Scrapbook with Passion

New blog home

2009-10-21T22:34:00.003-04:00

I'm going to be writing and posting art at Melynda's Passion from now on. Feel free to bookmark my new site which will focus more on my fine art and creativity. You can also follow me on Twitter-I'm learning so many new things!

Inside Out

2009-07-08T11:23:00.005-04:00

"Carving Bedrock" Copyright 2009 Melynda Van Zee

Inside Out, an art show featuring Melynda Van Zee’s abstract and conceptual acrylic paintings, will open Tuesday, July 28 from 7-9 pm at the new Studio 201 above the Galerie of Pella. An artist presentation will be held at 7:30 pm. The show will be open during regular business hours until August 25, 2009.

Melynda’s new work is focused on inner landscapes, unseen realities and spiritual explorations. Melynda shares, “I’m endlessly fascinated with journeys-the journey each of us takes as we discover the path we were created to walk in life. I enjoy painting as I journey. The paintings are a brief glimpse in vivid color of my own experiences, emotions and prayers. My biggest challenge has been to allow myself to paint the good… and the difficult, the beautiful… and the painful-to allow the breadth of my life to find its way onto the canvas.”

Freely wild

2009-06-04T11:08:00.004-04:00

Southern Iowa sunset

"The creator goes off on one wild, specific tangent after another, or millions simultaneously, with an exuberance that would seem to be unwarranted, and with an abandoned energy sprung from an unfathomable font. What's going on here? The point of the dragonfly's terrible lip, the giant water bug, birdsong, or the beautiful dazzle and flash of sunlighted minnows, is not that it all fits together like clockwork-for it doesn't, particularly, not even inside the goldfish bowl-but that it all flows so freely wild, like the creek, that it all surges in such a free, fringed tangle. Freedom is the world's water and weather, the world's nourishment freely given, it's soil and sap and the creator loves pizzazz." Anne Dillard "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek"

that it all flows so freely wild...in a free, fringed tangle...freely given...do I live like that? Can I embrace the parts of my life that are a huge tangle? I work so hard to unravel it all...try to fit it into neat categories, but that is not the way He created. So, that gives me some internal freedom today-it's "OK" that on some days I create in paint, some days paper, some days an art journal page, some days nothing at all, some days watercolor or acrylic or ink or a relationship. And, some days, I just need to take the time to study the work of the master creator-to see the colors of an Iowa sunset free for the looking, to see the delicate wildflowers randomly blooming at the base of a black walnut tree, to study the endless expressions and emotions of the people in my life, to see, to live awake and present and freely wild.

May

2009-05-27T14:19:00.005-04:00

May is always an interesting time when you live in Pella. The rush of color, the tourists, the busy Tulip Time schedule, boys with fishing on the brain, the end of a ministry year, wrapped up with kids trying to juggle Little League and school...Tulip Time

Fishing

It's hard for me to believe that the end of May is here and the tulip beds have all been dug up for another year. We have 3 end of the year school parties in the next two days. But, this is the last week of school and we can look forward to a different pace-maybe sleeping in (my goal) and the swimming pool (boys' goal)!

Scott Henderson of Vintage Image Craft graciously interviewed me this past month and is featuring me as the artist of the month in May. He asked such great questions and has posted the interview here. Check out the other interesting interviews with artists such as Carol Duvall.

Taking Flight

2009-05-27T13:04:00.008-04:00

Four or five times since I returned from a retreat at Laity Lodge in Texas, I’ve been asked this one question or some version of this question “What was your one take away from this retreat?” And, I’ve played around in my own head…what is the story here? What will stay with me from this experience? Sometimes, when something is still fresh it is hard to sort out the big picture or the real story for me. I’ve been sitting with this thought for the last few weeks-periodically going over my notes, reading the blogs of people I met and reviewing my photos. I still don’t know if I’ve “gotten there” that magical place where I’ve sorted it all out and have been able to pin point “this…this is what happened here”. And, coincidentally, I heard a similar question when I was in Texas “Why are you here?” I was the only attendee currently living in Iowa and everyone wanted to know what brought me there. So many questions and I still don’t have all the answers, but I do know that God wanted me there. There were things for me to hear and see, so even though I haven’t “arrived” at a place where I can clarify this all…here are a few glimpses into what I experienced.

On the flight from Iowa to Texas…why do the fields in Texas look purple from the air? Can someone explain that to me?

I was fascinated with this sculpture from the start of the retreat-it spoke to my spirit.

David said many things but this deeply connected with me “Our job is to get in touch with our own brokenness so that the hope of Jesus can come in.” “Beauty and light comes forth from brokenness.” And pointed to the work of Henri Nouwen “Wounded Healer”.

When discussing his own work, Mako shared “I didn’t have room in my heart for the beauty”. Brian Moss’ worship leading brought me to tears on the very first night. Gwen Meharg inspired me with her prophetic painting. Over amazing food, I connected with Laura Barket, Lance Mansfield, and Mark Philpot. Kelly Barrow, Jack King and Shannon Newby shared studio time, while I was making a glass sculpture, painting and experimenting with beeswax.
Jack King sharing his artwork and new found career

3D studio

2D studio

Early morning light spreading over Laity Lodge.

Layers of shadows, reflections & art- Cody Center

Some camera experimentation…

“We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and sun shines bright. We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly as he knows us!” 1 Corinthians 13:12 The Message

Where Women Create (My 6 Month Journey to a New Space)

2009-04-19T20:24:00.011-04:00

I've heard so many great things about the new magazine "Where Women Create" and met the gals who are responsible for putting it together when I was at CHA in California. Amazing, beautiful spaces...and it started me thinking about where I create. I started glancing back through my photos of the past year and realized I have been on a journey to "Where I Create". Thought it might be fun to share the trip...ALERT-this is NOT a "magazine perfect" trip- this is my real, messy, long trip -an Iowa woman- high on creativity, low on desire to put her funds into making a perfect studio happen (I'd rather buy paint and canvases!)

Last fall, I started to outgrow my space in my corner studio/converted guest room so...I headed for the garage-complete with "cleaned out flower bed weeds" in the wheelbarrow sharing my space.

I had some yucky stuff to get out onto paper and canvas so this was a perfect spot-until it got COLD.

Then, I was invited to move to a downtown location-a quiet, secluded basement spot.

Plenty of room to spread out and a ledge to prop up some canvases.

So, I had a place to paint, which was great because a MAJOR purge was going on in my little studio. At some point this past December I realized I had multiple identities still living in this space and finally was able to tackle the files, drawers, and closet full of accumulated "old me's". I had been longing to declutter my studio but it is so hard for my artist self to part with all of my carefully collected and treasured art supplies. I had no trouble getting rid of my old maternity clothes but art supplies and ideas...that is an entirely different story! Julie Morgenstern's "When Organizing Isn't Enough" helped me realize it was my thought process that was the problem. Six or seven black garbage bags later, along with a huge garage sale pile separated out in my basement, I was starting to make some headway. You know the saying "it has got to get worse before it can get better"...everything was out and a disaster.

Another place I got to create was at beautiful cottage- a weekend getaway with girlfriends allowed me to focused on creating scrapbook layouts of some of our best 2008 moments. It was such a peaceful place to create- windows overlooking a frozen pond, full moon with a fresh snowfall during the night.

The move to the garage and then the basement studio allowed me to keep painting larger and larger works. I wanted to be able to create these larger pieces in my home studio, but there simply wasn't room so I started strategizing all the ways I could find more space in my studio. I was cleaning out but I still needed more room. Maybe the computer and desk could move to the kitchen? Early one morning I grabbed one of the Homespacing kits from Canvas Corp. and started playing with it. I really wasn't so sure if this would be something I would ever use-I'm usually the sort of gal who doesn't take the time to plan out exactly where everything goes. I just start moving furniture around and "see how it fits", but with this big of a project I thought it couldn't hurt. And, somewhere in the middle of plotting out where everything could go in my current studio space a wild idea entered my head. What if converted this space into a bedroom for one of my boys and moved my studio into our current living room? I really didn't think my beloved hubby would go for the idea, but I used the Office/studio kit to plot it all out and then I showed him. He said it made great sense so the plan was in place.

I tried it out by re-arranging furniture and moving my studio table into the living room. Then, I talked him into letting me pull up the carpet so the boys so we moved everything back out of the room and we spent one morning of Spring Break removing the carpet.

We pulled hundreds of staples and then I simply painted the plywood floor boards and we moved everything back in. The only thing I purchased was a new roller to paint the floor. My mom came and helped me organize all the bookshelves and do a bit of decorating. We painted the old studio room this weekend so now the bedroom is just about ready as well.

My New Studio

My easel will go in the other corner of the room- so much more space and the best lighting in the house. It wasn't a fast process-the whole thing worked on in and out of my already busy work and family life. But, thanks to all my family who helped me create just the right space for this woman to create.

CHA Sneak Peeks of Canvas Corp.

2009-01-22T14:27:00.007-05:00

I'm so excited to show you some Sneak Peeks from the Canvas Corp. booth (#2871).

NEW Canvas

Check out these cute canvas banners-they have a whole new line of canvas products-circles, stars, hearts, squares. They have this great unfinished edge look.

Look at ALL the different shapes! And, canvas from 2 x 2 to 18 x 18. Seriously-how cute are those little tiny square canvases. I can't wait to play with those.

A 12 x 12 Canvas-I just used my scrapbooking circle cutters to trace around with a pencil and then painted.

And great canvas pillows you can decorate any way you want!

Paint Almost ANYTHING-NO sanding, NO priming, NO chemicals

And, for the thing I'm super excited to show everyone at the show-did you know their "Furniture, Cabinet and Trim" paint can be used to paint almost anything-yes, even metal, tin, or old vintage wood pieces!?! Look at these beautiful candle sticks-yah-I've got a few of those brass beauties sitting around in my closet. They painted them a gorgeous chocolate brown and it sticks! I can't get over it! That table they are setting on was one of those old 70's style dark wood with fake brass detailing-now a gorgeous white.

Maybe I shouldn't get quite so excited over a paint-it is JUST PAINT after all, but after all the years of trying to find a good paint to use on all the stuff I have brought home from garage sales and flea markets and finally finding SOMETHING that actually works without all the fuss and mess-well, it DOES get me excited.

Design Binder

This album was the perfect place for my Disney scrapbook because it comes with several different multi-photo pages already packaged into one album. There are 8 1/2 x 11 page protectors, 4 up and 8 up multi-photo pages and a great heavy duty zipper pouch. I really like the look of the wire album rings and they uncrew in a snap, so I could rearrange my pages anyway I wanted.

8 up with our Disney passes and some journalling boxes

4 up with some really cute astronauts.

Transparency Overlay

They also have black decorative hardware so while I use these to hang my original fine art paintings, I also think they are adorable on a scrapbook page with the Canvas black jute rope tied between the two.

Now, there is also some more way cool things...but I can't let everything out of the bag before the show so you'll just have to wait. If I get a chance later on tonight, I will try to post some more photos of some of the projects I'm finishing up on before hitting the plane early tomorrow morning!

CHA Designer Event

2009-01-17T22:01:00.003-05:00

If you are planning on attending CHA, make sure you stop by the Canvas Corp. Booth during the last hour of the show on Day 1. From 4:30-5:30 pm on Jan. 25, they will be giving away product goodie bags and a $25 gift certificate to all the designers who show up. While you are there don't forget to ask for information concerning their designer endorsement program.

Here is a link to their Canvas Corp if you want to have a look around and check out all of their cool products. Can't wait to see you there!

"Bedrock" (22 x 29) Copyright 2008 Melynda Van Zee

I've been busy in the studio planning to head to market. It is good for me to have a deadline-helps me to sort out all the creating I've been up to and try to put some structure around it. I'd rather concentrate on the "just making stuff" but every now and then I have to come up for air and figure out exactly what I've been up to and figure out the best way to share it. That part isn't my favorite part of the process because for me it is the "process" where I find the most joy. I know, I KNOW artists need to be business people as well as artists, but I have to "work" at this part. People are always asking me "what will you DO with that after you make it?" And, I do go through a head and heart process...can I share this yet? Can I let go of it yet? Do I need to keep it around because it is still teaching me something? Is this project really done? Does this go right to the Galerie? Does it hang here at my house? Do I share this with people I love at church? Do I give it away to someone special to me? Will this piece never see the light of day- was it "just for me and God only"?
But, after a certain time-each piece or page has a different time span- it seems I'm finally in the place where I can really let it go. And, once I'm there, it really doesn't "matter" to me where it ends up...oh, I know it should. I KNOW I need to "protect" my work, market it wisely, store it safely, but to be honest, I'm letting go of all that control more and more. If someone else is blessed by my marks, by my color left on the path, great, but it is not what motivates me. Maybe that's the heart of what I'm trying to say. I've finally gotten to the point with my art that it is not the "where this will end up" or "who will someday SEE this" that motivates me, it is that I can't help myself from making it, from saying whatever it is that my brush or pen needed to say. It's been a long time in coming and it feels...well, it feel oh so right.

