SCRAP ADDICT

Health & Fitness/Weight Loss Update {Zumba Zumba!!}

2012-01-28T23:45:00.001+02:00

Hi girls! Just a quick update for January!!

So far I have lost a total of 2.2kgs - which is almost 5lbs!

I had set a goal of one pound a week (4 a month) so I am

ahead of schedule - woohoo!!

As I'm an exercise phobe I decided to aim low to avoid

disappointment - so glad 'cos now I am delighted!!

I only started exercising 3 weeks ago and I am AMAZED

at how much better I feel - AMAZED...The first 2 weeks

were a struggle and I wanted to give up...but I knew I had

to continue (for health reasons) as I really need to get into

shape.

In such a short space of time I am feeling stronger!

I haven't been following a specific diet plan as yet

(I have a book I am reading about it)

but recorded what I actually ate for a week &

realised there was too much snacking going on!

Now that I am so much more aware of what is

actually going into my body I have cut down a lot.

I am going to an exercise class 3 times a week & have

my daughter's dance teacher swinging by my place on

her way to work the other 2 days, so all in all I am

working up a sweat 5 days a week!

{for the record - I look NOTHING like any of

the ladies in this photo - sob sob...}

Today I tried Zumba for the first time after hearing

so much about it from my friend Mitra,

who is a Zumba fanatic!!

It was THE FUNNEST THING EVER and the fastest

30 minutes of my life. I could have done another class

straight afterwards & I must be one of the least fit people

on the planet!!

I am sure I looked ridiculous/hilarious but there were

some ladies there at least 20 years older than me so

it just goes to show that Zumba appeals to all ages -

I can't wait to go to another class!!

For any of you wanting to get fit/lose weight

I highly recommend it! I was really regretting

signing up for it this morning and wanting to cop out

for fear of me making a fool of myself (!!!) but I am

so glad I forced myself to go.

I haven't been this excited about something new

since I discovered blogging 3 years ago!!

What's your keep-fit regime? I would love to hear about it!!

Studio Sorting & Storage {Time to purge & tidy!}

2012-01-27T18:15:00.000+02:00

I'm sure that most of you are like me & think

more about the state of your studio/scrap room/scrap

space more now than at any other time of year.

I have been following Julie Fei-Fan's blog series

with great interest & enthusiasm & suggest you do

the same if you want a push in the right direction!

You can find Lesson One here, Lesson Two here, and

Lesson Three, then follow on from there.
I subscribe via e mail as I find this the easiest

way to ensure that I don't miss any posts (I'm in my

e mail at least 5 days a week for at least an hour -

it's a chore but I do it...).

I can't stop everything right now & turn my studio

upside down (you know how it always has to look

worse before it can look better) but I am doing some

little things every day to improve & refine my space.

I was interested to see that Julie's studio looks quite

similar to mine in the way that it is laid out
(only hers is bigger).

I felt so much better reading the words "working studio"

as that is what I have, despite my desire for it to be cute

& pretty. I've tried including all sorts of sweet containers,

etc, but it just doesn't work UNLESS you have excess

space or only a few supplies. If you have a lot like me,

you need to make THE BEST POSSIBLE USE OF

SPACE & that can't be done using cutesy stuff.

I realised that about a year ago so now my studio

is very functional but I am not happy with the lack

of cute factor - so I am working on that this year.
I am going to give it a lick of paint soon (apple green!)
and order some uniform (as in all the same) pull-out
chipboard baskets that I am getting custom-made as
at the moment there is a mish-mash of containers/
baskets in there based on whatever fits...

***TIP - If you ever decide to get some "pigeon-hole"
shelves made (as I did) {no IKEA here sadly...) do
NOT make the same mistake I did - make the shelves to
fit the baskets rather than trying to find the baskets to fit
the shelves - 18 months later I've given up and am biting
the bullet and getting them made to measure...***

I'm sure I could find the right size online but I need 24
and the shipping on those babies would be horrendous...

They are going to take forever to make but I'll definitely
show you the before and after of my scrappy shelf makeover.

***DON'T FORGET TO SCROLL BACK A FEW POSTS
FOR MY JANUARY GIVEAWAY ENDING NEXT WEEK!***

Forthcoming Attractions...{aswell as an article on using Pinterest to drive traffic to your blog}

2012-01-26T20:38:00.004+02:00

I have a new layout to share...but not yet!

Sorry!! For now here is a little sneak peek!

Lots of last season's Crate goodies in there...trying

to finish it all off before the new releases reach me.

--------------------------------------------------

While I'm snowed under creating for both my

kit club DTs until the end of the month I thought

I'd share a recent blogpost I did yesterday

(every Wednesday is my blog day) over @

3 Scrappy Boys about How to Drive

Traffic to you Blog using PINTEREST.

I have copied and pasted it here for you too!

---------------------------------------------------

Hi there! Helen here!! I've been absent from the boards for a

few days because we took a roadtrip to another State to celebrate

my uncle's 60th birthday with him, and take lots of photos at the HIPPY party!!

I haven't been 100% well lately so the other day I was browsing PINTEREST

on my laptop from my bed. As I was re-arranging my boards I had a

light-bulb moment!!

Before I continue let me explain what PINTEREST is...

It's a site where you register (by invitation only so if anyone

would like an invitation please leave a comment here with your e mail

address and I will invite you). Once registered you create virtual

pin-boards which you use to keep track of images AND the short-cut

to them - for example if you look here you will see all the different

categories I have to keep track of all the things that interest me...

Altogether I have 37 boards and I am NOT an avid Pinterest user.

It's basically it's own little social network as you can follow other

people, they can follow you, and you can "repin" from each other

aswell as "like" their pins. The most vital part of the process is

that you drag the PIN IT button to your bookmarks bar so that

you are able to pin ANYTHING from ANYWHERE just by clicking

that, selecting the image, then selecting the board you want it on.

So simple!! Now back to my brainwave! I realised that I might

find myself a few new blog followers by starting up a new board

entitled "2012 PAGES Helen Tilbury" and adding all my scrapbooking

pages as and when I do them, directly off my blog once they are

posted, so that when people click on the images they will be

taken straight back to my blog! I don't know why I didn't

think of this before but I got TEN REPINS IN MINUTES!!

It's also great as a yearly gallery - where to find all your work

IN ONE PLACE and where you can link to from your blog sidebar,

etc, so that other's can see an overview of your work all in

one place - where storage is free!! I hope you try it out!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Do you use Pinterest? Have you ever thought of using it this way??

Nearly Friday!! Hope you get to do what you LOVE ♥♥♥ this weekend!!

3 Scrappy Boys has a HUGE SALE on and I have a GIVEAWAY too!

2012-01-26T01:37:00.001+02:00

Hi girls :) Had a good day today after my venting post {LOL!} -

I think I may just be "on the mend!" At least you know now

that I am human after all and not just a scrapping machine...

and disappointment is something I face regularly and cope

with fine - it's just been far TOO regularly these last few weeks!!

