Tuesday 13 July 2010

Never Underestimate the Power of New Stash...



***RAK post below *** Remember to leave a comment & link my blog to yours for a chance to win!!!

Since Sunday I have been in my studio as much as is humanly possible. I have given up sleep for it! It has been wonderfully cathartic. It has been the best thinking time I have had in literally months. I have thought ALOT. It's hard to even START to explain it all but it's all been good. I was very afraid to "dip my feet into the water" again after my enforced hiatus. I worried that I would have lost my touch, "forgotten" how to scrapbook, basically that I would SUCK. Then I had a revelation - it was that IT DIDN'T MATTER...That I would scrapbook FOR FUN - for ENJOYment - instead of what I've been doing for the most part of the last 2 years - scrapbooking like I'm taking a penalty in Football. Like my team depends on me to win the World Cup. Really, can you imagine how draining that has been?

I realised that I've had the joy of scrapbooking sucked out of me. A couple of years ago I entered our national scrapbooking competition & did extremely well. I was placed twice in the top 5, because our layouts were judged individually, rather than as a portfolio. I had visions of being catapulted to stardom like Ali Edwards & Elizabeth Kartchner, but all I ended up with were enemies. I was completely unrewarded. In fact I was figuratively "punished" by anonymous comments {before I became wise to this blogging lark}, threats & behaviour that still makes me shudder. Save to say that it put me off the scrapbooking industry in South Africa per se. But it made me start my blog, & for that I am grateful for the whole shenanigans!

Yes, I am the winner in all this! I don't need any local acknowledgement. In fact I don't need any acknowledgement at all. Just your friendship. I do value that. I love that I now know like-minded people like you all over the world that I now consider my friends. And I have my "enemies" to thank for that ;-D

I {heart} blogging.

Without further ado:-

Another 5 x 7 inch photo-booth photo of Chelsea & I. Supplies:- Pink Paislee 365degrees Collection. Studio Calico, Webster's Pages Journaling Cards, October Afternoon mini-alphas, AC Remarks Alphas, old Bazzill cardstock from my stash, a transparency I printed on my pc from an image found on the internet, some flocked vines cut from a sheet of ancient paper, a corrugated cardboard offcut strip, a little metal birdie from the local craft shop & a couple of organza roses from the Oriental haberdashery here. Oh, & four staples & a gem!

Chelsea looked so radiant that I wanted the journaling & title to be relevant to that rather than calling it something lame like "Fun Times!" & journaling about our day out lol.

I did a birthday "shop" at a US online store in April & my "to die for" stash arrived 6 weeks later, thanks to the volcanic ash or something or other lol. When my new goodies arrived I didn't open the box for a month - I kid you not! I was too otherwise committed & knew that seeing all my new stash would make me weep with desire...

Thank you to you for giving me back the joy of life & the desire to scrapbook for myself again. And to you for showing me how meaningful it can be & to you for reminding me how important it really is. And to you for showing me that there are no rules & it can be really liberating! {WHY I {heart} blogging}

I wish all my cardstock was black, brown, cream & white. I could scrap solely in those colours now, but alas, I have a ceiling high mountain of cardstock in every colour of the rainbow dating back from my overzealous & deranged phase lol...{any locals wanting to swap shout "I do!"}

Supplies:- Dear Lizzy printed paper, canvas & DL {Berry}Thickers alphas, DCWV chipboard stars, Basic Grey Pearls & Prima Shabby Chic glitter chipboard.

I only went digital in 2006 so have NO back-ups of images prior to that, only actual photos & a shoe-box of negatives waiting to be scanned in to the pc. So I have decided I am going to scrap all my old photos, unless they are in a state of total disrepair. This one is slightly damaged but still OK. These 2 are now my teenagers lol. I was dreading scrapbooking such old photos but it was cool...

Signing off...tired but happy...





13 comments:

Vicki said...

It is hard to get back into it after you have been absent for a while. Keep on doing it for the enjoyment as thats the only way IMO to scrap. Not in it for the recognition either and if I have wee win along the way then thats a bonus. Can't believe you didn't open that box for a month though???? LOL. I too, have albums and albums of pre-digi photos which I am working my way through as well.

Bernadine said...

