After All These Years

Stamping Tip

As an obsessed organiser, I feel it's my duty to pass on ideas when I come across them. I saw this idea on the One Little Word blog and thought it was a great idea!

Basically, you stamp each of your clear stamps on a piece of acetate to use as a "guide" of sorts. You can use this stamped acetate to help decide where to stamp your image, just by moving it around.

Now she suggests that you create your guides as you purchase your stamps but what about all the stamps you've already gathered? I would suggest stamping one set a day (or so) and you will eventually catch up.

I'm not sure if I will be doing this with all my stamps but next time I'm not sure if I want to add stamping or not it may just come in handy.

Inspiration?

Well I've been in search of the inspiration I need to get back to creating again. Here are a couple of things that miiiight just do the trick :

This tutorial from by Cathy Zielske on Ali Edwards' blog. I love any tutorial that helps me in photoshop. In fact, I've already had a go at creating my own grid for 12 photos of Amelia (one from each month in her first year).

 

And I'm loving the "Lemonade" range from Basic Grey that I keep on spreading over my desk and looking at. That's right. Looking at.

   

Of course, I've been cruising the galleries looking for projects using Lemonade.

• Love the pleats on this layout.

• And another layout here, And here. And cute mobile here. Could use my Slice to cut the butterflies.

• And check out this blog where she has used lots of  Lemonade. Scroll down a couple of posts to see them. And to one particular blog reader of mine . . . these are layouts with BOY photos!

I hope I've inspired someone out there!

Have You Seen My Inspiration?

It's gone. Yes, I'm feeling a little un-inspired at the moment, hence the new look for my blog.

I'm not forcing it, just taking a small break and hoping to find my inspiration once again . . . soon I hope!

Blog Award

I've received this blog award from Sam - thank you Sam!

 

But I think it's already been passed on to every person I know! Here's something fun instead.

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During my daily blog surfing, I came across this post somewhere and thought it was so interesting. Read on to find out a little bit more about me! I've finished the sentences honestly and with the first thing that came to mind.

I am: looking forward to taking a nap while Amelia does.

I have: a diet coke and chocolate beside me.

I know: I drink way to much diet coke.

I want: more money.

I have: the best daughter I could have hoped for.

I like: zucchini

I dislike: seafood

I hate: doing the dishes every day.

I dream: of having a big house with ducted air conditioning.

I fear: losing my husband

I am annoyed: by my dog crying at the back door.

I crave: adult company by the end of the day.

I usually: go to bed at about 11pm.

I search: for bargains when I shop.

I hide: some of my scrapping purchases.

I wonder: what Amelia will be when she grows up.

I just can’t help: kissing Amelia a million times a day.

I regret: nothing.

I love: my family.

I can’t live without: apart from family etc . . .  THE INTERNET!!!!

I try to: limit the time I spend blogging - doesn't help.

I enjoy: watching cooking shows on TV

I don’t care: about politics.

I always: make the bed.

I never want to: work as a Beauty Therapist again.

I rely on: my Mum and Dad so much.

I believe: in a thing called love. (I love that song by "The Darkness")
I dance: terribly.

I sing: Wiggles songs ALL DAY.

I write: down the little things that Amelia says and does so I'll never forget them.

I win: some.

I lose: some.

I wish: we could go on an overseas holiday.

I listen: to my Ipod in my car, not the radio.

I don’t understand: german, even though my in-laws speak it.

I’m scared of: sea cucumbers. They freak me out!

I forget: what it's like to not be a mummy.

I am happy: where I am. There is room for improvement but it will come in time.

 

 

If I add a recent photo of myself  I have a really interesting page idea! I love including info like this in my scrapbooking . . . It's so much fun to go back and read through!

 

I would love it if my blogging buddies would copy and paste this and fill in their own blanks. If you do, please let me know as I would love to read it!

 

Sick Baby

Last week I had to dissapoint a few people who were booked into my "File In Style" class at Blossie's. Unfortunately, we had a rough couple of days with Amelia and I had to cancel my class.