SO I'm here to let you know that 3 Scrappy Boys {The American

kit club I design for} has an absolutely HUGE pre-CHA sale on

right now & to urge you to head on over and take a look for

yourself! Internationals - this is THE place to shop! Lots of

selection and actual postage rates charged.

Next up is my January giveaway.

Last year I had a monthly giveaway on my blog and I've decided

to carry on the tradition this year!

So all you need to do is BE a follower or BECOME A FOLLOWER!

And leave me a comment right here, on this post telling me

what you are most looking forward to purchasing after CHA

(in other words what has caught your eye in the new releases)

I've just finished a layout -

{that I can only share with you on Monday}

and I have received 2 boxes of kit stuff to create with by the

end of Tuesday (31st) for the 2 kit clubs I work for - so I will

be BURIED UNDER PAPER until the end of the month...

Thank You! And some hometruths about Design Team Calls in the Scrapbooking Industry

2012-01-25T13:57:00.001+02:00

Wow I was completely overwhelmed by all the lovely and

really caring comments I got on my last post! To be honest,

when I put out a post like that, I feel exposed. It's usually

late at night and I toss and turn, thinking I should get up

and retrieve it {then I think, darn, it's in everyone's readers by

now anyway LOL!) All your love made me realise that while I

may not be good enough for some, I am good enough for

you, and, weird as it is for me to believe at times, I actually

do inspire people!

So I'm going to try to get through this and keep on going..

The problem is there are other things going on in my personal

life right now that are making it difficult for me to concentrate

a huge amount of energy on my papercrafting efforts, and that

makes me feel bad, but that's life...people get sick, people get

divorced, friends disappoint you, people betray you, blah blah...

Yes it sounds bleak but I truly am having to deal with all

those things at the moment and I'll do my best not to burden

you with them all. This blog is meant to be my personal

place of escape so I'm going to do my best to keep it that

way and I'm hoping that soon I'll have some artsy work to

share with you here :)

Yesterday I found a great article on Disappointment here

which I am making my way through {it has 4 parts} BUT

I also think that some of my "crafty" disappointment is

justified because I think a lack of thought is also to

blame on behalf of the challenge blogs/manufacturers/

kit clubs etc that practically all of us apply to regularly.

(I feel brave enough to say that here now as I've had

a number of e mail chats about this since my last

post and know that a lot of you feel the same way).

I realise it's a touchy subject and I'm not trying in any

way to be rude or disrespectful. I just think that

whoever is holding a Design Team call should send

out an e mail to ALL APPLICANTS who didn't

make the team - despite how busy they may be -

as it makes perfect marketing sense. How to keep

your customers as opposed to risk losing them

through lack of thought. It also softens the blow

A LOT!! Not "making it" is not as much of the

problem as feeling disregarded - to me that

is a lot more difficult to handle.

Imaginarium Designs is a company full of integrity

and good manners - and I know they had a huge

international response to their call, yet they typed

out a little letter, popped it in an envelope and sent

it out TO EVERYONE who didn't make it along

with some chipboard! How awesome is that?!?

International postage paid! Now I don't feel like

all my free advertising (when I personally endorse

a product because I genuinely love it) is for nought.

I'm not in this for the money, but a little bit of love

sent in my direction goes a long, long way!!

Another thought is that companies should BE HONEST

and just say "no international applicants please" instead

of pulling the wool over our eyes by not saying it and then

selecting a large team of 100% Americans - I do object to

wasting my precious time. It's every companies prerogative

if they want the American market only or the whole world

BUT please just say so so that I don't go through the

motions for nothing!! So there you have it - my 100%

unsolicited opinion on Design Team call etiquette!!

I haven't applied for a job in decades - for many years

I have freelanced for my husband's company so got

to forego the interview LOL...but...I wonder...what is

the procedure these days? If you apply for the job and

submit an up-to-date CV, together with fresh samples

of your best work, do you ever hear from the company

again or do you just eventually conclude, weeks later,

that they didn't pick you? Food for thought isn't it?!

Disappointed...

2012-01-24T01:17:00.001+02:00

I'm sure that's not what you were hoping to hear so

I'm so sorry to be taking up your inbox or reader

space with such negativity, but a blog is a blog and

there's an unwritten rule about being truthful on it isn't there?!

Yes I've just been to Gauteng for the weekend for my

uncle's 60th "Birthday Bash" and that was fun - photos to

follow shortly...so that's not the problem, I just haven't

enjoyed this year *to date*.

When I was away in the Drakensberg I had great plans for

2012. Firstly I wasn't expecting one of our good friends

to have a heart-attack and go from bad to worse...Nor

was I expecting to feel as disorganised and out of control

as I do right now. My 2 weeks away was desperately

needed but I haven't come up for air since I returned and

quite frankly I'm getting tired of it already (before January

is out!! Oooh dear...not a good sign!!)

I have had to spend some time with my attentions

elsewhere this year - on some simple house projects that

have been disastrous (as is usually the case in this Province

which is why I've been loathe to take them on before).

There is a lack of skilled artisans in Durban and it shows...

And on a weight-loss/exercise program that is simple

and elementary (for "normal" people perhaps) but for

me it's an uphill climb and I'm less than a month in!!

I am (only just) up to date on my Design Team work

but seem to be scraping my deadlines by the skin

of my teeth, and I hate that, but that's how it's working

out ALL THE TIME at the moment - which makes

me an unhappy chickie :(

So I am chasing my tail, still trying to get up to

date with my e mails and blog reading from

when we were away a month ago, and not having

the time to swoon over all the CHA sneaks around,

and I just feel BEHIND.

I think I'd feel better if there was a little more

reward for all my hard work but I haven't had a

very illustrious scrappy year so far, with a number of

disappointments,and no matter how hard you try, that's

ultimately corrosive. It's disheartening. Cumulatively

disappointing...That's the truth...It's hard to keep going when

you wonder if you are getting anywhere fast...

So the thing is...

2012-01-21T04:45:00.001+02:00

I probably haven't replied to your e mail and/or commented on

your blog this week - sorry! I've been fighting sickness all

week & hubs has been away on business so it's just been me &

4 wonderfully exhausting and exasperating children,

a bladder infection and an ongoing power {electricity}

problem thanks to my bright idea (pardon the pun) to wrap

18metres of LED rope lights around the palm tree by our pool.

The electrician succeeded in breaking the lights & defacing

the palm tree, and now instead of enjoying it's beauty in

LED display each night we are experiencing regular power

outages instead...not exactly what I had in mind.

The cherry on the top is a problem with my e mail so I've been

unable to access my inbox for the best part of 3 days

(if you haven't heard from me hang in there...)

