Come along with me!!

I am starting a new journey . . . And want to share it with you.  I never thought I would be starting a blog devoted to scrapbooking, card making, and crafting in general.  Here's to jumping in with both feet!!

Crafting has always been a part of my life. My mom and I used to watch a crafting show featuring "Aleen's" products; oftentimes, we would go buy the supplies & do the project ourselves.  I made my best friends in high school pajama pants for Christmas one year (they say the still wear them, but I'm not so sure).  I worked my way through college by sewing & doing alterations on wedding dresses & tuxedos.

About a year ago I took some cake decorating classes & really enjoyed it. . . I still do . . . but I wouldn't fit into my pajama pants if I made cakes every day.  I came across a Cricut cake machine that cuts fondant (think - thick icing) to decorate elegant cakes.  My husband got me a Cricut Cake mini for Mother's Day. I cut fondant for days, it was so much fun!  But . . . I don't make many elegant cakes!  AND I hate the way fondant tastes!  I would spend hours upon hours, day after day making sugar flowers & piping borders, but after a cake gets cut, it's gone.

Then . .  I learned that my little machine could cut cupcake wrappers & cut paper in neat shapes to make cards, which led me directly to scrapbooking (and the need for a full-size Cricut). I learned there is an entire community of people who connect through their ideas & their creativity.  I watched hours of YouTube videos & found websites that produced videos on how to do use their products & shared new techniques. It reminded me of the time I shared with my mom learning how to make new things.  I love that scrapbookers & cardmakers design & create something special and then happily share it with the world.  These people do not patent their ideas and keep them hidden away; they consider it a huge compliment when someone copies their idea, adds to it, and creates something even better. I love looking through photos of my family to decide which ones make it onto a scrapbook page.  I love thinking about someone I love as I make a card just for them. The scrapbook pages may get put into an album and stored away; the cards may be put in the bottom of a sock drawer; but the time spent creating is a special memory for me. I also hope that when the sock drawer gets cleaned out months from now, that handmade card still produces a smile.  This blog is a way to share some of my work:  scrapbook pages, cards, perhaps the occasional cake or even homemade pajama pants. 

I hope you are patient with me as I learn how to blog & enjoy the things I post. I am looking forward to sharing my work & the work of others who astonish me with their creativity and skill . . .it's sure to be a fun ride.