My Creative Life

Happy Birthday to Katheryn!

2010-06-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

My dear daughter celebrates 27 orbits!

Happy Birthday Honey!

Of course, that makes this my 'giving birth' day!

:)

Pam Hoffman

Katheryn, Jeff and I waiting to hear Laurel K. Hamilton talk about her books!

My How Time Gets Away From You!

2010-06-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

Well, at least for me it has. I've been doing a lot of cool stuff and having a lot of fun!

I was in Las Vegas for 10 days at a business forum last month. Got home & had to recuperate a bit, then had a virus for a couple of days and then..

My Daughter was in town for a week!

And had to sample all the local cuisine she couldn't get in Sicily...

This, boys and girls, we call a Foodgasm!

We actually made charm bracelets from these 'Keys of Life' I found at the hotel gift store. They are charms shaped like keys with words etched into them. I got two sets of each word I found there.

While we used them for the base, they turned out very differently.

My daughter added a bunch of cool charms we found at the local Michael's, beads I had around and some other odds & ends and I'm not quite finished with mine I don't think.

I started an infinity dress from scratch for my Wardrobe Refashion work and got really frustrated with the sewing machine so I'll look at that again later.

Oh and there were some other things, like the Solstice Fair.

Actually, the week my daughter was here was way busier than usual for me! Maybe I'll write up a couple of those events for you in future posts, yeah, that sounds good. ;)

I just wanted to catch up a bit and get back into this process we call 'blogging' before my new one died before it really got started!

Thanks for visiting,

Pam Hoffman

Jeff and I celebrating Katheryn's Birthday with her while she was here!

Do I Need a "Get Out of Jail" Card?

2010-04-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

The other day, I noticed that I was down to 2 pair of pants I could wear out in public (ok, and that fit) since I did a number on one pair recently and I've put on a little weight lately.

I have NO CONFIDENCE whatsoever in my ability to make a new pair of pants at this time so...

I bought 2 pair & got one free from Catherine's the other day. They had to drop ship the exact pairs though since they didn't have my size & color in the store.

They said no charge for the shipping and it was a pretty good deal so I got them.

Now, I'm not totally dismayed because of a recent find at a used book store (they had a buy one, get one free sale too!). I bought something called "Pants for Any Body" and it looks dy-no-mite!

Cover of the book

Check out what they write in the introduction...

Our first edition of Pants for Any Body emphasized measuring as a way to achieve perfect fit. Then we found that the only measurements people could accurately take on themselves were length and width -- crotch measurements were virtually impossible. Since then in our nationwide seminars we've fitted over 50,000 people in pants made from a commercial pattern in 1/4" gingham checked fabric. Gingham takes away all the guesswork! So, in our revised Pants for Any Body, we strongly emphasized this easier, more accurate gingham method and practically no measuring!

[my note: why not find your favorite fit in the inseam, take the pants off and use a tape measure to find the length - mine is 29"?]

They go on:

Our pant fitting philosophy is different than most:
1. We use commercial patterns rather than teaching you to draft your own. After all, patterns are one of the least expensive ingredients in sewing pants, and the most time consuming to create yourself. All the major pattern companies use a "sloper" or master pattern to develop their designs and all are similar in shape. We'll teach you how to find out where your body varies from commercial patterns and how to make alterations to compensate for those differences. You will then have to make those alterations on ANY PATTERN YOU SEW. Your full tummy doesn't go away just because you switched from a Butterick to a McCalls' pattern!
2. We don't promise you a perfect pattern that you can cut, sew and wear without ever trying on. That's impossible unless you never fluctuate one ounce in weight, never make a cutting error (1/8" error times 8 seam allowances around a pant can make each pair 1" different in size), and always use exactly the same fabric (every fabric fits differently). You can, however, alter a pattern to be close to your size and shape and then use our Fit-As-You-SewTM system to create PERFECT PANTS.
3. You can use ANY fabric with ANY pattern. You don't need a special pattern for knits and another for woven fabrics. Using our same Fit-As-You-SewTM system, you can get good fit with any fabric.
4. A great looking pant goes beyond good fit! It is also selecting the best style for your figure, the best fabric for that style, and sewing beautiful pant details. Pockets that gap, zippers that pucker, and pleats that pooch all detract from good fit. We think choosing the right pattern, fabric, and sewing techniques together form the "great pants package deal." We'll even share some of our favorite tips for fast pant sewing -- how about "Great Pants in 3 Hours"!!
After fitting 50,000 bodies, we know we can fit pants to ANY body -- even yours!