HopefullyI can get it repaired next week.

Today I am busy busy preparing for my uncle's 60th birthday

party where I will also be the official photographer too -

it's a '60's themed Fancy Dress party - so I should have

some hilarious photos to share with you all next week!

Until then...

and HAPPY WEEKEND!!

Always REMEMBER your sense of Fun and Adventure! {Bird is the Word REMEMBER - Webster's Pages}

2012-01-19T10:41:00.000+02:00

So there's a new word up at Bird is the Word

this week too! It's REMEMBER - so remember

that okay?!? LOL!!! So you can see that I did

a really simple layout here but that photo was just

SO FABULOUS and I can say that without boasting

as it was all Cami's idea!! She told me she wanted to

pose just like the gnome {the little guy she called him!!}

so it's all thanks to her - sweet thing!

Have you seen that you can now get to GUEST DESIGN

at Bird is the Word too? Things just keep getting better there!

So hope you play along - it's so easy - just use REMEMBER

aaaaanywhere on your layout and you're in with a chance!!

Did I mention that I am ABSOLUTELY CRAZY about my

new 50mm lens?!? Oh wow - there is NOTHING like it -

it's a must - A MUST (a very expensive must but a must

nonetheless...now listen, I waited YEARS for it so don't

get all jealous on me now okay?!?)

{In case you are wondering why you've never seen this

paper at Webster's before it's because I made it using
the border stickers from a 12" sticker sheet from a
few seasons ago - the stripey border around the very
outside edge and the brown bracket shaped border too
- I think they've discontinued these with their latest lines}

Supplies List for "Always Remember Your

Sense of Fun and Adventure" Layout

Backing Paper and 12inch stickers - Webster's Pages
Pink print - Sweet Season - Sprinkles - Webster's Pages
12" cardstock die-cut stickers - Magical Wishes - Webster's Pages

Spotted Backing Paper - Postcards from Paris -
Tres Magnifique B-side -Webster's Pages
Bouquet - Webster's Pages
Alphas - "Storytellers" - Garden Gala - Webster's Pages
Word die-cut - We R Memory Keepers
Pink Bling Swirl (cut-up) - Prima

The Color Room/Creative Scrappers "Spot Camera - Will Pose" Layout {Glitz Design/Prima/Petaloo}

2012-01-17T23:59:00.001+02:00

I played along at The Color Room this week &

combined the palette with the Sketch 191 over at

Creative Scrappers.

I created this in 1.5 hours - half the time it

takes me on average, to complete a layout.

I was in a very bad mood !! so had a "couldn't care less"

attitude so literally chucked everything on, spread paint

with my fingers, etc...and it all came together SO EASILY.

Probably because I wasn't stressing at all about how the

finished product would look! Has made me realise that

perhaps I need to loosen up a bit in future...

I started by using the Prima felt gate as a mask and

misting over it with a deep red, then added some

spritzes of green & a bit of white then cut up the

Prima felt gate & placed it beneath all my other layers.

I selected what I wanted to go beneath the photo & got

everything adhered one beneath the other using double-

sided tape on the back of the photo, getting the Glitz cards

in position then flicking over the photo so they would

stick to it & continuing like that as I built the layers.

Supplies List for "Spot Camera - Will Pose" Layout

Backing Paper - Glitz Design - Beautiful Dreamer - Stripe

Prima Felt Gate {used firstly as a mask & then cut up & adhered}

Mists - Maya Road "Raspberry Pink", Studio Calico

Mister Huey's" Clover & Calico White

Printed cards - Glitz Design "Beautiful Dreamer" die-cuts

Pink Text Paper - Girl's Paperie

Green cardstock - American Crafts

Transparency - Hambly Studios

Black trellis stickers, doily, feather & chandelier gem - stash

Flower Vines - Petaloo - Cantebury Collection

{Magnolia & Berries Branch}

Alphas - Prima

Journaling pen - Shachihata

Seasons in the Sun Layout {Once Upon a Sketch}

2012-01-16T18:00:00.000+02:00

Yay! It's time for a new reveal at Once Upon a Sketch

so head on over and take a look at the LOVERLY LAYOUTS

BY ALL THE LOVERLY LADIES OVER THERE...

January 15th

Journalling Criteria:

HELLO 2012 or GOODBYE 2011?

For this challenge, the journalling theme is new beginnings,

upcoming adventures but also saying goodbye to yet

another year.. Are you glad 2011 is over? Are you

looking forward to starting fresh in 2012? What are

your goals or resolutions for the year ahead?

What are you most looking forward to?

Things that you can journal about: a new job, house,

baby or new scrapping adventures or Design Teams.

Are you taking time off work? Are you planning a holiday

somewhere? Maybe your children are starting school or you

are getting a new pet. Or you could tell us why you are glad

2011 is over or why you will miss it. Anything goes really!

Remember that you are allowed to also create a card

or altered project based on this sketch and instead

of the journaling criteria you need to use a quote.

You must combine our journalling criteria/theme with this sketch.

Drop Beats Not Bombs {Sketchabilities} Glitz Design Vintage Blue

2012-01-15T18:00:00.003+02:00

Today is the 15th of the month - which means a new

reveal at Sketchabilities - along with another beautiful

sketch by Karan. I never announced it here as it

happened during "crazy month" {aka December} but I

applied AGAIN for Sketchabilities {as the Design Team terms

there are only 3 months} & I was accepted for another term.

I will be with them until the end of March, when I will have

to move on as I am not allowed to stay on for longer than

6 months. Sketchabilities is the 4th sketch site Design Team

I've been on & it won't be the last - I already have my

sights set for when I finish up there... {wink wink!}

On the 15th and 30th of every month a new sketch goes up.

You create your layout & link up to the Sketchabilities blog

using a Mr. Linky tool. There are no prizes involved although

you do get a bloggy visit from some DT members :) and

the top 5 layouts are featured in our header each fortnight.

Sketches are a great way to grow so I look at them like the

basics (like math at school) - one of those things that can be

quite fun when you master it - and of course you can use the

sketch to inspire the composition of a layout you are entering

in another challenge, for example a colour challenge,

and combine the two.

I misted my paper with white mist ♥♥♥ over a

chicken wire stencil then added another layer

of electric blue mist over some Basic Grey

floral lace paper (remember those from a few

seasons ago?} then used another stencil to add

the purple diamonds (I mixed the paint with

modelling paste to create the texture}.

Once I had prepared my base I added the photos of my son

& interpreted the scrolls on the sketch by using these scrolls

from Imaginarium Designs, which I painted in pink then

dry-brushed over with white. I cut each of them up into

about 4 pieces each & added a few embellishments from

my December 2011 Little Black Dress kit.

