My Scrappin' Space

wow! it's been a while!!!

2009-11-29T18:19:00.000-05:00

wow, i didn't realize how long it's been since i posted here last. eep!

on the other hand, i haven't done much lately.

but don't fret, gentle reader. i'm flat broke now, so i'm making gifts for christmas. which means i will have some projects to post here in the near future. :)

ah, ATCs...

2009-04-03T14:58:00.001-04:00

check out this book. needless to say, i want it! lol

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1592533345/ref=nosim/navylanestudi-20#

oh, so pretty.....

Whimsical Art online course

2009-03-29T17:40:00.002-04:00

ever wanted to develop a whimsical art style? i know i have! in fact, it's something i'm VERY interested lately! and, as the Muses would have it, i noticed a link on my own sidebar just a few minutes ago, one that i had not remembered, and clicked on it.
and here's what i found:

http://www.arttradermag.com/node/7

check it out! awesome!!

i think i'm going to sign up... post a comment if you're interested, too! :)

a fun little evening that inspires....

2009-03-29T00:06:00.002-04:00

so, tonight i spent some time with some of my girlfriends, scrapping and chatting, chatting and scrapping... well, one of us was scrapping. one was working on a card swap. one was making her own rubber stamps. and me? well, i was making ATCs! :)

i don't have my camera handy, so you'll have to trust me on this when i say that they're LOVELY! :) the first one, which i'm hoping will turn out in the end, was based on the theme "ghost" from the challenge blog Inspire Me Thursday. the other one was much more romantic, featuring a vintage couple. it was inspired by the Stripes challenge on, um.... another challenge blog (can't remember which one off the top of my head!)

the ghost card was done with versamark ink on glossy cardstock. over that, i sponged fuschia ink, which then smeared over the versamark image, leaving a ghostly image. i mounted it diagonally on grey cardstock, with the word "believe" stamped with black stayz on in the corner. once all that was done, i covered the image and word with a crackle medium... i'm waiting for it to dry, and then i'll post (if it isn't damaged, that is).

the second card was pretty basic. some paper (BG eva), and cardstock, mounted off-center of each other, with a pink frame stamped behind the couple. a metal "love" charm attached, and voila! ATC number 2! :)

like i said, when i have my camera, i'll post some pics. until then, you'll just have to trust me on this. they're lovely! :)

k, off to play euchre for a bit! ttyl!

Blockage!!!! Ugh!!!!!

2009-03-25T15:15:00.003-04:00

ok, so, an hour ago, i was feeling so creative, and sat down to work on one of my newest projects. and, i might add, one of my favourite projects. an altered journal. LOVE IT!!!!! well, i did at the time...

and now...

it is my NEMESIS!!!!!!!!

that's right, folks, i'm blocked. i got nothing. i put one of my most anticipated elements on: black eyelets with black wire wrapped around the edge of the cover. LOVE IT!!! but now what?

i'm sitting here staring at it, going, "it looks cool so far, but it needs more. but what?!" and i don't know. i mean literally, i have no ideas here.

i'll admit, i briefly toyed with the idea of prima flowers, a pretty contrast to the harsh/industrial feel of the metal accents. but it just wasn't working for me. i have a stamp that would look absolutely stunning, but where to put it? i have bling of various descriptions, but that's not right for this piece. fibers? they're lovely, but i don't think they're right, either.

my one thought was to do the whole edge with eyelets and wire. that might look cool. and hey... now that i'm thinking about it... it WOULD look really cool... and i could do something funky with the stamp, and then use some wire and maybe a transparency to anchor it... and then a word or quotation at the bottom or something...

oh, the ideas are flowing now!!!!! yay!!!! thanks for your help!!! ;)

UPDATE: GAH!!! doing the whole edge with eyelets and wire... yeah, can't work. the measurements are wrong, and it will leave either too much space at the bottom, or too little. which sucks, because that would have been freaking cool! :(

no, i haven't forgotten about this blog....

