Toot Toot ... woot woot

Just popping in to say yay for me. Scrapbooking Memories magazine has picked up another one of my layouts for publication. I feel so lucky that the editors would even consider my layouts worthy of publication. Even though I have had quite a few published already, I still get a thrill each time one of those acceptance emails finds its way into my inbox. Remember this one?

I think I need to re-wire my brain and start working on the positive self-talk a lot more. I always doubt my abilities in terms of scrapbooking and rarely feel totally happy about what I have done. Tell me, how do YOU avoid the negative thoughts and work on the positive? How do you get past seeing all the faults with your work and stop saying that it is not as good as everyone else's? Would love to hear your thoughts on this. Seriously hoping I am not the only one out there who thinks like this :o

No scrapping for me this week - I have spent the last two nights buried under a pile of Yr 11 English exams. Finished the last one a little while ago (yay me) but will have another class to do tomorrow once my Yr 12 history class do their exams. Best part about all this is that there are only 6 more school days until holidays. YAY!

Hope everyone has had a good week.

Take care

S xoxoxo

Getting my Scrap on!!!

It was a long weekend for most of the states in Australia so I made the most of it by getting my scrap on. This was the first chance I had had to scrap since going on retreat a few weeks ago - always a pain when real life gets in the way of playing with cardstock, pretty paper, stickers, mist and paint so I made the most of it. I surprised myself by getting five layouts done - yeah not many for power scrappers but when I was washing, cooking, cleaning etc all weekend as well, you gotta be happy with that.

Layout 1: Simply You

I actually started this layout at the retreat and was supposed to be a challenge where a page Scrapbooking Memories Magazine was selected and we all had to lift a particular LO on that page. Well long story short, I couldn't get into it so I put it away. When I pulled it out on Saturday afternoon, I pulled it to pieces and started from scratch and I am so much happier with the result.

I am feeling a bit of a theme happening with the next few layouts. Can you guess what it is??? Well actually there are two things happening. Let's see if you can guess both.

Layout 2: Winter Holidays

It sure feels good to scrap some older photographs as it is something that I don't normally do. These photos are from 2007 - wow the boys are so small. Can hardly believe how much they have grown. A really simply layout but I am happy with how it has turned out :-)

Layout 3: The Story of the Blue Chair

Can you see one of the patterns forming yet? Yep, ever since the retreat, I have been wanting to use paint. Who would have thought that I would ever scrap like this - sooooooooooo not me. Really stretched myself with paint and mist on the one layout lol!
Layout 4: Amazing
I love this photo in this layout. It was taken by Mel from Meloo Photography last year during a Point Shoot Play class last year. After the class finished, we all headed here to the farm for an impromptu photoshoot. I completed this LO as part of Renee's June Tune challenge over at Scrapbook Savvy. We had to incorporate something from Bruno Mars' song, 'Just the way you Are' and for an added challenge, the LO had to be done in monochromatic tones. I have lost count of how many times i have pulled this photo out to scrap but have never been able to get colours to gel. Although I had considered, and later dismissed orange a few times, I decided to give it another go and am stoked with the result. So have you guessed my two new favourites from the last few layouts yet??? Do the words paint and orange mean anything??? hehehehe

Layout 5: Cheesy Grin

I am calling this layout my comedy of errors. Believe it or not it took me all day to do this layout? How is that possible you ask? Well take someone who fiddle-farts around, moving things from here to there only to move it back to its original place about a million times and it isn't hard to work out. So I had the layout completed and photographed and was in the process of editing when I realised that the title was spelt wrong. Then I realised that it wasn't just a matter of taking the extra letter off because I had already traced around the edges. So I carefully pulled it apart, misted another piece of cardstock and stuck everything down for the second time, of course making sure that I spelt the title right. So you would have thought that I would have learnt my lesson and stopped there but no I didn't. I just HAD to trace around the letters again. This time the pen slipped while I was tracing - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr why didn't I stop?! Luckily the trusty October Afternoon (do you know I {heart} OA?!) came to my rescue. Note to self - stick with what you know, don't try anything fancy schmancy lol.

