Back At It

All my scrapbooking stuff has been sitting idle for so long and, while I've missed it and wanted to get back at it, I haven't been quite motivated enough. One of the reasons I enjoyed it so much while we were in Red Dirt Central was because of the group I scrapped with each week. The social side was as much fun as the creative side and it was great to have a few people ( or some weeks more like 20 people) to seek inspiration from, share ideas with and learn new techniques with.

I tried to get into a few scrapbooking groups down here but there was always a but. But... the night they met didn't work for me. But... they weren't very welcoming to newcomers and it wasn't really much fun being there. And so on.

Anyway, I was chatting with one of my neighbours recently and discovered that she had some scrapbooking stuff and wanted to make a start but wasn't really sure what to do next. A brief conversation later and... wa-lah. We have ourselves a scrapbooking session each Tuesday night at my place. A couple of neighbours wander over just after my kids go to bed and we spend the next few hours creating, trading gossip and drinking coffee (or in my case, tea). Altogether, a delightful way to pass a few hours and get some 'work' done at the same time.

Here's last night's effort. The colours didn't come out too well in the photo but they're much brighter and prettier in real life.

World Domination!

The path to world domination starts with one tiny step. My first step towards leading my sweet, innocent daughter to the dark side began today...

I was doing some scrapbooking last night and hadn't finished what I was working on so left everything where it was. I had some time today and sat down to work on the layout when Little Miss popped up and asked one of her favourite questions. "Whatcha doin' Mum?" She then answered it herself, "ahhhh, you're doing scrap-booken' " before moving onto her other favourite question, "Can I help?"

I decided that the time had come for begin her path to enlightenment and gave her a couple of spare photos, some paper, stickers and a glue stick and let her go to it. I think she did a darn fine job for a first-timer. Particularly being as she's 3 and all.

While Hubby's Away...

I'll do some scrapping!

When my nephew saw the door hangers I'd made for my kids he very sweetly asked if I would make one for him. I promptly agreed, and asked if he thought his big sister would like one too, and got busy making them. But... life has a way of intruding and one thing after another got in the way of finishing them. I felt guity, especially when we visited them at the end of October for my niece's birthday and they still weren't done.

Last night I finally finished them and I think they've turned out quite nicely. When asked for colour choices J, aged 5, and C, just turned 7, had requested blue and pink respectively - I hope they'll like them. Now I just have to take them to the post office!

Finished, At Last

I've been unpacking my scrapping stuff and trying to make a permanent spot for it all in the study (Hubby has kindly allowed me a small corner - it's a shame the corner's getting bigger and bigger by the day) and have come across lots of semi-done, half-finished and completely-given- up-on projects. I've been strong and simply turfed some that were never going to turn into something nice and now I'm making an effort to work through some of the projects that need finishing.

I started making some door hangers for the kids a while ago. Okay, ages ago. Okay... about 18 months ago.

Then I got bored.

They weren't turning out how I wanted and I couldn't quite work out how to make them do what I wanted them to so I put them away to have a think about it for a while. It turned out to be a long while.

But now they're done and I think they turned out okay. The kids like 'em and that was, after all, the main aim.

Making Pretties

I had some time to myself last night - Hubby was out and the kids were in bed - and I couldn't resist a little scrapping time. I made a little something for each of the kids and, while these have absolutely no practical use, I love 'em.

Each chipboard (*edited to add, Hubby has informed me it's actually MDF) letter is about 17cm/6.5 inches high and about half an inch wide so they are nice and sturdy, and heavy enough to stand up on their own.

Here they are looking pretty in the dining room but really they're for their bedroom.

Scrapping Overload

My brain has just accepted the fact that all my scrapping supplies are going to be in storage for the next three or so months (don't ask! - if the situation is the same in another week I'll fill you in but I'm really crossing my fingers that it won't be) and has gone into scrap overload.

I finished the double page layout from the Midnight Madness event.

And I made a few cards while watching tv last night. I was watching Love Actually, which I've seen at least 20 times and have on DVD so I already knew when to laugh and when to cry which meant I could pay minimal attention to the tv and still know exactly what was going on LOL.

Some Scrapping At Last

For someone who loves scrapping and has an enormous collection of scrapping materials, my efforts this year have been dismal to say the least. However, I did make it to a Midnight Madness event with some of the local scrappers last night and produced two single layouts along with an almost-finished double layout. I had a great night catching up with everyone and, as it happens, saying goodbye to most of them too.

