Hello everyone, Stephenie Hamen here.

When Wendy asked me to blog, I was so excited to be coming here to Ella and sharing. Then, as I am sitting here, tasked with blogging about ways to get inspired at the end of a long day, I quickly became terrified!

I realized that at the end of a long day, I often find myself stuck to the couch, enjoying mind-numbing entertainment on TV. So, with this in mind, I set about the task of writing this post. This meant on a random Tuesday night, peeling my couch potato butt up and moving it into creative mode. It was seriously the best exercise I could have done for myself and my creativity.


I guess I should explain.


See, after a long day of work, I come home with the strong intentions of spending time with the kids, reading books, saying prayers, and tucking them into bed, then heading downstairs to the basement to my sanctuary of a craft room (aka the furnace/water heater room) and playing. I usually get as far as the kitchen before turning back and landing on the couch, honestly saying once "How I Met Your Mother" is over I will head downstairs. Needless to say that rarely happens anymore.

I accepted this challenge with open arms in an effort to reignite my mid-week crafting and embrace the chance get my "groove on" if you will.


Here is what I found worked for me:


1. Light.
I need a lot of light. If it is dark or dim, it doesn't work. I have one single overhead bulb - yes the kind out of old movies in the interrogation rooms of Chicago police stations - which is clearly not going to spark any creative juices. I added a floor lamp and two desk lamps that work for me. I am a fan of the Ott Lights - they provide really bright light and give you great color.


2. Music.
I truly believe in the power of music in my life. I have playlists for everything! I have a playlist for walking (when it isn't 10 below and 3 feet of snow on the ground), for my kids, and even for this year. Yes, you heard me right - I have a 2010 playlist. My life deserves the same kind of soundtrack as a big blockbuster movie, so I made one. I highly recommend it - it is really fun when the right song plays at the right moment... it actually feels a little movie-ish... So, I created a playlist for creating. Fun, up-tempo, happy music that makes me smile and helps me to see the world in a better light.


3. Snacks and bevs.
Yes. There. I said it. I craft better with a bowl full of yummy goodness and a cup full of something tasty. I am a huge proponent of Pirate's Booty, mixed nuts, and M&M's, as well as iced tea, Pellegrino, iced Chai, and coffee. Smells and tastes that make me comfy and happy. Aromas that speak to me and spur my senses often help me to feel more creative.


4. Pictures.
I do crafting beyond scrapbooking, but when it comes down to it, scrapbooking is where my heart is and where my family's memories live. Pictures are what inspire me the most. After a long day, there is nothing better, in my opinion, that flipping through photos and remembering the moments that make up my life. I find it peaceful and truly inspirational. When I scrap, I let the pictures guide the way. They are where I start. If an event or set of pictures are not speaking to me that day, I do not scrap them. Crafting is meant to be fun, freeing, and creative - not, and I repeat NOT, stressful or anxiety driven. If I am not feeling it, I am not scrapping it. For me, pictures of even the most basic moments can awaken my love of crafting and just the right picture will start a frenzy of scrapping that will last into the wee hours of the morning if I am not careful!


5. Stuff.
What I mean by stuff is this - patterned papers that make your heart leap for joy. Embellies that have you gasping, just a bit, when you see them in the store. Fabrics that make you want to run home and craft that very second. That is the stuff that we use - our mediums - to create our works. It can also be what fuels us when our inspiration tank is running low. Grab that paper or rub-on you have been saving for "just the right project." You know the one I am talking about. Yes - that one. Use it. Today. I am just as guilty of buying things and then judging projects in terms of worthiness of that item. What are we saving these things for?!!?!? We bought them to use them, so in an intentional moment, let us unite together and grab them and create! If our 30th birthday or 15th high school reunion isn't enough to use them for, what is?

After taking my own advice, which is all this is - I do not, on any level, claim to be the secret keeper to the mojo we all search for - I created. And created. And created some more. On random weeknights. And you know what, it made me want to do it again and again and again. It made me a happier person overall. It made me feel more complete as "me." It took what I feel on those odd weekends here and there where I make time to craft with friends and brought it into everyday life, which, as a crafter, it should be.

Here is one layout that I made after going through pictures and just being inspired. They are just some simple ones of my son, Jacob, around the time he turned 4. We didn't go for studio portraits this year, so I took some out on our front porch. Nothing fancy - just Jake being Jake. His eyes and smile were all the inspiration I needed to get crafting this night...


Sometimes all it takes is the Black Eyed Peas, a bright light, and the right picture to get inspired… at least for me anyway!

Happy scrapping and thanks for having me here at Ella! come by my blog and say hello sometime.