Catalog

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!!!

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

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!

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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...

"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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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...