Motivation Monday

Good Morning!

It sure is hard around this time of year to get motivated with so much on the to do list! I know it is even harder to try and find time for yourself to make something that means something to YOU and not just a gift for a teacher, friend or family member. The time you give to yourself though is so important. A few moments of solitude to try and gather your thoughts. Those times are creative recharge. (or a Mom recharge or a good employee recharge or a daughter recharge.. the list goes on and on!!!)

I try and find those small moments when I can steal away and re-engerize my creative self. 20 minutes on pinterest at lunch! Or when my girls are in Sunday School I make a trip to Barnes and Nobles and sit by the magazines soaking up all the beautiful Somerset family of magazines (do you know how many they publish??? http://www.stampington.com/magazines/index.php), photography magazines and if you can believe... Even tattoo magazines! The artwork sometimes is so beautiful and can spur an idea! I then move on to the books and can spend time in the crafts section. The home dec sections and usually end up in the inspirational books. I can always seem to find one that just hits home to where I am exactly on that day. (yesterdays purchase was "the ME I want to be")

So in this BUSY time of year.. try (and I know it is HARD!!) to take that time to "hear". Recharge and embrace that time. (even if it is just 5 minutes!!!)

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season...

PS.. the latest issue of SCRAP365 (from England) has a great few pages about ideas for your paper scraps!! pg. 50 and 51! (see.. I am making you get to a store to look and take time for you!!!)

Tammy

Monday Motivation - Telling the Truth

Hi smart and crafty gals! Just before we sneak the next kit (WOW, where did October go) here's a little bit of what we do at SFTIO that's so very special...our online multimedia inspiration! Every month, we provide a ton of content - using music, stock photos, quotations, pinterest (not just pinning pretty things, but meaningful ones!) and our exclusive prompts and challenges that help you dig deep.

Here's a taste...but to get it all, you'll need to come over to the site. All our inspiration is FREE...all you need to do is click over and see us. I also urge you to sign up on our message board (just takes minutes) and you'll be ready to chat with women all over the world, who, just like you, struggle, triumph, ask questions, wonder, worry and celebrate...and you'll come away with more freedom, more honesty and more courage than you thought was possible.

What's our secret? It's not a bunch of phony 'happy thoughts' or transient states of bliss. It's telling your truth, no matter how scary or ugly it may look. Self-expression can't fix all your problems, but it makes you freer and more resilient. Here's a LO I did with last month's kit, BALANCE to show you what I mean:

This was my response to a challenge (from me :)) to our members to scrap about a major shift in their worlds and what the 'new normal' looked like.

Those of you who have been reading for a while (or have glanced at the sidebar) know that I lost my precious Bart last December. This is actually the very first page I've been able to do about him...that's right, me, the purveyor and enabler of emotion-based scrapbooking. But I finally got to the point where I could no longer ask you all to share without sharing more of what was difficult for me - sharing the thing that is MOST difficult for me. And if you read it, you'll see, the journaling is not a peaceful acceptance of the loss. I'm not there yet. 

And here's my (not so) secret - I don't have to be. And neither do you. 

Being right where you are, accepting yourself now, including your anger, resentments, fears, worries and resistance to change is CRITICAL to your well-being and your growth. Fighting it won't make it disappear - but being with the present moment and letting your emotions flow will make every future moment a tiny bit easier.

Here's a little sampling of what the ACHIEVEMENT Inspiration Page has to offer:

Prompt:

Failure: Is there such a thing as failing, or are you a believer that every failure is just a step on your path to a different success? Is failure a sign that you’ve actually tried difficult things? Are you quick to rebound after a failure or are you slower to recover. Has there ever been a time when you’ve closed your ears to the voices of others telling you that your failures meant it was time to stop trying? Have you ever looked back at a past failure and seen the meaning in it from the long view? What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Pinterest:

Music:

Defying Gravity by Idina Menzel

Quote:

Periods of tranquility are seldom prolific of creative achievement. Mankind has to be stirred up. Alfred North Whitehead

Photo:

For more music (a streaming playlist), quotes, prompts, photos and pins, come visit the Inspiration Page.