Stretch Out Your Hand

2008-12-08T14:50:00.004-05:00

I often get the question "where do your ideas come from for your paintings?" Well, there are so many answers to that question...but, lately I have had the wonderful experience of gathering with a group of other creatives and our time together has inspired several new pieces. What is so great about this group is that they are all creative in different ways from me, but when we are together-singing, playing, praying, and creating the ideas flow in a way that I have not experienced before. It is such a great example of true community and one of my favorite places to create. This piece "Stretch Out Your Hand" was created based on a charcoal sketch I did while we were together.

One of my favorite things about showing my work is that I love to hear what others see in the piece that I may never have noticed. This piece was one where I was totally surprised to hear the responses. The great thing about art is that one piece can say so many different things to each individual who encounters it. As the artist, I can't own all the varying responses to my work, but they do fascinate me.

A technical note about this piece... Golden Fluid Acrylics have changed the way I paint. The endless combinations of texture that I can create with the fluids and the gels are going to keep me busy for some time. I'm anxious to experiment with the new Golden Open Acrylics. For those of you not familiar with the Open Acrylics-they are designed to be an acrylic that stays wet for a much longer time, replicating the experience of painting with oils. According to the many reviews I have read, it is a paint that functions different from any other paints. Golden had a reviews from several artists in their latest Just Paint.

For my Designer Friends- Anyone wanting to receive Canvas Corp (jute, rope, clothespins, paint) or Mark Richards (glitter stickers, iron-ons) product for use in designing projects for CHA or for publishing, feel free to contact lmeier@canvascopr.com or call toll free at 1-866-376-9961.

Just read:

Part of the reason for my quiet blog as of late is that I have been consumed with books. I actually put myself on a hiatus from the library a few weeks ago so that I could get some much needed projects done. Some of my latest "great reads"...

The Shack
The Gift of Being Yourself
Visual Faith

A parting shot from a fall walk at one of my favorite places in the world.

In Progress

2008-12-06T13:25:00.010-05:00

I titled my summer art show “Emerging” and I didn’t realize how much work emerging could be! Not only am I going through a personal time of growth and change, but also this fall I began teaching a leadership course for adults entitled “Emerging”(Year 1 from Vantage Point 3). All this deep internal focus and attention spent on teaching has caused this blog to fall a bit silent. But, what I’m realizing is the same thing happens in my creative cycle. I study, read, absorb the world around me, and then I go through a process of internally organizing all of that new input. Once I begin to sort it out, categorize and then prioritize-art and words seem to emerge. I’m beginning to see how I do that in so many parts of my life-including my art and teaching. I wish I would of taken the time to share more as I embarked on this journey, but it was important to allow myself the time and concentrated focus necessary. I’ve been feeling the urge to share for awhile-to be honest part of me has been resisting-you know how it is fun to keep a secret to yourself for awhile, but then I get to a point where the dam seems to burst. It seems hard to know where to start…

Over the next few days, I’ll be posting pieces from my show this summer at the Galerie of Pella and sharing a bit of the inspiration behind the art. The piece "In Progress" in my kitchen is at the top of the post. Had to rearrange my dining room for a time this summer so I had the room and light needed to finish this piece.

Freedom

Copyright Melynda Van Zee 2008
From my artist statement: This winter I read a biography of Vincent Van Gogh. The author explained “the idea of the painter-butterfly served a personal purpose for Van Gogh as well as extending the formative debates of his Dutch theological culture. Van Gogh asked ‘How many times have I passed from the larve to the chrysalis state and to a more complete state, which…has set me on the way to achieve a new circle of metamorphosis? ‘” He wrote to a friend, “I, too, should like to know approximately what I am the larve of, myself; where will this butterfly emerge from the chrysalis?”
I, too, wonder, “Where and when will this butterfly emerge?”

New News...
I’m excited to announce I’ll be in the Canvas Corp. and Mark Richards booths at the CHA show this January. I’m going to be teaching some episodes in the Canvas booth-totally cool stuff. They have a paint that works to paint on almost anything-wood, metal, tin, etc. It’s called “Diamond Hard” Furniture, Cabinet & Trim Paint. So, I’ve been playing all over my house. Painted my old coffee table and end tables black.
Here is the "before" photo of my dear old coffee table. I had been telling friends that my "vintage" table had gone from "shabby chic" to plain old shabby. It had been needing some love for awhile.

I’ve got plans to add a coat of "Diamond Hard" Berber to this metal cabinet that was my Grandpa’s.
I’m thinking about redoing our rocking chair. It was a $20 garage sale find from 12 years ago and thinking it would look cool in my newly redecorated bedroom.
The studio is busy this time of year-finishing commissioned pieces, planning for the show, and general preparations for Christmas. I’ll post as much as I can.

Art Show

2008-07-14T15:12:00.004-04:00

Chrysalis-Question Mark Butterfly Copyright Melynda Van Zee 2008

Here is the promised information for my upcoming art show.

“Emerging - a journey within”

Exhibit July 29- August 30, 2008

Please join us for the Artist Reception
Tuesday, July 29 from 5:30-8:00 pm
Artist presentation at 7:00 pm.
The Galerie of Pella
725 Franklin Street
Pella, IA 50219

Deep, heartfelt, inner-listening is simply hard to do. We are assaulted each day by exterior messages and demands. The constant whirl of, “should’s,” “must’s,” and, “have to’s,” is dizzying. Melynda has spent the last year focusing on a journey within - struggling for quiet – to truly hear what her own life was saying. It was at times confusing and agonizing, but also exhilarating. Expressions of her transformational journey are represented here - simple fragments of her ongoing inner work.

"Even in Darkness Light Dawns" Melynda Van Zee Copyright 2008

I Call You Dancer

2008-07-03T15:16:00.006-04:00

Image Copyright Melynda Van Zee 2008

I'd rather paint 5 new pictures than concentrate on writing text about one, but I keep getting asked to put my thoughts/motivations into actual words. Sometimes I want to say..."BUT, if I could SAY it, I wouldn't have to PAINT it." So, I've simply resigned myself to trying and then being brave enough to simply share and tell what God has been teaching me.

This painting is now in the private collection of a local buisness. It is titled “I Call You Dancer”.

I am not a dancer by training. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Coordination was not high on my “gift mix” as a child. I was a klutz, legs constantly full of bruises. My dancing consisted of spinning Ice Capades moves on our basement linoleum floor in the slippers my grandma knitted for me.

Recently, I’ve been taking a deep, hard look at my life, asking myself those age-old questions of “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What does God want me to do with this one precious life of mine?” I have sifted through my life experiences, titles, labels, and positions I have held. I have wrestled with what that means for my future. In the midst of all this questioning, I was challenged to ask this question…

“Who do You say I am?”

And, so I did. I asked that dangerous question of the One who created me, the 1st Creator, the Creator of all that is truth. He answered, “I call you dancer. I look down and watch the color swirl out from you.”

I will be adding more new pieces of art over the next two weeks-all in preparation for my art show at the Galerie of Pella (Pella, IA) on Tuesday, July 29. I'll post more details soon.

Unique

2008-03-17T12:51:00.004-04:00

I just got back from a weekend spent scrapbooking with my mom, best friend, and her mom. We've done the "go to a resort" and scrapbook for the weekend but this time we took a different route. We spread our stuff all over her mom's basement and went to work-snacking, creating, sleeping in the spare room, loosing all track of time. It was good to get away. A quiet seeps into my soul that was full to overfowing with the "stuff" of life. To focus, and create-well, it was a gift. I hadn't really scrapbooked for a long time-it was so good to play with my supplies and just create for me, because I wanted to. I didn't make incredible creations-I just put stuff down and played. Scrapbooked several years of sporting events, some of my favorite photos and well, just stuff. Today, I'm back to the routine of home-wash, kid projects, making lunch and that is all good as well, but now I have a new energy.

Sometimes I wonder why I create in so many different areas? Why do I scrapbook and paint canvases and paint watercolors and keep journals and decorative paint and teach kids and work at my church? Wouldn't it be better if I could just FOCUS?!? But, after taking a slew of personal assessments (part of a leadership class I am participating in) over the last week, I've realized this is just a part of who I am-who I was created to be. I love input-collecting ideas, techniques, thoughts, inspiration. My challenge is to simply embrace this part of who I am and not fight it and not hide it. I had a Jr. high teacher who used to always tell us we could never call anyone "weird or strange" but instead use the word UNIQUE. Here's to embracing the "unique" in me!

Simplify and Redirect

2008-03-12T14:33:00.003-04:00

In order to look forward, we need to look back. In looking back, I have learned and now I need to take what I have learned and redirect for the future. All of this is taking a huge amount of time and energy. And, so I am simplifying. I am taking things off the plate. I am saying NO to many carrots dangling in front of me. Art "carrots" are the hardest to back away from for me. If it has to do with creativity and color or marketing and art, I HAVE TO do it, don't I?!? Well, the answer is NO. And, so I'm saying No to things which would appear to be very good things for me. The problem is they are not the great things. I don't want any more "good enough", I want to live in the great-the path that God really intended for me to be on. I've wandered quite a bit along that path lately, pursued some gravel roads I should of left alone, learned some things on some bunny trails I followed, but now I'm working on focus. I'm learning about me and it is painful, hard and time consuming. I'm confronting the things I have believed about myself that are not truth. I'm confronting the things other have told me about me that is not truth. I'm trying to live in the truth that God says about me.

Thanks for being patient with me while I walk this path. There is so much more freedom on the other end. I'm walking toward that freedom, dipping my toes back in the muck here and there, stretching myself. The whole process feels about as pleasant as getting my teeth cleaned, not easy but good-maybe healthy is a better word for it. For I know that in order to CREATE-I need to first conquer fear, in order to TEACH-I must first know, and in order to INSPIRE-I must first listen. I'm doing the work of the deep listening and knowing what my life is saying.

Right now...I have more work to do.

All Things NEW

2008-01-03T17:41:00.000-05:00

A NEW year, a NEW focus, and a NEW outlook…a new year is always full of anticipation and a bit of trepidation for me. December was (and always is for me) a mad dash of activity- Christmas gifts to create, Christmas programs to organize and attend, family gatherings, acknowledging so many people who make my life so rich and full and not nearly enough time in quiet reflection.

This year God seemed to make a way for the quiet and reflection. I spent several days slowed down from my usual pace because I was not feeling well. Frustrating and yet probably exactly where I needed to be. I can get so lost in the “doing” that I forget the “being”. I’m becoming better at this but it is extremely difficult-totally against my programmed Dutch “work ethic”. And, now I find myself beginning the NEW year. We had the privilege of attending the beautiful wedding of my brother-in-law Jason and his new bride Kallie over the New Year’s holiday. The time with family was so good, the time away from normal responsibilities so refreshing, and the time to talk and relax together so rare.

But, now I am back at home-faced with the responsibility of running a household, creating a calendar for the NEW year and returning to relationships and tasks to do. Last year I decided I couldn’t create an entire list of goals and objectives for the year so I just chose one word to focus on-that word was NEW. Well, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. This past year was one of dramatic growth and change for me. I went places I never dreamed of going- places far away geographically and places very close to home and deep within me. I couldn’t have imagined it if I had tried. I think I will always look back on this past year as a pivotal time in my life and work.

But, now where do I go from here…that is always the question. So, what? I had a NEW year full of surprise and challenge, what could I now dare to pick as a word or direction for this upcoming year? I have always been a woman with a plan. I had 10 year plans, 5 year plans, 1 year plans, 3 month plans, plans for the week and plans for the day. I had lists of goals-personal and professional in journal after journal. I’ve read and studied business plans, visual goal setting, detailed creative “to do” lists, vision casting and on and on. What I have learned this year is that I’m throwing them all out. It seems like a very “anti-American” thing to do, very unorganized and well, down right heretical. But, I have finally learned that my plans are not always His plans, and my ways are not always His ways. I’ve turned over all my goal-setting habits. I’m striking out on a new and much riskier path-one not of my own planning. It is a terrifying and yet wonderfully exhilarating way to live.

So…there is no “list of goals for the year” and no “word of the year” in sight. But, I do have hope and peace and passion that this is EXACTLY the way I want to live my life.

