Back to the Blog and a Society6 shop, too!

Hello, friends! It's been ages since I've blogged. Although my last post stated I was (mostly) done with traditional scrapbooking, I've decided to rethink my position on that. I'm working through all my albums and scrapping all the photos I had placed (chronologically) in my albums. I was truly surprised by the amount I still have left to do. I even had to order some scrappy supplies, believe it or not.

I've been busy creating art and loving every second of it. As I've been selling art pieces, several people have asked if they can purchase prints, so I opened a Society6 shop and will be adding items weekly. I love that you can order prints, pillows, canvases, and so much more. Here are the pieces I added today! Pillows are on sale today, too! Click here to visit my shop!

We had a taste of fall a couple of weeks ago and then summer came back with a vengeance. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the temps will drop in the next couple of days, as predicted. I have tons of fall pages to scrap and I need the weather to cooperate! Thanks for stopping by my neglected blog. I plan to get busy and share things more frequently. Until then, have a blessed day! xo

"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

Quick & Easy Cards (with Clique Kits)

Hello, friends! Welcome to the Clique Kit Pep Rally. Today I thought I would share some quick and easy cards using Clique Kits "Bee You" kit. I'm trying to challenge myself to create cards with bits and pieces left from creating layouts. To keep things simple, I'm using white and kraft cardstock (from my stash) as the card bases. The ephemera pieces from the Hazelwood collection were the starting point for the first card. The mason jar was popped up with foam adhesive and I tucked the flowers into the jar.I fussy cut the "love" and attached it to the front of the jar. I love this card because it's so versatile.

For the background of the "Thanks" card, I used a journaling block from the Hazelwood cut apart sheet. The pretty, gold Thickers from the kit are layered on mint-colored foam, so it works beautifully with the paper.

The last card was inspired by the cork cloud from the kit. I created the falling hearts with Whipped Spackle and a stencil from my stash. I felt the card need a tiny pop of color, so I grabbed a butterfly rub-on and adhered it to vellum. I then fussy cut the butterfly and used a tiny strip of foam adhesive to pop it up.

I hope you've been inspired to create cards with leftover pieces from your kits. Be sure to check out the Clique Kit blog for tons of inspiration today! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

You Do You - Creating with Clique Kits Feb Sketch

Today I'll be sharing my second layout as Guest Designer for Clique Kits using the gorgeous "Bee You" kit. The starting point for the layout is the Feb sketch, designed by Kristine Davidson.

I've done several feminine layouts recently and thought it would be fun to mix it up and create a "manly" project. I love the colors and arrows on the b-side of the Hazelwood Woodland Plaid paper and the "You Do You" acrylic piece is perfect for the title.The coral corrugated paper (Fancy Pants) really pops of the page and is a great backdrop for the neutral colored elements on the layout.

The cork pieces in the kit add such a fun texture to the layout. My son's number is, "0" so I painted the cork piece with a white paint dabber. I felt the left side of the photo needed some white for balance. To make the green arrow work, I drew over it with black ink. The chalk banner and black enamel dots are from my stash.

I adore the flair in this month's kit and layered it over a cork piece. I really love how all the elements came together on this layout. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'll be back next week with one more layout using this kit!

January Chat

Hello, friends! I want to share what's going on in my scrappy world. Several months ago, I was asked to join the Noel Mignon Design Team, for the Jan-Jun term! Obviously, this was very exciting and I couldn't wait to get started. Here are two of the layouts I've created with the Little Bird Classic Kit. If you'd like more detail, hop over to the Noel Mignon blog.

It's been great to be back in my scrap room, playing with pretty paper! I'm one of the guest designers for Clique Kits for February, so be watching for that next month!

I had an epiphany a couple of days ago... As much as I ADORE scrapbooking (and will always do it on some level), I realized there were so many photos that I love and would never have the time or space to scrap them all. Rather than printing photos and sliding them into photo albums (again, takes up space) I decided to make a 12x12 photo album annually. It's so easy to upload photos from your computer, Facebook, and Instagram. In just a few hours, I had a completed album with all of my favorite photos from 2016! 59 pages in a pretty, THIN book. When I receive it, I will be sure to share some photos with you. This is the cover of my book; I can't wait to receive it!

I'm only going to scrap my absolute favorite photos and stories, which should keep the process fresh and exciting. Now that I'm paring down my process, it's time for a BIG purge. Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

My Favorite Layouts of 2016

Hello, Friends! I can't believe it's already time for my favorite layouts of the year! This year was an absolute whirlwind and I'm hoping 2017 is a little more calm. :) My scrapbooking came to a screeching halt, with the move and house renovation, but I did manage to come up with my 10 Ten Faves of the year.

Now that things have settled down, I'm looking forward to creating again. Wishing you all a blessed 2017!

The Heart of the Home (Kitchen Renovation)

The holidays are upon us and I'm thrilled to be finished with our kitchen renovation! Today's post is just a quick before and after. We took out a wall and fireplace between the kitchen and great room to create an open floor plan. As you can see, it was quite the construction zone and I almost lost my sanity trying to live here through the process.

Now we have a bright, cozy kitchen to enjoy. I've been inspired to cook, bake, and don't even mind cleaning the kitchen now. My favorite thing is when the family gathers around the island for chats or just to keep me company while I'm working.

Feeling grateful and blessed beyond measure - I'm ready to settle in to our new space and make lots of memories. Happy Holidays! ♥