I like to be organized.  And I'm known in my family for my organizational skills (or anal retentiveness, depends on who you talk too!).  Being organized gives me a sense of peace and definitely reduces stress.  But since starting to work from home, I have not been as organized or as methodical as I would normally like.  I'm trying to change that this month.  I promise you.  And I promise myself!

So last week, when I was feeling particularly overwhelmed with what was on my plate, I took on the monster task of organizing and loading my scrapbook albums with the HUGE pile of completed layouts waiting for just such a day.  And it did take ALL DAY.  But boy, was it worth it!

Here are my nicely organized and labelled albums:


And here is my Close to my Heart Work In Progress album.  It's got the L/Os from 2010 and 2011 (I'm still catching up!) because I don't have enough albums yet.


I love it because it's got the binder clips that lets me put L/Os in and take them out so easily.  So I can do the pages as I feel like it (I'm not a chronological scrapper) and get them ready for the albums even before the album is ready.  It gives great protection for my completed work when I'm away at a crop or retreat.

In the process of organizing, I found out I had two sets of duplicates.  I have 2 layouts using the same Halloween pictures in 2008.  And I did 2 layouts of my niece Alexandra in her Snow White costume with the Snow White doll we gave her.  I had searched HIGH and LOW for those pictures after I printed them, only to go and print them again.  I had completely forgotten that I had scrapped them already.  But I love both layouts!



I also rediscovered some of my favourite moments and favourite layouts.  Here are 3 of them:

My Cute Charlie

Sam and his Big Catch

The boys at Dad's Barber Shop

It was a lot of hard work and I hope to not let it get to this point again where I have so many pages NOT in albums.  But it was so worth it.  And I loved looking at all the precious work I've done over the years.

So I'm organized now.  Well, my albums are organized.  Next step, organize my time.  ;)

Just a fun card using some of my new faves: Garden Gnome stamp set (so cute!!!), cork alpha stickers and kraft cards.  Happy birthday to my friend, and thanks for the reason to create this cute card.


See how I left the "4" natural, with just a little ink on the edges?  See the peek-a-boo butterfuly?  I love this card.

Hooray!  The kids are back in school and quite frankly, they're happy.  They were glad to see their friends and even though they don't really know it, they like routine.

And that means more time for me.  I have my fledgling freelance writing career to focus on, plus my Close to my Heart business -- my passion.  Oh, and laundry, groceries and all of the household responsibilities I've taken on.  But I have also promised to find time for me -- for creating, for relaxing, for me.  Even if it's just an hour here and there.  It's important.  It's one of the perks of working from home.  So I'm going to make sure it happens.

But I think before I create even one more scrapbook page, I need to get my albums in order.  CTMH has some gorgeous faux leather books -- so soft and supple -- and I need to fill them.  I have TONS of completed pages that may just need a date added or a tiny bit of journaling, plus inserting into the album.


See?  I have a HUGE stack of completed pages to organize and take care.

Ding dong!

It's the Canpar guy.  My new goodies just arrived.  Two big boxes of new goodies. (Insert squeal of glee!) Uh oh.  I think my albums might have to wait until tomorrow.  But either way, it's me time.  :)

I just had a fabulous workshop using CTMH's Kraft Borders.  Thanks so much to Alyson Mayo for her inspiration at Toronto Regionals.  Here are the cards we did at the workshop:

Tear Bears are so cute with their round, soft faces.  And so super easy to make.  All you need is some paper, your fingers and some imagination (oh, and some glue too!).  I especially love to make tear bears that peek over the edges of corners and tops of pages.  Love love love.

And Tear Bears are the stars of my first Kids Klub workshop on Saturday, June 25 at 1:30pm -- where kids get to make a bookmark, teabag wallet, treat bag topper (with treats) and a hanging pennant for their teacher or some other special person.  They'll be learning the tearing technique, as well as some random stamping.  Here's a sample of what they'll be making:


Register your kids in the workshop for only $15 and you'll make a great, affordable gift just in time for the end of the school year.  Everyone will be able to customize the colours and stamps they use so each will be very personal and a little bit different.  Recommended for kids 8 and up -- moms also welcome.

