Creating Lasting Memories

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Creating Space for Handmade Cards

Posted: Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:12:37 +0000

What do you do with the handmade cards that you receive?

We all jokingly say that no one better ever throw away one of our cards that we so carefully make and then send off. But after awhile, those heartfelt creations start to pile up. Well, I have a system and I thought I’d share it with you. And I’d love to hear your comments on what you do with yours.

I have two ribbon boards in my studio. I put all the cards for one event on one of these boards. For me, I mainly get cards for my birthday, at Christmas and then for Valentine’s Day. So right now, one of my boards is filled with birthday cars:

And then the other board holds my Christmas cards:

To make room for the Christmas cards, I took down last year’s Valentine cards and tied them up with a ribbon:

These I will save for a year. After a year, I go through and choose one or two favorites which go in a wooden box. Some may have a technique that I want to copy and they go in a special binder. The rest get repurposed*, if they can be. Those that can’t be are thrown away making room for the new favorites. (It’s kind of like going through your closet and getting rid of the clothes that no longer fit, are worn out, out of style or you just don’t like the way they look.) Now you have room for the new!

Let me know what you do with yours!

Marjorie

*repurposed: remove the card front and attach it to another card base making a new card which you can send to any number of organizations that collect cards – for families of the sick, for the military, etc. At Creating Lasting Memories we have a monthly “Stamp Your Heart Out” class where we make cards for the military. We often repurpose cards.
Memories of a New Year

Posted: Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:32:00 +0000

Hello bloggers!

It’s a New Year and as I shared with you, I have started a 365 (actually 366 this year) project. I thought I’d share my photos from the first week:

On January 1 we were graced with this awesome sunset. I know a lot of you saw this because there were a bunch of people down at Sporthaven walking on the beach, or just sitting in their cars. And more than a few were taking pictures. I plan to regularly take pictures of sunsets.

January 2 we finally had some rain. I snapped this picture of the raindrops on my car as I looked out my garage door up my street.

January 3 is a photo of my dog, Snickers, in one of her favorite places to lie down these days – behind the dining room table. She is getting deaf in her old age and I think she feels safer there. Gotta love that one ear up and the other down look.

January 4 I had some fun playing with my iPhone camera. This photo was snapped in the dark outside Fred Meyer in my car. See, you really can take pictures anywhere anytime. Who knows what you’ll come up with. I think it is a good idea to take a picture of yourself from time to time.

January 5 we had a wild winter ocean going on outside my window. I took quite a few pictures of the waves crashing over the rocks. I plan to take regular photos of the ocean too. Just because I love it and feel so fortunate to live here. Before I moved here, I never realized how much the ocean changes day to day.

January 6 is a photo of my new exercise shoes that I bought that day. It’s actually a photo for a new class I signed up for at Big Pictures called Move More, Eat Well. The bracelet on top says “I Think. I Live. I Am. PINK.” Great new fitness and nutrition program I started. You can find out more about that here.

January 7 I got home exhausted and tired from work. Something to do with an in-store birthday party making scrapbooks with 7 girls (age 10 and under). I was getting ready for bed and all of a sudden remembered my photo. I grabbed my camera and had fun working with very low light. I really wanted to capture the sparkle on these Christmas flowers that are still out. Found I have an ISO 3200 setting on my snap and shoot. See what I mean about learning more about your camera with this project?

My daughter sent me a link to this site where someone has made a list of things to take a photo of every day, should you need some inspiration. I’ll take all the help I can get.

If you don’t read Allie Edwards’ newsletter (you can subscribe at her blog), she had a great post on Creative Practice. That is what this project is all about. If you are interested in reading what she had to say, send me your email and I will forward it to you. Meanwhile, I hope you are busy creating new memories for 2012.

Marjorie
Lasting Words or Goodbye Story, Hello Focus

Posted: Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:57:40 +0000

Come the new year, you may think what you need to do is get your things organized. I did a series of posts on that subject last year and I would encourage you to re-read them, or read them for the first time. But I think there is something even more valuable for you to do.

For four years now I have been doing the One Little Word project (click on this category from the list on the right if you want to see my posts on the subject).

Every year I struggle a bit with remembering to be engaged with my word. You know how that goes…January, right on top of it but by summer it’s way off somewhere in my mind. Well, last year I did a couple of things to keep it more current in my thinking. For 2011, my word was STORY. First I took a Big Picture class called Yesterday and Today. I don’t know when it will be offered again but it was so good and I really recommend it. It was all about writing stories about your past and stories about today and stories that include a little of both.

