Artist vs. Crafter

The age old question when it comes to the art world: Are you an artist or a crafter? And do you feel there is a difference?

I am one of those people who feels that everyone is an artist :) I like to think of every layout, album, greeting card, etc. I make to be a small work of art. I put my heart and soul into my work and consider it all to be art.

There are those people out there that feel you can only call yourself an artist after you've gone to college and received an art degree...I say phooey! You learn the most about art from creating it :)

So whether you call yourself a crafter or an artist...I guess my biggest piece of advise is to just have fun in whatever you do :) That's what makes it special!!!

Scrapbooking and the Economy!!!

I guess it was only a matter of time before our current economic situation hit the scrapbooking industry!

I found out last week that my main wholesaler would be going out of business! They were my first wholesaler and the best as far as I'm concerned! They had low piece minimums, low ordering total minimums, always stocked the new stuff...I could go on and on!!! I'm in the process of getting my last order together so I get stocked up!

Then, this week, I opened my latest edition of Simple Scrapbooks Magazine and found out they are going out of business as well!!! My latest edition is also my last!

This magazine holds a special place in my little scrapbooking heart because it was the first (and so far only) magazine I was published in. It has been a long-standing goal of mine to be published and Simple made it happen :)

Here is the layout I made about being published. Where the blue meets the red at the top...it creates a pocket. I was featured in the local newspaper and on a local website after I was published, so these items will go in the pocket :)

Is the economy hitting your craft? What are you doing to cope? And if you have any great paper crafting wholesalers...I'd love to hear about them :)

Wordless Wednesday-Silly Kitty :)

Craft It Forward

I love looking at other crafters' blogs because you come across so many neat ideas! I was looking at UniqueCommodities blog and she is doing a Craft It Forward, so I decided to be a copy cat and do the same! So here it goes!

I'm going to offer a Craft It Forward to the first five people to respond to this post. You will get something handmade by me!

Here are the restrictions that come with this:

*There are no guarantees you will like what I make...although I sure hope you do!

*What I create will be just for you

*You'll receive it this year (2009)

*The item will be a surprise to you and can be ANYTHING handmade

*And in return, all you need to do is post this text into your blog, email me the link back to your Craft It Forward blog and make 5 things for 5 people.

My email address is: memoriesforlifescrapbooks@hotmail.com

The first 5 people to respond in the comments section WINS!!!!!

Weekly Feature

In honor of my Star-Shaped Scrapbook Photo Album making it to the Weekly Challenge at Blockhead Radio's Artisans Challenge...I have decided to make it this week's Weekly Feature!!!

This Star-Shaped Album is made of extra heavy chipboard. It is covered on the outside with patterned paper and photo mats and covered on the inside with cardstock. Each outside corner has a paper swirl embellishing it. It will hold 10 photos.

This particular album is decorated for Christmas...but I can make it in any theme and colors you are wanting. Just email me at: memoriesforlifescrapbooks@hotmail.com with your requests :)

Prom...A Walk Down Memory Lane!

Local proms are officially under way! I always like to look at all the beautiful dresses the girls choose! All the bright colors and beadwork...so gorgeous! This got me thinking about my own proms...and I got to looking at old photos :) One of my favorite things to do by the way!

My junior prom we went all out...dress, flowers, tux, matching car...the works! We attended the dinner, the dance, and the after-prom events. We danced and had a good time :) Here's an old layout I found to share with you:

My senior prom was a little different. I never was much into school dances...I think I only attended 2 or 3. My dress cost about $40, I did my own hair...and we rode a dirt bike!!! It really wasn't supposed to be the plan, but the other car broke down and the dirt bike was clean :) Everyone got a good laugh out of it! We stayed long enough to watch the crowning of the king and queen and left! I thought you'd enjoy these photos:

Hope you are enjoying all the local proms in your area. Maybe you have kids attending or you just like to see all the pretty dresses that the girls choose :)

Happy Etsy Day!!!

Did you know there is a day dedicated to everything Etsy? Well...today is it! It may not be an official date on the calendar (yet) but it is something special created by the ideas of the Etsy Forums.

