juliemcguffee.com Blog

Spring is always a good time to sort out, re-arrange and go through umpteen thousand things that have accumulated over the past year. I think I’m supposed to throw things away too, to make room for things I will no doubt collect this year, but “re-arranging” works for me. It’s my way of being “green”.

When I was sorting though my piles of scrapbook paper I found a package of “Thomas the Tank Engine” paper and embellishments. My grandson is a big fan and I wondered why I had never used it to scrapbook the adorable photos I have of him on his visit to “Thomas” and riding his own Thomas train. I could do so much with this!! In fact I could do so much with most of the supplies I had. Herein lies the problem. I have so many ideas I never know what to do first. My mum had a saying for this, she called it being “spoiled for choice” – when a person has too many choices they end up not making a decision at all. This is me all over. I’m working on projects right now for the new series of Scrapbook Memories. I start with one idea, which blossoms into another, then another and another until my final project ends up being nothing like the idea I started with. There are so many things I can do with a certain tool, paper, embellishment, etc. it becomes overwhelming. I’m sure this is true for so many scrapbookers. They are so overwhelmed with a plethora of supplies and ideas it’s hard to know where to start. I looked at my wedding album a few weeks ago. It was so simple and so easy to put together. Even back then I was creative in the way I added photos. The photos were matted and I embellished the pages with pressed flowers from my bouquet and even used the sixpence that I wore in my shoe. It was probably finished in one evening, bearing in mind I only had about 24 photos to work with. Just to compare, I probably have over 300 photos of my daughters wedding – and don’t you know – they’re all fabulous…… And, those that might not be quite up to snuff can easily be “photo shopped” into shape. Well, I had better get back to Spring “re-arranging”. At the rate I’m going, it’ll be next Spring before I’m finished.

Yours truly,
Julie

“The March wind doth blow and we shall have snow…” goes a poem that always pops into my head when I think of March. We don’t get too much snow around here, but winds are a whole other subject. We actually lost a gazebo one year! It was really a tornado that picked it up and deposited it in the neighbours’ yard, but wind is wind, whether it’s in a straight line or swirling….. I’m obviously not a meteorologist.

Last Sunday was pretty exciting. I was surrounded by a whirlwind of activity created by, what seemed like dozens of 3 year olds! Believe me, there’s nothing like it. It lasted about 2 hours and after surviving my grandson’s birthday party, I had a new respect for being a mom of a 3 year old. God in His infinite wisdom certainly knew what he was doing when he gave babies to the young. It also made me realize more than anything that I am not in my twenties any more…. The cure for getting older is definitely not to have children, because it’s only as we see our children grow and have children of their own that it hits us squarely in the head that a whole bunch of years have gone flying by. When all said and done, I wouldn’t trade those years for anything – even the not so fun ones. Life is the greatest adventure on earth; a combination of Survivor, The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars. It’s about survival, emotions and definitely lots of fun.

They say that if March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb and vice versa. It was pretty quiet around here on March 1st except for yelling “White Rabbit” before uttering any other words first thing in the morning. Something else I remember from my childhood, a whole eternity ago.

Whether you end the month with a lion or a lamb, depending of course, where you are in the world, I hope you enjoy it to the fullest. Each day comes but once in a lifetime – so enjoy!

Yours truly,
Julie

For some reason it was considered lucky to say “White Rabbit” before uttering any other words on March 1st. I have no idea why. It’s kinda like throwing a pinch of salt over your left shoulder if you spill some. I’m sure there’s a long forgotten, and probably quite sensible reason for some of these oddball things we do without even thinking about why we do them. I have to admit though, I never remember to say White Rabbit on the first of March. My first words are usually, “why did you set the alarm”, or “oh no, it’s morning already!” whatever day of the month it might be.

Sorry it’s taken me so long to blog again. I promised an update about CHA, but I was very underwhelmed this year. That’s not to say there weren’t some great products, there were – this is a creative industry after all, but even though I loved the show, I left it a little flat this time. I’ve been going to this trade show since 1991, so, as you can imagine, I have seen a lot of creativity over the years and some years are just more exciting than others.

