Domesticraft Downsizing Adventure . . .Bring your BIGGEST shopping bag!

My bag.

This is what my bag would look like if I was shopping, which I'm not!  Downsizing, minimizing, simplifying . . . that's what I'm doing!  Today started the downsizing sale to Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Public!

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There is a lot of interest in this lovely old typewriter!  I'll find out tomorrow who gets it.  I've got several more that I'll post some pictures of too!  I think I am going to keep one to mod podge (I saw a super cute one on Pinterest and bring two more of the older electric sweethearts!)

This is what I'm going to do to one of my vintage typewriters.  What do you think of this idea?  Would you?

UPDATE!

The above typewriter is SOLD! Tanya of @tm_studio on Instagram
She also walked away with a couple of globes, a quilt, an apron and some other vintage coolness. I think she was pretty happy! 

Two friends came over this past Sunday for some crafting and some shopping!  Julie from .Juliechatscom also brought her daughter Delaney, who is going to be out-crafting all of us before long, lots of talent that girl!  Lori also came over, about time Lori! :)  Both are extremely gifted designers and so much fun to hang out with!  I see lots of crafting after the move as well!  I'm pretty sure they'll be back before I move as well . . . they sure better be!  ;)  Oh, and the lovely flowers and card were a gift from Lori!  Thank you Lori!  Aren't they gorgeous and the card is equally pretty! (my photo does not do the card justice AT ALL!

I have got a boatload of acrylic craft paint going at a sweet bargain!  Tons of different colors!

These are my two oldest grandsons, Muji and Zami, moving a table out to the garage.  My daughter, Aisha, is having to sell all her stuff out of my garage, so I'm letting her borrow a table.  Aren't I nice! :)  She has a boatload too, only her stuff is a bit different than mine.  First she has a whole bunch of vintage clothing for women . . . some really retro lovelies and assorted kitschy knic knacs too!  She also has A LOT of homeschooling stuff for you and your kids and bunches of games and toys too! 

Here's another shot of the beautiful flowers!

I'm not sure what Delaney is looking at in this shot . . . but she sure is sizing something up, don't you think? 

Hmmm. . . I wonder.

I decided I am not parting with my vintage books.  There's so much I still want to do with them with regard to crafting and there are several that I would love to read as well.  I just couldn't do it!

Well, that's it for this post.  I will be posting on Craigslist tomorrow, today kind of got away from me.  Email me at domesticraft@gmail.com if you would like to come out a take a look.  I'm doing appointments cause it might get a little cray-cray as Amber over at Craftwarehouse likes to say! :)  There is still so much left to choose from, but feel free to email me with any questions.  I'll be checking in often!  Thanks again to all the lovely ladies who have come out in the last couple of weeks.  Enjoy your new goodies!

I did manage to make some split pea with lentil soup, doesn't that sound good on a gloomy day?  I hope it tastes as good as it smells!

Nancy 

xoxoxo

Shrinking Biz = Thinking Big!

Sometimes stuff happens in your life, that makes you start rethinking how you want to proceed with your "happily ever after" plans. There have been many factors leading to my/our decision to downsize Domesticraft, our home and our lifestyle in general. I'm not going to bore you with all that though. I just wanted to let you know that it's a good decision for us and I'm actually very excited about the move! I would love for you to join me on this journey. I'm going to do my best to post daily with lots of photos of my progress! Here's a brief synopsis of what's going on. We are going to be moving from our 6600 sq.ft. home/business to a one bed room apartment 1/10 of the size at 660 sq.ft.!  Yep, we could fit 10 of our soon to be apartments into our present house! 

We've lived in this awesome 1961 mid-century house for going on three years now. We don't own it, don't even have a lease. And think they might be thinking about selling it too, but I have no idea really, it just kind of puts an exclamtion mark on stuff, if you know what I mean! 

My daughter and her kids had lived in the lower level for going on 2 years and decided to downsize last September. I was sad at first, but then she reminded me that I have wanted to have a craft studio big enough to hold workshops and spread out all my craft chaos. Hmmmmm . . . yes, please! So that's what I did. And it looks awesome! I can't tell you how much I love it . . . a real dream come true! So, you may think my dream bubble has popped, but it's really just deflating a bit, down to a more manageable size! 

