Just What I've been W8ing for!

Today is the day! The reveal day for the June kit at Just Cre8!

I have 4 brand new LOs that I've had to keep under wraps. Here is one of them, all materials from the June kit:

I am so not used to keeping my scrapping a secret! But working with this kit is tons of fun. Lots of funky papers, ribbon, goodies, and the stamps were neat too. It is also the first time I've used SkribblzArt by Katrina Murphy. They are the neatest things! Sue has also included a digital download with the kit...designed by Tammy Nice. My first attempt at hybrid scrapping. :)

This is my first DT reveal day, ever. I am a newbie, so I hope I get everything right! Although Sue, Kat, Tammy, Melanie & Lori ahve been so great to work with. It is a fabulous team!

Sometime today, head on over to Just Cre8 and check out the June kit and the DT June Designs. I can't wait to see what everyone else has in store.

Scrapbook Art

I am still convinced that, for me, scrapbooking is not just a hobby, it is an Art. We take everyday, ordinary moments and create one-of-a-kind visual interpretations. We create with our own hands and imaginations. Every time I look at a layout -- mine or someone else's -- I always savor the emotions it provokes.

And that is the way I create my layouts too. I start with an idea and just jump right in. I always let my gut instincts guide the way I cut and place paper & embellishments. If I have a spark of an idea in my head...I just jump right in and try it. If it works, that's great! If it doesn't...well...it's a learning experience.

Even if you don't think you are creating a work of Art when you scrapbook, I think you are. No matter what they look like, your pages are created with your experience, strengths, talents, ideas, and heart. No one else would work with those photos and materials exactly the way you do. We scrapbookers are all unique. We are creative. We are fabulous!

My scrapbooking advice for today...jump right in. Don't be afraid. Be unique. Go with your gut. And believe in yourself...because YOU are a Scrapbook Artist.

Big steps!

A lot of people I know just dread the arrival of Monday. But I am the opposite, I think. Monday is a nice, calm start -- unlike most of our weekends! DH goes back to work, DD goes back to school, and the house is almost solely mine again for another few days. I can read my newspaper with breakfast. I can have a quick coffee with my neighbours. I can leisurely check my email and tidy up the chaos from Saturday & Sunday activity. All with out the rush-rush-rush that seems to invade our weekends.

Today I am excited, because my goal for this week is my DT projects for Just Cre8. I have the June kit on my scraptable and I am ready to go! We had a great National Scrapbook Day crop there on Friday, and there are tons of unique and creative ideas that appeared in the gallery. So go take a peek! It's right here! If you want a sneak peek of the June kit, you can check it out this blog...otherwise it will be revealed at Just Cre8 on May 15th. :)

This last week has been pretty exciting for us too. The kids started soccer, and for the first time, I am actually a genuine "team mom"! I love it already. There is nothing in the world as neat as watching your babies strive to learn and grow something new. Especially when you don't have to teach them! Independence is an amazing thing. Here's a pic of DD playing soccer in her first game. (She's in the dark blue jersey.)

It isn't fun, though, dealing with the aftermath of a sensitive seven-year-old girl who has just lost the first game she ever played, especially after she let in 4 goals in her five minutes of goalie time. Her coach is amazing, though, and really puts an important emphasis on working hard and having fun. I think it's going to be a great season.

Another big milestone! DD learned to ride her bike without training wheels!

So, just like her Papa promised, she got to go shopping this weekend for a new two-wheeler, which is a beautiful bike. She is so proud, and all of these steps she has taken in the last few weeks just shine in her face. You can tell her confidence has made a great leap. I love that, because I think it is so important that girls develop confidence and grace.

Well, happy Monday & happy scrapping! I hope you all enjoy your day. :)

What a whirlwind!

Wow! We have had an incredibly whirlwind week...I am certainly glad to finally have some time to sit and catch up on things, including my blog. LOL

Firstly, our trip to Regina went well. Dianne is recovering from a few procedures to help her get better so she can have the surgery she has been waiting for for so long. Thank goodness! We had some important visiting time with her and my sister-in-law, who had been in Regina since last Friday. And I was glad for the opportunity to show them that I support them every step of the way.

We also had some time to sit and visit with a wonderful friend of mine and her husband. (Hi KJ & Aaron!) And we took the kids to the Science Center too -- a nice little getaway for them. I am just so grateful that things are looking up for my mother-in-law. I hate to see how much she has to go through. Multiple Sclerosis is a horribly difficult disease. I've been saying little prayers for a long time for those who live with it.

When we came back on Thursday night, I found the Just Cre8 June kit waiting for me. Woohoo! The box was stuffed full of lovely scrapbooking goodies, including the April & May kit pieces I had ordered. The June kit...SO COOL! It has.........I can't tell you yet! LOL You will have to wait until the reveal at Just Cre8 on May 15th. ;) It will be worth it! Oh, and they are having a National Scrapbook Day crop on Friday, May 4 with awesome contests and prizes. You have to come check it out. We are having a Poker Run. Yes, a Poker Run -- scrapbook style. :) You can find the details of the crop, including the Poker Run, right here at Just Cre8.

On Friday, I went to the Hawaiian Spring Fling at Just Scrap It in Saskatoon. I had 20 hours of cropping time with my scrapping friends -- we missed my mom Janet, though. The "Bad Girls' Corner" just wasn't the same without her. :( I did 4 layouts on the weekend. Here are a couple for you:

These were both "cre8ed" using the Just Cre8 kits, April and May. I just love the stamps from the April kit. Those barcodes are way too addictive!

At the crop, I also won one of the BIG raffle draws...a do-it-yourself acrylic stamp making kit. I'd never seen or heard of one of these before. Well, I played with the kit today and it is way too cool! You design your own artwork, and it takes about 20 minutes to make an acrylic stamp. Seriously! I love it!

I also won one of the layout contests..."Extraordinary Moments". I entered one of my most heartfelt layouts, "Papa's Patch". It looks like this:

It is the story of how much my grandfather's raspberry patch meant to me when I was growing up. When he passed away 6 years ago, the raspberry patch was left untended and this very special place that I shared with my papa quickly disappeared beneath the thistles that choked out the bushes. When I returned to the farm last summer, the thistles were taller than me and so thick we could barely see through them. I thought they were gone forever. And then we saw a raspberry peeking through the thick thorns of the thistles. And then another. And another! My mom, my aunt, and I pushed our way through the mess and, for the last time, we picked buckets and buckets of raspberries. And the taste of those sweet, juicy berries reminded me that my memories of Papa in his raspberry patch will always be with me.

What a week. There was more...but I will save those thoughts for another day. Perhaps tomorrow. Until then...

Take care, sweet dreams, and please, hug someone special. Each day you spend with them is truly a blessing. ((hugs to my mom today...love you, mom))