There are always lots of demos at the show and one of the most exciting was Barb Bosler’s glass etching demo in the Quickutz booth. I did a presentation on the technique for a recent series of Scrapbook Memories. I used the Silhouette to create my own stencil, then used the etching cream to etch the design on a float glass frame. I’ve been a fan of this etching product for a long time and I love being able to create my own stencil. As a decorative painter I used the dip’n etch liquid to etch glass plates then I’d decorate them. You might have seen my book, Garden of Glassware published by Leisure Arts which featured a number of etched glass projects. I digress as usual – back to the show. Wendy at Tattered Angels is doing a terrific job with her product line. It’s fun, innovative and creative. She has added so many new and exciting things this year. Another favourite product is the Crafters’ Companion. It’s a British company from “up North” which is my neck of the woods, but honestly I’m not biased – they won a CHA award for their product, so I’m not the only one who thought it was just “brilliant”.

Overall I would say that the show has become much more “crafty” in the past few years. When scrapbooking started to gain national popularity in the mid 90’s, there was a definite division between scrapbookers and crafters. I’m not sure why. To me scrapbooking was just another craft like knitting, card making, or decorative painting. It was all about being creative in whatever medium one liked to use. Just my personal opinion of course. I am a crafter – I love all kinds of creativity. I can sew, draw, paint, knit, crochet, tat (with a shuttle), embroider both with threads and silk ribbon and of all the books I wrote, I have to say that “Seaside Treasures” was my favourite. All the projects were created with shells. I have collected shells from every beach I’ve walked along since I was old enough to know what they were and I just adore Sailor’s Valentines. These are mosaic type pictures created entirely with shells by sailors for the loved ones they left behind when they set sail. Okay, I’m digressing again – back to the show. Each year it’s becoming more crafty. There is SO much you can with paper, and yes I love paper crafting too. Scrapbooking is, however, a part of my love of photography. I received my first camera at age 11 and I have been taking photographs ever since. I won’t say for how long. Suffice to say it was a Brownie Reflex camera and used 620 film. I bet most of you don’t even know what that was……….. I now own a digital camera (and, yes, I still have my 35mm), but because of digital photography and from using publishing programs on my Mac to write books, I have learned how creative we can be with a computer. I have to say that with Adobe programs I have found my “element” – gotta get a pun in there somewhere. Forms of paper crafting have been around, probably since paper was invented. Découpage springs to mind and, do you remember Paper Tole from the 70’s. That was 3-D paper crafting and so much fun. We also used to create pop-up cards and origami animals, etc. I think I made about 100 swans one year for Christmas. Mine weren’t totally traditional though, I seem to remember adding feathers and glitter – no right way or wrong way when we’re crafting, right, it’s all about creativity. Yes, I know, I digressed again.

I also went PMA this year. This is a trade show for photographers. I spent time drooling over cameras at Canon, Fuji, Nikon and Olympus, but there was also a lot of other interesting products to see. The photography market seems as if it should be a natural sibling for the scrapbooking market since scrapbooks are all about photographs and the stories they illustrate. The only product that seemed to cross over, however, was albums. Canon exhibited at CHA too, but the focus was more on their creative website and printers. I wonder if they think that cameras are unimportant to scrapbookers….. just a thought.

Yours truly,
Julie

Better late than never – right……. Can’t believe it’s already the 13th! How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? A couple of years ago my New Year’s resolution was not to make any. It was nice to make a list at the beginning of each year about things I wanted to do, etc., but life gets in the ways some times, then I’d feel guilty for not living up to my expectations. I definitely don’t need guilt trips, especially the ones I put on myself.