2009-03-23T10:23:00.002-04:00

i've actually been on this blog every couple days or so, but i only realized now how long it's really been since i last posted! lol five months!!! eep!!! lol

ok, so granted, i haven't been the most active with the scrappin stuff anyway. but i did finally get rid of the old desk, and replaced it with something smaller but far more functional. it's really pretty, too. i digs it. i'll post some pics once i find it again! ;)

anyway, i'm working on a few projects lately, but for the time being, i'm going to be focussing more on artistic endeavours rather than scrapbooking, so feel free to check out my newest blog, My Arty Adventure. ( myartyadventure.blogspot.com ) you'll likely find a bunch of stuff there in the near future. :)

so, yeah, i'm working on this blog, too. and keep coming back, even if only for the challenge blogs on the right sidebar. they're awesome! :)

so, talk to you later! :)

The Great Purge

2008-11-13T10:57:00.004-05:00

so, i've decided, once again, for good and for true, that i need to purge. and i need to be brutal. here are my new Purge Parameters:

if i haven't used it in 6 months, it's gone.
if it won't fit on a mini, it's gone.
if it's (still) unopened, it's gone.
if i don't know why i'm still keeping it, it's gone.
if it's not vintage, it's gone.
if i am still planning on using it for the same project i was planning 6 months ago but still haven't started, it's gone.
if it's a book that i don't look at, it's gone.

this purge will be brutal. this isn't for the faint at heart. i have a lot of stuff (still) that i've been keeping because i like it, but really, will i ever use it? i doubt it. so... there will be a lot going away. there will be rub-ons, paper, chipboard, more stamps, stickers, and God only knows what else. maybe even some gel pens (i know how much you love them! unfortunately, i don't use them all that often, so they may just have to go, too). there may be some BIG surprises in the purge. i haven't fully decided on a few things, but the way i'm feeling today, they may just Be Gone tomorrow (the bold letters give a hint).

my plan is to put it all in totes and store it until the next yard sale at CNP. i'll post a pic when it's done.

i'll be keeping a running list of everything going into the tote, so you can plan your yard sale purchases (but so you know, staci's already working on her list! lol). if you're desperate for anything i've listed, just let me know, and i'll let you know how much.

UPDATE: just so you know... i've got some BG collection packs in my tote, and there's going to be some storage items in there, too. verticle paper storage, and some photo storage (though i don't think it will fit in my tote, but it will be there in spirit), and a wheely-thingy (the word escapes me right now) to haul you stuff to crops and such. i work in mini now. i don't need a large tote thing. ooh! that reminds me, i need to call pam! toodles! :)

look at the progress! are you proud, annie?

2008-11-03T07:36:00.003-05:00

check it out, folks. the boxes are in their spots on the shelves, and you can see desktop! i still need to find a place for a bunch of stuff, but it's all neatly in a basket on the table, so it's also contained. look at me... i'm productive! yay! :)

back at it...

2008-11-02T20:42:00.003-05:00

and i'm actually beginning to make some progress! i know, i can't believe it, either! who knew there was actually a desk under there! did you know i have a BG magnetic mat? i do! and now, i know where it is, and i almost have enough clear space to put it on the desk... where it will be usuable!!!!! somebody pinch me! this is actually happening! wow! i'm speechless!

ok, you know i'm not. have i ever been? maybe once or twice, but alas, this is so not one of those times. anyway...

the reason for the post tonight is this: i am working on my desk, and that contest from the other week, when i told you to guess the number of "extras" i was going to find... yeah, that still stands. and so far, in the basket i have set aside for this very purpose, i have 14 items. now, there's still more. i have found an extra bottle of glue, and i'm debating about that. i mean, who can't use glue, right? so, maybe i should keep it. but, i already have 2 bottles on the go. well, 3, i guess, if you count this one. so perhaps i should include it in the "extras"? i don't know. i think it's only been used once or twice.

