Dreaming of CHA

CHA. Oh CHA. Do you know what CHA is? It's the Craft and Hobby Association trade show and it is my dream. Well, my scrapbooking dream anyway. This is where the creme de la creme of the crafting world release their top secret, amazing new products to the world. Wholesalers, store owners, scrapbookers, designers, they are all there to see what's totally hot and who is up and coming. It's a crazy madhouse of out of control scrapbooking goodness. Watch out, someday I'll be there. There are tons of websites you can check out to hear about what's going on throughout the weekend. A few of my faves are the Making Memories Blog, Hambly, Scrap In Style, American Crafts, Prima, Maya Road and of course a lot of the designers are throwing a few things on their sites like Elsie Flanningan and Cheryl Mezzetti just to name a couple. BUT, the point of this post (and I do have an AMAZING point, I promise) is a great new product I just learned about. I am doing my very first clear album ever and have been surfing the net trying to find good ideas so I checked out Leica Forrest's blog (of course) and found this:

I hope the girls at Fire & Ice Designs don't mind that I lifted these pictures off their site!!! I just loved them. Read about the concept of the Build a Book...I love the idea. I'm hoping to be doing a lot more clear albums with their great tips! And who doesn't love Prima??? I think they have a wonderful thing going there. Way to go!

So don't be afraid to try new things. They may not be your regular scrap style and you may feel uncomfortable with using new lines, new products or completely new tools or adhesive but branch out! You never know where this crazy artform is going to take you! Mine is taking me to CHA. Someday.

Where does the week go?!?

First off...HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELI!!! Have a fabulous day girl, can't wait to see you!!! Check out Keli's blog...she has a great video on there right now courtesy of Wilna.

I seriously thought it hadn't been that long since I had blogged. Apparently my sense of time is a little warped. I have been busy...really I have. Not just pregnant eating busy but truly busy with things that need to get done which is a blessing because it means I'm still mobile enough to finish projects! I am doing SO much better than with my first pregnancy so if I'm not sitting at the computer I am going to rejoice because it means I'm still on my feet! A few things I've been working on:

Getting fatter...


Had fondue with the girls (and the little boys) on Thursday night. Fondue should be a food group.
















Actual scrapbooking projects...
I am plugging away at my son's first year album right now. He's three. Yeah, I know. But it's my goal to have it done by the end of the month. Keep me accountable PLEASE!!! Bug me, pester me, e-mail me! Are you done yet Kate? Did you scrapbook today Kate? How's the album coming Kate?! I'm doing pretty good, especially since I've been scrapjacking Christine Middlecamp for a few layouts. She's somewhat hard to jack because of all the great layered elements in her work but she definitely gives me the inspiration and general direction to go in.




I can't claim that they look anything like her work but I'm extremely pleased with them. Here's one I love.


Just a side note: I seriously didn't mean for there to be a huge "BS" in the title, those just happened to be the Thickers I had available. SIGH.







And the layout that inspired it.




Check out Christine's gallery on Scrap In Style TV.

Other than that...the weather has been horrendously cold and all classes have been cancelled unfortunately. Monday the kids class starts again and hopefully we'll have almost everyone there. We haven't had a proper class since before Christmas because of this insane cold and I've been trying to get a group photo so I can do a layout as a thank-you to Canadian Scrapbooker for publishing us. I'll get there eventually...Scrap Happy everyone!

Nesting, Cravings and other weird pregnant things not at all related to scrapbooking...unless I start eating my pattern paper.