Doesn't that sound divine?

Besides, I can't WEAR the new pants until I launder them... and laundry day is Wednesday!

;)

Have YOU had any clothing adventures lately? How about great finds? Why not share?

Pam Hoffman

"Pants for Any Body" is by Pati Palmer & Susan Pletsch Revised expanded edition copyright 1982 I can provide more information from the book if you would like, just leave your request in the comments!

Wanna Book?

2010-04-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2010-04-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

Well a lot has happened since Easter...

I got a haircut
The crop in Orange
Running errands galore!
Getting the car ready for a road trip next month
Swaps!
A little bit of shopping

And NO BLOGGING!

A friend sent this & I couldn't resist sharing! ;)

Have YOU seen any funny craft related cartoons lately? Would you mind sharing them?

:)

Pam Hoffman

Happy Easter All You Rabbits Out There!

2010-04-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

I Finished a Refashion!

2010-03-30T16:27:00.001-07:00

My Goodness...

As a simple, starter project, the ruffled scarf seemed like a good first 'refashion' for me.

Yeah, Right!

My boyfriend has been so good to me, he's on the local freecycle and scored a bunch of second hand clothes which I'm putting to use in my refashions.

The thrift stores around here seem to have price tags like the retail stores to me. Of course, I'm originally from Ohio and I scored 20 shirts for $5 once (some of which i'm still wearing and that was oh, 15-20 years ago?!?). So maybe it's me...

Here's what I started with:

way small, knit, workout pants, slight stain, soft white color, soft to the touch, obtained Jan'10

The ruffled scarf jumped to mind. Not many of these have given me what they want to be yet, this most definitely did!

I read everything I could get my mouse on from Nikki's Wardrobe Refashion site and I started cutting. I'm pretty good at cutting. And that is the best part of this story.

I actually got 4 lengths total out of the pants, trimmed into long rectangles...

So Far, So Good!

Next comes, you guessed it, sewing these lengths together to form one long, Long, LONG rectangle!

Only one problem, I don't have a sewing machine.

Enter Laura who loans me a machine and I'm in business, right? Riiiight!

This machine is very reminiscent of mine and perhaps you remember me talking about how moody it is? Well, Laura's machine isn't quite as moody, not quite...

So I basically stitch these 4 lengths together...

Which actually didn't go too badly.

I used white thread on the white fabric and did the pieces 'back to back' (i use "" marks because by now, i couldn't tell!) then I opened up the length and sewed the seam down to the length, all this was with a straight stitch.

So Far, So Good STILL!

THEN, I get to try out this edging business which should make the edge do some nice lettuce leaf look... um, not so much with this fabric:

This took a LOT of thread too.

And I had to use some Navy thread to finish... it's kind of hard to tell so not to worry overly...

Big, not very lettuc-y

And something happened to the tension after awhile. And it didn't go away until I sewed on some paper of all things!

Actually, none of this was all that hard, just little frustrating and a lot of work to keep the tension on the edges to get what I did even with the lettuce edge attempt. It just didn't work out the way I thought it would.

And the final step, to thread some ribbon thru the center. Sounds simple, right?

Ice Cream ALWAYS helps, you know! :)
Riiight!

First off, I couldn't get my ribbon threaded needle thru the darn fabric. The weave was very tight. I actually DID get it thru the ends as I wanted the knot to work. Oh, I even bypassed that idea by putting a decorative bead on the ends.

