Getting my mojo back

Sometimes it feel so frustrating when something I really love doing - pottering in my scrap area - just feels heavy.  I have been struggling with actually getting things done and have found myself procrastinating and time wasting, rather than doing anything constructive or productive. Having also struggled with a bout of the flu didn't help either!

But finally, I have been able to settle myself down and start my catch up of both scrap pages and pocket scrapbooking. I have been doing 'Project Life" for the past four years and have usually been pretty good at keeping fairly close to being 'up to date'. This year, I have been way behind and have had to push myself to get close to the current date. I've finished up to end of June so feeling pretty accomplished right now!

After a 4 week trip in June to UK and Italy, I also now have my travel photos to print and start that album. I'm still contemplating the best way to make a travel album - I'd like to make it a bit different from the one I did in 2012.

Here are some 9x12 layouts I've completed.  I plan to get some photos or a video of my yearly album over the next few days and will post them once they are done.

I used some old supplies I had (I'm on a spending freeze as I have too much stuff, especially papers) on the layout above. Doing a smaller page creates some different challenges!

Again, using old supplies here. I also fussy cut flowers from the border paper to use as embellishments and was quite happy with the result.

Hopefully I will post over the weekend with pages from my 2017 album.

Until next time ...

New Layouts

Having just returned to part-time work, I find that my time is more precious and I really need to prioritise my tasks.  But I know many, many women are able to be organised when working, with small (and not so small) children to care for seem to be able to juggle their time effectively ... so I will just do it!

I have been trying to organise my crafting space, in a shared office/play room and will be posting my organised area very soon.  It's a challenge to make sure that what I need is easy to access and that I can pack up things so that my 4yo granddaughter doesn't get into them when I'm not in the room - and that is a challenge!

I have also been organising photographs for both my Project Life Albums and also to re-vitalising my 12x12 journey.  I have found that in the past I have been too critical of my layouts and have also procrastinated too much over the pages. Lately, I have been able to complete the pages quickly (less than 1 day anyway!) and so have felt more like doing 12x12's again.

Her are a couple of 12x12 pages I have completed lately.  I will also post some of my Project Life pages over the next couple of days.

So, until next time ...

Close To My Heart (CTMH) - Exciting News!!

Woo hoo! Am I excited? Yes I am! Yesterday I signed up as a consultant with Close To My Heart company. Their mission - We show you how to celebrate relationships through discovering your creativity, to preserve and share the moments that matter most. I believe, after weighing up pros and cons, that CTMH provide a beautiful range of products at very reasonable prices.  Please check out my CTMH website, full of the most amazing products and ideas.

Rather than just decide on what you want from the internet, ask me about hosting a gathering at your home, club, school, kindergarten or wherever where you can experience, see and feel the products - which are much more dynamic in real life. I am going to put up a video of some of the things that can be made together very soon - stay tuned!

I am so looking forward to being able to be part of an amazing and supportive network and sharing their, and my, passion for all things paper and stamping. And I am looking forward to meeting other amazing women (and crafty men) both as customers and also fellow consultants.

In the meantime, here are some more of the 12x12 layouts I have recently completed.  Please enjoy the inspiration you may get from them and if you feel inclined, leave me a comment or suggestion.

I'm Back

Well it has been quite an absence - two years! Life got in the way and blogging was something I neglected.  But over the past 10 months I have got my passion back and it's time to share again.

I moved over from 12×12 layouts to doing Project Life as it is quick, simple and I can get the ‘recording’ of life events done without too much stress. So, during 2015, I have focused on Project Life which I have loved, and only recently got the urge to do some 12×12 layouts.

I actually have completed 10 layouts in the past week - an unheard of achievement in the past! I usually prefer simple, clean layouts as I want the focus to be on the photo, but, I have been enjoying playing with layering and mixed media so below are some of the layouts I have done over the past week. But, confession, I still can’t get myself to ‘over embellish’ even though I love the way other crafters do it!

So I hope you enjoy and get some inspiration for your own layouts. I will post some more projects over the next few days - 12x12 and Project Life - as I get back into the world of blogging and sharing.

So, till next time ...

 

Reflecting

I did the layout below for Sketch Insiration's latest challenge and DH had a good laugh remembering the incident with our little dog Molly, who is no longer with us.  We also reminisced about her funny antics with different things that happened in her life.  She was such a faithful, loving little pooch who played a big part in our lives for 12 years.

It's so important to be grateful for everything that we experience because life is so full of wonder and discovery ... yes even when things aren't going as we wish.
I discovered this video on my internet travels that I'd like to share with you today.



So, until next time ...

Experimenting

I have been contemplating doing 8 x 11 layouts instead of the customary 12 x 12 and this weekend I took the plunge and got started.

With the smaller page size I decided it was best to keep the design simple, thank you to Nicole S., Fran Tynan and Leanne Stamatellos for giving me the inspiration to create simply.

I'm looking forward to continuing my relationship with this size!

So, till next time ...

A couple of layouts

It's a very wet and cold day in Melbourne today so it's been a great day to stay inside! I have the house to myself and my plan was to get heaps of creative things done ... alas I have done less than I wanted to in that area.

But I did spend a couple of hours re-organising Rob's office, creating more space for him. It certainly heated me up - even took my jumper off!

Here are a couple of layouts I have completed recently.

This layout was for a challenge for Sketch Inspiration using a very old photo.

Hopefully I'll get the photos for the other things in the next couple of days.

So, till next time ..

Latest creations ...

It's certainly been chilly in these parts!  It's so cosy to stay indoors and potter away with my scraps and paper.  I even got to re-organise some of it and discovered things I'd forgotten about!!

I'd really like to get my christmas cards done well before December this year - so, with 21 weeks to go, if I want to make 100 cards, I need to complete around 5 per week - quite achievable!  Just need to get myself organised - I'll keep you updated!

I've been continuing on with my creating and here are some of the things I have done -

I love doing these vintage cards!

This was one I started at the SIA Trade Show 2 years ago!

Thought I's share this fun image also!!

Till next time ...

Really getting in to it!

It has been a busy week or so and I didn't get any scrapping done last weekend but I am certainly on a roll ... and loving it!

It's been quite a cold winter in Melbourne so far - we've been spoilt over the past few years with only a few cold days - but I am so thankful for our wonderful heater that keeps me very comfortable.

Even though I have lots to do, work wise, I find that being able to get out of my left brain and into my right brain to create, helps me to be more productive all around!  So, work doesn't suffer, I don't suffer and the rest of the household doesn't suffer!

Here are my latest layouts...

Till next time ...

Mojo's returned ...

It's a funny thing isn't it - creativity!  There are times when it seems such a struggle to get the juices going and to happily create ... and then there are the wonderful times when everything seems to flow and it's all too simple!

Well, thank goodness my mojo has returned and I am delighting in being able to get out the photos and go with the flow.  Perhaps it is also to do with the early nightfall and the cold nights when it is cosy to be able to set myself up in my room, keep warm and potter around to my heart's content!

Anyway, enough of the sentiments, here are some of the layouts I have created for the NCJS challenges ...

So while the iron's hot ...

Till, next time ...