For every beginning...

...there is an end. I know some of ya'll never thought the day would come. Others couldn't wait for it to come soon enough. And since we're in the final tosses and turns of it all, I guess for me, it is time to share it with the world.

The hardest post I ever, EVER made at Scrap in Style TV was to my Fgirls and I said this (kinda the condensed version...as condensed as I get anyhow):

My favorite group is Boys II Men...and fittingly enough, on tele the other day, I saw a really REALLY old video. End of the Road. I loved the whole CD that song came on. Cried my eyes out because I had just broken up with a guy I never really dated to begin with. BUT that was not the story I was going to tell.

The end has come for me.

I love you all passionately.

I've never been the get it done girl.

There are a million excuses for why not - getting married, working my fingers to the nubby bloody bone just to get a cookie (literally...I have GS cookies iffen you need them!), packing up my scrap room, barely coming to grips with sharing my computer with "that dude who is my better half...until he tries to get on the one computer left standing in our very bare place", packing said whole place up and moving on up to the Eastside burbs but not until we sell the current place, settling lawsuits, etc. None of it more important than anything anyone else is dealing with, yet I kept hanging on.

Barely.

So now we've come to the end of the road. No...try it again. Sing it like the Boys. Come....to the end. of. the road. Still I can't let go. It's unnatural. You belong to me. I belong to you.

And saying goodbye (evidently) is harder than hell for me.

To that, I let JJ, KA and Diane know. And JJ graciously allowed me to postpone the "final" day until March 1. Mostly because she was pretty sure I'd post stuff from the last collection I got (perpetually behind...they are coming) but honestly because I did not want to be part of any kind of drama whatsoever.

Some of my bestest scrap friends in the world have left in ways that have totally saddened me. And I knew I'd be plenty sad enough under any kind of regular goodbye to throw anything else on top of that.

All said...after March 1, I cannot promise I'll still be around [at SiStv] so I won't go there. Doesn't mean I won't stalk your blogs or still want to email you congrats when you make a dream team or do anything whatsoever that you're passionate about. Doesn't mean that because I DON'T reach out that I'm not thinking of you. Just means that I don't have my priorities straight and hawking GS cookies on the corner superseded emailing you. Or playing Scarab Solitaire on Facebook is an easy enough escape from facing the fact that I should be doing something far more productive (like, connecting with real people), but I'm going to procrastinate on that too.

All in all, no rergets, lots of self reflected learning about commitments and lots of full on appreciation for the better person you all have made me in your each and special ways.

Now. If anyone knows anyone looking to buy a fabulous house in the hood (up and coming hood though...) in Seattle, please please PLEASE be in touch. We walked a model in suburbia yesterday that had a built in scrap room. If I had that, and some subsidies from the feds to pay my mortgage, I'd totally quit my job, learn how to meet deadlines and beg JJ and LG to take me back.

Enough already.Love you all. T-minus 6 [now 3] more days until my life will never be the same.

Keep it real. And tame your addiction to Facebook my friends.

Pictureless Scrapbooking

Evidently, I do it more often than not.

Over at the Hodge Podge Art blog, they have an AMAZINGLY FUN challenge going on to scrap a layout without pictures. Of course, most folks are like "WHAT?" how in the world...but really, it is all in the details.

Here are a ton of examples of what I've done in the past. I hope to get it together in time (out tonight...painting tomorrow, probably dead and packed by Sunday) to get a new layout together, but just in case not...have fun with it!

Be sure to click on the photos because it will take you to the detail about the journaling (or the story behind the layout) over at SiStv.

The first example is of using pictures, but not photos. The images are actually clippings from travel mags pasted together from my inspiration notebook of places I want to go. The rest are truly no image layouts.

Get creative with it and have fun!

Thanks for looking!

For the love of years, Wilna and scrap

An alternate title for this post might be "A Love Affair with Kraft Cardstock."

