My Newest Organizational Addition

They are finished! Check them out. You never know what a trip to the clearance section will get you to accomplish. The pen cans on the wall were actually unfinished and by one of my favorite companies. The little cans were easy to unscrew off the wood back and then with some of the paper in my collection, a little white acrylic paint, and of course some Mod Podge, they were ready. I love them, but more importantly, I love being able to see my gel pen and painty pen collections!!

It's Their Fault...They Know I Am A Collector!!!

No Really, it is all their fault. Companies like ekSuccess, one of my favorites so I have to mention them first, Ranger Ink, Provo Craft, Sizzix, aka Ellison, Stampin Up, and really, as I look around I could spend all day listing them. Anyhow, they all have me, yes me and you if you are like me, in mind when they get creative and come out with something new.

So the picture that I am sharing today is of something new. The challenge for me, and please feel free to laugh when you read this because you know it is SO true about me, is to collect the set of what they have come out with. Yes that's right. I don't believe that it is one item all alone out there in a universe of different things that I can buy. I believe, someone call a therapist now, that these items are a family, and therefore I must have them all to use together, and they should not be separated. Are you laughing?

So what are these? Well, of course while the picture is not the best, you can tell that they are Halloween items. Everyone needs to purchase Halloween items in July because you won't find things in the fall when you are supposed to be able to buy them. I also have convinced myself that since all it does is rain these days, I can certainly think about and shop for whatever season I would like.

So, ekSuccess has done it again. These are some of their newest hot off the presses punches. They are slimline and so they are "Slimmer" and they lock for great storage. When they first released them, they were available in cool new border patterns, and some medium, but now as you will see they have larger ones, towards the back of the picture, and little ones. They are nice to hold and punch with. Different that some of the things that we are used to using on our projects. Companies like eksuccess are working to make things smarter, not harder to use.

So enjoy my picture, and if you want to know more about these punches, I would be glad to give you more information about how they work. In the mean time, there is this cool You Tube that you can check out, listed below.

FYI, for all of you that are just cannot wait to ask me if this is the entire set...NO, there is a bats border punch, not in Halloween packaging, at least not so far, and there is another set of the small punches that has a jack o lantern face and a small ghost.

Yippee! My Crack Ink Has New Skinny Relatives!!

In an older post, I had shown off my crack ink...well here is their skinny relative that now lives at my house too! The colors are so much fun with the little ink pads, that I just had to have the matching markers to craft with. They are so much fun, and oh the colors! With names like Lulu Lavender, Lady Bug and Grape Jelly, I just cannot wait to craft with them again.

There is only one question that I still have to answer about my collection of crafting products, why do I feel the need to own things in sets? For instance, the new Stampin Up ink pads will soon be available, 6 new awesome colors, and to have just one of the six, or even two, just wouldn't be enough:-)

Want a sneak peek of those colors? First, think Candy Land, yes like the game, then check out the following.


Trust me, if you are having doubts, the scan does not do the colors full justice. The colors from left to right are; Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, and Dusty Durango. I know you are thinking that you must have them too. They will be available for you to purchase very soon!! Check out my website to keep up to date or sign up for notices, http://www.joanneberg.stampinup.net/.

Creating Keepsakes Convention Memories

The Buffalo 6

While I only knew one familiar face as a fellow convention goer, I didn't know any of these women before standing in the line with them for 45 minutes. We used that time to plan out just what we would shop for and how we would work as a team to get the first shopper deals when we got upstairs. It went from casual shopping to frantic planning. It was almost like black Friday! With only moments to spare, we snapped this photo to keep a memory of the Buffalo 6.

Chris, Wendy and Carrie are busy at work finishing projects from Day 1.

No one here minds pausing and posing! Look at my scrapbooking friends!!

It's all about our stuff. We are collectors as much as we are hobbyists! As you can see in these pictures, we live for all of the great supplies that help us craft better!

Thanks Terri! She held up a project, so now everyone can know that yes we really do get work done on our hobby, and no, not all of our discussion is about WWJD! Did everyone autograph Cindy's book?

So this has been just an update. Thank God for things like Creating Keepsakes Conventions to bring us all together. I am thankful for all of my Scrapping Friends, and I cannot wait until next year, although if I don't start using my collection...

The Make Over is Complete!

Just a few before and after photos to show off all the hard work that I put into this room. I want you to know that the hardest part of this project for me was making a bigger mess before being able to experience the end result!

The inspiration came from a birthday card last year. Shawn's Aunt Yvonne sent me a computer printed Holly Hobbie card for my birthday. I was so excited about the card. I love Holly Hobbie when I was little, so it brought back fond memories.

I decided then that if I ever did anything with my craft room, I would make it a place that incorportated the colors, blues, greens, some brown maybe, and this is the result. I love the paint color. When the sun shines into this room, it is very relaxing.

So now what? Well in the picture with the desk, you can see two large blue bins. They hold all of my projects and kits. And the other picture of the wall with the window displays all of the albums that have been a work in progress that need to be completed. So there is plenty to do.

I would like to thank Target. Crazy I know, but those stackable cubes are called "Itso" cubes. They are sold at target and that is also where you can get all of the bins and trays and shelves, etc for inside of them. The best part for all scrapbook enthusiats that need storage, they are big enough to store 12 by 12 sized papers, albums, etc.

Thanks for looking!

Mind Block

Well, I decided to post what I am not getting accomplished. This morning when I woke, I knew that I was still tired, but my brain is really fried when I cannot do anything with simple black and white.

It started this weekend. I have been a little on the cabin fever side, wanting to do anything that makes me feel like I am not stuck in this box, the house, where there are so many things waiting for me to get moving. First, I finally went back and experienced Stephenie Meyers Midnight Sun on line. I had been meaning to finish it, but felt too selfish stealing time enough for 264 pages. It was worth it, and I am left feeling aggravated because someone leaked the story, allowing me to read that much online, but bothering her enough to put it on hold. I promise to buy the book when she finishes it someday. I hope that will make up for part of that persons lapse in judgement.

Anyhow, then I decided I would go down and look for a specific picture from my past. OK, I did not find that, but anyone related to me should be concerned with what I found. I could have some real fun scrapping what I found. In the little baggie of pictures of my life before family, I found the pictures that I have posted today.

The first one shows a close up. The picture at the bottom was of me at the Eastman Theater in one of the rooms we used to warm up and get dressed. For this reason, at some point in my past I decided to cut all of the picture around me out of the picture. But the memory is awesome! I was in high school and this was an All County Choir event. Meeting new people and getting together for a small period of time to produce one of the most magical musical sounds I can remember! (I know, I know, enough already.) But I loved dressing up, the glamour, and I loved this dress. Formal black always makes us look great, well almost always.

The other picture is from one of those photo booths. I was at a local amusement park with my family and this is the result. How vain, just had to have a picture of myself. My hair looks cute, but I must confess, it took a lot of hairspray to produce and keep that look while going on water slides and rides!!

So now, what to do, simple black and whites and totally stuck. I am thinking about scanning the pictures in and making them larger. They might be more fun to play with that way. I promise to post my result when there is one.

My thought about scrapbooking for the day is, don't wait, scrap random pictures, it will motivate you to try new techniques and break away from just trying to complete that one project that you have been working on forever.