as promised.

So today is the day for my Becky Higgins rant.  It's going to feel so good to get this off my chest!  But let's back up, because if you aren't familiar with Becky Higgins then this whole post is going to be meaningless, so here's a little history.

Becky Higgins is a scrapbooker.  Really I would like to say was a scrapbooker.  Through a quirk of fate she happened to sit by Lisa Bearnson's mom in church years ago - Lisa Bearnson is a scrapbooker and was the founder of Creating Keepsakes magazine, which is sort of like scrapbooking's version of the bible.  Seriously.  So Becky, back when she was a scrapbooker, was amazing and her talent was recognized and she became well known in the scrapbooking industry.  She wrote a monthly column for Creating Keepsakes, wrote a few books on scrapbooking, yada yada yada.  Not taking anything away from Becky, she deserved all of the attention and accolades she received.  Back when she was a scrapbooker.

A few years ago, after having 3 children and all that goes along with it (and other things I'm sure - not pretending that I know her or have a window into her life), Becky decided that she didn't like the pressure that came along with staying up to date with scrapbooks.  Totally get that, I'm behind myself.  She ended her Creating Keepsakes column and designed her own scrapbooking product called Project Life.  There are a number of items that fall under that umbrella including a binder, page protectors, journaling cards, stickers, etc.  She sells them as a set or individually and the theory behind the project is that you slip photos and journaling into the page protectors rather than designing pages on your own.

That's great - inventive, creative, easy to use.  The probem that I have with the product is that Becky doesn't use it!  Ok, that's not exactly true because there's also a digital version of Project Life and that's what she uses.  However, that's not a new product because you could do the very same thing on Shutterfly and other photo websites.  For a lot cheaper.  For the non-digital version Becky depends on her customers to do the work and uses their photos, videos, etc. to promote her product.

An even bigger problem, the thing that really gets to me, is that the other way of promoting her product is to criticize traditional scrapbooking, the very thing that she used to do and that put her in a position to create and sell her own product.  She doesn't criticize traditional scrapbooking in an outright, honest sort of way, but in a manipulative, condescending sort of way.  As in, "if you want to continue to spend tons of money and time doing traditional scrapbooking you sure can, but it's certainly not the smart thing to do".  Clearly, I'm pharaphrasing or even more accurately, telling you what I'm hearing even if that's not what she's saying.

In stark contrast to Becky's message are people like Ali Edwards and Cathy Zielske, other well known scrapbookers that use and promote Becky's product in a way that Becky does not.  In my opinion they do a much better job of promoting her product by actually using it and showing creative ways to make it your own.  They aren't doing that for any reason other than they like the product and it works well for them.  And it feels honest.

So, why do I care?  I don't have to buy her product - and I won't - but it's very disappointing to have someone that you have admired badmouth traditional scrapbooking in order to sell her own product.
I have continued to read Becky's blog but honestly it just upsets me.  In one of her most recent posts she tells us, her readers, that now that summer is here and her kids are home from school she won't be blogging as much so that she can spend time with them.  Oh, and design future products.  She goes on to say that she's sorry if we are disappointed but she's really doing it for us, and if she did have to continue the daily grind of actually writing a post it would mean that she would create less future products, so we should be happy that she's going to be less active.  Again, not her exact words but the message I got when I read it.  Here are her exact words:

The more time I take to answer questions, the less time I am working on product design for items that are coming out this year. Which means the process will be delayed and ultimately, you’ll be frustrated if products aren’t being released when you’re expecting that they’ll be released. So … I want to answer your questions. I really do. I love to help. But I have to stay focused, especially for the next little while, on some hard-core design work. Trust me, this will benefit you

So, there you have it.  My Becky Higgins rant, for what it's worth.  I've had a link on my blog to her site but I've decided to remove it, not because I think it matters in the scheme of things but because I don't want to link to someone that no longer appreciates the creative process of scrapbooking.  I don't expect her blog to suffer due to my non-linkage, but I do feel better knowing that I'm not promoting her disparaging remarks about a hobby and creative outlet that I love.