After a couple of days where Amelia had a bit of a runny nose, she woke up every hour Wednesday night crying and then when we finally got up in the morning she was having trouble breathing and had a definite wheeze.

I rushed her to the medical centre where they gave her oxygen as her oxygen levels were WAY low. They then phoned for an ambulance to come take us to the hospital.

We spent the day in emergency, a tiny little cubicle with leads and oxygen attached to her, being poked and prodded etc. You can imagine how a 15 month old reacts to that.

We ended up staying overnight IN EMERGENCY as there were no beds upstairs in wards. (I think I managed about 10 minutes sleep) and thankfully on Friday morning she was a lot brighter and didn't need the oxygen anymore so we could go home.

We've stuck close to home the past few days but she is HEAPS better. I'm now just keeping my fingers crossed that she doesn't have asthma although it seems likely she does.

So to keep the cabin fever away, I dug out a couple of new toys that I had put away for Christmas so I would now like to show you all some of the first artwork by Amelia.

 

I then decided to reorganise her toys and rotate them. You can't leave any empty baskets around in my house or this is what happens.

 

So it was all a bit of a nightmare but it could have been a lot worse. My beautiful, smiley, crazy girl is back now!

And to the ladies that were booked in on Thursday night, I apologise and I *think* I am repeating the class in August.

Photo Editing

Most of my photo editing skills (limited as they are) have been self taught, from simply spending lots of time playing around. If I need to know how to do something specifically, I'll google it.

I have picked up a few tips from blogs such as Ali Edwards. Check out the tutorials here.

Recently I signed up to an online class from Jessica Sprague.  (She writes articles for Creating Keepsakes on digi-stuff.) It was a free class on different effects and I have learnt so much! Here's what I've been playing with.

 

 

 

Cool huh? The techniques I've learned are not for every photo and not for everyone. But I loooove playing around like this!

Here is a link to Jessica's site. Some of the class I might save up to do are Photo Editing: Good-To-Great Work flow (the real basics on photo editing - it would be good to learn from a pro!) and maybe some of the Scrapbook Alchemy classes (for hybrid scrappers).

I love the internet!

Fun With Noodles

I just have to share some recent photos of the little miss. Last week I made us both some two minute noodles for lunch (first time she's had them) and against my better judgement, gave her the bowl of noodles and her own spoon and fork to eat with!

Needless to say, she had a blast! But I'm not sure if she actually ate any noodles . . .

 

 

And she's quite the poser these days! These photos will be coming soon to a scrapbook layout I'm sure.

*My Little Shoebox* Layout

These papers from My Little Shoebox would have to be some of my all time favourites. The colours were just perfect for these photos I had of Amelia looking at herself in the mirror.

 

It's a little bit busier than I normally scrap but I just had to add a little chipboard owl and branch (with glitter of course).

 

The kraft cardstock at the top of the layout was looking a bit bare so i stamped little circles on it which I coloured in to match using plain old colouring pencils.

Want to know a cool tip? The 'circles' were stamped using an 'o' from an alphabet stamp set. I love the effect and I'll have to do it again.

Thanks for looking!

"A true friend . . .

. . . is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked. "

Now that's a great quote! Again, I feel I am lucky to have so many great friends that I've met through scrapbooking.  And I'm luckier still as I received two handmade cards in the one week from a couple of said friends!

 

Aren't they gorgeous cards?!

I love the little stamped owls on a cloud background with that cute 'grass'. Hmm. Must use that idea on a layout soon I think.

 

And I love this one using some of my favourite October Afternoon paper with that cute stamped bird. The bird has just a hint of glitter on its wings too!

 

Ahh. They sit on my desk beside my computer monitor and make me smile every time I look at them.

Thanks Annette and Donna!

Speaking of *My Mind's Eye*

Here's a layout I created using paper and die cut from the Penny Lane collection.

 

Hmmm. Can you tell that I ran out of 'N's and used 'Z's on their sides instead? Glitter, scallops & butterflies. My staple ingredients for a fun layout.

 

A bit of pen outlining here too. So simple but really finishes off a layout.