I added this diecut that says "Sometimes I've believed as

many as six impossible things before breakfast" because this

boy has a wild imagination and comes out with the craziest

ideas! I named my layout after the slogan on his T-shirt,

which we bought him for Christmas - he loves funky fashion!

I jazzed up the alphas with some purple,

pink and white paint & a couple of brads!

I remember when I bought my first mists it was

very tentative... I've built up quite a collection since then

& really hope the trend is set to last - not only 'cos I

own so many mists but because I truly love the

creative fix I get from playing with them!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Supplies List for "Drop Beats Not Bombs" Layout

Printed Paper - Glitz Design "Vintage Blue" Polka

Mists - Studio Calico "Mister Huey's" - Calico White

Maya Road - Popsicle Blue

Templates - Crafter's Workshop "Chicken Wire"

Pink Paislee {harlequin} & Basic Grey {floral lace paper}

Modeling Paste - Reeves

Purple and Pink Paint - Making Memories

Gesso - Paper Plus

Chipboard Flourishes - Imaginarium Designs

Die-cuts - Glitz Design "Vintage Blue"

Alphas - Thickers "Sunrise" American Crafts

White Gel Pen - American Crafts

Sparklers - Webster's Pages

Swallow embellishment - Little Black Dress Kit Club

December Holidays Layout {Sketch Inspirations} Echo Park "Season's Greetings"

2012-01-14T17:03:00.001+02:00

Ooooh Blogger!!!

Up to it's little tricks again...

I don't usually start a post with an image but Blogger

won't have it any other way today! I e mailed my images

here as per usual and now it won't let me cut the top one

out to create some space at the top for text as I normally

do so sorry 'bout that!

Rushed off my feet now as this is due in today and

IT'S BEEN A BAD WEEK! It started out with good

potential but turned into a bit of a nightmare...which included

no electricity on and off for days (and still not sorted)

and a broken printer that took 4 hours for me to fix myself,

so now I have a VERY tight deadline to meet so won't be

commenting until I have that out of the way....aaaaanyway...

Thanks for all your enquiries about our friend that had

the heart attack - bad news unfortunately - he has now had

a massive stroke, so yup! It's going from bad to worse

around here...One snippet of positivity tho" - I've lost a kg -

woohoo!! (Can hardly move but that's another matter...)

Above is my backing paper & the treatment I gave it before

I added my photos and embellishments. I misted using an

old sheet of Basic Grey lace paper as a mask then used it

as a stencil again to paint over with some "Olde Gold" and

lastly some modelling paste...looks a bit snowy (something

I've never seen...but a girl can always dream eh?!)

This is based on Sketch 302 at Sketch Inspirations

where there is a lovely kit up for grabs this week

but hurry, hurry as the deadline is today - lucky for

some of us out of the States that makes us about 6

hours ahead so there is still time for a lot of you!

I like the challenge of a multi-photo sketch at times &

have a lot of lovely Christmas photos to scrap!

I used the Echo Park "Season's Greetings" line that was sent

to me in error - I never buy "Holiday/Winter" lines as they are

totally unsuitable to our climate here in South Africa

but these were less Wintery looking so more usable for me.

Supplies List for "December Holiday" Layout

Backing Paper - Echo Park "Season's Greetings" - Borders

Sentiments from Echo Park "Season's Greetings" Journaling Cards

Mist - Raspberry Pink - Maya Road

Old Gold Paint - Jo Sonja's

Mask - Basic Grey Lace Paper

Modelling Paste - Reeves

Bling flourish (cut up) Zva Creative

Blooms & Leaves- Petaloo

Chipboard Die-cuts - Eho Park "Season's greetings"

Journaling Pen - Creative Memories

The Color Room 92 - Creative Scrappers 190 - Challenge Me Happy Challenge 14 {Love You Layout}

2012-01-12T02:18:00.001+02:00

It's 2 a.m here & I've just finished this layout &

photographed it at night. Not the way I prefer to do it

but I didn't want to delay getting it uploaded to The

Color Room on time. I'll take some daylight shots soon &

if they look a whole lot better I may swap them over.

We've been busy this week with school starting aswell as

workmen all over the property installing lights around our pool

area & uplighters in our garden (including wrapping one of

our Palms with an 18m string of rope lights - looks AMAZING

- photos to follow SOON - our Christmas gift to ourselves!)

I used the romantic palette from The Color Room #92,

together with the latest sketch from Creative Scrappers (#190)

& the Inspiration Photo from Challenge Me Happy

(Challenge 14 - Scraplifting Trina McClune) as I thought

they all went together perfectly!

Challenge Me Happy Challenge 14 - Scraplifting

(Layout below by Trina McClune)

(You still have a few days left to play along)

With the lovely bright photo I chose the "Eggplant/aubergine"

as my base with the Custard Cream around the photo,

bringing in the eggplant & rustic rose through stamping.

I layered up a few Glitz Design Vintage Blue elements

with some Prima flowers & Evalicious badges, my

focal point being a stunning bookpaper concertina

flower sent to me by my sweet friend Mitra from NY.

I punched and inked the border before stamping in the Eggplant &

Rustic Rose. I cut the heart out of a die-cut card from Glitz

Design & raised up both die-cuts for some extra dimension.

I chose the title "Love You" as I wanted to keep things simple

& the Evalicious badge is just so lovely it was quite sufficient

along with the date. I have lots of photos of Chelsea & her

boyfriend Cameron so there'll be plenty of opportunities to

journal on other pages in the future.

Supplies List for "Love You" Layout

Base Paper - Crate Paper "Prudence Collection" - Virtue

Cream Paper - Glitz Design "Vintage Blue"

Glitz Design "Vintage Blue" Floral (blue)

Music sheet paper -Authentique - Collection - "Awe"

Stamp - Glitz Design Flourish

Ink - Cranberry by "Ink it Up!" & Purple (Pretty Color)

Die-cuts - Glitz Design "Vintage Blue"

Flowers - Prima - Coventry Rose "Romantique"

Badges - Evalicious

Ribbon - stash

Alphas - Glitz Design - Teen Alpha - Pearl

My 2012 Exercise Goals

2012-01-10T23:59:00.030+02:00

I wish I had something creative to share - the truth is I

created a layout a day every day last week but the earliest
I can share one of those is Sunday, as they are all
Design Team pages.

That's me from too many year looking at a computer screen.

Okay you need to use your imagination a bit - firstly change

the man into a woman and the TV into a computer & then

you'll see it! So this year I've decided to try to change the

image a little. I'm aiming low to avoid disappointment.

Me and "Diet & Exercise" don't go well together!

Rather than calling my new lifestyle a set of "resolutions"

I'm thinking of it rather as my "2012 Diet & Exercise Goals"

I've joined a slimming club, an exercise class 3 times a

week and have my daughter's dance teacher visiting

me on the other 2 mornings to give me some private

"tuition" LOL...surely that's got to do something, right?...

