Paper Crafts by Kathleen

I am…

me

a mother

a wife

a brother-less sister

a friend

a keeper of stories

a creative soul

…more than anything I am a freedom loving person who believes everyone should be entitled to their life, to live it as they see it, to love who they want to love and be who they want to be.  I am not a judge or jury but simply an ear who listens and absorbs all that she hears.  I am giving; often to a fault but it is how I am and what feels good and right.  I am one who sees skin as a blank canvas needing a story in pictures rather than words.   I am someone who believes family is not always blood related but a strong loving bond between people.  I am a realist. I am someone who believes I will not be given anything in this life I can’t handle.  I am someone who doesn’t like labels for people or itchy ones on shirts.  I am hopeful but not blind to the nastiness in life that can happen.  I am a woman who had children knowing I didn’t like babies but knew I’d be a good mother.  I am someone who can live in silence and still smile because I’m dancing to the songs in my own head.  I am a woman with life long friends who have stood by me through it all and continue to make me laugh.  I am not a follower but an independent soul who is cautious with who she trusts.  I am someone who knows exactly who she is and loves me for just being me!

I Am… was created for someone to tell their story on the lines within the covers of this journal and is available in my Etsy shop.

no longer available

When I was creating this journal I decided to trace my hand, cut it out and place it as if I was opening the book.  I thought, for some people the idea of writing in a journal is in their mind but actually starting a new journal and opening it to write is a whole different story.  There are those who live with a story in their head, waiting to be told, to the right person or to be told using the right outlet.  For some, they write music, others they write and for some it stays inside.  If my hand was placed just so, maybe it would prompt someone to open the journal and write in it.  Maybe, if that person had deep pain, it would make it easier to get it out of them and onto paper so that it wouldn’t torment them so much.  When I created this book, that is what I was thinking.  The phrase “when you love life it will love you back” was perfect to go on the hand like a tattoo; a gentle reminder that a little love of yourself and what you have will go a long way.

This journal sold today.  The woman who bought it just emailed me and told me that it is a “gift to a 17 year old girl who has seen way too much in her life”.  I love knowing where my journals are going.  They often go to people I think they should, such as this one.  By the sounds of it, the 17 year old needs to be handled with love; to know that if she loves life it will love her back.  This journal left my house destined for Connecticut where I hope it will be received willingly by this 17 year old girl.  I hope she writes in it, tells her story, takes her thoughts and all she has seen in her short life and gets them out of her head and lets the healing begin.

What is it about PMS that makes you want to beat the living crap out of everything and generally irritated beyond any imaginable irritation?  I know, hormones but seriously the amount of irritation and annoyance brought on at that special time of the month is not enjoyable.  Well, it’s not enjoyable to those around me anyway.  My longtime friend Beatrice just told me, after I ranted on and on in a text about how everything was irritating me and I just wanted to tell everyone to fuck off, “Damn LOL Thank God I am not the brunt of your PMS these days.  I paid my dues in that area many moons ago! LOL”  I can fully admit that she did and so did Tricia!  Sigh…  Many a bike got stomped on when that stupid kick stand wouldn’t work properly and many a brush flew across the room when the hair wasn’t working!  I no longer ride a bike that has a kick stand, in fact, I’m not a big fan of riding bikes since they made it a rule that you had to wear a helmet which in turn gives you bad hair.  Now add PMS to that mix and you can see why I stomped on that bike in the first place.  I likely had bad hair that day too as I do believe it was about the same time as that really bad perm that left me looking like Orphan Annie.  Oh I know, the visual on that is priceless and if you knew me at that time you are likely saying “Oh yeah I remember that.” My Dad couldn’t help but laugh after picking me up from that hair appointment and rather that saying it was awful and console me in my grief my Mother told me it helped me build character.  Character building is likely what caused me to smack Danny Stuart across the face in Grade 9 as that dreadful perm was growing out when he repeatedly called me Katie the Cleaning Lady and told me he could turn me upside down and use my hair as a mop.  Beatrice was my witness, and she never forgets anything, I did warn him before the smack.  Now looking back, it was likely PMS!  I’m currently writing this locked in my room after giving myself a time out and I’m irritated because I forgot to bring the ice cream and chocolate sauce with me!

Looking for the perfect shot

She’s got a good eye that daughter of mine.  She is creative, enthusiastic and amazingly supportive.  I have used her photos when creating my journals and this only feeds her creativity and that urges to create more.  She insists, because some of the journals which boast her photos have sold, that I now must tag my items saying “Photo by Tessa, age 9 1/2″.  She’s smart.  Already knowing not to let others take credit for her work which quite often takes years to learn and yet she knows this at age 9.

