Paperclipping RoundTable 132 - Pause for a thought

I was listening to this episode of the Paperclipping RoundTable today whilst driving to and from work. It was just a random back-episode I had stashed to listen to but like many, it really spoke to me about what I do when I scrap and why.

One of my latest revelations/realisations is that my scrapping is a memory keeping excercise, just in a pretty format. And listening to the "professionals" on PRT has helped show me that this is ok. I don't have to make pages full of embellishments and blank space if I want pages full of journaling and photos.

A key point that came up was about style and that scrappers seem to think that having a set style is a negative thing. I know that I suffer from this impression, I think I should be trying every different style and technique and that no two pages should be the same. Yet, I know that if I looked now, I would see quite similar layouts. The only thing that is different now is that I won't see this as a bad thing. 

The guests on PRT mention President Obama's trick of having suits for designated days so as not to waste "decision making power" on trivial things. I really identified with this idea that you have a limited amount of DMP in your day, and although I do not have the same kind of pressure as the leader of the free world, I would like to cut down on the guilt that interferes with my creativity. 

So no more guilt about pages that look similar. If I like them, then thats enough. And to link in with a phrase for May's OLW prompt,

"I shall balance the excitement of experimentation with the comfort of the familiar" 

Love Elliefantasy

xxx

Big Leap Forward....

.... but no sticking??

Today I finished my photobook of LO's first year. It is jam packed of photos and has loads little comments detailing the who, what, where, when and whys. All that needs doing is a final proof read by OH and then we can hit the finish button. And in 5 days time we will have a lovely memento of LO's first year in a handy, slim volume, ready to pull out for guests with the option of easily made copies for grandparents.

I could have scrapped it all, and I have got a half finished book of the first month, which might just become the first 2 weeks. It is important as it contains a lot of ephemera.

But for most of the pictures taken in the 12 months there isn't much of a story other than what we did or who we were with. Or, in a lot of cases, who the person was that brought the thing in the picture. It needs remembering but I'm not sure it needs patterned paper or alphas etc.

I am coming to a point where I want my scrapped pages to be about feelings and impressions. If I have managed to squeeze out time to stick and cut, I want to find a bit more time to describe and discuss.

So now I have found a way to do both. Yes, it has taken me a few evenings, but it was fun to remember all the.different events and focus my mind on the stories that might have a little more behind them. And with a nice discount coupon to redeem, it leaves more money in the pot for real stash!

Do you use photobooks or have an alternative way to keep your pics that works alongside your scrapping? I'd love to hear them

Love Elliefantasy

Changes to the way I craft - The Update

I have just jumped online and found my post from 28th December about how I want to change my crafting. Its interesting and affirming reading, as I have actually managed to achieve some targets on my list. So I feel its time for a recap.

Scrapping is definately in. By listening to the Paperclipping Roundtable when I'm cooking or driving or doing a task that keeps me away from my actual scrapping, I have been able to keep the hobby in mind, allowing me to think about things in my dead time. Now when I get to my room, I am ready to start straight away. I have realised it is fine if I don't sit down to scrap and come away with a finished page. This evening I have done some work on my Weddings album, selecting paper and sticking down photos, invites, orders of service and other bits and pieces. I have found that I still have some space for photos which means that these pages will remain unfinished. But that is fine. I've picked out the photos, edited them as needed and put them in the folder for ordering. And then I have moved on. So an album that has been sitting like an albatros on my shelves is finally seeing some progress.

My snapshot of my life at the moment isn't really started, I have purchased my Listography book, and started to fill in the lists, as well as taking photos at the first two birthday parties, but that is about it. I think this year is more of a Full Stop year, by which I mean that I am reflecting on my last 30 years and how I celebrate them, finishing off my existing projects and making sure that I can be all that I can, ready to move on next year. I am still keeping a month to month record of LO and as this is most of my life at the moment, it seems silly to add to the burden of more record keeping, especially when it will mainly say "Today I need more sleep". If this changes later in the year then great, but at this early stage I do not feel bad for not having achieved that much.

I have managed to keep up with One Little Word more or less. I have mostly completed January's task, I need a mass sticking session for february, just need to do the final update on March and begin April's prompt. So not muchto do! But the most important thing is that I have kept it in my head, I am constantly reflecting on my word and the lessons that I can learn are finally starting to stick in a way that they haven't before. So it is a success.

I have taken up Crochet as a good dead time hobby and also acquired long term use of a sewing machine, which has flexed my creative muscles, so that when I don't feel like scrapping I know that I can still be creative. I have realised, having done a few projects for some newer friends, and been complemented on them, that being creative is an important part of my personality and it makes me feel good to be known to be a creative person. Especially when the things that I make seem to bring joy to those that I give them too. It is the perfect marriage of my love of generosity and my love of making mess!

So, a good few months for being crafty. I'd love to hear how  your creative resolutions have been going, why not drop a line?

Love Elliefantasy xxx

One Little Word - Balance

This year I have decided to take part in Ali Edwards One Little Word Class and duly signed up at Big Picture on Jan 1st. And did some of the pre class tasks and then stopped. Life once more got in the way.

The purpose of the class is to take one word to think on during the year and Ali does some prompts to help. But part of the class is just to think on your word which I have actually been doing.

I chose my word, and to do this class for a particular reason. In October last year I was diagnosed with moderate Post Natal Depression. I have a minimum of 6 months of anti depressants which have helped in so many ways, essentially giving me back space in my head to assess what I am doing and plan things better. But I want to try to help myself. Balance is a word that struck me straight away. I am so unbalanced in most of what I do, so I need to try and regain some form of it to enable me to be able to come off the tablets at the designated time.

