Why I started paper crafting....and some of my very first cards!

Things to do tonight:
1. Design one more tag/card for Monday's workshop.
2. Design a photo frame for a tween birthday party/decoration workshop.
3. Get stuff ready for a home gathering tomorrow night.

What am I doing instead? Writing this blog!! And browsing other blogs....I know that it can be a bit counter-productive, but sometimes I find that browsing for ideas will spark an idea. Even just the act of writing and reflecting can be quite inspirational, so I am trying to jump start my creativity before I dig in and get some work done tonight...(Did I mention that I have to get up @5:45 and it is after 9:00 now?!)

I have been totally inspired to write about why I started paper crafting thanks to Sarah over @ Sarah's Paper Tray. (Yes, Sarah we have exactly the same taste...I am thinking we are soul-scrap-sisters or something because we buy all the same stamp sets and papers even non-CTMH!!) Anyway, in one of her most recent posts, she was inspired to write about why she started paper crafting. I recently found a few of my very first cards and I put them in a box of stationary supplies that I am giving to my mom. I am going to be brave and post them here, just like Sarah did! (my mom has lots of old stuff that i've made over the years...I should try to borrow some of it!)


In one of my very first blog posts, I mentioned that I have been 'scrapbooking' for a long time. Stamping is much newer to me. When it comes to stickers, well lets just say I still have my awesome Lisa Frank sticker collection...As a little girl, I used to have a sticker album and I've always loved taking pictures so this hobby is something that I was naturally drawn to. (Luckily I was able to get away from my other 'collections': porcelain dolls, painted ceramic masks, embellished teddy bears, a wooden doll house and various other child-hood hobbies and I can now focus completely on the wonderful world of paper crafting!)



I started out buying supplies at Wal-Mart and I bought a few CM products when I was in high school. In college, I did a little bit of scrapbooking, but since I was an art major...'scrapbooking' was something I did in secret...I didn't want my cool art friends to know about my sticker obsession. I made my own Christmas Cards, Wedding Invitations and various other things before I became a consultant for Close to My Heart.

In December of 2007, I decided to become a consultant. I had gone to a CTMH home gathering while I was in college, but the consultant no longer lived in my area. I sort of signed up blindly because I wanted to get more into stamping and scrapbooking. I also wanted to have a little bit of extra money for my hobbies each month....currently, as a teacher, I only get paid once a month and it can be a tricky balance to keep a decent budget for things that come up mid-month. Selling scrapbooking supplies and teaching classes is the perfect opportunity to feed my growing addiction to stamping.

After being a part-time consultant for a little over a year....wow...my cards, scrapbook layouts and other papercrafting creations have improved dramatically. Blogging has helped me so much! This is one of my very first cards:



I've always loved being an elementary art teacher, but I have come to realize what my dream job would be...it would include writing, photography, teaching and designing...I would love to work from home too. We'll see what happens. For now, I am happy where I am, but I would love to spend more time at home creating. Sometimes I am just too tired to make anything after a day with elementary students (Have I mentioned that I have 11 classes of kindergarten art!??!?!! Not exactly the ideal environment for REAL artistic challenges....I deal with more 'accidents' that are potty related than the 'creative-oops', if you know what I mean!)


The best part about my job is that I get to think about art every day. I get to inspire others and encourage the exceptional artists and push them to do more. Paper crafting allows me to create something nearly every day. Cards and scrapbook pages, believe it or not...are a WHOLE lot cheaper than paint and canvas....I can create in bulk and I can see an idea all the way through without wasting tons of money. If I mess up one card, only pennies go in the trash, not $30 worth of paint that needs to be covered up....Okay, maybe I am just coming up with a justification that makes sense to me, but either way, I really love making cards. I love finding inspiration from movies, ads and color combinations for my cards and layouts. This is a very fun investment.