Let's talk about Swaps and Scraps!

Good Morning my fellow paper addicted pals :) 

I'm not sure sometimes what I'm thinking when I decide to do things...I am currently working away on a CTMH Swap with some lovely ladies in Canada...just spent last Saturday at a 12 hour School fundraising crop and two weeks before that I had another 12 hour School fundraising crop as well as a week of Workshops and a Card Class...phew...I am really enjoying myself of course, meeting some great people and showing off all of CTMH's fantastic products...but we always seem to forget the actual time it takes to prep for these events and Classes and Workshops and Swaps...don't we? Oh well, I'll get plenty of rest when I'm old...I'd add in there grey too, but alas...that part is here already!

So I'm prepping for my Swap right now and I don't know about you, but I can't seem to throw out my 1" strips of paper...it's a problem I know I have but I have room technically to keep it, so I do! My thought is that I just might need that 1" strip and I'm happy to say that I'M RIGHT!!! As you can see I've used up some of my 1" strips creating the title for my Swap...they are actually extremely handy for trimming them and I have decided to stamp extras just because I might use them with this paper later...these letters are going to be trimmed out, edges inked and added to my Swap pieces to be mailed out this week! I'll post pictures of the Swap layouts once they are in the mail to my Swappin' Gals...

Sometimes I just like to pull out my stamps and inks, grab some cardstock and play...this way I can sit at the table while the family is watching a movie, doing homework or just hanging out...I don't feel guilty leaving everyone like I would when I go down to my Workshop alone and I have the TV and family to keep me company. Some of my neatest embellishments have been made this way...there are times when I want to be creative but I don't really want to scrapbook and I find that this is a great way to get to know your stamp sets...play with colour combinations and be productive while spending time with your family.

It is fun to stamp and play with my stamps and inks when I have them out and am creating...then I just tuck my creations into a zippy or my paper pack envelope, sometimes I've already trimmed them and sometimes I just sit on the couch while we're watching our favorite shows and cut them out then...next time I'm creating with that particular paper collection...I've already got some embellishments made to use...faster.simpler.easier....that's what it's all about with Close To My Heart.

Here I've stamped, embossed, punched and inked chipboard bits...some I was planning on using but didn't and some I just cut out and put in my sturdy CTMH storage envelopes...

And because I love to show you how messy I can get while scrapbooking...

  

I have to say I am lucky that I have a supportive husband...this is the main floor kitchen area, the island to be specific...I do have a very large scrapbooking Workshop just for me downstairs...but remember how I mentioned I like to be around my family...tee hee