Needle being stubborn!

Ha! Fixed that!!

Actually, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Oh, I did all that. Only I didn't like how it bunched up with the weight of the cloth which left some of it spread quite thin, unless it's REALLY bunched up.

So I pulled the ribbon out...

And tried looping the ribbon around a couple of places to help distribution a little better.

Still not happy with it. It sure is warm! Just in time for our dip back into winter weather.

Did anyone else have this problem? Perhaps the fabric is heavier or something. I might just bunch it up more tightly all around.

bunchier... looks a little better...

Got any tips? Leave me a note!

Pam Hoffman

Royalty Over the Rainbow

2010-03-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

What an amazing adventure participating in Scrapbook Royalty's "Royalty Over the Rainbow" last weekend!

I'm especially grateful to Elena & Nanci for enabling me to be there:

Nanci & Elena

I got to try out new techniques I never tried before...

Like altering pages in a book by painting on them and sewing on them, right in the book!

...and creating ribbon layered hearts of felt (in Rainbow colors!)

Thanks to Cheryl, pounding into damp chipboard with special tools!

The food, by Zele, was wonderful and rejuvenating, all catered. It's Royalty alright!

I stayed up all night and enjoyed the peace and quiet and productivity without distractions.

Lots of people were there and art for sale, a silent auction and craft supplies galore!

Almost forgot, the goody bag, bucket w/tools, the Fairy Flybys!!! So wonderful. It's too much to put into a blog post. You gotta join us some day!

Have you been on a crafts retreat? Has it been awhile? Check out Scrapbook Royalty for ways to get away AND do good at the same time!

Pam Hoffman

I got a LOT done at this retreat!

Use What You Have!

2010-03-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

I read a blog post by Wanda Eash recently and it got me all excited. You see, she made a confession - she has a lot of craft stuff! You know, I do too!

So I followed her very nice explanation and took a bunch of stuff I have now...

And created this:

It's almost done!

"This is a great way to use up some of those crafting leftovers." ~Wanda Eash

I just LOVE this concept as I've had some of the pieces on this hanging around for YEARS! And now I have a beautiful charm bracelet I love and I love wearing it.

What do YOU have around that you could put to use? Have you done that before? What did you create?

Post a link in the comments and I may just do a blog post centered around YOUR work of art and link back to you from here.

Pam Hoffman

First Official 'Refashions'

2010-03-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, I told you that I made a commitment to 'refashion' rather than purchase from new. Ok, not a huge stretch since I haven't bought anything new in quite some time. Still, challenging for me since I'm not much of a 'thread and needle' person...

According to Nikki Shell, on her Wardrobe Refashion blog, this is taking something else and making it into your wearable clothes. It could be yarn, fabric, you could have something handmade for you (or buy from another person who makes things from these materials say from etsy...) so there is some room to work with, even for someone like me.

Freecycle item, way smaller than we are!

I started cutting some freecycled items and old t-shirts at the monthly Crop in Orange, in preparation for my first, official refashions, and figured I'd be somewhat stuck there for want of a sewing machine.

T-Shirt that fits

Well, some friends and I worked up a crafting session last Sunday and I borrowed a sewing machine from one of them, who let me keep it around for a bit to continue working with.

Now this thing isn't brand new yet it performed WAY BETTER than mine ever did!

So I have a couple of things that are just about ready to be worn. I've taken bunches of photos so I'll do some detailed posts about them as soon as they are finished!

Have you transformed something that no longer fit or that you loved yet it was too worn, into something you CAN use again? Have you SEEN all the cool things people have made at the Wardrobe Refashion site?

Pam Hoffman

March 13th, at the Crop in Orange!

Magazine Swap

2010-03-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

I have acquired several magazines, which are duplicates of some I already have.

I scanned the covers here [in no particular order]:

If you have extra or duplicate magazines (or something ELSE you'd like to swap!) and you would like to arrange a swap with me, leave a comment or email me directly; my contact information is located on a new 'page' on the blog.

