This month's write up has a special place in Heather's heart. You see 7 years ago she lost her best friend. She was 32 years old and she died of Colon Cancer. She was a beautiful, wonderful person and the world just isn't the same without her. Since her death I have had the same dream many times (not so much now) and I believe she came back to me this way until I was ok. I have felt her around me so many times but these dreams are so amazingly real, I can hardly even describe them to you in the detail that I feel them... a breeze across my face when the window is closed, the warmth of her hand in mine, the cool grass beneath me - I feel it all and it makes me smile, because those lost loved ones really are only a breath away from us.
Heather's inspiration for the kit.. The path is dark, a little frightening. I feel the soft cushion of pine needles beneath my feet, muffling the sound of my steps. I can smell the heady scent of the forest, the moss on the trees is soft to my touch. There is a light up ahead! I am drawn to it. I feel myself skipping towards it, then running and then...I see it- the most breathtaking sight I have ever seen!! The birds, the butterflies, the scent of a million flowers all dancing in the gentle breeze of this perfect woodland meadow. I squint my eyes against the sun, looking for something, but I am not sure what. And then, there you are! Beautiful, as always, and smiling. As I reach out for you I see a little hand, mine, but much smaller, and it is then that I notice the little white dress and my tiny barefeet. When I look up, I see that you are you, but younger too! I run to hug you and we laugh and giggle like the children we are. Holding hands we dance through the flowers. I see the breeze lift your hair and watch as the silken strands dance in the wind. We spend the day together in this vibrant, natural place but the day goes by too fast and we collapse near the waterfall, to gaze up at the stars that are just beginning to come out. I feel the tears stream down my face when I think about not seeing you again. To have this day again, to laugh with you, hug you and just be near you is a true treasure. I feel my breath quicken as I realize I only have moments with you now, I squeeze your hand tighter and vow never to let you go, please don't go! You smile at me and all at once my sadness disappears and I am filled with the most incredible feeling of love. You are not gone from me, you live here, in my heart, only a breath away. In a blink you are gone and as I sit on the cool grass I can still hear the song of your laughter echoing through the valley and as I get up to leave, the prettiest little dragonfly rests upon my arm, as if guiding me home.Blinking I sit up...where are you? was it just a dream? It felt so real but the hand clasped in mine is my own. The breath I had been holding rushes out in a laughing sigh, as I let go and rest my hands beside me on the bed. The meadow is gone, replaced by the shadowy stillness of my room. I climb out of bed, shaking the last vestiges of sleep from my head, still caught somewhere between our dream time and the reality of my world, without you. It is then that I notice the iridescent wings of the creature poised delicately on my window, shining, flickering in the early morning light. And I smile as the dragonfly takes flight. "Au revoir, my friend, come and visit me again"
"Sweet Summer Memories" June kit club...
The All Moments Remembered June kit and add on are sold out once again. Those with subscriptions will be sure to get theirs in the mail in the next coming week. The colors are so bright and fun. Spring and Summer just pop from these supplies. I hope you enjoy the kit as much as the AMR Design team have.
Heather Prins Inspiration for the kit...
Do you remember how summer vacation seemed to last forever when you were a kid? Two months of bliss! Remember how refreshing a 15 cent Mr. freeze used to taste? And remember how vivid your imagination was? Like when you were on the swings how you could easily imagine yourself taking flight and soaring above the playground? Looking at this kit reminds me of those summer days. Of lying in the grass and picking buttercups , or lying under the tree at the park with my best friend at my side, and looking up through the branches at the sky, day dreaming of our future. I remember running around the neighborhood barefoot, shoes left "somewhere" wearing a halter top and terry cloth shorts, mismatched most likely. I remember bike parades around our crescent , everyone busy making paper flowers and streamer ribbons for days leading up to the big midsummer event! I remember doing cartwheels on the grass in our bathing suits during the warm summer rains. I remember when playing a game of marbles was cool, (especially if you owned a few "beauties"), and paper caps brought loads of fun (and a few burnt thumbs)! Games of Hopscotch, Double Dutch and Tag were more fun than watching two channels on a t.v. (with no remote) indoors.It seemed like back then the stars shone brighter, candy was sweeter and the days lasted forever. I miss those carefree summer days. I miss the sense of freedom I felt being able to ride my bike around my neighborhood from morning until night, just popping in the house for lunch or supper. What are your favorite summer memories? Did you skip stones and pretend you were Huck Finn off on some wild adventure? Or did you climb trees and pretend you were Maid Marion waiting for RobinHood? Did you have a Secret Garden that you escaped to even if it was just in your imagination?Dig out some of those old photos if you have them and relive those moments. Be 8 years old again, just for today. Laugh until your sides ache, eat candy and not worry about the calories, walk barefoot and feel how cool the grass is beneath your feet. Just for a moment, breathe in all that it meant to be young and carefree.
