Two new scrapbooking page layouts

I seem to have found my mojo again today. Hooray! I did a whole new layout today, which proves that I CAN do a quick layout - it is possible! It's a little hard to see in this scan, but the Bazzill cardstock is the natural cream colour which I love. I can really imagine using this more. I had fun with some green handmade paper I had in my stash and I printed my font straight on to it on the printer then cut it out. It's a pretty shiny paper which you can't quite see in the scan. I used a little scallop circle at the top to highlight the colour.

Since printing these photos I've also learnt to increase the dpi when photoshopping the photos to a smaller size to keep the resolution quality. It had been set quite low to 72 so I've increased it to 400. May replace these photos with new prints. The little tissue paper flower was a leftover from the 'Edible Blooms' I made Mum. The hearts were made by drawing on white cardstock with white crayon as a resist then covering over with paint. Easy!

I had a bit of fun trying this text flower, tutorial here. Obviously I need a bit more practise, LOL! I painted a little die cut frame I had with orange paint, then went over it with Crackle Medium. I used a little ink to highlight the crackle. I need a lot more practise to work out how to make big giant cracks, which I prefer. I might post some close up pics tomorrow if I remember.

I'm off to Melbourne on Saturday so one thing I need to do tomorrow to get ready is put the letters from my grandfather, Frank Middleton Risk, (to my grandmother Jessie, during World War II) into an album, so they can be returned to my auntie. Ian scanned them all in for me this week, what a legend! Luckily he did it before the bug got him (he's really under the weather today).

Cool discovery - freebie - Kamera dings

These are so cute... I discovered them over at Write Click Scrapbook and you can find them here. They're perfect for a layout I have in mind about a certain someone who takes a lot of photos.......

Day 18 - Billie

I was glad to finish this layout tonight about my cat, Billie. It's been a very challenging month, being the third week of caring for my babies, who are fighting infections. I've been sleeping every chance I get as Ian and I are up every night with Angus. Looking forward to getting back to normal again.

Materials: Cardstock - Creative Memories, paper - Kaisercraft, paint - Kaisercraft, rubber stamps - Heidi Swapp, Imaginisce, distresser, ink - StazOn, Splendor, journalling pen - Copic multiliner, ribbon - American Crafts, date stamp.

Journalling: Sweet, loyal little Billie cat. You've been with me since 1995, when you were just 6 months old. 15 years later, you're still with me. Your cutest trait is the way you trot so happily over to me for a pat when you see me outside at the clothes line!

Day 12: a layout a day in May

Ahem, I know I skipped days 5 - 11 but it was a rough week so I decided to start again today. I wanted to keep this layout really simple as I loved the story told by the three pictures of Ian with Angus.

This is one of those happy serendipities where you pick up the camera not really expecting anything and end up with really great photos!

Materials: black and white cardstock, paper: My Little Shoebox, date stamp, StazOn ink, Heidi Swapp paper distresser, circle cutter: Creative Memories, rubons: Presstik alphas, Kaisercraft.

photoshop fun

I took some pregnancy pics of my sister Manda yesterday and then discovered a cool new trick in Photoshop Elements. To start, here's the before:


'After' - this is a circular vignette, a simple action you can find under in 'Effects' above the layers panel in Photoshop Elements (version 7). This is possibly my favourite one. Then I decided to play around with the photo as black and white, a function you find under 'Enhance' in the menu bar. I then used the Magnetic Lasso Tool to select the subject, went to 'Select' then clicked on 'Inverse', then Ctrl+J (PC computer) to create a new layer with just the background. Cool! then I just played with different effects available in "Effects" above the layers palette.

This one's Pencil...

Patchwork... Notepaper...

Fibers...

Ocean Ripple... there are many more, but I'll choose one that focuses on the subject because I have this lovely scrapbooking paper that is the exact match to my sister's dress.

Something! Mothers Day 'edible blooms'

For ages I've been wanting to make 'edible blooms' - which aren't really, as my husband (holding the bouquest for me) points out. These little flowers are just made with the Fiskars scallop circle punch,and I punched coloured tissue paper while it was folded to make several scallops at once. I then just added a brad to the centre and fluffed the paper up a bit.

You can find more about it here.

Then I stuck them on to a wooden skewer. The chocolates are spiked with the skewers and then added into the bunch. I added bits of green paper to look like leaves and it does kinda sorta look like a bunch of flowers! I always keep the wrapping from bouquets when I receive them so I had some handy to use.

Mum seemed pretty happy. All the pics from Mothers Day will be posted at Scrap Happy Valley shortly.

day five - nothing

Oh dear. I'm afraid I came unstuck yesterday. It's been a long rainy week, this week, and very challenging having both babies sick, the husband away from Monday til Friday, daycare cancelled on Tuesday, shopping skipped. I've been trying my hardest to keep my head above water and to top it all off, I received some rather harsh criticism last night that's really got me questioning myself. I didn't get to sleep til after 2am then had to be up again at 6am. Tasmin's always been an early riser. So there you have it. It's back to the drawing board.

Anything to be grateful for yesterday?

