And I scrap because...........

I am a scrapbooker. That may make some people laugh, some people might ask "What?", and then there are those that understand. I started scrapping about 5 years ago. I was dragged kicking and screaming into this world of paper and photographs. I have been an artist and crafter all my life. I never was interested in paper art. I loved paint and fiber and wood. But a good friend had a party and wanted me to come, so I did. Of course, I completed 2 pages that night and went home saying, "Well, that was ok." But as I started researching the art form, looking at different stores and deciding perhaps this was something I would like to do, it slowly became the major art in my life. I gave up my woodworking. I paint only sometimes now. My knitting lies dormant. I have now devoted a room to scrapping. I love to shop for scrap supplies, I love to organize my supplies and I love to create a history for my family. Scrapping entails many different skills and the best one is the story telling. I am telling my children what I know of our history. My mother is gone and now it is up to me to remember these things and pass them down. I don't have many relatives to help me, it is purely based on what my mother told me before she died. I want my kids to have a history, to be proud of who they are and where they came from. I want them to have a way to remember all the great things we have done as a family. I want them to be able to jog their own memory when I am gone, so their kids will know where they came from.

The other thing about scrapping is the shared community. I love to network with scrappers all over the world. It is so much fun to see that regardless of where we are, our circumstances, our life structure, we share many different things. The scrap world brings us all together. I would post a lo today, but unfortunately, blogger is not letting me. But if you scroll down, you will see some of my los. Not always perfect, I am no expert and can knit better than I can scrap, but I love the art involved. It defines me now as an artist.

Fall favorites

It is now fall. Fall in california is a subtle thing; but i always notice the little things. i like to tell my family the earth has turned. the air is suddenly a touch cooler. the air is slightly more moist. the light is just a little different. you can smell the difference in the air, just a very small difference. but it gives me such a boost of energy! i love fall because it brings my favorite holidays. i just love halloween. it is fun to dress up, to give out my favorite candy and to decorate with all the spooky things. i love to watch all the halloween shows and actually torture myself with the scary ones! and then comes my birthday. i actually get to eat cake and have a good reason! and my most favorite holiday... thanksgiving. i love the food, the family time, the reason for the holiday. it is the best time of year! it is the most comfortable time of year. it is when people can dress up in warm snuggly clothes and wear big fluffy boots and visit snow! i love to go to the apple orchards and pick our own. then we make applesauce and apple pie and apple tarts. i love to go to the pumpkin patch and pick all the odd pumpkins. i love the fall crafts and fun games at the patch. we always go on a hay ride. it is my favorite time of year.