Register today by emailing me at justscrapit@sympatico.ca

Another great sketch over at the Sweet Stop -- so inspiring that I did two cards using it!  First, a set of thank you cards for my scrap club (you gals rock!) and a second, slightly simplified version for a set of cards as a gift.  I used the CTMH Mayberry paper pack for both sets, plus the Mayberry stamp set on the first card, and a Suzie Soo stamp on the second.

Here's the first card, that follows the sketch.  Added some faux stitching and an Opaques pearl for a classy but homey look.

Doing the Heart 2 Heart Challenge after some time away.  Here are some little thank you cards that I made using the Sophia papers and Cotton Candy cardstock, and the "A Little Thanks" stamp set.  I really like using paper to make faux pleated ribbon - CUTE!  I want to make some more using Fanfare -- stay tuned!

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t all that interested in digital scrapbooking when we were first introduced to Studio J. I sit in front of a computer all day, and when it comes to scrapbooking, my passion is as much in the hands-on activity of it as in the final product. I love the glue, the glitter, the art of it all.

But let me tell you, once I tried it, I became a believer. It’s fast and it’s beautiful. You can be just as creative, with less mess! You can scrap outside in the backyard or at the cottage (as long as you have an internet connection). And you can change the size of your photo – bigger, smaller, bigger again – without getting … and paying for … multiple prints.  If you've never tried digital scrapbooking before, I encourage you to give it a go -- playing is FREE!

BONUS! Right now, for the month of June, you can get a FREE JPEG file of one of your Studio J layouts. Normally, this is only a feature of our Studio J memberships. Take advantage of this special offer and you can share your layout with as many people as you want by posting on your family blog or sending it by email. There’s no minimum purchase! The hardest part will be choosing which one!

Need some help to get started? Come out to my FREE Studio J class on Friday, June 24 at 7pm. Bring your laptop with some digital photos and we’ll walk through the steps together. Just email me at justscrapit@sympatico.ca to reserve your spot.

Or watch this great video and see just how easy it is.

I am still recovering ... in a good way ... from our latest weekend in Mansfield.  What a spectacular bunch of ladies we had, sharing ideas, stories and Cricut cartridges!  Yes, those Cricuts were a-hummin' all weekend long.  It's so nice to get away and do what I love to do -- scrapbook!  And do it with 19 other gals who love it too. 

I was so impressed and inspired by the artwork I saw.  And of course, I was happy to complete 10 layouts myself.

But the very best part was simply the positivity, the friendship, the shared experience of it all.

The next 48 Hour Scrapathon is in September?  Are you in?

It's really quite easy to take a sketch for a rectangle card and turn it "ROUND".  Come out for a fun workshop where we'll make 12 round cards (2 each of 6 designs) for any occasion.  Using some great stamps like "Circle Together" (one of my new faves) and a great spring-inspired colour combo, this workshop will have you spinning with excitement.


Email me at justscrapit@sympatico.ca to reserve your spot today!  $30 per person

One of my favourite CTMH products is Flip Flaps.  It's a fantastic tool that helps you to add more pictures on your layouts.  I used them A LOT in my Disney album when I just couldn't decide which pictures to use, but didn't want a layout just with pictures.  They fit nicely wherever you have a 4x6 photo and you can use as many as you want.


You can use it to hide journaling, or add more pictures.  So handy and so fun.

Want to learn how to use them?  Come to my Interactive Layout workshop on March 5!  Email me for details.

Come join us in Mansfield for a great weekend of scrapbooking and fun!  May 13-15, 2011

Only $200 per person -- and it includes all your food, accommodations and a 6' table per person for your scrapbooking.  No cleaning up. No cooking. No making your bed.  You don't even have to get out of your pajamas!

Want to know more?  Email me at justscrapit@sympatico.ca

This weekend is almost sold out!  Register soon to get your space ... before they are all gone.

I fell in love with the colour combination on the cupcakes and it's always a good time for flourishes and swirls.  Please enjoy this cute little card I made for my SIL's upcoming baby shower.

My Penny Black kitties always make me smile.  And three great challenges came together to inspire this sweet card for my niece's 3rd birthday.  Take a peek:


Go check out these great challenge blogs, if you haven't already:

Clean & Simple: Fall to Layout #127 Sketch
Penny Black Saturday:  Pretty in Pink
Penny Black at Allsorts: Feb. Challenge Say It With Flowers

I love love love this little boy on a trike stamp from Stampin Bella and this week's sketch helped me to keep the card simple and really emphasize this cutie patootie.  I hope you don't mind that I moved the button from top left to bottom right -- just felt better with the flow.