In honor of Etsy Day...the Storque has listed some things we can all do to promote Etsy:

1. If you get people to sign up for Etsy on Friday make sure they mention your Etsy username in the Referrer Username box at sign up! If we see a user who really rocks this, we'll automatically include you in our Etsy Day follow up post. So if you print out flyers, get on the news, or get Ashton Kutcher to tweet about Etsy, make sure you get your username in there, too!
2. Tweet your endeavors via Twitter and make sure to add the hash tag #EtsyDay. (And send it to @aplusk. Let's get Ashton Kutcher's attention on Etsy Day. Ha! Mr. Most Twitter Followers.)
3. Support a new seller on Etsy Day! Buy an item from someone with no sales (you can find them on Pounce Undiscovered), and wish them a "Happy Etsy Day" in the Message to Seller field when you check out.
4. Print out schugirl's Etsy sign to stick in your car window or download and print out the design Anda made for Etsy Day!
5. Get an Etsy tattoo!
6. Dress your family in all orange. When you get weird looks, whisper "Etsy".
7. One final clarification..."Etsy" is pronounced like "Betsy" with no B.

So what am I doing to support Etsy Day? Well...for starters, I'll be talking to two of my friends who have shown interest in selling on Etsy in the past. Today is the day to get them started! The next thing I'm going to do is buy two gifts on Etsy :) I've purchased ALL of my gifts for this year on Etsy! And plan to continue!!! And one other thing I'll be doing is posting about Etsy on my Facebook page :)

Now I just have to decide where to get that tattoo!

Giveaway!!!

It's giveaway time over at Creating From the Heart again :) How exciting! I love seeing what new stuff Melissa has up for grabs!!! This time you can win: ~ Basic Grey 6x6 Lime Rickey Paper Pad ~ EK Success Scalloped Edge Punch- Medium ~ American Crafts Circle Calendar Stamp 2x2and ~ A Crop-A-Dile II Big Bite!! Stop by her blog and see what cool creations she has and enter her giveaway as well!!!

Baby On The Way-Sex Unknown?

Baby showers are starting to happen like crazy lately :) And I always like to give a unique and fun gift...like my Baby Word Albums or Custom Baby Name Albums. But what do you do if the couple has decided not to find out the sex of the baby? Or are waiting to choose a name until after they meet their little bundle of joy?

My solution: Use colors from the nursery :) That is what I did for my cousin's baby shower. I got online and looked at their registry to find the colors they were going to use in the nursery. This way it will work for either a boy or a girl :)

Their colors for the nursery are light blue and light green, so these are the colors I used for the album. And I stuck with generic baby embellishments in these colors as well. I also made the card to match the album. Some other good color combos for any baby are light blue/light pink/yellow, light green/yellow or light purple/light green.

So next time you have to buy a gift for a baby shower and don't yet know if it's a boy or a girl...look to the nursery colors :) A no-fail plan :)

Our Part in Earth Day

I am really trying to be eco-conscience more often, but it is nice to have a day like Earth Day to give me a little boost and reminder. Today I was extra careful about what I did relating to the environment. What Jesse and I did to take part in Earth Day:

• Jesse rode the motorcycle to work...saved on gas!
• I hung clothes to dry rather than use the dryer...which I do quite often.
• I jogged outside rather than using my treadmill (I wish I could do this everyday!)
• I cooked a one-dish meal...less dishes to put in the dishwasher later!
• We left the lights off from 7am to 7pm.
• I let my hair air dry and threw on a hat :)
• I limited my computer time to about an hour...which I should do more often!
• Our TV was only on for about 20 minutes...which is not unusual for us either.

I'm sure there are more...but they are probably the ones that we do everyday without even thinking about it. I guess that's a good sign...Doing things that are good for the environment and not even having to think about it :)

How did you spend Earth Day? Did you participate in any special events? Did you pay more attention to the environment today than other days? drop me a note and let me know :) I love hearing from my readers!

Wordless Wednesday-Happy Earth Day!!!

Come Vote...Weekly Challenge!!!

YAY!!! I made it to the Weekly Challenge at Blockhead Radio for their Artisans Challenge!!! Super exciting! My first entry didn't win...so I'm glad everyone seems to love my Star-Shaped Scrapbook Photo Album!!!

