~ Scrappin' for MS ~

I'm so excited about this event. Here is my story...

I have a great friend, who has been living with Multiple Sclerosis.
I used to work with her and she was like a mom to me {giving me advice, compassion and the much often needed, kick in the butt} and I love her dearly. Several years back, a group of gals at work decided to start fundraising for MS by participating in the Super Cities Walk for MS; we've been walking ever since. We walk the St.Vital Park Route as The Victory Chicks. Here are some photos from our walk in 2006:

~The Victory Chicks~

~ getting ready ~

~ fabulous & inspirational send off ~

Scrappin' for MS is a Scrapbooking Fundraising event, facilitated here in Winnipeg, MB., to help me raise as much money as possible. It's taking place on April 12th, 2008 fom 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. {more details here} My goal this year is $400. I've advertised for this event through my website, my facebook profile & events, word of mouth, and now via this blog {I hope people are reading this}.

As the date is coming up, I only have a limited amount of space left. If you'd like to join us feel free to send me a message & I'll get back to you ASAP. If the date is too soon for you to even consider registering for this event, please consider donating to the MS Society. Whether its through me {pledge a walker online} or directly to the society is up to you, but your help would make a world of difference.

I'll let you know how it goes and I hope to hear from you,
Cindy

~ monthly challenges ~

Starting April 2008, I'll be posting monthly challenges for A Unique Flair - Scrapbooking Services & Classes.

Here's how they will work...

I'll post the challenges on the 1st of each month.
You submit your layout / project photos via e-mail to cindy@aunqueflair.com by the 15th.
The winner will be announced & contacted by the 20th.

The winner will then be:

• sent a prize,
• featured on our website with their winning entry, AND OF COURSE
• featured on our blog with their winning entry.

Come back in a couple of days for our very 1st Challenge.

I'm sure you'll be inspired!

Cindy

~ yippe! ~

I'm a SISTER!

I've been reading the Sisterhood of Scrap Blog for a while, & I finally entered their challenge to be a sister. {remembering my goal of publication of any form this year}

Well, I was chosen. Yipee! I'm so excited & honoured!



The layout challenge was to use a question mark and 2 pieces of ribbon, fibre or ricrac. {my favourite embellishment!} Check out their blog for my entry & mini bio for them. If you've never been on their blog, you've been missing out on some great scrapbooking inspiration.

Well, ladies & gentlemen, I've reached one of my scrapbooking goals for this year:
I'm a part of an online community!

Thank you Deanne, Carla & Susan for welcoming me into your community!
I'll try my best to be as inspiring to others, as you all have been to me!

Talk to you soon,
Cindy

~ rush, rush, rush ~

Do ever find yourself having to do a billion things
when you have the least amount of time to do it?
That is me today.
Talk to you tomorrow,
Cindy

~ favourite layouts ~

I've been looking over some of my layouts & I wanted to share some of my favourites.
Enjoy!

~ 10 things I LOVE about scrapbooking ~

~ Lagrimas (tears in Portuguese) ~
~ tiny toejam ~
~ us ~
~ always... together ~

~ my favourite scrapbooking mags ~

I thought I would share my scrapbooking inspiration {besides my little lulu & hubby} ...
Scrapbooking Magazines.
I love them. I really do. Here are my top five:

1. Canadian Scrapbooker {duh...I'm Canadian}
2. Scrapbooks Etc. {fabulous sketch & paper pieceing design insert}
3. Simple Scrapbooks {Stacy Julian is always an inspiration! ~ tell you more about this experieince later}
4. Creating Keepsakes {love the organizational column, Becky Higgins' sketches & Ali Edwards' ideas}
5. Scrapbooks and Cards {inspired my lulu's birth announcements/baptism invites}

Have a look through them, I'm sure you'll be inspired too!
Talk to you soon,
Cindy

~ sharing, preserving & highlighting ~

I presented at a workshop for the Manitoba Association of Agriculture Society today. I had so much fun sharing the essence of scrapbooking, and yet I was so overwhelmed to know that most of the women I was presenting to we're already scrapbooking, but in the most basic {& in my opinion the most important} way. They were keeping records of their history as a society, and some even came up to me afterwards and shared how they had scrapbooks of their younger years and how they wished they had kept doing this as they grew. It was so great to encourage them into starting again.
It came as no surprise then, that while doing this presentation I remembered why I started scrapbooking... to share, preserve & highlight the special people, events and moments in my life.

