Craft With May

Earlier this month I posted pictures and the recipe for my cherry peach crisp – it is delicious of course. I wondered if I could make a “no dessert rule” friendly version that I could have now. Basically the rules I’ve made are for no cookies, cakes, candies, etc… but fruit and ‘healthy’ alternatives are definitely ok. So I mixed some frozen black cherries + peach slices with oats in a ramekin. Then I added a few teaspoons of apple juice, topped with a dash of shredded coconut and a few dabs of butter and baked for about 25minutes at 350. I would have put almonds, but I didn’t have any.

I ended up sprinkling about 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar on top – otherwise it was just too BLAH. I figured since I’d sugar my oatmeal this tiny amount was ok. It was more like hot oatmeal than crisp, but the butter + coconut that had topped it did add a crunch and goodness I suppose. It was good, I didn’t throw it out (and as you can see above I’d eaten 1/2 before I remembered to photograph!) but I would make it the real way if given the option.

I challenge you, right now, busy or not to do something creative for 5 minutes. It doesn’t have to be something completed, you just have to put the time in.

You see, I’m a big believer in a few things, but for today’s post you should know:

• I don’t buy the “too busy” excuse from people for the most part. Whatever you’re excusing, we’re all busy and we all have loads of things to do/people to see/places to go. You sometimes should/will choose other things over creative time – it may very well be the right choice – but there is always a choice. Likewise with family time and everything else in life. You’re choosing what you do with your time. OWN that it’s your choice, and feel good about what you do.  
• I believe creativity is a muscle that must be exercised on a regular basis if you want to grow/improve/enjoy it. 4 min or 4hrs – makes no difference to me – just so long as I do something each day.

With that said, here are 5 things I did in the 15 minutes I’ve squeezed into this insanely busy day:

1. Sort out some embellishments. I gathered & hung these on a peg with help of a handy binder ring. LOVE those things!

2. Add photos to your ‘to be scrapped’ area. I sorted (the labels on my ancient photo box no longer apply – I sort merely by ‘scrap page subject’ in available slots) pictures and started the wheels in motion for my next scrap session.

3. Experiment. I’m still trying to understand Copic markers, so I was playing on a scratch paper understanding the brush stroke and how it might work. Practice is good!

4. Start a new project. Just get those first few glimpses of what might be. Gather some inspiration, get the wheels turning…

5. Jot down some notes for journaling, ideas, or things you want to make in future.

In other words, try your hand at some little step that will enhance your creativity the next time you’ve got more than 5 minutes – or simply keep at it with a few minutes here & there. Those minutes add up and a lot of fun can be had…  

Tomorrow I’ll take one of these starters and turn it into a full blown project. Stay tuned. Right now I’ve got a hot date to hit the town with my fireman…

Not just crazy, but I’ve got a LOT to say to you people. No, really. True story:

The last 2 days I thought I blogged… and haven’t. Why? How could I loose it quite so much? Pretty simple actually, and I’m going to go with a totally random post and save my other ideas for some other time in an effort to explain. See, I’m in a super inspired zone right now. While I believe in (and practice) exercising creativity daily, sometimes it’s more impressive than others. Once in a rare while, it goes so bezerk I have to resort to note taking in an effort to log the ideas so I can re-visit them later. While this is really great in so many ways, it’s actually hard on me because my brain is moving faster than my hands and I sometimes THINK of something but don’t see it through but think I did.

Like blogging in my mind only.

This is rare, for me to be on hyper-drive, but I embrace and make the most of these flashes. If you’re a Chuck fan then I can best explain it as like when Chuck flashes on all the moves he’s about to make… but with crafts and stuff. So, here’s what I’m thinking about right now…  

Ooh, vintage sparklers from Webster’s Pages so pretty. Very excited to have some in my hands at long last!! Oh, and speaking of pretty I want to watch Emma again, maybe tonight. The scene by the stream? love that scene.

I think I’d like working with vintage inspired stuff while watching one of my faves. Oh! I need hot tea and a treat. Dang it, I can’t have treats tonight. Plus I want something more energized for working with the new kit from Little Black Dress tonight anyhow.

I like the new color trend report Nancy did at www.scrapbookupdate.com. Good colors especially Oyster Gray and Lagoon. Don’t I have some articles to finish for her? Darn it yes I do. I’d better get to that when I finish here with my odd ball blog. I need new Pandora stations + ipod tunes too. Add that to my list for new inspiration.

