Finding Me

Finding Me, has been a big topic for me these last past weeks and so, what better way to kick start my first pages of my Smash Book than with that topic in mind.

 

When I started this project, last Thursday (3 days ago)  I came across this Smash Book 30 Day Challenge from Yourhealthyyear.com . I thought…”For sure! I can Do this!” what I didn’t realize that alone the preparation took time. Finding my materials, those little mementos I had been stashing up over the years,  in the attic and office and other nooks and crannies all around the house, it all took lots of time.

 

Organizing a space I wanted to work in, where I could leave the stuff as it was, rather than have to pack it away every day, which would take up a lot of time. Then actually organizing what items I wanted to use and how?It all took time.

 

I spent at least a couple of hours on the project  after writing my last post. But, come night fall, I was pooped and as I couldn’t find a good adhesive around the house, despite the fact that I have a bottle of something appropriate….somewhere, I just didn’t have my materials ready to finish a page.

 

On Friday, I just kept finding things to include, as I went about my busy day, and continued to add to the ever growing pile.  I knew my Day 1 of this entry had well exceeded 1 page, not that the challenge specifies doing that as Smash Booking has, supposedly NO RULES.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday was another day but I kept finding things and finally I got a trip to Gallus Markt, our local hypermarket (grocery store etc.), which has now a rapidly growing number of aisles devoted to arts and crafts. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the Caran d’Aache colored pencils I had been dreaming about for at last 2 years. But now looking online, I am glad I didn’t find any, as there are not just colored pencils that you can just add water too and they become watercolors, but Aquarelles, Soft Aquarelles, Pastel Pencils and the list goes on and on!

 

So this will require a trip to Zurich (oh poor me)  and their boutique there, which I have been meaning to visit, before I decide.

 

Getting back to the point, it is Sunday morning as I speak and sitting here in my basement, looking out at the beautiful sunshiny morning I am totally overwhelmed by all that I need to do do get my Day 1: About Me challenge finished.

 

But Sunday, in Switzerland, unlike the States and Canada is the last day of the week, not the first, so I need to FINISH this project today!!! So, let me get to it!

 

Without those colored pencils I so craved, it was a bit more challenging, but I managed to do what I had in mind.

 

 

I found this great calendar printable on Pinterest from Jen at  IHeart Organizing.  That worked perfectly on the opening page.

 

 

Next was my April page, just a marker for the month I started this. The illustration on that page is from my 2014 diary by the amazing artist Marjolein Bastin.

 

 

I am  so happy how my Finding Me page turned out (you should have seen my first arrangements!)The words I typed and printed out from a painting program on my PC, the stars was from an unused greeting card. The fabric looking background is from a bag I saved. A momento from a trip to Germany,  in the gorgeous medieval town of Lüneburg  where we found a great fabric boutique.

 

 

The About Me page is done for today. Maybe I will make some additions at  a later date.

 

 

I can’t tell you how liberating it feels to finally get to use up all this stuff I have been saving up in boxes, in drawers and wherever you can imagine.

 

Stay tuned for my Day 2 post about Goals…can’t promise it will be tomorrow though!

 

Wishing you all a very creative day! If you have ever done, or are making a smash book I would love to hear about your experience! If not I hope I may just have planted the seed!!

 

Thanks for reading!

Jodie