Here are the two single pages I completed last night.

Gift Making

I'm away for work for a couple of days again next week and knew that I wouldn't be able to fit in a baking session for teacher's gifts. I put on my thinking cap and had a search through some old magazines and came across this cute idea in a Christmas issue of Better Homes and Gardens from a few years ago.

I was pleasantly surprised with how inexpensive these turned out to be. Each gift ended up costing about $7 and I had them all put together in under a couple of hours, even with Offspring #1 helping! To bake a nice bundle of mixed cookies for each of his four teachers (yep, 4!) and put them in something pretty would have taken much longer and ended up costing the same, if not more, so I was pretty pleased. Also I could make these last weekend when I had a little time and then just leave them sitting around till I needed them rather than having to bake myself into a frenzy the night before I needed them.

The little terracotta pots and the ribbon trimming them came from the local craft store, the candles were from a home-wares store and ridiculously cheap, the papers on the candles were from my craft stuff and the "pretty bit" on the front is a very inexpensive Christmas ornament from Kmart. They were all very easy to get hold of which is an absolute necessity here in Red Dirt Central since we have only one craft shop and one home-wares shop so if they don't have it and you can't find it at Coles, Kmart or Woolies then you're out of luck.

Anyway, I was pleased with how they turned out and I'm hoping the teachers will like them too.

Christmas Already?

I went scrapbooking Friday night and started on my Christmas decorations. I make an ornament of some sort every year for each of the kids and this year I decided to try one I had seen on a website somewhere - I can't link to it as I saw the idea a couple of years ago and made a quick note on a scrap of paper without taking down the website. These were very simple and I think they ended up looking really great. They just need a quick coat of fixative/varnish (I'm cheating and using a spray, I think two or three coats should do the trick) and they'll be done.

I like them so much I'm thinking about making a bunch more and selling them at the up-coming Christmas Craft Markets up here. What do you think?

Scrapping, Of Sorts

It seems that Offspring #2 had her birthday ages ago but now that I know the thankyou notes have arrived in faraway places I can post pictures the invitations I made for her birthday party and of the thankyou notes that took me far too long to get to.

The birthday invitation was in the shape of a little purse

And it opened up to divulge the details of the party.

The thankyou cards were very simple but I was happy with how they turned out. Even though we took (literally) hundreds of photos of her during the week of her birthday we didn't end up with one decent picture of #2 smiling, at the camera, without a totally silly face! This was the closest we came to a 'nice' picture and since I was already quite late with the thankyou's I figured that it would have to do.

I've Been A'scrappin'

Again!

I got to do some good scrapbooking sessions last week and managed to get a few pages and projects done. The most important part was that I planned it all out so when it came down to actually doing the pages I knew what I wanted to do and had all the bits at hand - it makes a massive difference to the end product! I have pulled so many pages apart because I didn't plan them properly and then ended up hating them.

I promise I will post some recipes very soon but, in the meantime here are two pages I created for framing.

To Market, To Market

I had the Christmas Craft Market today. After a slow start and a higher cover price than I had been told I was feeling a little disappointed (okay, pretty fed up actually) but I ended up doing quite well. I sold a bunch of star albums, some card packs and all of the Christmas Embellishment Packs that I had made up (on the spur of the moment and at the absolute last minute!). I gave out lots of business cards and might even get a workshop booking out of it.

So, after a frenzied fortnight of making stuff for the market I'm sitting back and relaxing tonight. Then I have to finish the rest of my Christmas cards so I can get them posted out.

The House Needs Some Work!

I didn't get to post last night because Hubby had a meeting for work and I had a friend round to do some scrapping. By the time Hubby headed off, the kids were organised and dishes were done J had arrived and then we scrapped (and chatted, gossiped, laughed and ate chocolate!) until about 11pm. A late night for me! I did try to jump on and blog then but the connection was playing up - again - and I was too tired to fiddle around and get it all working.

I have a craft market coming up at the end of the month so have been busy making items to sell. Yesterday I got 4 star albums finished, a couple with a Christmassy look and a couple of 'pretty' ones, and I got started on an accordian album. I'll post some pics of them a bit later. I only managed to get so much done because #1 was at kindy and #2 had the biggest sleep in the history of... well the history of #2 LOL. The house has been sadly neglected so, in between a play-date and swimming lessons, I really need to do some housework today.