I've blogged here for years now. Yet...my post count wouldn't seem it. So I need to be more active eh? Or not for you oh so patient ones. Maybe I'll schedule two posts for a day. Now that I have figured out (a bit late to the game) how to schedule posts, I can totally do a whole bunch of posts now for later when I'm all crashed and burned out. So the simple stuff first.

My dear DEAR friend Wilna has an amazing blog contest going on to win a spot in her super special puffy heart heart class. You totally need to sign up...at least to try to win (it is an online class...even better!) and to take the class if you don't win. I've never been so excited for a class and it is timely too. I think Valentine's Day is probably my fave crafty holiday.

Check out Wilna here.

Me. Oh yeah...my connection to Wilna is that way back in the day (way way back) she sent me a tiny box full of amazing yummy goodness. Read that as "Making Memories goodness". So I am very much practicing not hoarding and using up more of my supplies. What I love about most packages of MM stuff is that you can make a TON of layouts out of one package of stuff. So many tags, buttons, looking glass buttons (I so covet those) and other just GOOD STUFF to scrap with. And since I do it hybrid style, it just stretches those scrap goods even further in this day and age of thrift. So here you are my pretties. Thanks for still stopping by!

Unbelievable Everyday

An Unusual Trip

Mesh

Market Fresh

Maybe Relativity Matters

While I'm listening to Get Silly...Get Published

My first class at SiSTv kicks off today. I'm so very honored to get to team teach it with Jen Jockish and Corrinne Delis.

Ever want to see your name in flashing lights?
Splashed across the glossies?
Recognized as one of the greatest scrapbookers of all time?

Well, this isn't the class for you.

But if you WOULD just like to see some of your pages in the mags (because they just about all rely on everyday ordinary folks with mad skills just like you to fill their fantastic pages), then our

"How to Get Published" class is for you!

You can register for it here if you are quick.

There are hundreds of tips, photos and nuggets of goodness that you get to pursue at your own pace (it is an e-class via email...save the messages, print and read when you have time). It is appropriate for all level of published or not person--I've been published tons and already learned a few new tricks to the trade. And if you're new to the process, the materials are presented in a nice step by step format so that it isn't all overwhelming.

So what are you waiting for? Can't wait to see your name in flashing lights!

2008 Recap #1: "Reverse" Hybrid

So. We come to 12/28/2008 and I feel the need (since there are three 2s up in all that) to recap the year. In scrapbooking. There were plenty of highs and a low or two, but all in all, scrapbooking is still scrapbooking and life is life. So three for 2008. Starting with my trend towards reverse hybrids.

Now. I'm not so sure that this is what it is called. But generally, my understanding is that you scrap digitally (with a computer), you scrap paper (without a computer) or you scrap hybrid (generally, paper, with some computer help that is printed to paper and then scrapped "paper").
For instance, if you break out all your letter stickers, paper, rub ons, your sewing machine and all the cute buttons and the whole layout, complete with maybe hand journaling, then that is a paper layout.

If instead, you sit down at your computer and pull up your digital pictures which you don't print out, you start up a photo editing program (ie, Digital Image Suite...rest in peace), you create a 12x12 canvas and you start dropping all sorts of great digi elements that you find at places like 2peas and DesignerDigitals or from the Freebie Blog (Ikea Goddess), and you basically don't print anything until you've basically finished it all, then that is a digital layout.

So for me, reverse hybrid is what I've always called layouts that start out paper. But you leave lots of space to go digi on it. It is probably really just easier for me to show than tell so here we go...some of my fave "reverse" hybrid layouts I created this year with some details on what I think makes them hybrid and reverse hybrid at that.

Enjoy!

You Are My Everything

This one is pretty simple

Almost everything is paper:

kraft cardstock, letter sticker, patterned paper cutout,

buttons, staples, chipboard and sharpies

Where it goes digital is with the title work

After photographing the entire paper layout,

I added the title digitally in Digital Image Suite.

Sagitarian

Much more complex layout in this case.

