This is Why I Scrapbook: Part 2

Have you ever thought about why you scrapbook? Maybe you've done so 'accidentally,' when someone asks you what it is that you do for fun...and why. Perhaps, as you attempt to explain away another scrapbooking-related purchase to your husband/partner/boyfriend/friend/parent/yourself (I tend to find that they're either enablers or just make you feel really bad), you cry, 'but it makes me happy!' Or maybe, like many of us, you've just never really given it any thought.

[You might be wondering at this point why it's even worth it, but here's my theory: scrapbookers document things that are meaningful to them. And I'm guessing that if you asked almost any scrapbooker, they would rate scrapbooking as pretty high on their 'things that are very important to me list.']

Before I participated in 'This is Why I Scrapbook,' I had never organised my reasons into coherent thoughts, but I'm so glad that I made the effort to do so.

For myself - and others - it was an opportunity to take stock...to look at how we process and document our lives through a layout. In this vein, I would argue that a scrapbook isn't just a pimped out photo album. Rather, it is a genuine labour of love (apologies for the cliche)...which provides stories and insights into times gone by. Yes, a photo speaks a thousand words. But when you have thousands of photographs, those words get lost.

For the most part, however, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to thank someone whose passion and enthusiasm for scrapbooking left an indelible mark on my life. Thank you again, Mrs. Rose. You rock. (My credit card company thinks so, too!).

So, go make yourself a cup of tea/coffee/whatever keeps you sane and head on over to Shimelle's blog. Take a peek at each of the entries and vote for those people whose reasons resonate with you. Hopefully you'll be inspired to put pen to paper and record your own thoughts on why you scrapbook....I'd love to hear them.

And thank you so much to those of you that have voted for me. You rock too :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Cardstock: American Crafts, Bazzill Core'dinations; Patterned paper: American Crafts; Letter stickers: American Crafts, Jenni Bowlin Studio; Embossing folder: Crafts Too; Punch: EK Success

'You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.'

Dr. Seuss

Scraplifts and other stories

Cardstock: American Crafts; Patterned paper; Jenni Bowlin Studio; Letter stickers: American Crafts, My Little Shoebox, Jenni Bowlin Studio; Punches: Fiskars, EK Success, Martha Stewart, Woodware; Felt star: Paperchase; Buttons, pearls: from stash.

Owing to the loss of Scrapbook Inspirations and the closure of Borders (pretty much the only stockist of Creating Keepsakes in the UK), I recently started buying the UK edition of Scrapbook Trends. Even though I have a sneaky suspicion that it is a couple of issues behind its US counterpart, I 100% LOVE IT. And I was particularly inspired by Ronda Palazzari's layout, featured on the cover of the February 2010 issue (entitled 'Logan'). I decided that it would be perfect for three photos that I had struggled to incorporate into a layout, so I scraplifted the basic structure of Ronda's page and switched in my own colour scheme (based around JBS papers).

I think what particularly appealed to me about Ronda's layout was the effortless way she combined so many techniques and elements without detracting from her photos. I would definitely recommend taking a peek at her blog, which is full of incredible inspiration.

Anyhoo, I was so obsessed with Scrapbook Trends that I decided to try out an issue of Cards magazine as well (of the same publisher). I should probably mention here that I have never been particularly interested in card making, although I always marvel at what other people produce.

And yes, I may have developed a bit of an obsession with this magazine, too (it's serious eye candy).

So I decided to try my hand at making a card....

This was very much an experiment. It meant that I got to play with my Heat Buddy, which always provides hours of endless embossing entertainment. It also meant that I got to play with these cute little American Crafts chipboard frames (from its Letterbox line) and my new American Crafts 'Thanks' stamps (which are very awesome indeed). But, most exciting of all, I got to play with this:

I have to give a massive shout out to the lovely Meghann for this. Back in November, she posted this gorgeous card, complete with signature stamp. I coveted said stamp. And then I came across Sweet Papery on Etsy, which sells reasonably priced custom made stamps such as the one above...and they ship internationally (this was very much an hallelujah moment). I couldn't resist it! I am totally thrilled with how it turned out....

Sweet Papery also has a website, which has some lovely stamps, many of which are self-inking. It's all very drool-worthy! My current favourite is the abigail stamp, but seriously...there are so many to choose from...

I just beat Jamie at at archery on Wii Resort (this never happens), so I'm off to revel in my glory!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Who dat?!

For someone who doesn't understand the first thing about American football (despite the best efforts of Jamie and my friends and host families in Memphis), I have a perverse obsession with it. It might have something to do with the atmosphere, or possibly the food (I am pretty much addicted to funnel cake). Whatever the reason, I was super excited about the Super Bowl this weekend.