i'll keep you posted on my progress here over the next few days.in the meantime, i'm still purging, and still counting extras. and right now, included in this purge, there are some lovely glittery flowers, a 2-page layout i did for a crop circle (no title, no pics, but i'm not going to use it, so someone should enjoy it), a reverse image stamp, some chipboard, some Queen & Co brads in a nailpolish bottle (too cute!!!), and a very pretty sheet of paper. i've got more coming. i'm trying to be realistic (read: brutal) with all this, getting rid of things i really don't use/need. i'm keeping a few things, but a lot is going. i have found so many papers that i don't need, a couple flyers (including one for the CNP truckload clearance sale... last april).

well, i'm back to organizing. maybe i'll get my craft boxes back into their spaces tonight... i've already found a couple... boxes, that is... ok, and the spaces. they were buried behind crap. if you need me, this is where i'll be.

oh, and check the sidebar over the next few days, too. i may be downsizing a few other things here, as well. i know i've got a couple pizza box kits coming available, so once i get batteries for my camera i'll post some pics of those kits, so you know what you're coveting. alrighty? ttyl! :)

SAFETY ALERT - scrappin supply recalled

2008-10-23T12:31:00.003-04:00

just so you know... Health Canada has recalled some dollar store scrappin embellishments due to high lead content. here's the link.

http://tinyurl. com/6ywmhv

just thought i'd let you know.

the "before... again" shot

2008-10-19T20:42:00.004-04:00

ok, it's that time again... time to find my desk. here's my before shot, taken about 10 minutes ago. i haven't touched it yet. frankly, i'm scared to. i don't want to think of what i'm going to find in there... how many more bags of prima flowers, or papers i hate, or embies i forgot i had, or small children could i possibly find in there?!

hey, i know! let's have a contest:
guess the number of "extras" i will find on my desk this week. the person closest will win a pizza box kit, as yet unopened but nonetheless loved. i can't post pics of the papers yet, since i can't reach them at the moment. but i will, one of these days.

so, yeah, stay tuned this week to find out what i find. and seriously, if you want to play, just leave your guess in the comments here, and we'll see what i find!

ok, i've gotta get to work on this. come looking for me if you haven't heard from me by wednesday.

UPDATE: i already know about the 3 bags of Prima flowers i found earlier, and i've gotten rid of the ugly BG papers, so they don't count. this is "new" extras that we're looking for now.

look! you can see desktop!!!

2008-10-19T22:13:00.003-04:00

you will notice that the pile is significantly lower now. you can actually see the top of the desk! and so far i have found:

a vintage photograph of my great-grandparents on their wedding day.
3 wooden coat hooks i was planning on altering for the kiddies.
a protractor.
a stamp set i was going to sell at the CNP yard sale. (Treat Yourself. it's all cupcakes and gumball-machine themed. very cute. very not me. maybe it will be in the prize pack. i'm counting as an extra, since it's a stamp set i didn't know i had anymore...)
a roll of Hypafix.
some cards.
my hydro bill.
a pile of BG rub-ons.
my Xyron.
my Infusion collection pack.
the packaging for my Infusion collection pack. these were not together. seriously.
the orange brads i wanted when i was playing with deb the other week.
2 monthly challenge kits.
some flowers i don't want. they're cool, but, really, what was i thinking? they're not my style! they're not extras, but i'll count them. and they're going in the prize pack, too.
the books i'd borrowed from my councellor to read with the kids.
my jar of fibres. that's right. a jar. and it's tall. and until i actually stepped up to the desk, i couldn't see it. that's how high the pile was. i'm not joking.
some pics from asher's birthday party last year.
a coupon for $2.50 off a class at CNP. the coupon expired at the end of august. of this year. i know what you're thinking. i'm not that bad, you know. sheesh! lol

now, i'd like you not to notice that i am not posting a picture of my dining room table. and i will not be posting a pic of my desk in the morning after clearing off the table so we can eat breakfast. nope. by the end of this week, both surfaces will be clear and usable 100% of the time. but i think, for now anyway, i'll have to settle for an either/or scenario.

this too shall pass. serenity now, serenity now. i can do this. i can... can't i?

how did i forget this?!

