Happiness is... Being a Liebster!!

Hello Blog Friends,

I have just received the Liebster Blog award, and I am over-the-moon happy!  
I received this award courtesy of fellow blogger and CSI detective Michele. Michele is from sunny California and her work is stunning - just check her blog Design Honey and you will see what I mean!
About the award: 
“Liebster” is a German word meaning dearest, beloved or favorite, and the Liebster Award is sort of a chain letter among bloggers that’s intended to showcase exceptional up-and-coming blogs (typically, those with 200 or fewer followers). There’s no evaluation committee or formal award process for the Liebster, but in a way it’s even nicer – it’s recognition that a peer has noticed and appreciated your hard work.
Neighbourhood of Blogs
To say that receiving this award has made me happy is an understatement!  
Finding one's creative voice/expression and can be a daunting process. The day you go public with your blog is like letting your children cross the street by themselves for the first time - it's scary, and you just gotta trust that they will make it to the other side.
For me, the best part about scrapping and blogging is the connections.  Each of us gets to make new friends all over the world - it's a global neighbourhood.  We create community with each post  while putting our work and our selves "out there".  Leaving supportive comments on others' blog is another way of nourishing the community.
I am so glad I decided to take the blog plunge last April because I have met so many lovely people (that would be you! :) and I've learned so much from each one of you, dear blog friends.
Over the next little while it will be my happy task to surprise 5 others with the Leibster award! I look forward to completing that task and sharing it with you!
Wishing you some happy scrap time this weekend.  Be sure to drop by  Michele's place at Design Honey for awesome inspiration.

Dream On: CSI Case #3

Here is my take on CSI Case #3:

The picture is not the best quality, but it captured the moment at which my long, cherished career as a yoga teacher was beginning to draw to a close; you can see all the white drawstring back-support bags on the studio floor behind me.
My Testimony:
I could have called this "The Goodbye Girl", b/c the journaling refers to the ending of an era in my  personal evolution.  The title "Dream On" comes from the 1973 Aerosmith Song (I know, I know, I am a child of the 70's forever - those songs are branded into my consciousness:) )

• repetition ("Dream On repeated 6 times on tags on the L side border)
• journaling in the form of directions ("Dream On" is the direction I am giving, & taking)
• Journaling on a series of tags: 

I wrote out two of the verses that were most relevant to my process for this project.  
Question: Did we enter warp speed with the new year?  I don't know about you, but time sure feels very fast these days! Some key phrases from the song for me were:

"the past is gone/it went by like dusk to dawn", and 

"Sing with me, sing for the years/Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears"

My Evidence:
tags:  I cut the pink tags using my Cricut; the journalling tags are Prima
sheer ribbon: on the tags

circular elements: the typewriter keys of the background paper (Webster's); used a circle cutter for the background circle, outlined with a circle of pink pearls placed around it.  Then I used a square pattern paper punch for contrast.
gold metallic elements - I heat- embossed gold crowns around the circle using Ancient Gold; as well as the edge of the circle. I outlined the pp and my photo in gold metallic ink
a doily: tucked under the photo

I also did some personal journaling on the back of the project, using a transparency.  Once I started, I could not stop.  It just poured out and it felt as if I could have written a book on this topic!
I'm pretty sure that this was a case of "scrap therapy" - very healing, and thank you CSI for providing the wonderful clues to solve the case!

Every time when I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is goneIt went by, like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way/Everybody's got the dues in life to pay

 Dream on/Dream on/Dream on/Dream until your dreams come true.

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a look.

Papers used:  Wesbter's, Crate Paper

Prima Tags
EK Success punch
Chipboard embellies: Bo Bunny Gabrielle, Crate Paper
Prima flower
Alphas: Bo Bunny Snowfall, American Crafts

3 Mothers, 3 Generations PLUS Bo Bunny CHA Sneak Peek

Hello Blog Friends
Today I have a heritage layout linking three generations of mothers in my family, all of them pictured with their babies.  I'm quite happy with how this turned out.  I love how each one of us has that same look on her face, all of us gazing adoringly upon our baby daughters:

The first photo (top) is my mother holding yours truly (me!) 'way 'way back, long time ago in Montreal - back when men wore fedoras and women wore shirtwaist dresses and peplum jackets. 

Second photo (centre R) shows me as a new mother with my daughter in 1979.  Third photo (bottom L) shows that same beautiful daughter of mine with her new baby this autumn.

I thought this quotation summed it all up" "Flowers have the sun, babies have their mothers."

