Hall of Fame HM!!

I guess if there is a day to update my blog, this would be the day to do it!! I still can't believe I have been named a Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame Honorable Mention for 2007 :) . Look at me, I'm giddy!!! Will anything really change in my life because of this? Probably not. In fact after hanging up with Fred Brewer, an Editor at CK, I posted a bit of sillyness online and then got back to scrubbing toilets and vacuuming my kitchen floor LOL!

We hosted some friends at our house tonight for dinner. A whole mess of people and kids . . . crazy loud, but fun as always.

I've got ideas swirling around in my head for the layout I will be teaching in April at Memories & Beyond . . . but hands haven't gone to the paper yet. So I officially bailed and will have to turn to that after Spring Break. Bummer because I really wanted to get it up and available at the store before I left, but it just doesn't seem to be in the cards (at least not if I actually want to sleep and care for my children properly, which I do).

So it is almost midnight and reality is going to strike early tomorrow when life continues as normal. Off to bed . . .

A cute card

So I'll admit I'm a wee bit creatively tapped out . . . between CK Hall of Fame entries, classes, DT stuff, and then the Tribune contest . . . it has been a whirlwind month. Don't get me wrong, all totally fun and fulfilling things. But just leaving me a bit drained on the inspiration side. I thought that a card might be a good way to do a little something creative without investing a great deal of time or energy. Lea, over at Scrappin Trends, is also a DT member for Card Positioning Systems -- a sketch site for cardmakers. Anyway, she linked us all to her fabulous card today and the most recent sketch. Be sure to check it out -- her cards always ROCK! The bottom line, I decided to give the sketch a try. Take a look:

You can check out the sketch here: http://cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/2007/03/cps-5-and-designs.html

Turns Out . . .

. . . . I can actually scrapbook a layout in 60 minutes!! So today was the day when I headed to the Tribune building for the Iron Chef of Scrapbooking contest (see post below). I arrived armed with an entire arsenal of scrapbooking supplies and tools to try to tackle whatever photos and surprise theme were handed my way.

The first half hour or so was spent with chit chat, a bit of interviewing, photographing and videotaped question/answer time. Then the clock started and we looked at the 10 photos and were told the theme (I probably shouldn't disclose until after the article comes out) -- not at all what I was expecting!!! But, hey, that is o.k. I popped on my iPod tunes and set to work . . . all while the photographer and videographer did their thing (relentlessly). The clock ticked away and it turns out that I liked the end product. I finished just as the time ran out.

Oh, and I almost forgot the funniest part. Not long into the time, I cut my finger on my circle cutting blade - lovely. It bled as if I had chopped off my entire finger. Too funny. So the journalist went looking for a bandaid while I kept it wrapped in a baby wipe (since that is what I had on hand for cleaning ink off my hands). Precious moments ticked away while I stared at my layout and tried not to bleed on it LOL!! But in the end the Tribune gave us about 5 extra minutes to compensate for the lost time. Oh so very kind.

So, I think I mentioned in my previous post that Jennifer Adams Donnelly (CK HOF 2006) was the judge. First off . . . she is so sweet and wonderfully authentic. I loved that she decided to show up and watch the entire competition and didn't just pop in at the end to judge the final product. She had wonderfully gracious things to say about my layout and the other contestant's layout. But she had to pick a "winner" for purposes of the contest . . . be sure to read the entire article to see who she selected!!!

What surprised me most about the day was how much fun I had. Yep, definitely had adrenaline rushing at times during the competition. But, honestly, that is a feeling I rather like. What a wonderful experience all together.

The Chicago Tribune says that the article is tentatively scheduled to be the cover story for the "At Play" section in the March 29th or April 5th publication (that section of the paper only runs on Thursdays). I'll keep you posted as I learn more.

Fun Opportunity!!

My LSS owner called me last night to ask if I would participate in an event that the Chicago Tribune (Chicago's largest newspaper) is putting together next week. They are calling it the Iron Chef of Scrapbooking LOL!! Apparently I will be matched up with one other scrapbooker from another LSS and we will be given 10 photos, a "surprise theme" and 60 minutes to create a layout. Then Jennifer Adams Donnelly (CK HOF 2006) will be the judge. I have to pick out supplies from my LSS without knowing the photos or theme and bring them along to work with. The Tribune is using this event as a way to create a feature about the scrapbooking industry and local scrapbooking stores. It is tentatively scheduled to be the cover story of the At Play section of the paper on March 29th.

It should be fun, but I am frightened of the 60 minute time limit!!! I am soooooooo not a fast scrapper !!