2008-10-20T21:24:00.003-04:00

mom and i were going through some beads the other week, and we came across this pendant... that boat at the top of the skinny. well, she had never had any idea what to do with it (she beads). i saw it, and immediately knew it was going to go on a skinny with that boy!!!!! so, i got out all my stuff, and got to work. here's the result.

i used: SU cardstock and stamps, BG patterned paper (ambrosia, i do believe), some brads, some fibres, and a vintage boy. so simple. and i dig it.

btw, it was for a challenge. the theme was "red." but i don't remember what challenge blog it was for. once i remember, i'll update.

oh, these are stunning!!!! especially the celtic one... and the third one... and, for that matter, the first one is pretty cool, too

2008-10-13T16:21:00.002-04:00

http://bigartadventure.blogspot.com/2008/10/tin-can-alley.html

i'm really digging #3 in the category of "i think i could do this, if i had to." the celtic one? definitely "i wish!!!!" as for the first one? well, that would be "i like it, but i don't think i would do it, because it's not my style."

but still... check them out!

you need to see these!!!!

2008-10-10T21:43:00.003-04:00

http://dansmamaisonilya.blogspot.com/2008/10/echantillons-dans-ma-maison-il-y-une.html

i went checking out a couple challenge blogs tonight, and when i got to "Dans ma maison il y a..." my jaw absolutely dropped! literally! these samples are stunning.

oh, i wish i wish i wish i could do stuff like this!

ugh. more purging.

2008-10-06T21:39:00.003-04:00

the time has come once again for the yard sale at Cut N Paste. this is perfect timing... i guess. it means i now have a time limit for my purging. because what i really need in my life right now is a time crunch and some stress. yeah. anyway...

i've decided to be brutal. and i mean, brutal. well nigh start from scratch with all my paper. that's right, folks, if it's not BG or a few other select papers, it's all going. well, the 12x12 is. the smaller stuff will stay. and likely a few other things are gonna go, too. i have some embies i may never use, so really, they should go, too. (the 3 bags of Prima flowers, and the 2 jars of Prima flowers - can you say, prima junkie! - are staying. so don't even ask. lol) likely some inks, too.

yeah, i'm going to be brutal. this is seriously getting out of hand here, so i need to pretend i have no attachment to paper (!) and other pretty things (!!) and let go. but at least i get store credit for everything that sells at the yard sale. which means i can buy more stuff! yay pam! lol

well, wish me luck. and again, if you don't hear from me for a couple days, or if my stuff doesn't make it to the store in time for the sale, come looking for me. and when you find me, consider everything burying me for sale. lol

anyone else wanna give this a whirl?

2008-10-06T20:46:00.003-04:00

so, i was checking out challenge blogs tonight (surprise, surprise), and i found this on Inspire Me Thursday. the link is on the right sidebar, if you're interested. i wanna try this out, but i don't think i want to do it tonight (although i happen to have a cereal box in my possession right now). so, anyone else wanna try this? i included the instructions on the left sidebar, so check that out. then let me know. maybe we could get together and all do one? i don't know. anyway, let me know. it makes a cute sketchbook, journal or notebook, and it's uniquely yours. or give it away as a gift.

anyway, yeah, i'm going to try it out. not tonight, but likely this week sometime. i'll post when i do it. i can't wait! :)

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! THIS IS GORGEOUS!!!!!... part 2

2008-10-05T18:46:00.002-04:00

so, once again blog-hopping through challenge blogs and their links. i always find such cool blogs (hence the recent explosion on the sidebar). well, i got to one blog called Small Creations, and found this post. http://smallcreations.blogspot.com/2008/07/halloween-already.html

there's four or five pictures on the post, but the only one i really care about is the first one. it's the background of the piece posted in the second shot. this is AMAZING!!!! and a little inspiring... maybe i'll be keeping some of my "purged" (or soon to be) papers, after all! ;)

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! THIS IS GORGEOUS!!!

