It's really been almost 3 weeks since I posted?

Wow.

Time really does fly when life gets turned upside down doesn't it.

Seriously.....I think most of my stuff is still packed from the Weekend Crop it's been that crazy around here. I did take out a few things to quickly make Emily's birthday party invitations 2 weekends ago but I haven't touched a single scrapping goodie since then.

Actually the last 2 months have sort of passed me by in a blur. After almost 14 years in business my husband and I decided that it was time to close the doors so there has been alot of ups and downs associated with that and unemployment has made things a little stressful. We are slowly adjusting to life with my hubby working evenings and a week ago today I finally started my new job. Exhausted pretty much covers how we are both feeling especially with working opposite shifts.

The blog posts will probably continue to be few and far between for the next few weeks while I adjust to this new routine. It was much easier to write blog posts......and play with paper and stamps and ink during the day while the kids were all at school. Right now I'm just so tired by the time I get home in the evening that keeping my eyes open is a challenge nevermind trying to be creative or wordy.

I do have an announcement about the wonderful online sale CTMH has planned for June. I'll be sure to make the time (and stay awake long enough) tomorrow after work to tell you all about it.....I actually just found out about it while catching up on email from last week so I have to go figure out the details and then I can share them.

Hope your life isn't as crazy-busy as mine right now and you find time to scrap some memories.

~K

Exhausted!

I don't think the word exhausted begins to describe how I feel tonight. I'm sooooo tired. I'm glad the weekend is over but sad too because we had so much fun and it went by too quickly. Everyone agreed that while we were tired, we weren't quite ready for it to be over.

I took lots of pictures to share and I have many tales to tell but I had family things to tend to when I got home from my weekend ---- the kids couldn't wait any longer for their birthday presents and someone needed help with a science project that is due tomorrow so I was right back into mom mode the minute I walked in the door. Everyone is finally in bed and I'm falling alseep at the computer so the photos and story telling will have to wait until tomorrow.

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

~K

Count Down To Crop - 8 Days!

Another day closer to crop and one day away from our 3-day weekend away.

I'm still focussing on packing today - for this weekend.

Costumes are packed (except one slip that needs a slight alteration....so glad I made her try it on) and almost all laundry is done and I'm soon ready to pack the suitcase(s). I'm making my last minute shopping list which mostly consists of groceries. Snack foods and picnic lunch/finger food type things to keep hunger at bay on the road, in the hotel and at the competion to hopefully help avoid high priced gas station & consession stand purchases.

I keep getting sidetracked by our road-trip food requirements with thoughs of crop food requirements and I've realized they are much the same. Scrapping snacks are similar to road trip snacks. Simple munchies that provide hunger relief but are quick and easy to eat.....because you are 'in the zone' for scrapping and don't want to stop for too long and loose your mojo. Some of my fav scrapping yummies are chineese appetizers - bite sized pork, potstickers, spring rolls, chicken nuggets etc with dipping sauces. Cheese & crackers and fruit and dip are also good.

What are your fav scrapping snacks?

Sorry....I know I said no questions today but again....I'm curious about your scrapping habbits and couldn't help myself.

~K

9 days!

Only 9 days till the crop.


Besides all the goodies, prizes, food and such I'll be hauling over to the hall for the weekend of fun, I've been thinking of what else I need to pack for a weekend of scrapbooking. The last time I was away from home for an entire weekend of scrapbooking I had to pack all my necessities into two suitcases (clothes included) with airline weight restrictions in mind. I went away to Calgary with my sister-in-law for a consultants weekend --- that was 2 years ago. I overpacked because I was so sure I would leave something behind that I'd need. I'm also a last minute packer and I will probably still be thinking of things to bring along on Friday morning.

I was talking to my mother-in-law this morning and she's all excited for next weekend. She sent in a batch of pictures for printing and picked them up yesterday so now that she has new photos to scrapbook she says she is all packed and ready to go.

I've got packing on my mind today and now I'm curious about everyone's packing and scrapping habbits.

When you head out to scrapbook, whether it is for the evening, a day or a whole weekend are you like me and overpack and aren't really sure what you are going to work on so you bring everything but the kitchen sink or are you like my mother-in-law, packed and ready to go ahead of time and know exactly what you are going to work on.

When you scrapbook whether it is at home or at a friends or at a crop are you a pre-planner or do you just wing it and see where your creativity takes you? I know some people who pre-plan their pages ahead of time, gathering together paper, photos, journalling, sketches etc and then assemble them. Others know what pictures they are going to use and have an idea in mind before they start. Then there are others (like me) who will flip through pictures until something jumps out and says 'scrap me!'

What inspires you most. Do you start with photos first or a layout idea first? If you use sketch books, idea books or magazines as your inspiration do you find a sketch or sample and then find your own photos to go with that idea or are you the scrapper who chooses a sketch or sample layout to go with the photos you want to use.


Bet you weren't expecting the third degree were ya. No pressure to answer but if you'd like to share with the rest of the class, leave a comment.

Come back tomorrow.....as the count down to crop continues. I promise, I won't ask a whole bunch of questions.


~K

Officially in panic mode - Less than 2 weeks!

National Scrapbook Celebration Weekend Crop is in less than 2 weeks. Oh My !

The past few months have flown by. Even with all brainstorming and planning I still feel like I won't be ready. Yikes!