I got these from a 'freebie' table at a crop so I don't know if they are in perfect condition, they do look quite good and I could take a look, upon request.

Have you had a blog swap? What did you offer to your visitors? How did it work out?

Pam Hoffman

Volunteering at the UCI Arboretum

2010-03-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I spent the day volunteering for Laura over at the UCI Arboretum.

Laura

Everything was so 'bright' & 'full' from the rain we’ve been getting here in southern California!

We helped with getting the tables & chairs set up again, replenished the potted plants on the wire shelves and then we did check ins and sales.

Aeonium "Sunburst"

It probably wasn’t a super busy day for the arboretum; it WAS just wonderful to be around all the plants and all the really nice folks who came to look at plants and/or to buy plants.

I took bunches of pictures of plants that I found interesting. I carefully captured the information tags with the plants to get the info Laura put with the plants to think about what might be good where in our own garden.

Arctotis "Burgandy"

Aloe Plicantilis aka Fan or Candelabra Aloe

An Amazing specimen of Aloe Plicantilis in the Arboretum!

Laura was very kind and allowed us to pick a plant when we were done to take home. What a departure from sitting in front of my computer all day most every day!

need to find out what these are!

The rain stayed away and we got a mixture of clouds, sun & blue sky. It was nice to be out in the sun and soak up some 'filtered' rays.

General overview of the sale area

If you are ANYWHERE near the UCI (University of California Irvine) campus, I urge you to check out the UCI Arboretum. Hours, map & other info are on their website, just click on the link!

Most open days are no cost and this is just a pleasant way to spend some time with nature, learning new things with visually exciting plants, some quite rare, and be outdoors!

The Next Events at UCI Arboretum...

Mar 20 2010 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Saturday Plant Sale
Apr 10 2010 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM April Showers of Flowers
May 1 2010 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Spring Perennial Sale
May 2 2010 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM Spring Perennial Sale

Details on these and future events on the Event Calendar

Pam Hoffman

Playing around at Crafty Chica's booth, CHA Jan'10 in Anaheim, CA

I Made a Commitment!

2010-03-04T14:55:00.000-08:00

I am a Wardrobe ReFashioner!

Here's the official pledge:

I __________________ pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 / 4 / 6 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that my thriftiness brings! Signed__________________.

Only, I need to amend this slightly for my handicap(s)...

You see...I'm not very good with the needle & thread. Perhaps I shall change that for myself by taking on this challenge.

I haven't bought anything new for myself in a very long time. That has more to do with budget than my particular skill set.

OH, and I don't have a working sewing machine at the moment...

You KNOW that I'm 'green' so this is a no-brainer.

I'll do the very best I can to work with 'preloved' clothing items and create something new from them for myself rather than buying new stuff from the store; for the rest of my life!

I must admit, I'm not a big fan of clothes shopping in the first place so this opens up a world of possibilities in that respect as well! I don't think my 'size' on top and bottom are in sync...

So Here Goes...

I, Pam Hoffman, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the rest of my life, as best as I can.

I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate and recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract to the best of my ability.

I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that my thriftiness brings!

Signed,

Pamela Hoffman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Funny thing, I LOVE to embroider, so perhaps I'll start there!

I know I'll continue to get a ton of help and inspiration from Nikki's Wardrobe Refashion blog anytime I visit. It's a wonderful community!

There IS a bit of wiggle room in the rules [tho i'll try not to abuse them!] so we'll see how this works out.

Do YOU refashion anything in your wardrobe or your family's wardrobe? Do you like to sew? Won't you check out Nikki's site? :)

Pam Hoffman

The sleeve of a worn out turtle neck shirt becomes a
'fingerless glove'! [the 'thumb hole' was already there! ;)]

It's a start...

"I'm Sweet, Smart & Green"

2010-03-01T12:07:00.001-08:00

Christmas present from a friend...