All Moments Remembered is so excited to have Stephanie Howell design with our June kit. She is an amazing scrapbooker with a bit of vintage flair to her work and the most fantastic bows I have ever seen, lol! Stephanie is also going to join us at our online crop on June 7th. So come scrapbook and chat with Stephanie and all the wonderful ladies on the AMR message board. You need to register if you have not already done so.
Her Bio:
Growing up with a ridiculously artistic mother, Stephanie tried and abandoned many crafts in frustration before she finally stumbled onto scrapbooking and fell in love. She made a few scrapbooks (in the loosest sense of the term) when she was in college, but truly became obsessed when she was pregnant with her first daughter. Scrapbooking is her therapy and has gotten her through four of her husband's overseas deployments. Since beginning, Stephanie has been published In Creating Keepsakes and Scrapbook Trends. She also serves on the Prima Marketing Design Team and has guest designed for a multitude of wonderful companies. Stephanie lives deep in the heart of Texas and is married to Jimmy, who is a Captain in the army. She is also a stay at home mom to Harper Elizabeth, who is two, and Sadie Caroline, who is 3 months old. In her spare time, she loves antiquing, reading, and watching the Office. But most of all, she loves just being together as a family, and she relishes those moments…as they are few and far between.
I am so excited to introduce May's kit to you. I have loved all of our kits, but this is my all time favorite. Not sure if it is the beautiful yummy papers from Websters pages or if it is the day dream I can slip into when I read Heather's inspiration for the kit. Put her story and this kit together and it is lovely in every way.
" A Summer In Paris "
Christine Middlecamp
I am so proud to announce that Christine Middlecamp will be designing with All Moments Remembered May kit club. This is one lady I so admire not only for her INCREDIBLE talent but for the person she is. She is simply amazing! Her passion and courage inspire me daily. Her total sweetness makes you smile. Her raw honesty in herblog has captured my heart and the hearts of so many others. If you don't know Christine please be sure to check out her blog and read all of it!! It is so worth the read. Have tissues ready because she writes from deep in her heart. Wait until you see her talent... Gorgeous! I am so proud to have her design with the AMR kit. Thank you Christine!! Here is a little about her from her blog...
Her Bio...
My name is Christine Middlecamp and I reside in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. I'm 30 years of age and a mother to my one son, Ethan. Before losing my husband to brain cancer in January '08, I spent three years documenting our family story via scrapbooking. I started blogging a little over a year ago after starting a career in the scrapbook industry. After my husband was diagnosed with brain cancer in September of '06, I started sharing our cancer story via the blog. Through this experience, I have grown more passionate about scrapbooking and storytelling. My goal is to inspire others creatively and to bring reflection to those that so desire it.
This is a very special month for us atAll Moments Rememembered because we have our very first guest designer - the wonderful and uber talented - Karla Dudley!!!
It seems like a lifetime since I’ve walked these shores, the sand tickling my toes and my pockets full of shells. Dusk was our favorite time. And the sky, ablaze with brilliant pink and russet hues, was the pallet that inspired many of your paintings. Gathering my courage, I watch a tiny bluebird dance in the breeze, threading through the flowers growing haphazardly in the little cottage yards dotting the shoreline. The lace curtains fluttering in and out of the windows snags my gaze briefly before, inexorably, I turn to face the surf.
I had to return, to this very spot, on this day. The pull was too strong to resist. The whispers are so loud and the memories still so vivid. They surge in like the tide leaving my heart raw & wounded again and again.
I stare out to the horizon along the blazing path of sunset light and my thoughts and prayers coalesce into one hope - "Come home to me."
The wind grows stronger and whips off the water and over the dunes. Though it has turned blustery, it is still a pale version of the storm that raged that day stealing you into the blue Atlantic mystery forever, along with my heart. I clutch your old cableknit sweater tighter and burrow into the turtleneck and breathe in the scent of you - or perhaps I only imagine your presence in the fibers, it's been so long since you've worn it and walked with me along this stretch of beach and, being here once more, I accept that you never will again.
I miss the steadiness of you. I miss the safety and security I felt within your arms. I am lost. You were my direction, my True North and without your friendship and love to guide me, I feel adrift but no longer as though I'm drowning. I will find my way again, just as I found my way here to say goodbye. And having known the splendor of your love, I know I can go on. And that, just as the waters calmed or the winds raged following that single storm, my life will continue, richer for having you in my heart.
I am pleased to introduce "True North" (Main Kit)...