Dang it I need to make J his (joke) pillowcase with the hilarious ‘hunk’ fabric I ordered. I think it’s been 5 months now with no sewing. INSANE!

Speaking of on-line ordering I NEED more from www.shopevalicious.com. I know I could in theory make my own button flowers and felt accents, but I’m lazy about that stuff and I LOVE what she makes. Add that to the list.

I need inspiration for a 5 & 6year old girls b-days tomorrow too. Shopping to do. Why is my shopping mojo turned off right now as my creative mojo is going mad?

I really want to watch Emma. Or maybe make a page about how J is my Mr.Knightly? Nah, add that to the idea book and laugh later. I wonder if anyone is still reading this blog post? It’s kind of crazy.

I’m totally flunked out on week in the life. I’ve taken 3 photos. The dog got her extra canine tooth (yeah, creepy) out today so she’s all dopey and sleepy… wait how is that different from any other evening? It’s not.

Have I mentioned Sparklers by Webster’s pages? I really need to get off-line and get my hands on these things.

Speaking of tea, this new KaiserCraft release (Tea at Elsie’s) ROCKS. Anybody know where I can buy here in USA? Oh! I have some pictures of egg dying I want to scrap right now… got an idea for glazes + chipboard I need to check out… Black Eyed Peas “pump it” just came on the radio. yeah perfect pump up and go song…

This was a really weird brain dump blog post. I wonder if anyone will ever come back? I hope so. I’m going to promise a new layout + other more interesting posts tomorrow/Saturday for sure.

notes: thoughts edited as I came up with 2 more blog post ideas + 2 classes to pitch + 2 articles to pitch while blogging.

also: I am sending you some virtual mojo because tonight? I need to share! (I may never fall asleep at this rate!!)

 Who are “real” scrapbookers? What does that term mean to you, and what should it mean?

 To me the person who takes clips of family videos and strings them together, the person who lovingly arranges photos from vacation into a picture album, the girl who scrapbooks (and is lucky enough to work within industry), the person who goes to crops a few times a year, the teenager who is putting pictures + stories into a journal, or the digital scrapbooker are all real. There are 1000 other “real” ways to scrapbook, each of them equally wonderful.

I know bloggers who combine words + photos so well that I consider them blog-scrapbookers… and some don’t even consider themselves to be crafters. An interesting thought.

If you’re preserving memories in some way, whether it’s through use of ephemera, photos, video, making CD’s with photo slide shows, or anything else – you’re doing something wonderful and telling your stories. In your own way, you create priceless treasures and peeks into your world and life experience. Digital or paper, camcorder or camera, fancy or plain – if you’re telling part of your life story, that’s real enough for me.

With this thought so strongly in my mind, I’ve decided to do something positive with the “real scrapbooker” term that is sometimes I have heard used to exclude people who don’t fit into what is mainstream or majority. I am making a commitment to seek out, praise (privately and here on this blog) people who keep it real. To spread positive feedback and praise, and to take a term that has a thorn in my side for so long and turn it around into something that includes all those who want it.

I already have some individuals in mind, but if you have some suggestions or favorite people (preferably someone with a blog I can check out) that you find to be really honest and doing something cool please do share. I’m always looking for new people to watch and be inspired by.

Have a happy Monday-

I love Ali Edwards ‘week in the life’ concept, and I’ve been counting down and wondering how I could make it my own.

You see, while I LOVE this concept, making a whole album for 1 week isn’t appealing to me on a personal level. It’s like wildly patterned dresses – I LOVE the idea of them, love them on other people, but on me they don’t ever quite work when I get them on. Same with this project – I adore seeing people’s week in the life ideas and full albums but I don’t actually want a whole album of my own.

Does this mean I need to force myself to do it? Heck no!!!

I’m just going to work out my own way of making it work. I think I will do a 2 or 4 page layout (12×12) spread and summarize more than detail each individual day. I’m not sure what product I will use, I think I will get through the week, print the pics, and then decide.

In any event – I’m grateful Ali does this and shares so openly. Encouraging & inspiring are always good things in my book!! I can’t wait to see what she comes up with – you can check it all out at www.aliedwards.com

Are you doing it? I’d love to see if you do. 🙂