Speaking of "GREEN," it seems to be a big deal to be 'green' these days.

Have you changed your habits in the face of this new wave of thinking? Perhaps recycling and such is something of a new concept for some people. For me, it's been SOP (standard operating procedure) for decades now, only I always called it 'spaceship thinking.'

Ponder if you lived on a spaceship, even a very large one.

Wouldn't you have to do things a little differently?

Would you dispose of that wrapper in the same way that you do now?

I suppose it helps to live in a community, like ours, that collects separate bins in which you put the different items. We create very, very little actual 'waste' at this time... when I had a compost heap, it was even smaller.

And when you've been at this a very long time, you start seeing the creative possibilities in practically EVERYTHING!

Here are some examples...

Body: plastic from Mel
Markings: photo 'twins' from other people's scraps & pens
Antennae: wire from my stash
All but the wire is from otherwise discarded material*

A 12x12 'Layout' ready for your photos...

A close up: all of them are strips cut from the unwanted photos from other crafters. I LOVE all the textures from these scraps! They also work very nicely in a punch.

I go to a couple of crops (crop=a gathering of crafters) per month and many of the other folks generate various scraps from cropping photos, cutting papers, and other things.

If I see that they have pitched them, and they are still dry (not covered in actual debris like food) I ask to have them.

This does a couple of things right away...

Saved!
It keeps these things out of a landfill. Yes, my particular contribution may be small (over the decades it has added up no doubt!).

Endless Supply!
It has the added benefit of alerting others to my particular process and consequently, I get a whole bunch of great scraps now and they are freely given.

Maybe Even Inspirational
I like to think that I may be leading by example...so many people have remarked on how amazing it is to get something from such scraps. They bring me theirs and maybe, just maybe, they will create something from something that might have otherwise been discarded unnecessarily.

I'm certainly inspired by the scraps from others!

I've been at it so long, I can even see ways to create things with the packaging that almost ALWAYS gets thrown away:

The Packaging - had Lil Davis buttons in between the layers

I thought it might make a good double 'shaker box' with the two layers...

Testing the Layers

The Finished Product:

Front

& Back

What are you doing with your discarded items? Are they ending up being recycled some way or do they go to the landfill? Can you put some of them to good use instead?

Pam Hoffman

*The completed 'butterfly' was sent to the Holocaust Museum Houston, for The Butterfly Project

Lady Gaga in High School....

2010-02-28T17:46:00.000-08:00

Seems there is a fervor over how different Stefani Germanotta, now known as 'Lady Gaga,' was before in High School and how different she is now.

I'd like to weigh in on this one...

Seems to me that when you are in H.S. you are expected to conform, and most of us do.

Don't you think that when you are an adult, it's time to be yourself?

This blog is all about the creative part of my life. I'm no Lady Gaga yet I still have great ways to express myself and you do too!

I want to be known for different things than Stefani Germanotta wants to be known for. Maybe you do too. It's all good.

Yet we can take a page out of Stefani's book and find our best self and the way we express that.

Are you willing to take a chance on being unique? Have you found your style?

Pam Hoffman

Me & my Navy girl at her graduation from basic training in Chicago, March 2004

"When You Have a Dream..

2010-02-27T23:44:00.000-08:00

...you've got to grab it and never let go." ~Carol Burnett

I Created a New Blog!

2010-02-26T13:14:00.000-08:00

For several years, I've enjoyed Valentine's Day very much for all the hearts and 'love' items on the market. I collect new items almost every year and I pull out many of them and start decorating around the house, a little bit like you might do at Christmas!

It all started when I read a book called "Love 101" which helps you be more loving towards yourself.

I recently had an idea about this particular emotion, so to support it, I started a blog!

To visit my "You Are Love" blog, just click on the link!

Pam Hoffman

*Disclaimer: As a member of "Amazon" I will receive a material gain if you follow the link from here to there and make a purchase.