Copyright 2008 Melynda Van Zee

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T08:23:00.000-05:00

Copyright 2007 Melynda Van Zee

My wish for you today is that you are able to see-to really see the "beauty of it all". It is so hard in our world to take the time and the space to really soak in the beauty that surrounds us-the beauty in our families, the beauty of our friends, the beauty of nature and the beauty of ourselves. Take the time today to soak in the blessings of your life. Write a list of 5, or 10, or 25 or 100 "Things I am Grateful for..." Turn that list into a scrapbook page or just tack it to your frig, or tuck it in your journal so that 5 years from now you can look back and remember the blessings of today. You heart may heal in the the process and your focus may shift from the immediate troubles of today to the things that are really important.

With Passion,
Melynda

Get Inspired Scrapbooking Event

2007-11-14T09:54:00.000-05:00

Things I'm excited about RIGHT NOW!

1.These photos from the Get Inspired Scrapbooking Event held in Clive, IA last weekend. We had a blast. They had a great set up-my friends who came to scrap for the day were sitting at the tables right in front of my vendor booth so I could sit and paint/demo, while they sat and cropped. What a better day can a girl have than having best friends and my mom all scrapping, shopping and painting together! I taught a class, demonstrated a variety of paints and techniques and featured some of my new prints.

2. Oh YES! talking about new prints...one of my fondest dreams has come true! Gorgeous printing has come to my house-the HP Photosmart Pro B8350. It prints 13 x 19!!! So the first day I have it in the studio, I printed a batch of 4 x 6 photos to give to my girlfriends (photo proof of our girlfriends weekend in Independence, MO-let's just say it involved tatoos-airbrush of course, crafting out of a Uhaul on the side of the street, and waaaayyyy toooo many late nights and sugared pecans). I also printed signs for my vendor booth, a gorgeous 12 x 12 digital layout for a Leadership Class I am taking, and over 30 prints of my original art. It was a tad bit amazing that I managed to get that all done on my first day of printing. Plus-the prints turned out better than I imagined-to be able to print archival quality fine art prints at home-well, I've been waiting for this day for a long time!

3. Sidewalk chalk soaked in water. Simple things make me happy, too. A group of us created a Call to Worship on the sidewalk leading into our church. We soaked the chalk in water and-oooh! I felt like a kid again (although when I was a kid they would of NEVER let us decorate the front of church with chalk!)

4. Scrapbook store shopping...I went BY MYSELF for almost an hour Friday night and browsed...saw the new Creative Cafe stuff, bought some Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket, Scenic Route background collection, a bit of Hambly, KI Memories 12 x 12 black swirl cut outs, some Doodlebug black chipboard alphabet and a Bo Bunny chipboard alpha with some cute swirls. I needed that trip-needed to browse-needed to touch-needed to just wander and think about the possibilities...

5. OK-I really wanted to wait-spread out the fun with these, but I just can't so... here is the first of my latest series of watercolors. I created 95 6 x 6 originals that all answer the question..."In my future life..."

Enjoy!

Red Rock Arts Alliance Studio Tour

2007-10-11T14:42:00.000-04:00

The first ever Red Rock Arts Alliance Studio Tour will be held this Saturday from 10-4. I will be at the Galerie of Pella talking about my work- I'm planning on bringing along paint, gels, tools, and works in progress. Come with your questions or simply come to soak up all of the beautiful art featured in the Galerie. I'd love to have you stop in for a chat-actually I'm kind of jealous I have to stay in one spot and can't travel around to the other studio's to see what is going on. There are several sites in Knoxville and even artists available at the Tassel Ridge Winery.

Other things I'm consumed with right now...

A watercolor concept piece I'm working on as contribution to our church's "Wonder Wall". The Wonder Wall is a place for artists, writers, photographers, any artists to bring art to church that explores a recent "Ah-ha" moment or a time you were struck by the beauty of God in daily life. Can't wait until it all comes together.

I'm scrapbooking again...I've been in a hiatus of sorts the last few weeks. Been exploring more with paint and an art journal, but today I started putting photos and painted paper and stickers and fiber and journaling together-on one page. WOW-what a rush! I remembered all over again why I love to scrapbook-the powerful combination of word, photo and paint-it can take my breath away-especially when it brings me right back to the place and time I am scrapbooking about. I relived the moment in the garden in Hawaii-taking photographs with my eldest son-walking through the beds of hibiscus flowers-the dretched in color blooms, the fragrance, the sharing it with him and watching him photograph the experience. Giving him the camera and watching as he "really saw" and "really experienced" the place with me through the lens of the camera. I watched as he "got it" as he went from flower to flower consumed with getting it on film. I knew then that just a little bit of me had broken through-I had "corrupted him" as only a mother can-a bit of my love of art and seeing breaking through to my linear thinking, football loving, math guru son.

His award winning shot titled "Hibiscus & Bee"

The world was so beautiful...

2007-09-27T17:23:00.000-04:00

It's been a month since my baby stepped up the stairs into the big yellow bus. I'm finally able to ponder it, absorb it, wrap my brain around what life really looks like now that we both have taken new steps. A dear friend sent me this card the first week of school and it put into words what could not even verbalize at the time.

We are in a new place. A new season. Full of challenge. Full of joy. Full of surprise and new opportunities. I'm not sure what it will look like-for either one of us, but I do know that it will be OK. I want to tell him...

"just concentrate on the next step"
"don't try to conquer it all in one day"
"this is only the beginning"

but, I know it's more for me than him. He has no fear at this point-only anticipation, only joy at finally being able to claim his place. "All I need to know I learned in Kindergarten..."

(If you love the artwork featured on this card as much as I do, check out the website of artist Brian Andreas. You can sign up for the daily email of Story People with a new story each and everyday. Story People

What's next?

2007-09-22T22:51:00.000-04:00

I have a table full of tulip collage paintings. I've been painting these tulips for about a year and a half now. I did a whole rash of these paintings a few weeks ago. I seem to work in spurts- for a few days watercolors happen all over the place, then tulips, then scrapbook pages, then I hang some new stuff around the house, then a random acrylic painting happens, then an idea for a new class.

What is up with this??? I wish sometimes I could just "settle", just decide what I "do" and then "do" it. Wouldn't that be nice, wouldn't that be tidy. I could sum it up and say "This is MY art. This is what I 'am known for'. This is my 'style'." How easy to be able to clearly define exactly who I am and what it is that I do. I am a painter of tulips. I am a teacher. I am a scrapbooker. I am a photographer. Well-I AM all of those. If I think about this too much, it could drive me to distraction.

But, when I study the life and art of other artists, I start to realize I'm not the only one. Grant Wood, known for his paintings, but when I visited the exhibit of the vastness of his life work I saw wood working, metal work, carpentry, a scrapbook, murals, charcoal sketches and...paintings. I am reminded of my high school guidance counselor who told me "Melynda you would die working on a factory assembly line. The repetition of the same thing day in and day out would be the end of you." Maybe it is that way with art making as well. If I do the same sort of art day in and day out, I might still be in danger of dying a slow creative death. I can tell...I'm needing a break from tulips. Needing to do something new. Needing a breath of fresh air. Will I do tulips quite like this again? I'm not really sure right now. Maybe I'm being called to something new-being led to new discoveries in paint and surface and thought.

I've got this new art journal right now... actually it is a bit of old, melded with the new. Old painted scrapbook papers-discarded for their imperfection but a perfect backdrop for something new. I've gathered them together and started adding words-words based on the new thoughts I'm being confronted with in my new leadership class. Old/new, fresh/tired, tradition/change, past/future, production/creation, conflict/resolution, invitation/response, problem/solution-the backbone of art.

I don't think I want to live any other way...

Old Friends New Memories

2007-09-22T00:21:00.000-04:00

There is nothing quite so sweet as visiting old friends-the friends who "knew you when", who can start and finish your old stories, who know you in a different way than anyone else. And, when your dear friend has a beautiful new baby girl-the time together is even sweeter.

Welcome baby Camille into our lives. I knew your momma "when". Your momma and I-we have cried together-tears of hysterical laughter and tears of deep grief. We have grown together even though the miles have separated us. We have challenged each other and grown each other up.

We have seen each other develop our own unique gifts- Jen, with her gift of music and me, with my love of art. We have stood up at each other's weddings, moved across the country from each other and shared the most painful and joyful moments of our lives.

And-we are creating new memories-we scrapbooked together for the first time. Jen reading the instructions in my book to find out how we were going to paint our page. She was pouring over the book and said "the book says we should..."

I started laughing "Jen-do you need the instructions? I'm right here. I wrote the book-I think I can show you how!" That's what friends are for... I had never gotten a pedicure before-I guess I just needed someone to go with and Jen had never painted a scrapbook page before-she just needed someone to try it with and she was on the way. I could never make my path without my friends... so today- thank a friend who has made your life richer, go make new memories with an old friend (even if it means flying half way across the country), go get pedicures together, treasure the gift of friendship.

Get Inspired Scrapbooking Expo

2007-09-21T23:57:00.000-04:00

Mark your Calendar-it's time for some INSPIRATION! Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007 at the 7 Flags Event Center (2100 NW 100th St. Clive, IA) from 9 AM to Midnight come join me for some major cropping fun. $45 all-inclusive, free lunch, supper, drinks, snacks door prizes and a "Painted Scrapbook Pages" painting class at 7:00 pm for the first 25 scrapbookers who sign up for my class. You can register for the event (and my class if you wish) at www.cozycropwear.com/expoinfo.html. The Cozy Crop Wear website details all the vendors and teachers who will be at the event to give you a little dose of fresh inspiration. I'm definitely ready for a whole day of cropping and hanging out with my scrapbooking friends!

New work at Galerie

2007-09-17T13:34:00.000-04:00

Molly, owner of The Galerie of Pella, came to the studio today and selected 10 new works to add to the gallery. She selected 3 fall watercolors, 3 new abstract purple pieces and 4 of my new palette knife tulips. Her gallery is located in downtown Pella (725 Franklin St.) next to Jaarsma Bakery.

I will be at The Galerie of Pella demonstrating my collage tulip techniques and talking about my work during the Red Rock Arts Alliance Studio Tour on Sat. Oct. 13 from 10-4. Please stop by to see the amazing collection of Iowa artists and beautiful art featured in the gallery.

Travel

2007-09-13T01:32:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the "little"-OK... looooonnnnnngggg blog break. It sounds trite to say "I've been busy" but the truth is that I have been doing, doing, going and going with so much amazing stuff... It a good thing I love to travel!!! We have had friends and family members graduating, getting married, and having babies and we have relished celebrating with you all! I needed to take a break from a few things (my blog being one) and rejuvinate-focus on new places, new art, new thoughts, new experiences, and it has been an amazing ride!

We've been to Orlando, Pella's own Tulip Time, Sioux Center, Hawaii, Chicago, the Iowa State Fair, San Jose (CA) and Kansas City since March-making memories each step of the way. I've got LOTS of scrapbooking to do (the boys are back in school now and I have nowhere to go for some time...)

A few photos to catch you up...

Spring Break In Orlando with Grandpa & Grandma

June-Kyle & Caitlin's Wedding Day Oahu, Hawaii

The reception was on the beach-a gorgeous night

Our 1st trip to Hawaii (I CAN'T WAIT for the 2nd, 3rd...)

The boys all decked out in their Hawaiian shirts

The great thing about traveling is that there are so many amazing photo opportunities. It refreshes my creativity and fills my spirit. I will keep posting this week until we get "caught up". More photos and "art news" on the way...

Gallery hopping

2007-03-13T09:35:00.000-04:00

I took a bit of time to go search out some galleries "NEW" to me. I've read about them for years, wanted to go, but with 3 kids-gallery hopping just doesn't "happen". It was wonderful to MAKE it happen. I visited the Moberg Gallery on Ingersoll in Des Moines, IA-blown away by Wendell Mohr's new abstract paintings. I've studied under Wendell for 2 summers learning his experiemental watercolor techniques, but, to see his new direction-doing a NEW thing at "80+ years old"-what an example to me. That's what I want to be like at 80-teaching and painting and still DOING art. I also visited the Olson-Larsen Galleries and saw their current "Figurative Show". I was especially draw to the work of Priscilla Steele. Her large scale figures were amazing-the glazes, the texture and pigment used to create the figure-so rich, so beautiful.

