ScrapHappy

Scrappin' on the Road, Part One: Tools

As most of you know, I've been out of town for the past few days. No biggie, if we weren't right at the tail end of the fabulous Layout A Day (LOAD) challenge! That meant I had to keep scrapping on the road, from a  hotel room, with all sorts of challenges and obstacles. But I did it!

For my next few posts, I thought I'd review some tips and ideas for taking your favorite hobby on the road. 

First off, WHY? Why would you want to scrapbook on vacation, instead of taking a little break? Well, breaks are fine for NORMAL people, but as one of the initiated, you know that scrapbooking is part and parcel of your life. Would you take a break from brushing your teeth while on vacation? From taking a shower? No way! Vacations are breaks from things you DON'T enjoy, like cooking, cleaning, and getting up at the crack of dawn to make lunches for three ungrateful children who will only turn around and tell you how much they hate tuna fish/turkey/salami/roast beef. Vacations are times for more of what you DO love, like shoe shopping, catching up on your reading and movie-watching, and of course SCRAPBOOKING.

The challenge is, how to scrapbook when you are away from your scrap room? (You notice, I said "YOUR scrap room," because as you already know I DON'T HAVE ONE!).

Here are a few of the products I pack up when I  want to take my favorite hobby with me. 

A paper trimmer. This is the one I like:

Don't try to carry it on, though, because the airport security folk are not too up on the latest scrapbooking tools and may decide this poses a threat to national security and take it away from you. There, now, doesn't everyone feel safer?

Adhesive. Bring plenty! This last trip, I ran out and had to make an emergency run to Staples, which ended up costing me $40 because I couldn't possibly go to an office supply store and come out only with a pack of adhesive. I threw a few others things into my cart. ;) 

Here's my favorite adhesive:, Duck Permanent from Henkel.

Not only is there an adorable duck on the label, it also goes on really really smoothly, and they have FANTASTIC customer service. I got a pack of four where one didn't dispense right. After I emailed them, they sent me a whole new 4-pack right away. That's taking care of the customer!

Glue dots. I bring glue dots AND adhesive because even the best roll-on adhesive has a tough time with buttons, ribbon, and chipboard (even that of the self-adhesive persuasion). I travel with the small size because that's sufficient for the pared-down scrapping I do on the road, but the medium is great, too, and these roller dispensers are really convenient. 

Scissors. Why do you need scissors and a paper trimmer? Well, I like to cut out page elements and poke holes with mine. Oh, and it's nice to be able to trim ribbon without gnawing on it like an Eskimo working the whale blubber. 

Here's the ones I bring:

They're Honey Bees! How can you resist? They're super-sharp, non-stick, and pointy enough to take the place of a paper piercer when you're placing brads, etc. 

Storage. I pack everything up (paper, tools except the trimmer, photos, embellishments) into one of those 12x12 plastic storage envelopes (I think they're Avery, but I couldn't find a pic on Amazon). It's perfect for keeping finished layouts in, too! I'm all about the multi-purpose, friends. 

Next time: Choosing products and embellishments. 

So many houses...

...so little time (and money!)

While we are running all over Lexington, our house in Los Gatos is open today. I made an emergency call to my dad to run over and remove the fish from the guest bathroom. I hope he is still alive (the fish, not my dad- though I hope he's still alive, too).

We took a break mid-day to swing by the library, where I accosted random parents and grilled them on preschools and whether all the elementary schools in town are REALLY the same, or if one is thought of as better (the realtors won't tell you this).

We also stopped by the high school and John interviewed the head basketball coach about youth sports. It was pretty funny. The whole town is probably talking about the crazy Californians who are moving in.

We found the house we want... Perfect neighborhood, perfect layout, perfect size... Not so perfect price. :( Who knows, though.

Question for the day: how come when you are selling, your agent tells you how slow the market is, but when you're buying they tell you how hot the market is?

My partner in crime (photo above).

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

It's Snowtime!!

Notable notes re: Massachusetts:
1. It is COLD!!!
2. Everyone has been exceedingly friendly. Amazingly so!!! When we tell them we are moving, they are unbelievably gracious.
3. Look at enough houses and you get a really good sense of what you like ( and what you don't).
4. Househunting makes me tired!!!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

In the Know

One of the things that surprised me the most when I started getting a glimpse into the inner workings of scrapbooking magazines was how many editors and upper-level writers and staff members were not scrapbookers. 