Love love love the layouts. Thank you for been an inspiration both as a person and in your scrapping and for listening when I ramble on in emails when I need someone to "talk to". Scrap for you and you alone.... what other people think is not important as everyone style is different. The first thing I was told when I started sraping was that their is no right or wrong way so just enjoy it - what you like and what I like might be poles apart but it does not mean that either of us are wrong. That is the beauty of scrapping.

I to have accumulated to much again so I am trying very very hard to resist making any purchases!!!

Have a lovely week and hope you find some more time to scrap. :)

Stefanie said...

Great post.
Love your LO's too.
I need to get back into the swing of actually scrapping again, seems to be such a fits and starts thing with me.

topkatnz said...

Good on you for taking the plunge back into the scrappy world - I love those photos of you and Chelsea! Scrapping should only be for fun, trying to turn it into anything else just ruins your enjoyable hobby. Scrapping is art; art is creative and fun; and is totally subjective. Never make your hobby, your job. Keep smiling!

Jenny in Durbs said...

Hey Helen love the lay outs & the photos of you & Chelsea are lovely. Also love the little ones can you believe that these precious beings turn into teenagers LOL but the good news is they are still wonderful. I really agree with you just scrap for you & enjoy it although personally I think you have great talent so don't be shy about entering things for fun. I so CANNOT believe you sat with that box for a month talk about discipline !!!!

Shayne said...

Lovely post Helen. I think that scrapping has to be done for YOU. Never mind the bitchiness out there. YOu scrap beautifully and have a definate style, and your children will be so honoured and grateful to have these LO's to share with their children and later grandchildren.

Love the new look. Very pretty.

tania said...

Your layouts are all masterpieces! i know it is hard to get back in scrapping, I am also struggling so much!! the photos of you and chelsea are beautiful!!

Ella Swan said...

Aaah girls you are the best ! You have all made my day already - which is why I {heart} blogging LOL! I am terrible like that with new stuff. I always delay opening things until I know that I'll have time to concentrate on them. Totally opposite to everyone else it would seem. If I hadn't signed up for my little photog course my D5ooo would probably still be in the box! Now we are good friends! {me & the camera} & you too of course;-D It's a fits & starts thing with me too Stef - seems like the only way for us busy mums to scrap. Think you're right Heidi - I'm better off with my scrapbooking as my love - saw that here pretty quickly. Not a great money spinner anyway in this country lol. Thanks for the compliment Jenny! The internet has shown me that there are many, many people all over the world with talent to share, which makes the bloggy/scrappy world such a rewarding one as it's a fantastic resource pool. So glad I seem to have a definitive style Shayne - had planned to do a post on that actually as I am always in a style quandary! The new layout look is one of the new Blogger templates that I customised a bit. Took me less than half an hour. Score;-D

CathQuillScrap said...

Great post... glad your new scrap space is adding to your scrapping mojo... enjoy the special times when you create just for you. Love your new look blog too.

Lynette Jacobs said...

I loved this post...it echoed my own fear of getting back into scrapping. But that is still some way off...my craft room is being re-done by my DH and will totally rock when finished.

Beautiful layouts and yes that stash is "to die for".

Diana said...

Ack I just wrote a long comment but it got lost. Anywayz, what did I say now?
Oh yes, you'll have to tell the story of how come people ended up hating you for winning a scrapbooking contest because I just do not get that.
Also, I loved this post through and through. It was very inspiring.
And the LOs are absolutely terrific. Just fabulous. Love them.

Ella Swan said...

Hi Diana ;-D Oooh hate it when that happens {you lose a long comment} has happened too many times to me too! That story is something I'd rather forget about & move on now...as I've told you before I think the scrapbook "scene" here can be vrey bitchy & back-stabbing, which is why I steer well clear of it. NEVER attend anything "organised" anymore. Just scrap by myself or with a friend @ home & avoid it all. It's a big ego trip here & not my scene at all. Totally not the way it's meant to be I agree....Funny how this post struck a cord with so many...I just wrote it off the top of my head in a few minutes. It seems the less I try the more success I have. Guess the answer is to just be yourself hey?!

Pearl said...

I only just saw this post !!! Alas this industry is mainly all about women - & what do we expect when too many women are in one industry!!!! yup! cattiness & bitchiness ! it's the same old problem the world round it would seem .

I too no longer attend organised scrappy events here - firstly they cost too much - take up too much time 3-4 hrs or more & they dont usually change the way you scrap in the end!!! ;(