I've Finally Done Some Layouts!

Well it's taken me longer than I had planned but I've finally finished some layouts. I've also had to 'fiddle' and 'tweak' with my HP scanner and my old PC 'cos my new Lexmark scanner does a very mediocre job. I printed some photos a couple of weeks ago with my old HP scanner and realised that they are heaps better than the ones from the Lexmark - they actually dried really quickly also.

And I have re-discovered my ArcSoft Panorama to stitch my layouts - so I have been re-organising my PC (although I still love my iMac) for my scanning and stitching. I seemed to be loading, uninstalling, re-loading, cleaning up and so on and so on for ages - at least 2 days worth of fiddling! But it's been worth it!

So here are my latest layouts - I've decided that simplicity is much easier and quicker too!





The heart is actually a soft pink Heidi Swapp Mirror but it came out black with the scanner :-(



So until next time ...

OMG - it's mid January already!

Well, it has been ages since my last post! It was such a busy time over Christmas and New Year - lots of family events; I de-cluttered and cleaned 90% of the house (not Rob's Office though, too hard!!); I ate lots; I did very little exercise (at the gym anyway!); I enjoyed the company of my beautiful eldest daughter and 3 grand-daughters and I even managed to get in some creating time!

I felt very inspired after Heidi Swapp's workshop and I made Grace an a to Z mini-album for Christmas - lots of fun doing it! I used a Making Memories 6" x 6" Cloth Album in a stunning lime green colour (my favourite colour!) and the base pages were from the 6 x 6 Basic Grey Collection Pad. I added lots of inserts of varying sizes and used lots of embellishments through out the album. Luckily Grace has a zillion photos of her - self portraits - that gave me a great stash to choose the main 26 from. I didn't start till the week before Christmas and the only thing I didn't finish was the ribbons on the spine.

I was over the moon as she was really wrapt with it - even dropped a few tears. I didn't think that Grace was really interested in my Scrapbooking - but she did show one of her girfriends my albums the other day and talked about them as though she has been listening to everything I speak about the pages and the scrapbooking.

Here are some of the pages ...

I started (but still have to 100% complete some scrapbook pages and here is the one I have finished - I will post more at a later date. The colour in this is not very good - the white, red & black are much more vibrant.


I have also started the Project 365 which will support me to be more creative with my photography (and learn how to take better photographs!!) I have decided to start a new blog - 365 Days a Year - specifically for that one. Keeping everything up to date will be a real challenge - but then that's life!

So until next time ...

An Award & Heidi Swapp!

As a wonderful lady so aptly put it - right now it's so 'Crazy Busy'! I always find that the lead up to Christmas takes on a life of its own and the time seems to accelerate as the 25th December gets closer - or is it getting worse!?! Things are getting done but I still have alot more to do ... it will be done!

Last week, the amazing Libby gave me an award, my very first one and I thank you very much Libby - This is called The Proximity Award.

"These blogs invest and believe in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers, who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

So the 8 bloggers I choose to pass on the award are ... **drum roll** ... Vicki, Karen, Sara, Leonie, Julie, Julie, Ness and Heidi ... I really enjoy reading these blogs and I'm sure you will too!

I have been frantically doing some creating - presents for friends (decorated albums & notebooks), some cards (very few!! Even had to *shock horror* buy some!) and making a mini album for my precious 14yo daughter for Christmas. It is an A to Z or her and I'm loving doing it - it's all falling in to place so easily. I'll post pictures when it's finished. I got some great ideas to add to it from my day with Heidi Swapp yesterday ...

What a frenetic day! I attended the Create 08 workshop in Melbourne as many, many other avid scrapper did. Heidi has increased her standing in my eyes - she is such an emotionally honest and inspiring woman - I love her! We spent the day doing some wonderful techniques - beginning with a calendar album (did 4 pages) and a mini mirror album. It was go, go, go right from the start but an amazing day! If you ever get the chance to be in one of Heidi's workshops I highly recommend her - she is so down to earth and what she offers covers all types of papercrafters styles and expertise.

Here are some shares from yesterday (unfinished but still impressive!)



Here is a picture of the venue - verrry crowded, with no room to move which was a bit frustrating! Really the only thing that I didn't like about the day. The venue was in a beautiful setting but not one to hold so many crafters with all the paraphernalia that we all need to do our work! I'm standing up right at the back, in the white shirt!

This is the view from our table - Heidi is the speck on the right at the front!

And of course, I had to have my photo taken with Heidi and my scrapping colleague, Wendy. It's not what I usually do but decided that I wanted to remember this amazing day with an amazing woman. Of course, with all the paparazzi there it was hard to know which camera to look at!
Thank you Heidi!

So until next time ...