Tag Archives: advice

Be Fully Present In Your Life

Posted on September 3, 2010 by crazydaisy

 

 

“Being fully present is the best guarantee for a bright future.”

–Guy Finley

I read this quote last week and it has stuck with me. I actually can’t stop thinking about it, which is a sure sign that it was something I desperately needed to here. I really have a lot going on in my life. Probably too much. But there isn’t really anything I can take off my plate. In my quest for finding balance, enjoying my life and not feeling guilt … I have realized that I have have to be present. What does that mean for me? Well, I have started to compartmentalize my life. When I am working, I am working. I have been trying to block out very specific times where I dedicate myself completely to the work I have to get done. When I’m working, there is no play. There is no Facebooking. There is no distractions. I am fully present. This has been huge for me. I can accomplish so much more when I just ignore everything else in my life and work …. and I can do it in less time and with less heartache.

I’ve also applied this to my kids and family. When I’m done working I completely disconnect from work and turn all of my attention to my family. I have so enjoyed the time with my kids the last few weeks, as I’ve stopped checking email, blogging or doing anything that doesn’t have to do with them. I get on the floor. I roll around with my baby boy. I chase my big girl. I laugh. I feel so much less stress. I’m present and I enjoy it. And I’ve stopped feeling frustrated, because I’m not multi-tasking myself to death.

When I think about crafting, I think aout another area in my life that’s neglected and where I’m often not fully present. I had the awesome opportunity to attend Creative Escape last week with Jennifer, two of her cousins and another girlfriend from high school. We spent four days enjoying time together and being creative. I feel so recharged and ready to focus on doing things that make me happy and being present when I’m creating. I signed up for an online class fromJessica Sprague. Thanks to the class I took from Claudine Hellmuth Iknow know how I’m going to finish a painting I’ve been working on for months. I have already started on Christmas presents for my mom and my mother-in-law.

I feel like a whole new person. Isn’t it amazing what being fully present can do for you (or me in this case)? I challenge you to make a goal to be more present in your life. It’s not easy, but it’s so worth it.  

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Get your ink on

Posted on August 14, 2009 by crazydaisy

Have you been holding off on using ink with your scrapbooking because you just don’t know where to start? Like what inks are good. Which aren’t so good. Which company has the best colors … well wait no more.  In this guest post by Crazy Daisy design team member Trace Geworsky you learn all you need to know about the inks out there.


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“I don’t know about you, but I have often gone into a scrap shop in search of an ink pad only to leave feeling slightly overwhelmed. I find ink pads to be pricey, and unless you stamp regularly or have researched them, how do you know that the one you pick will be right for what you want to use it for?

I try to include a lot of stamping on my layouts and other projects (okay…I confess….I have a HUGE obsession with stamps!!!) so I thought I would share some of my notes with you, of my thoughts on certain ink pads…what they work on, if they are easy to clean, etc.

Some of you may disagree with some of my findings, but unless you try them out, you never know, right?


p1100004_1

1. Tsukineko Staz on

Pros:
This has got to be one of the most popular brand of ink pads out there.
Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with these ink pads:)
It is a solvent based ink pad
It will stamp on ANYTHING (at least I haven’t found anything that I cant get it to work on) I have tried it on acrylic, glass, metal, paper, candles, leather, suede, aluminum foil, and wood.
It has a mild sweet smelling smell(not over powering)
It comes in many, many colors

The downside:
It will also stain everything…I have ruined many articles of clothes with this ink, and it will stain your hands and stamps.
I have used the Staz On all purpose cleaner, and while it will clean your stamps, it will still stain them.
Pricey

2. Stampin Up

Pros:

This would probably be the next popular ink pad
It is a water based dye ink
It will not stain anything
Super easy to clean….I just run my stamp and acrylic stamp block under running water, and the ink just washes away immediately.
Affordable
If you press the lid into the pad, it will form a puddle of ink, and if you dip a paintbrush into it, you can use it to achieve a water color look on paper.
Dries quickly

Downside:
Works best on paper
I have found it to be very light when stamping it on acrylic, etc..and it won’t dry but just smear at first touch

3) Ranger Adirondack

Pros:

It is a raised felt dye ink pad
The last time I checked it came in 48 different colors, so an excellent selection
Easy to clean. I just use a diaper wipe and it gets the stamp completely clean
Dries fairly fast

Downside:
It works best on paper…it will stamp on metal or acrylic but it shows up so faint, that you wont notice it very much.
depending where you buy it, they can be pricey.

