I work in our basement. It is cold and dark. But it is also large. I like my scrap space. I get to spread out. I get to have my kids doing projects at the same time. It is a good space! You can click each photo for a larger view to see all my notes about my space.

I don’t do new years resolutions. Instead, when I feel the need, I set goals for myself. It just so happened that around December I decided to set a whole new set of goals for myself. Here I am 2.5 months into the new year and I am looking over what I have set for myself and how things are going. These are goals I have that are not project related goals.

Goal 1: Start a blog. Check! Thanks to my DH who is tremendous tech support, I now have a blog! I am excited to share my ideas and thoughts on my crafty adventures.

Goal 2: Submit some of my work for publication. I am not an amazing scrapper. But I think I have some skill. What could it hurt to submit my work? The worst is that I don’t get published, which I am not now anyway. The best is that I could get in a magazine and who knows where that may lead.

Goal 3: Try out for a design team. Check! I applied for a blogger’s design team (haven’t heard back yet). I won’t say who or what for now. It is a short term position which would work well for my family’s needs. Other design teams seem too intense for me at this point in my life. But, wouldn’t it be exciting to be on a design team? I am still looking into other possibilities that may work for my schedule.

Goal 4: Enter contests (based on skill, not just a “fill out the form” contest). Check (almost)! I am currently working on entering a card making contest. The results will be in in April. After I hear back (or don’t hear back!) I will post the projects I submitted.

Goal 5: Make a bit of a name for myself in the scrapping/card making circle. I don’t need to be famous. I just want to be inspiring! This is a bigger goal that encompasses all of the above. I want to share, teach and be a provider of information. I love reading others ideas and I think I have plenty of ideas to share as well.

Wish me luck with my goals. What are your scrapping goals this year?

So I’ve been cleaning up my scrap space. I had a bunch of items still sitting out from a Creating Keepsakes Convention I went to in early February. I had purchased a bunch of basic embellishments. I stocked up on buttons, gems, pearls and a few others. Being a color person, I sorted everything into their respective piles and lined it all up on my self waiting to be put away. But I haven’t been able to put them away. They are just too pretty sitting there. It is a tough to have the dual personality of wanting everything stashed and organized AND also wanting all those colors surrounding me. Hmmm. Guess I’ll have to put them away later.

So many people only look at art by the classic definition. Only painting and sculpting count. Those are the fine arts after all. Scrapbooking and card making is only a craft or a hobby. I say bah humbug!

When I was little I was in love with the Hallmark store. Rows of paper, markers, stickers and so much more artsy goodness. Somewhere along the way though, I came to believe that being an artist meant that I had to be able to draw. So I tried and tried to draw my way to being an artist. Only thing was it didn’t work. When I signed up for a paper making class in college my mind began to open. Being an artist is more than just the classical painting, drawing and sculpture. It is having an idea and bringing that idea to life. It is that moment of inspiration that fulfills itself. It is putting materials together in ways that makes me happy! Since that eye opening college class I have played and experimented and come full circle back to the stores filled with rows of paper, markers, stickers and so much more arsty goodness.

So take back the word. Go ahead. Call yourself an artist. I do.

Last year I found a kit club business called Vintage Plum. I was shopping around for a kit club and found their ad on Google. I signed up immediately because they had a very different philosophy. ALL of their products, including their packaging, came from the US. I was so excited by this. Unfortunately they went out of business back in August.

I was bummed to see them go, however is started me into search mode. What crafting products could I find made in the US? I’ve been making lists and there is more than I thought there would be! I’ve posted a table with lists of manufacturers and the products they produce in the US.

I know there a good many things that aren’t manufactured in the US and while I still use those things, I am becoming more conscious of the impact of buying imported goods. The pollution created from shipping goods all over the world are tremendous. And it only saves the manufactures’ cost. We as the consumer don’t see the difference in price. All the saved money only goes to bigger profits of the businesses. I’m not opposed to businesses making money for what they do. We all have to make a living. But when businesses choose to sacrifice US jobs for their own profit I get frustrated. And then we still have to pay the additional cost of the extra pollution to our planet. It just doesn’t make any sense.

Our economy and our environment will be happier if we keep our purchases as local as possible. Please consider US brands before you choose other items. To see a list of some of the information I gathered please visit the page on this blog titled Made in the USA. (link at the top) [Update: this information is not longer current.]

If you see any errors, or have any information to add, please let me know. Leave a comment and I will update my file to include your information.