After gallery hopping, I headed to a scrapbook store-wandered around the aisles-looking for something NEW-something I had to have. For the first time in a long time, nothing came home with me. What is up with that? Something about being immersed in the fine art world and then the scrapbook world-it was unsettling to me. I love to scrapbook, but it seems more clear to me than even before that I want more from my books. I want more than "theme stickers'. I use them but I want more. I want more than simple, graphic lines. I want more than precut letters. I know that many people need and use these-I'm just saying that for me-I'm becoming more driven to use my own art supplies, use my own designs, make my scrapbooks really look like me.

The weather here is finally gorgeous after weeks of storms, missed vacations due to cancelled flights, ice, snow and being forced inside. I opened the windows yesterday and let the fresh air in. Fresh air in my house and fresh air in my soul.

I did lots of work at church yesterday. Good things-not easy mind you, but necessary. Good is not always easy in this life, in fact, I know that I often learn the most during the most difficult times. So much going on at church-deep, good, life transforming things.

I'm heading out to the gym, and birthday lunch with girlfriends. I've got some finishing up to do on my newest paintings-can't wait to show you, but it's "still a work in process". I'm working on so many things-spring is here and time to renew the gallery with new works. Time to fill my books with new pages. Time to clean my house...but that's another story I'd really rather NOT talk about today!

too busy creating

2007-03-07T11:21:00.000-05:00

My Painting Partner-
"Do you want to be an artist when you grow up?"
"Mom-I'm ALREADY an artist-I don't have to wait until I'm grown up"
Drew-age 4

I go through "creativity phases". Sometimes, I have literally 4 or 5 or to be honest 10+ painting/art projects going on at one time. Today, the kitchen table is covered with 9 12x12 canvases-an abstract piece I have wanted to do for a long time. I started with the idea I would hang it in my kitchen/dining room-totally don't think this is the right place now. I love how projects take on a life of their own. I simply need to get the paint on the canvas and then see where it goes. I have over 15 watercolor pieces that are in various stages of completion-all different sizes-some abstract, some cool new tulips unlike any I have painted before. I have a large canvas sketched out and ready to start applying paint-it is a semi-abstract piece with very bold shapes. I have a plastic drawer piled with over 10 scrapbook pages I want to create for my son's album. I've pulled the paper and photos and they are just waiting for me to pull it all together. Then, there is the stack of 5 x 7 black gessoed canvases waiting for me to turn into collaged tulip creations. Oh-and the stack of 5 x 7 frames waiting for a new photographs to deliver to the gallery. Plus, there are certain areas of my house that really need some attention, but when the paint is flowing, it is hard to break to cook supper, go to Parent-teacher conferences, or even go to the gym. I want to do all those things on the days when I just can't seem to paint, when I just can't get the brush on the paper, but when I'm in the "flow", totally undisturbed, I love days like that, but they just don't "happen" here often. Real life gets in the way-and I thank God everyday for this "real life" of mine. If my real life wasn't going on each and every day, I would have a hard time making real art. Art that speaks from my life-unbalanced, crazy, imperfect, questioning, real, out-of-my control, but totally and gloriously mine! Thank you God for today-for being in control of the daily-ness of it all and in control of my future.

You know I've really been contemplating creating one of those visual life boards where you cut photos out of magazines and tape them up. Prop it up in the studio to motivate you. It helps one to visualize the future and set goals to get there. Another way of getting at the whole SECRET thing, Oprah and the world seem to be talking about right now. Actually, I've been feeling GUILT because I haven't done such a thing. If I'm not visualizing, I won't get there. If I'm not planning and dreaming, it isn't going to happen. If you don't see it, you won't acheive it thing. MIND GAMES-artists are really, really good at these.

But, I'm crossing this OFF my "to do" list. I've turned it all over to someone bigger, someone who actually knows, and someone who can actually make whatever happen happen. I'm going to keep doing what the Spirit tells me to do for the day and leave the "great big unknown outcome" up to Him. Takes the huge load off my shoulders and gives me the freedom to create. It's great to be free.

Everything NEW & Strategy #6 Make Lists

2007-01-30T14:59:00.000-05:00

I know we are almost one month into the new year, but I couldn’t make myself post about my thoughts for the NEW year until I had lived with them for a while. The NEW year kind of sneaks up on me every year. I’m so absorbed with the Christmas season and everything that comes with it, that by the time the NEW year hits I need a bit more time to really analyze what my NEW year is going to look like. Now you might be wondering why I am capitalizing the word “NEW”. You see I decided to make NEW my word of the year. On her blog Ali Edwards challenged everyone to come up with one word they could focus on for the year. I liked the concept because of its simplicity. Last year, in the excitement and “resolution” phase of the year, I wrote a personal mission statement, created a layout of it and hung it in my studio. I put that mission statement on the front page of my portfolio and look at it anytime I’m faced with a new opportunity or new direction. “Does it fit me?” “Is this the way I should go?” But this year, one word… and the word “NEW” popped into my head immediately, Funny, but I couldn’t even make myself tell anyone. It was as if I needed some time to try it out and see if I could really accomplish all the new stuff spinning around in my brain-so much to try and so much NEW to do. This month has been amazing. I should have been posting all along, but sometimes you just need to live life and write about it later!

Now, I’ve also been promising to add to my “Scrapbooking Strategies” list and in light of that promise…I present…Strategy #6 MAKE LISTS

Make lists…lists of things to do, lists of things you want to try, lists of things that have happened, lists of things you love, lists of people you want to meet and places you want to go…

And, so my current list of everything NEW...

NEW Things

1. Took a NEW class. My first ever online digital scrapbooking class was “Brushworks” by Renee Pearson at Big Picture Scrapbooking. I have a few things to finish up, but I learned so many useful things. It was a the perfect "next step" for my digital scrapbook skills.

2. Learned a NEW skill- I enlisted my hubby’s help, borrowed some major power tools from a good friend, and after 3 or 4 phone calls to a favorite artist friend- I successfully created my first four “built from scratch” canvases. We built the frames from 1 x 4s, added corner round with a nail gun, assembled them and stretched the canvas. Actually, 3 are already painted!!!

3. NEW experiences- I did my first book signing at a Barnes & Noble. Talk about a dream come true. Had some great gals take my scrapbooking class. We were right up in front of the store-sat and looked out of the huge B & N front windows.

It was fun to chat with the random people who stopped by and to share in the day with friends and family who made the trip to West Des Moines (even in a snowstorm!)
And, I survived my first LIVE TV interview—did I mention it was LIVE!?!On the Wed. before my book signing, the local ABC affiliate-Channel 5- asked me to bring some of my work and share it during a mid-day broadcast. Definitely a NEW experience!

After the interview I came home to flowers from some of my favorite people!!! Drew KNEW mommy loved PINK and he picked out the carnations (with Grandma's help of course!) Two of my best girlfriends sent these beautiful gerber daisies. It's such a blessing to have such supportive friends and family!

4. NEW camera- Enjoying my tiny new Olympus point and shoot. It just slips into my purse and goes everywhere with me. So very easy to use! Now if I can just figure out the best way to organize all these photos I’m taking!

5. NEW family vacation destinations-I’m sooooo excited about this. You see I LOVE to travel and this year we are going to be so blessed with 2 family vacations-to ORLANDO and HAWAII!!! This is so amazing because you have to understand our kids have never had the opportunity to fly (I guess I have to take that back-my oldest did fly to my brother’s wedding at 16 months old). We haven’t taken a huge family vacation for a long time. So, Disney World and a family wedding in Hawaii-the planning has already begun.

I think this list might make a great scrapbook page!

I decided not to head to CHA this week. I’m missing seeing my friends, the excitement and all the new product, but I think there are times when the “quiet whisper” inside me says, “It is time for NEW things”. I’m listening for those NEW things and making the time necessary for my creativity to do what comes next. I can’t wait to show you all the NEW things I’ve been creating, and some NEW products I’ve been playing with. I hope this inspires you to bring a bit of NEW into your life today.

A Christmas Postcard

2006-12-27T22:01:00.000-05:00

My first time experimenting with sending a digital Christmas postcard designed with elements from my own painted designs and family photographs. It's always good to keep learning and keep trying something new! I thought I would share it here now that it has been delivered safe and sound to everyone on my Christmas letter list.

Set your VCR and mark your calendar!!! Jan. 10 at 11:45 AM I will be at our local ABC affiliate (Channel 5) in Des Moines taping a live interview for my upcoming Barnes and Noble book signing. I plan on bringing along my original painted scrapbook pages and demonstrating a quick technique. (It's only 2 1/2 minutes so I have to talk fast-shouldn't be a problem)!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-24T23:31:00.000-05:00

May you have a blessed and wonderful time of celebration this Christmas! It's Christmas Eve, my kids are all tucked in bed and I have the stockings lined up on the living room coffee table. We've spent the last 3 days with family and are looking forward to a few more days of being together. Some of our family didn't make it home as planned-due to the storm in Denver so we get to spread the holidays out even more-not a bad thing.

This month has been a whirl of activity, planning and celebrating. I feel so blessed. It's as simple as that. God is good and somehow standing in church this morning, dressed as an angel while striking a pose looking down on a fake plastic baby-I was struck by how real it all is. It isn't just a story, it is everyday life-Jesus here with you and with me-an amazing thing that ordinary me was so important he became a child. So simple and yet so complex and beautiful. Revel in that today, tomorrow on Christmas day and every day of the year.

Merry Christmas!

Melynda

Book Signings

2006-11-29T20:04:00.000-05:00

We are in the process of getting our first snow and ice storm of the year. That would be the reason I find myself tucked into my studio with a bit of extra time to blog. All the evening activities in town were cancelled. Sometimes people complain about the weather here in Iowa, but I love a good blizzard. Everything is so beautiful. We are all stuck home together. The regular schedule goes out the window and often times we spend our time creating. I've done so many scrapbooks while "stuck" inside during a long storm.

I cleaned off my family and friends bulletin board this past week. You know-this is the place where everyone's Christmas and school photos get posted for me to see multiple times a day as I walk by. I love this spot in my house-photos of all the people we love but it's time for the new rash of Christmas cards to start arriving. I decided to be pro-active this year and clean off the bulletin board BEFORE all the new photos arrive. I'm never quite sure what to do with these photos when I'm done, but this year I pulled them all off and then quickly adhered them to some pretty Christmas patterned paper. No fancy backgrounds, no embellishments, just laid the photos out quickly and stuck them down. And, you know what, it felt good-really good to have all the people we love safely placed in my family book next to my layouts from last Christmas. I think this is a new tradition I want to keep.

For one of the first times ever, I put my Christmas tree and decorations up the week of Thanksgiving. I am kind of in shock that I actually have most of my Christmas presents bought and wrapped. This is soooo unlike me, but I knew there was lots going on the next few weeks and if I didn't do it over Thanksgiving break it probably wasn't going to happen. I still have Christmas cards and some handmade gifts to go, but I'm getting there.

The first two weeks of December is always one of my favorite times of the year. We go to plays, the kid's school and church Christmas programs, celebrate a birthday and go on Christmas home tours. I love this time of year. There is just nothing sweeter to me than seeing my kids singing and doing all the motions to "Away in a Manger". This December it feels like I'm starting a whole new chapter. Yesterday, Nov. 28 Painted Scrapbook Pages was released by Lark Books. It's been so much fun sharing my new book with friends and family who had been there while I spent hours putting this all together. I've had lots of questions lately about book signings and where to buy the book so I figured I best include all the facts here on my blog. If you really want a personalized and signed copy, you can contact me or stop by one of my scheduled book signings here in Iowa. For those of you who haven't had a chance to see the book yet, you can also go to my website www.scrapbookwithpassion.com and follow the links to Barnes and Noble.

Book Signing Itinerary

Main Street Book Store
615 Franklin Street Pella, IA 50219 641-628-3235
December 7, 2006
Thursday, 6-8 pm

Barnes and Noble Book Signing & Scrapbooking Class
4550 University Ave West Des Moines, IA
Jan. 13, 2007
Sat. 1-2 pm Scrapbook Class
Melynda will be teaching three brand new techniques from "Painted Scrapbook Pages". Learn to paint your own scrapbook paper with such unconventional tools as old credit cards, bubble wrap and marbles. All materials will be provided.
Call 515-226-0162 to reserve your spot for this free class (class size is limited-call soon to schedule)
Sat. 2-3 pm Book Signing and Question/Answer Session

About Painted Scrapbook Pages:
Every scrapbook is a personal treasury, filled with our most cherished photographs and keepsakes. Don’t those special memories deserve distinctive, individualized background displays? Of course they do! With these creative ideas, it’s simple to produce one-of-a-kind background papers. Experiment with almost 40 techniques, from faux finishing (sponging, marbling, crackling) to brushing, stamping, and lettering. Make impressions of a child’s hand on paper for an adorable handprint border. Produce a stunning tone-on-tone effect by scraping drops of paint across the paper’s surface with an ordinary credit card. Photos of the finished pages showcase the variety of looks each technique can yield.