Along with that class, I also signed up for and took Allie Edwards’ One Little Word class at Big Picture. It made such a difference and I can not say enough about how valuable this was for me. This class costs $36. Drink one less Starbuck’s latte a month and take this class! You will get one “prompt” each month. The prompt includes handouts, photoshop/Adobe .pdf files to print for the monthly project, and a short video presentation by Allie. The projects are a great combination of art, writing, and picture taking. I am so looking forward to doing it again this year. I urge you to consider it too. As Allie says, “These words have each become a part of my life in one way or another. They’ve been embedded into who I am, and into whom I’m becoming. They’ve been what I’ve needed (and didn’t know I needed). They’ve helped me to breathe deeper, to see clearer, and to grow.”

I have ordered the We R albums and C-Line page protectors that she recommends in the class supply list so it will be really easy for you to get what you need right at Creating Lasting Memories. They should be in by the middle of next week. Oh, my word for 2012? FOCUS. “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:2) Don’t know where that is going to take me this year, but I’m excited to begin the journey and to see where it will lead. So join me! I know you will be glad you did.

Marjorie

PS I am also planning on doing another 365 project. It’s been four years and I think it’s time to do it again. The 365 project is a photo project where you take at least one photo every day. You don’t have to do anything with them if you don’t want to. But you can also use them for layouts (once a week? once a month?). All I know is that I took more photos that year (2008) than every before or since, I learned a ton about my camera and it gave me an eye for the ordinary as well as the special events of my life. A variation on that theme is to take a specific kind of picture everyday, like a photo of the clouds, or a photo of the sunset, or a photo of the ocean (since we live by the sea).
Creating holiday decor with rosettes

Posted: Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:32:37 +0000

I stopped by Dotty’s home on Christmas Eve for a little cheer. To visit my friend, to be sure, and to see her home all decorated for the holidays. She always does such a beautiful job. She loves the victorian look and has acquired such a beautiful collection of simple and elegant decor items. And then she tastefully arranges them.

What really caught my eye was the way she used rosettes. Small ones, big ones and everything in between. They looked so great. Check it out:

She had them strung across the mantle. They were made using 12×12 music note paper that we have at the store. This paper comes with black notes on a cream background on one side and cream notes on black background on the reverse side. She said, “I thought I could even turn them around for Halloween.”

If you decide you want try these, be sure to keep in mind the formula for the circumference of a circle (pi r squared). For example, if the radius is 2 inches, you will need more than 12 inches in length because 2×2=4 and 4 multiplied by 3.14 (pi) is more than 12. So cut yourself two strips of 2×12 paper and glue then together.

And look at all the tags on the swag over the doorway:

Of course, both tags and rosettes could be hung as tree decorations.

Great ideas don’t you think. And you have almost 12 months to get them made for next Christmas!

Happy creating~

Marjorie
Memories of tags dancing in my head

Posted: Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:31:38 +0000

It was another super fun two weeks (or 6 days or way more than 12 hours) of creating fun. Some people call it a class, some may call it art and some even call it therapy. Whatever you want to call it, it was definitely inspiring and so much fun to hang out with these gals and make Tim Holtz style Christmas tags. And we even survived the experience with our sanity intact!

Wanted to post some pictures from the final day. The last tag we made was New Year themed using the clock die cut.

The wonderful Trisha designed and taught this one.

This is Bev and Dotty hard at work. And they are still smiling even on day 6.

Jacki, Loye and Carole having fun too. Check out the Tim Holtz cargo case Jacki got for her birthday from some friends. Lucky! She must have some really nice friends. We discovered that it works really well as an easel (lean the sample tag against the handle and everyone on that side of the table can see it).

And when we finished, we celebrated!

Thanks everyone who came, who taught and who made me smile. You are awesome.

Marjorie
Lasting Tag Fun

Posted: Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:11:38 +0000

The 12 tags of Christmas starts tomorrow at Creating Lasting Memories. As we did last December, I will be sharing the teaching responsibility with the super talented Trisha Easley. Trisha will start off class tomorrow, Monday, December 5, at 1:30. Here’s the tag she will be showing us how to create:

Lots of Cuttlebug work here. We plan on having a couple machines available. But if you want to bring yours, we would not be turning it away! Trisha did say she will be pre-cutting some of the items. I love those little acorns – that’s a Memory Box die.

Then, our second tag, that yours truly will be teaching, features the cardinal stamp and die by Heartfelt Creations. I love this stamp!

If you haven’t heard already, our product that will be used on every tag, is PAPER TAPE. Not just those by Tim, but also those by 7 Gypsies and others.

I’ll be suggesting the following Tim Holtz Tag Basic Kit (in addition to our usual Basic Kit):

craft mat, 3-in-1 Beacon adhesive or Glossy Accents, distressor, ink blending tool and foam pads, distress inks, sanding block, tonic scissors, paper piercer, & mini mister.