If I win the Weekly Challenge, I get a FREE 30 second ad/commercial with clickable banner to my shop for an entire week...how cool would that be! So hop on over and leave your vote! And check out all the other cool categories and artwork while you're there :)

Weekly Feature :)

With wedding season just around the corner...this weeks Weekly Feature will be great for all those showers and receptions you will be attending :) My Custom Wedding Name Album will make you the hit of the event!!! Personalized gifts are always the best! The happy couple will be so thrilled you took the extra effort to give them a one of a kind gift :) Album measures 4"x12". Album base is heavy-duty chipboard. Each side is covered with cardstock and each letter is then covered with patterned paper. Each page is decorated with buttons, flowers, stickers, die cuts and other scrapbook embellishments. Album is bound with two metal rings and embellished with matching ribbon. Ideas for names/words: *First Names of the Couple *Last Name of the Couple *Date of the Wedding (ex. June1608 or Dec142008) Choose 4-9 letters for best fit. Also choose 2-3 colors and specify if there is a special theme. (ex. destination wedding, theme wedding, etc.) This will be a gift the newlyweds will cherish for a lifetime :) Note: To use MR&MRS, the last name must be 6 letters or fewer to fit the 9 letter maximum of the album.

My Sunday Surprise :)

As I was coming back into the house this morning...I found this little beauty sitting by the front porch :)

We don't use this door often, so I hadn't seen it yet...it really made my Sunday morning :) What are you happy for today? Do you have early Spring blooms popping up? I can't wait to get my tomatoes and peppers planted this week...I'll post pictures when I get them in :)

Have a great Sunday!!!

Vote for a fellow Blogger :)

I love reading Kim's blog, Circles are Forever, and today I found out that she is in a contest on Etsy. I, of course, immediately went to vote for her :) And I think you should too! Check out this totally awesome picture of her:

You can vote for her here: http://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?ref=voter&room_id=42

And of course you should visit her Blog: http://circlesareforever.blogspot.com/

and her Etsy shop: http://circlesareforever.etsy.com/

Now get voting :)

Weekly Feature...SOLD :)

Yay! I sold my Disney Word Album from this weeks Weekly Feature!!! You will now see this icon in it's place until Monday:

I like to post my new listings on Mondays to keep it consistent, so I thought this icon would be best until then.

I'd like to hear your input on this...do you like the icon idea...or should I go ahead and post a new item in the middle of the week if the Weekly Feature sells? Thanks for your comments :)

TGIF and a Work Update

Wow...I sure am glad it's Friday! I've actually been working this week and it sure is draining! Plus, I'm not getting anything done here at home! For those of you who don't know...I've been laid off for the past month and a half. I guess I never really did make an actual announcement on my blog...my bad! But for part of last week and all of this week I have been doing some contract work for a local company. I forgot what it was like to have to go to work everyday and keep a schedule! It's been great though. I couldn't have asked for better people to work with. And it has been nice to get out of the house and see people everyday :) My last day will be next Wednesday and I told them all I would make lunch for them. I make some pretty mean enchiladas :) And I got a call yesterday about another job I have applied for...should hear back next week on their final decision. So I guess it's good I'm doing some contract work now to possibly get me prepared for a job again. Hope you all enjoy your Friday and your weekend!!!

Just Play :)

I like to scrapbook all the major events in my life...holidays, birthdays, family get-togethers. But sometimes I just want to play! It can be a learning experience to just play with your supplies and have fun with a layout.

For this layout, I took a photo that I really liked, but wasn't anything special and had fun with it. The photo is of my mom and I with our toes in the sand at Lake Michigan. Just a fun photo I wanted to take for the heck of it. I used tons of rhinestones, some puff-paint, and some paper scraps for flowers and punched circles. I also played with the photo effects to make the photo black and white, but leave our toe nails in color...cool effect :)

This is another photo I really liked...and one that was pretty special. Any photo where Jesse is smiling is special! But I took so many photos this day that I just wanted to play with this one. I used scraps of paper and a gel pen to make a sun. I also used some paint for the title area...all fun little additions :)

So I'm here to tell you not to feel guilty about just having fun with your supplies and photos! So many people focus on getting "caught-up" or getting all the milestones scrapped. But sometimes you just need to cut loose and play!!!