I have a crazy scale that has already told me 4 different
weights this year so far - varying both up and down by 3kg's -
so you can see what I am up against here! Today I
bought a bench - one of the one's you sit/lie on and lift
weights - well I could hardly lift the bar - with nothing
on it... So all in all this should be interesting and
entertaining at the very least. Wish me luck!

I have PCOS, Insulin Resistance, and suffer pain from an
old injury whenever I overexert myself (which in my case
means scrapbooking for too long - as I scrap standing up -
not running a marathon!). I haven't set myself a tangible
target - except to keep at it and see the numbers on the
scale reducing.
If that happens slowly but surely I'll be happy!

I can't say that I am looking forward to my 2012
Diet & Exercise Journey - I'd rather not have to bother
with it & I resent the time it takes but I'm doing it because
it has to be done & because I'd like to be able to be included
in the family scrapbooks I dedicate so much of my time
to making. I have no intention of boring you all with
all the details but I will keep you posted by updating here
every few weeks. It's going to be a long journey but
I'm sticking with that old Chinese saying
"The journey of 1 000 miles begins with a single step"

Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu Chinese philosopher

(604 BC - 531 BC)

January Week 1 Review - New Year's Resolutions {2012 Life so Far...}

2012-01-09T23:54:00.003+02:00

Truthfully I'm not a great fan of Christmas. I've never

experienced a white Christmas and the Christmas season in

Africa is hot and not much different from the rest of the

year. As a Christian I'm a believer in celebrating Jesus'

birthday but in Durban Christmas time is an unpleasant

materialistic bun-fight and the last 2 weeks of

December here are REVOLTING.

The shopping malls are filled beyond capacity, the stores

are groaning under the weight of far too much stock and

every eaterie in town has a queue outside it. The roads

are jammed with nose to tail traffic - the inlanders

love flooding to the coast for a couple of weeks.

The answer? Head inland of course!

This year we finally got it right. We worked our

fingers to the bone until the end of Friday 16th.

We wound things up as best we could for the

year then packed up a 7 foot trailer full of golf

clubs, tennis racquets, board games and

FOOD (no scrappy stuff allowed!) and set

off for a couple weeks break. Perfecto!!

No internet or mobile phone signal, no distractions,

no friends or relatives, just each other's 5 favourite

people. As soon as we were unpacked and settled

in all stresses melted away and for 10 days hardly a

thought went through my head! I was amazed at how

the peace and quiet - slower way of life -nourished

my weary soul back to good health in such a short

period of time.

I just LIVED - IN THE MOMENT - without

concerning myself with anything more than what to

defrost for dinner :). After 10 days of sleeping,

eating and playing my mind returned, razor sharp and

I had what seemed like a "gazillion" brain-waves. All

sorts of ways I could improve my life, fit in more,

prioritise, let go, etc, etc. It was really inspiring!

I've written pages and pages of lists detailing

what I would like to implement in 2012 and

intend documenting them here in categories.

I always make far too many resolutions but rather too

many than too few I say!! New Year's Resolutions are

great and I'm a firm believer in them (resolutions of all

types - at any time of the year actually) - but one thing

that resolutions do not take into account are curved balls,

the one's life throws at you, and we have had a few of

those already! A good friend had a heart attack on New

Year's Eve & is currently in the Intensive Care Unit of

one of our local hospitals.

Today he had a massive stroke. Who knows what tomorrow

holds for him? Changing your ways (and hence your life)

is a wonderful concept but don't forget to live your life too.

After a busy day today I spent an hour in the pool chatting

to my family over half a glass of red wine. Because life is

short and the whole point of resolutions should be to

make more time for what really counts.

Have you heard of "Me on the Web"?

2012-01-09T03:13:00.001+02:00

It's a sub-section of your Google Account (just google it

to get there or log into your Google account to see...)

There are some boxes to check which enable e mail

notifications to be sent to you immediately if anyone,

anywhere around the world, mentions you on the

world wide web aka the internet! Amazing huh?!

You can find it under the dashboard of your google

account, under "set up search alerts for your data"

under the "Me on the Web" section. I had no idea

about this until recently, when I mentioned someone's

name in a post & they came over & left a comment.

I was pretty sure they didn't read my blog & I went to

check their comments to see if one of my readers had

popped in there & mentioned my name. Nope. It

perplexed for 48 hours until it dawned on me that there

must be a way of getting notified if your name gets typed

in a blog post, etc. I looked into it (aka I googled "Is there

a way of receiving notification if your name is mentioned

on the web" & my question was answered!

Miraculous!! Amazing!!! Handy!!!!

Google is so cool...

Enabling this feature means that you will be aware

of your online public image 24/7 - not that I expect

that anyone will write about me but nonetheless I

have checked all the boxes just in case LOL!!

My 2012 Scrapbooking Style and How I got here...{ a philisophical look at my scrapbooking journey!}

2012-01-07T23:57:00.001+02:00

***Happily skip this post if you're not a great reader!***
{or particularly interested in dissecting & defining
scrapbooking styles!} I just need to record it here
for those dreaded times when I'm asked
"What's your Scrapbooking Style" - that question
never fails to get me tongue-tied so now I can add
this link to my resume & I'm done...for 2012 at least :)

When I first started scrapbooking 8 years ago I was

all about embellishments - CRAZY about them!! I

was "taught" to scrapbook at a very old school

establishment in Harare, Zimbabwe and it was the

same routine week after week - pick a printed paper

for the background, 2 plain cardstocks to "mat and

mount" (double-mat) - position your photos, add a

title {I had to discover journaling for myself and that

took a few years LOL...really :I} then we could

"have a little play" by adding a few goodies - oh joy!

Anyone who knows the history of Zimbabwe circa 2003

will know that anything and everything cost an arm, a leg and

one other body part in those days so embellishments were

viewed as "a forbidden treat" - maybe that's why I developed

such a fascination for them! Anyway, the point is, I moved to
South Africa,at the beginning of 2006 - 6 years ago - things were
a lot cheaper by comparison by comparison (although still at
least double the price of the States) so I got to indulge in my
embellishment love ♥ with a clearer conscience and LOVED
blinging up my pages!!

I love looking back at my work and seeing how my "caveman
scrapping" has developed since I left the cave (aka Zimbabwe) at
the end of 2005. I didn't make a lot of headway style-wise in
the early years as I only got online and discovered blogs and
blogging in 2008. Prior to that I had little idea of what was
going on in the rest of the world and what scrapbooking was
beyond what I had been shown.

Without the internet I was stabbing around in the dark

world of double-pagers, cramming in as many photos as

was humanly possible along with some very dubious design

principles involving some seriously OTT over-embellishing,

and ending up with some very old-school "heavy" pages,

under some rather misguided tutors. My own scrappy

"voice" was still crying out in the darkness and I was

unable to find my true direction, all I knew was
"there had to be a better way!".