Maybe I shouldn't have been baffled by this news. But when I met more than just a handful of folks who were in charge of setting the tone, choosing articles and layouts, and generally deciding what was going in and what was staying out, and then realizing these people were not of the scrapping ilk, my jaw dropped wide enough to fit an entire Double-Double.

And this wasn't just at one magazine -- it's been the case with several widely available scrapbooking titles. 

The obvious question to me was, why would anyone want to spend their day writing/editing/thinking about something they weren't head-over-heels in love with? And the obvious answer was, it's a job.

I've done it myself as a journalist. I've written about topics I cared little about (mobile advertising, anyone?). An editor can edit pretty much anything if she's a talented editor. A writer can write about pretty much anything if she's a talented writer. 

Somehow, though, I expected things to be different in scrapbooking. Maybe because I feel so passionately about it, I expected everyone involved in the making of these magazines to be as addicted as I was. And when I found it wasn't so, it was, well, really weird.

How can they tell us what the cool, great products are if they don't use them themselves?

How can they tell us how to capture memories on our pages if they're not doing it themselves?

How can they tell us what makes a "good" page if they aren't creating pages themselves?

To me, it's somewhat like taking parenting advice from someone who doesn't have any kids. Or buying a cookbook (or a cooking magazine) from someone who doesn't know a spatula from a ramekin. Or asking a nudist for fashion advice. (I threw that last one in there in a desperate attempt to make you laugh. Did it work?).

What do YOU think? Do you think non-scrapbookers can edit magazines (and books!) and write about scrapbooking? Is it expecting too much to want our industry leaders to be scrapbookers themselves?  Does it matter to you if they aren't?

Just something to think about. 

You're the Boss

I posted this in the daily email to my LOAD participants, but it's so important that I want to post it here, too.

<<I received my latest issue of Simple Scrapbooks in the mail today -- it's one of the last ever to be published. Though I am a die-hard Simple gal, as I leafed through it, the thought occurred to me that I really don't want to work that hard at scrapbooking.

Don't get me wrong -- I love scrapbooking and I love Simple. But I don't want to have to read a magazine -- any magazine -- to tell me how to do it. Yes, I love the inspiration and the ideas, but the thought struck me that these are MY memories I'm documenting, and MY scrapbooks I'm putting them in. And I'm the best judge of what fits and what doesn't. While we can all use a jolt of creative juice every now and then, when it comes right down to it, we're the bosses of our own scrapbooking. If we like something, we should do it. If we don't, take a pass. It's as simple (!!) as that. >>

I think that magazines (not just scrapbooking ones) walk a fine line between helping people become better at something, and setting up the idea that there is one "right" way to do things. And just as Cosmo and Vogue can make you feel too fat, too short, too old, and too wrinkled, scrapbooking mags can make you feel that your pages are too crooked, your writing is too messy, your products are too old, and your pictures are too dark.

NOT SO. Yes, there may be room for improvement (I see things I'd like to improve on all the time!), but your pages are precious just as they are. The goal is not to create perfect pages, but to document your perfect memories -- and your memories are perfect JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE YOURS.

If reading scrapbooking mags and looking through galleries and perusing blogs makes you feel like NOT scrapbooking because you are not "good enough," STOP RIGHT NOW. You should feel encouraged, validated, and welcomed, not belittled, beleagured, and small.

Here's one of my non-LOAD pages. It's not perfect in a technical sense. As I was putting the pieces together I didn't think it was working. But when I look at it now, I love it. It's simple and fun and it captured what I wanted to capture. And that's good enough for me. (Note: The scan is wonky. The page really is even on the edges. I'm anal about that. ;) ).

 

materials: Patterned paper (Carolee's Creations) + rubber accents (Love, Elsie) + various letters (American Crafts)

What about you? How do you feel when you read scrapbooking mags and go to galleries online? Where do you feel supported and encouraged? Tell me. I'm listening.

One-Day Downsizing Sale

I'm packing so that means things have to go! The following items are available for one day only (then they are being donated to my kids' school). Prices are US dollars and are payable by PayPal only. You will pay actual shipping costs.

If you're interested, leave a comment or email me. My paypal address is lainehmann (at) comcast (dot) net. Act now - this is all going away tomorrow!