I hope you use it to tell your truth.

Love,

Creative Balance

Oooh, I've been absent lately, shame on me.  To my credit, I did go on a scrapbooking retreat and Rachel did have a super fun blog hop going on - congratulations to the WINNERS -  so I'm sure you didn't miss me too much.  If you did, though... I'm here to make up for it!

I have lots more layouts to share with you from our amazing design team, exploring this month's theme: Balance.  Check them out below and leave me a comment on which one speaks to you most, and why...

Night and Day by Jamie Long

Now That Takes the Cake by Laura Croft

Let Go! by Melissa Elsner

Good Things... by Mette Kallander

 

Hmmm... if you had to ask me what spoke to me most, I would say that due to my ongoing fitness journey and battle with balancing nutrition with treats, Laura's "Take Note" layout is screaming at me! 

What's yelling out for Balance to you?

You've Been Framed! And a Giveaway...

Hi-de-ho Friends!  Here I am, back with a super idea from our very own Melissa.  She's been pretty creative with some of the supplies in this month's kit: Balance.  Check this little ditty out:

You've Been Framed!

by Melissa Elsner

Hi everyone!

This month my exclusive content was going to be video but had to change that because I got information wrong on a manufacturer. Oh well!

So maybe I'll attempt that next month.

Okay so for my focus I thought I would show you two of my layouts using elements from the kit that provide unique framing opportunities for your layouts.

The first are the Hambly rub-ons that are part of the Subscriber Bonus for new kit subscribers this month. They are the ever popular cameo's and silhouettes but they also come with some cool frames. I cut out the center and then used one of them to frame myself in this layout:

From a design perspective I wanted to play with the skyscrapers and big city feel of my photos and then draw your eye to little ole me. Don't be afraid to put that frame right onto your photo. I'll admit I was a bit nervous but extremely pleased with the results.

The other cool opportunity for framing in our kit comes with the lovely chipboard by Crate Paper. There was a layered frame set with the letter W in the middle. I knew I wanted to use the letter and as I created my layout, I felt there needed to be something more. It seemed a little lopsided to me and I realized it was because of the depth difference in my photos.

So I took one of the chipboard frames and put it around the photo of me that was taken farther away. (Or not zoomed in.)

Here is the result:

Now it feels right!

What I hope you take away from this tutorial is that you can look at framing your photos differently. It doesn't have to be the typical matting or a perfect frame. Look at your image and overall composition and use your frames to help give balance, interest and texture.

And have fun! 

And here I thought I was going to have to get a lawyer. I like this kind of "framed".  I'm off to play.  How about you?

BREAKING NEWS!

Hi there, Rachel here adding a little fun news...more from Melissa!

I am pleased to share with you a wonderful blog post today over at Scrapstreet Magazine written by our own lovely and talented DT coordinator, Melissa Elsner. Melissa shares some of our DT layouts that focus on the subject of life's balancing acts...home, work, play...how do you approach creating a balanced existence?

Scrapstreet

Go check it out, comment on how you'd approach her prompt, or create a LO...either way you'll get a chance to win the gorgeous Balance kit!

Stuck in the Middle with You...

Hello Friends!

As is typical at the beginning of the month of a new topic over at Inside Out, I spend some time browsing around the Inspiration page.  And, as usual, I have found some things I'd like to share with you.  Perhaps I'm dating myself, but the song I chose, also the title of this post, is a ditty that never fails to perk me up and get me singing (by myself, in the safety of my car, with the windows rolled up).  When we think of Balance, often I think of the "middle", like the middle of a teeter-totter or see-saw.  If you can get the weights at each end the same, then you can balance it from the middle.   Listen to the song and let me know if you think it inspires balance, just by being "stuck in the middle with you". 

Click the image to listen...

If that doesn't inspire you to sing along (at least) and get scrappin' about Balance, how about this?

Talk about BALANCE!  That photo just gives me shivers.  But seriously, what could you do with this photo on a layout?  How does this speak to you, in your world?  Maybe you're not literally balancing on stacked furniture at the top of a skyscraper, but have you ever felt that way before?  How did you balance that situation, those emotions, your world?