I stamped the title in the corner.

The photo is attached with real hand stitching,

the miniature book pages, blue ribbon, foam flowers,

masking tape (and journaling on it) are all paper based.

Where this goes digital is with the colored in doodled circles,

the "all about me" journal strip, the letter B,

the "fun" label, the doodled scalloped circle,

the pink inked edge and the paint swatches.

This got a little more complex because

the layering of the digital elements

also had to reach behind the paper elements.

Play Hard '07

This one is probably about medium level difficulty

patience considered.

The cardstock, patterned paper, photos, thickers, chipboard,

tag and sharpies are all paper based.

The "good times" tag is digital and had to be layered

under the "hard" thickers.

Other digital elements were the word stickers in the top right corner,

the stitching and the cardboard strip in the top left corner.

The ric rac and yellow paint circles are also digital.

October Patch Work

Really simple hybrid based off a really simple paper layout.

Photos, foam letter stickers, paper flower, sharpies are paper.

Cardboard, stitching, brads/eyelets, tags, journaling, butterfly

are all digital done in Digital Image Suite.

Live Your Life 24/7 Journey

Another really simple reverse hybrid where everything is paper, photographed into digital and then I layered the word art onto the photo and the journaling to the side of the photo.

Life

Here, once the patience is down, is a medium difficulty one.

There's some digital that had to be layered behind the paper version

(the patterned paper strip on the bottom)

but generally, the digi elements are layered on top

(cardstock, patterned paper, word art, sticky note, chipboard photo corner)

Life At 30

Super simple one here...just added the journaling after the fact.

I Heart Your Old Soul

Just a bit of layering the stitched hearts (digital) behind the thickers (paper).

Cardstock, ribbon, patterned paper, KI embie, sharpies, thickers are paper.

Brown patterend paper, staples, stitches and stiched stars are digital.

Even the torn/curled edge is a digi element added after the fact.

Full Color Learn

Really easy. Everything is paper except the cluster of journaling tags. On that cluster, everything is digital (brushes, stamps, journaling, staples) and the red rubber band towards the bottom of the page is also digital.

Flick Play

Another simple hybrid just because not much hard layering.

the title and large photo cluster in the center are all paper.

Everything else is digital added after I took a photo of the paper page.

Do You Remember?

This is an easy one except that with the circle cutout, when you digitize a paper layout, of course anything you cut leaves a white background. So had to do a bit of dodging and burning to cut the photo but still leave the kraft cardstock as I didn't think to notch the photo in the paper version. All said, the Heidi rub on, photo, white label, question mark and patterned paper are all paper. The title, the circle lable and scalloped edge and heart (and the journaling) are all digital. The staples are paper, but I digitally duplicated them for emphasis.

Dizzy Luv

This is one of my all time fave reverse hybrid layouts because I honestly thought the paper version was pretty sparse. This is one of the few reverse hybrids where just a few simple bits really completed the layout. The paper bits are the patterned paper, brown flower, photo, fuzzy sticker letters, sharpie, tags and paper frills. The word art, cardstock strips, staples, vintage pharma label and the strip of tape in the lower left corner of the photo are all digital.

Click

Another very simple one. All paper except the journaling which I added as a digital layer on top of the white labels after digitizing the layout.

At The Fair

This one looks a little more complex than it is. Added the journaling digitally to all the white space areas after everything else was paper scrapped. Then to add the layered effect of the journaling being under the vintage fan, just duplicated the fan and added it as a digital layer on top of itself.

All of You Make Me Better

Some slightly difficult layering of digital elements under the bottom right photo.

All the labels, stitching, word stickers on the photos, "Love You" stamp are digital; rest is paper.

2nd Fiddle Assistant

I think this was the first reverse hybrid I did with the thought in mind that I was going to do it. all the stitching is digital and I ended up adding the cardstock too.

The rest is paper including some stamping (the journal block, stars, lettering).

