Have you played yet?

I'm so excited! I just finished playing with my kit for the month of March, and boy was it fun to use. The theme is challenging as well. So keep your eye open for that soon.

And that means....that there's only another week to play in our online crop at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out! You definitely should check it out. I'm having this challenge, I've already told you about, where you can scraplift the design team. Well, colour me floored when Rachel decided to lift one of my layouts! Take a look!

I think she did a spectacular job! Don't you think? Drop by the gallery to leave Rachel some love on her layout, or upload your own challenge layout and play along with us!

Working with transparencies

Alright, I have to admit that I've never loved the ideas of transparencies when it comes to scrapbooking. As a frame, I got it, but as an element, no. But now that I've played with a couple, I think I get it.

Sometimes you want a little something to add some texture, but not overcrowd something else. Like this quote transparency I got to play with recently. It definitely adds something to the page but doesn't overpower the flowers and delicate embellishments.

Using Risk kit from Scrapbooking from the Inside Out

Now I'm not saying that I love them yet. But I am learning that they have a place in scrapbooking, albeit not one that I think I would use frequently.

Do you have an embellishment that you don't use at all because you just "don't get it?" I'd love to hear about it.

Rise Up ... we did!

I quite often get asked how I met my husband, given that he is from the USA and me in Canada. That's not the only obstacle we had to hurdle. He's also from the Pacific Northwest, and I'm in the East. So it's safe to say that we didn't run in the same circles.

As you might expect, we met on the internet. Now, I'll start off my saying that it is not for everyone. You need to go into that type of relationship with eyes wide open and a head on your shoulders. There are definitely risks involved in long distance relationships.

When I got this month's kit from Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, I thought long and hard about the risks I've taken in my life, and if or how they paid off. By far, the biggest risk I've ever taken in my life is giving my heart to a man who lived almost a continent away. But it was also the risk with the biggest pay off so far. We both decided to take the risk and rise up above any challenges that the long distance relationship might throw our way.

So when I chose to scrapbook this long-distance union, I decided to use a quote that I recently heard and love..."Take the step. The bridge will be there." I thought it worked perfectly with the photos of my husband and I at Montmorency Falls in Quebec.

So now that we've crossed the bridge, we look at our future risks as a couple, and look for the opportunities in life, rather than the possible hardships.

Why not visit SFTIO during our month long Online Crop? You may find a few challenges there that will make you think more about making your pages meaningful.

Art Journal Peek

Just a little play with my Gelli Plate and some stencils this past week. Needed to get back into my art journal and just play.

Come join me!

At Scrapbooking from the Inside Out this month we are having a month long crop with lots of challenges, and scrapbook chat.

There will be lots of tutorials, and fun to be had! Come and meet some incredible people and learn how to make your journaling more meaningful!

New technique? Why not!

You know that I love mixed media, especially when I'm scrapbooking! On this glorious sunny Sunday, I thought I'd show you one of my layouts that I did using some glass bead gel. It's a new favourite of mine.

I did this layout for Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, and used a photo that had a pretty cool processing effect from Instagram.

I wanted not only to frame the photo, but draw attention to it. So I used a new medium to me, glass bead gel.

Want to know how I did it? Go check out my tutorial here on Scrapbooking from the Inside Out. While you are there, check out other posts by the design team to learn new techniques.

Remember to dream and take a chance!

It's been a long few months since I shipped my art journals off to California on a journey of their own. It was something that I never thought I'd do... send my original art work somewhere to be considered for publishing. But I did it. Because I was asked to. And several months later, here I am holding a copy of Art Journaling magazine, in my local Chapters store, and it has my art work in it. Wow! Never thought I'd see this happen.

Now, since seeing my magazine article, side by side with some highly esteemed artists, I got to thinking "What if I had never uploaded my work in galleries, and never opened myself up for praise, or heaven forbid, critique?" What if I never took that risk? Well for one, I would likely have missed out on a dream come true.

Using Scrapbooking from the Inside Out's February Risk kit

I always wanted to know what it would feel like to open a magazine and see your work there, spread out on the pages. And to be truthful, given my own self doubt when it comes to art, I always figured that if my art was published in a magazine I could finally honestly call myself an artist. And I wasn't published because I took a risk by submitting my work to a magazine because of a call. Are you kidding me? I wasn't willing to stick my neck out there - to take that risk. So I took the risk down a notch and went about it in baby steps. I posted my work online, in a public gallery. And then when I got a bit braver, I added it to groups, where peers could critique it or admire it (always hoping for the latter of course). And that little risk led to a big dream happening for me. I was asked to submit my work for consideration, and write an article. Wow! All from just taking one chance, one risk. Now I know that not everyone would consider posting their work online a risk. But as a new artist, exposing myself to criticism was something I felt I wasn't completely comfortable with. But I did it anyhow.

They say that you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Isn't that the truth! I guess the way I look at things is if the shot is too risky, see if you can take baby steps to get there. And watch your dreams come true!

Weekend crafting!

Hi all! I'm surrounded by crazy scrapbooking women this weekend while we endure a Snowmaggedon here in Picton Ontario. It's been a blast so far, and it's still not over. It's definitely been a learning experience as well, because I managed to do my first 2-page layout! Wow!

What I am definitely finding though is that now journaling is becoming a habit, and it's a good one. One that I think is changing with me thanks to Scrapbooking from the Inside Out. It's not just that I'm journaling, but that I'm also learning how to express how those memories make me feel.

For example, this layout, Dream, I wanted to express how it felt to finally see my work on the shelves of my favourite bookstore. I was still in shock and awe, and I wanted to capture that! I took a risk in showing my work online and it paid off. Guess how many chances I'm going to take in the future.

So I hope you are enjoying your weekend, and have some happy scrappiness as well. I'd love to see what you make this weekend!