And The Givin' Is Easy

When my May Scrapbook Obsessions kit arrived I did what I normally do.  The pizza box shaped package quietly sat on my scrap table until the day is over and it was nearly time to go to bed.  Then, after the table top was cleared and I had room to spread out, I tore off the heavy cardboard zipper and lifted the lid ... feeling a tinge of excitement, a boat-load of curiosity, and an ounce of trepidation. 

The excitement is self explanitory. So is the curiosity. The trepidation ... that comes from my inner demons ... that ugly little creature called self-doubt and low self-esteem, that I've carried around with me for as long as I can remember. Will I be able to create anything with the contents of the box? Will it sit in a disheveled pile of stuff staring back at me while I struggle to figure out what to do with it? Will I sit here frozen, colorless, and numb while Lynnise, Jing-Jing, Jan, and Pam are probably in their brightly lit rooms ... smiling, busy, creative?

Each month the box is opened and the contents revealed. I carefully place each item on my work table.  First are the papers that JR and Chantele have chosen for the month.  I examine each pattern, group them together to see how the colors coordinate with each other, make a mental note of the 'mood' of the collection ... playful, romantic, sophisticated, etc.  Then, I begin to remove the 'goodies' that are included in each kit ... slowly, examining the details, picking up a sheet of paper and envisioning how this flower will look against this sheet of paper ... or that strip of ribbon coordinates with that paper pattern ... getting ideas, thinking about my photos ... nothing concrete, yet.  Just absorbing. Everything is laid out like the food on RaKell's plate ... close together, but not quite touching, as though placing them together now would pre-determine their final resting place.  Then, I turn of the Ott lamp and go to bed. 

This has always been my method when I've had a project to do.  Even back in the day, in design school, I would play with fabrics, colors, textures, surrounding myself with every imaginable possibility ... then go to bed.  Sleep on it.  Let the images swirl around me ... float in an out ... sort themselves ... organize themselves.

And, in the very early morning .. just before the light of dawn makes the trees outside my window more than a dark shadow ... I'll enter my scraproom, my white styrofoam cup full of hot, creamy coffee in hand, with an enthusiasm and an energy that was absent the night before. Then the fun begins. (This morning I received my email confirmation that my June SO kit has shipped.  I'm anticipating another rush of scrapping adventure ... can you tell?  hahahaha)

My May kit included a Bo Bunny 'My Word' Chipboard Mini Album.  My word was HAPPY.  Of course. The only other word that would have been appropriate for me would have been SMILE.  hehehe  That's an inside joke to myself. I swear, I have so much fun with me.  Anyway, when I saw the album in real life, the images of the finished project just appeared right before my very eyes.  There was no hemming and hawing about what I wanted to do with it.  I didn't play around with different ideas or thumb through magazines or computer thumbnails in search of inspiration.  I knew exactly what I wanted to create.  A Mother's Day album for my daughter-in-law, Lisa. It was the perfect blend of  papers, theme, colors, and photos ... and so I went to work.

I'm ashamed to say that I rarely give any of my projects to people.  So much of emotion, so much work, so much love, so much of myself is put into my little creations that it's painful to part with them.  But, this one was truly created with the gifting in mind.  Each page, each paper, each flower embellishment, each word, each photo ... chosen carefully and placed with care ... A Gift Of Memories to my dear daughter-in-law ... and the givin' was easy.

Comments

[Patti Smith]

Your dil is so lucky to have a wonderful mil like you....your happy book was unbelieveable...as all of your work Colette....new kit is awesome now if I could find time to play!! Enjoy your weekend!! XOXO..patti

[NancyJones]

I agree with patti. I feel lucky just to know you, Your dil is so blessed to have you in her life! I understand what you mean about giving them away though..
I give alot of my stuff as gifts and I always wonder do they "get it" DO they really know what went into making that. Not just the product, the time, the emotion, the energy, I tell you this. If they don't seem to "get it" they wont be "gettin nuttin' else" hehehee
Is that mean or what?