Hope you enjoy the book!

I'll continue my "Scrapbook Strategies" blogs soon.

Kids + Art = Creativity Boost

2006-11-11T17:41:00.000-05:00

We held a Kids art and sports camp at our church today-Camp Power Play. 40+ kids with half doing a sports track and half creating art. For the art track we planned 4 activities- tie dye, journal making, crayon-resist with watercolors and a canvas painted with acrylics. 20+ kids, 4 projects in 3 hours. I'm tired!

What strikes me now after finishing a week of planning, preparation, buying supplies and organizing- there is something so rejuvinating about teaching someone else how to do what you love. Sharing the knowledge, passing on the skills, inspiring a new generation to create-that fills me up. I was exhausted earlier this week and a bit stressed figuring out how we were going to do this all for the first time. But, now, that it is finished, I am refreshed, ready to tackle my own projects again. And, I think there is a lesson in that. Giving back, fills you up. Gives you a new outlook and a fresh perspective. Because I was shopping for new projects, I found supplies that I hadn't discovered before. I was challenged to do something new, because I had to teach it. And, that is truly the best way to really learn something-teach it to someone else.

I didn't accomplish much in my studio this week. I was too busy planning for the kids, but I have a feeling that something even better, something new is going to bubble up next week, because my creativity was stretched by serving the kids. Their smiles, their excitement, their fearlessness in approaching a new project, it all reminds me how to be an artist, reminds me to set aside my adult sensibilities and get messy making cool stuff.

I'm exhausted, but I feel like a new woman. The "lesson for the day"... GO make ART with some KIDS-messy, wild, gluey, art - you won't regret it!!!

Strategy #5 STUFF

2006-10-16T16:49:00.000-04:00

You know I really like my STUFF-my beautiful paper, rows of colorful paint bottles, intricate embellishments…the list of treasures goes on and on. I’ve got so many gorgeous things to create with and yet, sometimes, they are the very thing that gets in the way. I hesitate before cutting into that special piece of paper. I question whether I really need to add that one more flower from my stash to a page. I tell myself that is exactly what I bought it for, but I still find myself wondering if maybe there won’t be another even more special project to use that item on so I hide it back away waiting for “someday”.

I’m getting tired of waiting for “someday”. I have die cuts I bought for a project 6 years ago still hanging out in my PSB (Personal Sticker Book). I have sticker alphabets that have lost their sticky. Enough is ENOUGH! Last night I started a new mini-book. I can’t reveal what it is for (Christmas is coming…), but I cut up, painted on and glued down some brand new supplies I just bought Saturday. And, it felt good-–really good. No more hording–just using up, creating, playing–getting the paint out of the bottle and on to the page. Getting the photos out of the photo box and on to the page. Maybe it's a bit like a fisherman who is so enamored by the cool colored lures in his tackle box. They look so bright and pristine fresh out of the package, but if you want to catch a fish at some point you have to throw it in the water. I’m not waiting for tomorrow. I have stories to tell and art to create TODAY!

Strategy #4 Remember to Play

2006-10-04T12:24:00.000-04:00

When did all this get to be such “serious work”?!? Scrapbooking is supposed to be a hobby and for many an art form, but that doesn’t mean it has to be HARD! We do such a “mental number” on ourselves when we over analyze and work a layout to death. Do it and let it be…a little tweak here and there “great”, but this OBSESSIVE

Is is GOOD ENOUGH???

My handwriting is TOO messy…

That photo isn’t quite perfect…

I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again “Perfectionism is the #1 killer of creativity”. Remember that the next time the negative lies start playing their show in your head. Now “lies” might sound like a strong word, but I’m calling it like I see it. Instead of listening to those lies, use a great little trick I have taught myself and use all the time. Tell yourself “I’m just playing today. Just makin’ a little something for me because I can. Probably not even gonna ever show this to another person-well, maybe my kids. Just gonna’ DO IT, because I CAN.” And, then-have fun and let yourself PLAY! Remember it doesn’t have to be perfect-it’s just PLAY!

Strategy #3 Break Free from Perfectionism

2006-09-25T12:57:00.000-04:00

This is where I can really get stuck. Those thoughts swirl in my head “I’m not as good as …”, “If I can’t do it perfectly, why start?”, “It’s not going to turn out exactly like what I want…”. I know it’s probably not popular to say this but too much media really brings this out in me- too many magazines, too much Internet, too many books. Sometimes, I have to force myself to stay away from the library (I LOVE the library!) and I have to go on hiatus from the computer. I have to hide the idea magazines. I rarely ever scrap with magazines in front of me, but even if they are hidden I will find myself comparing my work to others I have seen. I love the artist who explains this perfectionism delimna by telling a story of the Creator who sits on one shoulder and the Critic who sits on the other. Who am I listening to today? Who do I need to squelch? The fact is there are definitely times when I need the critic to come out and help me make decisions-which piece goes to the gallery? What photo do I frame for the living room? What photos tell this story perfectly on this scrapbook page? But, when I’m in the heart of making something, that is when I need to tell that Critic to “be quiet”. (Actually, I want to use stronger language here because sometimes that critic is literally shouting at me, but you get the point.) I’m telling myself today “There are NO MISTAKES in my studio-only opportunities to be more creative than I imagined myself to be”. Repeat after me “There are NO MISTAKES, there are NO MISTAKES, there are NO MISTAKES”… and sometimes it is OK to create something simple and beautiful "just because" (or because you need a gift for your mom tomorrow!) :)

Strategy #2 Make Goals and Celebrate Success (Plus-A review of SCRAPPED-the new movie about scrapbooking)

2006-09-20T10:07:00.001-04:00

The flowers have died, the chocolate is gone, but the book is still here. My advance copy of my first book "Painted Scrapbook Pages" arrived two weeks ago today. We celebrated in fine style-ate supper together around the table, did homework, and I started a few new canvases. Really a rather ordinary day as a scrapbooking artist living in midwest small town suburbia-celebrating with the people I love. So, there is this thing-this huge thing- in the eyes of other people- A BOOK! Wow-I've now been published-my life must be revolutionized. You know, I'm so pleased to see it finished, it really does look fabulous, but...

"Being published" seems like such an elusive dream for so many. "If I were published, I would...be happy, be satisfied, feel like a real artist..." the list goes on and on. I AM happy to be a published artist. It is the realization of a long held dream and a bit of joy I will carry around always. It wouldn't of happened if I hadn't made goals for myself-little everyday kind of goals-like try something today with masking tape. It is a wonderful thing in my life to have something finished-something that will last. So many of my jobs are things that I do over and over again without any permenance (fix another meal, wash another load, clean up another spill) but has it made me a happy and contented woman-is the answer to bring me lasting joy?!? NO-that kind of joy comes from the richness of my life-my hubby, my kids, my church, my friends and family and knowing that I am living everyday the life God planned for me. If you are looking for that kind of contentment from a publishing experience, you are going to be disappointed.

I watched SCRAPPED last night. Wes Thomsen, the guy who made this movie about the thing that is scrapbooking, so graciously sent me a copy this week. There is so much I could say about this production, but the heart of the matter is that he got it right. He started the movie with all of the typical scrapbooking stereotypes in full force (why would you spend so much time? Why do you need all that stuff?), but gradually he goes deeper and deeper into what drives us as scrapbookers to record our lives. I was touched, I was motivated, I was inspired-thanks Wes for sparking my passion again. I don’t want to give away the ending of the movie, but I do want to share a similar experience.

In the process of creating my book, I had completed most of the technique pages and was to the point of creating actual layouts with my hand painted papers. I had a beautiful deep toned paper-rich browns and blacks- that was begging to become a heritage page so I went to my grandma’s apartment to ask for some clarification on names of some photos she had given me awhile ago. She gave me the accurate names, but in the process out spilled this story-this amazing story of how my great-grandmother came to America. How at age 18 her father bought her a dress and a ticket to America and told her good-bye– go on with your life. How my great-great grandmother had died when she was young and so she was raised by a step-mother with five children of her own. “From generation to generation” I can see how this life story has filtered down into my own life and all because I asked.

You got it right Wes-the scrapbook is the vehicle that carries us into places we would of otherwise missed-rich, unexplored places of our own history and everyday lives. It’s about relationships and story-not about getting published or "success" as the world sees it-but about digging deeper into this amazing, complex life we lead. There is the wealth, there is the richness, there is the passion.

Strategy #1 Overcoming Fear

2006-09-18T16:04:00.000-04:00

Fear- every time I think I’m over this one it pops up again. I’ve read that creative individuals often struggle with an extra high sensitivity to constructive criticism and fear. OK-so I get that-I understand it in the intellectual sense, but why then it is still an issue? Why do I keep going back to this every so many years? Why does it flare up again and again?

In our society we don’t often talk about our fears. It is seen as a weakness-a sign of lack of strength or willpower. A wise friend even asked me the other day “so what EXACTLY is it that you are afraid of?” Hmmmm….difficult question, but I’ve come to know what fear sounds like in my head.

“What will she (whoever that “she” might be) think of this latest scrapbook page I did? It doesn’t have any pictures and I used colored pencils for the background. No one else is doing that kind of stuff?!?”

“What will ‘so and so’ think of my newest painting hanging in the gallery?”

“Do I dare donate this piece of art-will someone think that it is ridiculous, ugly, unnecessary?”

“What will someone think when they walk in the house and see this new paint color on my living room wall?”

These conversations go on and on in my brain and it is so hard to stop.

But, I think the bigger your dreams, the farther you want to stretch yourself, the scarier fears you can dream up. My hubby even said to me that sometimes failure seems easier than success, because if success comes our world might change. Yes, the fear of change, the fear of vulnerability, the fear of “what will other people think”?

My goal is to take my fear (I think we all have it and the secret is just to figure out what to DO with it) and turn it into FOCUS. What one thing do I need to do today? What is my next step? Who is it that God needs me to be today? I know that fear is not from Him. He made me creative and He expects me to use the gifts I have. I have been coming back to this verse of the Bible over and over thru the years-anytime fear rears it’s ugly head in my direction.

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, of love, and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Yah-I need to kick that “self-discipline” into focus. That’s called time management and goal setting and following through in our modern culture. I need to plug into a bit of that God-given power that says “if it’s OK with God and OK with you-go for it-don’t let other’s opinions, perceptions and questions stand in your way”. I need to wrap everything I do in love-love for my husband, my kids, my friends, and love for my art. That’s FOCUS and that’s going to change my day-today.

Strategies for Actually Getting it Done

2006-09-16T11:33:00.000-04:00

It's easy to be passionate about your hobby. It's easy to think about it, dream about it, shop for it and read about it. What's not so easy some days is to actually DO it. What gets in the way for you? Why do you think about it, shop for it and all the rest and still have a pile of photos and supplies staring at you? Scrapbookers everywhere seem to struggle with this-I struggle with this. What gets in our way and keeps us from doing our craft? What keeps us from avoiding our art? I LOVE scrapbooking, and yet sometimes I'll admit I just don't do it. I can't get started. I dream about the "someday when I have an entire weekend or a whole week to myself" while the photos and supplies keep piling up.

I have taught scrapbooking, stamping, painting and art classes for years. I have taught or experimented with about every technique out there and still I struggle with "getting it done". Every time I get together with scrapbookers I hear this same frustration over and over. "I can't get it done". "I don't know where to start". "I'm just not sure what to do with this." "I don't have time". "If I had more space or if I was more organized or if I had this cool tool-then I would get my scrapbooking done." I'm quite certain that more supplies isn't the secret to actually getting it done. I think the real problem is the story line playing in my head.

How can I change the story line in my mind? How can I actually start to get things done? I think this is such a crucial question-not only for me personally, but for the scrapbooking industry at large. There are only so many supplies that any one room (or bag or closet) will hold. Eventually, we will get on overload and what happens is not a burst in creativity and actual creating..."overwhelmingness" takes over. We give up.

Strategies-other industries/businesses have strategies-plans for "how to get things done". But, I think there are some different realities for the craft world as a whole and my own personal studio in specific. I'm going to use my blog over the next few weeks to share some ideas and thoughts that have helped me in the past to actually get things done-hopefully you'll get some new ideas and I will get some more motivation myself. Maybe together we can scrapbook with passion... without all the junk getting in the way.

Strategy #1 Coming Monday...

CHA-Chicago

2006-07-25T12:11:00.000-04:00

Excerpts from my quickly jotted notes Sunday AM before heading to last day of market...

