Worked on a couple of projects in between school assignments...

Somehow I seem to manage to find snippets of time in between my studies, work, and family to escape into my scrap room. I think it's my way of relaxing and allowing the creative side of my brain to work. After a couple of years of practically ignoring my scrap room, it feels to be able to go back into it and create some cool things for myself, family and friends. Here are some of the things I have done recently.

This first project, I guess you could say was "commissioned." My friend and co-worker, Brad, asked me to create something for his wife, Christy, who graduated with a degree in elementary education this weekend. I went to one of my favorite flea markets and found this framed bulletin board. I think refinished it, added a metal sheet under the top alphabet paper and then used chalkboard vinyl in the center so it was truly for for a teacher. Brad also gave me some pictures from her last day of student teaching, so I added those, which I mounted to acrylic panels, stamped with flourish designed for a softer, yet layered look. There is even a little canvas pocket, filled with sticks of chalk. Brad loved it and I hope Christy does, too!

Last weekend, Scraphappy in Pensacola had a guest instructor, Lynn Warner, teaching classes. I took one on Friday night, in which Lynn walked us through several different flower-making techniques. I can;t remember the last time I took a scrap class, so, in the middle of a crazy end-of-the-semester two weeks of final project, I figured I needed to "waste" some time being creative. So glad I did! It was just the break I needed and I came away with some really great ideas, all on the tags below, one of which I used today.

This is a rolled paper flower for my son Will's teacher for the first day of teacher Appreciation Week tomorrow. He's supposed to bring a flower. I figured this one would last longer than a "real" flower and then Will wrote a sweet note to his teacher about how much he had enjoyed being in her class this year. To make a flower like this, simply tear out (yea, tear... it does not have to be perfectly round!) a circle and then tear it in a spiral from the outside in, so the spiral is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide leaving a small, roundish center. Then take the outside end of the spiral and start curling it tightly toward the center. Once it is completely rolled up, let it go, and twist it to the bottom of the flower is resting on the roundish center. put some glue or glue dots to hold the flower in place. Then set the flower right side up on the table in front of you and then push down hard on it wit your hand. That creates the crushed rose look.

Perfect

Made a wrong turn, once or twice 
Dug my way out, blood and fire 
Bad decisions, that's alright 
Welcome to my silly life 
Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood 
Miss 'No way, it's all good', it didn't slow me down 
Mistaken, always second guessing, underestimated 
Look, I'm still around 

Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel 
Like you're less than, less than perfect 
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing 
You are perfect to me! 

You're so mean, when you talk about yourself, you were wrong 
Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead 
So complicated, look happy, you'll make it! 
Filled with so much hatred, such a tired game 
It's enough! I've done all I can think of 
Chased down all my demons, I've seen you do the same 

Oh, pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel 
Like you're less than, less than perfect 
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing 

You are perfect to me 

The whole world's scared so I swallow the fear 
The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer 
So cool in line, and we try try try, but we try too hard and it's a waste of my time 
Done looking for the critics, cause they're everywhere 
They dont like my jeans, they don't get my hair 
Exchange ourselves, and we do it all the time 
Why do we do that? Why do I do that? 

Why do I do that? 

Yeah, oh, oh baby, pretty baby! 
Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel 
Like you're less than, less than perfect 
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel 
Like you're nothing, you are perfect to me 
You're perfect, you're perfect to me! 
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing 
You are perfect to me

A "Love"-ly Renaissance Woman

My Mom and I met Grace Zabriskie, actress (think Lois Hendrickson in "Big Love"), poet and visual artist tonight at UWF. Very interesting lady and I enjoyed listening to her perspective on the "Renaissance Woman." I love the boxes she creates! Take a look: www.gracezabriskie.com

Spring Break projects...

I took my college's Spring Break off of work, and although it wasn't all fun, games and adhesive (I did have to do some homework for my graduate classes - yuck!), I did manage to finish and create plenty of new projects. And most of them for myself!

Live Laugh Love Play is a wire mesh and wood frame wall hanging created from pieces I had around the scrap room and stuff I found at local flea markets. I wanted a place to display photos and memories of family fun.

This was a poker-themed (huge) wall clock before I got through with it. Now it's showing off five of my favorite photos from a family photo shoot in November - and it's going on my office at work so I can remember what - and who - I am working so hard for. Those of you who were on the SoCal to Provo bus tour in 2008 may recognize the papers and embellishments: They are from Little Yellow Bicycle's Vita Bella (Beautiful Life) line. I still love it!

