So many creative enablers!

Hi again everyone :)

OMG! There just never seems to be enough time to craft!! With soooooo many artists out there providing us with soooooo many different ideas and projects!

I've just found Kathy from Paper Phenomenon and OMG how good is she!!! Thank you Michelle (BohemianGypsy99 on YouTube) for telling me about Kathy. I've been so busy creating that I've done nothing else lately LOL. You guys should go check her out - her YouTube name is kathyorta.

You might also know, if you subscribe (and watch) my YouTube videos, that I'm into art journalling now - yes! Although, thanks to Paper Phenomenon, Following the Paper Trail (Laura Denison), and many others, I'm still scrappin'! I saw a video by Paula Phillips (JournalArtista) with her Art from the Couch series, and I became addicted! Paula began streaming her art through USTREAM and this resulted in the start of my first art journal. So thank you, Paula :)

Paula also introduced me to a few other artists to which I subscribe on USTREAM and learn so much. These people are Dede (Inkwell), Ky (Scrapacat) and Kerri (ikerrilove). These are the ladies I get so much of my inspiration from. So a BIG THANK YOU to all you ladies for being enablers :)

So if you're looking for something other than watching hauls and watching videos of "completed projects" pleeeeeeeaaaaaase check out the ladies I mentioned here. There's nothing more disappointing than watching a video of a completed project rather than watching the process. That's why I show the videos of the process, rather than the completed project. I know there are many artists out there who don't like looking at the process videos, but there are others who appreciate the process - it's how I learned the little that I know.

Okay, it's now time to go do some crafting :)

I should utilise my blog!

Hi everyone

It's been soooooooo long since I posted anything here on my blog. When I first created my blog it was because I needed one in order to join a scrapbooking community. I didn't really know what a blog was, let alone how to use it. I've since surfed many blog sites and realised (yes, it does take me a while to get it) how and why they are used.

What I found is that they are used for many, many different reasons. Some of which are:

• let everyone know what you're doing at the moment
• show pictures and videos of your work
• let people know who you follow
• let people know about all the creative people out there by showing links
• have an area to store your template files for sharing with others
• chatting

So having said that, it's long overdue that I update my blog LOL. I'm going to attempt to update it regularly and be more interactive, adding photos of and instructions to my work which I show on YouTube. So you'll probably get an overload of info in the next couple of days.

What Constitutes a "Scrapbook" Album?

Hi everyone

I started scrapbooking only a few years ago, so I'm relatively new to all this.
When I began puchasing all my scrapbook supplies I was told it was important to use ALL ACID FREE PRODUCTS as this would protect the life of your precious photos and albums. So that's the rule I apply to all my photo projects.

I have also been told that it's safe to use non-acid free items if they're not actually touching the photos, but even so, the non-acid free products will deteriorate through time.

YouTube and other web sites provide a vast source of information and tutorials from very helpful and some very artistic scrappers. This information is viewed by a very large number of people. The projects, hints and techniques are used by many. Quite a few are selling their scrapbook mini album kits. This is a valuable source to many scrappers who are not as confident with their ability to put together a mini album with co-ordinating supplies.

However, there are many scrappers out there who assume that all the products supplied in these kits are ACID FREE. What about all the young scrappers out there? What are we teaching them? Maybe we're naive, or just too trusting, to think that all the bits and pieces in the kits are photo-safe. Mostly they are, however there have been quite a few lately that I've seen using paper bags, old book pages, cereal packaging for chipboard, corrugated cardboard, used envelopes, pictures printed using non-laser printers, etc. What about giving these mini albums as gifts? Does the recipient know exactly what has been used in the making of these minis?

What I cannot understand is why we are paying a lot of money for our scrapping supplies (papers, inks, chipboard, embellishments) and then we go and use non-acid free items in the project! Why don't we just use cheaper paper? Non-acid free glues and tapes?

So what is scrapbooking?

The Oxford dictionary defines the word scrapbook as "a book of blank pages for sticking cuttings, drawings, or pictures in". So technically you can use any medium you prefer on your albums.

Confused? I still am. Are there no rules at all? Each to their own? I would like to know however, that for any kits I may want to purchase, whether or not they are 100% acid free. So all you talented scrappers out there selling kits - pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase let us know if there are any non-acid free items in the kits, then it will be up to us individually as to what we do with the items if we purchase the kits.

Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts :)

Instructions for Acid Free Paper Bag

Click here to view instructions

August Mini Album Trade - Sneak Peak

I've started Marisa's album for the August Mini Album Trade and thought I'd give her a sneak peak at what to expect. Also to let her know that it won't be long before I'm finished and able to send it to Marisa :).

This is a mini album I just finished as a gift for my daughter, Shasz's friend who's having a baby boy soon.

Eyelets - Can anyone help me?

Hi girls
I've had so much trouble trying to find eyelets big enough for my mini albums.
I have some great eyelets from Stampin' Up (jumbo eyelets in the bronze & silver) but they are so expensive.
The only other eyelets I can find are too small to go through the thickness of my mini album pages.
Also, I don't really know how to check the sizes - what the mm refers to - diameter or length of the middle cylinder??? It's so frustrating trying to buy these on line.
Can anyone help me pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaase!!!!