Headache today. Tired belly. Tired everything in fact. That's probably because I spent the last two days cleaning out closets that didn't really need to be cleaned at that moment. It's a pregnant nesting thing and gives you scads of energy to complete the project your weird little mind sets itself to...and then you pay the price for the next several days. Day before yesterday it was the laundry and the linen closet (Also known as Junkville, USA) and yesterday it was my entire scrapbooking room. Well, the linen closet actually has only linen in it now and it looks fabulous. Look out Martha. And as for my scrapbooking room...I can honestly say that I can sit down and scrapbook now. Praise the Lord. It did need a general tidy but my main problem that was bothering my pregnant brain was my desk. I have this HUGE heavy desk that is 5 feet long by 2.5 feet wide...and my actual work space is about one foot by one foot because of all the supplies stored on top of the desk. So not only did I get myself in gear to do some cleaning, I also dragged the Hubs into the situation and made him hang two shelves. "You want me to do what?!" He also reminded me we are moving in 5 months. I didn't care. The shelves don't match and one of them isn't even painted. I didn't care about that either. I wanted to get that stuff off my desk. You really have a very focused mind for certain things when you are in your last trimester. Keeping track of your three year old, your keys and your sanity...not so much. But if there is a mess that is bugging you, you have extreme focus. So they are not so nice but terribly functional and I know some day I will have an amazing scrap space that is all matchy matchy and filled with wonderful items from Ikea and Home Outfitters. But for now, this is what is making me sublimely happy:

And just for fun, here is my six and a half month pregnant belly. The mirror was a little spotty but you get the idea...

I promised some stuff from my scrap classes last weekend but due to the extreme weather we have been having we had to cancel both classes. The adult class was cancelled because there was no heat in the building! So be patient...next week will bring some great creativity from the students! Until then, I'll have to post some new stuff. Stay tuned. xox

Many Blessings and lots of Bling Baby!

Must, must MUST post another thank-you! This time, I have lots of pictures and I can even feature some amazing layouts by the most generous and caring

MELANIE from Columbia, Maryland USA!!!

Check out her awesome blog...not dedicated to scrapbooking but rather to the wonderful world of books. I know I'll be using her reading lists in the near future!

This girl also has mad talent as a scrapbooker. I love her style and she does the most amazing things with vintage photos. I have gained some serious inspiration from her Scrap In Style Profile because I never, ever know how to do justice to my vintage photos. Melanie knows...and it shows. Check it out:



And her pages for recent photos are great too. I just LOVE the simple yet poignant journaling on this one:
Her use of colour always catches my eye and I love all the layering of the "extras". Love it Mel!
This photo absolutely does NOT do her donation justice but here it is anyway. Mel, could you have donated any more rub ons girl?!? THANK-YOU!!! One of the girls did a layout at todays class and she was pretty excited to finish it off with those oh so cute Mod Citrus rub ons. But more about that in my weekend blog post...
Again, from the very bottom of our hearts, Thank-you Melanie. I wouldn't be doing this class without the help of scrapbookers like you! I will be posting a great layout by one of the students on the weekend and telling a bit more about the class.

Until next time people...go glue something!

Blog withdrawl

Finally back from holidays (it was wonderful) and now I actually have to get some work done. Why does that happen? We have to go and spoil that euphoric high you get from being somewhere warm with...laundry, bills, paperwork and deadlines. Oh to win the lottery and be a professional woman of leisure. But that is not to be (not this week anyway) so here I am updating you on all the stuff that has happened since the New Year. With maybe a picture or 2 thrown in for colour. So off we go.

Things to be thankful for in 2008:


* The baby is extremely active. Upside: feels neat. Downside: I feel like my liver is being beaten to a pulp. Not so neat.


* Spring is just around the corner. It is, right? Someone please tell me it's almost here...


* Have tons of pictures printed to scrap son #1's first year book. That is my goal before son #2 arrives. Oops, did I type that out loud?


* Many, many people to thank for all their wonderful donations for the Great White Scrapbooking Program! True to our name, we have received TONS of snow here and it's hindering class a bit but we'll be back at it before we know it.


I have been sort of featuring people who have sent donations...with pictures of them, their work or pictures of the donations themselves. Well, due to technical difficulties (the technical part being me and my pregnant brain) I have no photos to go with today's thank-you. But I wanted to give a HUGE shout out to WENDY from SASKATOON for her caring and generosity! Wendy, thank-you SO MUCH for your many donations. They are appreciated!


