, and this little gem of a notebook can really give me a new perspective. It gives me plain old good ideas. Can you believe I used to throw them all out after they got full? YIKES!! I only started saving them about 5 years ago. If I could only read the old ones again, I'd be so happy. Who knows what glorious words they contained? Maybe something profound and worthy of remembering. Maybe the meaning of life! That would be powerful. Powerful!
Do you know what I'm talking about?

The Countdown is on!

That's right folks, only two more weeks until I move to yet another house! Since this is #11 in 25 years, I think I am getting pretty good at this! But let's talk turkey about my scrapbook studio. How am I going to move all of this STUFF? Carefully! If I were moving from a different state, I would unpack all the drawers and methodically organize and group. But since I just got to this house 5 months ago, I can't stomache the thought of doing that all again so soon! So I have a game plan. My daughter's friend is visiting from SoCal, and I am going to get her to help. Yup, I'll do whatever it takes to get this unsuspecting girl to help me stuff all this stuff in my car. Just 7 miles up the road sweetie, it's not far... so you say you like Coach purses? Great! Meet me in my studio in 20 minutes, it won't take long...... heh heh heh
Do you know what I am talking about?

How much stuff do you have, anyway????

As I am moving my scrapbook studio over to the new house we just bought, I am huffing and puffing up and down the stairs as my husband says to me, "How much stuff do you have, anyway?" What a JOKE! Right? To me, I have as much stuff as I need. I don't have as much as I want. But I mean, who does? Think about this for a minute. If we could have as much scrapbooking stuff as we want, could one room really contain it all? I am bursting at the seams in this 16' x 14' room, so could I really put more stuff into it? Well let's think about THAT for a moment..... YES OF COURSE I COULD!! There are very creative people out there right now dreaming up storage solutions for scrappers like me. Yeah, that's right... buy more stuff! Wait, wait, wait. I started this out perhaps suggesting I might have too much stuff. Now I'm wanting to buy more more more? ARGH! Honey, let's be real. You know there's more stuff in here than necessary. There's more stuff in here than I need. There's ALWAYS going to be too much stuff in here. SO GET USED TO IT!!!!!! love you honey.
Do you know what I'm talking about?

HOLY COW, IT'S A NEW YEAR!!!

I am super psyched about the New Year! Yes, I want to lose weight, don't we all, and yes... I have a few personal traits on which to improve. But the BEST, yes the BEST part of the New Year is that I can scrapbook the holidays!! Photos -I just love them all, from the Thanksgiving shots of the same Turkey every year, to the Christmas morning rumpled hair shots, to the New Year's fireworks. There are so many to choose from; how will I ever weed them down?
Well, if you're looking for some help with your holiday scrapbooking, please visit my Etsy shop at www.queenjeannepages.etsy.com! I am going to be posting holiday layouts all this week. I won't put all of them out today... I want to torture you, so please visit the site over and over to find just the right layouts for your treasured memories!
I know there are others out there who are just as excited as I am about scrapping my holiday pictures. Do you know what I'm talking about?