Contents: Patterned Paper Daisy D paper We Are Memory Keepers Peasant Bobbin K & Co. Sola JellyBeans . We Are memory Keepers – Escape Sharon Ann Timeless Red WallPaper Autumn Leaves Paper We Are Memory Keepers – Discover Scenic Route Laurel Bay Lane (Bird paper) Scenic Route Lined Ki Lace Cardstock - Sublime
Light Butter, Pear Crush, Bazzill cardstock
Embellies Ancestory.com Beads Dasiy D flowers Cosmo Cricket Alphas 2 Autumn Leaves Swirl Stamps Making Memories Metal Brads 1 Bazzill Crochet Flower K & Co label Daisy D’s Rub Ons We Are memory Keepers Trims
And the Add On “Adrift”...
Contents: Patterned Paper Cosmo Cricket – Pixie Dust K & Co. Bailey Red Foof A La Indian Summer . We Are Memory Keepers - Dreams We Are Memory Keepers – fantasy . KI Pop Culture – Orange
Embellies butterfly stamp Smitten White Lace foof-a-la labels/chipboard 7Gypsies Naked Journal American Crafts velvet cream Thickers
All Moments Remembered Proudly introduces our March Kit and Add on kit.
The Inspiration for the kit was written by our Creative Director Heather Prins.... My heart is filled with such yearning. A longing to travel; to venture to parts of the world that many would deem remote. As I sit at my desk and stare out through the rain-streaked window, I wonder how I got here. The grey concrete jungle below me bustling with people, no smiles,no light in their eyes; are they living their dreams? Do they, too, feel an irrepressible need to... just go? I feel the comforting rock, back and forth, of the train as it coasts through the Tuscan countryside, the conversations around me, foreign, yet familiar. I feel tranquility flowing into my soul. Tiny villas roll past the window and I close my eyes ...The phone rings, and I am jolted back to reality. Hours pass in the tedium of the everyday. My gaze is drawn irresistibly to the view out of my window.I catch a glimpse of the bay off in the distance, and I am lost again.Blinking against the sun, I am leaning against the railing of a ship. My eyes dart across the water soaking up the immense vision of the sea in all its blueness. The sheer magnitude of it leaves me breathless,light-headed. A quick glance around reveals a comfortable deck chair and I stretch out for a moment to soak in the view ...All too soon I am back in my office, files haphazardly stacked at my feet. I try to concentrate, to accomplish something today. As I wrap my hands around the steaming cup of tea on my desk, my thoughts are pulled once again to another adventure, another exotic landscape. Am I climbing Mount Everest?Diving the Great Barrier reef? Maybe I'm walking the Great Wall of China?Or contemplating life's mysteries in the mountains of Tibet? My yearning stretches across vast deserts, oceans, exotic cities, drawing me away from my day-to-day monotony.Wherever I imagine I am, I realize the futility of being at the office today. With a deep sigh I gather my things. As I stand waiting for the elevator, I can hear the engine of the plane roaring in my ears with my white scarf dancing around my shoulders. Can I really step into plane? Yes,I can, because this is a dream journey and anything is possible.
Introducing Journey March Main Kit **SOLD OUT**
"JOURNEY"
Patterned Paper Maps (not acid free) Hambly Overlay Making Memories 5th Ave. Sophia Leaves Making Memories 5th Ave. Sophia Geo Floral Making Memories 5th Ave. Sophia Stripe Making Memories 5th Ave. Diecut Floral Making Memories 5th Ave. Elizabeth Berries Tinkering Ink Haberdash Stripe Tinkering Ink Perennial Parade Blue bell
Card Stock Bazzill Smoothie Date /Swirl Bazzill Smoothie Ocean Breeze Bazzill White /Classic Bazzill Aqua/Canvas Bazzill Ebony/Classic Bazzill Splash /Canvas
Embellies Sixth Avenue Stickers Black Alphas Making Memories 5th Ave. Sophia Borders & Tags Making Memories Defined Journey stickers Making Memories 5th Ave. Sophia Jumbo Pebble Brads (not shown) Making Memories 5th Ave. Sophia Trims 1/2 yard of 6 styles Bazzill Crochet Blossoms Heidi Swapp Butterflies Mask Bazzill Blue Bird Rubons 7Gypsies Travel Stickers Making Memories Paint - Sky Jenni Bowlin Felt Bird various flowers from Making Memories 5th Ave. line Scraps of Time Adornment pack - contents will vary
"Passport" - March's Add On kit
PASSPORT" - MARCH ADD ON KIT
Patterned Paper Making Memories 5th Ave. geo floral) Making Memories 5th Ave, Sophia Harlequin making Memories 5th Ave. Elizabeth Diecut Floral Dream Street - Jacob
Embellies Making Memories 5th Ave. Sophia Diecuts (1/2 pack) 353124 Making Memories 5th Ave. Sophia Blooms & Buttons Making Memories 5th Ave. Sophia Chipboard Alphas Bazzill White Rubons 7Gypsies Photo Stickers Making Memories mini journaling book embroidered travel tags
Be sure to sign up for a 3 or 6 month subscription to assure you will receive a kit each month. The main kit as sold out the last two months before the reveal. At this time we have a couple add on kits remaining for sale.