2008-10-05T17:27:00.001-04:00

seriously, check it out and drool. the layout's not bad, but the "chunky ATC" is fabulous!!!

http://craftawayasunday.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/challenge-5-swirls-and-flourishes/

Arty Girlz - Red!

2008-10-01T22:39:00.004-04:00

the theme this week on Arty Girlz is Red. it's been a while since i've played there (or have i before? i don't remember. after a while some of these challenges blend together, to be honest... especially if you're not a regular. but they're fun and i like them, so...). i wondered what to do for this one, since i don't often use red in my work (other than the tag i did on the weekend; that was also an exception), so this challenge was just that... a challenge!

i was playing beads with my mom earlier this evening, making myself a necklace to go with a sweater i just bought. my mom showed me a gold chain that i could use for a different necklace, and she said, "you can just get rid of that pendant." i sat speechless (imagine that!), gazing at the pendant in my hand, and i was immediately inspired. i knew the papers, i knew the theme, and i started searching for the perfect little boy. and there he was! thank-you, gail, at PaperWhimsy! he's delightful!

the only real challenge on this piece was attaching this most beauteous pendant. it took me a couple minutes to figure out, i'll admit. in fact, i deliberately left it till last, and i pondered this dilemma whilst working on the rest. i finally went with glue dots, some scrunched up into "boogers." then i punched a hole in the paper behind the loop at the top, and threaded outrageous red and oranges fibres through.

so, here's the run-down of what i used: BG ambrosia (love it!!!!), SU! Flexible Expressive Phrases (or something like that... if you know the name of the stamp set, let me know. i forget and i can't find my old catties). other than that, it's miscellaneous brads and fibres and ink. there you have it. my little travelling boy. i dig him. :)

and i forgot to mention that this is a skinny (3x5). i think this is my favourite size. although ATCs are fun, too. and 4x4. and tags. oh, bother, i love them all! :)

baby, it's cold outside...

2008-10-01T19:10:00.003-04:00

is anyone else cold tonight? i'm thinking that tonight, i just might stay in and play. put the kiddies to be early, and play. if you live in the area, feel free to join me at my place around 8:30. otherwise, i'll likely put a challenge out a couple times, and if you're inspired you can play along from wherever you are. but even if i don't put out challenges, or you're not inspired by me, please play with me anyway. post a pic on your blog, and i'll check it out (just leave the link in the comments section). you could also email me, and i'll check it out that way. let me know if you're going to join me. :)

Why I Don't Do Paper-Piecing (this is for Deb, who created the lovelies below)

2008-09-28T00:35:00.007-04:00

ok, for my readers who don't know exactly what paper-piecing is, here's a fine example, done by my friend deb. if you can't tell from the picture, each individual colour is a different piece of paper, cut out by hand, and glued together. i'm not joking. now, don't get me wrong, i think the finished product is lovely, and deb did a great job. but seriously... that's just not my style. so, having been inspired tonight, here are my reasons why i don't do paper-piecing:

seriously... the time required to just do a simple lighthouse is unbelievable. i've got better things to do with my time. like blog about all reasons i don't do paper-pieced lighthouses.
what colour is Goofy's hat?! who cares?! (this actually came out of a real conversation tonight, if you can believe it. but, staci came to the rescue, and looked it up online. it's green.)
seriously! who really cares what colour Goofy's hat is?!
i don't know what colour each Disney character's nose is.
so, my friend wanted to do a scarecrow. bought the kit and everything. but there was no template in the kit. and now there's no scarecrow. :(
"it could be one piece for the shoes, or 12 pieces. it all depends." that's an actual quote. i'm not kidding.
so very many small pieces to cut out.
so very many small pieces to lose.
so very many small pieces to re-cut.
so very many small pieces that get found after gluing down the second piece.

Joe. gimme.