It's all just a swirl-the colors, the people, the conversations, the product...so hard to stay focused. Asking myself "What do I need to see? Who do I need to talk to?" Interjected with "look at this", "sit down try that"...too much to absorb-overloaded senses=artist on overdrive.
overheard comments
random thoughts
paths to walk down
or
doors to close
ALL at the SAME TIME
rapid fire machine gun style
fear
anticipation
rejection
idol worship "rock star" scrapbooking divas
money-lots & lots of money
it's just buisness
passion & soul
swirls=flourishes
bohemian & gypsy
modern-classic-hip
tired sore feet
old friends new friends
brilliant reds-soft watercolors
packaging, marketing, huppla, cheerleaders
FREE this and FREE that
sell your soul to the marketplace
almighty dollar
books-how to-technology-over my head
how do I do that?!?
how will I ever afford that?!?
rebates/coupons/desire/covet/plan for future
What is FUTURE???

Where do I go from here?

Summer...

2006-07-12T19:34:00.000-04:00

Summer is supposed to be a time to slow down, savor, enjoy and soak in the sun. I feel I should apologize for my delinquency in updating my blog, but seriously we've been having so much fun "living life" there has been little time to record and savor and share the latest. It seems such a cliche to say our summer has "flown by", but it really has. Here we are-half way thru and my head is still spinning. We had a blast at the 32+ (not sure I should of counted...) Little League games we attended-we were averaging 4 a week there for awhile. Brenda and I have started "Art Camp" once a week for 6 weeks this summer. We have 20 kids painting and drawing every week. Check out our "foot painting" day-what a blast, but I'm quite sure it will be a very, long time before all the paint is gone from my backyard bricks!

The real benefit from teaching kids art is that I think I learn more than they do. Watching their energy and experiments, jumpstarts my creativity every time. They have NO FEAR and just dive in and MAKE STUFF-I sooo love that!

Last week I was gone from the studio everyday because I had the priveledge of spending the entire week in the Amana's attending a watercolor class with Master watercolorist Wendall Moore. I went last year, but it seems to me that I soaked up even more info. this year. I really played with color and learned how to use watercolor to get the bold, brilliant colors that I love. The best part of the week-my name was pulled out of the "hat" and I got to pick one of Wendall's paintings to come home with me. Yes-it's mine-all mine :)

Here is Wendall doing one of his daily demonstrations-mesmerizing really to watch him in action.

One of the other reasons June has been such a crazy, busy but wonderful month-I also shot my first wedding ever! My cousin got married here in Pella and asked me to be her photographer. It was a gorgeous summer day with a reception out at the lake. The light was beautiful. Totally fun reception with dancing and great food. I took so many photos-couldn't resist with such fun subjects. Everyone was having such a good time it wasn't hard to get incredible photos. What a beautiful bride...

Tomorrow is a day I have been anticipating for over a year. The GEMS Girl's Club Counselor's Leadership Conference is being held here in Pella, IA. www.gemsgc.org I have the privilege of sharing my thoughts on creativity and doing a project with over 100 of the attendees. Can't wait! Here is the cute clipboard project we are going to do with the "True Blue" Scrapbook with Passion paper.

I have boxes of clipboards, bottles of Plaid paint (BIG bottles!!!) and yards of cut ribbon all boxed up and setting on my studio table ready to go.

I thought you might all like the instructions and supply list, so here is a little special treat from me to you...

Enjoy!

Clipboard Instructions-Melynda Van Zee

1 5 x 7 clipboard
7 six in. pieces of ribbon
Plaid Folk Art Sterling Blue #810
1 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 piece of “True Blue” Scrapbook with Passion paper (from Sugar Tree)
1 clothespin
1 small blue flower
1 pop dot or glue dot
1 GEMS tag
Mod Podge
Foam paintbrush

•Paint front of clipboard and topside of clothespin with Sterling Blue paint. Tip edges of GEMS tag with small amount of paint.
•Tie ribbon with double knots on the clip.
•Apply Mod Podge to clipboard and place paper over top. Smooth with hands.
•Use pop dot to attach flower to tip of clothespin.
•Apply Mod Podge to back of GEMS tag and adhere to paper.

2006 Melynda Van Zee
www.scrapbookwithpassion.com

Galerie opening

2006-05-11T15:41:00.000-04:00

There are somethings that are on my "someday when" list...that list that you really hope will happen, but you are just not sure it really will. One of my top things was to "someday have work for sale in a gallery". I'm so excited to report that last week the "Galerie" in Pella opened its doors and I am one of the featured artists. I signed my name to the gallery wall and watched as my work was hung all over the gallery. She accepted my tulip photography, a watercolor piece and over 10 acrylic paintings. Tulip Time was this weekend so the gallery was swamped. Several pieces sold so I couldn't be more pleased! The really double cool thing about this gallery is that it happens to be located in the same store front that was the scrapbook/stamping store I taught at for years. There is now a new scrapbook store in town (owned by uber-talented Gail) located on a different side of the square. It just seems so fitting to have more of my work in this space. I've displayed layouts and projects here for years, and now that I'm taking my "next steps" into more fine art work, I have the opportunity to share it here as well. I couldn't have done it without the help of my friends and family-THANKS!

Photography Copyright 2006 Melynda Van Zee

I couldn't post without adding some quick shots from the weekend. Tulip Time is one of my favorite times of the year for taking photos. My hubby even volunteered to put on his costume and scrub streets this year :) It's taken me a few days to recover, but I'm glad to report I have all the costumes washed and hung away for another year. Yah!

Circles of Women

2006-04-25T09:31:00.000-04:00

I spent the day yesterday in Newton speaking to the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. I brought tons of photos and pages and shared photography tips for capturing the "decisive moments" with their kids. I always start my talks on photography/scrapbooking by sharing why it is that women need to create. We were made to create. We can't help it. It rejuvinates us in ways that are hard to describe. I had a conversation with a new friend who described it this way "When I stopped creating I started getting fearful. Fearful of all the bad things that might happen to my family. And, once I started creating again-the fear went away." Why as women do we feel the NEED to justify our creative time???

The amazing thing was that I spent the morning encouraging and inspiring the women at MOPS to celebrate where they are at right now in life and then I go shopping with 2 boys in tow and I am encouraged by a store owner who tells me she was the mother of 3 boys. So, as I'm carefully directing them through a "pretty shop" (they needed to use the bathroom in the back of the store), she is smiling and encouraging me. Telling me her boys are in college and graduating from high school now. These days are going fast she reminded me. Put me in the right frame of mind to see my youngest son coming out of the bathroom with an entire strip of toilet paper wrapped around his head (he was trying to stop a scab from bleeding on his forehead)! Circles of women-helping each other out during the time of life they are in-whether they are bring a new baby into the world, planning a wedding, sending their youngest to preschool or saying goodbye to a college freshman.

The tulips are up. Spring is here. Gotta get out the costumes. I'm put together these pages with my new Scrapbook with Passion paper and brought them to the scrapbook store in town to prepare for the masses of tourists that will be descending on our town in the next two weeks. I love Tulip Time!

Life is FULL

2006-04-06T16:49:00.000-04:00

My "to do" list is long, my studio table full of stuff to finish, I need to drive kids to ball, and school program...life is full, but oh so good. The sun was wonderful yesterday. After much begging, I took off with the little boys to a local park. They played in the water, found some sticks and just had "boy fun". Maybe I shouldn't let them take photos of me with my digital, but when they ask I couldn't refuse. Looks like I'm really "working hard"!!! If you would of seen their clothes and boots after this little adventure-you would KNOW just how much laundry gets done around here! Can't wait to scrapbook some of these photos!

Tulip- Melynda Van Zee Copyright 2006

I spent the morning sharing my newest artistic creations with a local gallery owner who is opening "The Gallerie" in my hometown in just a few weeks. I'm just estatic that she is willing to hang my newest tulip paintings in the gallery, so make your plans now to head to Pella for Tulip Time 2006 and when your here getting bakery yummies stop in at "Times Remembered" (the COOLest scrapbook store in town)to pick up some Scrapbook with Passion paper, and stop in the gallery to take home a "Melynda original" :)

Yes, I keep getting "Scrapbook with Passion" paper sightings :) So FUN! For those of you here in Iowa, I know for sure that the paper is now available here in Pella at "Times Remembered" and "Scrap This, Crop That" in Des Moines, IA. Let me know when you spot it in other stores so I can keep everyone updated. For those of you not in my local area, Sticker Planet (a mail order and internet scrapbook supply company) just released the Girl and Boy lines as part of their Summer Sneak Peek www.stickerplanet.com.

I found out this week that the offical release date of "Painted Scrapbook Pages" will be 11/28/06-just in time for Christmas. You can check out the front cover and read about my book here Painted Scrapbook Pages.

My thought for the day from my Luci Swindoll journal "Live fully every moment. If we don't live in the moment, we'll lose it and it'll never come again."

proud to be a scrapbook artist...

2006-03-21T14:53:00.000-05:00

I am proud to be a scrapbook artist. I will stand up and admit I love to take photos. I will admit I spend way too much time playing with paper, pens and paint. This is my family, my life and my art. It is who I am and who I might want to be in the future. It is who I love and what I think...

"An artist is one who looks at life. She's interested and interesting. When a person is interested, she asks herself questions about life. She's curious about her own philosophy. She studies what is in front of her and sees deeper than the outside shell. She wonders. Ponders. Hunts. Turns things over to see what makes them work and what value they are in the overall scheme of things. And when a person is interesting, she talks about what she has learned in an enjoyable way." Luci Swindoll

That's who scrapbookers are-artists interested in looking at and pondering their life.

Embrace your artist viewpoint today.

Wonder about your life and the life of those you love.

Play with your paper and tell your story.

dreams, plans, hopes...

2006-03-18T10:10:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a new book-it's all about asking for what you want. Now, I'm an Iowa girl. Born and raised in small town Iowa with a cornfield in the backyard, school next door and a baseball diamond up the hill. Iowans work hard, stick together, and follow the rules. Iowans are not "in your face", we are giving, we think of others first, we know where we come from and don't always dream big about the future. Now, I LOVE living in Iowa. I love the sunsets, the rows of corn, the gently rolling hills. I love the tulips that bloom every year all over my hometown. I love the natural beauty that surrounds me. I love the people. Good people, who really truly care about you and love you. I love being near to our extended families. I love raising my children in a safe place with excellent schools and a vibrant church.

But, this book, encouraging me to ask for what I want and expect that I will get it. Learning to not take NO for an answer. Learning to plan specifically for the future. I have so many thoughts, so many ideas, and such a rich life already. I was not taught to ask for what I want. We were grateful, thankful, and humble for all we had been given. And, yet I have found as I have embarked on this business and art career that everytime I truly had a vision for the next big step, God has been there handing it to me. I may have worked hard, I may of asked lots of questions and placed myself in new "out of my comfort space" situations, but the reality is-my dreams of a paper line-happened. My dreams of a book-happened-much sooner than I ever dreamed. My dreams of bringing my classroom teaching to a bigger audience-it's all happening before my eyes. It's happened because I dared to dream bigger than I thought possible. It's happened because I asked. I asked my family and friends to help me. I asked to show my portfolio to people I had never met before. I asked people their name and what their job was. Asking is one of the hardest things in the world for me to do. We think we need to be able to do it all by ourselves. But, that's not the way this world works. We were created to live and work in community.

I feel compelled to keep revising my plans and thoughts for the future. I've been wanting to put together a visual dream book. A plan with pictures-what I want my studio to look like, the house of my dreams, dreams for my family, the path for my artistic future...but you know that seems so bold to me. It would be asking-thinking outside the framework that I currently know to be my life. It might push me out of the familiar, the "way we've always done things" and if you know anything about Iowans they love to do things "the way we've always done things". I'm used to scrapbooking the past-where we went, what we did, what I felt about that event, but today I feel led to scrapbook with passion about my future. Where do I want to go? What will it look like when I get there? Recording the past helps me to reflect on my life and prioritize what is important to me-that's what I love about scrapbooking-it focuses me. But, this book, this "my future life" book, well...it might take me places I've never been, it might stretch me to new heights, it might challenge me to be exactly who God meant me to be-rather than concerning myself with who everyone else thinks I should be. Now, I really probably shouldn't have told you all about this book, but one motivator I have learned over the years is that if I tell someone I'm going to do something, it actually gets done. And, so I'm going to keep painting (working on a series of tulip paintings right now and finishing up final edits of the book), and I'm going to focus on my future-with pictures in a scrapbook. Wanna make one too? I promise to show some peeks at "My Future Life" book on the blog in the future, but I want to see your pages/book. If you email me, I will post some "My Future Life" pages right here on my blog. Like always you can send me any cool stuff at scrapwpassion@iowatelecom.net.

