Smack Blogs v Get a Flippin Grip on Yourself!

I have just spent an hour blog hopping through some friends blogs from overseas that I haven't visited for a while...and I have to say I am disturbed by some of the negativeness going on about fellow scrappers...just for pushing themself in the field! I mean, what is wrong with wanting to share your ideas, layouts, projects, talents? I've said this before and I'll say it again, if more people believed in themselves and less people put them down for it then scrapbooking would stay as it is intended to be, a chosen hobby and/or career.
I cant say this whole thing hasn't attributed to my own confidence, it most definitely has, but as I am getting A LOT of scrap attention in the real world that is very positive I am in no hurry to join in the cyber life and risk my growning good reputation. I know many of the people I teach read this blog, as do some of the kids and I do not want the kids to be afraid to build their talents and confidence and be put off by pathetic (seeming) jealousies and shy away from a wonderful, fulfilling hobby that not only gives them self worth but keeps them off the streets, helps them understand who they are, where they are going and all other such wonderful stuff. All this smack blogging is silly, its unneccesary and its a hypocrosy to those same people who claim to teach their children morals and good behaviour, so how can they then go and say what they say, annonymously at that?!! Sheesh I tell ya, it is totally unbelievable.

I am so grateful that my natural inclination is to praise first. If I dont like something I dont go public on it, its just down to my personal likes and dislikes, i'm sure there are people that dont like some of what I do either, and thats ok, the world is big enough to hold a whole range of styles, tastes and talents but its not big enough for yet another method of bitchfesting! Get with it I say!!

I'm not going to apologise for this rant, I feel very strongly about it, however I do not have any one person in mind when I think about it, its made up from many negative postings by a variety of people who I would not have thought would say such things much less publically! But, freedom of speech and all that, I guess its a growing trend in the scrapbooking world to be so bitchy about other people, and not only their work but them and their families too. This immediately brings to mind about the statement that our former Prophet, President Gordon B Hinckley said about families being under attack in our societies, if only he knew about comparatively small communities in the scrapbooking world, i'm confident he would have done the shock, horror gasp thing at its pettiness! Go figure!

So, I figured, as i'm in the process of working on a Design Team, maybe I should work on it being a Bitch Fest Design Team? Solely because I know it would get immediate and wildfire coverage on all the main forums, in all the popular blogs and therefore I would get FREE advertising and broader scope of publication!!! LMAO Oh boy, how sad is that?

My small but significant self would rather have the small life, low profile style if it means I work and play with decent, fun, imperfect scrappers enjoying their chosen hobby and wanting to make friends and enjoy others individuality in their lives, on and offline. To heck with fame, to heck with popularity and to heck with people who choose not to enjoy what they are doing and bitch about others. Give me the life I have any day, because I sleep at night knowing I have talked, emailed, commented and text with some darned good people doing the best they can and doing their bit to make the (scrapbooking) world a better place, and shame on those that drag it down.

On the off chance I get negative comments here, I shall NOT be deleting them. I am strong enough to have courage for my convictions...so smack away if its what your little heart desires...I know who I am, I like who I am and I am proud to stand up for what I belive is right! :)

Now to check over a project i've made...that i'm PROUD of!!! :D

Debsx

Peace

Browsing some blogs earlier I came across some fantastic needle craft stuff that I am itching to have a go at making, after reading 2/3 posts which was also a family blog too, I found I got lost in time cos when I looked up it was an hour and 10 minutes after I clicked there! Anyway, if you are into making little things with needles n fabrics, you are going to love this place. Anyway, going from link to link to link I came across another blog that started a trend on telling 10 things about how we do certain things in our home, so i'm going to have my say and share essential things that make our homes and us who we are...

1. We talk to each other with respect, even when we are frustrated.
2. We pray together at least twice a day as a family.
3. We dont make house rules, we make personal expectations.
4. We dont do name calling.
5. We make majority of family decisions together.
6. We each work on recognising when someone else needs a hug or a favour and help them out.
7. We talk about almost anything and everything, especially over a meal.
8. We try hard to make all things fun, even the fairy chores.
9. We are not focused on monetary things, but on personal growth and inner self to become better in the world around us.
10. We are always on the look out for new ways to grow spiritually.

I was so tempted to put some silly stuff in there, like 'The kids have learnt to peer over the laptop when they want my attention' or 'they will text me from another room to remind me to feed them'!! I'd like to say its not that bad but i'm afraid some days it is when i'm working flat out! Doh However, none of them are stick people...yet!! :)

Dont forget to check out the DESIGN TEAM CALL post, i've had a few emails so far ready to be checked out....its not going to be a weekly thing, instead a monthy thing that will alternate between designers...its about the fun side of blogging and crafting, not the pressure side!!

Stash 4 Sale & Design Team Call

I'm not even gonna bother to try and catch up, nor am I going to explain where I been...but I will say I have been NON STOP doing some pretty exciting stuff!

One of the things i've been doing is sorting out ALL my craft stash...and I mean ALL of it, which consists of approximately 30+ boxes larger than the Walkers crisps ones! Wowser!! Tomorrow (Saturday 3rd May) I shall be doing a so-called Mini Shop at Sonia's (**waves**) crop in Gloucester (if you are interested in Sonia's crop, email me and i'll give Sonia your email address to contact you). So far I have a ton of stuff that needs new homes, the prices are so low you will most definitely bag a bargain and after tomorow there is going to be yet MORE stuff at following crops! If I get time to do photos and lists on here I will do so, though to me a bargain is not a bargain if the postage kills it...but if thats ok with you, its ok with me! :)

Another thing I have been doing is working alongside a fellow crafter friend, Sharron, to set up a blog/craft Design Team. We are still working on sponsorships right now but we are also taking emails for anyone that is interested in joining us. What we are looking for:

An all rounder blogger - this does not mean you have to blog/comment every day but regularly as possible
A crafter - this includes scrapbooking, altered items, cards, knitting, patchworking...in fact anything that you can display, share and inspire with and for others
An online gallery - this can be on uks, docrafts, trimcraft, two peas, scrapbook.com etc

In your email please tell us:

Your full name
Location
How and when you got into your crafts
Your blog and gallery links
Why you want to join us and why you'd like to join us

ALL emails for the DT is to go to studio@sparkle-the-imagination.co.uk

We have not decided on a deadline date for this yet but we're looking for it to be around 14th May. As I mentioned we are still in talks for sponsorship so when that is completed we will then move on!

So come on and join us!

Debsx