Checking in - Warning long post.

Well, I've been out of my blogging routine for a while and it's not because I don't want to post; believe me. See, I have an old computer injury that acts up every once in a while and I have to give myself a computer break. These last few weeks I only got on the computer to search for work and necessities only. So, I had to neglect my blog for a little while.



Not to be a downer or anything but, I want to begin by showing a card I made for my neighbors and friends who horribly lost their little dog, Muffin on Friday. I tried to not make it dark and sad, but bright and cheery, like Muffin.

Out of the goodness of her heart, my neighbor picked up a lost boxer a couple of weeks ago and tried to find its owner. This boxer was well trained and seemed to have a sweet disposition. Well, last Friday evening, when she stepped out to pick up her son at football practice, the boxer killed her little terrier, Muffin.

Unfortunately, I heard the whole thing from my backyard and called Greg to come down and look over the fence. He saw the dog had Muffin and it was too late. Needless to say my neighbors are devasted and heartbroken as Muffin had been with them 13 years.

I tell this story to make you aware of what can happen if you bring a stray into your home. If you have other pets or small children, it might be best to take the stray directly to animal control or a shelter. It's better to be safe than sorry.

On a lighter note, Spring has definitely arrived in Texas. The flowers in our yard are loving all the rain and sunshine. Here are a few pics to brighten your day.

The red flowers closer to the windows attract hummingbirds and bumblebees! I've never seen a bumblebee up close until just the other day and I never realized they were so big and furry. I couldn't get a clear picture of it though.

This picture of the rose did not come out so clear so I played with the colors and stuff and thought I could turn in into a note card in the future. We'll see.

Greg has a very green thumb and can grow anything (literally!). This rose vine was a stick in the ground last fall and this spring its blooming like crazy. I however do not have any color thumb. I'm not a plant's friend.

I haven't really worked on any current scrapbooking layouts. I created this one with Inspired Blueprints sketch #13 & 14. I used my Cricut for the title and subtitle (Graphically speaking). I layerd several cuts to give them some dimension and inked the edges. I tried to keep the embellies to a minimum in order to keep the layout simple and quick.

Speaking of the Cricut...the Everything Cricut Blog is now called Imagine That. They now offer free blogger backgrounds and still have the best information on the Cricut and its accessories. Check it out if you haven't already done so.

Right now, I have to catch up with Project 365 and I've been digging into my stash to work with old kits I have laying around. Does anyone still remember the Lisa Bearnson's Favorite Albums library kit sold on QVC? Well, I only ever completed the About Me album except for a few journaling pages and I think I need to work on the other three. I put the family one together without the pictures just to get started. Does anyone else have old kits they haven't worked on and aren't willing to give up? I have lots. I think I will try to sell some on Ebay.

I think that's enough of my rambling. Have a good rest of the week.

Campaign for Real Scrapping

Have you ever spent hours on a page and then feel like you didn't accomplish much because you still have another 100 photos to scrap?

I definitely know that feeling.

Well, today I came across this blog post by Kim Guymon and she suggested we start a Campaign for Real Scrapping, like Dove's Campaing for Real Beauty.

Here are the her steps for this campaign:

1. Focus on the photos
2. Add the stories and not just the names - limit the use of third-party quotes.
3. Crop conservatively - Grandma's house in the background may be precious someday
4. Use themed products - match photos to products
5. Keep the page simple - don't overwhelm the photos with embellishments
6. Use imperfect photos if that's all you have. Not every photo will be stunning.
7. Reject time-consuming embellishment techniques
8. Worry LESS about acid and MORE about history.
9. Spend less time doctoring photos and more time scrapping
10. Find your passion again!

These steps are pretty universal and I will post them up in my scrap room to remember them when I sit down to scrap.

And, here's what I need to work on and am adding to the list:

11. Use more than one photo on each layout.

12. Use what you have on hand. (Have to cut back on shopping!)

13. Spend only 10 minutes deciding what to use on your page. Select 4 papers and 3 embellies per layout.

14. Plan to finish a page in less than 2 hours. Use a timer to keep track.

15. Relax and go with the flow.

I hope this helps you think about your cropping process. If you come up with another step please let me know. I'm open to any suggestions that simplify the process. I also need organization help, but that's a post for anther day.