Remember when Christmas felt so simply wonderful? It was kick-back time. Freedom… Winter break… Ironically, the worst part of it was all the TIME. Time to wait, wish, wonder and expect. As a kid, Christmas Eve was certainly the longest day on the calendar.

These days I find myself being so busy with all that I have to get done that I miss out on all that. No freedom. No break. No kicking-back. No scrapbooking…

The other day while reading my latest issue of Memory Makers and again last night as I passed by my scrapbooking stuff I found myself feeling sad. Wistful for time to scrapbook. To do what I love.

Anybody with me?
I made a pact with myself right then. No matter how busy I am or behind I get, I am going to carve out some time to scrapbook before New Year’s. Dang it, this IS winter break. I will have freedom. I WILL SCRAPBOOK!

Photos aren’t just for scrapbooking anymore, that’s for sure. You can put photos on mugs, t-shirts, print-your-own books, cards, mouse pads, and even bumper stickers (I’m guessing on that one). The possibilities are endless. The other day I came across a really cute idea - design your own handbag with your favorite photo.

Snaptotes have seven different purse/tote/beach bag design choices. You can even select your own interior color. The Custom Photo Tote Bag would be perfect for holding your scrapbook in progress. It measures 16″ x 12″ x 4″ and has a very solid bottom panel.

What photo would you put on there?

One of my 100 Scrapbooking Things I Want to Do is to use ribbon in a layout. Up until a few days ago I thought maybe I would just buy some ribbon and run it down the side of a page. Then I found Shimelle Laine.

On her site she has a very cool PDF file called 101 Things to Do with Your Ribbon You’ll see it - her site design is very clean.

The ones I am going to try are:

10. Punch holes along one side of a photo or mat and finish with ribbons tied in loop knots.
16. stamp a name or date on a ribbon, fold around the corner of a photograph and secure with a paper clip.
19. Make a masculine tag by threading a plain washer onto a ribbon remnant, folding in half and stapling to the top of of the tag.
32. Cover a scrap of cardstock with ribbon scraps in lines, then place a cut out shape over the top so the quilted design shows through.

I’m off to The Ribbon Jar!

Sometimes it seems my scrapbooking gets in a rut. I’m doing the layouts just to get it done. Or I feel like all I’m doing is scrapping family celebrations (that’s the only time I remember to take pictures). Does that happen to you?

Well, if you want an inspiration to scrapbook with a purpose, read Angie Pedersen’s back story of her wonderful book, The Book of Me. If it doesn’t make you want to sit down and create a meaningful layout RIGHT NOW then clearly you need to rent Old Yeller to break out of your emotional block.

Thanks for sharing your story, Angie.

Angie at the Blog of Me posted that she has signed up for a Journal Your Christmas class put on by Shimelle Laine. While that sounds very interesting, the thought of adding even one more thing to my already overflowing Christmas season was just too much to consider for me.

Some of Shimelle’s other online classes look simply amazing though. I may have to take this class:

the it’s in the post: a mail art course covering faux postage, creative envelopes, deco books and odd items to surprise your postie. 15 daily lessons with weeklong breaks for real mail delivery. session three running from 10th january 2006.

Hhhhhmmmm. I have put “Take a class” on my wish list/resolution list for 2006….

Looking for more scrapbook time in the coming year? Me too. There is a great article by Rachel Thomae in the January 2006 issue of Creating Keepsakes on this exact topic. She shares strategies from six scrapbookers about how to create 52 pages this year. Sounds like the perfect mini album to me. My favorite part of the article is the list of 52 questions to get your mind flowing.

My top three are:

3. If you could have a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
8. What’s your favorite color and what does it say about you?
49. If you could write your own fortune-cookie fortune, what would it say?

Not that was hard to pick a top three. If you read Rachel’s article what are your favorite three questions?

When my January issue of Creating Keepsakes arrived last week an ad caught my eye (well, lots of them did actually - it was a GREAT issue!). At Jo-Ann when you buy a 2006 Creating Keepsakes Calendar Kit you get a certificate for a 13 month subscription to Creating Keepsakes.