I have another free class on the go as well...several posts back I had pictures of the Family Class held in conjunction with the Dene K'oe (pronounced KWAY) program. Well, Leona has been on her toes this month and has already been advertising for our adult class to start next Wednesday night. I'm really looking forward to it! I hope this wickedly cold weather goes away so it's a little easier for people to attend. Numbers tend to drop with the temperature around here. You just want to stay inside wearing big fuzzy socks and drinking hot chocolate! So I will post some photos of that next week along with our projects. Good times!


As promised, a few pictures. Not scrapbook related but I have been taking a bit of a break from that over the last few weeks, recovering from all the stuff I made for Christmas! Look for more layouts next week.
Keli and I sporting the bellies on the beach. I probably should have asked Kel first before posting her naked pregnant belly on the internet...I guess we'll find out soon how she feels about that! Sorry babe, let me know.
The weather was not so nice so we had lots of time to snap pictures. My husband does a great job!

It was so windy...the hair didn't cooperate so much but I'm happy to have the pictures. Very few photos with son #1 as he came a month early!
The courtyard right outside our room. Gorgeous!
More later on the Mexican Adventure! I HIGHLY encourage anyone else who took a warm holiday last year to share a bit of your experience...help us all get through this next nasty month! Where did you go? What was your favourite part? Share a photo with us!

Welcome 2008~!!!

Tons to be thankful for...don't forget to thank God for this wonderful year and look forward to everything coming in the new one! My scrapbook classes start again 3rd week in January and we are SO excited to begin some new techniques thanks to all the amazing donations we have been receiving. More about that in the New year though...many people to thank! Each one will get a special day on the blog just for them. My belly is getting pretty big but thanks to wonderful modern technology I can say for sure that it's not twins! I think I startled the nurse because when the doctor said there was only one in there I shouted "Praise the LORD!!!" It was pretty funny because my 3 year old was there and shouted it right after me. He is very into copying right now. So a good chuckle was had by all. Did tons of scrapping for gifts this year...and have no time to post it on here right now so I hope nobody minds waiting a bit. I'll be taking a nice long break from the world, see you all in 2008!!!

Christmas came early!

Can I toot my own horn again? I am still pretty excited about the layout that Leica Forrest did for Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine. Page 20 if you haven't checked it out yet! And for our American friends who don't get the magazine, you can check out a brief write up on the Crop N Craft Room Website. This website is still under construction but some links are ready to go. Check out the Design Team link...in the write up CS did, they put out a call for used supplies. Well, you never know how that is going to go. People have been hugely generous! And I believe there are 30,000 copies of Canadian Scrapbooker printed each issue (please correct me if I am wrong) so I am a little afraid at how much is going to come flooding into the office! We live in a remote area so we do not have a post office box, we get our mail at my husband's office. I think the secretaries who pick up the mail are getting a little worn out now! The magazine article was not out even 3 weeks and people have started sending things already. The kids are so excited to start class again in January! So even though she has no way of finding my blog unless she googled me, I still really wanted to recognize

GAIL from SARNIA, ONTARIO.

hers was the very first box of stuff for the kids due to the article in CS and she wrote me a lovely letter along with it! The stuff covered half my dining table!!! Check out Gail's generosity:
I swear the stack of paper she sent was 3 inches thick!



It's so funny that this stuff is coming in right now...for one thing it feels like early Christmas! But just the other day at our last class of the season some of the girls were looking at an album I am doing for my niece and they were pointing out specific stickers and embellishments I had used that are fairly recent (like in the last 6 months or so) and were asking if we had that so they could scrapjack the page they liked. I said unfortunately no, we didn't have stuff like that but maybe we could work on it in the New Year and see if we could buy a few things. Well, no need! Several things came right in Gail's package! Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you!!!

Other packages have been arriving almost daily so every other day or so I'll thank a new person! This class has gotten so much bigger than I ever expected...I can NOT thank everyone enough! Classes are done now until mid January when school gets back into full swing. Our last hurrah is on Dec 21st...the high school asked me to come in and be one of the stations for their Christmas Extravaganza. It's the last day of school so the kids get to sign up for different fun activities. I'll take some pictures and post them next week.