#3 of the week - I'm on a roll!

For some reason I had a ton of energy last night. Carl was on the computer installing our new external hard drive and I had some quality time working on another layout. Jonah was fast asleep in his playpen (a first!) and Carl and I got a lot done! - A first since Jonah was born 8 weeks ago. :)

supplies: cardstock: Bazzill, Prism; patterned paper, chipboard: Scenic Route Paper Co.; stamping ink: Colorbox; acrylic journaling stamp: Autumn Leaves; jelly label: Making Memories; journaling pen: American Crafts

Can you tell that I'm totally loving the journaling stamps from Autumn Leaves? I bought a TON of these a while back and I'm JUST NOW using them. Gosh, what have I been missing? I totally dig them. By far my favorite product right now. :)

I have an awesome husband.

Despite how tired he may be, he still encourages me to to get out of the house to "take a break" (AKA scrapbook supply shopping) or go and scrap for a while because he knows how important it is to me... He totally rocks. :)

So I came up with a second layout for the day (go me)... It's 12x12 layout even though it doesn't look that way... I've had this picture on my computer, just dying to be a part of a layout. Not too creative, but I'm happy with the outcome...

supplies: cardstock: Bazzill; patterned paper: KI Memories; journaling stamp: Autumn Leaves; tab template: Coluzzle; journaling pen, felt flowers, rub-ons: American Crafts; date stamp, mini brads: Making Memories

2nd layout of the week...

Wow. Go me. 2 layouts in one week! That was really difficult considering Carl worked the past few nights and left me alone with the baby...

Thankfully, Jonah was really good last night and slept 2 4-hour stretches... AND he's sleeping right now as I type this. Hopefully, this doesn't mess with his sleep cycle tonight. Maybe I should wake him up after I post this...

Anyway, here is my masterpiece. Actually, it took me a couple of days to finish it - I couldn't find the lettering I wanted... or I couldn't find the "right" something for it. I know. I'm too much of a perfectionist. Blame it on my Virgo side. I'm terrible and I get fixated on these things.

But I'm proud of it... And I even brought back the old school metal accents from Making Memories. Remember those?

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper: SEI, Creative Imaginations, (on the tag - unknown); rub-ons, acrylic paint, foam stamp, metal accents: Making Memories; tag design: I made it courtesy of a make and take at Picture Me Perfect; pen: American Crafts

need to catch up...

I spoke with my bff Corinne today and she's already done 9 layouts in days! Our challenge hasn't even started yet and she's already done NINE freaking layouts.

Jealous? A little bit.

Envious? Heck yeah! *lol*

I've had this urge to scrap, but I can't find a way to actually do it. when the little one is taking his nap and Carl is home, it's fine... But when it's just me and the baby, I can't do it. I'd scrap in the living room, but I'd have to keep running back and forth from the office to find stuff to use. Too much trouble.

Hopefully I can get some scrapping time tomorrow... I have to catch up to Corinne! *lol*

no scrapping for me until Friday...

Well, since my DH works on Wednesday and Thursday nights, there will be no scrapping for me until Friday (at the earliest)... It's hard trying to take care of my son (who has recently discovered that he doesn't like taking naps. *sigh*)...

But I'm super happy with my previous posted layout. :) That was enough for a week!

A couple weeks ago, I made 2 cards... Go me. I did pretty good for the month of March. Hope this momentum continues through April!

i scrapped!

Whew! And that wore me out! *lol*

I have to revise my previous challenge to myself of scrapping that photo of me and Carl (see 3rd post below)... I thought I had that picture handy, but amidst all the chaos of this office/scrapbook room, it is nowhere to be found... And it wasn't taken by our camera so I don't have the original on file...

However, I still had to stick to my word and scrapbook one layout by Wednesday and here it is...

Aren't you proud of me?

This picture has been sitting in a pile on my desk forever and it was about time I did something with it... I was particularly proud that I used whatever I had on hand... And I brought back those letter beads for jewelry making back from the ol' school.

Holla at yo' girl. :)

Yay! One layout for the month of March completed!

supplies: cardstock: Bazzill; patterned paper: Scenic Route Paper Co.; metal accents: Marcella by Kay; felt flowers, journaling pen: American Crafts; rub-on monogram: Second Avenue; other: letter jewelry beads, embossing tape

wish list item...

I really want a Cuttlebug...

Do you know what this translates to? "I really want another big $$ scrapbooking item to add to my ever growing collection of supplies I hoard but do not use."

Seriously.

I'm terrible. I think I have a problem. Maybe there's an addiction support group out there for me.

How many things have I bought and do not use? Or maybe use just once??? Let's run down the list.

• Cricut - yes, I know this is a pretty sweet machine to use. I don't know why I don't use it... Maybe with my challenge, I'll use it more?
• Xyron Design Runner - I got this using a bunch of Michael's coupons so I don't feel *too* bad about letting it go to waste... Maybe I'll use this for future cards.
• sewing machine - yeah, um, I don't know what I was thinking. It's a shame that my mom was a seamstress and I have no idea how to sew. She was so happy that I wanted to learn and got me a sewing machine for my birthday last year. Needless to say, it's still sealed in the box... and my birthday was in September.
• Quickutz - I think I tried using it once and got frustrated with the way it cut the paper... I never bothered figuring out what was wrong - I just gave up on the thing completely.