Kaiser's wooden flourishes and flowers have always been in my scrap room for awhile, but I could never find just the right project to use them on. I finally did when I paired some of Kaiser's papers with Creative Imagination's "Create" wood word.

I had enough scraps left over to create a house album with two Clear Scraps house-shaped acrylic albums I wire-bound together. Some Prima flowers and Heidi Swapp bling added the finishing touches - just needs photos now!

I have wanted to complete this project for awhile... I found an old window at a local flea market and added Hambly and Creative Imaginations transparencies along with photos of Rodney and I from the past 10 years of our marriage. The photos are backed with 6x8 acrylic (available through From Cover 2 Cover). Chipboard letters are from Scenic Route and Rusty Pickle, prior to their closing. And there are those wooden flourishes from Kaiser...!

Shoot. Fire. Aim.

This is actually something I wrote a while back, but still think the basic ideas are relevant.

Start – Then have meetings!

Disorderly action is better than orderly inaction.

Shoot. Fire. Aim.

The way I work on projects is:

· * - 1) come up with an idea/goal

· * 2) figure out possible ways to accomplish the goal

· * 3) some initial research to eliminate the least likely ways to reach the goal

· * 4) dig in and get started

· Unforeseen challenges ALWAYS pop up, so switching gears and adjusting methods as you work toward your goal is normal, not the exception.

I know that not everyone works the same way, and I used to think I could embrace others’ way of completing projects. But, recently, I have found that I am not as welcoming to new processes as I have been in the past. While it may not be the absolute truth, my perception of some of my team mates is that they are more motivated by the following phrases:

Analysis by paralysis

Procrastinators: The leaders of tomorrow

Indecision is the key to flexibility.

Needless to say, the team does not work together smoothly. And I so wish it would. We could accomplish so much more! These situations have been addressed by various forms of management for at least a year now, with little or no results. Management is aware, and small steps are taken, but, really, I don’t understand why something more drastic is not done, like termination, or placing the person in a different job. That’s actually something I hope to learn in these classes – why is the removal of poor employee rarely done? This is not the only workplace I have seen this be a problem in, so there must be some universal issues. Or is this a taboo subject that could use some dialogue?

The reason I digressed to poor personnel when it comes to time management is because the team could be so much more effective and efficient with team members who understood efficiency, planning and organization. Because of their poor time management skills, those who do have good time management skills end up doing more work to make up for what the others can’t (or won’t) do, leaving the efficient employees feeling stressed out and overworked.

It is so important to hire the right people. I can see why interview processes at good companies are so long – you really need to get to know the true person as best you can before you extend them an offer. Something for me to keep in mind: Taking more time to get the right candidate to begin with can save your months of time in the future! Hire hard and manage easy. Discuss...

Back to the blog...

Well, it's been more than a year since I posted to this blog. I thought it would be time to do so. I do realize I still have followers and, to be fair, I should tell you that this blog will not just be about scrapbooking and crafting anymore, but more of a documentation of the world through my eyes. Hmm... that sounds a little deep, but you get the idea. And I'll probably toss in some humor, sarcasm and anecdotes. And, of course, some scrapbooking. I have had a love-hate relationship with my scraproom for the past year, but I have managed to create some projects...

A project shipped to Creative Escape for a charity auction.

A birthday gift for my friend and co-worker.

An album for a class that never happened.

A wall hanging kit project.

A birthday gift for a former co-worker ad fellow military wife.

A national company cropping in Pensacola??? No way!

Yep, it's true! I can hardly believe it myself! The ProvoCraft executive design team will be staying in Pensacola Beach March 12-14. And one lucky person gets to go! (Transportation not included!) Learn more here on Michelle Brooks' blog: http://cuttlebugchallenge.blogspot.com/2010/02/wanna-get-away-to-this-fantastic.html


I've entered to win... and hope I do! What a great way to gain some crafty inspiration!

Products now available at From Cover 2 Cover!

I am pleased to announce that Kits2Remember acrylic, metal and chipboard are now available at From Cover 2 Cover, a new online store owned by K2R enthusiast Julie Wilcox. Julie has been a huge K2R supporter the past two years and has been a great customer! She lives in Southern California, has her own unique style and creative ideas, and is also a paper crafting instructor.

From Cover 2 Cover will have these raw materials available for both wholesale and retail, and Julie warmly welcomes all K2R customers to her store. If you live in Southern California, be sure to stop by the From Cover 2 Cover booth during the San Diego Scrapbook Expo the first Friday and Saturday in May.

