I'm really going to miss this...
Last night I had to buckle down and make a couple of birthday cards; one for my papa and one for a lady that I work with. Both had to be either in the mail today or delivered today. I'm a crunch time kinda gal huh? Anyway, I came home with all of the intentions of starting right away so that I could be in bed by 10pm (did I fail to mention that I have rediscovered the benefits of going to bed early? I love feeling refreshed in the morning and it's having a major effect on my disposition at work... go figure.
Anyway, Shayne made stirfry while I was getting set up and right after dinner I started on the cards. First I made this one for my dad, his birthday is on the 9th:
It's a matchbook design (thank you Chatterbox for the inspiration!). I didn't flip the inside sheet but it does open further to reveal an a real where we all signed the card. It'll be his first hand made card from me.. I hope he likes it. I would've done better to have some silver mesh, but copper I had, so copper it was...
Then I made a card for Cindy, a really sweet lady at work. It has an offset shutter opening which I really don't like because that requires some sort of ribbon tie mechanism, which always gets mangled after a while. It was almost 10 when I finally got to this one so I was crunched for ideas. The rubons are silver American Crafts Trademarks! Go figure! I found them on eBay a few weeks ago and made an offer for $5 per pack... of course I got 2... I love them to death! I wish they would showcase them on their site though! It's probably best I don't see all that they have to offer... I really like this card though. I think I am turning out to be quite the little card vixen. I'm entertaining the idea of just creating a buttload of birthday, thank you, condolence cards and such so that I don't have anymore of these impromptu sessions. I think I'm good for the rest of summer so I will worry about that after my break...
Oh... how cute is this?
I took some pictures of Jo when she was getting ready to depart for her first pool party! She has several little bikini's... none of which passed muster with dad! He's so funny about her sometimes! So I went with the bodyglove surfer-type suit from last year. She's so little that it still fits... it's an 18m suit... she's 2.5!. All she needed was a surfboard! Thank goodness momma is from Hawaii and used to surf or the poor thing would've been stuck with a t-shirt and shorts. I saw this last summer at Walmart and fell in love. It came with a bikini bottom, which she has on, but dad wasn't having that. He says it's one thing if she has a diaper on, but something totally different if she is going bare butt. Well she's potty trained so the diaper thing would've been counter productive, so I opted for some lime green short shorts that she could keep on in the water. She even had on blue aqua socks! She looked so darned adorable! I can't wait to do the layout for this one! I took tons of pictures!
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I am really amazed at how much has been lifted off of me by not scrapping. I can't believe that I let it get so stressful for me! I feel so liberated now! I'm going to make some curtains for Jo's bedroom this evening and I might even try to start on some gouchos for myself. Maybe in this time I can put together a better wardrobe for myself? I have tons of fabric going to waste... I think I will. Another thing I'm determined to do is to unload all of this eBay-able stuff. I could use the money for my trip in August and I just want it out of my house. What doesn't sell will go to charity.
************************************************************************************
My Scrapbooking Revelation for the day:
There has been a lot... and I mean a LOT of talk about the gals out there who pursue the multiple Design Teams to fatten up their resumes. I'm not talking about the sensible women who will go for design teams for sites that they really like, or get asked to join DT's because they fart talent. I'm talking about the ones who have been published extensively and have several DT's under their belts, yet still pursue even the smallest of calls from the newest of shops... knowing full well that these new, upstart shops are probably the only way that some scrappers will be able to break into the industry. How can the little ones (who haven't paid their dues *what the f*^%% is that anyway?) get into the industries if the ones who are already riding the wave of success come swooping into these little startup shops wowing the owners with the potential of having someone well known on their DT's? They can't. And they don't. But you know... all is fair is scrapbooking and war. It's the shopowners who suffer the most when they realize that this "pseudo-celeb" is only in it to win it for herself and eventually, when her head gets a little bit more swollen, she will be off to bigger and better things... or she will become so integral to the site that the owner isn't really the owner anymore. I've seen both happen... yell if you like... and when you're finished yelling at me, scroll to the top and read the top of my banner.
I don't even too much care about that situation so much anymore. What bugs me is how some of these ladies who gobble up these DT's like so many PacMan dots justify their actions. I've heard everything from "I was blessed with this gift of talent and it's my right to use it.." to " I submit the same as everybody else, it's the shop owners who decide". What they don't acknowledge is the fact that a lot of times they have an inside guy/judge cheering them on and/or that they REALLY don't need another gig, or that they are just doing it because they know they are shoe ins. By not practicing discretion they present a persona similar to that of the corporate conglomerate that gobbles up all of the potential for Mom & Pop shops. I kinda like that analogy... hmmm. I think from now on we shall call them Walmart-Scrappers (WS for short). So the WS gobble up what few DT calls are out there, despite their publishing successes and manufacturer DT success and so forth and so on. There isn't an altruistic bone in their structures/bodies. Why? Because they are trying to "make it". As far as their right to use their talent, well, there are billionaires in this world who can afford to buy millions of lottery tickest just to improve their odds of winning those 300 millions jackpots. the could easily fork over enough money to shift the odds in their favors... but they don't... 1) it's a gamble, and 2) many have conscience about stomping the little people into the ground for personal gain.
