Prepping for a crop

I love getting together with my scrapbook friends for a crop. I usually go once a month to a local community club. I pack my supplies, lunch and a snack to share. I find it really helps me catch up with my scrapbooking layouts if I attend once a month. I find I am most productive when I have prepped some layout kits. I print my photos, choose my papers, cut out all my Cricut cuts (sometimes in more than one size or colour). I put all the above in a bag and then bring all the bags with me. The bags I use are the plastic bags that hold paper packs, they usually have a resealable closure and work quite well. You can also purchase extra large ziploc bags that are large enough for a 12x12 inch layout (33 x 38.1 cms) in a box of 10. You can find them at Walmart or Canadian Tire in Canada.

Dollartree also sells this more economical pack of 5 zipped bags for $1.25 in Canada. The bag dimensions are 14 3/8 x 16 inches (36.5 x 40.6 cms)

When I don’t do this, I tend to spend WAY too much time trying to match paper and organize my layouts often missing something that is at home in my craft room. Another plus to doing this is, prepping kits makes for a much smaller load of supplies needing to be transported to a crop. I no longer look like I am moving houses with all my paper supplies.
I still always bring my Explore and bring extra paper, just in case.

Happy New Year's Eve!

It seems like I was just writing last year's post five minutes ago! This year has been filled with scrapbooking opportunities and moments! Our son graduated high school, our family travelled to the Toronto area and we got to witness the beautiful Niagara Falls. I have not scrapbooked any of the above yet but I did crop with wonderful ladies at least once a month in 2018. I also hosted a great group of ladies from Close to My Heart in my home for a Cricut Explore beginner class. As for card-making classes, I taught one for adults and one for kids.

My only resolution from a year ago was to relax and have fun scrapbooking. I definitely accomplished that this year. I also tried to think like Becky Higgins and have my end goal in mind while capturing our family memories. I bought spine labels for the albums that didn't already have them so I, or anyone else, could tell at a glance what was in them. I also made my albums yearly rather than September through to August. I dreaded this task for months before I sat down and did it in an afternoon.

Santa brought me a new album for 2019 and I can't wait to fill it and share it with all of you!

Thank you so much! Wishing you all a wonderful and scrappy 2019!!

Papercrafting supply donation for Cross Lake, Manitoba

A local radio station in Winnipeg, Virgin 103.1 FM, is asking for donations of arts and crafts supplies to be flown up north to a community called Cross Lake. Cross Lake Cree Nation (Pimicikamak) officials have declared a state of emergency due to a great number of suicides and attempted suicides in their community since December.

"six suicides since December and 140 attempts in the last two weeks alone"

As soon as I heard this, I knew I could tidy up my scraproom a bit and destash some supplies! I am a firm believer in the therapeutic healing that crafting can provide. This area may not have a local scrapbook store but I certainly could provide some paper, adhesive, stickers and diecuts.

(Anyone else cut multiples of a Cricut cut and then just stuff them in a drawer? Am I the only one who cuts out something because it is pretty and then stuff it in a drawer?)

I am happy to say that drawer has been emptied and will soon be flown up North to a town in crisis. If my items give even one person the joy they have provided me, I will be so happy.

Here is a link with more info on their supply drive - Virgin 103.1.

Scrapbooking = Happiness

I am a voracious reader. I am in a bookclub with some lovely ladies. I read for pleasure, I read for my bookclub and I read to scope out potential bookclub books. Every month, over wine and snacks we discuss our current selection as well as potentials for the future. That brings me to a potential book I am reading today. It is called, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

This book was written in 2009 so it has been around for awhile. I have carried this book to hockey practice, and a few strangers have told me how much they enjoyed it. Great conversation starter!

The author of this book spends a year using a variety of techniques to increase her happiness. As I am reading it, I keep thinking of my own life. One area I wanted to talk about was scrapbooking. She discusses her research into keeping a "treasure house of happy memories". She says that, "Studies show that recalling happy times helps boost happiness in the present." I have to agree with her on this one. I love watching my children look over the family scrapbooks. They smile and laugh.

I was so inspired to keep scrappin' when I read this!

Gretchin Rubin also researched common interests amongst friends. She discovered that, "each common interest between people boosts the chances of a lasting relationship and also brings about a 2 percent increase in life satisfaction."

In other words, you, my scrappy/bloggy friends DO make me feel happy!