Love Where You Scrap

Hi all!
It’s Trish and I’m back with a new blog post!! I’ve had to miss my last two blog posts due to some health issues, but don’t worry I have them typed up on my computer ready to be posted at another time.

Now, for once I’m not on here telling you how to do something. As much as I love doing that, I’m still not quite up to all that. Today we’re going to talk about your scrapping environment. One of the things I remember most about my art classes was my art teachers stressing to us to love where you work and to fill it with things that inspire and motivate you. In the age of laptops it is so easy to just pick that computer up and move it with you wherever you want to scrap. Don’t get me wrong, when I had my laptop I loved doing that. I could go outside and scrap, scrap at school, scrap at my mom’s, just scrap wherever I pleased. But even then I had one main place I scrapped. Most people also have one main place they scrap, be it at a desk, on the couch, in a comfy chair, in bed, or even in the kitchen. It’s just that one place where we automatically plop down and get to scrapping.

My place is my desk in my corner. And man oh man, I love my spot. It’s full of things that when I feel down, or stumped I can look around at them and gather inspiration, happiness, or motivation.

(Yeah, it’s messy – but I’m messy and flourish in chaos. lol)

My corner is in a corner of my living room. I can easily keep an eye on the kiddos from here and scrap away without feeling like I’m losing quality time with my family.

As you can see I have a lot of stuff surrounding me while I scrap. But except for some of the junk on the desk and on top of the boys craft trolley (the purple thing) I specifically pick what all surrounds me. I have my inspiration shelf, my craft spot, and my motivation. This is the happiest corner of my house for me. I’m surrounded by things I love and that bring me joy and pride. I’ll give you a little background on some of the stuff and why it got the honor of being in my happy spot.


The Inspiration:
This is my shelf full of things that inspire me. The most important thing is Zach’s picture. He came in second place in the K-4/Kindergarten division in his school’s art contest with that picture when he was in K-4. He was so proud of it and I was so proud of it. It has to actually be one of my most prized possessions in my entire house. Now, I don’t practice Buddhism, but I have quite a collection of Buddha figures. Something about them has just always made me smile and brings me peace. The collection started with a set of two large green Buddha’s my husband’s grandmother gave me that she had had a long time, and over the years John and I just pick up random Buddhas that make us smile when we see them. Also, you can see part of my huge fairy collection. The two featured on my shelf are from my grandmother who bought them because she said they reminded her of me. (They each have orange hair. lol) Two of my favorite pictures from my childhood are on the shelf. One is of me and my grandfather. He died when I was 13, but before he passed he was the grandparent that I was closest too. We would spend whole weekend wondering around thrift shops, old bookstores, going to the movies, or just going and being together. He always encouraged me to do and be whoever I wanted… even if it meant he would go out in public with me wearing the most tacky-awful outfits ever.  The other picture of me… well it is just so me. lol I’m very full of myself. And I do mean VERY. When I get to feeling down or  like I just have no talent I look at that picture and remember that I can do anything, and not only can I do anything, I’m also awesome at what I do. The picture of John and I is old. It’s from not long after we had Zach and we were 17 and everyone kept telling us how we would never end up staying together. I look at it and smile for the man I love and gloat over proving all those people wrong. The award is from my senior year of high school. I was voted the most artistic and creative person in the school. And lastly my Max and wild thing. I love the book “Where the Wild Things Are.” I can recite you that book. lol That statue makes me think of my own wild things, and they are my ultimate source of inspiration.


My Art-spiration:
I love this picture. I drew this my senior year of high school. It’s not my best piece of art work at all, but of everything I’ve made this means the most to me. It was so difficult for me going back to school my senior year after having Zach. Most of my teachers thought I shouldn’t have come back, and that by doing so I was depriving my son of my attention, that I should be working so that I could financially support him, and that there was no way I could keep up with my responsibilities at school and a baby. I’m more than delighted to say I proved them all wrong by not only finishing the year, but by graduating with the best grades I had received in my whole time in high school. It took me forever to do that picture. Between homework and baby, art definitely took a back seat. But I did finish it, and reminds me that not only am I a awesome mom, I can do what I put my mind to.


My Crafty Zone:
The only way I get crafty now (other than digi scrapping) is by knitting. Very very very slowly. lol I’ve had to move my knitting stuff to where I can see while on the computer because I found out if I had it elsewhere, I forgot about it. This way I always see it and can remind myself I have more stuff to do that just scrap.

Now, I’m not saying you’re scrapping area needs to be chalk full of junk like mine. lol Just look around where you scrap and think about what you see. Think about things that might motivate/inspire you to scrap, and try to get some things around you that will help you. Even something as simple as picture of your kids or grandkids or pets that you can look at from time to time that remind you why you scrap will help.
Take a picture of where you scrap and make a layout with it telling us why you scrap where you scrap! It’Ll be fun to see where everyone works.

Have a great day, Lu will be back tomorrow with a fun product spotlight!

