Suburban Pirate

Hi ladies,
My hubby and I were busy lately-taking photos at our friend's wedding and preparing for school. (we are both teachers) But I have an irresistable urge to submit to contests now that I haven't won CK SOY or MMM!! LOL
But all my hard work what do I do with it? SUBMIT--so I'll give you a taste of my latest entry for *AMM's August Contest (*A Million Memories). It is a cool site-check it out. You can see more of my detail pics on the user gallery! http://www.amillionmemories.com/
The theme is pirates--and I called mine "Suburban Pirate--Hunter of Stuff". I have gone "yard-saleing" (like it is an actual sport or hobby) since I was a tiny child. I come from one of those artsy-collecting-pack rat kind of families and now I just can't help myself. LOL
I love looking at antiques,thrift stores and garage sales... but what is really exciting is ---the HUNT. It has to rank up there with the thrill men feel when they fish--ya know--it's a good day if they caught a big one even if they did spend 5 hours waiting for that one fish (oh help me--I could never sit that long looking at water) But add some girlfriends, husband or family, rummage through people's discarded objects--now there's an adventure!!!!
*This is a 2-page LO. The smaller photos on the 2nd page describe how to 'HUNT'--Haggle, Seek and Share. Each photo is held on by Basic Grey's magnetic dots and when they are turned over, they reveal some journaling.

In My Image

My son is sometimes like a mirror image of me when I was a child. He is forever curious, always experimenting and sketch paper is never too far away. I've never needed him to be an artist for my sake, but I watch in awe as it comes natural for him and seems to be a native language of his soul. I am grateful for this wonder in my children and can't help but ponder if God felt this instinctive bond when he said in the Bible that "We are created in His image"? (Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.)
How differently would we act, feel or live if we confidently saw ourselves as reflections of a heavenly father? As reflections of God? My son seems very pleased and prideful when I talk about how much we have in common and how he does things 'like me'. Hmmm....Would we feel closer to God knowing that we are like him and he delights in us?

This is a digital page I made using Adobe Fireworks. I scanned his animal drawings in, used the magic wand to remove the white so the sketch lines were the only thing left. Then I arranged them around a faded image of his face and typed his question that he asked his dad. And yes--the pictures are hanging on the wall of his father's high school Spanish classroom.:-)

Why Do I Scrap?

In the Aug./Sept. issue of Memory Makers, an article written by Courtney Walsh called "Page Essentials" synthesized the common reasons for why scrapbookers do what they do. Three main ideas were posed to explain why individuals chose to express through this wildly popular medium of ours. The purposes were listed as follows: To Leave a Legacy, To Have a Creative Outlet and To Give Back to Family and Friends. While I enjoyed reading the article (and I am sure Courtney didn't mean for it to be an exhaustive list by any means), I questioned where I fit in. In a very typical 'me' manner, I don't snuggly fit into any of those boxed definitions. I treasure this craft/hobby/artistic revolution called scrapbooking because in so many ways it has helped me 'bloom where I am' but has embellished my growth process along the way!
So, Courtney, why do I scrapbook? Because I have to. I have to, not because everyone else is doing it (in fact, 6 years ago I didn't want to do it because everyone was...). But as Simple Scrapbook's editor Cathy Z. said "My hobby makes me pay attention to my life...Life has little bits of magic at nearly every turn if you're looking closely enough." I don't know a better way to look closely then to dedicate time (alone or with others)to focus on the things and people I value most. Scrapbooking gave me the excuse as a responsible adult, to play and capture that magic. The altruistic side of me argues that, of course, no one needs an excuse to play. But so many of us do need that invitation to step from the treadmill pace of modern day life and place aside our obligations long enough to remember all that makes life worthwhile.
I myself needed that invitation 6 years ago when I was told by my counselor to "get a hobby and have some fun" because I was dealing with anxiety issues. To give it a try I, semi- reluctantly joined my friend at a stamp and scrapping party and eventually found much more than a "hobby". I found other women who needed to connect as much as I (apparently) did! I found other adult women who were rediscovering how much fun it is to play with scissors and paper. I found others who needed to laugh, cry, pray and share about the moments of magic that had touched their lives.
So why do I scrap--because I need to. I do it for the mental release, the private thrill of stealing time for myself, for the way my heart is rekindled towards my relationships, for the lingering magic that double-sided tape leaves on my fingertips. I do it for me and my family. I do it to leave a legacy, of course, but I also invest in this art form because together, many passionate women are cultivating a fragrant garden of community in a sometimes disconnected culture.

Crafted in Love,
Scrap Chick