Thinking I could avoid the post-Thanksgiving shopping crowds I went to Joann.com to see if I could get the Calendar Kit there. No dice. It is sold out online.

So yesterday I went to my Jo-Ann store and grabbed up the Calendar Kit. Due to an eager store worker who had put out Sunday’s sale signs early - I even got mine at 40% off. That means for $17.99 I got a really cool calendar kit AND a 13 month subscription to CK! Yippee. How fun is that?!? The 40% off sale starts on November 27th!

Here’s what you’re looking for:

P.S. If there is anybody reading this who uses Word Press and knows how to make text wrap around the images I would LOVE to know. There has to be a way and I just can’t figure it out. Please comment or email me (address in the sidebar) if you know how.

Oh baby. Setting eyelets is so much fun. At that stamping party the other day Phoebe, the demonstrator, passed out the cutest little tags which we stamped, colored and matted with another larger tag. Then she got out the eyelet hammer. (I’m sure there is an official name for it, but in my head it will always be known as the eyelet hammer.)

As soon as we started doing eyelets the squeals of delight filled the room:

“I will never buy another pre-done tag again!”
“Oh this is SO cool.”
“Can I do another one?”

Frankly, the excitement in the room was similar to my childhood Kindergarten class on the day my teacher let us finger paint with chocolate pudding. Except this past weekend we weren’t licking the table … but that’s another story.

So, I did a quick investigaton and the eyelet hammer is actualy an eyelet setter - and evidentally there are at least three different sizes of eyelets. Isn’t it so fun to learn about new stuff like this? I’m gonna have to get me one of these:

Making Memories - Universal Eyelet Setter - $ 9.00 Set four different sizes of eyelets with this Making Memories Universal Eyelet Setter. With interchangeable tips you have the flexibility of choosing from 1/16?, 1/8? and 3/16? and a special cone tip.

Yesterday my friend Reni invited me to a Stampin Up party. Up until now I have been able to resist the temptation to give stamping a try. Well, I caved in and my worst fears about stamping were realized - I LOVED it!

The stamps are so cute and the colors of the stamps are simply amazing. Oh how fun. I could think of a thousand things to do with stamps on my layouts. Naturally, since I haven’t announced here on the blog that I’ve recently won the lottery (which I haven’t) I had to decide which few stamps and supplies I would get.

Now that was hard. Their catalog is HUGE and full of page after page of awesome stamps, papers and cards. Thank goodness the prices are very reasonable. [Their acid-free, lignin-free paper prices are frankly amazing!] I decided to get some pre-cut cards, tags and pockets, four different colored stamp pads and a set of 4 border stamps, pictured here:

I figured I could use these for a wide variety of uses and figured they would be a good foundation set of stamps.

I guess it is safe to say that I am now officially a stamper too =:) Thanks, Reni! See ya at the next crop.

So last night at the Girl Scout leader training when we were going over the leader motto it occurred to me that there are several mottos, creeds, prayers, vows and pledges I have made in my lifetime that mean a great deal to me. What a perfect section for my Book of Me scrapbook.

Even though I was right in the middle of learning how to be a better, more inspired and organized leader of my Girl Scout troop I jotted down some notes of the important vows I want to include in my next scrapbooking project - my book of ME!

1. My wedding vows
2. The Delta Zeta Sorority Creed
3. Pledge of Allegiance
4. Lord’s Prayer
5. Girl Scout Leader motto

The Delta Zeta Creed

To the world,
I promise temperance and insight and courage,
To crusade for justice,
To seek the truth and defend it always:
To those whom my life may touch in slight measure,
May I give graciously
Of what is mine;
To my friends,
Understanding and appreciation;
To those closer ones,
Love that is ever steadfast;
To my mind,
Growth;
To myself,
Faith
That I may walk truly
In the light of the Flame.

–– Dorothy Mumford Williams, Alpha Zeta (1939)

In my album I will include this creed that touched my heart during rush 20 years ago and to this day stirs my soul and makes me want to be a better person.

Oh I just cannot wait to dive into this album. It is going to be so much fun.