2008-09-29T22:02:00.003-04:00

the challenge this week on Think Monday - Think ATC is coffee. almost too easy.

i say almost because, as some of you may know, i have an awesome coffee stamp (i used it on a 4x4 a while back, and i love it!). now, if you recall my post from the other day, my scrappin space is, well, messy. i can see desk, and the highest pile consists of a pen, some cards, a package of eyelets and a basket (listed from bottom to top). anyway, i searched high and low for that coffee stamp, but alas, it is nowhere to be found. and i just saw it the other day! arg!

so, if you noted my FB status tonight, it said "heather is going to make an atc tonight." then it changed to "heather is going to read tonight." then it changed back to "heather made an ATC after all tonight." and here it is!

not the stamp, mind you. no, that's gone. i'll find it... eventually. but while i was flipping around between blogs and listening to music, i was inspired to do the ATC anyway, and completely differently than i had originally intended. here's the final product. i like it. a lot.

the TMTA theme this week is coffee. and i was inspired. so here is my creation.

and while you're looking, please don't notice the fact that the mug is, in fact, paper-pieced. i stand by my post from the other night. i almost lost the handle at one point. and inking the edges is ridiculous. yes, i stand by my "i don't do paper-piecing" rant. but at least i've given it a whirl. i like the whimsy the mug lends to this ATC, but still, this will be the last paper piecing you see from this girl for a long time... like, forever.

but you noticed that the mug is BG infuse, didn't you? i know you did. i'll get you all hooked on BG, just gimme time (if you're not already addicted, that is, because really, how could you not be?). ;)

Faithbooking 2: Sacredness

2008-09-26T21:35:00.007-04:00

this week's faithbooking class is about Sacredness, or Faith Defined. what is faith to me? what does it give me, when do i need it, where do i find it? i included a poem on the first page, though what you put there is up to you. perhaps a picture of your meditation space, church, holy book, yourself in prayer, maybe even a prayer that you've written out. the journaling on page 2 is how you define faith, whatever it means for you.

i realize that this is a very personal topic that we're scrapping here. i'm not saying you need to come to the class with your journaling already written or even planned. i'm just giving you the medium on which to preserve what you believe at this point in your journey. there is no right or wrong answer for this, and no one (least of all me!) is going to judge your beliefs.

i also realize that this layout may be somewhat challenging for some people, not only because of the subject, but the layout itself is challenging. all that space! (pam made me add the picture in the bottom right corner on page 2 - the original version has more space there.) for me, the whole layout is a definition of my faith and sacredness. i find my faith in the space between. between you and me, me and Him, moment to moment. my faith restores my personal space, balances my space, helps me find peace in my space, generally makes my space more live-able. faith is the white-space in my life that draws my focus to what really matters, puts everything back into perspective, and lets me breathe again. that's why there's so much space on this layout.

i urge you to give this layout a try. i really enjoyed making it. it's simple, with some fun techniques (painting, tearing, doodling, stamping), but i think the impact of the design is striking. it's simplicity is what makes it work.

i hope you enjoy this layout as much as i enjoyed creating it. hope to see you wednesday night! :)

ps - i'll post better pictures when i get them. we forgot to scan the layout before hanging it in the store. :(

on the first page is the poem Zero Circle, by Rumi.

my journaling on the second page reads:
faith is what you find at the end of your rope, when you're lost, confused and weak. it picks you up and carries you when you just can't do it on your own.
sometimes i'm too stubborn to admit that, and then i'm screwed. i need help sometimes, i admit. faith is a helping hand.
when i'm quiet and still, even - especially - in the chaos of my life... that is when i find my faith.
and my strength.

i give you... Blue!

2008-09-28T00:28:00.002-04:00

the challenge this week on... um... something... My Time to Craft is blue. you're allowed white as well, but the main colour must be blue. so, here's my skinny. mostly blue. but i won't be posting this to the challenge blog, since i also used black and therefore broke the rules, but i still like the way this little creation turned out. well, enjoy! :)