So that is my weekend of scrapping. Pretty chuffed to have more layouts done. That will probably be the last of it for the next two weeks - exam block starts this week which means LOADS of marking and report cards to write. I am determined to have everything done before we head off on holidays at the end of June. Wish me luck lol.
Thanks for stopping by.
S xoxo

Finally

Finally the world has slowed down enough for me to take a few minutes to sit and blog. I don't know about the rest of you but time just doesn't seem to stand still long enough for these days. The last month has passed by in a blur of school work, weekend sport, celebrating family birthdays and only limited opportunities for scrapping. In fact, apart from today, the only scrapping I have done in the last month were the layouts I managed to complete while on the Wicked Princess retreat a few weeks ago.

I had such an awesome time at the retreat, despite the obvious first-timer nerves, and have already booked in to attend next year. I am even contemplating taking long service leave for it. There was lots of fun times and laughter shared - I think it took almost a week for my stomach muscles to return to normal. Apart from spending the weekend with my regular scrap buddies, Julie and Donna, I was fortunate to be sitting close to current Scrapbooking Memories Master, Lauren Bell and long-time scrapper Lisa Kamphius. OMG those two girls are hilarious, not to mention TALENTED.

It was awe-inspiring to say the least. I surprised myself by completing 7 layouts for the weekend which is pretty good considering that I would have to be one of the slowest scrappers going lol. Here are some photos of what I managed to get done:

Layout 1: Half a Smile is better than none at all.

I actually started this layout a few weeks before the retreat but wasn't happy with it. I knew I wanted a lot of 'white space' but nothing seemed right. As soon as I unpacked my stash at the retreat, it all seemed to fall in place. It is typically simple - as is my style - but I am happy with it.

Layout 2: Christmas Photoshoot

This is my least favourite layout from the weekend. I love the photos but I always struggle when it comes to scrapping Christmas layouts. The supplies for this layout came with one of the kits we received as part of the retreat challenges.

Layout 3: It's a Boys World
I have had this layout sitting in the back of my head for ages now. The photos were taken last year and despite several attempts at scrapping them, I always ended up throwing the layouts out. I am finally happy with how these photos have turned out on a layout.

Layout 4: Real Life

This layout doesn't really have a title so I am using the sticker as my inspiration. In many ways, it is one of those layouts that doesn't really need a title as the picture speaks for itself. This layout was inspired by Anthea Paterson (love her work and would love to be able to layer like she can!)

Layout 5: Smile

It isn't hard to be inspired to scrap when you are sitting close to Lauren Bell. I have her style, very much like how I would like to be able to scrap. So what is a girl to do when surrounded by such talent? Lift her work of course. I cannot claim any credit for this layout - it is all Lauren's. Thanks for the inspiration Lauren!

Layout 6: Ouch

After spending time with Crystal Goulding and Lauren Bell, it is not hard to be inspired to use paint on layouts. I had been wanting to use paint ever since seeing Crystal at work while at Donna's but it took seeing Lauren hard at it to finally give me the courage to give it a whirl. I love that this layout is simple but still a lot to look at - well I think so anyway lol.
I do have a 7th layout but can't show that one at the moment. I will show when I can ;)
Anyway, I am off to make the most of my weekend - public holiday tomorrow so hopefully scrapping is on the cards.
Take care
S xoxoxoxo

What's doin'???

Wow what a week it has been. Who knew that so much could be crammed into such a small amount of time. Apart from work and the usual everyday happenings, I had the opportunity to scrap with an awesome group of scrappers in real life. OMG talk about WOW ... and then some. I lost count of how many times I said, "When I grow up I wanna scrap just like that."

So who did I scrap with do you ask??? Well, firstly there was Donna White (aka birthday girl), then her cousin, Sarah Ward (aka Savvy owner), Alicia Ransley (aka Shit Hot), Crystal Goulding (aka totally blew my mind with her awesome layouts), Sara Noendeng (from Stuck! sketches), not to mention a few local girls as well. Holy crap can these girls scrap. It is one thing to see their stuff on blog and in forum galleries but they soooooooooooooooooooooooooo don't do the layouts justice.

