Talley, Enquiring minds want to know--how do you spend that down time? You know, the time you are sitting at the kid's lessons, those 10 min. while you are waiting for the pasta water to boil? We have a regular coffee klatch going while waiting for the kids to practice Irish Dance. Everyone brings some type of handywork and it creates ways to develop friendships. The mom who sits in the corner punching her PDA makes it pretty clear she's not interested in getting to know us. Her loss. I'm not there. I'm at work. And I don't have a PDA, cell phone, etc. If I *am* there, I just talk to people, or I watch the kids. I don't DO anything. I sit there an enjoy the down time, and listen, and talk. Believe me, nobody gets a message from me that says I don't care. I sometimes bring a book, but if there are people there, I don't read it. I'm not even the one waiting for the pasta water to boil, LOL! (If I am, I'm cutting up veggies while I wait.) I'm not anti-crafting. I just see so much of it as creating something that will turn into "clutter" quite rapidly. And so I have a huge caution about it. Scrapbooking in particular sets off my alarm bells--and really less because of the clutter factor, and more because I think there's a sublimation of the important stuff--the memories--to the unimportant stuff, the embellishments and creativity of the creator. And while I admire the skill of crocheters and knitters and embroiderers, etc., very few of them produce anything I would want in my home. It's mostly too ornamental, and not practical enough. Or it reflects THEIR tastes, and not mine. (The days of my grandma embroidering a book on a pillowcase because *I* like to read are over.) And sometimes it reflects what they *THINK* my tastes and interests are, which only makes me sad to realize how little they really know about me (yes, I collect penguins, but that doesnt mean I want a penguin pillowcase). Which is why I keep my fingers crossed that no one will give stuff like that to me. I'm also tired, I confess, of having my home NOT reflect me. I want stuff *I* picked out. I don't even want to have to display stuff my KIDS made me anymore. I want a streamlined life, that pleases MY eyes, and seven pieces of lumpy kid pottery are seven pieces more than I want in my living room. And an afghan that's wonderful to sleep under, but misshapen and pieced together isn't what I want on my bed, even if Nona Rosa DID make it. (I'm sad about that particular one, bcs if she hadn't pieced it together to get it the right size, I'd use it daily instead of keeping it for a spare, bcs it's so warm, and because she DID make it for me.) As Maura said: "I cherish the one-of-a-kind items given to me (luckily not too many)." I *do* crafty stuff. I just spent the last week 1) making a dragon piñata, complete w/ pipe cleaner/tissue paper wings, plus papier-mâché head & tail; 2) finding a dragon picture to reproduce on the top of a cake; 3) making shields for all the "young knights of the realm" to decorate; 4) figuring out how to have jousting in the church fellowship hall. I steer all my creative impulses into birthdays and holidays, so that I can use up the stuff I've created. I go way overboard for Halloween costumes, spending several lunch hours scouting fabric, and discussing how to recreate Link from the Zelda video game, etc., with my kids, and with my colleagues. Also, if the act of knitting, and the creative work of picking a yarn, and a pattern, make you happier, then your craft is NOT a waste of time. But *I* don't want to have to speak in hushed tones, and treat your end product as though somehow it must be more valuable to me simply because you made it. Somebody designed and made that Pottery Barn afghan too--and it's prettier, and more to my taste!

I use Archival Mist, which is about $37 a bottle, BUT it does hundreds of sheets of paper. So its not a bad deal. Got it at: Here is a link that might be useful: Archival Mist

If I remember correctly, I saw at my local scrapbook store (LSS) acid-free keeper pockets (like little sleeves you slide things into, I think) and do-it-yourself acid-free laminating sheets (like contact paper, I suppose) so you could enclose them either of those two ways to make them part of a layout. Call your LSS and I'm sure they could tell you what they sell and what they have to offer. I'm sure they could also tell you the cheapest way to do it if that's a concern- and when isn't it?! :) Good luck and happy scrappin'! -Sarah

Sometimes these cards are acid free, and you can just use the card directly without any worries what-so-ever, but other times I just spray them with archival mist, if they tested positive for acid. I did find that price was no guarantee for acid quainty either, as some of the more pricey one's had a larger acid content that some I purchase for as little as .50 cents. I have even BOUGHT cards to use as die cuts, when they had an image I was looking for but couldn't find anywhere else. I have found some BEAUTIFUL gold leaves, and flowers to add to my pages this way. Simpily cutting them apart. There are a couple of makers that have images large enough to use as paper dolls: Suzy Zoo cards work great for this, and another maker, (who I can't think of right now) has the PRETTIEST little girls and boys often done in angels that make REALLY cute paper dolls also. I have also used just the verses of some of the cards also, and the whole card when like you it was sent by someone I loved. HTH Love Penny