Summercrafter

A Scrapbook, is a package deal really, the memories and the art, but I usually will "Shutterfly" a photo album with vacation pictures because I do like to look at those and document the trip. Plus, scrapbooking 200 pictures would take forever! But for a condensed version, I thought of selecting some "highlight" photos and scrapbook those. Well, that's the idea at least, I do have the pictures... On a similar note, I did have an "a-ha" moment this summer after I found a shadow box large enough to encompass our last vacation --complete with shells, photos, tickets and ephemera (little papers that relate to the event or experience). I'm about to start that project any day now! Here are the materials: Shadow box I found at a Home Goods store, it has that "worn," beached look. Scrapbook paper & accents, only purchased on sale or with coupons! Photos of vacation highlights, I am partial to scenery! "Ephemera" paper...

Paper crafts: Fast, easy, pretty! I am under the weather, but I had a little time to make something but not energy for big preparation and clean up. So I thought about using some pages I have been saving from Mary Engelbreit’s 2011 day-to-day calendar. (The kind you tear a page from every day.)   I have been collecting them either because I like the illustration, the message, or I could use it for another project like scrapbooking or making cards. I used these in particular for bookmarks because I am reading or trying to read several books at once.   I couldn’t add “jazz” to the paper part since it goes in the book but I was able to add a little 3D to the part that hangs out.   So to humor you, I will show you the 4 books and the 4 bookmarks and you can guess where they each will go. First one to guess correctly gets a free book mark made by me!         This project is basically cut and glue. Fancy scissors optional but not necessary. ...

I really enjoyed being able to create at will over the two weeks of winter recess.  And I get such a kick out of seeing these ideas materialize right before my eyes.  Sometimes the result is exactly how I imagined, and other times it's so much better! Then of course, there are the duds that need revisiting and revamping until there is a WOW to them that pronounces them FINISHED!  Sometimes there is a quality that defines one's work or play. I find that I am most meticulous and detail oriented when I am creating. But now, here we go, back to work and my crafting energy has been zapped. I have, however, started the Summer countdown, at least mentally. There are all sorts of things to plan until then: birthday celebrations (smaller scale than parties) maybe a decent Valentine's -- a day of historical humdrum for years and years ! An Anniversary of somewhat significance should conjure up some memorable event, place or outing. Summer Vacation!! My Summer ...

Of course I am not the only one -- I knew that . It's just these types are not in my circles. Sure, I am surrounded by people with creative skills on many levels but I am the one with the irresistible urge to do it all day long! My husband for one is a self-proclaimed, "UN-CREATIVE" type. Yet, when we were house shopping, he would look at a run down dump and see all it's possibilities, that's creativity! What makes artists, bloggers, crafters, quilters, fabric-o-holics, and a variety of other folks successful or meaningful, is that there are millions out there just like us.  It's a human condition, and how nice to know that we are not alone! I was in a book store the other day looking for the Quilt Sampler Magazine, which is AWOL in these parts for the last 2 issues, and I came across the magazine Artful Blogging . (They also publish Where Women Create , another favorite of mine, as you may know.) Well, I had heard of it, from the WWC mag, but it was the fi...

I have made a discovery about myself and the crafts I make. When I create, I like to see the finished product in a relatively short time. If I break the process down into phases, I feel like I accomplished something and my Craft Corner doesn't look like a war zone for days on end. Not to mention that it's a good way to get the photos of the stages in the process. This is why a "One Sitting Craft" is a great thing. I do it in one sitting, or one day or one hour, and I can scratch it off my list, literally. I once did a scrapbook this way, one page at a time and it was really beneficial to know I had a starting and stopping point and something to look forward to every night. My daughter and I made this together to hang on her door, 20-30minutes, hot glue, ribbons, jewels and stickers. I have also been wanting to try this "inner painting" of a glass ball for a while, although this one is plastic, no one would ever know! I especially liked the embellishing...

Maintaining, they say, is the worst part of dieting. And, congratulations, if you have gotten that far. I have found however, that maintaining over weight is much easier than maintaining lost weight. For me it's not really the food itself but rather the feelings. If I am moody, I want chocolate. If I am anxious, I want chips.  If the kids drive me crazy I eat bread??? If I am eating alone, I have bigger portions or a second serving. If I had a bad day, I go straight for the ice cream. And if my husband and I go out on a romantic date, we want to try or share everything on the menu.  So really, if I could just be like Spock, with no emotions for a while, I could lose weight. But I don't think technology is that advanced yet. Daily stressors are really the culprit. Recently, I discovered  something both interesting and scientific confirmed by   Dr. Oz and Dr. Henry Cloud .  Both share how stress really affects your body chemistry.  I...