I was especially excited because I saw the New Orleans Saints play the San Diego Chargers at Wembley in 2008. This was my first NFL Wembley experience...and it definitely didn't disappointment! The Saints were the dedicated home team, providing thousands of themed flags for the crowd to show their support (you can sort of see my flag in the photo above).

I have it on good authority that it was a pretty good game, with the Chargers attempting a Hail Mary pass in the final second (although it didn't quite work).

Characteristically, I was a big fan of the half time entertainment! There was a mini parade, complete with floats and marching band (and cheerleaders of course).

I loved the Saints cheerleaders! I practically fell over with excitement when we found out that they were selling and autographing calendars before the game.

I originally wanted to support the Chargers, but I was swayed by the enthusiasm of the Saints fans scattered around us - it is amazing that they travelled so far to support their team! The Saints won 37-32, which I'm told was pretty impressive given that Reggie Bush was having knee surgery at the time.

For me, the highlight was definitely the merchandise...Jamie and I bought miniature helmets and footballs, as well as an NFL London 2008 pennant. And, being the hoarder that I am, all of this was on display for the Super Bowl this weekend! Jamie was away on Sunday, but we watched it last night while munching on a KFC boneless bucket.

And you know what? I almost understood American football by the end of the game. Almost.

I'll be back later with a crafty post!

Project 365

Can you believe that it's February already?! I'm a little bit relieved...January always feels very anti-climactic after the fun and festivities of December. And it's so very dreary - I'm definitely ready for spring :)

On the up side, the end of January also marked the successful completion of the first month of my Project 365! I decided to do this at approximately 23:55 on New Year's Eve, having done no research whatsoever and having no real clue what it precisely involved, other than you had to take a picture everyday for one whole year.

And that's exactly what I've been doing. I didn't set out with a particular aim or theme. As I have progressed with the project I've started to make an effort to photograph things that I might not necessarily document, which is especially the case since I've been back in London.

But generally I just photograph things that interest me...as well as those parts of my daily routine that I usually ignore or overlook. I've also noticed that I photograph 'things' as opposed to people...and that I curiously gravitate towards reds and creams, which was totally unplanned.

I wasn't sure what to expect, or even if I would stick with it. But I can honestly say that I've loved the experience so far. It has taught me to look rather than to simply see. And, had I not been doing a 365, I probably wouldn't have taken these photos, which are two of my favourites from January:

I've loved seeing how other 365 projects have progressed since the start of the year. If you're doing a 365 or if you're interested in starting one, I really recommend checking out this post by Ali Edwards and this post by Sharyn Carlson. Both Ali and Sharyn have been documenting their 365 projects using Becky Higgins' Project Life, which sadly isn't available in the UK at the moment (although Becky mentioned on her blog that it might be shipping internationally in the coming weeks). Sharyn's idea of using Shuttercal is a brilliant one - it helps you to keep track of your photos in a calendar format, which makes life a whole lot easier! Also, if you have an iPhone, Lisa Truesdell mentioned a very cool app on her blog which is sort of like Shuttercal - just search for Project 365 on iTunes and it should come up with the link.

Are you doing a Project 365 this year? I'd love to hear about it if you are! You can take a peek at mine here. And here is the photo for 31/01/10, because January just had to be awkward and have 31 days:

This is why I scrapbook

Like Shimelle, I don't fit the conventional stereotype that is so often associated with that curious enigma...the 'scrapbooker.' I don't have any children. Or grandchildren. Or pets. I am, in fact, an unmarried, 23 year old postgraduate student.

So, why scrapbook?

Had it not been for one person in particular, it is highly likely that I would never have discovered scrapbooking as we understand it today. That person is Mrs. Rose.
Back in 2004, I spent a year living and studying in the U.S. (Memphis, TN to be exact). As a high school senior, I lived with 9 host families who had daughters in my class (I also lived with my AP English teacher), changing families roughly every three weeks. Mrs. Rose was one of my 'host moms.' She was also a scrapbooker.

When I mentioned to Mrs. Rose that I wanted to make a scrapbook of my photos, mementos and memorabilia from my 'Senior year' (it's always such a novelty for me to be able to say that!), I envisioned some sort of album, some scissors and a glue stick...nothing fancy or complicated...just a simple keepsake to acknowledge my own 'American dream.'