Well Mum came over late morning to play with Tasmin, which gave me prep time for my teaching job. Thanks Mum. And my 7 months pregnant sister came over at 4pm to feed the babies and put them to bed while I went off to work. So yes, I'm grateful for her. And third, I'm grateful that I took the time to call the police on my way to work to report a broken down car. There was a very long line of traffic banked up behind it, and the driver's wife was holding a tiny baby as she stood on the road beside the car, halfway up a steep hill, on a blind corner with no footpath, and cars crossing the double line in order to get home. A great recipe for a head on collision. No one else had called it in. I followed my instinct and you can't ask for more than that.

day four - your first steps

I was up until 12.30am finishing this one last night, but at least it wasn't 3 or 4am as I've been known to do in the past! I was listenening to an audio book at the same time, which I've never done before, but a great way to read books while scrapping. It's Never Let Me Go by Kasuo Ishuguru. I'm halfway through.

This layout is a scraplift based on this layout by Kathie Link. It's soooo fabulous. I was so happy with the way it turned out, even though Kathie's original is based on a Cropaholic kit she designed for Shop and Crop. It's definitely worth putting in the time on layouts sometimes, as I think I'll treasure this for years to come, and so will Tasmin hopefully!

Techniques learned:
I learned a lot, from having to improvise. I used a resist technique for the hot pink heart flower, by drawing on white cardstock with white crayon then dry brush painting over. When it was dry I applied Pod Podge to seal it. I made the green mat for the photo by using blue ink to stamp an image around the edges, so it looks like a patterned paper. I used orange ink to colour the hearts, then stamped in pink over the top with a flower design. Pretty effective, eh? The curled paper at the bottom is inked underneath to look like double sided paper. I used a paint brush to help roll the papers. Also, one of Kathie's techniques I love is the way she chooses coloured cardstock for the layout's border, but then a more neutral colour for the background. I never would have considered using the paper I did, normally, as it looks really plain on its own. But it works, somehow!

Materials: K&C Company green cardstock; paper: Grant Archival, Bella!, Heidi Grace Designs, Kaisercraft, Sassafras Lass Monstrosity; ink: Splendor, Versa Color; yellow foam cut for flower; brads; Kaisercraft paint; white crayon; stamps: Inkadinkado, Fancy Pants Designs; pen: Zig Writer; buttons and stitching.

Journalling: The story: 1. in the morning, you simply picked up the remote control and took your first steps, walking towards the TV! 2. That day we took Ga out for Yum Cha (early Fathers Day treat). 3. Neighbours Steve and Desiree moved in and 4. Peter's 6th birthday, where the photo was taken.

layout number 3 - fathers day 09

After my Dad passed on last year, I got angry with myself thinking of all the things that I didn't do, could have done, should have done. For some reason, I didn't take any photos this particular day - which turned out to be our last Fathers Day with my Dad. But I've been learning that you don't need to be limited by photos when scrapping stories, and for this layout I used the scans of the fathers day cards.

Materials: Black paper unknown, Zig Writer, Jewellery Bitz, Versa Colour Ink, Stitching, mod podge, cardboard from old box, date stamp, Staz On ink, Signo gel pen, Bella! tag.

Journalling reads: Everyone came over to our house for lunch on Fathers Day - Manda and Mike brought Dad, and Mum came too. So grateful Dad was able to come, thought it wasn't easy for him. We all watched the 10 minute slideshow I'd made based on the album of Dad's early life story - but it included recent photos. The card I made is based on one of his favourite sayings. heart u Dad xo.

First two layouts SO FAR

1. Love is.... this was kinda easy as I already had the enlarged photo stuck on a piece of 12" white cardstock but it had been sitting around a few months. I do like it and it's OK for a home print job too (but note to self, only print high resolution pics!)

2. When I have extra favourite photos that don't fit in the 365 project, I set them aside for scrapping. Sometimes I print two copies, knowing one will be scrapped. So I have a pretty good supply of photos ready. This one was just fun. I know the butterfly makes the page a bit too busy but it so suits the photo, don't you think!

There are two more layouts, one missing a tiny detail that I will upload tomorrow and one that er, I haven't done yet. I have the photo and concept ready, but can't quite decide on background paper. Here's the plan: five minutes, choose a paper from the shortlist pile, then go to bed and do it tomorrow! I didn't quite get to it tonight as I've been getting photos ready for developing tomorrow. There's always a reason!

CHALLENGE: A layout a day in May

It's on! The inspiring and talented Karenika came up with this idea in her blog and I immediately knew I had to do it. I often spend too long researching the perfect layout with each photo or group of photos I want to scrap and I need to challenge myself to make some quick decisions - then STICK and GO!

I think it will be really fun to have 31 finished layouts at the end of the month.

There are some things I simply have to do this month for others - scanning precious heritage photos and letters I have on loan from relatives and starting and completing a mini heritage album for my Mum for her birthday in June. And there's the 365 Project but I have Tuesdays set aside specifically for that. So.... here we go!

And yes, I did my first layout today. And finished it. I will upload it tomorrow.