The other highlight of the weekend was Donna's 40th birthday party. Again, an awesome night and I was lucky enough to meet even more talented scrappers, Lauren Bell and Lisa Kamphuis. Talk about every scrapper's dream being in the same room with these people.

Once all the excitement had worn off it was back to reality. Even though it was a long weekend here in Queensland, it was all stations go on the farm this weekend with cotton picking and sorghum/corn harvest in full swing. At one stage I counted 2 cotton pickers, 3 tractors, 2 headers, 1 spray rig plus a stack of other equipment sitting in front of the shed. After a shocking season in terms of floods, it is finally good to be able to see some of Tony's hard work come to fruition. When you see the header boxes full and cotton modules sitting at the end of the paddocks it makes up for all of the hours (sometimes days) without seeing him worth it.

Anyway, I should get on to the good stuff like some scrapping. While I may not be able to churn out the copious amounts of layouts that everyone did, I am still fairly pleased with the results:

1. My boy lollipop ... excuse the blurry photo (note to self, take another one). Had a few sticker sneezes on this layout but I am pretty happy with the end result. The lyrics to the 'My boy lollipop' were in my head for most of the crop day and miraculously I didn't start singing but I think they fit in perfectly with the photo.
2. Peek-a-boo: a touch of super simplicity for this layout. Not totally loving it but relatively pleased to have another layout in the album.3. Mummy's Little Charmer: again another dodgy photo. It is actually straight and even in real life lol. Stepped up the simplicity a bit compared to the last layout but still simple enough.

4. Fun Times: this was my take on Sar's Blind Scrap over at Savvy except this time I didn't have to follow the instructions, I could lift it from directly across the table (woot woot).
Anyway, bed beckons as it is back to school tomorrow. Cannot believe that we are into Week 2 of Term 2. Where has the year gone. Hope you all had a great weekend. Happy birthday again Donna.
See you soon.
S

Hopping in for the Easter Roundup

Hey there strangers. Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable easter with those you love. Easter was very, very quiet at our place this year with just the 4 of us. Usually we are lucky enough to have Heather and her family come to stay but with ANZAC Day falling across the weekend, plans had to change. Oh well, there is always next year. It seemed strange just having the four of us here - we have never spent this holiday alone but we were kept busy with cotton picking and harvesting sorghum. The boys spent their Easter riding all over the farm in tractors, pickers, truck and the motorbike. When they weren't at the farm, they were in the pool - a bit chilly for me but they loved it. Here is a little secret for you - both boys actually feel asleep in their togs on Easter Saturday night and stayed in them right throughtout the next day. They looked a sight bending down looking for eggs in their DT's while out on the egg hunt lol.


So in between all of the running around the farm, supervising pool play and general household stuff like cooking and cleaning, I have managed to do a bit of scrapping. I had grand plans for April - mainly revolving around whether or not I could break last month's scrapping record but alas, I did not even come close. Here is a round up of the latest layouts:
1. Technically not an easter layout seeing as I finished it just before the holidays started. It is for Anthea's Sketch challenge over at Scrapbook Savvy. I won't tell you how many hours it took to tie up all those ribbons but lets just say I caught up on lots of TV in the process. Ah well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

2. Layout 2 took quite a while to come together. Yes it is very simple (in keeping with most of my scrapping) but I will admit that I really struggled with the patterned paper. It is from Pink Paislee in collaboration with House of 3 from their Daily Junque line and was a part of the We're Savvy April Kit (which sold out super fast - so pleased I have a subscription!). You definitely need to head over to Scrapbook Savvy and check out their kits but don't say I didn't warn you - they sell out FAST!

3. Layout 3 is all out how different our two boys are. They definitely are my own little version of Chalk and Cheese - in looks and personality. I love watching they grow and change and develop their own little personalities. I also love having so many different places on the farm where I can take photos of the boys. The other day we all climbed on the 4 wheeler motorbike and headed off around the farm. I was hoping for some awesome shots in the cotton but just couldn't get what I wanted.4. Another pic from our little photo shoot. I bought the boys a lollipop each from the Dalby Show earlier in the month as a reward for being so good. Secretly I wanted them for a photoshoot but I wasn't telling them that. In between the weather, work and going on camp for the last week of term, I didn't get around to taking any photos. Needless to say, the lollipops were a little worse for wear by this time as one little mate in particular couldn't resist playing with them. In the end both were broken but I was able to push this one together long enough to snap a few quick pictures.

