The new flash

New flash

the camera's built in flash

I finally, after a month, scavenged around the house for four AA batteries - all mismatched of course - and decided to try out the new flash that cost as much, if not more, than my lovely new camera. Now many people say Oh you won't need that! But the difference is astonishing. No nasty intrusive shadow and light like natural daylight!

Scrapbook page layout - all about me

So, this is the first page I have completed for the current album of "me" which until yesterday was a vague, theoretical idea. On Saturday I had the great privilege of attending a professional development course for Year 12 English Teachers and it was GREAT. I love that the next day, I picked up the flyer and just scrapped it. I WANT TO DO THIS MORE!

Journalling reads: It was wonderful to get back to a SAETA function.It's been surprising to find I still have the passion. Alison Robertson gave a great overview of Year 12 (new SACE 2011) and I had the bonus of catching up with English buddies - Genevieve, Moira and Emma. A great morning.

I photocopied the flyer and glued it over some plain cardstock. Then I used bubble wrap and yellow acrylic paint for the background, Fancy Pants and butterfly stamp and Tim Holtz distress ink, and handwrote the journalling strips with white Signo gel pen. Easy pages are more FUN.

I'm having to rewrite my blog post - computer said "no" and crashed! I'm uploading some pics of my latest scrapbook pages from 2009, and a bit excited about a possible way forward for scrapping many photos. There are stories I want to tell while they're still fresh, so my approach is this: to start with one special photo for a single page layout (not my usual style, but oh so luxurious!). The layout below is inspired by a Kathie Link layout, mixed in with my fave technique: stamping!

Then... collaging a mass of photos on the other page, leaving no white space, and including journalling strips straight on to the photos.

I'm off now for a sunday excursion to the Paper Fair at the Wayville showgrounds (Adelaide) to see if my fave shop, Seriously Scrapbooking, might have some Glimmer Mists to try. Would love to start with a purple. What else of course?

New scrapbook pages to show

At last! I've finally been freed up to do some more scrapbook pages. I made the word stickers myself. Too easy: coloured paper scraps, word stamps, black Staz-on ink, Xyron sticker maker (Tasmin calls this the "missing X", from Sesame Street). LOVING bold colours, thanks to Cheryl Ametewee. Right now I'm interested in documented our stories from last year. I have only photos and memories, no notes to work with. It was a hard year, with Dad's passing, Ian's work troubles, step-children issues and so on. But we're here now, we got through the hard stuff, and we're all much happier and stronger for it. I can't believe I'm working and being a full-time stay-at-home Mum AND enjoying both. Six months ago I wouldn't have believed it.

Here's a teeny tiny confession: because it's now been two and a half years since Tas was born, I think I'm actually putting off scrapping hers and Angus's albums. I'm scared they won't be good enough. Silly I know. Hmmm...

365 project album started

I'm going to ink up the journal cards a bit more but otherwise the format will be the same every week. I'm modelling this on Becky Higgins' 365 Project Life album, but using page inserts to stick the photos down, in the traditional way!

Photo a day check in

Day 40 terrible twos

I've been faithfully taking a photo a day which you can check out on my Flickr site. I have almost finished my first month of the album - it's so quick and easy which I love. I feel much freer to scrapbook whatever takes my fancy now without worrying about missing the everyday stories. I'll post some pics soon.

Busy busy busy

On Saturday I went and got all the photos developed for my latest exciting thing: Project365. I even have an album ready to start making the pages. It's thursday and all I've found time to do is lay and stick half the photos and journalling tags down. Our week has been incredibly busy - especially with starting my new job on Wednesday and Ian's birthday today - and I really need an early night tonight. Last night we got up 6 times I think - 5 times for Tasmin and once for Angus. T claims to be scared of monsters all the time now but calms very quickly as soon as we go into her room. Too quickly. As Ian says, it might be time for some "tough love".

I start to become a cranky Mummy when there's no time for scrapbooking! It would be best for everyone if I could get back to my album...

Simple brag book

I hate to send naked photos to anyone now. So I needed to think of a way to send photos to my Auntie Hilda who visited us back in October. She's an amazing lady, 85 years old and still travelling. I used a pre-made brag book which was really just double-sided patterned paper stapled to make a book.

I loved the paper but next time I might make my own and just have the photo on one side and journalling on the other.