Happy Birthday!!!

2006-03-13T16:25:00.000-05:00

It's what we call "Birthday Weekend" around here. Two of my closest friends and I all have birthdays within 3 days of each other. We celebrated together at my house Sat. with cheesecake & more!!! Brenda designed this adorable clipboard as my birthday present. It says "True Blue Friend"-I was so excited when she showed it to me-of course she was teaching the class how to make it last weekend and I was sitting in on the class and raving about it and she finally said "Well, it IS your birthday present!!!" A girl couldn't ask for better friends... :)

And, just because I can...here is what I made for Brenda. We were actually scrapbook store shopping together when I found the jumbo letters and I showed them to her. "Look here is a Big 'B'!" She looked at me and said "What would I do with something like that!?!" Well, I bought it anyway...simply because once I get an idea in my head, I just need to carry it out. She said she loved it...guess you'll have to ask her for sure (sometime when I'm not around!!!!)

I'd show you photos from the party, but I can't. Yah-we have secret parties around here. Drew said to me while I was getting ready "Mom, are you having a girly, girl party?!?" Oh YES we did!!!

JDRF Crop for the Cure

2006-03-07T09:14:00.000-05:00

We had such a blast in Des Moines this weekend teaching classes at the Crop for the Cure event. It was FABULOUS getting to meet all of you and sharing the new papers with you. If you didn't get to make it this year-this is definately an event to mark your calendars for next year. Brenda and I taught 2 classes each. She taught the adorable Big and Small Clipboard classes and I taught a Scrapbook with Passion Photo Canvas class and a layout class where we completed 3 one page layouts. I promised to post some samples from our classes so HERE THEY ARE...

Big Clipboard using the new Girl papers...

Photo Canvas class-This layout is adhered to a Fredrix 12 x 12 canvas.

Scrapbook with Passion Layouts

I had lots of questions this weekend like "where can we buy the papers here in Iowa?" "When are they going to be here?" and
"When are you teaching more classes???" Everything is so NEW that I just got the paper myself on Monday!!! Hang tight...papers and classes will be coming soon to a scrapbook store near you!:)

It takes t i m e ...

2006-03-01T09:16:00.000-05:00

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!!!

Catalog

2006-02-10T18:38:00.000-05:00

Whoooo!!! It was a blast to see the Sugar Tree catalog the first day of the show. You all keep asking about it so I scanned it for you my "out of town friends". You see if you lived here-you would of seen it by now because either my mom, best friends or hubby (he actually took it to work!?!) would of made sure to show it to you :) Who needs a Marketing Dept. when you have your MOM!!!???!!! Anyway, here is the cover and because you begged...the collections too!

The papers will be shipping in the next two weeks so you should be able to find them in your local scrapbook store around the beginning of March!

CHA-VEGAS!!!

2006-02-09T21:59:00.000-05:00

What can I say!!!!!! We DID Vegas! The view from the Eiffel Tower, the Bellagio fountains, the SHOW, the PAPER LINE!!! Parties at the Tao (Venetian), PF Changs, the Hilton, the Convention Center. (I ate way too many hors d'oeuvres). I have so many photos...I will be adding more photos the next few days as we swap our favorite photos around. I haven't blogged yet, simply because I have been sleeping! Can you say EXHAUSTED!?! Two hours of sleep in 36 is NOT ENOUGH! There is just so much to see, so much to do and so many people to talk to at these shows that it's almost impossible for me to describe it. I totally LOVE shows-the excitement, the hype, the people and the over stimulation, but then I have to come home and just DECOMPRESS for a few days. I am not the “party every weekend, hit the town“ type and then to go to Vegas where you walk miles every day and have 2 parties every night-well, this gal needed some serious unwind time.
"Fuzzy photo alert" I think my photographer was so excited the camera shook!
I have to tell you that it was totally cool to see my paper line hanging on the wall in the Sugar Tree booth. The guys did an awesome job featuring the papers front and center and it was just so wonderful to meet so many people as they came to the booth. It is just really an unbelievable thing to see something you have worked so hard for, dreamed about so long, and then to see it "live and in person". Oh–one of the other TOTALLY COOL things was to see the Sugar Tree catalog. Ed (bless you Ed!) picked my design for the front of the catalog. They put together a beautiful 2 page spread of all 16 papers on page 2 and 3. I couldn't have been more pleased with how they put it all together!

I also got to spend some time meeting with editors from magazines, meeting fellow artists, catching up with my 2 Peas friends, and checking out all the awesome new scrapping stuff. One of my favorite things to do at these shows is to spend some time buried in the booths of the paint companies that come to the show. I LOVE paint and I learn so much everytime I walk in a booth and ask them to show me what's NEW. I was so inspired and can't wait to show you all some new painting tricks and supplies.

I'm in the midst of planning and gathering all our needed supplies for the JDFC Crop for the Cure in Des Moines. It's coming up-only 3 weeks away and I can't wait to meet the likes of Donna Dewberry and hang with painter extrodinaire (who is organizing this feast of creativity, scrapping and painting) Laurie Speltz herself. I had the awesome privelege of taking a painting class from Laurie last April-this girl ROCKS! My mouth drops when I see her work (and the great thing was she actually taught ME how to do some of it!)

Entry into the Tao restaurant where we went to a party thrown by Sterling-book publisher.

Close-up of the gorgeous floating flowers and candles that lined the entry.

My highlight-going to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I "know" it's not Paris, but it's as close as I've come...unbelievable view!

Me-pretending to be in Paris!!!

Imagination Celebration Projects

2006-01-23T12:11:00.000-05:00

I just finished up my projects for the Imagination Celebration Silent Auction. The wonderful Z Becky Brown sent me this gorgeous purse to design.

Back View
Side View
Front View

Where Your Heart Is/Imagination Project sent me the lamp to design. Both designs make me happy!!! (And, isn't that the key to anything we make...does it put a smile on my face or on the face of someone I love!?!)

The time is HERE!

2006-01-20T21:51:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to be able to finally share!!! Here is a sneak peek at the first 16 papers in my Scrapbook with Passion line licensed to Sugar Tree. They will be in Booth #2028 so feel free to stop by and check them out if you get to go to CHA in Vegas next week.

I hope you enjoy working with the papers as much as I enjoyed creating them. My goal was to paint papers that my girlfriends (and myself!) would love to use. Papers that had a hand-painted/artsy look, yet were simple and non-intimidating to use. I love to "build-in" design to the papers so that there are open spaces-perfect for adding photos, while still including vibrant shapes, flowers or patterns. There are 4 lines with 4 coordinating papers in each line. Each line has what I call an "icon" paper with a bold pattern, a "word" paper (simply because as a scrapbooker I love papers with words!), and then two coordinating papers that can be used alone or in conjunction with the word and/or icon pages. If you go to my website and click on "create", you can see each of the papers and layouts in a larger size.

While you are on the website-go to "teach" and check out all the information for the Des Moines JDF Crop for the Cure. This is going to be an amazing fundraiser held in downtown Des Moines all for a good cause-Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Donna Dewberry of "One Stroke Painting" fame will be teaching classes and demonstrating her amazing painting techniques. Brenda and I will be teaching classes using the new paper line. Brenda is making these adorable clipboards (big and small) for class and I am doing a photo canvas and layout classes. Registration was LIVE yesterday and classes are limited to 30 so sign up soon.

We leave next Sunday for Vegas! I can't wait, but still have a few things to do...

Preparation

2006-01-17T14:33:00.000-05:00

CHA VEGAS & IMAGINATION CELEBRATION
The BIG show (CHA Winter in Vegas) is only 2 weeks away. Everything is kicking in high gear here. I got two adorable projects in the mail last week-a "Naked Lamp" from Imagination Project (Where the Heart Is) and a Z Becky Brown purse. I'm busy designing these projects and the finished pieces will be auctioned off at the 2nd annual "Imagination Celebration". I'll post photos when I am finished. What fun!!!

Brenda Huisman, Sarah Bond, and me "behind the scenes" at last year's Imagination Celebration

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Imagination Celebration...it is a big party/silent auction/fundraiser/reward ceremony all put on by Scrapbook Retailer Magazine. Last year the silent auction featured original work from many of scrapbooking's most incredible designers-there were items from Chatterbox, Heidi Grace, David Walker, Mary Engelbreight, and so many more...I came home with an amazing silk tapestry scrapbook bag designed by Sarah Bond. It is gorgeous and very functional-the perfect bag to carry my portfolio around during shows. I can't wait to see what this year holds.

SCRAPBOOK WITH PASSION PAPER LINE
I'll be adding sneak peeks of the new paper line over the next few days. We are putting the finishing touches on the website as well. Everything should be updated and ready for the show very soon. You will be able to go to the website and see all 16 of the paper designs that Sugar Tree is releasing. Watch for fun layout designs, too!

TRADESHOW TIPS
A few tips for those of you heading to the show...comfy shoes (did I say COMFY shoes!). Plan on walking for miles... Don't forget some snacks for your bag and some bottled water. Bring a big smile and a portfolio showcasing your best work. Rememeber your business cards, a daily log of who to see and what booths you must not miss, and maybe a handout to give to important contacts.

African scrapbook

2006-01-10T22:41:00.000-05:00

One of the coolest things that happened this Christmas break-in and out of all the normal holiday fun and chaos-I got to help my brother-in-law "scrapbook"! He is a college Jr. and was home on Christmas break. He had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Zambia in Africa this summer and had some amazing photos and stories from his trip that he wanted to "do something with". He found an old book and I gathered some supplies for him. I gave him some pens, some natural colored papers, ink, adhesive, a few alphabet stickers with a few "5 second" instructions and sent him to work. I was totally blown away and inspired by what he created. After working a few days, he sent me an email saying "To be honest, I never thought scrapbooking would be this much fun". I must admit I laughed outloud.

In the beginning, we talked about how to organize the book and I recommended he think about an appropriate framework or chapters for the book, instead of just thinking chronologically. He decided to organize the book in the framework of "Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation". Can you tell he is a theology major!?! The Creation section shows photos of Victoria Falls and the safari photos. The Fall section outlines the overwhelming AIDS epidemic and its effect on the orphans. He spent his time in Zambia working and teaching amongst the orphans and the Redemption section focuses on the work that is being done to help to help them get an education and nourishment. The whole book is about taking a risk and following where the path is unknown.

Isn't that the story of all our lives... following, but not really knowing what the outcome might be. I may have started this project with the thought of inspiring him to make a cool scrapbook, but he ended up inspiring me. "Teach, so that you can learn".

Playing

2005-12-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

I feel like a kid in a candy store!!! I cracked open my pots and here are some photos of my latest experiments with Twinkling H2O's and Polished Pigments. I really haven't had this much fun in I don't know how long! Wish you could see the real thing cause they loose some of the depth and the sparkle in the photo.

Got so much going on here--of course, Christmas plans, a birthday party Monday night and two BIG packages of art have just landed on my doorstep. I'm entering the "layout" phase of the book and I'm working on layouts with the paper from my new paper line. I've got photos, paper and ribbon EVERYWHERE! Life is good...

Passion...

2005-12-01T00:18:00.001-05:00

There seems to be a lot of talk about passion lately...

*Cultivate passion

*Live with Passion

*There is something so exhibitionist in honest passions-that it dances in the daylight.

Quotes— people writing about passion— people talking about passion—scrapbooking with passion!?!

What does it mean to you? What does it mean to Scrapbook with Passion??? Let me know what YOU think?

Wanna know what I'm passionate about TODAY?!?

*my family: being the best mom and wife I can be

*my friends: check out the new photos Brenda & I took together- do we look like we are ready for Vegas or WHAT?!?

*my book: I will finish...I will finish...I will finish...Dec. 15 is the deadline-I'm on the homestretch, but...there is still SO much to do.

*my art: today I took time away from writing (ssshhhh! I met my personal goal for the day, but then I took time to create.) I'm finding I get grumpy and out of whack if I don't play with my paint or my photos for too long and it has been tooo long. Today, I played with my Twinkling H2O's and Polished Pigments-can I say WOW! double WOW! I mean I know I love these paints, but I just fell in love today all over again. Everytime I get them out and play I think-I'm not really the type of gal who really likes all that shimmer and glimmer and then I see the way the light plays off a finished piece and I am a sucker all over again. I really can't get enough.