&

This is one of the more complex hybrids I've done just because of the layering. The cardstock frame, "&", chipboard tab, thickers and circular clear stickers are paper. Then I layered the art mark overlay under the paper elements and the journaling was layered on top of the art marks, but under the paper elements.

latest goods - Asher's Class is a must take!

Be sure to sign up for Ashley's Class

She's cool, scrapbooking is cool, the class will be cool.

Still I do.
Was mostly working on the wedding album that is kicking my butt.
So here's what else I've done as well:

But we did have lots of other fun stuff happen this year. Although most of these pictures are not from this year. Like I said, I'm a slacker.

For half a minute, we had Haute Spot Challenges at SiStv where the Fashionistas would challenge you to do some something or another. This challenge was to scrap for/about someone you had never met. I only met this dude online, back in college, was totally my first internet crush, right down to sending me a baby picture which was my first warning about internet love. And so it goes.

I have lots of pics of him with camera in hand. Which, I would think, would suggest that I've also got camera in hand to take said pics. But I don't know, so many folks are convinced I can't take a picture to save my life so maybe it's just magic (yeah, I called you out, and what). Anywho...(I miss Alex...dude Alex, not girl Alex). This was a fun simple one with just some journaling (digi) bout what we each see through the lens/art/science/adventure of photography.

Just a quick collage of the boys in my life that just totally rock my world.

And it wouldn't be a scrap session without some music inspiro (live your life) and some deep journaling to try to motivate myself to do something rather than just stare at pieces of paper for hours on end.

Thanks for looking and be sure to check out my posts at Scrap In Style TV where I'm Bernadette (really easy, imagine that) aka SiS # 57. Really. Check it out.

Wedding scrapbook cover photo

Sneak peek (smile)

Love you mom!

Photo by Gerald Pope Photography. Check them out! This is the scrapbook cover page for the wedding photos I'm abitiously trying to get scrapped in time for Christmas. Okay...Christmas 2009.

Non-Conforming to the Non-Conformist

Truly...since the 22nd? I've been a very bad girl. Why people check in daily I have no clue. But for your patience:

At the Fair: So I go to the fair. All ready to win me a gold fish. Riddle me this. How is it not okay to win goldfish but it is okay for kids (most in the midst of a screaming fit) to entertain us by trying to hold onto some mutton across a dirt field for their dear lives. I tell ya.

Do You Remember? Speaking of agreeing to be stuck with me. I snapped this photo a week before that infamous date when we had to go get our papers in order. Dude was crazy sweatin'. Looking back, lots was going on that day and I'm just happy he let me get a picture in the midst of it all. I don't remember the exact date, I just remember it was like a week or so before our actual wedding date. Hence the title. I keep forgetting to ask him if he remembers the date. I'm sure we could track down a nice muni worker who would dig it up.

Queen for a Day: Once upon a time, I was queen for a day. And that day (and that pageant) was a HOT. MESS (of the HAM type, yes dear). On the plus side, I was in HotLanta and as such, I can still claim that 2 out of the 3 times I've been in Atlanta, I was on CNN. It would be accurate to even say that everytime I've been in Atlanta on purpose, I've been on CNN. With a real important talking role. Uh huh.

Same Push: I had a different idea for this layout. It didn't quite come together like that, but the gist is the same. I was going to go all "I am woman, hear me roar" on how we always do it all but really, I've never done it all. I'm too super focused on any given "something" at a time to be a jack of all trades like that. In any event, my master's degree was a stitch in the side. Let me tell ya. Same push to get it done. Studious, but in non-studious ways. it is my upbringing. If I don't have to try, I typically don't.

Split: Love. This. Layout. Each photo really has layers of meaning and the journaling around the edges just kinda really details how split a personality I really can have. How people can stand me in intense doses (ie, Alex, Robert, Liisa, Rachel...people who should know better...only one, sometimes two of which knows my middle name at any given point in time--yes, I checked, I married a dude who didn't think it important to know my middle name which kinda leads me to believe he didn't do the background check I told him he should do...poor lad). Anyhow. Oddly enough, no high school pics. Hmph. I'll have to get on that.

