Hello Crafty Friends here is a recap of my first full week of this challenge for all my non facebookers :-)
Day 2. I pray everyone is home safely --SNOW DAY! 
Enjoy these random photos that caught my eye tonight in my creative challenge. Tonight I focused on a bucket list project. I am an 8.5x11 page scrapbooker. However, I have created only 2 travel albums in 12x12, both of them trips to Washington, D.C. I’ll talk more another day about my current
process and my scrapbook plans. Tonight I reviewed, finished pages (still many with sticky notes of ideas
) with embellishments and journaling on a little over 100 pages. It’s much easier to go through so many pages when they are pretty much completed. I’m prepping these pages because I purchased a package to send them off to a company named “Memory Fortress" to have them scanned. 
process and my scrapbook plans. Tonight I reviewed, finished pages (still many with sticky notes of ideas
) with embellishments and journaling on a little over 100 pages. It’s much easier to go through so many pages when they are pretty much completed. I’m prepping these pages because I purchased a package to send them off to a company named “Memory Fortress" to have them scanned. Day 3: Completed one page, added embellishments and journaling to Sal’s 3rd BDay (I wanted to show the pages in the before state. Haha one is a designer paper and one is what I colored and I was apparently still into cutting around heads ), and I prepped Valentine’s Day cards. I enjoy decorating the envelope as much as creating the card. This envelope is from last year and I’m trying to decide on what to do this year. 
I love showering my loved ones with handmade cards. It’s one 
of my LOVE languages to show how much they mean to me, sending lots of well wishes, prayer and a BIG HUG with the fold of every card. Have you read the book? It’s about your mate, but I believe it applies to all relationships. The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Do you send Valentine’s Day cards? If not, I challenge you to mail a few.
), and I prepped Valentine’s Day cards. I enjoy decorating the envelope as much as creating the card. This envelope is from last year and I’m trying to decide on what to do this year. I love showering my loved ones with handmade cards. It’s one of my LOVE languages to show how much they mean to me, sending lots of well wishes, prayer and a BIG HUG with the fold of every card. Have you read the book? It’s about your mate, but I believe it applies to all relationships. The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Do you send Valentine’s Day cards? If not, I challenge you to mail a few.
Happy Crafting!
Day 4: First Friday! I ran across some pictures in my scrapbook that are (BD=before digital) and I want to duplicate. So I broke out my “my selphy” to print. I may pull a late night of crafting-woohoo! I remember a time when I couldn’t wait for Friday night to go out 
. Today, although I still love to dance, I look forward to my Friday nights with Vicki Bouton. Each week at 6pm MST she does a LIVE follow along class for FREE. She’s entertaining and extremely educational. Sometimes I follow along or I’ll have her on my iPad while 
I’m doing other creating. Last weekend we were away and my hubby was watching the game in a bar and I had her on my iPhone enjoying the tutorial on bokeh technique. I wish I would have thought to grab a picture of us. We’d chat about the plays of the basketball game and gymnastics on the other big screen. He’d question what Vicki was doing in the video, it was actually hilarious looking back.
. Today, although I still love to dance, I look forward to my Friday nights with Vicki Bouton. Each week at 6pm MST she does a LIVE follow along class for FREE. She’s entertaining and extremely educational. Sometimes I follow along or I’ll have her on my iPad while I’m doing other creating. Last weekend we were away and my hubby was watching the game in a bar and I had her on my iPhone enjoying the tutorial on bokeh technique. I wish I would have thought to grab a picture of us. We’d chat about the plays of the basketball game and gymnastics on the other big screen. He’d question what Vicki was doing in the video, it was actually hilarious looking back.
HAPPY CRAFTING!
Day 5: LONG POST, grab your 
. YAY!