Wordless Wednesday-Jesse's Plants!

Weekly Feature

Happy Monday! I have another great feature for you this week...my Disney Word Album.

Keep the magic alive with this DISNEY Word Album!

Have you been to Disneyland or Disney World lately? Or are you just a huge fan like I am? This album is decorated and waiting for your pictures :)

The album is hand cut from heavy-duty chipboard and covered on both sides with cardstock. The letters are then covered with matching patterned paper. The album is decorated with lots of fun Disney scrapbook embellishments and bound with two metal rings that are covered with matching ribbon. Album measures 4"x12".

Enjoy this week's feature :)

Happy Easter :)

I just wanted to wish all my readers a Happy Easter today :) I'm going to spend the day with family!!!

Friday Feature...TwoZanyZebras

Congrats to TwoZanyZebras for being selected as our Featured EtsyBlogger for April :) Each month our team chooses a member to feature and the entire team does reviews on their blogs about the member...how cool is that! Zany joined Etsy on April 4, 2008 and joined the EtsyBloggers shortly after...Happy Belated Etsy-versary Zany :) She is a SAHM to two zany kids and makes the cutest kids clothing in her shop! She also makes blankies and Zarkles among many other cute things in her shop. What is a Zarkle you ask...well, take a look at this guy! Isn't he cute :) And here are my favorite clothing items from her shop. I chose one for girls and one for boys: And Zany wouldn't be an EtsyBlogger without a blog...so stop by and see her :) She blogs about her kids, life, and of course her Etsy Shop.

One Big Project!!!

As promised...a scrapbook post :) Here is the project I've been working on the last couple of weeks...and will be for quite some time! A client is having me put all of her daughter's newspaper articles from her sporting events together into an album. 4 sports for 4 years of high school! Lots to do! So what does this mean? Well...here's how it works:

• First I have to cut all the articles down to size and scan any of them that are on the front and back page of the newspaper.
• Next I have to spray them down with acid-free spray to help preserve them and keep them from yellowing.

• Next I organize them so they are in order from Freshman to Senior year and by sport. This part definitely takes some time!
• The last part is actually putting them on the pages. This part is also time- consuming because I have to figure out the best way to get them all to fit in a visually pleasing way. Sometimes articles are really long or really wide and won't completely fit on the page. So I have to decide if I fold them over or cut them into pieces to fit...a long process sometimes!

But it will be one great keepsake when I'm done :) Her daughter is a super-star when it comes to sports...so these articles are very special to her. I'm glad I get to help her put them all together for her graduation :) And she will be able to look back years later and remember how awesome she was!

My Birthday Surprise :)

Okay...I have officially decided that I have the greatest boyfriend in the world :) Not only did he clean his entire shed for me so I could have my birthday party there...last night he took me out to eat. Okay...lots of boyfriends do that right. But when we got there...almost his entire family was there too! He had planned a surprise party for me at the restaurant! This is so not like him either! #1...he's not a planner at all #2...he doesn't do surprises and #3...he did it all by himself :) I was so surprised and so happy!

The rest of my birthday had really been pretty blah and I just kind of hung out at home. So this made it even more special :)

Here's me and my sweetie :)

And here's a good one of me and Jesse's mom.

And a fun one :) She had just pinched my leg really hard!

Okay...last birthday post...I promise. I'll have a scrapbook post for you all tomorrow :) It's funny because Jesse and I were just discussing that I don't have a birthDAY...I have a birthWEEK...I tend to celebrate all week long when my birthday rolls around :) So thanks for bearing with me as I celebrated all this week!

Birthday Wishes :)

If you're a regular reader of my blog...you've probably figured out that today is my birthday :) I'm one of those people that doesn't make you remember my birthday...because I tell you well in advance that it is coming...and continue to remind you up until the day! It doesn't matter if I'm having a milestone birthday or not...I celebrate either way :) I just love birthdays!

I thought I'd share with you all the wonderful cards I've gotten so far from all my friends and family :)

I've also gotten some candles, some lotion, and money$ :) And I still have a dinner out waiting for me from my in-laws :) yay!

I'm gonna have a great day...and I hope you all do too!!!