Inspirations All Around Me!

Ladies,
I apologize for being a bit slow to get out my schedule of classes to everyone. I hope to get that out by the end of next week. It has been such a fascinating week already. I can't say that I'm ever going to miss working outside the home again.

Last night I went to a fabulous inspiration night at Angela's house and now I am just bursting with even more ideas. Angela outdid herself with so many great techniques and the Lemon Butter Gooey Cake was fabulous!!!!

Monday the kids played in the sprinklers until they were icky muddy messes and today they have run around with pillowcases and blankets pinned around their necks for superhero capes. I have to say they have put on a real spectacle for me to watch this week. What a blessing that they are at the age to enjoy each other so much!

Anyway, for the first time the clock does not seem to chase me down each and every hour, and I am feeling so much more at ease with my To Do List this week. I have had so many ideas I am not sure there are enough weekends to hold them all, so I may be polling to see if some people might enjoy an evening class every once in a while. I am specifically planning a Scrapbooking for Beginners class, a Watercoloring techniques class, a Stamp-a-stack card class, and my Christmas Card Club idea is still being ironed out. So many crafts, so little time.

Please let me know if you are interested in something specific and I will be happy to tailor something for your needs. Everyone have a great weekend and keep me posted!

High Impact

Now when I say High Impact, I mean "small cost, big return". If crafting isn't fun, why do it? If you aren't proud of what you make, why bother? If you are finding yourself getting stuck in a rut or always unsure where to start, try using only two colors (preferrably two you love.) If you love pink, buy it in droves.

Pick a neutral that works for you. It could be white, black, green, or chocolate brown. When you surround yourself with the colors you love, you will feel inspired. This goes just as much for the colors on your walls and furniture as it does for your scrapbooks and cards. If you hate green, don't use it. Substitue something else that does appeal to you.

Stampin' Up! has a color wheel you can purchase, but if you are just starting out I suggest using the colors you love. Once you get into your own creating groove, you can work on adding new colors and combinations to jazz things up and keep it fresh. But until then, if you work with pink on pink on pink, keep it up! All that matters is that when the day is done, you are happy with your creations.

Organizing Your Craft Area

I very much like to be organized, but I find the day-to-day task of keeping things orderly almost grueling. So while I try to use easy to maintain systems, I still like for things to be visually appealing (or at least semi-appealing) to give me the added encouragement to keep our stuff under control. So getting your craft area into ship shape condition can really only make craft time easier and more fun. Whether you use a movable tote that you can carry to table top and back to its storage closet or, if like me, you have overtaken the family desk, it is important to be able to use your supplies without having to plan an urban assault to find them.

(Stampin’ Up! sells some great paper, embellishment, and ribbon keepers that are clear so you can see all your choices easily. I personally enjoy being able to see the majority of my supplies in plain sight. The colors inspire me as much as the occasions and it is a constant reminder to not let weeks go by before I allow myself to sit down to create something.)

I have attached some photos of my own desk area. Obviously everyone’s special crafting spot is going to be different, but I believe if you allow yourself the luxury of a place to work and store your supplies it can make all the difference. I used to use long rectangular baskets for all my supplies. That system was great when I worked on the kitchen table and could easily look into them on their shelves from my chair, but times change and the kids’ paints and art supplies eventually booted my stuff. I tried to keep the same system of baskets when I moved everything upstairs, but having to get up from the desk every time I needed a sheet of paper cut into my “flow”. So I finally re-organized and I have loved my new work space. I really just crammed as much as I could into my space by using the containers we already had around the house. I bet you will be amazed at what you can come up with if you think about what containers you already have at home too.

Here are some tips to consider:
1. Find enough work surface to spread out a bit. If you like some elbow room, a TV tray probably won’t be your first choice. But maybe it might be a nice additional item to set up next to your chair to hold a drink and a yummy treat without risking your current creations.
2. Find a comfy chair to work from. Or at least get a seat cushion to make yourself comfortable in a wooden chair.
3. Keep a trashcan handy to easily discard your scraps and keep your work surface neat.
4. Provide inspiration for your area. Pin up your favorite cards, photos, or anything else you find gets your creative juices flowing.
5. Do you have the luxury of a specialized location so you don’t have to clean-up mid-project? If not, maybe you could use some project envelopes to stash your supplies for when you

have to stop mid-stream.