Products are all Close to my Heart -- including the awesome canvas button that I stamped Happy Birthday on -- except the boy stamp and the copics I used to colour.

Like many of you, I'm sure, I made the resolution (again) to set aside time for my own scrapbooking.  Not working on class demos, not working on swaps or blog challenges -- my very own scrapbooking time.  Well, it's already halfway through February -- have you kept your resolution?

I find that it works best for me if I schedule the time.  Mark it on the calendar.  Make a date with friends to scrapbook.  Sign up for a class.  Clearly assign the time for "me".  That way, nothing else gets scheduled in.  And I don't just leave it to chance, which I can easily "excuse" myself from.

This weekend, two of my scrappy friends are coming over and we're going to scrap the day away.  It's helping me get through the week, and I'm really excited to have the time with them ... and my scrapbooks.

Here's hoping you're keeping up with your resolution to find time for YOU!

If you want to use multiple colours on your stamps, here's one way to do it: instead of using an ink pad, use markers!

Start with your acrylic stamp and one marker.  I've used Tulip red on a heart.  Colour where you want that shade to go.




Then colour with your second (brown) and third (pink) colours.


Then, when you're ready to stamp, there's one more thing to do: HUFF!  That's right, gently "huff" a breath on the stamp to re-activate the ink with the moisture in your breath.

Then stamp on your cardstock.

It may take a little practice but it's an easy and economical way to add some multiple colours to your stamping.

I had lots of fun with this cute sketch and the challenge of making the accents wrap in a "swoosh" pattern.  I love using ribbon and was so happy I could these cute little clothes pegs.  The little boy stamp is from Stampin' Bella -- so cute and coloured with Copics.  The paper is CTMH Fanfare, Cranberry and Buttercup CS.  This will be the perfect card for my little nephew who just turned 6.

I have a lot of birthday cards to make, and this weeks' H2H sketch really inspired me.  I should have gone to bed after the first card, but really wanted to make another.  So here they are.

The first uses new Sophia paper and the Party Pennants stamp set.  I added some movement with some beads and black waxy flax.

The second uses paper from the Sweetheart paper pack, plus the green dots from Sophia.  The Candlelight stamp set worked beautifully for a candle spotlight treatment.  Add some ink from the spray pen, some sparkles and some ribbon and it turned into a really cute card.

Come join me for a great workshop on February 12.  For just $30, you can make 10 gorgeous birthday cards (2 of each design).  We'll be using our new Mayberry papers, and the beary, beary adorable Beary stamps.  You don't want to miss it.

RSVP today because there are only 4 spaces left.

Well, almost ready.  It's been a lot of good, hard work but my new workshop reno is complete -- all I have to do is finish "moving in".  Here you'll see the workshop space, counters and cupboards (where my Cricut will soon live), and Ikea shelving for all my stamps and CMTH embellishments.  The floors are FANTASTIC laminate and are such an improvement from the yucky carpet that was there before.  Lastly, I have a great cube unit that will soon hold all my scrapbooking, stamping and cardmaking magazines, along with my albums and how-to books.




I still want to put up some artwork and have some self-adhesive quotes to add.  All in good time!

Come see it for yourself!  I will be having open crops and workshops in this space -- come play with me!

When we're scrapbooking, sometimes it's hard to be frugal in the name of design.  Here's a tip to help you save paper when you need large pieces of cardstock, layered one upon the other.

Here's a layout I did featuring my hubby and I on our wedding day.  Hard to believe that was almost 15 years ago!  Anyways, as you can see, this layout uses 3 large pieces of cardstock -- 1 New England Ivy (dark green -- hope you can see it in the photo), 1 Sweet Leaf (light green) and 1 Colonial White.


It seemed a waste to use so much cardstock when so little of the base layers would be seen.  So here's a tip to save paper:  cut out the center of the base cardstock and create a sort of "reverse" frame. 

Like so:

The size of the "hole" depends on how comfortable you are with your cutting, and how big the piece is that's going on top.

Then you can use those pieces for other parts of this layout, or save it to make cards or other layouts.  I used them to mat my photos.