4) Tim Holtz distress ink

Pros:
It is a water based dye ink
Comes in many different colors, and some amazingly vibrant colours
Nice for a vintage, stained or aged look
Usually reasonably priced
Cleans very easily … Just hold the stamp under running water, and the ink should run right off the stamp.

Downside:
Really only works on paper
I have used it on metal & acrylic, and it wouldnt dry, it only smeared

5) Doodlebug Design Inc

Pros:

I find the KI Memories ink pads to be identical to these in every way
It is a pigment ink pad
Easy to clean … I use a diaper wipe or running water … no need to really scrub it off
It wont stain anything
Cheap
I let my 5 year old work with these ink pads, because I know he can’t ruin any clothes or furniture by using this brand

Downside:
It wont work on anything but paper

6) Tsukinenko Versamagic

Pros:

It is a chalk ink pad
It will stamp on pretty much anything
Looks great on dark paper

Downside:
Can be pricey (depending on where you buy it)
Takes a while to dry
They advertise that it doesn’t have a chalky residue, but I disagree with this
Wash carefully with a diaper wipe … I find that it will stick in the stamp, so it can take awhile to clean

 

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A layout using inks

A layout using inks

There are other stamp pads out there, but these are the ones I have experience with, or tend to buy. If someone were to ask me which ink pad is my ultimate favourite when it comes to working on paper, the answer is easy … A tie between Stampin up & Tim Holtz distress ink. They both have great colours and are clean and easy to work with.

Hope this helps! I look forward to seeing what you all create using stamps and ink.”

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A Different Perspective

Posted on July 24, 2009 by crazydaisy
Lar's pizza lunch somewhere in Utah (photos by Lars Kj'r Larsen)

Lar's pizza lunch some where in Utah (photos by Lars Kj'r Larsen)


I take a lot of pictures. I travel a lot too. Sometimes it’s hard to come up with creative ways to photograph my trips and kiddos with all the picture taking I do.


A little snack in Wyoming

A little snack in Wyoming


One of my colleagues, Lars, is on a cross country road trip right now. He always takes the best photos, so I’m almost giddy with excitement each time an email full of photos from him arrives in my in-box. Lars is quite the traveler, so it’s interesting and amazing to me that his photos never seem boring or trite. The latest batch he sent were titled “Eating our way across America.”

He decided to take photos of all the places he and his brother ate as the headed from Georgia, up to Canada and then out West. It might sound a little odd, but it was a fresh perspective and perfectly told the story of their road trip. There are pictures of breakfast at the hotel. Dinner at roadside dives. Quick breakfasts of coffee and donuts.

Pie in Michigan

Pie in Michigan



When in doubt, change your perspective. You don’t have to take the same pictures, the same way, every time. Switch things up a bit. Be creative. Think long and hard about how you can best tell your story in fresh and fun new way.

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Vacation albums

Posted on July 9, 2009 by crazydaisy

I’m going on vacation next week. We’re headed to my parents’ ranch in Idaho. Every time we make a trip up there, I take a ton of pictures; and then by the time I get home, I feel overwhelmed at the prospect of scrapping them.

This year I have a plan. For starters, I’m planning ahead. I’m going to create a mini-book ahead of time. That way when I get back home, all I have to do is add my photos and journaling to the page.

 Pick a size:

The first thing you’ll want to do is decide what size you want to use for your album. I’m planning on using an 8×8 book for this particular trip. I didn’t want a huge album, but I want something big enough to get plenty of photos and journaling on the pages.

Decide how to organize:

How do you want to organize your photos? Do you want to tell the story of your vacation chronologically? If so, you can dedicate each page (or two-page spread) to a day of your trip. Do you want to focus on the events of your trip? If so you can divide the book up by the various activities you have planned (like the zoo, swimming or the water park).

Pick a theme or color scheme:

When you’re prefabricating a mini-book, pick a theme or a color scheme and use similar colors and patterns throughout the book. It makes it more cohesive and instead of distracting from the story you’re trying to tell.  It will enhance it.

Edit

You don’t have to scrap every photo that you take. Make sure you pick the best photos from your trip. Look for interesting photos that tell the story of your vacation. Don’t feel bad if you have more photos than you can fit in your book … you can always save the extra photos on your computer and look back them for years to come.


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Tips for photographing your layouts

Posted on July 2, 2009 by crazydaisy

Here’s a wonderful and informative guest post from our design team leader, Kim Whitten: Tips for photographing your layouts.

A photo Kim took of a layout she created using the June 2009 Main Kit.