Class size is limited but we do have room for 2 more in Monday’s class. There will be more fabulous tags on Tuesday and Wednesday (classes begin at 10:30 a.m.) and then the schedule repeats the following week. Please call and sign up. Tags for the next day will be posted the day before. Looking forward to sharing this time with all of you.

Some have asked, “What do you do with the tags?” First, you can easily make them in to a card (3 1/2 x 7) which fits perfectly into a legal size envelope. Then you can hang them on your tree, or a wreath or a swag. Like this:

Last, but certainly not least, if you want some more inspiration, check out Tim’s blog for his 2011 Tags.

Marjorie
Creating with words

Posted: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:39:41 +0000

I just finished talking an online course in writing taught by Allie Edwards called “Storyology.” If you struggle with journaling on your scrapbook pages, if you think journaling is unnecessary, or if you just want some work on this form of creativeness, then I highly recommend this class. The cost is $14, and in my opinion well worth every cent. It includes a 2 hour video, a handout, and 6 “prompts” (writing assignments). I found it inspiring, challenging and really informative. Some of the ideas are really easy to do. You can watch the video in segments. You have unlimited access to the course so you can back and review as many times as you want for as long as you want.

Interested? Follow this link to sign up. http://aliedwards.com/shop/project-classes/storyology

Marjorie
Memories….of a Perfectly Ordinary Day

Posted: Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:14:16 +0000

11-11-11

The numbers said it was an extraordinary day.

Waiting until the shadows were long, I headed out with my dog and my camera. I couldn’t let this once-in-a-lifetime day pass without a picture.

From my back yard I snapped this photo of the sunset:

Stunning. I should never take it for granted that I get to see sunsets like this all the time.

We, my Snickers and I, headed over to the field by the mill. Of course, there were deer, one of whom was a little disconcerted to see a dog approaching:

But this one seemed to care less about us (she should have been a little more concerned as the dog was off the leash at this point):

And for reason (I suspect we pruned them late) the hydrangeas in our yard, which refused to bloom all summer, are now radiantly beautiful:

Nothing extraordinary here – just an ordinary day. But so gorgeous. And I don’t live in a war zone, with burned out buildings and no vegetation to be seen. I have a beautiful home and family and a life of peace and beauty. Am I blessed? Yes. But I am also grateful for the soldiers who defended my right to have such a life. Thank you to all the vets who have given me a perfectly ordinary day.

“May the Lord bless you and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Marjorie
Lasting…..Christmas cards

Posted: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:33:10 +0000

It must be that time to start to thinking about your Christmas cards if you plan to make them. We’ve had a lot of customers coming in and getting stamps, ink and paper just for that purpose. There is still a great selection though, so I thought I’d share some with you in this post.

For starters, Great Impressions has a nice set plus instructions for 6 different cards. Come in and check out the display board. It is typical Great Impressions style – lots of glitter, just perfect for the holidays. As always, the stamp of the month (the flourish right in the middle of the photo below) is half price if you buy one of any of the other stamps in the set.

I love this reindeer, which is also part of this collection. It’s a perfect example of an easy to make card that looks fabulous.

We’ve got lots of nice sayings, too. Here are a few:

This snowman sparkles especially if you add a little glass glitter and “frosted ice”:

And last, but not least, we’ve got several nativity scenes like this one in cling (please excuse the glare from the plastic packaging):

And trees are always popular and make great cards. We’ve got realistic ones and stylized ones, depending on your preference:

So I encourage you to stop in soon while the selection is still good and you have plenty of time to make your cards. Blog special: Mention this post and get 30% off all Christmas stamps.

Marjorie
Creating with acrylic paint and paper bags

Posted: Thu, 03 Nov 2011 05:30:32 +0000

I love discovering a new technique that uses supplies I already have. In this case, it is printed paper bags from my store and acrylic paint. Before I start, let me give credit to Karin Mason who showed me how to do this at the Coastal Crop Getaway. It really makes some great punched embellishments. I especially like the weight of these text covered paper bags. If you shop at Creating Lasting Memories, you probably have one or two of these. If you don’t have one, stop by and we’ll give you one.

The first step is to prepare the paper bag. You want to cover the surface of the bag with clear slick sealant like Modge Podge. I used Golden soft gel and it worked fine. You could probably even use a white glue. I like the look of the gloss best. While it is still wet paint with two or three colors of acrylic paint in random spots. It works best if you leave some areas unpainted so the text shows through. Really, just roughly paint here and there like this:

Once dry, you can punch shapes, little or big, or both. Make a large dye cut for a scrapbook page or small elements for a card, ATC or tag. Love these butterflies:

Or how about leaves?

Aren’t these little envelopes cute?

Happy creating!

Marjorie