Paper Pals Design Team

I don't have a fancy camera.  I don't live in a big expensive house on a beautiful piece of property.  I don't go on big trips to Hawaii.  But I have a big family, with a lot of really fancy memories.  How do I mince in words the absolute wonder and joy of that.  How do I capture in photo these beautiful wonderful people and the magnificent journey we have shared together.  How do I make poetry out of chaos and beauty out of mess.  Karen's showed me how.  And it has been creative bliss.  And there simply is no way to thank her and this little store of hers, Paper Pals, for years and years of glorious light at the end of a long week, and then weeks upon weeks and then months and years.  How do I say goodbye, to such an iridescent light in my life. How can I imagine not having that little store to pass by. Even when I don't have time or funding to stop in and satiate my creative appetite, I still get that little tingly happy feeling that comes with years and years of happy memories in creating and accomplishment, every single time I drive by.  In dark years Karens positive nature, her rich array of artistic possibilities have been a place of contemplation for me and creative joy.

I selected these 3 photo's but I could have put a thousand up there, all the projects I have done over the years, all the hours filled with anticipation and pure inspiration.  At the top is her Halloween paper.  I haven't scrapbooked our Halloween yet, but that Paper has been on my table, and divider and cabinet and I just keep moving it around because I don't want it out of my sight.  I get excited just planning what I want to do with that paper when I finally get to it.  It makes me happy.  I am going to make an accordion book and I can hardly wait.   

Christmas paper.  Every year I do a Christmas book.  My children look through these books every single year.  Our hearts have grown full sifting through the pages together. There is unity and gratitude that knits us gently to each other in these projects.  I look forward to making a simple book like last year, with 4x4 squares. awesome double backed paper and a hole punch with 2 rings. When I am feeling tired, I pull these wonderful stickers and tapes and buttons out of the bag and I look them over.  It makes me happy.

The last picture is a quick shot of some of my albums.  It is only the tiniest tip of the iceberg.  I have tears running down my eyes in grattitude for the years of support, and encouragement, ideas and supplies that have made our family history so incredibly satisfying and so wonderful. Paper Pals has given me a venue of which to esteem myself , build confidence and to experience so much creative growth. It has been very satisfying. There are times it has saved me. It has made an indelible mark on who I am today.

  Karen, you have been so much a part of this.  You have been an unsung hero in the life of your family and the lives of hundreds of other families like  mine. You have brought happiness into our lives that has been real and has truly nourished our souls and the souls of all the members of our families. Never a minute you ever spent in your store was ever wasted, you have made the lives of so many people, so much richer.

You  will be missed!

love, Deb