Anna's Craft Cupboard August Sketch

Things have been very quite on the scrapping front for me over the last week or so.  Sometimes I have to force myself to put everything else aside and make time for me - which is exactly what I did on Sunday night after everyone had gone to bed.  I was in the mood to scrap with a sketch and what better inspiration than Wendy's sketch for August over at Anna's Craft Cupboard.  Here is the sketch:

And this is my take on it - using a photo of the three men in my life in one of the many paddocks of Sorghum Tony planted this year. The photo was taken just a few days before the harvest began.:

And some close ups of the details - some goodies from Typo, vintage Heidi Swapp, October Afternoon, Greatest View and The Twinery.

I always knew that I wanted to include extra journalling on the layout but wasn't sure of how to incorporate it.  A bit of blog surfing found me on Kim Jeffress's blog and being inspired by her use of different techniques for incorporating hidden journalling was just the solution.  I had one of these little chevron bags sitting in my stash so I slipped it underneath the patterned paper and tucked the journalling inside.  I sprayed the bag with orange mist as the white background wasn't working for me. I hope Kim would approve lol.

I am quite pleased with the end result and will definitely be revisiting this sketch again soon - just need to find the time.
Hope your week is treating you well.
S xoxo

I love awesome giveaways ... Do you???

A few months ago a friend showed e these gorgeous embellishments she had found.  Needless to say it didn't take me long to fall in serious lust and start my own collection of awesome badges from Greatest View. They have a new release coming doom and are having a giveaway. Check it out: 

***The giveaway details will remain at the top of the blog, please scroll down for more posts!***

I'm really excited about this next release of goodies. And I want you all to be excited to so it's time for a BIG sneak peek and giveaway!

Would you like to win a $25 voucher to spend at the release? I'm going to give one away and to be in the running, I need your help to spread the word - here's how:

1. Post the details of the giveaway on your blog,
2. Share this post on facebook. 
3. Pin the photo above to Pinterest 

Or all three for three entries :) Be sure to include the picture above and link back to theGreatest View blog. Leave a comment on this post to let me know!

Entries will close 9am (AEST) on Monday August 27th and I'll announce the winners shortly after, in time for the release on Monday night! 

Good luck!

Farm Life

In many ways we have the best of both worlds when it comes to living on a farm.  The good stuff is that we are just a stone's throw from town, the boys LOVE farm life and Tony is left to his own devices 95% of the time.  For Tony, the down side is that this is not his own place; he manages it for a father/son team who have more properties further west from us.  I swear that man has wanted a farm of his own since the day he was born.  There is no denying that it gets him down at times but it doesn't stop him giving 150% all the time.  I try to lighten the mood by telling him that it is the perfect arrangement - he gets to spend all day every day doing what he loves and someone else pays the bills, but that doesn't cut the mustard for him.  Even at an age when most people are starting to consolidate what they have, Tony is forever plotting and planning how he can really call himself a man of the land.  While I can admit that owning a farm doesn't interest me in the slightest, I will do everything I can to help support him in his dream - after all, that is what a partnership is about.  This year, he was itching to get the cotton picking underway. This year he had planted over 4000 acres of dryland cotton so there was a lot riding on this crop. After a few hiccups and false-starts, he was finally able to get the picking underway. To say he was happy was an understatement. It was hard to tell who was more excited, Tony, Mitchell or Lachlan.

Have I told you lately how much I love my new {old} typewriter??? Lol, of course I have but I am going to tell you again ... I LOVE it!

A close-up of the cotton pickers supplied by the contractors.  Old as the hills and it Tony all of his might to keep them in the paddock (not that it was his job to do, he just did it so the picking was done as fast as possible) for the entire picking season.  Hopefully if the seasons stay good, he might have his own picker to play with one of these days, courtesy of his boss that is.  Let's hope it will be in a better state than these ones were ;)

Til next time.

Take care
S xoxoxo

A Special Bond

I'm not sure about you but late at night, I often sit and scroll through the many photos of the boys on my computer.  They are a reminder of all the fun times that we have created as a family.  They are also a reminder of everything I hope and wish the boys become as they make their way in life - two independent souls who, with any luck, will always remember the special bond that ties them together - the bond of brotherhood. 
I needed reminding of this bond last night when Lachie was up all night with a tummy bug and growing pains. Poor little mite suffered all night and there was no sleep for either of us. Needless to say, a day off school was needed for both of us. While he was tucked up on the lounge drifting in and out of sleep, I created a layout using products from Echo Park's 'So Happy Together' collection. I have had these papers for a little while now but today was the first day I cracked open the kit.

And some closeups using a new favourite discovery (thanks Donna White) - Picmonkey.  I LOVE this editing program. So user-friendly it makes me wonder why I spent all that money on Photoshop software and tutorials to still not be able to use it effectively :o  This site has quick and easy templates to create collages - a great way to display closeups including products from the Greatest View (sunburst flair) and Charm's Creations (crochet doily) and a feature of my journaling using my new (old) vintage typewriter.

This paper collection is so versatile for both boy and girl themed layouts and I surprised myself by not using Kraft or White Bazzill as my background - lol wonders will never cease.

Take care

S xoxo

Inspired by ...

... ME!
Lol, no I am not that self-centered (well at least I hope not) but in a moment of madness in the wee hours of the morning one day last week, I planned an English lesson around the creation of a scrapbook layout.  Long story short, I am teaching a new course aimed at students with learning difficulties and/or special needs.  The course is meant to be aimed at real life and teaching them genuine skills.  So far I have cooked for them, I have demonstrated how to iron a pleated skirt and a business shirt so now it was time for some paper fun.  Knowing just how SLOWLY I scrap, I knew that I needed to be able to pull together a layout super fast. My solution was to lift a recent layout and that is exactly what I did.  I packed up a few bits and pieces, some layouts for them to look at and basic tools and cut loose on the class. 
So why scrapbooking you ask?  Well this unit revolves around being able to give a detail list of instructions, accompanied by photos to match the instructions. In the space of 35 minutes not only had I walked them through the layout but I had also stopped a dozen times to take photos for the students - hands down FASTEST layout ever.
So this:

came from this:

And believe it or not, the lesson was one of the best lessons I have had with that class in recent weeks.  The essence of the layout is still the same - two of the three papers are the same and the design is the same but it still looks different ... kind of.
Nothing else to report.  Life has been manic of late but thanks to family and some special friends, things are on the way up again.
Hope you are enjoying your weekend.
Ta for now
S xoxoxox

P.S. Hey Donna, can you believe it only took me 35 mins??? I should have videoed it because that will never happen again lol