My dining room is looking like a storm blew through as I sort through product and prepare goodie bags and prize packs and prep items for projects and demos. Added to the scrapbook related chaos in the dining room are dance costumes and suitcases and various other 'weekend away, living in a hotel with 4 kids' related items.....including a portable DVD player we won at a fundraiser last night. Whooo hooo - 3hour car trip just got a whole lot easier! I can't find the bathing suits that were put away for the winter and one kid has lost their dance shoes.....I wonder if I included them in a goodie bag by mistake.

Tacked to my kitchen wall are large sheets of paper with "To Do" lists for both dance competition weekend and scrapbook weekend. Yikes!

And I look at my dining room and think.....geee it's too bad I can't see my table because I'd so love to sit and scrapbook for a couple hours tonight. Actually what I need to do (other than prep stuff for crop) is make birthday cards because even though I thought of this a week - or probably two weeks ago, I forgot that I have a massive pile of birthdays in May and I have NINE birthday cards to make. At the very least I think I should make cards for 3 of my 4 kids......one of them has their birthday on the Sunday of crop weekend too so maybe I should start with an 'I'm sorry I went scrapbooking on your birthday....again' card.

One of the new items in the Summer '09 Idea Book is the next How-To book by Jeanette Lynton. "Wishes" contains 109 new card patterns and Jeanette has posted a more detailed description of this book on her blog at jeanettelynton.com She even provides the pdf link to one of those new patterns and I can't wait to use it for one (or two) of the many cards I need to make then next couple week. Why don't you check out the pattern and share with me what you create. I'd love to see your cards.



~K

Well Hello There - So Glad You Stopped By

My very first blog was titled Chaos, Confusion and an Occasional Burst of Creativity. It was, and still is, heavy on the Chaos and Confusion part of my crazy-busy life with 4 kids and there was very little Creativity going on. Then I started a blog dedicated to my scrapbooking and also focussing on my life as a CTMH consultant. I don't know why I didn't think of the name An Occasional Burst of Creativity for my scrapping blog to begin with but since I'm only occasionally creative I guess I just wasn't having a good day....plus I was so excited to be starting a new blog.

Anyway. Welcome to the new version of my scrap room. As the title says - grab a coffee and ignore the mess. Everything from the old blog has been transfered over so all links/pictures should be intact (if you notice anything missing let me know). I hope you stop by often. The Timmies is always on - if you're from a part of the world that doesn't know what "Timmies" is.....you are sure missing out on the best cuppa coffee evah!


~K

Thursday already?

It amazes me how a week can be gone.....just like that.

I've been torn between playing with paper - the good kind...the scrapping/cardmaking kind, and the not so good kind - accounting and finances. Neither is winning though because well.... laundry and dishes speak louder than paper. Especially when there are 5 other people in the house who think that clean items of either are much more important. I don't know why. They are just going to make them all dirty again.

I'm also finding it difficult to think - which is necessary for both scrapping paper use and accounting paper use and this is because I have a knot between my shoulder blades that goes straight up my neck. It's a recurring issue which thankfully hasn't been so 'recurring' lately but yesterday it necessitated the taking of a prescription muscle-relaxer that I adore for it's ability to eventually make me mobile. Unfortunately it makes me less than productive on all levels be it creativity, financial planning or manual labour. In my looped state last night I actually thought....hey, I could work on last weekends challenge. My better judgement overruled that idea. Friends don't let friends play with ink and stamps and sharp scissors and whatnot while under the influence. I'm certain the results would have looked nothing like what I've been sketching and planning for days.....but I bet it would have been interesting.

Tomorrow is Friday - Time for another challenge. I'll be sure to have it posted bright and early in the morning. Hope you will have a chance to participate at some point this weekend (or next week....or whenever the mood strikes).

Also here's a reminder: We are scrapping the day away on Saturday at Minerva Hall if anyone wants to come out and play - even for just a few hours. I only have a few people confirmed to attend so there is plenty of room.

TGIF - it's Challenge Time!

My world is looking a whole lot WHITE today. I cannot believe all the snow that fell from the sky yesterday afternoon. It actually looks kinda pretty. I wanted to go outside and take pictures as it was falling but I had such a huge migraine and it was way too bright out there. I could not wait for the sun to go down (which I noticed is getting to be quite late these days......and on that note don't forget it's daylight-saving-time. Turn your clock ahead an hour on Saturday night/Sunday morning)



This morning I went for a walk in the yard (brrrr...it got cold overnight) and took a few pics of all the heavy, wet snow on the trees down by the creek. My yard looks so nice covered in snow. If it weren't for it being ....well....snow....I'd wish it would stay like this all year around. What's underneath all that pretty is anything but pretty.






After a long, stressful week I know I could use a little bit of time to relax. I wish I could take my coffee outside and sit in my chair but look at all the snow piled on it. I think I'll have to stay inside and play with paper instead.



But doesn't all that white snow looks so fresh and clean and beautiful? Using that as inspiration, I'm putting forth a little challenge to get you in a creative mood and encourage you to have some fun this weekend. Set aside a little scrapping time and make a layout.....or a card.......


Keep it fresh and clean and simple - just a few bits of colour against a white blanket of snow...um I mean paper. Use:

• white cardstock as the background
• one neutral/earthy colour (ie: black, brown, cream, beige)
• one other colour - something bright and cheerful to give your layout or card a small bit of *pop*

Are you up for this challenge?

Even if you just take 20minutes - give it a try.



Post a comment to let me know how you did. I'd love to see your work too - if you are able to share.




Happy Scrappin Weekend!





~K