Okay, one more piece of inspiration for you.  This quote really spoke to me...

"Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away."

Barbara De Angelis

...what does it say to you?

I'll be back tomorrow with more Balance.  If you can't wait, visit our Inspiration page or community for more Balance galore!

Balance as Interpreted by Our Design Team...

I was just wandering around our gallery and had to come on over here and share a few of the layouts by our design team.  As you can see just by the synonyms and antonyms from yesterday, there are so, so many ways you can explore and interpret Balance.  Here are four different interpretations by some very talented and open ladies:

Laura Croft

Melissa Elsner

Jamie Long

Mette Kallander

GREAT inspiration, don't you think?

So... have you begun to explore Balance in your inner world?  Please, do share... join our community for more inspiration, and upload your images to our gallery. OR, just leave a comment and a link here... we'd love to see!

Balance - Let's Explore!

We're exploring Balance this month.  What better way to get our inspirational juices flowing than exploring the synonyms and antonyms of this topic?  Check 'em out!  

Main Entry: balance
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: equilibrium
Synonyms: antithesis, correspondence, counterbalance, equity, equivalence, even-steven, evenness, hang, harmony, parity, proportion, stasis, symmetry, tension
Antonyms: disproportion, imbalance, instability

Main Entry: balance
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: composure
Synonyms: equanimity, poise, self-control, self-possession, stability, steadfastness
Antonyms: imbalance, noncomposure

Main Entry: balance
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: money remaining in account
Synonyms: difference, dividend, excess, profit, remainder, residue, rest, surplus

Main Entry: balance
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: make equal; cause to have equilibrium
Synonyms: accord, adjust, attune, cancel, collate, come out, come out even, compensate, correspond, counteract, counterbalance, equalize, equate, even, harmonize, level, make up for, match, neutralize, nullify, offset, oppose, pair off, parallel, poise, readjust, redeem, set, square, stabilize, steady, tie, weigh
Antonyms: disproportion, overbalance, unbalance

Main Entry: balance
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: compare
Synonyms: assess, consider, deliberate, estimate, evaluate, weigh
Antonyms: unbalance

Main Entry: balance
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: make equal numerically
Synonyms: adjust, audit, calculate, compute, count, enumerate, equate, estimate, figure, settle, square, sum up, tally, total
Antonyms: unbalance

Main Entry: account
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: record of finances, fees, or charges
Synonyms: IOU, bad news, balance, bill, book, books, charge, check, computation, cuff, grunt*, inventory, invoice, ledger, reckoning, record, register, report, score, statement, tab, tally
* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry: adjust
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: mechanically alter, especially to
Synonyms: align, balance , bring into line, calibrate, connect, correct, fine-tune, fit, fix, focus, grind, improve, improve accommodate, mend, overhaul, polish, put in working order, readjust, rectify, regulate, renovate, repair, service, set, sharpen, square, tighten, troubleshoot, tune up
Antonyms: derange, disarrange, unsuit

Main Entry: atone
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: compensate; make amends for former misdoing
Synonyms: absolve, answer, apologize, appease, balance , correct, counterbalance, do penance, expiate, make amends, make redress, make reparation, make up for, offset, outweigh, pay, pay one's dues, propitiate, recompense, reconcile, redeem, redress, repair, set off, square, take one's medicine

Main Entry: attune
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: adjust
Synonyms: acclimatize, accommodate, accord, accustom, adapt, balance , compensate, conform, coordinate, counterbalance, familiarize, harmonize, integrate, make agree, proportion, reconcile, regulate, tune

Main Entry: audit
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: inspect financial records
Synonyms: analyze, balance, check, examine, go over, go through, investigate, report, review, scrutinize, sit in, survey, verify

Main Entry: average
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: obtain numerical mean
Synonyms: balance , equate, even out

Main Entry: ballast
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: something giving balance
Synonyms: balance , brace, bracket, counterbalance, counterweight, equilibrium, sandbag, stability, stabilizer, support, weight