LOT #1 - SOLD

 

Are you crazy for alphas? This one's for you! Lots of leftovers and several full or almost-full packs. Includes Making Memories, American Crafts Thickers, KI Memories, and more. Not just the Xs Ys and Zs! ;)

LOT #2 - SOLD

This lot includes 4 large and two mini stamp sets, all unused:

-Autumn Leaves Snap Frame Alphabet (A-Z) (retail price $16)

-Inque Boutique Cupcake Alphabet Stamp Set (#50417), Page Seals (#50377) and School Record (#50344) (retail about $6 each)

-Technique Tuesday mini limited edition Wild Vines set (with acrylic block) (retail $2.50)

-Oopsy Daisy! Little Red Typewriter alpha

LOT #3 - SOLD

 

 

 

 

Alpha set, two number sets, buildings, corset, feathers, Roman numerals, flowers, clock, and more. If you are into ATCs or altered art, you don't want to miss this! They're all pre-treated with adhesive (allowing you to stick them to a block over and over again) and all but three or four are in CD cases, ready for your shelf. Most are unused.

LOT #4 - CSI MIAMI, SEASON 1 on DVD!
$20 PENDING

I'm a purist. I just never got into the Miami or New York series. So this seven-DVD set can be yours for $20! (I paid $55, used).

LOT #5 - SOLD

 

This is a large-size (about 12" high) Baggie PACKED with chipboard, wood, and cardstock letters (and some numbers) from KI Memories, Heidi Swapp, Scenic Route, Making Memories, and more. There are several full sets as well as random letters, but there are plenty of each letter. HUNDREDS.

LOT #6 - TEMPLATES, RULERS, AND CUTTING TOOLS - OH MY!
$10

Several rulers (including a paper-tearing guide), a Journaling Genie template from Chatterbox, a mini-round template from Crafter's Workshop (LOVE this -- I have one already), an EK Success circle cutter (template and blade), a Coluzzle foam pad and blade, and two cutting mats.

LOT #7 - SOLD

I love this and only used it twice. It is gorgeous, and like new. I just am a bit too short for it to fit comfortably.

LOT #8 - SOLD

 

 

 

 

 

 

-UNUSED TT Two Steppin' In the Garden ($17 retail)

-UNUSED TT In a Word: Love ($20 retail)

-TT Big Timber Dots UNUSED lowercase ($35 retail), uppercase ($40 retail) and UNUSED punctuation/numbers ($20) (Uppercase used once)

Silence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder?

Have you missed me? Hunh? Hunh?

Well, lots has been happening. The LOAD challenge now has over 1000 pages in our gallery! Can you believe that? 1000 memories documented! I LOVE IT! It gives me such a charge to look through the Flickr gallery. To me, that is tangible love... proof that we love our lives and our families and ourselves and this hobby. If you didn't join us this time around, hope you will next time!

What else? Packing the house. It goes on the market on 2.18 (my 40th!).

My father-in-law passed away last week - most of you know that already. It was hard but he left a lot of love behind, so that helps. I'm lobbying to get all the photos of his youth, and his early days with my mother-in-law. Right now a lot of them are glued onto typing paper (!!!) and stored in binders. They need some TLC!

Scrap-scrap-scrapping away. I'll upload some of my LOAD pages to my 2009 scrapbooking photo album over on the side. In the meantime, here's one of my faves from LOAD:

 

I've been thinking a lot about scrapbooking e-books. Tell me, have you ever purchased one? Would you purchase one? Any thoughts? Hmmm??? Good or bad, I want to know!

Coraline!

At the movies watching Coraline. Hoping I will be scared!

What's the last spooky movie you saw?

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

CHA pics and an update.

I've been absent because we're having a blast over at the LOAD challenge, and I've been working on a daily email for the participants. It's not too late to join -- you can still get a ton done for the rest of Feb.! The feedback from participants has been great, and there are 100s of layouts in our gallery at Flickr. So fun to see what everyone's been up to!

While you are waiting for my return, a couple of updates...

First, my father-in-law did pass away a few days ago, very peacefully and pain-free. We know he is with God and that brings us an enormous amount of relief and joy. Thank you all for your prayers and condolences. The memorial service is this Saturday, and I look forward to celebrating his life.

Next, if you haven't picked up on the hints, we are moving - to Boston! My husband has been transferred. My new mantra is, I LOVE SNOW. I do. I really, really do. ;) Our house goes on the market on 2/18 (my 40th bday... haha!). Can you say "Stress?" If you live in New England and know of good scrapbooking (or knitting!) stores, please let me know. I need some friends!

Finally, my pics from CHA are trickling in, so stay tuned for more. This one is from Lauri -- thank you so much for sending them to me!