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

Paper Pals....

...made my soul happy!!

 

Saying "good-by" to Paper Pals is like saying good-by to an dear friend!  I'm going to miss having an incredible scrapbook store right here, near my home, where I can go and get the latest products, be inspired, see friends, and create memories! But, as hard as it is to see the "Paper Pals era" come to an end, I feel so very grateful that it was part of my life!  A very important part of my life. 

 

Many, many years ago (when I was a scrapbooking "newbie") I was in search of Bazzill cardstock!  My sister was visiting me from Phoenix and we needed some "Kraft" cardstock to complete a layout we were working on.  I had heard that there was a little store in Gladish Elementary School in Pullman that sold scrapbook supplies, so we searched for the name of the store (Paper Pals) and called them.  Sure enough....they had "Kraft" Bazzill cardstock!!  We got in the car, went right over to Gladish, walked in, and my love for Paper Pals was born!

 

Since that day I have had the pleasure of working at the store, teaching lots of fun classes, being a member of the Design Team, and making many, many life-long friends.  That's the thing about "scrapbookers"....we have an instant connection!!  We all develop WAYYYYY to many photos, we have an "unquenchable thirst" for the latest and greatest products, and we love to create memories through our scrapbooks.

 

Paper Pals will go on with retreats and crops and I am so glad!  We will still have a chance to get together and do what we love, and "make our souls happy!"  Thank you, Karen, for giving all of us an amazing scrapbook store!!  And, thank you for your friendship...YOU and Paper Pals will be missed!

 

I had some fun today doing what I love....

 

 

Stop by the store today....there are still lots of incredible products at even more incredible prices!!

Bumble Bee by Adorn It

This  Bee-u-tifuly designed paper by "Adorn It" ended up being so much stinkin fun!  I had the perfect little "bizzy bee" to photograph for this little lay out, the stickers were great fun and the colors were lovely.  I loved the honey comb patterns, the stripes and the little flying bee's on the blue wood background.  There is so much to play with.  It is so versatile, you can photograph anything and this theme can be applied, there are lots of stickers, cards and cut outs with family sayings on them as well.  This was great fun!  Please ignore the little pony in the corner, Zoe, (my little helper pictured in the photo's) insisted on it being there.