Having fun with Camp Scrap!

I am participating in May Flaum's Camp Scrap at Big Picture Classes and am so happy I signed up for this class.  I am loving the encouragement May has provided so far to just get started!  I needed that extra kick because I have been procrastinating crafting for quite some time.

At the beginning, May suggested saying what you're afraid of in your crafting to help you figure out what's holding you back.  I realized that I am afraid of being disappointed with my finished project, that it somehow won't look as good as what I have envisioned in my head, and so I stall out with a lot of unfinished projects.

Case in point: two 4th of July layouts that I started last summer.  I had made the base layout for one (cut out the papers and left a space for the photos, see above). I liked it so much, I wanted to use the same papers and layout for another set of photos.  But I didn't have exactly the same papers, and so I ended up not finishing either layout, out of fear that I would use the wrong photos with the one layout I had.

Camp started, and I wanted to get some unfinished layouts done.  So I pulled this one out and finally stuck the photos down.  I also made a 6x12 extra to hold one more photo that didn't fit in the space I had left.

With May's encouragement in Camp Scrap, I also pulled out the papers I did have, a new piece of paper I bought recently and made the second layout.  And I love it just as much as the first one (if not more).  Yay!  So happy to have these layouts done!

Here's the link to the class if you're interested in joining in the fun! http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/classes/campscrap2013/ 

One Little Word Blog Hop for December

It's December 1!  I'm very excited to start my December Daily album.  But I'm here to report on my One Little Word album!  My word this year is design and it has been a great word for me.  I have been working hard to catch up and used this month's blog hop to motivate me to finish November so that it wasn't looming over my head.

I like this prompt a lot - and ended up having a lot to write!  It was hard to fit it all onto the 2.5 x 3.5 cards.  I'm still figuring out if I will make a separate page for the journaling that didn't fit.  I think I might just put it in my Yearbook in a Snap for Stacy Julian's Twelve class.

Here's what the draft looked like - almost filled the blank cards too!

One cool aspect of my design for this page is that the number patterned paper has my birthday in it.  Can you see it?  My birthday is 11 - 24 - 77.

Here are the other participants in this month's hop.  Next up: Karen!

Margie    http://xnomads.typepad.com

Lisa    http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/

Kimberlee   http://scrapsandsass.blogspot.com

Monica    http://scrapinspired.com/category/one-little-word/

Naomi    http://www.poeticaperture.com

Cheri    http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Ruth     http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com

Veronica   www.veronicanorris.typepad.com

Kara   http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com

ME --> Cynthia  http://paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com

Karen   http://womenontractors.blogspot.com/

Kelly  http://mindingmynest.com

Carolina  www.micinnamons.blogspot.com

Missus Wookie  http://mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.co.uk

And special thanks to Lisa for organizing this month.

One Little Word blog hop for July

Scanning over my blogposts, it seems that One Little Word is the main thing triggering me to blog!  I guess that's a nice unintended consequence of signing up for the class.  But I have been so behind on the prompts this year, that this is my first blog hop for 2012.   Many thanks to Margie for organizing and keeping me on the email list!

My word this year is design.  It has been a good pick and a good fit for my goals for this year.  In fact, I was going through the dictionary/thesaurus prompt from January just last week (like I said, I'm BEHIND!), and I was really surprised by how many synonyms captured exactly what I have been focusing on this year by choosing this word, like action, accomplish, create, even big picture!

I had so much fun with the June prompt to play.  I didn't paint or make a mess, just pulled out some of my current favorite and inspiring patterned papers and moved them around on the floor for an hour or so until I found a combo that I liked.  And I love what I ended up with.  I am very deliberate when I scrapbook, and take forever to make a decision, even a decision to cut into the paper, that having permission to play and mess up and make something for no real purpose stretches me.  But that's a good thing.  And something I want to do more of.  Something I want from this word and for my creative life more generally.

Next up, Donna!

And here's the whole list if you want to check out everyone else's words:

Margie  http://xnomads.typepad.com

Monica  http://scrapinspired.com/tag/one-little-word/

Jamie   jmpgirl.blopspot.com

Jenn    www.studiojenn.blogspot.com

Amanda  http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com

Ruth    http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com

Cheri   http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com 

Naomi   http://poeticaperture.com

Lisa http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/

Veronica  www.veronicanorris.typepad.com

Missus Wookie http://mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.com/

Kelly   http://mindingmynest.com

Nikki   http://www.inkyart.com.au

Jill                http://jillconyers.com/

Brighton www.simplebrighton.com

Tere    http://terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com

Cynthia http://paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com/

Donna   http://holimess.blogspot.com/

One Little Word blog hop for January

This is a recap of the December prompt for my 2011 One Little Word and also a preview of my 2012 word!

I counted down to 2012 by standing in an embrace with my awesome husband and sweet daughter, and it seemed such a fitting way to end the year.

Embrace has been a good word for 2011. I found that it really helped me to relax and accept the changes that were constant throughout this year.

Now to announce my word for 2012.....

The word is design.