I used the silken, soft-hued Pion papers here (Studio of Memories collection) and added a glimmer-misted doily, some Glitz What-nots, and some Webster's Pages trims. The blue flower and the mirrored bird-cage are from Prima:

This layout was a gift to my daughter at Christmas. Even though my daughter never got to meet her grandmother, I believe that connection can be made through looking at the heritage photos in our possession.
Shining a light on the generations was my whole motivation for scrapbooking in the first place. I am the "keeper of the story" in our family.  These heritage layouts are important to me to help keep those generational links alive for the future.

Now - for all my fellow-paper addicts: the CHA sneak peeks continue with the new Bo Bunny winter releases at Stop and Scrap.  These new Bo Bunny lines are totally beautiful - I know b/c I'm placing my order today!

Get 12% off anything you order from Stop and Scrap  - just use this code: PAPERINKME.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I do enjoy the sweet comments from my lovely blog friends, so feel free to leave a note if you have time.

Sneak Peeks & Your Special Code: American Crafts & Pebbles

There are 3 new American Crafts collections and 2 new Pebbles collections available for pre-order at Stop and Scrap, including Amy Tangerine Sketchbook and Dear Lizzy Neapolitan.




The prices at Stop and Scrap are already great, but you can get an extra 12% off your order.  
Just use this code when ordering:

PAPERINKME

This code entitles you to 12% off everything you order, including other in-stock and pre-order items.
For me, this makes shopping on-line very worthwhile, and gets me to all the new goodies sooner.  The next best thing to attending CHA!

Here are the links that will take you right there:
American Crafts 
Pebbles

Happy Shopping!

Memo to Self: CSI Case #2

Design process? What design process? For some reason, this l/o for CSI did not come together easily.
Two designs ended up in the garbage before I could settle on something I was happy with.  I can say it's been an obsessive week!
Here's my layout:

using a sketch by Baggahuna:

The l/o came from recent dream content, advice from my younger self to my "now" self. I like the waydreams bring information from deep in the unconscious to the surface - like memos from me to me.
The stream of consciousness journalling is written on a yellow tag (Prima), and basically "nets out" to my younger self telling me to listen to my own heart song. 

NB - The colours were so tough to photograph - we are in a low-light stretch here.

EVIDENCE DETAILS:
flowers (some were detail-cut from Crate Paper pp in my stash)
architectural elements (resin window lower L.) (Recollections)
sheer elements: yellow netting from bag of lemons
swirls/flourishes (yellow pearl flourish by ZVA Creative) 

I can't explain why this was so "challenging" for me; I loved the colours and the concept of Case #2 - but it truly was a challenge in every sense.
My craft space looks like a whirlwind went through it - I really must get back in there and tidy up....because Case #3 has just been posted!
Thanks for stopping by today.

Reader Discounts on New Prima CHA Sneak Peeks UPDATED

Hello Blog Friends
Last week I told you about my new favourite place to shop: Stop and Scrap. 
I have partnered with Stop and Scrap. Readers of this blog can receive a full 12%  on their order!

Here's how:  When you place an order at Stop and Scrap, enter this code for 12% off:

PAPERINKME

This makes it simple for everyone. 
Larry at Scrap and Shop says: "It is for ALL items, including sale and clearance items :) It will lower every single item ordered by 12%." 
The new Prima lines are awesomely beautiful and are ready for pre-order - the details and ship dates are on the Stop and Scrap site.  
I placed my own pre-order early this morning. I am happy to be able to share this with you - happy shopping!

My New Favourite Place to Shop

Hello Blog Friends
Something special I can share with you: Thanks to a heads-up from my scrap friend Bente Fagerberg, I have discovered a wonderful new place to shop on line.  It's called Stop and Scrap. 
I have ordered from them a few times in the past months, and I've been impressed with the prices and the service.  
I have to do most of my shopping on line b/c, sadly, there isn't a scrapbook store near me.  (We have one big conglomerate craft store, but it doesn't carry the collections that I like.)
Living in Canada. shipping costs are always an issue for me.  I have found Stop and Scrap very reasonable and speedy.  They ship world-wide.
Stay tuned, b/c there will be some special price codes available here for regular readers early next week!
Until next time, 

Go Ask Alice: CSI Case #1

Happy news - the new CSI (Color, Stories. Inspiration) Site went live last week.
The first "case" was to "scrap something mad" within the colour palette of the challenge. Here's my entry:

I don't know about you, but now that we're in 2012, there's a lot going on that just seems...well, mad.  So I went with a Mad Hatter theme from Alice in Wonderland. 
Since Wonderland is a place where things are non-sense.  I decided to give myself permission to scrap without a photo - I scrapped a concept instead.
In Wonderland, Alice finds that the rules no longer apply, and nothing makes sense.  The caterpillar asks her, "Who are you?"

