"To Every Thing There Is A Season"

Hey, Friends! As you are aware, it's been months since I've shared anything on my blog. To be honest, it's been ages since I've scrapbooked in the traditional sense. I did scrapbook with Paper Issues for NSD weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the process. I've been scrapping since 2001 and NSD will always hold a special place in my heart. Here are two of the layouts I created and I think they are two of my all-time faves!

Now let's get to the heart of this post... Scrapbooking has been such a huge part of my life, for the last 16 years. It gave me a creative outlet while staying home with my children and it connected me with amazing women, all over the world, who have inspired me daily. I've watched their families grow and change over the years and it's been an amazing journey with them, creatively and personally. Scrapbooking also led me down a creative path that I never imagined possible. When our local scrap store closed, I continued my passion through on-line communities. The desire to be selected for design teams kept me on my toes and pushed my creative process. For the last couple of years, I've felt my enthusiasm waning a bit, in spite of the fact that I was finally achieving the goals that I had desired for so long. Don't get me wrong, I was THRILLED to be selected for design teams and gave 100% effort in that regard, but realized, after some time, that it was no longer my dream.

Fast forward to Jan 2017, I had an epiphany on New Year's Day to get back to the basics. When I started scrapbooking, it was before the digital age, so traditional scrapping was perfect for me. I could combine my cherished photos with pretty paper (#winning) and get lost in the fun process. On 1/1/17, it dawned on me that I could include TONS of photos, tell the stories, and condense all this into a digital photo book. I still love scrapbooking and enjoy seeing all the fabulous layouts out there, but (for me) this season of my life is ending. It's definitely bittersweet but I know in my heart, it is the right decision for me. I think I will still make mini albums from time to time and have kept all of my absolute favorite supplies in case I get the urge to create a layout! Here is a layout from my 2016 photo book. I love the over-sized photos and the ability to create fabulous collages with text.

As you may have noticed, I've changed the name of my blog to reflect my passion for art. I hope to be sharing art journaling, art, home decor, and the occasional papercrafting project. As always, thank you for stopping by my blog. I'm excited about this new season of my life Wishing you a blessed and creative day! xo