My scrap habits:

In the last week I have received a few questions about my scrapping. I had no idea so many of my friends were closet scrappers. See what geographic distance does for you? First, how do I find time to scrap with two crazy kids? Also, where do I get my supplies? Well, here is my inside scoop:

I scrap in tiny bits throughout the day, and then late at night. I'm a night owl, and Theo goes to bed by 8:30 usually. On the weekends, I try and take an hour or more a day to get down into my basement scraproom and "work." I bring sets of small projects upstairs everyday. One day just stamps, one day pages that needs journaling. I keep my basic tools in a wooden tote, and I drag it upstairs and when the boys are distracted by Sesame Street or playing well together. I'll walk over and glue something down, or pick an accent. Two-three minutes at a time.

My process works something like this MOST of the time: I start with pictures, then pick papers, then accents. Then I scheme a title and journaling ideas and I lay it out and decide where it will all fit. Then I cut and glue. I'm fast. I don't overthink things. I trust my instincts and like to let the page come together. I don't strive for perfection. I have tons of pages I'm not a thousand percent happy with, but as long as I get my story across, I am satisfied.

I am a master scraplifter, too. Scraplifting is taking someone's page and using it's layout, color combo, or ideas and making it your own. In most arts "lifting" someone else's work is frowned upon, but in scrapbooking it is encouraged. Of course, scrappers perfer you credit them when you "lift" their ideas. I have several books I can't scrap without. Autumn Leaves Lookbook, Ali Edward's Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking, and Scrapbooking with Patterned Paper, and Elsie Flannigan's Scrapbook Challenges. Check out the blogs and websites I have links to my blog, and I promise you thousands of hours of inspiration. I love to look through magazines, Creating Keepsakes especially, for inspiration and tips.

I have two/three somewhat local scrapbooking stores (LSS), within an hour. Whenever we travel I hop online and look for a new store. I love scrapbook.com and Two Peas In a Bucket (online store, link to your right). They have a great selection. Both stores allow you to shop by brand. I love KI memories, SEI, Scenic Route Paper Company, Autumn Leaves, American Crafts, Making Memories, Basic Grey, 7 gypsies, Technique Tuesday, and Mind Mind's Eye. My pages are packed with these brands.

My favorite supplies are foam & acrylic stamps, patterned paper, and my American Crafts Slick Writer's Pens. Plumber is here... more to come later.