Main Entry: classicism
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: simple style; regularity, restraint
Synonyms: Atticism, Ciceronianism, Hellenism, aesthetic principle, balance , clarity, class, classicalism, conventional formality, dignity, elegance, excellence, finish, formal style, formality, grand style, grandeur, high art, lucidity, majesty, neoclassicism, nobility, objectivity, polish, proportion, propriety, pure taste, purity, rationalism, refinement, rhythm, severity, simplicity, sobriety, sublimity, symmetry

Main Entry: compare
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: examine in contrast
Synonyms: analyze, approach, balance , bracket, collate, confront, consider, contemplate, contrast, correlate, divide, equal, examine, hang, hold a candle to, inspect, juxtapose, match, match up, measure, observe, oppose, parallel, place in juxtaposition, ponder, rival, scan, scrutinize, segregate, separate, set against, set side by side, size up, stack up against, study, touch, weigh, weigh against another
Notes: compare emphasizes the similarities between or among things, though not losing sight of the differences; contrast emphasizes the differences

Main Entry: compare
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: liken, equate
Synonyms: allegorize, approach, approximate to, assimilate, balance , be in the same class as, be on a par with, bear comparison, bring near, come up to, compete with, connect, correlate, distinguish between, draw parallel, equal, equate, hold a candle to, identify with, link, make like, match, notice similarities, parallel, put alongside, relate, resemble, show correspondence, stack up with, standardize, tie up, vie

Main Entry: compensate
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: offset, make up for
Synonyms: abrogate, annul, atone for, balance , better, cancel out, counteract, counterbalance, counterpoise, countervail, fix, improve, invalidate, make amends, negate, negative, neutralize, nullify, outweigh, redress, repair, set off
Antonyms: damage, deprive, penalize

Main Entry: complement
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: companion, counterpart
Synonyms: accompaniment, addition, aggregate, augmentation, balance , capacity, completion, consummation, correlate, correlative, counterpart, enhancement, enrichment, entirety, filler, finishing touch, makeweight, pendant, quota, remainder, rest, rounding-off, supplement, total, totality

Main Entry: composition
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: structure, arrangement
Synonyms: agreement, architecture, balance , beauty, combination, concord, configuration, consonance, constitution, content, design, distribution, form, formation, harmony, layout, make-up, placing, proportion, relation, rhythm, spacing, style, symmetry, weave

Main Entry: composure
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: calmness, collectedness
Synonyms: accord, aplomb, assurance, balance , calm, contentment, control, cool head, cool*, coolheadedness, coolness, dignity, dispassion, ease, equanimity, equilibrium, even temper, evenness, fortitude, harmony, imperturbability, inexcitability, levelheadedness, moderation, nonchalance, peace of mind, placidity, poise, polish, presence of mind, quiet, quietude, repose, sang-froid, sedateness, self-assurance, self-control, self-possession, serenity, sobriety, stability, tranquility
Antonyms: agitation, arousal, discomposure, excitement, perturbedness, upset

Main Entry: contrast
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: compare, differ
Synonyms: balance, be a foil to, be contrary to, be dissimilar, be diverse, be unlike, be variable, bracket, collate, conflict, contradict, depart, deviate, differentiate, disagree, distinguish, diverge, hang, hold a candle to, match up, mismatch, oppose, separate, set in opposition, set off, stack up against, stand out, vary, weigh
Antonyms: accord, agree, be alike, be equal, be similar, coincide, concur, conform

Main Entry: counterbalance
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: offset an action
Synonyms: amend, atone for, balance , cancel, compensate, correct, counteract, counterpoise, countervail, equalize, make up for, outweigh, rectify, redeem, set off

Main Entry: cover
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: fill in for, compensate
Synonyms: balance , counterbalance, double for, insure, make good, make up for, offset, relieve, stand in for, substitute, take over, take the rap for

Main Entry: credit
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: deferred payment arrangement; assets
Synonyms: balance , bond, capital outlay, continuance, debenture, extension, installment buying, installment plan, lien, loan, mortgage, on account, on the arm, on the cuff, plastic, respite, securities, stock, surplus cash, tab, trust, wealth
Antonyms: cash
Explore balance in the Visual Thesaurus »