When I decided to enter the world of bloggers, I wasn’t really sure why I would want to do something like that and I’m still not sure I’m on the right track. I must admit I’m full of useless information, but there’s enough of that out there without my adding to it. So, this year I’m working on short “how to” craft videos for you. I wrote a feature column for a crafts magazine for about 10 years, entitled “Julie’s Shoebox Crafts“. It was basically a series of crafts made from stuff easily found around the house. Since this is the year of recycling, I thought it might be fun to show how to make these on a video. At least I’m willing to give it a try. Now please don’t expect to see anything for a few weeks; the light at the end of the tunnel was a freight train and the caboose is still nowhere in sight. I’ll definitely post a link here when I’ve figured out how to upload, etc. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see.

The Arts and Crafts trade show (CHA) is at the end of this month too, so I’ll give you a run down on what’s new, fabulous and fun when I get back!

Have a healthy, happy, prosperous and a very blessed New Year!

Yours truly,
Julie

My granddaughter is now 6 months old. We took both grandchildren to see Santa this past weekend and, of course, we took photos. As I downloaded them this evening, I noticed that I now had over 5,000 photos on my computer. Hmmm…. I wonder how much space they’re taking up since all my pix are hi res, but, more importantly, whenever am I going to find the time to print some of them!!!! I love my digital cameras, but the advantages of digital are also the disadvantages. I find myself recording literally hundreds of life’s moments, but can’t bear to hit the delete button, so, here they are, ALL OF THEM, on my computer, AND, in some instances, on my laptop.

I have always enjoyed photography and never tire of looking through photos I’ve taken over the years. I’m enamored with the possibilities digital photography has to offer. It’s creative, fun, instantly gratifying and, what my Yorkshire roots love best, economical. I still have my 35mm camera and vowed that I would continue to use it alongside the digital, but digital is just too easy and I have fallen off the film wagon. I am painfully aware, however, that all these moments may be lost forever, if I don’t PRINT THEM OUT! One flash of lightning and any tangible reminder of all those special moments will be gone forever. Copying them to CDs is not an adequate storage solution either, since one scratch can erase a lifetime. Not only that, who knows what kind of storage media we’ll be using 5 to 10 years from now. Only a few years ago I was using floppy discs, and ZIP discs. I still have the discs, but the computer with the appropriate disc drives is long gone. Remembering to copy jpegs onto new media each time I upgrade would be a chore and not only that, each time a file is copied, information is lost so photos would inevitably begin to deteriorate. Keeping up would definitely be a challenge. I have an external hard drive and once a month copy photos on to that as a backup, but it could also be wiped out in a New York minute.

The other day I found negatives of photos taken before 1950 – hey, they’re almost 60 years old! All the images were safe and sound. Wish I could feel as secure about the photos I took only yesterday………… maybe this is the push to print that I sorely needed. I just might have to make it my New Year’s resolution to print photos at least once a week. I wonder how long it will take to go through over 5,000 – and that doesn’t include the ones I’ll be taking at Christmas!

Have a very blessed holiday season!

Yours truly,
Julie

Busy, busy, busy…… just when I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel, I realize it’s a freight train!

We taped Series 1400 of Scrapbook Memories this month. That means I’ve been hosting the show for 7 years now and was a host of More than Memories for 4 years before that. 11 years in TV talk means 286 half shows not bad for a wee Yorkshire lass. One of our guests, Ellen Marden, taped a short video on the set between segments. This is the link if you’d like to check it out. Enjoy!     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW-S1jAwIYo

I’m also scheduled to be on the Terri O radio show on Thursday, Oct 30th. Click on Let’s Talk at: http://www.aterrioshow.com

And here’s a happy note for the day. On Thursday, October the 30th it will be exactly 8 weeks to Christmas!

BTW: Don’t forget to set your clocks back this weekend – Fall back, Spring Forward…… This is definitely the best weekend of the year – freight train on its way or not, I get an extra hour in bed!