I remember a few years ago one of the celebs had come to the realization that she was doing the same thing and decided to step down and scrap for herself and her family, even blogged about it and tried to educate the masses about trying to go for the gold while sacrificing the original mission statement (you know... preserving your families memories). Maybe she needs to make another appearance? lol.
We can't really blame these WS for going for theirs. We can't even blame them for elbowing us in the face. To ask that they consider the standing of the store and the caliber of the other applicants... well that would be asking them to share the industry and to play nicely as they were taught in kindergarten. The WS that are already racing towards fame and stardom have been blessed ... but how much of a blessing is it if it turns you into something that is deemed ugly by all societal standards? We can ask that they stop short of bringing the Lords' name into their reasonings... last I checked, gluttony in any form was a sin, as well as over indulging in the pleasures of this world, as is elbowing the brother/sister/neighbor that you were supposed to be loving in the face.
The one thing that I ask is that they stop this ridiculous notion of having paid their dues. What the hell is that!! In an industry where you can sidle up to a well known and ride their coattails until you get to your own fame nitch, there is no such thing. What is the due? Is it a time limit? Is it a number of months that you have to be actively scrapping? If so, then I think that hundreds of unrecognized talent have paid tricefold! I think the dues that they speak of pertain to the ability to let the industry whore your style and to get you to pimp yourself for their sake! One scrapper has been doing this for about 18months and has amassed over 700 pages... is that a due paid? Even though there isn't a whole lot of story told in her 700 layouts, they do drip with style and follow the industry trends so closely that you'd think she were on the inside track.
I'm going to say this once again. My kids can look at their pictures in a photo album with little I love you/I adore you stickers all over them... I don't scrap to tell them that they are cute, loved, growing up. I scrap to tell them how I am feeling about my life with them at that moment. That is preserving a memory (key word... memory)... anything else/less is just dressing up pictures.
I can't wait till the industry goes back to emphasizing MEANINGFUL journaling... there are going to be some people left high and dry...
For all of you scrappers out there who believe in putting your heart on a page because one day you won't be there to tell the story... amen and keep trekking. The memories in a picture only last as long as the memory of that event remains in our hearts...
************************************************************************************
Anyway, Shayne made stirfry while I was getting set up and right after dinner I started on the cards. First I made this one for my dad, his birthday is on the 9th:
It's a matchbook design (thank you Chatterbox for the inspiration!). I didn't flip the inside sheet but it does open further to reveal an a real where we all signed the card. It'll be his first hand made card from me.. I hope he likes it. I would've done better to have some silver mesh, but copper I had, so copper it was...
Then I made a card for Cindy, a really sweet lady at work. It has an offset shutter opening which I really don't like because that requires some sort of ribbon tie mechanism, which always gets mangled after a while. It was almost 10 when I finally got to this one so I was crunched for ideas. The rubons are silver American Crafts Trademarks! Go figure! I found them on eBay a few weeks ago and made an offer for $5 per pack... of course I got 2... I love them to death! I wish they would showcase them on their site though! It's probably best I don't see all that they have to offer... I really like this card though. I think I am turning out to be quite the little card vixen. I'm entertaining the idea of just creating a buttload of birthday, thank you, condolence cards and such so that I don't have anymore of these impromptu sessions. I think I'm good for the rest of summer so I will worry about that after my break...
Oh... how cute is this?
I took some pictures of Jo when she was getting ready to depart for her first pool party! She has several little bikini's... none of which passed muster with dad! He's so funny about her sometimes! So I went with the bodyglove surfer-type suit from last year. She's so little that it still fits... it's an 18m suit... she's 2.5!. All she needed was a surfboard! Thank goodness momma is from Hawaii and used to surf or the poor thing would've been stuck with a t-shirt and shorts. I saw this last summer at Walmart and fell in love. It came with a bikini bottom, which she has on, but dad wasn't having that. He says it's one thing if she has a diaper on, but something totally different if she is going bare butt. Well she's potty trained so the diaper thing would've been counter productive, so I opted for some lime green short shorts that she could keep on in the water. She even had on blue aqua socks! She looked so darned adorable! I can't wait to do the layout for this one! I took tons of pictures!
************************************************************************************
I am really amazed at how much has been lifted off of me by not scrapping. I can't believe that I let it get so stressful for me! I feel so liberated now! I'm going to make some curtains for Jo's bedroom this evening and I might even try to start on some gouchos for myself. Maybe in this time I can put together a better wardrobe for myself? I have tons of fabric going to waste... I think I will. Another thing I'm determined to do is to unload all of this eBay-able stuff. I could use the money for my trip in August and I just want it out of my house. What doesn't sell will go to charity.