Main Entry: earnings
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: money for work performed
Synonyms: balance , bottom line, emolument, gain, gate, groceries, in the black, income, lucre, net, pay, payoff, piece of the pie, proceeds, profit, receipts, remuneration, return, revenue, reward, salary, salt, stipend, take-home, takings, wages
Antonyms: bills, debt, losses, payout

Main Entry: equal
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: make even, be even with
Synonyms: agree, amount to, approach, balance , be commensurate, be identical, be level, be tantamount, break even, come up to, compare, comprise, consist of, coordinate, correspond, emulate, equalize, equate, equipoise, equiponderate, keep pace with, level, live up to, match, measure up, meet, parallel, partake of, rank with, reach, rise to, rival, run abreast, square with, tally, tie, touch
Antonyms: disproportion, imbalance, unmatch, vary

Main Entry: excess
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: overabundance of something
Synonyms: balance , by-product, enough, exorbitance, exuberance, fat, fulsomeness, glut, inundation, lavishness, leavings, leftover, luxuriance, nimiety, overdose, overflow, overkill, overload, overmuch, overrun, oversupply, overweight, plenty, plethora, profusion, recrement, redundance, redundancy, refuse, remainder, residue, rest, spare, superabundance, supererogation, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, the limit, too much of a good thing, too much*, waste, wastefulness
Antonyms: dearth, deficiency, insufficiency, lack, need, poverty, shortcoming, want
* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry: grace
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: charm, loveliness
Synonyms: address, adroitness, agility, allure, attractiveness, balance , beauty, breeding, comeliness, consideration, cultivation, decency, decorum, dexterity, dignity, ease, elegance, etiquette, finesse, finish, form, gracefulness, lissomeness, lithesomeness, mannerliness, manners, nimbleness, pleasantness, pliancy, poise, polish, propriety, refinement, shapeliness, smoothness, style, suppleness, symmetry, tact, tastefulness
Antonyms: clumsiness, ineptness, tactlessness

Main Entry: hesitate
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: wait; be uncertain
Synonyms: alternate, balance , balk, be irresolute, be reluctant, be unwilling, blow hot and cold, dally, debate, defer, delay, demur, dillydally, dither, doubt, equivocate, falter, flounder, fluctuate, fumble, hang back, hang*, hedge, hem and haw, hold back, hold off, hover, linger, oscillate, pause, ponder, pull back, pussyfoot, scruple, seesaw, shift, shrink, shy away, sit on fence, stammer, stop, straddle, stumble, stutter, swerve, tergiversate, think about, think twice, vacillate, waffle, waver, weigh
Antonyms: attack, carry on, continue, go, go ahead, persevere, resolve
* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry: keep up
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: maintain, sustain
Synonyms: balance , compete, contend, continue, emulate, go on, hold on, keep pace, keep step, match, pace, persevere, preserve, rival, run with, vie
Antonyms: let go, neglect

Main Entry: moderation
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: temperance
Synonyms: balance , calmness, composure, constraint, coolness, dispassionateness, equanimity, fairness, forbearance, golden mean, judiciousness, justice, justness, lenity, measure, mildness, moderateness, patience, poise, quiet, reasonableness, restraint, sedateness, sedation, sobriety, steadiness, toleration
Antonyms: extreme, indulgence, intemperance, intensity, outrageousness, severity, unlimitedness, violence, wildness

Main Entry: outweigh
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: override, dominate
Synonyms: atone for, balance , cancel out, compensate, counterbalance, counterpoise, countervail, eclipse, exceed, excel, make up for, offset, outbalance, outrival, outrun, overcome, overshadow, predominate, preponderate, prevail, set off, surpass, take precedence, tip the scales 

What do you think?  What's your favorite?  What speaks to you?

The BALANCE Kit is Here!

Is your life in harmony, peaceful and serene? Are you able to juggle the challenges and responsibilities that come your way with ease, or do you struggle to find your footing? Explore this and more with our newest kit, BALANCE! Click here to buy now!

How do you keep your composure and your equilibrium in this complicated and mysterious world? What brings you a feeling of tranquility?
How does the natural yin and yang of life, intimate connections and the work/home relationship impact you?

