Scrapbooking is such a big thing for me now. It's really the only part of my life where I feel creative. I never considered myself a creative person. I have no discernible artistic talent; in other words, I can't draw my way out of a paper bag! (One of my favorite phrases!)

My dad and my sister C are very artistic. Dad could draw, carve. C got a degree in fine arts from Mason Gross School of the Arts/Rutgers. Upon graduation she was invited to exhibit at a gallery, but couldn't - she became mom to my wonderful nephew J! I wish she'd take up art again so I could pick her brain on a regular basis about what I'm doing... Maybe we could "art" together...

Anyway, Mom, too, is artistic. She was a brilliant seamstress, making all our clothes when we were small. She also knits and crochets, did needlepoint when she could, and even made quilts for some spare money years ago.

Me? I'm challenged, to say the least. P? I'm not really sure. I don't think of my sister P as artistic, per se, at least not like C, but she's the first of the family to have brought color into her home by painting the walls in her home very different and strong colors (not varying shades of white, which I did for years). So that must be her artistic side coming out! She's also a crocheter - so I'll take back the comment about not being artistic - she is, too! (It's a hobby she took up in AZ, so she'll have to forgive me for forgetting about it - out of sight, out of mind!)

I guess I should admit that I can draw a mean digestive system, or heart, or lungs - got lots of A's in school for drawing in science class, but that was more copying than drawing...

I get a great deal of satisfaction in creating a scrapbook page that I like, that works, where the colors and the proportion appeal to my eye. I'll post a couple here that I'm particularly proud of but remember, before you look, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!