This word chose me - I was working on planning my courses that I will be teaching this spring and I was reading a book called Understanding by Design. One of the chapters started with a definition of design - to plan with purpose and intent; to execute - and I thought, that is exactly what I want to do this coming year! I like the literal meaning of it too, since I would really like to spend more time learning about design and applying it to my scrapbooking.

Next up on the blog hop is Lee!

And here is a list of everyone that is participating:
Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com
Cheri http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com
Veronica www.veronicanorris.typepad.com
Kara http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com/
Rebekah http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/
Sharyn http://www.LaVieEnChic.com
Jill http://jillconyers.com
Lynn www.crafty-creativity.blogspot.com
Monica http://scrapinspired.com/
Lisa http://backtoallen.com/writers_blog
-> Cynthia H http://paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com <-
Lee http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife/
Abbey http://athomewiththerichardsfamily.blogspot.com/
Monica B www.questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com
Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au
Tere http://terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com/
Melissa S http://blog.mshanhun.com
Nicky http://seejanebake.blogspot.com
Stephanie http://www.scrapworthylives.com/
Jenn L www.studiojenn.blogspot.com
Cindy http://seriousplay.typepad.com
Amanda http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com
Sam http://learncreatedo.wordpress.com/
Jan http://mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com
Jamie http://jmpgirl.blogspot.com
Karen http://breathenowsmile.blogspot.com/

December Daily: Day One

I have been so excited for December Daily this year. December Daily is my way of getting in the holiday spirit, of getting ready for Christmas, of being enthusiastic and excited for the season.

I really like this post that Noell Hyman at Paperclipping wrote about tailoring December Daily to your style. I go through a similar dilemma to what she describes, and this year I was inspired to just go for it by the fact that it's E's first Christmas and I would love to have that documented somehow. I like the mix of the everyday with the Christmas, so that's not a problem for me, but last year I didn't love all of my foundation pages after they were filled in with pictures and journaling. So, this year, I am using Ali's template, but filling in with paper and embellishments as the day unfolds rather than ahead of time.

I also loved Ali's post today of encouragement - it all counts! It doesn't matter if you don't have a picture for every day. If you want to "break the rules", you can! This is your project, make it great, but don't make it stressful. Love that. Oh, and point #9 was written just for me. ; )



Here is my journaling for December 1:
Today I dressed E in an outfit that I found at a consignment sale earlier this year - it has polka dots and a little penguin on it that says bundle of love. I just love it for the holiday season (and because it has dots and penguins, so perfect!) Tonight at dinner we gave her avocado for the first time, and I was so tempted to change her out of her cute clothes and put her in something else (anticipating a mess), but then decided what the heck, I'll just do a little extra scrubbing the next time I do laundry. I'm glad I did (hello, one little word embrace!) because this photo of her at the table with avocado all over her belly is the perfect beginning to December Daily. It just makes me happy to see that cute smiling face covered in drool, and it is a great picture to tell the story of how we are starting her out with solid foods using Baby Led Weaning - she eats with us, we give her foods that we are also eating, and she is learning how to eat them on her own at her pace. It has made mealtimes so much fun!

One Little Word blog hop for December!

My word: embrace

I have sort of been keeping up with my One Little Word album, but I definitely haven't been doing a good job of updating my blog. I am embracing that fact and reminding myself that I have been spending a lot of quality time with my baby instead! : )

Speaking of the baby, I was hoping to get my page scanned and uploaded before the hop went live, but she kept me up all night last night, so that didn't happen. I hope to be able to update before the day is over. I can say that I printed the brown lettering set on Bazzill's Coconut Cream paper (this is becoming my favorite off-white cardstock) and wrote in the journaling with a brown pen.


If I'm cute and smiley all day, does that make up for the fact that I'm a crankypants all night long?

Here is my journaling:
I believe that my new job is a good fit for me.
I know that E is well adjusted and thriving despite all the changes we have subjected her to, with moving and being between two different states.
I love E more and more each day. Her smile, her growth, and her discovery are so amazing to witness.
I learned that motherhood was not an easy transition for me.
I am enjoying reading again, having felt uninspired when we first got to Indiana. I am loving taking E to the library (and she seems to love it too!)
This word has helped me relax, be at peace, and accept where I am right now. I feel like I stress about things a little less and am enjoying things a little more.

Next up is Jan!

If you want to start at the beginning, go to Margie's blog.

And here's the entire list:

Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com
Julie Ann http://julieannshahin2.blogspot.com
Jill http://jillconyers.typepad.com
Monica B http://questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com
Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au
Debra http://blakleyhomeplace.blogspot.com
Amanda http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com
Sam http://learncreatedo.wordpress.com
Lynn http://crafty-creativity.blogspot.com
--> You are Here
http://paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com <--
Jan http://mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com
Jenn http://studiojenn.blogspot.com
Cindy http://seriousplay.typepad.com
Lisa http://backtoallen.com/writers_blog

Getting back on the blogging bandwagon

I have fallen out of the habit of updating my blog thanks to a certain (cute) little someone, but December Daily is coming up, so I thought I would get back in on the action. I also signed up to participate in the One Little Word blog hop for December 1st in order to force me to post something. So check back soon for some updates!

In the meantime, I leave you with this cuteness, taken the day the December Daily kit arrived from Studio Calico!