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LOTW

happy saturday :o)  seriously…can’t believe another week has already passed, lol!  and, this is my last LAYOUT OF THE WEEK for a while and for that, i’m thankful as i need the break, lol!  i know it probably doesn’t seem like it would or should be all that stressful…but next time you are in the gallery…browse around and pretend like YOU have to choose  a favorite, lol :o)  see…it is HARD!  all week, i have been saving faves as i see them, thinking that would make it easier for me this morning, HA…no such luck!  But, I stuck with it and finally chose just one that really stood out to me for several reasons…so let me show ya and then i’ll share those reasons, lol!

aconover’s SIBLINGS layout was just too precious to pass up!  i love that she used the new Plentiful kit (free at ShabbyPrincess.com) for an everyday layout (it’s not just for fall, lol)…the design is perfect (she was inspired by our amazing Kylie and the free September desktop she designed)…and the prayer – it is so sweet and wonderful for siblings – it’s what all parents wish for their children :o)  so, there you have it!

CONGRATS, aconover :o)  thanks for sharing the beautiful layout with us!  I just emailed over a $10 gift card to the Shabby Shoppe…have fun shoppe-ing and scrapping!

blog vacation almost over…see you girls back here on Monday :o)  until then…have a WONDERFUL weekend!

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new FREE kit at ShabbyPrincess.com :o)

hi again, SP here!  this is just a super quick post to let you know that we have just released a new (and FREE) kit at the Shabby Princess site – YAY!  I hope you all enjoy working with PLENTIFUL – it was truly a joy to design :o)  here is a preview and a little bit of inspiration for ya…

please remember, as with all of our free kits – that they will be available for a LONG time…so, if the site gets rushed and you cannot get the download immediately – please just give it some time and come back later (I promise it will still be there…we still share our kits from back in 2004 <smiles>)!  So, no worries!  of course, we have some major server power in place to do our best to prevent any delays or frustrations…but it is always a possibility :o)

our free kits are always for personal, scrapbooking use only (well, our pay kits, too, lol) - so have fun scrapping and we would love to see what you create in the Shoppe’s GALLERY!

thanks soooo much for your support…and for scrapping with us – it is truly OUR pleasure!

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layoutS of the week :o)

happy weekend (Labor Day weekend) everyone :o)  SP here!  i hope you have all had a wonderful week!  it’s been ‘weird’…not waking up every morning and publishing a blog post, lol!  and…now, i’ve gotten a little bit used to that schedule and as a result – almost forgot about the LOTW post today, lolol!  i was just leisurely looking through the gallery when it finally registered that TODAY IS SATURDAY…i have to choose a favorite!  IMPOSSIBLE :o)  it is always so difficult for me…but today, it just seemed even worse than usual (didn’t know that was possible), lol!  so, once again…i am going to use my princess powers (rofl) and select a few favorites!  just my way of saying THANKS to all of you talented ladies for posting and sharing with us…and to make up a little bit for the blog vacation (remember, we’ll be back on september 13th)!

So, the funny thing is that narrowing it down to FOUR was almost impossible, too – lol!  i almost gave up…because in all seriousness – i could have easily chosen 30 different layouts!  Ahhhh!  I finally narrowed it down and love all of these…and all for different reasons!  So, here goes…

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i’ll start with tiffany :o)  i loved all three of her school layouts…and really couldn’t choose just one – so i thought i’d share them all here!  fabulous job, tiffany – he is a cutie and you really captured ‘back to school’ for him – such wonderful photos and memories that i’m sure he will enjoy looking back on one day! 

 now, a layout truly worth celebrating :o)  seriously – how ADORABLE is this page and that photo?  it just makes me smile!  his joy was perfectly captured – a truly precious moment!  GREAT JOB, shabbyjen - you totally rocked this page and the An Affair to Remember kit :o)

next, we move on to TOTAL preciousness :o)  seriously – could these two little guys be any sweeter?  just look at the main photo – what a loving moment captured!  i love Kathy’s entire page…she perfectly scrapped the pics – but i especially loved the song lyrics added to the background paper – awesome!

and last, but certainly not least – we have the ‘two studs cruisin the beach’ page, lol!  i love it – i think that the photos with grandpa are just too sweet for words!  but the thing that really brought this layout to a special place for me…is the personal sand photo that was used for the background!  such a wonderful little added detail – making the page even that much better!  super, super job, jschardt :o)

CONGRATS, girls!  I have just emailed each of you a $10 gift card to the Shabby Shoppe – hope you enjoy and have fun shoppe-ing!

Whew – i think that’s it :o)  hoping i don’t sound like a broken record – but THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for contributing to the beauty of the Shoppe’s gallery :o)  it is a joy to see it filled with your gorgeous layouts week after week!  keep up the awesome work…and we’ll keep up the grueling job of choosing our ‘favorites’!  next week, we’ll be back to ONE favorite, promise, lol!

last…you may or may not (lol) see another post either later today or tomorrow…and it may or may not reference something FREE…but you heard nothing from me :o)  LOL!  have a great day/night!

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