A lot of changes have happened over the summer and a lot of soul searching, learning and growing happened along with it!  The hubs went away for approximately 9 weeks from the end of May to the beginning of August and I spent Ramadan mostly on my own. I took and continue to participate in workshops on blogging and business and this last group I am now involved with called Metamorphosis, an online art journaling workshop given by Margie-Romney-Aslett, which is the creative icing on the learning part of the journey, for now.

Hubs has been home for a couple of weeks now (YAY!)and I've poured out all my thoughts and ideas to him, and he is in agreement and we are totally on the same page . . . as usual! :) So for now it's all about the ACTION! 

The move is scheduled for mid September and I've got a business and home to downsize in less than 30 days! Did I mention we will be going from 6600 sq.ft. to 660 sq.ft.? Oh, I did. ;) I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. We are moving over to SW Portland, right around Capitol Hwy & Barbur Blvd, just about a 45 minute or so drive depending on the traffic. 

I've figured out over these summer months, what direction I really want my business to take and it doesn't require all this massive square footage or the expense for upkeep. We are going to be living really close to the Masjid, which is so exciting, especially for my husband who can attend all 5 of our daily prayers there! Yay! And, we will be living in the apartment right below where my youngest daughter lives with her hubs and 6 kids! I know, I'm crazy, right?! Naw, it's gonna be awesome!

If you are interested in purchasing anything, I will be holding a craft pre-sale on Monday, August 25 through Thursday August 28th, by appointment. Drop me an email at domesticraft@gmail.com and I'll get back to you as quick as I am able in my crazy, turned upside down world! :) My two daughters also have a TON of stuff in my garage that they will be selling as well! 

In addition to the craft sale, We will be having a HUGE downsizing sale starting on Saturday, August 23, starting at 9:00 am.  I'll be posting further info on this on Craigslist too!  Feel free to comment and you can reach me at domesticraft@gmail.com too!

NOW LET'S DO THIS!  WHOOT! :)

NO Scrapbooking Police Blog Series * BUSTED FOR FRAUD!

Hi everyone!  Welcome to day 10 of the blog series hosted by my good friend and collaborative partner, Cara Vincens.  

I hope you are enjoying this little blog hop, entitled "No Scrapbook Police".  Cara will be finishing up the series tomorrow with her own post and she has chosen the subject "A Scrapbooker SHOULD always be caught up" and since she has six kids . . . well I don't know how it could be otherwise! ;)

The subject myth I get to debunk today, is "Scrapbooking should be 12 x 12 traditional paper" and truth, ladies, I thought this post was going to be a piece of cake!  Since I've never done a 12 x 12 layout in my life, Slam & Dunk, right?  Nope!  I've had such revelations these past several weeks, writing and rewriting this post countless times!  Not only because all the awesome scrappers before me kept taking all my good stuff, as in "Oh no, I was going to say that!" Back to the drawing board, again! :) And this time, well let's just say that if there were scrapbooking police, I would have been arrested on so many counts!!  As in slam the jail door and throw away the key! 

So, having said that, I have loaded this post with lots of super cute photos in hopes that an angry, scrappy mob of what I like to consider my peers, friends and fellow scrappers from all over the world, will not shun me for the facts that I am about to reveal! Just remember ladies, there was no malice aforethought . . .ever!

This is my scrapbooking crime and one last reminder ladies, I was in total denial about this. As in . . . NO CLUE! I have and always will consider myself a scrapbooker!  My defense is simple.  (Scroll through the post and look at all the cute photos again. :)

My friends, I was blinded by the bling, the beauty and the bond of the scrapbooking industry and it's amazing scrappers! I'll start with my "Title" crime.

• 12 x 12 traditional paper.  I've never made a traditional 12 x 12 layout in my life!  *GASP* In my younger days, I was simply too cheap and too lazy to do that. I thought using that giant paper for one or two photos seemed wasteful (that's the cheap part) and once I spent what I imagined would take forever to do just one page (that's the lazy part) that indeed, I could not do this.  All my imagined pages would have to be framed for people to gaze upon daily, because they would be so amazing, too good to be contained in a closed up scrapbook, high up on a shelf!

Now that I've got that m myth DEBUNKED, I realized that I really only have one scrappy crime and that is I am a . . . 