The BALANCE kit merges mid-century modern imagery with a nod to simpler times. Strong color, presence and strength blend seamlessly with delicate details.

We’ve combined the perfect yet delightfully unexpected Cosmo Cricket’s ‘Mad Men’ styled Social Club with Crate Paper’s simply elegant Portrait and Echo Park’s For the Record. A fantastic and versatile color palette of mustard, spearmint, clear red and more create a unique platform for exploring polarity, difference and equanimity. You’ll enjoy mixing grace
and poise with whimsy and irreverent fun!

We've included an amazing array of embellishments too - you don't need to spring for add-ons! Tons of chunky chipboard, multiple mixable alphas in Thicker and sticker form, loads of journaling cards in cardstock and transparency, tiny resin lotus blossoms, diamond bling, Webster’s lace doilies and much more!

Center yourself. Join us and Explore Your Inner World. .


PLEASE NOTE:

Non-US Subscribers who select an individual kit will receive a Paypal invoice for shipping after completing their order.

Your order constitutes your acceptance of our terms and conditions as printed on our FAQ page.

12 Sheets Double Sided Patterned Paper:

* Cosmo Cricket Social Club Blue Eyes * Cosmo Cricket Social Club Jazz * Cosmo Cricket Social Club Martini * Cosmo Cricket Social Club Cocktail * Cosmo Cricket Social Club Manhattan *  Crate Paper Portrait Traditions * Crate Paper Portrait Honeymoon *Crate Paper Portrait Bouquet * Crate Paper Portrait Something Blue * Echo Park For the Record Tablecloth * Echo Park For the Record Fabric Store * Echo Park For the Record Borders

Embellishments:
* American Crafts Serenade Puffy Thickers - Spearmint * Echo Park For the Record Alpha Sticker
* Mark Richards Shaped Elements - Clear Square, ½ pkg * 7Gypsies Affirmations Tag Kit, 2 cards
* Crate Paper Portrait Border Stickers, 1/3 sheet * Echo Park For the Record Elements Stickers
* Crate Paper Portrait Chipboard Accents, 8-10 pcs * Crate Paper Portrait Eclectic Buttons, 4-5 pcs
* Webster’s Pages Whimsies Lotus Blooms – Cream, 4 pcs * Cosmo Cricket Social Club Elements Journaling Page * Maya Road Transpencies Ledger – White,4 pcs * Webster’s Pages Designer Threads Doilies, 1-2 pcs * Harmonie Rococo Black Lace Ribbon on Acrylic Holder

Cardstock:
* American Crafts Ladybug * American Crafts Sunflower
* American Crafts Leaf * American Crafts Spearmint

Color:
* Ranger Stickles - Mystic Green

Technique:
* Maya Road - Vintage Scale Singletons Stamp


Contents may vary slightly.
Members who begin a six month subscription with the Balance kit will get two fantastic bonuses: Cosmo Cricket Social Club Ready Set Chip and Hambly Family Portrait – Black Rubons! See you online soon!

Sneak Peek of BALANCE and a Giveaway at CK

Sneak Peek of the September kit: BALANCE

Our September kit is about how your life feels - in harmony, filled with peace...or not? How do you keep your composure and your equilibrium in this complicated and mysterious world?

Mid-century modern imagery mixed with a nod to simpler times. Strong color, presence and strength mix with delicate details.



Come and join us September 1 and get your life in BALANCE.

Creating Keepsakes Blog Post and How-to on Visual Journaling

My newest post is up on the CK Blog here with tips and tricks on how to deepen your layouts by adding visual symbolism.

Some peeks:







Come learn more, share your insights, and you'll have a chance to win the GROWTH kit before they're all gone!



Click here - and we still have these subscriber bonuses left with your six month subscription or renewal...




Have a beautiful weekend, and if you're on the east coast, stay safe, stay dry and stay home!

Love,
Rachel

PS - Don't forget that voting for the CK Teen Talent Search is unlimited...so vote as many times as you can! Click the widget at the top right of the sidebar. And thanks!