************************************************************************************
My Scrapbooking Revelation for the day:
There has been a lot... and I mean a LOT of talk about the gals out there who pursue the multiple Design Teams to fatten up their resumes. I'm not talking about the sensible women who will go for design teams for sites that they really like, or get asked to join DT's because they fart talent. I'm talking about the ones who have been published extensively and have several DT's under their belts, yet still pursue even the smallest of calls from the newest of shops... knowing full well that these new, upstart shops are probably the only way that some scrappers will be able to break into the industry. How can the little ones (who haven't paid their dues *what the f*^%% is that anyway?) get into the industries if the ones who are already riding the wave of success come swooping into these little startup shops wowing the owners with the potential of having someone well known on their DT's? They can't. And they don't. But you know... all is fair is scrapbooking and war. It's the shopowners who suffer the most when they realize that this "pseudo-celeb" is only in it to win it for herself and eventually, when her head gets a little bit more swollen, she will be off to bigger and better things... or she will become so integral to the site that the owner isn't really the owner anymore. I've seen both happen... yell if you like... and when you're finished yelling at me, scroll to the top and read the top of my banner.
I don't even too much care about that situation so much anymore. What bugs me is how some of these ladies who gobble up these DT's like so many PacMan dots justify their actions. I've heard everything from "I was blessed with this gift of talent and it's my right to use it.." to " I submit the same as everybody else, it's the shop owners who decide". What they don't acknowledge is the fact that a lot of times they have an inside guy/judge cheering them on and/or that they REALLY don't need another gig, or that they are just doing it because they know they are shoe ins. By not practicing discretion they present a persona similar to that of the corporate conglomerate that gobbles up all of the potential for Mom & Pop shops. I kinda like that analogy... hmmm. I think from now on we shall call them Walmart-Scrappers (WS for short). So the WS gobble up what few DT calls are out there, despite their publishing successes and manufacturer DT success and so forth and so on. There isn't an altruistic bone in their structures/bodies. Why? Because they are trying to "make it". As far as their right to use their talent, well, there are billionaires in this world who can afford to buy millions of lottery tickest just to improve their odds of winning those 300 millions jackpots. the could easily fork over enough money to shift the odds in their favors... but they don't... 1) it's a gamble, and 2) many have conscience about stomping the little people into the ground for personal gain.
I remember a few years ago one of the celebs had come to the realization that she was doing the same thing and decided to step down and scrap for herself and her family, even blogged about it and tried to educate the masses about trying to go for the gold while sacrificing the original mission statement (you know... preserving your families memories). Maybe she needs to make another appearance? lol.
We can't really blame these WS for going for theirs. We can't even blame them for elbowing us in the face. To ask that they consider the standing of the store and the caliber of the other applicants... well that would be asking them to share the industry and to play nicely as they were taught in kindergarten. The WS that are already racing towards fame and stardom have been blessed ... but how much of a blessing is it if it turns you into something that is deemed ugly by all societal standards? We can ask that they stop short of bringing the Lords' name into their reasonings... last I checked, gluttony in any form was a sin, as well as over indulging in the pleasures of this world, as is elbowing the brother/sister/neighbor that you were supposed to be loving in the face.
The one thing that I ask is that they stop this ridiculous notion of having paid their dues. What the hell is that!! In an industry where you can sidle up to a well known and ride their coattails until you get to your own fame nitch, there is no such thing. What is the due? Is it a time limit? Is it a number of months that you have to be actively scrapping? If so, then I think that hundreds of unrecognized talent have paid tricefold! I think the dues that they speak of pertain to the ability to let the industry whore your style and to get you to pimp yourself for their sake! One scrapper has been doing this for about 18months and has amassed over 700 pages... is that a due paid? Even though there isn't a whole lot of story told in her 700 layouts, they do drip with style and follow the industry trends so closely that you'd think she were on the inside track.
I'm going to say this once again. My kids can look at their pictures in a photo album with little I love you/I adore you stickers all over them... I don't scrap to tell them that they are cute, loved, growing up. I scrap to tell them how I am feeling about my life with them at that moment. That is preserving a memory (key word... memory)... anything else/less is just dressing up pictures.
I can't wait till the industry goes back to emphasizing MEANINGFUL journaling... there are going to be some people left high and dry...
For all of you scrappers out there who believe in putting your heart on a page because one day you won't be there to tell the story... amen and keep trekking. The memories in a picture only last as long as the memory of that event remains in our hearts...
************************************************************************************
posted by Essentially Jae' at Tuesday, June 27, 2006
2 Comments:
Amen. Well...you know I'm a big fan of journaling...I scrap because I want my kids to know what they were like..how much I loved them and WHY I loved them so stinkin' much. Right now...they are testing that but you know...the love is still there. As far as those WS (great term btw) I agree wholeheartedly...I would just love to be published ONCE...but alas..I've given up because...well..the SAME names grace every magazine and I know I don't stand a chance. I love the philosophy of Chatterbox...Making it Meaningful...and I am also on this kick of keeping it simple. I don't NEED to create a masterpiece every time I scrap..I only need to get my memory across. You rock dude...keep up the bloggin!
Holly flippin jelousy is all i have to say. How sad. Those at the top have worked their asses off to get there. Who are you to decide whether someone NEEDS another team or not. Im on 5 and ill submit to 100 more if i feel like it
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