MyMemories Scrap Challenge and Sale

As many of you know, I am now on the Creative Team of Touched By A Butterfly, a digital scrapbooking design company.  This week, our fearless leader Celeste is hosting the Weekly Blog Challenge at MyMemories.  To enter, all you have to do is design a page using one of Touched By A Butterfly's kits.  These may be purchased at her MyMemories Store or you may download a free kit from Touched By A Butterfly's Facebook page simply by "Liking" it.  You can purchase the MyMemories Software for $10 off plus get $10 to spend in the MyMemories Store using the coupon code STMMMS4712.  The lucky winner of the challenge will receive a FREE copy of the kit Smashology 101 by Touched By A Butterfly.

In honor of her hosting the weekly scrap challenge, Celeste is offering 35% off her entire store as well.  Be sure to check out the store!  I have several new clusters and an upcoming photobook there which you are sure to love as much as I do.  Make sure that you hop on over to the pages listed in order to enter the challenge and have a chance at the freebies!

Remember to make a memory today, and keep a camera on hand to capture it!

When the Lord closes a door, He often opens a window!

Lately, I have been down.  And that is putting it nicely.  Nothing seems to be going right in the world.  My significant other moved to Texas without me, my grandfather was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I failed to obtain a teaching job in Latin this year.  I have tried crawling into bed and not coming out before, but I promise that it never works out for the best.  Instead, I chose to vent.  Luckily for me (and you), I vent through art.  Sometimes I journal in my Moleskine, sometimes I make Artist Trading Cards, and sometimes I dive into digital scrapbooking.  Whatever the case may be, I always have something tangible to offer for my efforts.  So recently, I applied to work on the creative team of Touched By a Butterfly, a digital scrapbook design firm.  And finally, after viewing my blogsites, I was chosen to be a member.  Digital scrapbooking was there for me when I needed it (as well as those of you who have supported me here), and now I have the opportunity to give back to the artistic community in a meaningful way.  I hope that you will enjoy my designs as well as the opportunities it will bring for the digital scrapbooking community.  And in the end, maybe I will have more time to work on the things that I love...my relationship, my family, my education, and my art.

If at First You Don't Succeed ...

After my last rant about telling my Muse to be quiet, she bravely spoke up and offered me a chance to rectify the situation.  Mind you, that seldom ever happens.  If it does, you better buckle up and be ready for a ride on the horse of a different color.  Several of the digital scrapbooking designers offered yet another creative team call.  I am not sure if it is hubris at this point or just another attempt at deflating my ego, but I needed a change and a challenge.  So, once again I submitted my information, several layouts, and my blogsite for review by perfect strangers, patiently waiting for the response that my designs were "bland" and "didn't pop."  But, as Old Blue Eyes once said, Luck can be a Lady.  Finally, several people enjoyed my writing well enough to invite me to join a Blog Team for digital scrapbooking.  So now, I can add that I work for www.creativeartistry.com writing about creations from Missy's Bits Designs and Sugar Moon Designs.  I look forward to blogging each week, trying a hand at designing, and using my words to entice others to do the same.  I am considering this a learning experience given to me by the heart of my Muse, and hopefully she will lead all of us on an exciting journey.

Now... I am ready to go make a memory or two and write about them!!!

When Your Muse Should Keep Silent

Okay.  I must admit that occasionally the little voice inside my head speaks louder than it should.  Or rather, a little louder than I should allow it to speak.  Recently, my muse told me that I should offer my talents to several graphic designers with the hopes of becoming a member of their creative teams.  Everyone (that is my mom and boyfriend) tend to enjoy my scrapbooking skills and I had the insane idea that everyone else would love them too.   Instead, my art was met with little less than fanfare.  In fact, I believe that I was called boring...or dull.  I am not really sure because my muse has been in shock ever since.  I actually have not been able to enjoy scrapbooking ever since.  ...That is...until today.  Even though I had an epic failure with my attempt at joining a creative team, I was given the opportunity to enjoy my passion once more.  One of the designers stated that she had several positions opening for members to create art other than scrapbooks using digital scrapbooking kits.  Thoughts began to flood my mind.  My creative juices simply keep flowing.  I don't know whether I should build a matchbook shrine, an Artist Trading Card, a journal, or simply a Random Act of Art Kindness postcard.  Sometimes one door has to close in order for a window to open.  Sometimes we have to listen to our muse, and sometimes, it is best for her to keep silent.  She eventually will start talking again (in her own time), and we just must be receptive to the ideas that she puts forth.  Hopefully, I will soon be able to take a picture and enjoy the fact that one day someone else will enjoy it too.  

When push comes to shove, the only person who can tell your muse to be silent is you.  But make sure that if you tell her to hold her tongue, you are willing to live a life a little duller, a little colder, a little darker, and a lot lonelier.  I have learned that while I may not always like what my muse has to say, I will always give her the opportunity to speak.  She has a lot of wisdom to give, and if I don't listen, who will?