Come 2009 I canned the idea of "learning from 'the

experts' " and started doing things my way - learning

online, soaking up so many different styles and influences

- it meant I was all over the place but 2009 and 2010

were hugely experimental years for me.

Come 2011 and I could finally put a decent page

together following some tasteful design principles,

favouring the "clean and simple" American approach

with a touch of the free "Aussie Style" - absolutely

mesmerized and captivated by the South East Asian

style of the Phillipines, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan,

the countries that in my opinion are residence to some

of the most outstanding scrapbookers in the world.
(Beautiful layering yet so modern & not overly shabby).

In the last few years I've learnt how to control myself

{okay I do come a bit unstuck around Prima Flowers!}

but roll on 2012 and I am wanting to pare down further...

{Verb: pare down Decrease gradually or bit by bit - pare

Derived forms: pared down, paring down, pares down

Type of: decrease, lessen, minify}. In other words
not overdo the 3D stuff, rather build up my pages
using mixed media layers as this not only looks
good but is such therapeutic fun & I love the arty vibe.
I don't have time to become an art-journaler as well,
or make mixed-media canvases, so this way I
can have my cake & eat it too :)

I'm finding myself questioning everything I consider for my

pages - but I don't think of them as "minimalist"- in fact I

can't imagine ever being a true minimalist at all, I think it's

more a case of 2012 being a defining year for me at last and

one where I find the right balance, which is pretty amazing

seeing as the word I had pre-chosen for 2012

{my One Little Word}was BALANCE.

I was referring to my life in general but now I've realised

that my word actually refers to my scrapbooking style too!

I realise that this shifting may not win me any awards - so

many of the "revered" scrapbookers of today do the most

beautifully intricate work - and believe me I love to look
at such pages but my style is becoming simpler as
I'm evolving as an artist & that's just a natural
progression.

As scrapbooking is such an artistic and personal

experience I need to follow my gut - even if it means

missing out on some opportunities that call for a different

style - I hope it will open other doors for different

opportunities & I hope that FINALLY I'll find my
perfect "scrapbooking style fit"! I hate the never
ending dilemma of having to "Define my style"
but hopefully I'm developing more of a
signature look now that I have a better idea
of what I do and don't like for my pages.

Creative Scrappers 189/The Color Room 91 - Our Little Early Bird Layout {Basic Grey Picadilly}

2012-01-06T01:04:00.008+02:00

Hi there! I had a little play this evening using

Sketch 189 from Creative Scrappers and last

week's palette over at The Color Room {#91).

Any sketch featuring a nice big single photo works for me!

Lovely fresh palette there too!!

I cut my paper down a bit first & adhered it to a

piece of dark brown cardstock to stop it warping

as I knew I wanted to add some mixed media

layers to it first.

I inked the edges in red, stamped the grid pattern

in orange, misted the circles with red & splattered the

blue paint on before stamping onto the paper with blue

paint & gesso {I used the plastic bag I'd mixed the

blue paint on and stamped using that for a messy effect}.

If you dream of getting brave with mixed media these

are the girls to follow. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Ronda

Pallazzari & Christy Tomlinson {to name a few}.

These type of effects are easy, really fun to do &

always look impressive too!

I like starting a layout with stamping, misting &

painting as it immediately adds depth & interest.

Supplies List for "Our Little Early Bird Layout"

Cardstock - American Crafts

Paper - Basic Grey - Picadilly -

Farm Fresh Eggs & Home Sweet Home

Stickers - Basic Grey Picadilly

Alphas - Basic Grey Picadilly

Doily - Etsy

Staples and Paint - Making Memories

Mist - Maya Road - Dragon Fruit

Stencil - Studio Calico

Gesso - Paper Plus

Stamp - Prima Grid

Ink pads - Orange & red - Memento

Wooden Doily - Maya Road

Vinyl Cog - Purple Pumpkin

Bling - Kaisercraft

Feathers & tiny roses - stash

Scrapbook Kits with a Difference -January Sketch {"Beautiful" Layout}

2012-01-05T00:43:00.003+02:00

There's a very interesting new sketch up on the

Scrapbook Kits with a Difference blog. Play along with

it this month & you'll have a chance to win a Scrapbook

Kit if your project is chosen as the winner!
There is also a very Summery Inspiration Challenge
going on too so take your pick, play along & link up!!

I didn't translate this sketch too literally but ran with

the idea of the background strips of different lengths

by positioning a central panel of Webster's Pages

Vintage Netting - adhered using Pink Paislee Washi tape -

then added another couple of strips of tape on either side,

tearing it instead of cutting it straight, for a more artsy look.

Lastly I misted some braid (which was very wide so
I first cut it in half), before stapling it on, then I
amalgamated the 3 photos into 2, repositioned the title
vertically then embellished & journaled inversely but the
sketch is still there! Yes?!

I ♥ those Flocked Chipboard words from
We R Memory Keepers!

The paper is also WRMK and comes with the
gorgeous punched edge!!

I ♥ the tulle from Webster's! For as long as they
keep producing I'll keep putting it in my cart...

I need more washi tape! I ♥ the stuff...

Those gorgeous white paper flowers are from Martha Stewart
Crafts & soooo pretty...

I had fun with this one & it fell together in a flash!

Supplies List for "Beautiful" Layout

Cardstock - American Crafts

Scalloped Paper - We R Memory Keepers -
Tres Elegant "Fancy"

Tulle - Webster's Pages Vintage Netting

Lace & bling swirls- Prima

Mists - Tattered Angels

Staples - Making Memories

Paper Flowers - Martha Stewart Crafts

Washi Tape - Pink Paislee

Journaling Pen - Pilot - Hightechpoint

My One Little Word for 2012 - why I chose it - and a quick recap of 2011

2012-01-04T13:05:00.000+02:00

I've thought excessively about 2012 and the direction I want
it to take. I do realise of course that it's not ALL up to me
and that life happens and God determines my path...
Still - I think to get anywhere it helps to have a map :)
I've chosen BALANCE as my One Little Word.
I have a lot of subsidiary words too!!

My word for 2011 was FOCUS. I did so well on that that I
changed it towards the end of the year to PRIORITIZE.

That one also went very well and I got a lot achieved.

The downside was that by the end of the year I was
exhausted. In fact by the end of October I was exhausted.
Nonetheless I was amazed that I continued to "operate" -
but that's what I did...operate, not LIVE, and it wasn't
enjoyable without the sleep I needed nor was it a great
example to my kids or fair on my husband, let alone myself.

I love all that I do and wish I could do more - more of
everything - it's frustrating that there are only so many hours
in the day but I know I must be grateful for all the
possibilities that are open to me in this modern age & temper
my ambitions to fit my responsibilites. I need to cut down my
studio hours so that other areas in my life don't suffer as a result.