Tessa and I went on a photo shoot down at Rocky Point Park.  First stop though was a garbage can that I have been dying to have a photo of for months now and never got the opportunity.  Of course, walking from the car to the garbage can Tessa had already taken 10 pictures.  She seems to see the potential in everything and as a title for all of them.  The crack on the sidewalk was “Step on a crack and break your mother’s back”.  I know, used before but she thought she was rather clever!

After I had clicked away the funky garbage can we hit Black Sheep Wool to see if we could get her some needle felting supplies.  We found the supplies and as I turned around there was Tessa snapping pictures of the colorful yarns and wools.  It was so inviting and I was fighting the urge but I was waiting for the right moment to ask if it would be ok to snap some photos in their lovely shop.  The owner said no problem and then I pimped myself right out and dropped my business card on the desk telling her what I make.  She responded, “Well if you used a photo that you’ve taken from our shop we’d happily post it on our website.”  Perfect!

Tessa and I were on our way.  As with most sunny days in the Lower Mainland during the winter months, people make their way outside to get their dose of Vitamin D as we know the sun’s light won’t last long and the rain is usually a day away.  Quite a few people were out walking their dogs, few were running, kids occupied the playground and there was Tessa and I, walking off the beaten path, squatting down in places most wouldn’t think to take a picture.  I watched as my daughter looked for things to capture using her lens and while she was searching for shots I was looking at people watching her.  Some smirked, some smiled and some, you just knew were looking at her taking a picture of the arrow on the ground thinking “She’s gonna clog someone’s computer full of shit pictures”.  Little do they know, unlike most people who aim to capture beauty and memories of the kids playing we were looking for the not so obvious shot.  We had a mission, together searching for the shot to create with, captions to play with and a journal to put up on Etsy.  Here are a few of the pictures she took.

Available in my Etsy shop

Now here’s a new sketch book listed in my Etsy shop!

Posted via email from papercraftsbyk’s posterous

Posted via email from papercraftsbyk’s posterous

It looks like just a regular box.  I stood in line at the Post Office this morning with such anticipation.  This box arrived at my doorstep yesterday but I wasn’t home so I had to endure another day of waiting.  I wondered, as I waited in line, if the woman working behind the counter could feel my anticipation.  I just about grabbed the box right out of her hands.  I smiled and said “thanks”.  Little did she know what was inside the box that wasn’t just a regular box but held something so near and dear it was almost impossible to contain my excitement.

I had hoped it would arrived before Christmas but no such luck so it will be a Welcome to 2010 gift to a few members of my family and extended family. When you are asked to be involved in a project that will be published, with photographs of you and your words you are thrilled.  You get your contribution done as I laid out in The Paper Dress blog post and then you wait to see the final project completed.

There are 68 women, including me, represented in Meeting In The Ladies Room.  Of those 67, I have personally met Jann Arden, Michelle Blau and Dusti Ohland.  That leaves 64 other women I have never met face to face but share a book with.  Some of these women I chat with regularly so it feels like I know them.  They know bits and pieces of what’s going on in my life and we offer support to each other when needed.

To know you are in a book and to contribute to that book is one thing.  To see yourself in a book that you are holding in your own hands is rather surreal and overwhelming.   The photo to the left is one of my pages.  I will leave the other to be discovered by the reader when they purchase their own copy of Meeting In The Ladies Room.  This book will make you ask yourself “What do I see when I look in the mirror?”  Try to answer that for yourself as honestly as you can.  It not as easy as it sounds.

To Linda and Karen thank you for asking me to contribute to your book.  I adore you both a ton!

As this book was created along with Pamela Detlor I thank you as well.  You should be very proud!!  One day we’ll meet and I’ll pass you that coke slurpee I’ve been promising you!  You are brilliant!

Life has been good to me.  I am pleased to announce that all my journals have been accepted to the Places des Arts Christmas Boutique which will run from November 12-December 18.  All journals submitted will be on display and for sale at this time.

Also exciting is all eight of my mini canvases were accepted with positive feedback into the Positively Petite Exhibition.  This amazing exhibition will run from November 19 – December 18 at Place des Arts as well.  I encourage everyone (local that is) to come check this exhibition out.  Not only are canvases done miniature but everything submitted had to be miniature.  Should be pretty cool!

On a fun note, people keep coming up to me and telling me how much they like my hair which I hate.  They seem shocked after they tell me they like it and I promptly tell them I hate it.  It’s ok people, I generally hate my hair and the few years I wasn’t complaining about it because I was enjoying it was really far shorter than the times I’ve had hating my hair.  Thankfully, my daughter got good hair and I shall remain envious of that.

Also, a reminder of my Open House on November 14 from 11-4.  If you live in the Greater Vancouver area and want to come, send me an email and I’ll send you details.  If you know where to find me, just come over.  My journals and canvases will be for sale as well as blank note cards, jewelery, pottery,handbags, market bags, cosmetic cases, pencil cases and some other things.  Hope to see everyone!