Blog Follower Giveaway

2010-02-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

I am SO GRATEFUL to my followers that I will send each one of you (ok, probably not my boyfriend!) a little giftie, a RAK (random act of kindness) if you will.

I know that I like getting mail so...

If you are following me RIGHT NOW and you'd like a craft item, probably greeting card(s) or something like that, send your physical/snail mail address to pamhoffman at cox dot net to claim your prize by 2/21!

If you write a little bit about what you do or what you like, I can send something a little more focused on your interests, if I have anything like that!

Are you having a giveaway? Do you ever practice RAK (random acts of kindness)? Do you know how to get followers? Leave a comment so we can all learn!

Pam Hoffman

Fairy Orb my mom sent me for my birthday!

The Magic of Getting Mail...

2010-02-17T22:05:00.000-08:00

I just LOVE getting cool stuff in the mail, don't you?

Well, it was a great day for mail today.

Three interesting things arrived.

I got a prize I won from The Kerrs....

beautifully wrapped!

I had forgotten that I won this so I was wondering what I had until I opened the package:

Thank You Jenny & Travis!

And for some reason, this came to me too:

I'll be digging thru the pages to see if there are any interesting images I can use for crafting and I'll probably recycle the rest (or maybe use some words from the pages).

I looked thru the items inside and they are better than average for this kind of thing!

And I did a survey a little while back and the reward came today too...

I was actually kind of expecting this one and I knew right away what it was about upon seeing the return address:

Do you have any prize winning tips on winning prizes and giveaways? What have you won lately? Are you using giveaways on your blog for anything?

Pam Hoffman

OWOH Winner!

2010-02-15T10:39:00.001-08:00

Thank you all SO MUCH for visiting my blog for this One World, One Heart event!

You are ALL winners - you met some great new blogger buddies and you got a lot of eye candy with all the prizes and all the things everyone creates and posts to their blogs and maybe even a little inspiration! I know I did.

And the blogs are still there to go and see. I'll be visiting even more as I did not get through the entire list in time - found out about it a bit late I suppose...

As for the giveaway on MY blog, I printed out all the eligible entries, cut them to size (as uniformly as possible!) and had my boyfriend pick out a winner!

drumroll please..

And the WINNER IS...

Grace!

I'll send Grace an email message letting her know that she is the winner of the greeting cards (and a few other things i picked up over the weekend!).

Thank you all for participating in my blog giveaway for OWOH!

Pam Hoffman

One World, One Heart: A Blogging Community Event!

2010-02-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

I recently learned of an interesting event:

I have read the particulars, which I think I understand, and I have decided to participate!

Thanks to Lisa for creating this and continuing the process which seems like a daunting task to me!

A little bit about One World One Heart...

Who: Lisa Swifka
What: OWOH is an annual blogging community event
When: once a year, OWOH was started by Lisa in 2007
Objective: to encourage a closer community amongst bloggers with a little prize for commentors thrown in for incentive

OK, so here's my giveaway...

I recently participated in a card swap which is the inspiration for this giveaway.

I am offering at least ONE (1) giveaway of one set of 4 handmade greeting cards (blank inside for your own message) & envelopes to send them in, of my own design, also including my 'pam-o' branding on the backs and pictured here:

No guarantees but I have a little time before I send this prize out and I may get a chance to add in more goodies. You'll just have to participate and see!

IF YOU WANT TO WIN...
If you want to win my giveaway, you want to follow the directions!

#1 Leave a comment on THIS blog post on MY blog!
#2 Make sure to include some way for me to contact you in the event YOU win so I can get your mailing address and ship the prize to you!
#3 Your comment must appear on this post of my blog by February 12th at midnight MY TIME [i'm in southern California if you want to look it up!]
#4 I reserve the right to eliminate a comment (and therefore your entry!) which seems to be objectionable which includes hate related, sp@m related, racist, sexist, ageist or anything I think of as objectionable and I'm pretty darn tolerant!

If you don't want your kid sister or grandmother reading it, it shouldn't be in your comment!