Some Craft Projects

I have been experimenting and trying out a few new scrapbooking/papercraft ideas. I made a tiny little gift bag, it's about 7cm tall (almost 3 inches) so would be perfect for small sized gifts, maybe jewellery and stuff like that.

I also made a cube that opens out to show photos. This was an experimental attempt so it just has a few pics from #2's birthday. I thought I might make one for each of the kids as their Christmas ornament for this year. I usually make something with their photo that can be dated and hung on the tree each year. If I do that I'll put the photos on the outside and maybe some journalling about the year on the inside. Of course, I'd use bright Christmassy colours and ribbons.

Two Christmas Presents Done...

Umpteen more to go!

I have nearly finished the Christmas shopping but am only just starting on the plethora of home-made gifts that need to be created. As we have a three-day drive to reach the festivities this year, gifts from the kitchen have been ruled out and I have instead turned to my hand to crafty pursuits. Unfortunately I suck at craft! Luckily, as you are aware, I have discovered scrapbooking and while modestly prevents me from boasting (nah, not really!) I am better at this than any other crafts I have tried.

I have finished the Christmas presents for the Great-Grandma's. I made them both the same thing - a mini accordian album with photos of the kids. Basically it's card that is cut and folded, and where needed pasted together, to make an accordian fold then thicker cardboard is used for the front and back covers and then you decorate at will (or random, whatever your prefer!).

The Front Covers

I left the insides fairly plain. I used paint and ink to add character to the 'pages' then just a few bits of ribbon and some small bits and pieces but the main decorations are the photos of the kids (or in this case, the great-grandkids).

One of the albums laid out flat

I'm pleased with the finished result and am fairly confident that Mumma and Great-Grandma will be happy with them too.

The album on display (standing up)

I've Been A-Scrappin'

I know I said I'd share more Onslow photos but I went a-scrappin' today and am well pleased with what I made so have to share pics of these instead.

I have made one Star Album previously, from a kit with some pretty dodgy instructions - I have a hard time following written instructions at the best of times but this time I had to get Hubby to read them and decipher what the heck they meant. Since then I have been meaning to go back and have another go - this time making a couple of changes and generally tweaking things a little to make the album easier to make and a little nicer to look at. I didn't have much time to get organised for today's crop session so decided that rather than rush and be unhappy with the finished pages I would revisit the star album project. I got two albums made and am really pleased with the finished products. I am planning to give them away as gifts so they are embellished (for non-scrappers: they have 'bits' - like buttons and ribbon and shiny things - on them to make them look pretty) but have not photos. The recipients can add photos as they wish.

Here are the two albums closed up. The ribbons on the side tie the album closed.

Then when you open it up...ta da! The ribbons tie the album open in a star shape.The blue-green album is for a friend who is having a baby boy in a couple of weeks.

I haven't decided who the Christmas album is for yet. I'm still deciding what other gifts to make and then will make some decisions about what is for who (hmmm... should that be whom?? I know, it's shockingly bad either way LOL!)

I promise - Onslow photos tomorrow.

Scrap, Scrap, Scrappin'

My local arts and crafts group runs scrapbooking sessions (better known as crops) on a monthly basis. We have an all-day crop from 9am to 5pm one Sunday a month and a night crop from 6.30pm till 11.30pm one Friday a month. It's lots of fun - nice to get away from the house and the kids, lovely to chat with other people who enjoy the same hobby and great to get some fresh ideas. I decided that today I would finish off a few bits and pieces from Sunday's crop and get organised for Friday - decide what photos to scrap, choose cardstock, embellishments, etc and generally put it altogether so that on Friday night I can just get on with it. I have learnt my lesson well after turning up to one with lots of equipment but no real idea of what I wanted to do. That lack of planning saw me complete 3 or 4 pages only to come home and pull them apart because they were horrible. After they were re-done they looked much better and I learnt to get myself organised before the event so that I'm not wasting the few hours I get each month.

I'm really pleased with the pages I finished this week, as well as how many I got done. Two double pages and two single pages - I was really on a roll! Here are the two single pages.

Offspring #1 with the bike he received for Christmas (the photos on the page came out a little dark when re-photographed but you get the general idea.)

And Offspring #2 learning the domestic arts LOL!

Question Of The Day: What is your hobby/past-time/favourite way to pass the time