That's all I can think of for now... There are probably a bunch of other things I have but do not use... Dies for the Sizzix, Sizzlit alphabets for the Sizzix, the Click-It (Oh, I hate this thing. I couldn't get it to work!!!)...

I guess by listing all of this stuff it should get me more excited about my scrapbooking challenge. It really tells me a few things:

1. I don't need new stuff... well, maybe that Cuttlebug. *lol*
2. I have a ton of stuff gathering dust. It's time to use it all!
3. I spend way too much money on stuff. (Don't get me wrong, it may look like I bought all that stuff at list price, most of all that stuff was bought with online coupons, sales and/or free shipping! I always wait for good deals! That's why I buy stuff in the first place - I can't pass up the good deals!

Corinne and I agreed. If I'm good and I meet our scrapbooking challenge for 2 months in a row, I can get the Cuttlebug... Now THAT'S something to motivate me!

goals - revised.

I got to hang out with my best friend Corinne today. She and I have been best friends through college and we both share the same passion for the scrapbooking and cardmaking hobby... Unfortunately for the both of us, we also share the same passion for scrapbook supply shopping, buying, and hoarding. *lol*

I told her about my goals... and we're going in on this challenge together. Hopefully this will get us motivated to do more layouts and save our money!

The Rules:

1. Instead of my previous goal of 5 layouts and 10 cards per month, Corinne and I agreed to 5 layouts and 5 cards per month.
2. If we complete a layout, we put $5 in a jar (not a collective jar. Each jar will be respective to the other person.) At the end of the month we can spend this money on supplies.
3. We are allowed to buy adhesive in unlimited quantity. (Hey, it's something we need to complete layouts, right?)
   
4. If someone is on vacation and going out of town, she is exempt from completing 1 layout and 1 card... Example: If I go out of town for a week, I only have to do 4 layouts and 4 cards. If gone for 2 weeks, subtract 2 cards and 2 layouts... and so on.
5. If we do more than 5 layouts and 5 cards in a month, the number doesn't carry over into the following month. Example: If I do 7 layouts, I can't credit myself 2 layouts to the following month.
6. Our challenge begins on April 1st, 2007.

I think those are all of the rules we came up with... If I remember any more, I'll post them here!

challenge #1

So for my first challenge to myself, I've decided to pick a picture I have scrapbooked yet and turn it into a layout...

Here is the picture I've chosen...

Provided that the baby will be good today (he didn't take any naps yesterday) and visitors will be kept to a minimum, I just might have the time to sit down and do one layout.

Well, at least I hope to get this layout done sometime this week...

Ok. Ok. My deadline for myself is Wednesday...

That's attainable, right?

goals.

Goals are good right? They give us something to strive to achieve... They give us purpose... They motivate us to try to reach a little bit more outside ourselves...

So maybe this blog will help me do all of the above...

Achieveable goals?

• Limit the scrapbook shopping. I am an impulsive shopper. And you know how some people are comfort eaters? Those people who, when having a bad day, tend to turn to food to comfor them? Yeah, well, I don't seek comfort in food. I seek comfort in spending money on scrapbook stuff... How much money have I spent on supplies these last few months? How much have I actually scrapped?
• 5 pages, 10 cards per month. I've got tons of stuff - old stuff. new stuff. duplicate stuff. It's almost becoming ridiculous. And since moving Carl's office into my scrabook room, there has been less and less room for my stuff and the new stuff that I keep adding to the already growing collection. So, in order to get rid of the stuff I have without having a garage sale (like, I'd even SELL anything. If I go through my stash, I can picture myself saying, "I'd use that someday. I can't throw it out..."), I've decided to set a goal of getting stuff DONE. This goal will begin April 1st.

Longterm goal?

• Get published. *sigh* Every scrapbooker's dream, right? But instead of looking at magazines and telling myself each time, "I'm not worthy," my goal is to PUSH myself - think outside the box, try a new techique, find my own style... I may not get published soon, but it will happen someday. At least I hope. :)

So there you have it... in plain black and white. No excuses. This blog will help me get better - photograph better, journal better, design better...

We'll see how it goes. I'll keep you updated.

hi. i'm new here.

If you know me in real life, you're probably asking yourself, "How many blogs does this girl need?" To be honest, even I don't know... *lol*

Hmmm... let's see... when did I start blogging? It all started back in the old days when I was an 'NSYNC fan and blogging helped me keep in touch with all of the friends I had made during my fandom... What was that? I think it was all the way back in 2000. Yep, even before the blogging bandwagon began... I've had blogs here on Blogger... I've had blogs on Live Journal...

And now I have one here on Blogger again, and I still have on LJ... Why have two?

I've decided to keep my LJ one private with "friends only security"... That one goes into detail about my personal life so I'd like to keep that one as private as I can...

This blog, however, I'll keep public... And dedicated to my life as a scrapbooker. I've had blogs about my life, tracking my pregnancy, being an 'NSYNC fan... but never had I had a blog strictly about scrapbooking...

I'm excited. :)