Welcome!

Ever since I can remember, I have always appreciated a handmade gift. Whether it was a card or even the creative way a gift was wrapped, I was always touched by how carefully and thoughtfully it was made. Yet, the crafty world was big and intimidating, and I saw few creations that truly inspired me.

Last Christmas, some girlfriends of mine made me a wonderful journal filled with 52 weeks' worth of devotionals. Each friend contributed to the creation of this awesome book, which featured various page layouts, designs, photos, and themes. I was so touched by their thoughtful gift. Every time I pick up the journal, I feel like my friends are right there with me.

I believe that's when my desire to give handmade gifts came alive.

Since then, I dabbled at first with a shadowbox, and got introduced to the insanely addicting world of scrapbooking. For a long time, scrapbooking and any sort of papercrafting bored the heck out of me. I was never impressed with scrapbooks and found so many of them to be bland and lacking any real purpose for existence. Then I discovered Paper Mermaids - a fabulous little scrapbooking store here in Newport - and was instantly hooked (not to mention, a "missing person"). Aisle after aisle contained a litany of beautiful paper, embellishments, and real projects that the ladies finished. I was amazed at how beautiful and artistic their creations were and suddenly wanted to do the same.

To help chronicle my journey through scrapbooking, I've decided to start this blog, which I hope to fill with lots of photos, instructions, and all other kinds of helpful information. Thank you so much for visiting my blog - happy crafting!