Fraud. I am a scrapbooking fraud. :(  There, I've said it.  I have NO scrapbooks full of of beautiful photos and layouts with lovely embellishments sprinkled everywhere.  I don't have any scrapbooks, period.  ZERO. No, that's a lie.  I have one, mostly because it is red with white polka dots and was 1/2 off clearance with an additional 25% off. :) It's where I store all the various & empty page protectors that I've accumulated.  

I've got 1 tiny box of photos and I've only got these because I've forgotten to give them to the kids (a few are just for me).  The first photo you see here is of my almost 16 year old granddaughter, Myriam and this was not scrapped until . . . yesterday! Seriously!  

But the truth is ladies, my kid's don't really care all that much about whether or not they have scrapbooks.  They are not making them for their children either.  So, I am not sweating it too much. In fact, not at all.

What I am doing, is this.  A hybrid type of scrapbooking. I have a major love of paper and all the scrappy "accessories" and I want to try it all!  For me.  For the sheer joy of creating.  I love to experiment and learn new things and techniques!  Down the road a bit, I think I might try selling some stuff too!  And do some videos and tutorials!  And teach more workshops! And just enjoy the process and the people.  Creatives are so fun to hang out with, they get me.  I love creating & crafting with them!  So I'll be making anything and everything that my imagination and my ENORMOUS stash of scrap happiness will allow. 

 

 So, since I don't do scrapbooks in the traditional sense, let me tell you how I do scrap.  All my photos will be stored and shared on my laptop and smartphone, with backups.  I'll be "scrapping" it my way on my blog, my Facebook page, my Instagram account, my Pinterest account and guest posts!  (if anybody wants me any more. ;)  I'll do smash books and mini journals & books and mixed media journals.  And I love, love, love making DIY Project Life and pocket page journaling cards.  This is my kind of scrapping. 

My passion. My way.

I figure, this way I get to have all the fun of "traditional" scrapbooking and all the ease of doing things digitally as well.  I've only just begun, really.  There are so many things I want to explore! I just got a smartphone not quite 3 months ago, and my world has turned upside down in such totally awesome & exciting ways!  The whole picture taking process is no longer any kind of hassle at all (oh and the cool photo apps like Rhonna Designs and A Beautiful Mess, I've had to add more memory already!) The time it takes to do things now is just like a walk in the park and mostly being able to connect and share in such an easy, almost effortless way . . . well, it's just amazing.  I am so enjoying this part of my scrapbooking/life journey!

I am so glad to have gotten this off my chest and this blog post written once and for all! The scrapbooking community is just an amazing source of cammaraderie and inspiration and I'm sure they won't kick me out now . . . right guys?  (keep looking at the pics. . . cute baby, pretty stuff, lol)  

I hope you enjoy the photos.  If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear from you!  I also hope you'll follow me on my outlaw scrapbooking journey by following my blog for VIP status (up at the top, right of the post)and  while you're at it, I would love to meet up with you over on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too!  My journey is just beginning and I would love to have you be a part of it!  I've got lots of irons in the fire and some big news flashes coming up too, so stay tuned!  And last, but not least . . . thanks again, Cara, for inviting me to be a part of this series, it has been a journey in and of itself!

 I think you all are SUPER! ;)

Is she adorable or what?  I'll let you know what she thinks about me posting this for all the world to see!

In the above photo, note how I left lots of room on the bottom for journaling and a bit on the side too.  I always try to take my photos with this idea in mind.

In the above photo I made a collage using the same photo in two of the frames and in the third, I put in Myriam again.  Notice how I can shrink and enlarge pretty much at will?   That's why sometimes you might see a photo of mine and think, "Wow, that's way too busy for me", but I do that for a reason and not just cause I like to throw in everything plus the kitchen sink!  I can get so many awesome closeups from the same photo this way!  And then when I'm satisfied that I've exhausted all the shots, I'll then break down the vignette, layer by layer until I've completed the shoot of all available angles and permutations that I can think of.  Sometimes it's crap and sometimes I get some amazing shots. And to me, it's just plain fun!  I get lost in this process the same way I do with scrapping!  I also put a blank card on an easel to add journaling, a photo or a quote. Oh, and no special camera or equipment!   Just my cell's camera, a Samsung Galaxy s5.  This is an awesome phone with a great camera and for someone who was a bit (or a lot) shy about getting on board with this technology . . . well let's just say, I am catching up quick! I love it! 