. YAY!I’m going to complete my daily pages later but I wanted to share what I’m doing right now. I’m prepping HAPPY 
MAIL. Happy Mail is really mail sent with a lot of LOVE. Here’s my crazy process. I keep a bin/box on my craft table. Usually full and so I have to ebb and flow w/ the size. As I find things, I add them to the box and they may stay there for several months waiting for an upcoming birthday, special happy mail IDEAs or just making time to prepare a special mailing. Each week I look ahead at my calendar for birthdays, other occasions, Stampin’up! customer orders, Paper 
customers (let me know if you want info), anyone I’ve promised some happy mail and then I sit and select some items from my box (not all) so I apologize if you’re still waiting
. I look through my box (labeled with names and sticky notes) and start preparing a special package. Sometimes it’s a handmade card (pic of my completed card drawer 
organization) and sometimes it’s a package of a variety of items that bring me joy to pay it forward (printed photos that I’ve run across while scrapbooking, set of handmade cards, tags, quotes, embellishments and completing with stickers) and I’m passing along to put a smile on YOU. It takes time and I’m usually backlogged. Know that each mailing is sent with a whole LOT of and it truly BRINGS ME JOY! And I’m keeping the post office 
Mail going. I usually get out 3-5 mailings a week and approx. 8 months a year I have a list of loved ones that I send regularly. If you’ve read this far and you’ve received happy mail from me in the past, thoughts? If you have never received happy mail from me and would like to (someday) see some joy in your mailbox, send me a PM. Make it a great day!
MAIL. Happy Mail is really mail sent with a lot of LOVE. Here’s my crazy process. I keep a bin/box on my craft table. Usually full and so I have to ebb and flow w/ the size. As I find things, I add them to the box and they may stay there for several months waiting for an upcoming birthday, special happy mail IDEAs or just making time to prepare a special mailing. Each week I look ahead at my calendar for birthdays, other occasions, Stampin’up! customer orders, Paper customers (let me know if you want info), anyone I’ve promised some happy mail and then I sit and select some items from my box (not all) so I apologize if you’re still waiting. I look through my box (labeled with names and sticky notes) and start preparing a special package. Sometimes it’s a handmade card (pic of my completed card drawer organization) and sometimes it’s a package of a variety of items that bring me joy to pay it forward (printed photos that I’ve run across while scrapbooking, set of handmade cards, tags, quotes, embellishments and completing with stickers) and I’m passing along to put a smile on YOU. It takes time and I’m usually backlogged. Know that each mailing is sent with a whole LOT of
and it truly BRINGS ME JOY! And I’m keeping the post office Mail going. I usually get out 3-5 mailings a week and approx. 8 months a year I have a list of loved ones that I send regularly. If you’ve read this far and you’ve received happy mail from me in the past, thoughts? If you have never received happy mail from me and would like to (someday) see some joy in your mailbox, send me a PM. Make it a great day!Day 6: Finished my valentines and got them in the mail, prepped ONE layout (1 is better than none!) and did some organizing with my alphabet & journaling stickers. I transferred these stickers from a binder and folder to a bin. The binder worked great when I placed it on a shelf. However, I wanted 
something I could easily keep on my work space and have the ability to flip through so that I’ll actually use. The binder was becoming bulky and they were sliding out easily when I’d lay it back down. I ordered some clear bins and started cutting up (YAY!) sticker sheets and organizing. Those who know me well, know I organize and then reorganize more often than I create.
something I could easily keep on my work space and have the ability to flip through so that I’ll actually use. The binder was becoming bulky and they were sliding out easily when I’d lay it back down. I ordered some clear bins and started cutting up (YAY!) sticker sheets and organizing. Those who know me well, know I organize and then reorganize more often than I create.
Day 7: Have you heard, “set the timer for 15 minutes and sit to create”? Do you think it’s a problem if that 15 turns into 60+? maybe that’s the idea they want to instill. Wish I would have the same issue when exercising. For me, after a Monday back onsite in the office, I’m too drained to sit and create. So today I reminded myself, create for ONLY 15 and if that means sorting/organizing pictures, planning future pages, or looking for coordinating embellishments and paper then that is what I will do. And so I did and then looked up and an hour had gone by. I created this challenge and I will follow through, I can’t leave 
you all hanging after a week. And I really do enjoy being creative. Happy Monday!
maybe that’s the idea they want to instill. Wish I would have the same issue when exercising. For me, after a Monday back onsite in the office, I’m too drained to sit and create. So today I reminded myself, create for ONLY 15 and if that means sorting/organizing pictures, planning future pages, or looking for coordinating embellishments and paper then that is what I will do. And so I did and then looked up and an hour had gone by. I created this challenge and I will follow through, I can’t leave you all hanging after a week. And I really do enjoy being creative. Happy Monday!
HAPPY CRAFTING!
Michelle