Cupcakes are always yummy -- and these ones got my creative juices going.  I really liked the white silhouettes, which means I got to play with my embossing powders.  This isn't a baby themed card but the colours really spoke to me.  Fun, and it's doubling as a b-day card for my brother-in-law!  Happy Birthday!

It's feeling good to be creative again. Can't wait for this weekend when I'm going away to scrap with the girls.

This sketch was fun and I played with some Bling.  Sparkles are one of my fave embellies these days.

I can't tell you how excited I am that 2011 is here.  I have lots of plans and goals and things I want to do.  My new workshop space is in construction mode and just looking at the mess, it gets me excited -- because I can see the potential.  And I'm continuing my commitment to making family a priority -- my hubby and two boys, but also our extended family.  I want them to know how much I care.

And there's more.  Just before the holiday break, my friend let me do a "fairy reading" on her iPhone.  One of the things it told me was that if I truly wanted to succeed, then there are people that I need to forgive, as I'm wasting too much energy on anger and not enough on my positive goals.  I found this surprising.  I didn't think I felt angry.  But the more I looked within myself, I realized that it was true.  There ARE people I have to work on forgiving.  And one of those people is ME.

So in 2011, I will remember to forgive myself if I cheat a little bit on my diet.  I will forgive myself if I cannot be Superwoman and SuperMom 100% of the time.  I will forgive myself if I choose to take a night off and watch TV instead of working on my business.

Now, that's not to say that I'm going to slack off and be lazy.  NOT AT ALL.  But I'm just giving myself permission to not have to be everything to everybody.  And if I do fall off the wagon, it's ok.  Just pick myself up again and start all over.

Another thing I want to try and do this year is Scrap in the Moment ... and even BE in the moment.  I am way behind on my scrapbooking -- hopefully finishing up 2008 this coming weekend.  But I feel even further behind than I really am.  So I'm going to try a new approach -- as an event happens or there's something from 2011 that I want to scrapbook, I'm going to scrap it right away.  I'm not going to worry about the 2 full years that are in between.  I want to scrap as it happens.  Hopefully, this will help me feel less overwhelmed by my backlog, as well as feel more motivated to scrap at home during the week.  I can catch up on those other 2 years in between.

Wishing you a happy and scraptastic 2011.

Bring some photos and make some beautiful keepsake ornaments for your tree, for a gift or to use as a gift tag.  You'll learn 3 different techniques for using chipboard.  This workshop will be lots of fun and you can really let your creativity loose! 


Workshop Details:
Make 5 ornaments with photos, plus 1 tiny one

Saturday, December 4
1:30 – 4:30 pm
$15 per person

Please register with payment by Monday, November 15.
Email justscrapit@sympatico.ca

I am in love with CTMH's new colours, especially Pear and Pacifica. So I've designed my card workshop using these colours.  Take a look!

OR Sunday, November 14 1:30 – 4:30 pm
$30 per person

REGISTER BY WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Email me at justscrapit@sympatico.ca 

More Kelly Panacci paper, and such a cute snowman from PB -- I LOVE Snowmen.  :)

Love the sketch!  Used Kelly Panacci papers leftover from a class, and some CTMH too.  And of course, a great Penny Black stamp set and my copics.

The Sweet Spot Challenge with a Spin -- a great sketch with a little sparkle sprinkled in.  I got this adorable House Mouse stamp and thought it would work perfectly with CTMH's Cherry-O paper.  What do you think?  Stampin' Up rhinestone brads add the necessary bling.

I am officially now a Great-Aunt (besides being a great auntie). My neice Hailey's little boy Vaughn has been welcomed into our family.  And here's the card I'm sending, along with some pjs and a cute Mickey Mouse outfit.

Cupcake Craft asked us to showcase Boys and their toys -- and what boy doesn't love baseball?  Sweet Stop had a great sketch that worked wonderfully.  A little added sparkle to the buttons completes the challenge.

I'm back and it feels good to be creative again.  A little something for me, my mind and my heart.

Mojo Monday had a great sketch, and I combined it with H2H's "embossing" challenge.  I love CTMH's new Magnifique papers and it went really well with one of my new fave stamps: Ice Crystals.  The snowflake and the bow are embossed.