Now the above is photo is similar, with some journaling done digitally with the same app I used for the collage.  I believe this shot is from A beautiful Mess photo design app.  I've also added a coordinating DIY pocket journaling card and then enlarged a different part of the same photo of Myriam. The rest of the photos are basically done the same way.  Oh, I must mention, and you may cringe at this . . . my hubs did.  The photo of Myriam and the photo of Martha and Elizabeth, (my daughters as Dracula and Pocahontas down below) well, I cut their bodies right out of the photograph and placed them on the layout and the DIY pocket journal card as I liked.  Yes, I "ruined" the original, but it's going to get a lot more mileage out of it this way!  People will get to see it and share it!  Folks who have probably never seen it AT ALL, cause it was hidden away in a box!  I think it's the best choice FOR ME! 

See that cool stick?  I found that while blackberry picking the other day.  It has a natural slot in it and is just perfect for slipping in a journaling card.  Love it!   I am always on the lookout for photo props everywhere I go.  I think think they can add so much interest and dimension to a photo!

My youngest granddaughter, Kinsey.  This summer!  I'm current!  Yay!

 

I love using different textures.  My current fave is burlap and this awesome grid cutting mat!  (You can see a peek of it in the background) Oh, and the hour or so before the sun starts to set, that is when I love the lighting the most!

Notice how I left lots of room for text, if I want.  This shot is naturally perfect for a lovely inspirational quote!

Lots of room for an uplifting quotation!  My hubs said, "The sky is the limit!"  Yes, he is corny like that! :)

I actually put a set of DIY POCKET PAGE JOURNALING CARDS in this page protector. WOW! I am to a real scrapbooker!! haha This set was made from a couple of blank greeting cards and kraft cardstock.  It also has bits and pieces of fussy cuts from scrap papers, punches, lots of machine stitching & a few other little bits of scrappy yumminess. 

My grandson, Hamza.   He has perfected the, "Guess what I'm dreaming of" look, wouldn't you say?  9 times out of 10, it is about food!

On the Domesticraft sign (above left) of which one of my Son-in-laws made, the middle has been left blank, on purpose . . . again so that I can write a new message or place a photo or quote.  It makes it very versatile!

Two more grandsons, Left . . . Yusef and right . . . Abdur Rahman, aka: Itty Bitty or you may also call him Superman. ;)  This photo was adorable to start, but I put a filter on it. Now it is awesome!  One of my faves!

And last, but by no means least is a shot I took the other day while over for a visit to my grandkids!  Zami, my 11 year old grandson, suggested we take a pic of the apple with the water droplets and I agreed.  Spectacular shot! No filter. One very perfectly placed inspirational quote! 

Done!  I hope you were inspired!  I know I have been from all the super talented and scrappy bloggers, especially Cara!  You'll not regret taking the time to check this series out from the beginning if you are just now joining.  This is some really good content!  Here are the links to get you on your way!  Thanks for visiting and I hope I'll be seeing a lot of you!

Nancy 
xoxoxo

There is NO Scrapbooking Police, The blog series.

August 4 - Paige Evans

A Scrapbooking page SHOULD always have a story and lots of journaling

August 5 - Ashli Oliver

Scrapbook pages SHOULD be fast and simple to just get them done

August 6 - Jen Gallacher

Scrapbook pages SHOULD look perfect

August 7 - Melissa Shanhun

Digital scrapbook pages SHOULD look as much like a paper page as possible 

August 8 - Ashley Calder

Scrapbooking SHOULD be done *this* way  

August 9 - Caroline Davis

A Scrapbooker SHOULD scrapbook FOR her family

August 10 - Lisa Harris

Scrapbooking SHOULD be a legacy for the scrapbooker's family

August 11 - Connie Hanks

A scrapbooker SHOULD follow the trends and be aware of what others think of her pages

August 12 - Marie-Pierre Capistran

A Scrapbooker SHOULD scrapbook chronologically

August 13 - Nancy Gaines

Scrapbooking SHOULD be 12x12 traditional paper pages

August 14 - Cara Vincens

A scrapbooker SHOULD always be caught up

August 4 - Paige EvansA Scrapbooking page SHOULD always have a story and lots of journaling - See more at: http://vincens.typepad.com/cest_la_vie_ours_anyway/2014/08/there-is-no-scrapbooking-police-seriously-a-blog-series.html#sthash.oB9hwHdp.dpuf