Yours truly,
Julie

It’s been a while since my hubby and I went on a “bona fide” vacation, so we splurged and took two within a month………. We went to Yellowstone National Park for a few days, came home, did laundry, mowed the lawn then went to Maine. If it weren’t for the packing, unpacking, organizing mail pick up and a someone to look after Tucker (my sweet little cocker spaniel), etc, we’d definitely think about making this a habit.

My hubby loves the mountains, but, like most Brits, I love the ocean and the beach. Bob spent his time looking up at the mountains and I spent my time looking down at the sand for sea glass, shells and anything else that might catch my eye. I’ve collected shells for years and literally have a cupboard full of boxes of sea treasures from everywhere I’ve been where there’s been a beach. I’ve written a lot of craft books over the past 15 years, but one of my favourites is Seaside Treasures. I wrote this in 1994 and, up until a few months ago, it has been continually on the shelves at Michaels. Another book, (I forget the name) also published by Design Originals, has taken its place, but I’m pleased to see that most of the projects are the same ones I created for Seaside Treasures. It’s amazing how timeless shell crafting can be. My favourite shell projects, however are Sailors Valentines. These are wonderful works of art. I’ve created a few myself over the past 20+ years and am still entranced by the intricacy, colours and beauty of shells. I think my next trip will have to be to Shell Island (Sanibel, right?); I am, without a doubt, a prime candidate for Shell Seekers Anonymous. I’ll let you know when I go.

Yellowstone was very picturesque, but I think I liked the Grand Teton/Lake Jackson area a little better. Jenny Lake reminded me of the Swiss Alps and Bavaria. Places that, like Yorkshire, will always have a special place in my heart. I took a small digital camera with me and returned with photos of buffalo, elk, a mommy moose and her calf and majestic mountain views. There are also lots of photos of old geysers, of course and the effects, 20 years later, of the wildfires that swept thru the park in 1988. As well as being relaxing, the trips reinforced my love of photography; all I have to do now is to decide which of the 500 photos I should print. The advantage of digital photography – being able to take lots of photos – is also its disadvantage, especially when you see beauty around every corner. Have you any idea how long it will take to crop, enhance and otherwise “play” with 500 photos! You may not hear from me for quite a while. Ha!

Yours truly, Julie

My granddaughter is 7 weeks old today! Wow, that’s almost 2 months and it seems like she was born only yesterday. She’s adorable and I’m finding it increasingly difficult to pass by the baby section in a store without buying something completely irresistible. I remember sewing, crocheting and even knitting clothes for Jen when she was born. I loved to sew and even hand smocked one of her first little dresses. I hadn’t been in the US long before I was hooked on Ann Person’s Stretch & Sew method and churned out clothing for the whole family for at least a couple of years. Most memorable was a blue leisure suit and shirt I made for my husband – hey, that was the 70’s and he looked very dashing in it. I even used the same jacket pattern and made him a “faux leather” jacket, which survived until a few years ago. Literally history in the making………. As I write, PBS is airing “The British Beat”, all the great music I grew up with in the 60’s. As I watched Peter & Gordon sing “World without Love” and saw how OLD they look, it suddenly dawned on me that I have grown somewhat older too – I’m a grandmother for goodness sake! How scary is that!!!! My grandmother used to say she was as old as her tongue and a little bit older than her teeth. I prefer to think that I’m just a day older than I was yesterday and we’ll leave it at that. Age is relevant, or should I say irrelevant, it’s all about what we do each day and the lives we touch.

I went to the CHA (Craft & Hobby) trade show last month in Chicago. It’s moving to Orlando next year, so it was kind of sad to think that it won’t be in Chicago any more. I’ve been going to the trade shows for almost 20 years now and the summer show had become routine. They say a change is as good as a rest and I love going to Disney World, so I’m sure next year will be fun. It was a surprisingly busy show, but nothing really new. Manufacturers usually wait to present their new items at the Winter show. I did see that a few companies had a new line of acetate shapes with screen printed designs and Quickutz and Ellison (Sizzix) were featuring their new “motorized” die cutting machines.

