Do you ever wonder where all your time goes? I do!
With two companies to run (Crafty Neighbor and my travel agency, Crafty
Neighbor Travel), I am constantly busy running here, running there, finishing
this, working on that. A lot of time
gets wasted driving in traffic (especially construction!) and waiting for web
pages and computer applications to load, process, or do whatever it is that
makes everything seem so S-L-O-W. And I
feel like I never have any time to scrapbook or craft. One way that I remedy that is to take a
little bit of crafting with me wherever I go, and it’s a lot easier than it
sounds.
Since I seldom have large chunks of time to work on my
favorite projects, I have to make use of the little bits of time I do have…the
little bits that seem to always get wasted here and there…for instance, sitting
at the doctor’s office or car wash. By
keeping a small project in my car, (usually something that I can carry in my
purse or a small tote bag), I can make use of all that idle time. My favorite projects to carry around these
days are knitting and crochet, especially scarves because they are repetitive
and I don’t have to read the pattern once I get it started. I’ve also brought along a notebook for journaling,
a sketchbook for drawing, and even my Zentangle supplies. Photos can be cropped on the go with a small
paper trimmer, and Provocraft’s Gypsy is
great for portable die cutting projects.
As a travel agent, I also spend a lot of nights in hotels on
business-related trips, and rather than while away the hours watching free HBO,
I frequently bring some crafty materials with me to work on. My favorite things to work on are my smash
book and my art journal, but I have also worked on 12x12 page layouts during
Layout a Day, and I’m getting ready to start on a mini-album to document all
the scrapbook stores I’ve visited over the years. I like projects like these because I can
usually get away with bringing only a small paper trimmer and a few
embellishments or supplies (think shoe box, etc.). Just this weekend, I was traveling with my
daughter Christen and we both brought our art journals to work on. The bed makes a great workspace; just make
sure you bring a mat to protect the bedding.
Here’s some of what I worked on.
These are just the beginnings of pages in my journal. The loose paper will be a Zentangle when I’m
done with it. They are both projects in
my 365 Challenge.
And this is my little travel kit of supplies. I actually took more than this box on this
trip, but I can usually manage with just this box. It contains my Copic markers, an assortment
of pens and pencils, a few small stamps, ink, and washi tape. I even threw a few small stencils in just for
grins.
Speaking of traveling…the reason for our journey to the
Houston area was two-fold. The main
purpose was for me to inspect the Carnival
Magic cruise ship as a requirement for my CLIA Accredited Cruise Counselor
certification. (It’s a fabulous
ship, by the way!) The other purpose was
to visit those three scrapbook stores in the Houston area (because who can pass
up an opportunity to shop at a new scrapbooking store?), and the third reason
was to promote our 2015 Crafty Neighbor Scrapbooking Cruise!
I am so excited to announce that the next Crafty Neighbor
Scrapbooking Cruise will be:
October 4 - 11, 2015
on a
7-Night Caribbean Cruise
aboard the
Royal Caribbean
Navigator of the Seas
including
the ports of
Falmouth, Jamaica
George Town, Grand Cayman
and
Cozumel, Mexico
Starting at just $741*
per person!
We have all-new instructors this year bringing a wide
variety of projects and styles, and we’ll have an official announcement very
soon, but in the mean time, here’s a few hints:
- We’ll have a store-owner onboard along with a mini-store
- One of the instructors is Copic certified to teach both the Standard and Intermediate Level
- We’ll be focusing on lots of new techniques including more scrapbooking and cardmaking
- Best of all, it’s all included in the cost of your cruise!
Our annual cruise is probably my favorite way to take my crafting with me on the go, and it’s a
sure-fire way to get in as much quality time with your craft supplies as you
could possibly want! If you’d like more
information about how you could spend 7 blissful days at sea with your
scrapbooking pals, just click on the advertisement on the top left of this
blog, or visit our website at http://www.craftyneighbor.com
And before I leave…here is the info on the three stores we
visited in the Houston area:
- Scrapp’n Savvy; Spring: http://www.scrappnsavvy.com
- The Scrap Shack; Friendswood: http://www.scrapshacktexas.com
- Croppin’ Bug Scrapbooking; Texas City: http://www.croppinbug.com
If you’re in the Houston area, try to stop by and visit
these 3 stores. The ladies there were
very friendly and they all carry different products. It will be well worth your trip.
Question of the day:
What kinds of crafty projects have you managed to take with you on the
go, and how did that work out?