*gratitude: I'm just overwhelmed. We spent the Thanksgiving weekend surrounded by family. We celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with my husband's side of the family this weekend. Every other year we "do Christmas" at Thanksgiving time. My son had great fun telling his entire school class that HE was going to open presents over the weekend. We spent Thanksgiving morning in church-the best place to be to ponder all our blessings. There was a time when we could bring our offerings to the front-be that money or food donations for the food bank or a leaf to hang on the "tree" listing what we were thankful for. I sat in my chair and watched my three sons walk to the front and hang a leaf for each member of our family. I watched as my friends and their families added more leaves to the tree. I found tears coming to my eyes as I pondered just how much I have to be thankful for right now-it's too big...and I'm passionate about that...passionate about all the blessings in my life...passionate about the people in my life...and thankful that I can process it all in my scrapbooks...I don't want to forget the good things...I want to think about them...I want to dwell on them...

New Painting Projects

2005-11-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

Latest Home Improvement Creations

I just can't stop...painting!!! Maybe I should have titled this blog the Scrapbook (and Painting) with Passion blog?!? Thought I would share with you some of my latest painting projects. The first two photos are from my newly redecorated living room. The canvases were drybrushed and I added the Antiquities photos taken of my boys this summer. I used the old ladder I got on my Grandpa's house auction and another one I picked up while antiquing in Galena, IL. The desk is a hand-me-down from my other Grandpa-I've painted it at least twice. My best friend, Missi, and I picked up the wall hanging in the Shipshewana flea market this summer. It was painted an ugly, bright glossy white and I brought it home and sanded and painted and distressed it. Then, I hung mini-paintings in each open "window". I was experiementing with various painting techniques and then added quotes to some of the pieces.

Decorative Painting Gone WILD!!!

The photos below are all from the church nursery project I finished a few months ago for new Liberty E. Free church building. They built three nurseries and I worked with them to decorate an infant room (stars), toddlers (Jesus Loves Me) and preschool (Noah's Ark) room. Thanks Jill for asking me to help! It was such a delight and brings a smile to my face just looking at the photos. Now, I have to scrapbook these photos and add them to my painting portfolio. How crazy is that!?! I even scrapbook painting projects! But, I must say that my painting portfolio is a very handy tool. I use it whenever I go to a new painting consultation. Often times people have an idea in their mind, but it is hard for them to articulate their ideas. By walking thru my past projects with them, I can soon get a good feel for their style. I photograph all the major painting projects I complete and then I scrapbook the project with the location and customer name. It helps me remember and often inspires new projects. Today, I finished my latest large scale painting project. I'll post more photos soon...

Girlfriends

2005-11-10T22:51:00.000-05:00

I'm off to spend a weekend with my girlfriends! I'm looking forward to inspiration, late night chats, good food and time to "just BE together"! I've been busy all week with finalizing the designs for the paper line and writing, writing, writing. I've been debating on flights, hotels and appointments for Vegas. This will be the last chance I have to get away with my friends until CHA, so I plan on enjoying every minute. It will be good to get away-rejuvinate...think new thoughts, and meet new people. I always come back ready to leap high buildings and tackle the mounds of work I left behind. Now, I just have to find some time to pack (and fill the tank with gas, make last minute phone calls, go to the bank, pick up some Dutch bakery goodies...)

Waiting...

2005-11-06T21:52:00.000-05:00

"Patience is a virtue" I was always taught as a child. Today, I'm waiting to hear what pieces of art will be included in my first Scrapbook with Passion paper release at CHA Winter. I'm really not anxious-just excited. I'm "ready to roll" and have the paper designs show up in ads, see the catalog and prepare layouts with the new designs. I feel sort of like a kid waiting to open my Christmas presents...

This week I need to focus on writing the last chapter of the book I'm working on. The projects are all completed and I just need to describe exactly "how" I did everything. Thankfully, I took digital photos of all the projects before I sent them off so I have a handy reference in case I need to refer back. I tried very hard to record every product I used while I was actually working so that makes instruction writing much easier.

I "went scrapbooking" Friday night. A group of friends meets at my church one time a month and this week I got to join them. My mom even came along. She was finishing up a project she started in a class she took at convention this summer. I dug into a scrapbook that desperately needed some work. I actually scrapped some photos that were over 3 years old. It felt so good to "catch up" a bit on that project. I'm not one to usually obsess about being "current" in my books, I pretty much scrap what I want when I want. But, a bit of guilt was setting in concerning one of my son's books-I had worked on the other two, but his was drastically behind. It was so good to play with paper, run out of adhesive and just mess with photos for the pure joy of it. I didn't take anything along that I considered work-I only "played" and by the end of the night-I didn't want to stop...I wanted to keep on going and going and going...this hobby can really be addicting! GOTTA LOVE IT!!!!

Fall Family Fun

2005-11-01T14:09:00.000-05:00

My TALENTED hubby! I promised a photo and here it is! One of my friends said to me "I thought YOU were the creative one!?!" Brian taught himself how to do balloon animals several years ago. The line was 5 or 6 kids deep all night long.

We love candy! The boys at their school Reformation Celebration.

"Dress up" is an everyday occurance at our house, not just once a year.

A jam packed schedule

2005-10-31T17:41:00.000-05:00

This quote really struck me today.

"A jam packed schedule can be the greatest thief of creativity."

Ummm...yes, I can directly point to a time in my life when my creativity really blossomed. I had moved away from my home town and didn't really know anybody. I unpacked my boxes and thought "now what"!?! I started scrapbooking with wild abandon again. I started painting-pretty much everything in sight (walls, furniture, drapery rods...) The creative activity kept me going, gave me energy, kept me sane.
And yet...sometimes a really busy schedule can make the creativity blossom for me as well. If I have a deadline and a list...the art gets done. Paint hits paper. Photos get stuck down. I don't "analyze" everything to pieces...instead "I DO"! I've been "doing" a whole lot lately. Deadlines for the book, my product line, and decorative painting projects have been coming one after the other. I've had to be very organized. I love doing lots of things at one time-I always have. But, somedays, when it's late October and the temperature is in the upper 60's, the leaves are gorgeous and the last rose is blooming on my rose bush...I'm ready for a long walk, a good book, a cup of cocoa and a short "To Do" list.

Tonight we get to go to the school carnival. My hubby is making balloon animals for all the kids-he'll be the coolest dad there. Tomorrow-it's back to writing and creating...

Sugar Tree

2005-10-20T14:07:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to be able to tell you that Scrapbook with Passion paper will be available from Sugar Tree at the CHA Winter Vegas show! Sugar Tree has licensed my designs and we are working together to release a great collection of beautiful papers. I have been waiting for SO LONG to be able to tell you all!!! Sugar Tree is known for their excellent customer service, on-time shipping, and great thematic papers. It was so hard to select the "right" company to work with-I didn't want my art to be in the hands of just anybody. This industry is so large and I have heard so many horror stories from other designers and artists that I really wanted to make sure this was the right decision. I think they are going to be a wonderful partner. They were able to come visit me in my studio in September. It was such a delight to have them here. (I think they LOVED it here in Pella with all of our Dutch goodies-Dutch letters, bologna, bakery treats!)

I really couldn't be more thrilled! I've been busy making plans, painting and designing for the show. Thanks to all of you who helped make this happen. You know how long and hard I have worked. So many of my friends and family have played such a huge part in making this dream come true for me. I really could not of done this without you. I will write more and share more about what I am doing as the show gets closer. I can tell you I NEED to spend the weekend painting-I'm going to work now. Love you all!

Writing a book

2005-10-11T22:40:00.000-05:00

Writing and designing for my first book has been a learning experience. I always wanted to write books-a secret dream I told no one. The first time I really allowed myself to think seriously about writing a book was when I was faced with the final project in my Photoshop class and the instructor wanted us to design a book cover. Well...it was an assignment so I had to dream big and designed the front cover of the scrapbooking book I might some day write :) And, here I am writing now! It is a lot of work, but I knew that it would be. I've turned down lots of other employment opportunities to have the chance and the time to do this.
And what does my studio look like tonight? I could take photos but I that would be giving too much away... I CAN tell you this-I have paper, paint, stamps, tools, more paper, layouts, and photos piled everywhere. There is a huge list of projects on my wipe board and I check each one off as I go. It is a great visual motivator to see it all written out and at a glance I know where I am at and what project is next. People keep telling me "writing a book is like having a baby"...interesting thought, but I can guarantee you I'm not nearly as sick during this process as I was during ALL 3 of my pregnancies!!! :) Probably won't have nearly as adorable outcome as those precious baby boys, but I will be happy to have the project completed. The waiting, planning, anticipation...yes-I think there might be a bit of truth to the comparison. It is sort of non-stop. I can't stop thinking about it, and dreaming up the next project. It is always there-waiting for your attention. I think motherhood has definately been a great preparation for this process!

A Break

2005-10-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

A complete change of pace-a totally new experience can do wonders for my creativity. By Friday, I was ready to not look at my studio for a very loooong time, but 24 hours, a football game and some retail craft therapy can be a good thing! We were lucky to have tickets for the Hawkeye game in Iowa City today. Got to swing in Reminisce (one of Iowa's best scrapbook stores) real quick on the way home and we did some birthday boy shopping. A gorgeous Iowa sunset all the way home always helps give me a different perspective. A good day...and a needed break for the mind. Got some new paints, some new scrapbook toys...I'll be all "ready to roll" by Monday morning.

Getting to work

2005-09-28T10:18:00.000-05:00

It's raining here today. I have a large diagram of all the projects I want to finish for the book staring at me from my wipe board. I have the day to work. One day a week I have a friend help take care of my youngest child. So...the house is quiet, the dishes done and it's time to dive in. But...I always need to ease into it-psych myself up-think-and then I go to work. Sometimes I think I MUST be in the right "frame of mind" to be creative, but most of the time I recognize the truth. This is my job. I have to "show up" at the table and get it done-even if I'm not feeling especially creative today, even if it's raining outside, even if there are household chores to do, if I'm going to create-I have to DO it.

While "designing stuff" is my job right now, I still need to apply some of the same things that help me get my designing projects done to my work habits with my personal scrapbooking. I have to "show up" at my scrap table. I have to get the photos out and I have to play. Just staring at it, reorganizing supplies is not going to get it done.

One of the wisest quotes that I learned in the summer painting class I took was shared with me by my intructor-Wendell. (See photo of Wendell painting in the Amana Colonies above). I don't want to guess how old Wendell really is... I'm sure he has been painting longer than I have been alive-AMAZING man and teacher! But, he said you don't have to wake up everyday and say "Today, I'm going to make a painting or two paintings or whatever. Instead, say to yourself 'Today, I'm going to do SOME painting'." I've been applying that to my work so often lately...not I have to get 3 layouts done today or at this crop, but "Today, I'm going to do some scrapbooking."

My "Scrapbook with Passion Tip of the Day"...

Go "Do SOME scrapbooking today."

Passionate Beginnings

2005-09-27T23:06:00.000-05:00

"Tell me-what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Today...today, I'm trying something new-BLOGGING. I'm not usually one to jump onto the latest technology. I am scared when it comes to programs I don't know. But, for the cause of scrapbooking- I have decided to figure it out. I've rarely meet an art supply I'm afraid to experiment with so the computer should be no different. And, so I have decided to blog.

I hope to use this as a place to share my thoughts, opinions on the scrapbooking market, cool new stuff I've discovered in my artistic journey, books I'm reading and any bits of new information about what's happening at Scrapbook with Passion. For those of you who are curious about what Scrapbook with Passion is all about-let me fill you in.

Scrapbook with Passion is the name of my art studio. I am currently authoring a book on scrapbooking techniques, so you might see me discussing the ups and downs of my new life as an "author". I also design products for the scrapbooking and craft market so I may discuss "my life as a designer" stuff- what has led me to this point in my career, and thoughts about the future of the industry. Maybe, I will share some of the thoughts or tidbits from my speaking engagements as well.

One of my main goals at Scrapbook with Passion is to help every scrapbooker look and feel like an artist. I don't think very many of us look at our scrapbooks as ART. For so many years I have almost felt the need to apologize for the fact that I scrapbook. You know-someone asks you at a party the dreaded "What do you do?" "Well, I have three boys, I teach art one afternoon a week and I scrapbook." After I actually signed a book contract, my friends around me started to add to these conversations stuff like "she is writing a book". For the first time, it was like my work was somehow validated. Now, finally it is important. But, what about the 7-8 years I have spent scrapbooking and teaching in my local scrapbook store??? As a scrapbooking community, we need to embrace the idea that we ARE "scrapbook artists". We need to know what that is, we need to know what that means about how we approach our work and we need to share those ideas with others.

I think this blogging thing could be fun...