The British Beat is calling, so I need to jump back into my time capsule. It’s amazing how music can bring back old memories. I can even remember all the words of the songs. If only I could remember what I had for lunch today…

Yours truly,
Julie

Someone asked me (on air no less) if we had July 4th in England.  Well of course we do!  We just don’t celebrate……. duh    I love odd comments like that – kinda like the one on the bottle of Ambien (a sleeping pill I took during chemo);  “Caution – may cause drowiness“  Well I flippin’ well hope so!  That’s why I was taking the darn things!  I certainly didn’t stay awake wondering if they would work or not.  Finding humour in everyday life is such fun and laughing is a wonderful and healthy excercise, as well as a great stress reliever.  I remember the first time I came to the US.  We were driving along the freeway outside Dallas and I was captivated by the huge billboards along the side of the road. Every few miles or so, there was one for Stuckey’s, apparently a place to fill up with gas and get something to eat.  The last billboard cracked me up though. It said:  EAT WITH US AND GET GAS.  Over the years I’ve definitely become known for my puns (and oddball wit) both at home, when I teach classes and even on air.  The kids have been telling me to write them down for ages, but I forget most of them as soon as they’re spoken.  It goes without saying I guess, that I love British humour; mostly a play on words and innuendos – clever stuff.

The roofers are coming tomorrow to put a new roof over our heads.  My hi-speed internet (and I use the term loosely) may be interrupted for a while since I have to connect via satellite and the dish is on the roof.  Just the thought of being without an internet connection makes me wonder what we ever did without it.  We’ve certainly come a long way from the days of the Pony Express and wandering minstrels.  Makes me wonder what the world will be like when my grandchildren are my age!

Happy Fourth of July every buddy!  Be careful when you’re setting off fireworks and please don’t point them in our direction – we have a new roof……………

Yours truly, Julie

What a beautiful day it was! This was the day we said hello to our granddaughter! She is adorable – like we expected anything less, just not quite so soon. She was born three and a half weeks earlier than expected and will have to stay in NICU for a few more days, but mommy and baby are both doing great. As you can imagine, I’ll have my hands full for a couple of weeks, but I did promise to let you know about the Arlington scrapbook show, so here’s just a few highlights,

It’s always been a great show with a wide variety of vendors, great workshops and crops. People have been coming to this show from all over Texas and neighboring states for years, but with the price of gas on the rise, I don’t think there were quite as many people there this year. I may be wrong though, since I was there on Thursday which has always been the slowest day. There were a few scrapbook stores who had booths there and I was really glad to see that – so many stores have closed in this area I wasn’t sure which ones were still left. I know I can buy anything online these days, but I’m one who likes to see things up close and personal. I may be exaggerating, but it seemed as if 50% of the vendors were selling acrylic albums and word albums, other than that there wasn’t anything new that really jumped out. There were more vendors offering online services to professionally print albums for us and a couple of vendors offering to put slides and old reel to reel film on CD or DVD. I have lots of old film, so I’ll probably give them a try, but I’m not sure about slides. Our projector still works and we have literally thousands of slides (my film of choice in the 60’s & 70’s and I had a half frame camera). I think we’d have to take out a 2nd mortgage to get those on an electronic file that may be obsolete 5-10 years from now. Technology is moving so quickly, I still like my 35mm negs! I know they’ll still be around. Hybrid was THE buzzword at the big trade show in January, but I didn’t really see it being promoted at the consumer show. Digital Scrapbook Memories had a busy booth – I really love their CD’s – lots and lots of great images to use for all kinds of paper crafting. One booth had a great selection of 12″ x 12″ lace paper from Ki Memories and there was lots of felt from Queen & Co. Spellbinders was busy, busy, busy. If you aren’t familiar with the company, they have a die cutting machine (the Wizard) and the most remarkable dies. They look like brass stencils, but they both cut and emboss and the designs are great. Best of all, their dies can be used in other die cutting machines.

Well, that’s it for now, have a great day everybuddy and happy craftin’………….

Yours truly, Julie