Feb. kit is sold out. You can still purchase subscriptions to start in March. March's one month kit will go on sale Feb. 25th first come first serve. If you are wanting to reserve a kit for march and future months please go to the store area and be sure to sign up for a 3 or 6 mth subscription. See the Kits FAQ page for all the information on monthly subscriptions.
February product kit..... HEARTSONGS $38.00 SOLD OUT
Patterned Paper 1 sheet (scalloped square Making Memories) 1 sheet Creative Imaginations DS Black Leaf from Samantha Walker Day, By Day Collection 1 sheet My Mind's Eye ADORE 1 sheet Flirt (Flirt by Reminisce) 2 sheet Making Memories Love Story scalloped circle 1 sheet Making Memories Love Story diecut artisian 2 sheet Narratives Antique Cream Collection paper cream lined scalloped 1 sheet Narratives Antique Cream Collection black polka dot scalloped2sheets Making Memories Love Story Post Card paper
Embellishments 1 Making Memories Love Story Rub Ons 1 Narratives Antique Cream Collection Chipboard 1 package black Shimmer letters by Making Memories 1 Heidi Swapp heart shaped Bling 1 Jenni Bowlin Adore bingo card 1 package vintage goodies by Scraps Of Time (contents will vary)
cardstock 2 white Bazzill 2 crimson Bazzill 2 canvas Bazzill
February Add on kit..... FIRST KISS $25.00 SOLD OUT
Making Memories Love Story Pebble Clips Creative Imaginations Tags by Christine Adolph 1 sheet alphas Narraives Antique Cream Collection 1 sheet Word Fetti Making Memories Love Story 1 sheet journaling labels - Narratives Antique Cream Collection1 sheet alphas Making Memories Love Story 1 chipboard heart shaped mini book Creative Imaginations bare elements
Embellie bag Contents…
tickets from Jenni Bowlin
clock - Etsy calenders - Etsy Elle’s Studio Boy/Girl tag 1 bottle Stickles - black
Patterned Paper 1 sheet Flirt by Reminisce 1 sheet My Mind's Eye Amore striped paper Adore 1 sheet Narratives by Karen Russell cream lined journal paper 1 sheet Making Memories scalloped square cardstock 1 sheet white Bazzill 1 sheet canvas Bazzill 1 sheet crimson Bazzill
This story was the inspiration for the February kit. A love so strong that time, nor illness not even death can diminish it.
"Put your mind in black & white. Scene is Catholic hospital in upstate New York, circa 1940. My mom, who is a nursing student, is on one of the upper floors of the hospital, peering out the window with her giggly young girlfriends (can't you just picture them, arms linked, in their starched white caps and nurses uniforms?) What or who are they looking at, giggling so??? Why, it's the handsome young Tabacco brothers, of course! (Yes, my maiden name is Tabacco!) Three brothers each a physician in different fields all arriving for work together. Giggling, oohing, aahing, and more giggling erupt from the girls as they speculate over who is the most handsome of the three... Joe? Sal? What about their baby brother Anthony? Later that week, two of the girls get dates with the older brothers, and baby brother Anthony needs a date. God hand-picked Betty, and the rest, as they say, is history!! Four boys and 2 girls later... here I am!
My parents have been married 66 years, and since Mom's diagnosis 10 years ago, he has cared for her non-stop. Very reluctantly, he put her in a nursing home 4 years ago when she started to wander at night and need more care than he could handle.
Every cloud has a silver lining, and for me, the blessing in my mom's illness has been witnessing the total devotion of my father to my mother. For years growing up, I watched her sticking by his side, no matter what, and now their roles are reversed. It's so dear to watch my father treat her so tenderly, with so much love, as he trims her hair, cleans her face, puts chapstick on her lips, massages her hands with lotion, and religiously "exercises" her limbs every morning. Even though she's in a nursing home,he visits her 2-3 times a day, feeding her meals, taking care of her personal hygiene, and putting her to bed.
One of my fondest memories growing up was watching them dance. Like something out of a 1950s movie, they would dress up -- my mother with her tea-length dresses, sparkling costume jewelry and fur wrap and go off to dinner. Many times I was with them, and wherever we went to eat, there was always music and dancing. No matter what fights they had been having, their love became magic as they whirled around the dance floor."
