Hey there! I’m back again. Before my post on February 1, it had been quite a while since I’d posted. In that Feb. 1 post I mentioned I would explain in my next post.
To put it simply, life was busy. I’m very aware of how much I’m doing at one time and usually I keep it to a good level. I never want to be the person who can’t fit in the unexpected. I’m not so scheduled that a hiccup would throw me for a loop. I’ve learned to say the “Best Yes” for me and I’m okay with saying no. Usually.
I’m sure you can relate when I say life was too much, and it was totally my own fault. I took on too much and didn’t even realize it until I was literally counting the days to Christmas break, not because I was excited about having the kids home, which was definitely nice, but because it would give me an excuse to slow down.
Before Christmas, that busyness kept me from creating a whole lot and posting here on my blog. During Christmas, I did crash. I rested. I played with my kids. I visited family. I created gifts for them. I spent time just being, instead of always doing and thinking ahead and planning. I recognized that I had crossed a line in the fall and I have learned from it.
So, I’m taking the time to concentrate on things that will have more bang for the time I spend on it. I’m working smarter and I have realistic goals. I’ve started creating art for the sake of creating art, not just for a workshop. I got a journaling Bible from my hubby for my birthday and I’ve started “making my Bible pretty”. If you follow me on Instagram, just look for the hashtag #makingmyBiblepretty and you’ll see what I’ve been doing. I haven’t done too much, yet, but I’m excited about creating art in this way.
At my last crop, in January, I decided I was going to work on something just for fun. It took me all day, around all the responsibilities of running a fundraising crop, and I had to still put on embellishments when I got home. Here’s my one-photo, one-page layout that took approximately 12 hours. (LOL!)
This layout is a perfect example of the kinds of things I take photos of. I usually forget to take my camera out during family reunions or special events, but the everyday things I don’t want to forget? Those are on my phone and on my memory card. I love this memory of my boy. He doesn’t do this ritual very often anymore which makes it even more special. Nathaniel saw this layout on my desk yesterday, and it made him smile that sweet little grin and he gave me a hug. That’s why we do this craft, right? He now knows just how special this little habit was to me, and he blew me a kiss last night. 🙂
Here are a couple close ups.
Products Used:
Enchantment Fundamental Paper and Stickers
Black Fundamental Assortment and Stickers
Fern and Peacock ink
Ink Blot Stamp Set
Blue Dot Enamel & Glitter Duos
Marvy Uchida Le Pen Journaling Pen
I hope you’ll take some time to scrapbook a special memory so you don’t forget it. And I hope it doesn’t take you 12+ hours. 🙂
Happy Creating!