Here are some tips to make sure that you & I are doing our creative best to share, preserve & highlight all of our special memories...

• tell a story with your photos, journaling and/or your title.
• create a focal point so that your story is easy to share.
• make sure your colour choices, embellishments & design elements enhance your photos or journaling.
• use quality photos & products so that you memories last.
• create layouts or albums for you, your family & your friends.
• finally...have fun with your scrapbooking.

Scrapbooking is a fabulous hobby & craft. The reasons & methods to scrapbook vary as the number of people who do it. It's very individual and there is no wrong way to do it. No matter why or how, do it. Your children will love you for it later.

Share with us: Why do you scrapbook? What is your favourite story to tell? How do you scrapbook?

Happy Scrappin' Everyone!

Cindy

~ buzzzzzzz ~

For those of you who know me, being up at 12:30 a.m. is VERY unusual. My visitors brought me some Timmy's and it was caffinated... I'm still buzzed. {thank you! it was yummy.}

So, for the past hour I've worked/played with my paint program {i don't do or have photoshop} and came up with a new header for my blog, I've updated my website classes page, and I've actually watched my hubby fall asleep on the couch {as a new mom & a woman who loves her sleep, I'm in bed as soon as lulu is asleep}.

While updating my website, I created a little club... Mommy's Scrap Club.
We'll meet once a month to get together and scrapbook, organize enough to scrapbook or just enjoy an evening out with other who understand us. I do a few play groups and I'm always being asked to bring my scrapbook stuff for future playdates. I figure that, although we love our children/pets/family, we'd also love an evening, free of distractions, to be creative and scrapbook. We start in April 2008, let me know if you'd like to join us!

Okay... I'm starting to get cold and shake from this caffine. I'm heading to bed now.
Talk to ya later,
Cindy

~ so much to do... ~

It's monday, and I'm the typical monday person... I hate them.
Okay, maybe hate is too strong a word. I thoroughly dislike them.
I finish sunday planning the following week. {i say planning, but with my 8 month old. lulu, planning is relative to her moods & demands}

Anywho... I always want to do as much as possible at the beginning of the week so that by friday I have some time to scrapbook. {again, this is hoping lulu sleeps well on friday} So, by the time I finish planning my week, I take a look at moday's to do list & I shudder. I would rather rewind and go back to friday instead of starting all over again with monday!

On the bright side... I just checked off one item on my list for today... blog!

Oh, some other news... I submitted a layout for a challenge.
This year I'm going to be submitting some of my layouts for publication. It really isn't something I want to do for me per se, but I want my business to grow. Based on my research as of late, credibility in the scrapbooking industry comes from such things as publication & design team membership. So, I'm throwing my hat in the ring and I'm going to try my best to get published at least once this year. I'll keep you posted!

Well, I'm off... Talk to you later!
Cindy

~ happy easter ~

Wishing you and your families a blessed Easter...
today and always.

Cindy

~ new logo ~

I just received my new logo & I can't wait to reveal it.
This of course means more work on top of everything else, but I think I'm up for the challenge!
Talk to you soon,
Cindy

~ whew ~

Okay...
I'm done for now.
There'll be more to come within the following weeks.
Talk to you soon,
Cindy

~ so, this is what it's like ~

I'm a blogger now, there's no turning back. :)
I'm going to set things up, & make this little space on the web, my very own.
Talk to you soon,
Cindy