Alice replies:

"I...I hardly know, sir, just at present...at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then."

I feel a kinship to Alice these days (!), and that was my concept for this piece.
Here's a close-up of the Mad Hatter image from the Graphic 45 Hallowe'en in Wonderland collection:

I gave him a tulle bow tie and a hat band made from crinkle seam binding, both of which were coloured with glimmer mist and Distress Stain.  The two hat pins were alcohol-inked, and I painted his top hat with a distress stain mix to make the gray more compatible with the palette.


On a red glimmer-misted a tag from Tattered Angels, I printed out the lyrics of the old Jefferson Starship song Go Ask Alice. (It used to sound surreal and odd back in the day, but now the words seem almost prophetic - how strange is that?)

The second tag I kept blank so that I could come back to it later and write about how the "madness" is working itself out. (which I am sure it will, eventually.)
The tag holder is one of my cardboard coffee sleeves. 
I did the journalling on a transparency next to the Mad Hatter:

Well, it's a wonderful world of change, isn't it?  Even if it does feel like we're at a mad tea party some times.  I'll close with these words from Go Ask Alice:

When the men on the chess board 

get up and tell you where to go

And you just had some kind of mushroom

And your mind is moving slow

Go ask Alice

I think she'll know

-Jefferson Airplane, 1967

My Last Christmas Project: Pion Papers

Hello Blog Friends
To close out the Christmas crafting season, here is my final project - a mini album created with the beautiful Waiting for Santa II collection from Pion Papers.
(Heads up: this is a l-l-l-l-long post; come armed with a coffee cup and just enjoy the pictures.)


It was my good fortune to receive The Pion papers in the awesome December kit from Scrap That! 

I love the evocative, traditional Father Christmas-style image on the front cover:

There are lots of tags and pockets for photos/journalling throughout this mini.

There is something about these little robins on their branch - you can almost feel the peace and quiet of a snowy day:

The album pages are simply made from standard business envelopes from Office Depot:

Above: photo mattes, journalling tags, and a frame (R) to slip a 3x4 photo underneath.
I created a Father Christmas charm for the journalling tag. 

Above: a Father Christmas charm for the journalling tag

Flip book with 4 pages for journalling and/or small photos and treasures.

Two tags with photo mattes for 4x6 photos slide horizontally into a  pocket:

Here is Santa again (belowR) and the sweetest little girl with her dog, gathering holly (L):

See how the long envelope slides out:

There is notepaper inside the envelope for private journalling.
And here's the back of the envelope with a little post card, stamped and ready to go:

A "flip page" (single page in two sections), with more beautiful Santa images:

Tag-holder is made from a basic take-out coffee cup sleeve, below (R) and (L): 

Are you enjoying your coffee?  We are almost done, now...just keep scrolling along to the end...

  Above:  The little guardian angel's wings are done in white puffy paint.

The final page, with a confidential Letter to Santa:

And.....here's the back cover:

(This one I did with a lovely striped paper from the Birdsong collection.)

You made it.....thank you so much for your patience....

this brings to a conclusion the Santa's workshop portion of my blog for this year!

Have a wonderful day filled with light and other treasures from Santa's pack.

Christmas at the Cottage Mini: Part Two

Completing yesterday's post, here are the last two pages of my woodland-themed mini-album.

Back of flip books (L).  Facing is a split page, using the lovely forest fir trees from Webster's Pages Botanical Christmas collection.  I added a few gems for sparkle.
Usually I stick to one paper collection throughout a project.  But with this mini, I mixed in pages from other collections.

The back of split page displays a traditional woodland St Nick (Echo Park/Season's Greetings).

You can see a tag holder made from one of those cardboard sleeves that holds your take-out coffee cup (L).  Everything has its uses in scrapping! (R) is everyone in pajamas, playing the annual Christmas Hearts tournament.

Coffee sleeve with tags inserted. 

I love the graceful curved shape to this - what a great idea from Susie McGuire.

Final page - with the family snowman (L) and inside back cover holding tags with room for more photos.

And here's the back cover, using MME Lost & Found Christmas pp and a Maya Road kraft snowflake.

Hope everyone had a splendid New Year's Eve.  
Thanks for stopping by today, and best wishes to all for 2012!