5. Lachlan is my own little Mr Man - Mr Happy in fact. Nothing seems to phase this kid (well most of the time anyway!) and he floats through life with a broad smile across his face. You can't tell from the picture of the layout but I actually attempted to make a big paper bow like Heidi Swapp has been doing lately. LOL I know you are shocked that I would be doing something that Heidi has done hehehehehe.

Phew, I think that has me all caught up for now. School is back in tomorrow for Term 2. If it is anything like Term 1, it will fly by fast as anything. Hopefully next time you stop by, I wouldn't have waited a month to update.

Thanks for stopping by,

Me xoxox

Too Cute and a fresh start

This month wraps up a big month of scrapping for me. I completed 15 layouts - not bad for someone who works full time as an English and History teacher (insert LOTS of marking here). I think part of the reason why I managed to do as much scrapping as I have is the fact that this year I am forcing myself to take timeout from schoolwork and put 'me time' first. I have been more motivated to get in and get marking done as soon as it comes across my desk. At our school, we have a two-week turn around policy meaning that assessment results need to be given to students within two weeks of the task being completed. So far this year I have made a point of working like a fiend for three or four nights after getting assessment handed in to get the marking out of the way so I can play. Looks like it is working so far! The latest layout I have created was for the 123 Challenge at Scrapbook Savvy. Check out the link for details.

The other thing which I think has made an impact on my scrapping is the fact that I have moved scrapbook areas. My old space was at the other end of our house in a small room attached to our bedroom. It was very isolating out there and while I loved being able to shut myself away sometimes, I was also aware that I was not spending as much time with the family as I probably should have. Solution??? I moved out into the main area of the house into what I guess you could call the formal dining room - not that we have ever used it as a dining room lol. In an ideal world, I would love a small half wall to separate the formal dining and lounge rooms. Unfortunately the house doesn't belong to us. I have plans to get a sideboard or something similar to create a mini wall one day but organisation was at the top of my list. My first step was a wall unit. My preferred option would have been the IKEA Expedit but with the nearest IKEA 3 1/2 hrs away, that was not going to happen any time soon. SuperAmart provided my solution and I am loving it. Still have not moved a lot of 'stuff' out but I am getting started. The best thing about this unit is that the Cropper Hopper 12x12 paper holders fit into the cubes - unlike my much beloved Expedit unit. So this is Step One of my scraproom makeover:I have got another bookcase to assemble but that will have to wait for the weekend. Maybe I will come back then with more pictures or even more scrapping showntell. LOL Enjoy your Thursday, hope it is a good one.

S. xoxoxo

Savvy Cybercrop Part 2

Instead of getting some much needed sleep last night, I stayed up and completed two more challenges for the cybercrop at Scrapbook Savvy. The first challenge was actually the second part of Kerryn's challenge - and that was to create a card. Now for those of you who read my last post, you would have read that I DON'T do cards. Sometimes I have so little time that the only thing I want to do is create layouts not cards. But sometimes you have to step out of your comfortable little zone and give things a try - even if the result is dismal :o The final challenge that I have attempted was Sara's. Our challenge for this layout was to use at least 25 items on the page - everything counts, cardstock, individual pieces of patterned paper, letter stickers, the works. I have to admit that I did struggle with this at the start - my scrapping tends to lean towards simple and semi-minimalist bt I got there in the end; I think I even broke 30 items lol. Just between you and me - I like this layout hehehehe

And some close-ups:

There is one challenge I have yet to attempt - San's. For this challenge we had to raid our scrap stash to create some gift tags. Not sure if I will get time to attempt this one but who knows what tomorrow will bring. Think that is me updated for another day. Thanks for stopping by.

S xoxoxo