August 4 - Paige EvansA Scrapbooking page SHOULD always have a story and lots of journaling - See more at: http://vincens.typepad.com/cest_la_vie_ours_anyway/2014/08/there-is-no-scrapbooking-police-seriously-a-blog-series.html#sthash.oB9hwHdp.dpuf

August 4 - Paige EvansA Scrapbooking page SHOULD always have a story and lots of journaling

August 5 - Ashli Oliver

Scrapbook pages SHOULD be fast and simple to just get them done

August 6 - Jen Gallacher

Scrapbook pages SHOULD look perfect

August 7 - Melissa Shanhun

Digital scrapbook pages should look as much like a paper page as possible 

August 8 - Ashley Calder

Scrapbooking SHOULD be done *this* way  

August 9 - Caroline Davis

A Scrapbooker SHOULD scrapbook FOR her family

August 10 - Lisa Harris

Scrapbooking SHOULD be a legacy for the scrapbooker's family

August 11 - Connie Hanks

A scrapbooker SHOULD follow the trends and be aware of what others think of her pages

August 12 - Marie-Pierre Capistran

A Scrapbooker SHOULD scrapbook chronologically

August 13 - Nancy Gaines

Scrapbooking SHOULD be 12x12 traditional paper pages

August 14 - Cara Vincens

A scrapbooker SHOULD always be caught up

- See more at: http://vincens.typepad.com/cest_la_vie_ours_anyway/2014/08/there-is-no-scrapbooking-police-seriously-a-blog-series.html#sthash.oB9hwHdp.dpuf

August 4 - Paige EvansA Scrapbooking page SHOULD always have a story and lots of journaling

August 5 - Ashli Oliver

Scrapbook pages SHOULD be fast and simple to just get them done

August 6 - Jen Gallacher

Scrapbook pages SHOULD look perfect

August 7 - Melissa Shanhun

Digital scrapbook pages should look as much like a paper page as possible 

August 8 - Ashley Calder

Scrapbooking SHOULD be done *this* way  

August 9 - Caroline Davis

A Scrapbooker SHOULD scrapbook FOR her family

August 10 - Lisa Harris

Scrapbooking SHOULD be a legacy for the scrapbooker's family

August 11 - Connie Hanks

A scrapbooker SHOULD follow the trends and be aware of what others think of her pages

August 12 - Marie-Pierre Capistran

A Scrapbooker SHOULD scrapbook chronologically

August 13 - Nancy Gaines

Scrapbooking SHOULD be 12x12 traditional paper pages

August 14 - Cara Vincens

A scrapbooker SHOULD always be caught up

- See more at: http://vincens.typepad.com/cest_la_vie_ours_anyway/2014/08/there-is-no-scrapbooking-police-seriously-a-blog-series.html#sthash.oB9hwHdp.dpuf

NEW WORKSHOP! Mini Journal - Everything but the kitchen sink!

♡The attitude of gratitude♡ is what this ALL-INCLUSIVE workshop is all about! 

Just a wee sample of what's in store!

You will be making a mini journal, however you want! No rules! It's a grattitude free-for-all! You will have a BIG stash of papers and embellishments to choose from. Seriously . . . HUGE!

It's a paper crafting free-for-all!  No rules!

This is my favorite workshop of all time and I've pulled out so many goodies for your use! (you know, the secret stash, including some amazing ephemera!) I've got tons of ideas and examples for you to check out for inspiration! ;)

Some example pages for you to check out live!

Even more paper yumminess!

I'll also have some You-tube tutorials playing on the retro TV for even more creative ideas & inventiveness!

I've got a little ribbon stash going on here!

Two separate Gratitude Journal Workshops scheduled for Saturday, August 9th or Sunday, August 10th from 2:00-6:00. Or take both & make 2, maybe one could be for a friend you are grateful for!  I am grateful to you, so I am keeping the cost low and affordable at only $25.00 per workshop. Squeeze it a little bit of paper crafting love at Domesticraft!  The summer is still hot and it is blissfully cool here! 

Just in case you were wondering! :)

Leave a comment to get yourself on the list or email me at 

domesticraft@gmail.com!  Hope to see a whole bunch of you this weekend and in the meantime, I am grateful! :)

xoxox
Nancy