Call it done. Enjoy and thanks for stalking...I mean...coming by! Yes mom, I'm working on it.

Bookworms (she still does it)

Well, yes, that way too.  But more layouts are in store.  You can peep them quickly here:

Some with more detail are Below plus two extras I still need to post at SiS but you'll get here first:



I heart your old soul: I love the colors and textures to this one.  Almost as much as I love those photos of that adorable child.  I can't wait to have some of him of my own.


Play Hard '07: I LOVE watching the two of them together.  They of course jive because it is all about gaming.  Love how this hybrid layout turned out too.


Sagitarian: This one started really simple.  Then I went to town on it digitally.  I saw a cute t-shirt that had all these "sagitarian" traits on one side and the sign on the other side.  So I figured I'd go with it.  Lucky you.  Or shall I say lucky me (smile).

Enjoy!

The Words

Behind the layout.  As promised.

When you flip up the top flap:

Read between the lines...focus. Read between the lines. Connect the dots.  Are you tired yet?  Tired of being scared of what might happen instead of hoping for what could happen?  Does your life depend on this? Will you have a job tomorrow if you wait in long lines to maybe have your voice heard?  Read between the lines....Does it matter enough to you to be so impolite as to actually talk about politics?  Did you ever think you would see the day?  Read between the lines..Do tears come to your eyes making it hard if not impossible to focus on what is really at stake?  Read between the lines...Is it your home?  How about your little brother?  How about your safety?  If you happen to live on a coast?  how about your basic way of living if you live on a gulf coast? Is this the time? Is this the time to say one thing but do another?  Read between the lines...Do you really believe in campaign finance reform? Are you really putting country before self ambition?  Do the polls matter that much if no one tells the truth rather than their own version of "facts"? Read between the lines...Does everything have to be so political?  So lacking in common sense? So overboard and underhanded?  Is it really okay to win at all costs? What happened to common decency?  What happened to at the very least being respectful of other people?  People.  Fellow Americans. Why does it always have to be such a long drawn out game? Complete with scare tactics that prey on the worst of us and then implore us to trust and have faith that really everything will be alright.  Read between the lines...What is the worst that can happen? Will it really be that bad?  Read between the lines. Are you sure?  Where is your faith now? Where is our faith?  Why are we even here?  read between the lines.  I thought we had come for enough to connect the dots.  I thought we were better than this.

Thanks for looking/reading.

But there was nothing to see here

And for your patience, a flood of epic proportions. Wonder what's on my mind lately (smile).
Enjoy and thanks for hanging in there and waiting for something to squirt out of my brain again.

Baby XO card. I have cute babies on the brain. Like JF's beautiful little boy. Congrats Jody!




Empty Words. Probably my fave of the bunch. Very simple, very ready, very much sums a lot of it up right now. All I can say is thank the Lord I've got R to snuggle up with.


1st Flick. 2nd Play. This one is totally fun. Flicking through travel mags and clipping pages came across some great fall shots. I so miss the "northeast". Only been there once and not really in the fall, but one of these falls I'm so going back. (Hybrid)




I Do. Another simple one. Rare with no journaling but was just using up some scraps. This was a fun and simple one to do to document July. Without July pictures of course.


Worldly. I've sat on these pictures forever. Waiting for the perfect paper and reason to scrap them. So I got off of it. One of the things I miss most about my last job is the crazy travel. Only the part where I got to meet lots of really great scrap people in person like all the ladies pictures here.
They are like stars. shiny. beautiful. unique. out there bit right here. I travel and travel so that I can see the world but really, I don't have to be anywhere to be with them. some say i scrap to be worldly. at the best, i scrap t be other worldly. to meet and play among the stars. just to be of this world.

Thanks for looking~!