But then Mrs. Rose led me through an innocuous door...to reveal her very own scrapbooking room. This, for me, was a total revelation. I had never, ever heard of such a thing. And, as she gave me a tour of her scrapping space and her supplies, I realised that I had pretty much died and gone to heaven.
Mrs. Rose equipped me with my very own pink post-bound scrapbook album, a Fiskars paper trimmer, a pair of Cutter Bee Precision-Cut Scissors and some Tombow adhesive. She gave me her permission to delve into her supply of cardstock and patterned papers. She even let me use her original Sizzix Personal Die-Cutter, which was pretty much the coolest thing ever...And then she took me to Michaels.

I was smitten.

Of course I realise now - six years later - that my first foray into scrapbooking didn't just satisfy my life-long stationery addiction. At the time, it helped me to get through several bouts of homesickness. It became a catharsis. It was a way of processing an incredible and totally life-changing experience. It was a way of preserving this experience...and, most importantly of all, it was a way of doing it justice.

And this is why I scrapbook.

I scrapbook because I am blessed with a fantastic family, a wonderful boyfriend and some fabulous friends. I scrapbook because I love this life that I lead. I scrapbook because one day I want my children to understand who I was...and who I am. I scrapbook to process and preserve the past. I scrapbook because I want to do my experiences and my memories justice. I scrapbook simply because it is something that I love to do. And I scrapbook because of Mrs. Rose.

Thank you, Mrs. Rose.

*Click here to view this layout in full...

Where has the time gone?!

Wow, has it seriously been over a week already? The last few days have honestly gone by in a blur - after being snowed in for 8 days, things are definitely back to reality! Speaking of being snowed in, I have a couple of layouts to share with you:

Cardstock in Rouge, White and Stone, American Crafts; Kraft and white Dotted Swiss cardstock (inner circle), Bazzill Basics Paper; Apron Lace punch, Fiskars; circles and snowflakes cut using Making Memories Slice Cordless Design Cutter (with Mistletoe Design Card); letter stickers, Jenni Bowlin Studio; snowflake peel offs, Stampendous; font is Another Typewriter from dafont.com; bling and ribbon from stash.

We had a phenomenal amount of snow at the beginning of January! As you can probably imagine, there were plenty of opportunities to photograph the snow-covered landscape/our garden, so I selected a few of my absolute favourites for this particular layout. I was originally thinking of making a grid in Picasa, but then I came across sketch 169 by Susan Dupre over at Pencil Lines....

Image credit

...which seemed to incorporate enough photos without looking too cluttered (if you know what I mean). Susan's own layout was also snow-themed, which pretty much cinched it for me! I scraplifted some elements from her original layout, such as the snowflakes and the ribbon, and then adapted the remainder of the sketch to suit the photos and the overall theme of my layout (I was going for an 'Aspen,' 'log cabin' sort of vibe).

As a side note, I should probably add that I am pretty much obsessed with Pencil Lines at the moment! I love the versatility of their sketches and the incredible inspiration that their design team provides each week. And, I'm SO excited about the release of Pencil Lines, a Sketch Book for Scrapbookers...I'm a big fan of the original Scrapbook Page Maps, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Pencil Lines book will provide some new ideas!

Anyhoo, here is the second layout:

White Dotted Swiss cardstock, Bazzill Basics Paper; patterned paper, all Jenni Bowlin Studio; glitter cardstock from stash; Scallop Sentiment punch, Fiskars; font is Another Typewriter from dafont.com; letter stickers include Jenni Bowlin Tiny Circle Alpha Cardstock stickers, My Little Shoebox Mini Alpha Stickers and American Crafts Thickers (Subway).

I just want to reassure everyone that the hat I'm wearing in these photographs is 100% faux fur!

I was so excited to finally be able to wear my scarf and mittens set that I bought in the January sales last year, hence these photos! It turns out that British winters are ordinarily just a bit too mild for such a big, thick scarf...but the 'big freeze' provided the perfect opportunity to wrap up warm! This layout actually came together quite quickly, which is a bit of a rarity for me...I suppose I love the process as much as the satisfaction of finishing the 'end product'...

And, just in case you were wondering how much snow we had at the beginning of January, here is a 'before and after' comparison of the snow we had in our orchard just before Christmas (blogged here) and the snow during the first week of January:

A little known fact about me: meteorology is my guilty little pleasure...Storm Chasers is one of my absolute favourite TV shows (I have a bit of a thing for Reed Timmer) and I check accuweather.com pretty much everyday. Yup, I'm a self-confessed nerd.

Ooh, and if you want to see some more snow photos, check out my 'Snow' Flickr set.

Happy Tuesday everyone!