Hence the word BALANCE. A place for everything & everything
in it's place (on my schedule that is...) so I've got quite a few
sub-sections this year - my "subsidiary words" are ENCOMPASS,
ORGANISED, EFFICIENT, SELF-DISCIPLINE, PRIORITIZE,
OVERCOME and LIVE.

This blog has been an integral part of my life for over 3 years
now & I have my reasons for why I really wanted it to be a
success. Anyone can say they have a blog but not necessarily
an active blog with an active readership, that not only looks
good but is also worth the time and effort that goes into
maintaining it...It's taken me 3 years to get that & it makes
me deeply satisfied to finally have got to this point.

I've had some disappointments with it along the way, the fact
that none of my family (not the ones in my house but the rest)
have ever visited this blog or even paid one iota of interest has
been a bitter pill to swallow...But I've succeeded even without
their interest and support and am so happy and grateful that
there are actually people in the world who want to follow my
blog and take the time to comment too. I started 2011 with
36 followers and ended it with 182 so I can confidently say
that 2011 was finally my scrappy/bloggy year of achievement.

Thank you all for coming along for the ride :)

Bird is the Word has a new challenge up! The word is PROMISE {Promise Little and Do Much Layout}

2012-01-03T00:40:00.001+02:00

Just a quick one today to share my latest Design Team creation

for the current challenge at Bird is the Word here. Take a look

at the versatile Design Team creations and see for yourself just

HOW EASY it is to play along with these challenges - as ALL

YOU HAVE TO DO is use the current word - PROMISE -

anywhere on your layout (in other words within your title or

journaling or even on or as an embellishment). Love it ♥♥♥!

Submit your creation before the 15th January 2012
for a chance to win a kit from Tidbitz in Time.

Yup, that's it - I kept it really simple this time.

I have loads and loads of Webster's 2011

product to use up so am doing my best :)

I have LOVED this paper ever since it was

released about 6 months ago and am so glad

I found a way to use it up and show it off!

I love the quote I found - I hate the word

PROMISE as I've learnt that it's dangerous

in that people say it and don't mean it - so

I was so happy to find the perfect way for

me to use it! A message to my children...

Supplies List for Promise Layout

Printed paper - Webster's Pages "Yacht Club"
- Sailor's Guide
Star print paper - Webster's Pages "Yacht Club"
Captain's Notes
Checked Paper - Webster's Pages "Yacht Club"
Sailor's Guide - Reverse Side
Striped Braid - Webster's Pages "Yacht Club"
Designer Trim
Alphas - Webster's Pages "Yacht Club" - Storytellers
Sparklers by Webster's Pages
Creative Memories Journaling Pen

Once Upon a Sketch January 1st Challenge is LIVE! Here are all the details!!

2012-01-02T23:58:00.009+02:00

Hi Scrappy People! I don't know about you but I have a
severe case of holiday brain! That or I'm having a few
"senior moments" a couple of decades(okay maybe just one
decade) before expected!! I'm trying to "get back into things"
but it's not coming too easily.January sales are calling my name!

Today I bought a couple of pairs of jeans {very exciting in
my world as jeans is ALL I WEAR - yup, every day...
of. my. life - well of my life now that is} but anyway, I'm waffling so...
here they are ...all the deets you need to enter
the new Once Upon a Sketch challenge.

DUE IN BY 14TH JANUARY 2012

January 1st Challenge

Journalling Criteria/theme: New Years Eve!

Our theme this time is New year's Eve.

We would like you to journal about your feelings around this

time of year, or tell us about your most memorable New Year's

Eve. Where were you? Who were you with?

What did you do? Why is this one memorable?

Note: the photo that you use for this challenge does not

have tonecessarily be from New Years Eve. For example,

if you spent New Years Eve with your family you can have a

photo of your family taken ANY time of the year.

Remember that you are allowed to also create a

card or altered project based on this sketch and

instead of the journalling criteria you need to

use a quote. You must combine our journaling

criteria/theme with this sketch.

Guest Designers

We welcome 2 people to our blog this month.

The first is our winner from our November

challengewho could not participate in December.

Melenia Agapides (Greece)

Hello everyone! My name is Melenia Agapides and I live

in Greece (yes, the country that's usually in the headlines

of the news lately). I'm a mother of two, a wife to a

sweet Canadian guy and an airport authority officer.

I have been scrapping layouts since August 2009.

My style is constantly evolving, due to the fact that I'm the
kind of person that gets bored very easily and wants to
change and be renewed by trying new things often.
What I always strive for when scrapping is to achieve

balance and harmony in my creations both colour wise
and style wise. I'm a sucker for sketches and challenges,
as they help me improve my style and scrapping skills.

The next layout comes from the winner

of our previous challenge -

ofErin Blegen (USA)

Hi! My name is Erin Blegen and I am 28 years old.

My husband Josh and I have been together for 5 years
and we have 3 beautiful children together: Wyatt (4),
Gunner (17 months), and Aspen (4 months). We make
our home in a small cabin in the woods in northeastern
Minnesota, USA. We love ANYTHING outdoors! But indoors,
my passion is most definitely scrapbooking!

I first tried it out when Wyatt was born in 2007, completed

one album, and then quit until July of 2010 when Gunner was
born. Since then, I've been HOOKED. I scrap daily, and get
rather irritated if I do not, lol! I am passionate about documenting
my family's history, taking beautiful photographs, and making sure
I never forget the small things that are so special :). Feel free to
check out my blog Scrappin' Sisters, which I share with my sister
and best friend, Kelly :).

Finally, a big THANK YOU to Nadia for this wonderful and
fun opportunity! It's an honor being able to create alongside
your incredibly talented team!

Erin says - My journaling is hidden, you can see the
pull tag on the right and reads: "I used to believe that
New Years Eve had a curse on me as every one of them
ended badly...I grew to highly dislike the holiday. But that was
in my "party girl" days...before I was married and had children.

Now the holiday is spent with family, visiting, playing games,
drinking wine, and watching movies while the kids play...
these are the memories I enjoy creating.

Thank you SO much to our wonderful Guest Designers

for their awesome work!

---------------------------------------------------

Sponsors

We are so excited to welcome some new

sponsors to our blog this month!

The Craft's Meow

The Craft's Meow offers a variety of photopolymer

clear stamps designed by some of the best artists in the

paper crafting world! This means there is something for

everyone! We pride ourselves on great customer service

and the lowest possible shipping cost.

Come see what the buzz is all about!

Visit our store blog and follow us on Facebook!

Feature Art

Feature Art is an art paper designing company

located in South Australia. CREATING THE

UNIQUE DESIGN is our company mission.

We offer unique patterned paper that help to develop

the versatile craft projects for the craft industry.

All our paper product is designed and printed in Australia.