And the more I think about Balance, the more ways I can see how it applies in my life. How that sometimes its best to unbalance myself to make the most of the things that are going on around me. And how to deal with the consequence when I know that I then have to sacrifice some other time to do the things that I put off. How it is so hard to balance my time three or four ways to suit the different people that I have to be. How to balance my love of spending with my lack of money. How to balance having fun with LO but still being a responsible parent and not allowing bad habits, even if they are really quite funny. How to balance my love of Chocolate and Cake with my loathing of excercise. How to balance my love of having lots of people to celebrate my LO's christening with number restrictions.

Every time I think about the word I think of ways to apply it, or ways that I need to improve. It is such an important word to me at this time, it is the perfect One Little Word. Hopefully in the next few days I might even get chance to see what the first post is, if only to think on it for February. But with a major birthday party for a very close friend to prepare for, a Dangermouse costume to finish, and 3 days of work to endure, I doubt it! 

Changes to the way I craft

After a whirlwind year last year, and this year being the year I celebrate the big 30, I have decided to make some changes in my crafting focus. Cards are out, scrapping is in. Plus some house type crafts and sewing/wool based crafts.

I want to do this because I feel that I have made so many life changes in the last year that carrying on as I was is not the best use of my time. I need different crafts for different times to maximise my figit potential.

I also want to really focus in on scrapping. I want it to reflect on events in my whole life but also a snapshot of my life now for as much of the year as I can manage. Also as I am still very close to my schoolfriends I want to document all the ways that we celebrate as they are all going to be different. Plus do some as gifts which takes a lot of time.

I know I don't want to do Project Life, though listening to a recent podcast on Paperclipping Roundtable has adjusted my views on it. . I just managed Journal My Christmas last year, tho I have a few last posts to do possibly. I know I want my recording to reflect this special year and this may mean that as I get busier I have to change the way I record. I also want it to take many different forms.

I have decided to buy the Listography book as it's a great, quick way to document my likes and personal history in this landmark year. I am also taking Ali Edwards "Word for a year" class which sounds interesting, and the rest of my recording will probably be diary style entries to which I will dedicate a notebook or blog posts like this.

I also want to make sure that I am taking as many photos as possible to illustrate the points that I want to make, even if it means posing them or taking extra time from my day.

But what I don't want to do is let my documenting get into the way of the living. I don't want to create a massive task that I will resent by March which means I will miss an opportunity to reflect. Hence the dropping of card making, it is now a chore rather than a hobby. I also have baby albums to do and 2 wedding albums that I want incorporate mixed media and more arty elements.

So we'll see how we get on then. First order of business, tidy up my space!

How many scrapbooks does one baby need?

3 as it turns out. Or will turn out. 

When I was pregnant, I decided to spend my Christmas money on a lovely chocolate brown American Crafts D-ring album. My mum brought me a lot of Rusty Pickle White chocolate Bunnies papers and embellishments and I had a colour palatte of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla to work with which would not tie me to a specific range for any future purchases. The album was to be for her first year, just higgledy piggledy of all the little moments from conception to 1 year.

I didn't manage to scrap LO's scan photos before she cam along so that album is sitting patiently waiting for me to get started. But before I gave birth I visited the range. To find that Papermania have just launched a new range of Forever Friends new baby items. To whit 2 scrapbooks, a 12x12 cardstock pad, decopage, A4 papers and stickers. How lovely of them!! I brought the A4 die cut pack with a view to making some thank you cards for all the lovely things that I had received at my baby shower and told my mum (fellow crafter) about the range at The Range. 

When LO was born, she brought pretty much the whole set for herself, in order to scrap LO's first years. 1 album for monthly pages and 1 for random pages. And I thought "that's a good idea" so I brought 1 album and the paper pack for LO's  first years random pages. And the thought that I would use the other album for her key photos; scan pics, birth photos, yearly photos etc etc. 

I have already made a mini-album of the pregnancy, which includes pictures, receipts for important things but I am struggling to find a cover. I did think of my Once Upon a Time stack which after 5  years is still unused but it wont co-ordinate with the page colours. I briefly thought to use it for LO but couldn't come up with a good album theme. Until now that is. 

So my OUAT pages (and the co-ordinating album when I can justify the cost) will be LO's monthly photos. 1 picture plus the associated blog post with what she is doing at that month. If I have enough pages, this will span 2 years. The Forever Friends album will be for her first years pictures, although at this rate I may need to buy another one. And the brown album will be a slow work in process as she grows with key photos and yearly photos. 

And then we'll see what else we can fit in....

Love Elliefantasy

Looking to the future

Having had experience of being a parent for 8 weeks and being home alone with a small baby for 4 weeks, I can now start to gauge how much time I have to craft. Which is not a lot.

I have also not had time to sort out my new craft room after the hasty change of venue pre-baby and have had to cram a lot of stuff in a small space. I know that in 2-3 years time I will have to move to an even smaller space and this has led me to think about what crafting I really want to do.

So For the next 2 years (as much as time allows) I am embarking on a large scale stash busting exercise which will also allow me opportunities for trying out techniques and crafts that I haven't yet tried. My stash and tools will be whittled down to only what can be fitted onto a 4x4 Expedite unit.

I will try to collect together all my stash busting tips to share to help anyone else like me who started out by buying massive paper stacks which are now collecting dust somewhere. It may also result in some Robo templates to download so keep an eye out if you are interested.

I will also be scrapping my daughter as she grows. I have big plans for this but it is a post for another day.

Love Elliefantasy xxx