It takes t i m e ...

I was listening to an interview with Angie Peterson on the Designer Zine site this week. She was telling the story of writing her first book. I think she said she signed the contract in late August and had to have everything done like 2 months later-including all the scrapbook pages for her "Book of Me". WOW! So different from my experience...I've been working on my book with Lark for over a year now! They met me and expressed interest last Jan. at CHA in Atlanta. I worked up a book proposal, which I sent in March. By late April, we finalized the contact and I wrote my first chapter in the summer. I remember sending my first pages to be scanned right before summer CHA in Chicago. At that same summer CHA, I met the guys at Sugar Tree and they expressed interest in doing the paper line. They came and visited the studio in September and I had the first lines to them in early Dec. By January I was sending off the last of the layouts and the last painted papers.

And now, it is March 1. The paper came Monday-a box landed in my garage. I sent off the last chapters to be edited on Monday as well. The photo shoot for the book is scheduled for March 6 & 7 and I have a convention to teach at this weekend. (Can't wait to teach my first classes with the Scrapbook with Passion paper!!!!!!!!!)

The point of all this storytelling is that "things take TIME"! Yes, when designing in the scrapbook world you have to keep working, keep doing what you do and things will happen. The thing that is great about this is that I can design and still "have a life". I think balance is so important. I don't want to be one of the "tortured artists" who has a lifestyle and family out of control. Not that I've always got it together around here-that is SO FAR from the truth (I DO have 3 boys in my house!!!), but I work hard for balance. I don't want my kids to suffer because I'm too busy for them, but I also refuse to stop creating just because I have a family. Scrapbooking, painting, paper are a part of who I am. It helps make me "me". Everyday is a delicate balance-a push and a pull from all the different facets of my life wanting and needing my attention.

Enough introspection...I have some class samples to do, and a visit to the studio of one of my favorite local artists-I can't wait!!!