This giveaway is open to anyone who leaves a comment and follows the directions!

Winner will be ANNOUNCED on my blog February 15th sometime as I will be celebrating Valentine's Day on the 14th and then my birthday on the 15th!! It's a busy time of the year for me.

There is still a little time left to join. Will you visit Lisa's site and get on board of the One World, One Heart bandwagon or will you wait until next year? You do not have to be a creative type, you do need to have an active blog!

Pam Hoffman

Scrapbook Expo January 2010, Costa Mesa, CA

2010-02-05T16:08:00.000-08:00

Last month, at Scrapbook Expo, my friend Rich Newell came along and helped me by obtaining pictures and videos of part of my day there.

This is some of that material...

It was the first time I ever did anything like this so it was definitely a learning experience!

I think I would do things a little differently next time.

We filmed on Sunday and after it was all over, I found myself wishing I had arrived at the Expo on Friday, did all my wandering and shopping and picked up all the material there and planned out Sunday in advanced.

As it was, I was there on Sunday figuring things out and having no real idea what I wanted to accomplish and knowing very little about where things were, etc. If you'd like to do something like this, I recommend you get the particulars nailed down before you get your camera crew there - especially if you are paying! Rich and I have a mutually beneficial arrangement here as he is into graphic arts, etc. and can showcase his work and expand his portfolio this way.

Anywho, the first of the videos about the show is right here:

The Expo is probably best covered in a couple of days - I only kept Rich about 1/2 day which was lucky since it rained after he left.

I stuck around to do my shopping and browse.

Like I said, I wish I'd have done that on Friday.

Have you been to the Scrapbook Expo? in which city? what did you like the best about it? the least?

We have more video to show you so stay tuned!

Pam Hoffman

See the way cool pendant? Christmas present from my daughter!

February, My Favorite Month!

2010-02-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

Between busy, lazy and life, I'm finally getting here to freshen up things. Mind you February is one of my favorite months of the year!

Here in Southern California, the rain has brought the green and flowers blossoming (sorry everybody back in snow country!) and in February Valentine's Day then my birthday are here to celebrate and I've taken a fancy to all things hearts, lovey dovey and Valentine-y as my personal favorites, second only to Christmas.

I have lots to share, so stay tuned as I get back in gear here! ;)

Thanks for visiting, hope you enjoy the new background stuff...I could leave it up a long time! ;)

Pam Hoffman

Everything WLCA @ CHA

2010-01-24T00:41:00.000-08:00

OK, THAT would be virtually impossible. I just learned about an organization called 'Everything Mary' at the World's Largest Crop Attempt at CHA so it became the inspiration for my title! ;)

This was a fun crop!

First off, this is an enormous room!

Something over 300 people were there to spend up to 13 hours of creating, socializing, doing make-n-takes, watching demos and experiencing various products all organized by Scrapbook Royalty and the amazing volunteers in that organization.

Oh, and CHAs Craft Supershow was going on downstairs too if you wanted to browse the hall.

I was invited by some great people from the Crop in Orange to sit with them. I was amazed to realize that I actually knew quite a few of the folks who came to participate.

Some of my table mates..

I participated in some of the demos & make-n-takes like this two page Birthday layout:

Overall, it was an amazing day and everyone seemed to have a great time.

Will you be in Chicago next summer? Want to help us try again for the World's Largest Crop Attempt? Sounds like it will be at CHA again so keep a look out for that one!

Pam Hoffman

at the World's Largest Crop Attempt during CHA

Update 1/27/10: I learned that Scrapbook Royalty raised $10,000 for Kids in Need! Bravo SBR!

This is funny..

2010-01-21T22:16:00.001-08:00

My boyfriend plays role playing games. He's done it for a loooong time!

He took a quiz and I told him to send it to me. Here's the result...

I Am A: Neutral Good Human Sorcerer (7th Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-12

Dexterity-13

Constitution-10

Intelligence-13

Wisdom-14

Charisma-12

Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)