I wish Julie the best of luck in her new venture and hope those of you who have supported Kits2Remember so well will do the same for From Cover 2 Cover!

The Cinch ... works on K2R materials!

It's been confirmed: We R Memory Keepers new binding system, The Cinch, works on all of Kits2Remember's raw materials: chipboard, acrylic and metal. Essentially, it is the same as group of Crop-a-diles lined up. I can't wait to give one a try! Here are a couple of videos that show off exactly what this new tool can do:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jkVpJjS75U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joeg7dC2dwY

Tough times for the scrapbook industry continue...

Sad but true. While CHA-Winter in Anaheim, Calif., showcased a number of fun and innovative companies and products, some of the old favorites are closing up shop. While the unique raw materials of Kits2Remember will hopefully be back on the market with a new owner sometime soon, there are a number of manufacturers who aren't so lucky. The latest is Rusty Pickle, who I remember as being a fun and generous company when the SoCal2Provo Bus Tour traveled up to CKU-Provo a year and a half ago (Creating Keepsakes University is another scrappy something that has gone the way of the dodo...).

SoCal2Provo Bus "tourist" Stephanie shows off her shopping smile. Owner Lance Anderson (below) opened up the RP warehouse at midnight one night exclusively for the bus tourists, riding woth us on the bus and acting as our personal tour guide.


Here is the email I received today:

RUSTY PICKLE PRESS RELEASE

This past year has been incredibly tough on Rusty Pickle due to the economic situation. We feel that we can no longer survive as a company; consequently we have decided to close Rusty Pickle. We would like to thank all our customers who have supported Rusty Pickle for the last 7 years.

Rusty Pickle will be liquidating inventory. We now offer everything at half price. On Rustypickle.com, everything is now 50% off - prices are as marked. The warehouse is also now open to shop. Call or email to find out more of what we have. (801) 746-1045 or email jeri@rustypickle.com
Warehouse Hours 9am-2pm
Rusty Pickle

Be a part of scrapbooking history!

Non-profit organization Scrapbook Royalty is sponsoring the CHA Craft SuperShow's World Record Attempt... the most scrapbookers cropping at one time in one place! I would SO be a part of this if I was going to be in California for CHA! Here are the details:

Saturday, January 23rd

Anaheim, CA

10:00am – 6:00pm all day cropping with in and out priviliges.
6:00pm – 11:00pm Cropping, Celebrity Appearances, Demos and Charity Raffle

Don’t miss being part of this exciting event!

FEATURING:

* Celebrity Appearances by your favorite Scrapbook stars
* Product give-aways, goodie bags, and door prizes
* Charity Raffle featuring your favorite scrapbook products and handmade items

To benefit:



Come be a part of the fun, bring your friends, and crop the day away!

Order Online by following these steps...

Step 1: visit www.CraftSuperShow.com
Step 2: click on 'Show Info' then 'Tickets'
Step 3: create [or modify] your order (discount codes are out there! i got one from Tall Mouse, a local chain of craft stores)
Step 4: fill in any 'Registration Questions' as needed
Step 5: find SBR on the Workshop/Event Ticketing page - a bit below middle on my browser window! #E201 & E201a

Have fun and be sure to take lots of pics!

Kits2Remember Online Store Closing

After much debate and indecision, I have decided to get out of the scrapbooking retail and wholesale business. With my move from Southern California to Florida, the downturn in the economy and the needs of my young family, I am just not able to devote the time necessary to manage and promote Kits2Remember the way it needs to be.

With that said, Kits2Remember is having one last sale this week – 50 percent off items in almost every product category – no promo code necessary! This sale applies to in-stock items only, and while supplies last. At this time, Kits2Remember products will not be represented at any of the upcoming Scrapbooking expos and shows. Please order now and use your frequent shopper points in conjunction with the sale through Sunday Jan. 10. All items will ship the week of Jan. 10 via USPS.

The Kits2Remember online store through Qbaroo will shut down this month; however Kits2Remember.com, as an idea, resource and educational site, will remain live. Kit instructions will continue to be available online. You can also still contact me via email through the web site, as well.