A photo Kim took of a layout she created using the June 2009 Main Kit.


I enjoy perusing online galleries and blogs for inspiration in my scrapbooking. What makes it more enjoyable is when the photos are nice and clear with detail. I’m by no means an expert in the photography field, but I have tried to glean something from those who are.

The first priority for me in photographing pages is the lighting. I like natural light and usually take my photo in the early morning or late evening for the best light, or I have a shady spot off my back porch that seems to work pretty well. You may have a good place to do that indoors — but I do not, so play around and see what works best in your circumstance. I do not recommend direct sun, especially the midday sun, it is much too harsh of a light to get a nice quality picture.

An easel can be a great tool for photographing your layouts.

An easel can be a great tool for photographing your layouts.

I have purchased an inexpensive metal easel (at left) to use for the purpose of photographing my layouts.  You may also prefer to lay them down on a flat surface and photograph from above.

I have a Canon Rebel XTI and my favorite lens is my 50mm f/1.8. Don’t worry if you don’t have a DSLR camera, you can work with what you have. Again, to me the lighting is what makes the photo look good.

Without getting too technical, my advice is to fill as much of your viewfinder with your layout as possible and take a straight on shot of the page. I will usually take 2-3 shots like this then look through them and find the best looking one. That is what is great about digital — just keep shooting until you get a good one!

A "detailed" photo

A "detailed" photo

I then like to pick out 3 or 4 details of page to take some close-ups. If you use a lot of dimension in your layouts, try to capture that in your photo. 

A close-up of journaling.

A close-up of journaling.

The way I do this is taking the photo from somewhat of a side angle to the page I also like to get a close up of the journaling. Of course, sometimes just one picture is all that is needed for a page.

From here, I load my pictures and find 3 or 4 that I like best and open them in Photoshop. Again, if you don’t have Photoshop, don’t fret. Use what you have! There are several freebies you can download like Google’s Picasa — it if very user friendly and finally available for Macs! :) I even use Microsoft’s Picture Manager for simple editing and resizing.

What I do is crop down my full layout to the edges. I don’t like to have any background in my pictures to distract from my masterpiece! ;)


From this:

photo2

The layout before the photo has been cropped.

 

To this:

After being cropped

After being cropped

Sometimes I need a little adjustment and have to rotate my photo somewhat to get it straight. I might also tweak the brightness if I didn’t have my camera settings just right. One thing you’ll definitely need to check is the size of your photo. A lot of online galleries or blogs want you to submit in a certain file size, so adjust accordingly. I have an action set up on my photoshop to do this automatically, but I’m a little lazy and I like consistency. Mine is set up to resize to around 1200 pixels at 100 resolution. Also, anything I’m going to upload to the web gets “saved for web…” at about a 75 quality. This will also cut down on upload time.

I would love to know if anyone has other suggestions for photographing or editing photos of their pages or projects. Mine is a work in progress and I’m always making adjustments to my process.


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Creative Envy

Posted on June 12, 2009 by crazydaisy

Confession: I spend hours perusing the Web looking at other crafters and what they’ve created. I pore over any and every crafty technique I can find. And when I’m all done, do I scrap, sew, paint or write?

Nope. I just feel hopelessly inadequate. I have a paralyzing case of creative envy.

I know.  This sounds totally silly. I only share because I’m there are other out there that are just like me. We are creative. We want to be more creative. But because this creativity doesn’t come as easy to us as the Donna Downeys and Ali Edwards of the world, we beat ourselves up and quit.

We shouldn’t. And here’s why.

I don’t want to quit. I want to create.  By profession, I’m a writer. My degree is in journalism. When I started, I compared myself to the greats, and my editor told me to stop doing that, find your voice, and you’ll excel.  And I did. 10 years later, I’ve seen my byline attached to thousands of pieces, and now I know that was great advice.

I don’t have a scrapping editor. I’m still finding my own voice. But that’s okay. As long as I keep scrapping. As long as I keep creating. It will come.  And the less I compare myself to others and beat myself up over not being “as” talented as I’d like, the more likely it is my creative juices will flow.

Give yourself a break today. Just enjoy what ever creative activity you’re doing. Go with the flow and I know you’ll find your own voice.


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How to pick a kit club

Posted on April 22, 2009 by crazydaisy

Over on Scrap Scene, they have a GREAT article today on how to pick a kit club to join. Of course we think our kit club is the very best out there, so don’t hesitate to join … but read the article for some really helpful information on how to pick the club that’s right for you.

Have a great day,

Kimberly


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