So there.

Good news and bad news . . .

The good news is that Jordon WON Big Brother!!! Woot woot! If you read my previous post you know that she was my FAV, so I'm very happy! Now I have to wait until July for the next season to start. In the meantime, I guess I'll be back to watching CNN while I craft since the live feeds are over. More good news - you don't have to listen to me talk about BB any more - until July!!

The bad news is that Becky Higgins (super star crafter and my BFF. Ahem.) announced on her blog today that she is leaving Creating Keepsakes. If you are a paper crafter you should recognize her name; she been with Creating Keepsakes for 12 years. You can find the link to her blog on the right side of my blog and read her announcement. Hopefully she'll continue blogging and who knows what may be in her future. I wish her all the best!

I have actually been crafting the past several days even (while keeping up with the BB news of the day) and have almost completed a new album. I'll post pics soon. Please stop by my Etsy shop and check out the items listed there, and I would love it if you would become a follower of my blog! It's easy, simply click on the link to the right. Thanks!

busy, busy, busy!

It's been a while since I've posted but it doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about it! My life has been busy lately and I'm a bit behind. I do have several new items to post and will write about them, with pictures, very soon.

In the meantime I'd like to direct you to Becky Higgin's blog for a great salad recipe! There's a link to her blog on the right side of this page . . . see it? I went out of town last weekend with a group of friends for a scrapbooking/card making weekend and had the most delicous salad (thanks Peggy!). Turns out the recipe came from Becky's blog (is there anything she can't do??) and I would recommend that you check it out. It's called FRUIT & POPPY SEED SALAD and you'll find it on the "recipes" tab at the top of her blog. trust me, it's worth the time to look it up!

Back soon with new items to share!

A sticky situation

Anyone that does paper crafts knows that your work is only as good as your adhesive. When you spend time creating a special card, tag or scrapbook page you want to feel confident that it will look just as good even after it's been handled, mailed, or given as a gift.

I've been doing paper crafts for many years and there have been so many improvements in the quality of products available for use, from scrapbook supplies that are archival to embellishments that come in so many varieties that people need a whole room just for their "hobby". Have you even seen a group of people heading to a "crop"?? If you didn't know better you might think they had been forced to move from their home and they are carrying with them everything they own. I go on a couple of scrapbooking weekends each year with a group of friends. Four of us usually ride together and we need a suburban! And we hardly bring any clothes!

The advancement in product and equipment for paper crafts is really astounding. Have you seen the Cricut? It's a truly amazing machine that cuts out shapes and sizes - anything you can imagine! Are you familiar with the number and sizes of punches available? Holy cow! Even rulers come a variety of sizes, are made from a number of materials and have a variety of edge types.

So with all this advancement why is it that it's so darn hard to find adhesive that works?? I've been known to say that adhesive is the bane of my existance. And I meant it. Until now.

My good friend Becky Higgins (ok fine, we haven't actually met but I admire her work and she DID email me once!!!) recommended Duck Double Stick Adhesive on her blog. I thought I had tried every brand known to man, but this one was new to me. I figured if Becky used it with all the paper crafting she does then I should definitely check it out.

I bought some Duck adhesive, used it, loved it and now it's a staple in my crafting world. It's a little more expensive than some of the other brands and it's not refillable, but man does it work slick! It doesn't get all gummy, it rolls nice and smooth, and it fits nicely in my hand. It's not available in every craft store, but 2 of my favorite store do carry it - JoAnn Fabrics and a local scrapbooking store. At JoAnn Fabrice you can but it in "bulk", as shown in the photo, which is great because I use lots of it. I go through TONS of adhesive, and finding a brand that works well for me is like, well I can't think of anything better or even as good.

If you use adhesive and you aren't happy with it, give the Duck brand a try.

Oh, one more thing. When I was in 6th grade I went to Bible Camp and met and "fell in love" with a boy whose nickname was Ducky. Maybe that's why I like this adhesive so much.