Also, if anyone is interested, I am selling one of my cargo trailers, a 2007 5x8-foot enclosed white Wells Cargo trailer. It is located in Irvine, Calif., and will be sold with 16 panels of gridwall, complete with wire baskets, shelving and hooks, cash register, a Zutter DreamKuts, box of buckets, baskets and pails for small items, boxes of plastic grocery store bags, a pink 8 x 8 wire paper rack, a 12 x 12 white paper rack, Ranger paint dabber (4) and Stickles (1) racks and set of rolling drawers. $4,000 for everything. It will also be listed on Craigslist later this week.

If anyone is interested in buying the rights to sell the raw materials (acrylic, metal and chipboard) portion of the business, please feel free to contact me – serious inquiries, only, please. These products are unique to the industry and I would hate to see them become completely unavailable.

While I still plan to teach classes when I can, simply because I enjoy it, I very much want to focus on the creativity and fun scrapbooking and paper crafting brings to my life. I thank each and every one of you who has been so enthusiastic and supportive during my 2 ½-year adventure. I’ve had a lot of fun, made some wonderful friends and have learned so much!

I want to send out a huge thank you to my Expo Krews and the K2R Design Krew; to my parents who were always more than happy to lend a helping hand, and to my husband, Rodney, who has stood with me through the ups and downs this experience has given me.

It’s a small Scrap World – I’m sure I’ll see you around!

All the Best,

Jessica Guthrie

Need a quick last-minute gift?

Kits2Remember metal panels are a great foundation for a number of holiday gifts. For starters, here is the No. 1 item created with these - magnetic message boards! I made 12 x 12 and 8 x 8 message boards for my sons' teachers this year. They really thought they were cute. Last year, I used 4 x 4 and ATC-sized metal panels to create tree and wreath ornaments.

Flea market find becomes a holiday gift...

I found a framed metal wall-decor candle holder at a local flea market for next to nothing. This black and white photo of my friend, Brynn, and her husband was just too pretty to keep in an album, so, for Christmas, I decided to create a romantic home decor piece they can enjoy every day.

I used a Kits2Remember 12 x 12 acrylic panel for the lower left side, overlaid with a Creative Imaginations transparency, and a cover 8 x 8 chipboard sheet, to balance the 11 x 14 photo. I backed the photo with a metal panel 1) for support and 2) so that it can be easily removed and replaced with an updated photo later on. I adhered two large, strong magnets to the top of the frame and just set the photo panel on top. I added a sponge behind the photo for the panel to rest on. Glossy Accents was my adhesive of choice in this case - it is strong and clear.

But the metal frame was not the only items here that I found at the flea market. The large pearl flower centers are actually vintage clip-on earrings that no longer had mates. I pried the clips off the back and glued them to the flowers. Chipboard alphas, some ribbon and plenty of Prima, Fancy Pants and Bazzill paper flowers completed the main list of embellishments. Brynn said her favorite color paired with black and white was burgundy, so, using Distress Ink and Glimmer Mist, I did my best to take those reddish tones and use them throughout the piece.

It's important to do your best to plan ahead in a project like this, trying designs out before gluing them down, but also be flexible if a design doesn't particularly work the way you had envisioned. For example, with the careful weight balancing act I did with the different elements, the entire project can still be hung by a single nail or screw by the center loop in the metal wire. I has also planned to use "word bubbles" (Tim Holtz Fragments adhered to some Teresa Collins "Family Matters" paper), but the design was just too busy with them, so I took them off and will use them in another project at some point.

I am really pleased with the way the project turned out and I hope Brynn is, too!

Acrylic Christmas Calendars

Colleen over at Scraphappy here in Pensacola created an adorable countdown calendar with Kits2Remember acrylic:


This tiny photo doesn't do it justice, but I am hoping to get a larger one. Basically, it is two 6 x 6 acrylic panels and 14 (for 0-3 and 0-9) of the 1.75 x 2.25 acrylic panels. Tie the bottom of the "A" frame with ribbon so that it doesn't open too wide and fall, and then use the Bind-it-All and o-wire or a Crop-a-dile and o-rings to bind the top. Colleen then also used acrylic paint dabber and Stickles to create the "snow." Super cute and easy!

Seeing Colleen's project inspired me to Google "acrylic Christmas countdown calendars," and there were so many cute designs. Be sure to take a look for yourself!

On the first day of December...

... I am posting some gifts I have made for my kids' cousins, Kara, Lauren and Hannah. This year I am making almost all of my gifts, as I am sure many of you are, too. Is that what we scrapbookers, paper crafters and rubber stampers do every year?These acrylic door hangers are cute, simple and fun to do. The plain door hangers are in the Kits2Remember store for $3.99 each.

