Official Scrapbooking Hash Tags

With CHA right around the corner, and lots of tweets going and not going, I propose official scrapbooking hash tags. Game? Any more to add?

#scrap = anything SBR
#chaw09 - 2009 CHA Winter Show
#chas09 - 2009 CHA Summer Show
#sbpga - scrap book product give away
#sbc - scrap booking contest

My latest project: GCS Web Site

Yesterday I held a training session for the teachers at my son's school on the school's new web site I developed. Check it out: Galveston Catholic School. This has been a great experience for me. I was taken back to the days when I developed and delivered end-user training at Shell. I've learned so much by immersing myself in the enterprise solutions offered by Google. I got to see the light bulb of learning go off in the eyes of my son's teachers. I was able to impart something useful and exciting to people who truly appreciated it... so much so that we're doing it again next week!

MDF Initials

I scrapped these real quick for Christmas gifts for all the kids.

Scrapbooking meets "The Office"

I loooove Cosmo Cricket. Not just the product, but also all the people of the company. Lindsay (used to be with SEI) and Julie and Eric (the famous Comstocks at WRMemory Keepers keep it real and keep it really funny. These videos are proof. And they're doing a great job using their blog and video performances to create interest around their new products. They have made the ideal scrapbooking company. I hope Larry knows how lucky he is. (Note: CHA is the huge trade show in Anaheim, CA every January. My quote about CHA: "When a scrapbooker dies and goes to heaven, it looks a lot like CHA.")

Joining the bandwagon

Everyone else is doing it; I might as well.

Ali Edwards picks one word to focus on throughout the year. For me, my word for 2009 is LIGHT:

• I've gained a few pounds since the wedding, so I need to LIGHTEN my load.
• I want to rediscover photography, focusing on natural LIGHT.
• Christ is the LIGHT of the World; I want to bring more of Him into my world.
• I'm burdened by stuff from my move. I want to release the stuff and LIGHTEN my footprint.
• I want to really look into the eyes of my loved ones and see the LIGHT in their eyes.

So maybe I should call this blog, Light Here, Light Now :-)

Galveston, Now Open

I've decided to do a photo essay of some of the businesses now open on Galveston Island. Survivors of Hurricane Ike, they are welcome sights to see! Check it out! Galveston, Now Open!

I need to get back into blogging

Hanging out on the web, I learn something new all the time. Right now I'm learning (realizing) that I miss blogging. So now I'm learning how to export and import blogger blogs. So for now I'm re-publishing some of my favorite and relevant posts right here.

Published Work

For a scrapbooker, getting published is a mark of honor. I remember first time I submitted, on whim, and my submission was selected. "A Good Day Shopping" appeared in a Memory Makers idea book on 3D embellishments...when 3D embellishments were made, not manufactured! I must say, my layouts that are selected for publication tend to be the ones that I did when I was "in The Zone," the place where creativity flows without thinking, without effort. I strive to be in The Zone on every layout, every card, every project. Below are some of my published favorites.

"My Son Has Planned a Work of Art"
Memory Makers
Celebrating Holidays Scrapbook Style Idea Book


"HOG"
Memory Makers
Scrapbooking Your Adult Years Idea Book




"First Tooth"
Carson Dellosa
Memorabilia Matters Scrapbook Idea Book




"Grandma's Letters"
Carson Dellosa
Memorabilia Matters Scrapbook Idea Book


"Sink Bath"

Scrapbook Trends Magazine

Texas 2008: GASC vs. CKU

This year, CKU-Houston is scheduled for the same weekend as GASC-Arlington. So why does this matter? Well, I'm in Houston. The big show every year is the GASC in Arlington, just outside of Ft. Worth. It's one of the largest shows and I've attended every year since I discovered scrapbooking. My parents and my sister live in Arlington, so the June event has been my busman's holiday for years. I can't pass up free room and board and babysitting!

GASC, which in now owned and run by F&W Publishing, is getting head-on competition from the other major player, CK Media. Texas will be torn in two. The Rubber Stamp & Scrapbook Expo , usually the second week of June in Houston, is switching venues and seasons. It will be in Conroe, north of Houston, in October for 2008. But Texas scrappers may find themselves torn between the two early summer events.

The difference is in the offering. GASC is a traditional trade show, with a vendor hall plus classes running all three days. CKU is education-focused, filled with celebrities and lots of sponsor product. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Scrapbooking's Image

Marianne shared how she would like to see scrapbooking portrayed in the media:

Scrapbooking is so often ridiculed because of the following it has created. Realistically, scrapbooking has been around for many years, in fact centuries, in one form or another. [We take] pride in our works.

I agree. Scrapbooking shouldn't be portrayed as a separate lifestyle, but simply as an extension of our lives. We're already taking photos; we're already making memories. Scrapbooking is a way for us to showcase and share them. Focusing solely on the creative aspect alienates newcomers. Scrapbooking is a great gateway to crafts, but it's not where it starts. It starts with a memory. And scrapbooking helps us appreciate the moments that become memories.