Then, I just used my stash of scrap supplies to embellish these. K2R rubber stamps and pastel Staz-On ink gave me the "foliage" to put the Petaloo paper blossoms on (I used Glossy Accents, which dries in about 5 seconds). I used some leftover chipboard and sticker alphas from earlier projects and finished up with some Stickles glitter glue accents and acrylic paint along the edge of each hanger.

Video class, Scrappy celebration and 50 percent off sale!

Last K2R project kit of 2009 – complete with video!

This is the first Kits2Remember album to not only come with color photos and instructions, but a video with K2R owner Jessica Guthrie instructing! The video will be filmed and posted by Dec. 12 as the first K2R virtual class that you can view when you like, as often as you like. Pause when necessary, rewind and take the class at your own pace. You will create this “Christmas Cheer” 8-inch acrylic stadium album and learn about techniques to use with acrylic. Kit comes with 8-panel 8-inch acrylic stadium album, Theresa Collins paper , transparencies and chipboard charms, Creative Imaginations epoxy stickers, Rebekkah Erickson rub-ons and more than 4 yards of ribbon!

In the Pensacola area?


Check out Scraphappy this weekend! Scraphappy is having a Grand-Reopening Open House and crop on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. There will be free food, free make and takes for both adults and kids, and plenty of stuff on sale. Plus, you can check out After Hours Signs and Graphics – a new business inside Scraphappy! As for Kits2Remember’s role, I am teaching the Gypsy stadium album class on Saturday at 1 p.m. For details about the class, log on to www.kits2remember.com/calendar or call Scraphappy at 850-607-2527.

Christmas Creations Sale!

Planning to make most of your gifts for the holidays this year? Stock up on your K2R favorites while supplies last. Get 40 percent off your entire order when you use promo code xmas40 when you check out. Promo is good on new orders only, until noon CST Sunday Nov. 22 and the code must be used. No other discounts may be used with this offer. Happy Shopping!

A great fall idea, a few days late...

I accidentally posted this to the wrong blog a few days ago! Whoops!


K2R Krew member Jennifer made this great "Grateful" home decor piece with Kits2Remember metal and acrylic. See more by visiting the Kits2Remember Krew's blog.

Sales, conventions, classes and more!

If you're anywhere near Pensacola, FL, this Thursday, Oct. 29, you're definitely going to want to stop by Scraphappy. Owner Christy is having a moving sale (the lucky lady is moving her store just to the next building over - and in to a much bigger space!)! Help keep her from breaking her back by buying up some product so she doesn't have to move it. The ENTIRE store is 40 percent off! 40 percent! Scraphappy will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for this special sale. For more information, visit www.scraphappypensacola.com.

I will be teaching in Scraphappy's new store on Nov. 21, and we'll be creating this gypsy-style vertical acrylic and chipboard stadium album.


Check out the Kits2Remember calendar for more details.

For those of you who live in the Pacific Northwest, Kits2Remember products will be available there next month. November 5-7, at the Creating Keepsakes Convention - Seattle at the Meydenbauer Convention Center, Bellevue, WA, Kits2Remember products will be at The Red Bee's booth! Get your fill of project kits, and acrylic, metal and chipboard panels! Find out more about the convention by clicking here.

I have also confirmed that I will be teaching at Gigi's Scrapbookin' and More's 2010 Beach Retreat in Orange Beach, AL, in January. Details are on the K2R Calendar.

Last but not least, I thought I'd toot my own horn for a moment. I entered four layouts in the Pensacola Interstate Fair last week and the judges chose two of them for first and second place. There were many attractive layouts entered, so to have two of mine honored with ribbons was quite an achievement, I thought. Of course, I forgot my camera, so I had these photos taken with my iPhone. Please forgive the poor quality, I'll try to take better ones of the layouts soon.

Willvis costume complete ...

My precious scrap time has been spent on another endeavor lately: blinging an Elvis costume. My oldest son, Will, is 7 and a big Elvis fan. He decided to be Elvis for Halloween in zdecember, when we visited Graceland and never waivered. Thanks to my Mom sewing it, my sister-in-law, Gina, sketching out the eagles, Will has his costume:

After 11 hours of blinging, the Willvis costume is now complete. I had Will try it on and he immediately went in to Elvis Mode. Here are photos of him in action. I only prompted the one with the back of the cape showing.



Here are some close-ups of the bling. I used fabric glue to adhere each gem, jewel and sequin on. Will loves it, so it was totally worth the work.