We will continue to provide our customers with excellent

products and best service always.

Website: http://www.featureart.net.au/store/index.php

Vicky Alberto Etsy Shop

I am thrilled to be a sponsor for Once Upon A Sketch.

Not only doI love the sketchesand the incredible design

team interpretations, but I am also proud to sponsor a site

that my scrappy friend Nadiacreated. It is one of the

top sketchchallenge sites in industry and definitely

embraces the true meaning of preserving memories.

You can find a selectionof chipboard in my Etsy shop at

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vickyalberto. Please note that

I have ordered and will be receiving the newest released

chipboardstyles towards the end of January.

I will also be restocking my site with the most popular

pieces at this time. They sell out very fast so be sure

to check back often! Youcan follow my personal

scrapbooking blog at

http://simplypaperandcreativity.blogspot.com

where I post updates about chipboard shipment arrivals.

Prizes

How would you like to be our

Guest Designer for February?

This is the challenge where you have the chance to win

a spot on our design team for the whole upcoming month

simply by winning this challenge. As well as being our

Guest Designer, as chosen by our Design team, you will

also receive..... An in-stock stamp set from

The Crafts Meow of the winners choice..

*example of stamp set the winner could choose.

We also have 2 prizes to give away to two randomly

chosen entries. Our first RANDOMLY chosen winner

will win 2 paper collections from FeatureArt.

Our second RANDOMLY chosen winner will receive this

Dusty Attic chipboard pack from Vicky Alberto's Etsy Shop.

Things to consider when playing along...

**This is an international blog, so anyone can enter

**You are allowed to create a card, layout or off-the-page item

based on the provided sketch and additional journalling criteria.

If you are creating a card or altered item you only need to

include a quote.

**You are also allowed to flip or rotate the sketch or alter it to

suit your needs, but please make sure its still recognisable.

**Post your creation on your blog or an online gallery

and link it on theright hand side of this blog using the

Link tool. Please provide a direct link to your post, not

yourentire blog.If the link tool is down, please leave a

commenton the comments section and link your layout there.

** The deadline for this challenge is midnight

January14th, Australian Eastern Standard Time .

The Design Team will vote and the winners and the

Top 5 project will be announced soon after the

challenge has finished.

**You may enter as many times as you like

and combine this with other challenges.

**Also, please consider turning off word

verification for comments on your blog.

Young Love {Chelsea & Cameron} & Welcome to 2012!!

2012-01-01T12:00:00.001+02:00

Wow!! What else can I say?! Last year went so fast

in so many ways yet when I think about it so much

much happened!! There was also so much I was meant to

do that I never got around to...then again I got so much

achieved that I never expected to! So I guess that the saying

"What you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabouts"

rings true when it comes to time :)

Anyway...I wish you all the best for 2012!

I have a million and one plans, hopes and dreams for this year ...

Why my list is so long I just don't know, must have been all the

thinking I got done in that unpolluted mountain air recently!

I will share my 2012 projects/list soon!!

Overall I was disappointed with the photos I took on this trip.

I didn't make a big effort. My kids are at the stage where they don't

enjoy "having a camera in their faces" as they regularly tell me now :(

but I do have ENOUGH - enough beautiful photos which will

make wonderful memories, so all's well that ends well :)

Introducing Cameron, Chelsea's boyfriend. He stayed with us half of the time.

Yup, of all the names...and yup she calls him Cam...and yup she has a sister

called Cam too - boy is it confusing, especially when they are together - I've

told him he has to be Cameron to me or we'll be in a continual muddle!

They initiated this shoot so were willing to pose. The time

of day was totally wrong though as it was midday on a very

bright and sunny day. That's why I kept putting them under

any tree I could find - for some shade!

I just love the texture of that tree bark...There were some marvellous

locations for photoshoots in the Drakensberg. I used my Tamron 28 - 75mm

2.8F lens as this was before I received my Christmas lens (50mm 1.4F).

I'm very happy that she is happy. He is a nice guy

- and that does NOT just go without saying in these parts. Many

youths are rude, arrogant & disrespectful, but he is not.

He really cares for her. She's lucky to have him - and vice versa...

We had a lot of fun with Cameron. He was prepared

to fit right in with us as a family and I felt a bit sorry for him

at times...It must have been a bit overwhelming for him, as he's

the youngest in a big family where all but him & his sister are still

"at home" (when not at university) whereas Chelsea comes with quite

a package, 2 very rowdy teenage brothers and a very demanding

younger sister who was jealous of all the times he "took her sister away!"

The Drakensberg {Our Vacation} & a Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T03:56:00.003+02:00

Hi again :)

I owe so many of you a visit {or 5...}!!

I have only just returned home to 700 e mails

so bear with me if you can :) I'm packing my daughter

off for ANOTHER vacation - this one with her friends!

Then getting my other 3 school ready which involves purchasing

ALL their stationery for the year & covering DOZENS and

DOZENS of exercise books in the next 10 days!!

This is where we've been for the last while...

pretty idyllic huh?! You can read all about it here.

We did different things every day so had a healthy
holiday. Lots of relaxing and lots of activity too...
golfing, horse-riding, etc. All this less than 3 hours away :)
It was like we were in another world though - set in the
1960's (the decor was definitely a blast from the past!)
and no wifi is a bit out-dated now I think to be honest!!

Getting the kids to stand still long enough for a photo was a challenge...

Yup this is what a Durban Christmas looks like :)

The weather was pretty good (rained a bit for a

couple of days) but warm Summer rain & not too hard.

Give the kids a pool and they're happy! Add a trampoline

& they're happy for hours!! Throw in a field & they're

happy all day!!! Wide open space is non-existent at the

coast (where we live) so it's a luxury we don't take for

granted & one we were so desperately in need of.

We laughed! And fought of course too!! All of a sudden

we were all together, day in day out with no computers

and no cell phone signal! Very bonding as you can imagine!

I got my F1.4 50mm lens for Christmas - BIG love ♥♥♥

We ate meals together for a change and cooked from scratch

EVERY night! I felt positively Amish :)

We investigated the entire area very thoroughly this time

& found all sorts of places we'd never visited before -

like this place - {can't wait to receive our rug!!}

and this place which served delicious open sandwiches and salads

for lunch. All in all we had a GREAT TIME and I feel like a new

person (just wish I looked like one too!) - more about that in
my 2012 New Year's Resolutions post coming soon!!

Happy New Year Everyone :-D

Sketchabilities! Sketch 62 is LIVE!! - Your Big Nite Layout

2011-12-30T17:00:00.000+02:00

Hi there blog friends!

I hope you are all recovering well from your festive

over-indulgences :) Time to start thinking about getting

back to scrapping!! Here's a great sketch from

Sketchabilities to get your creative juices flowing!

I went mist crazy on this one as you can see!

{Well to be honest you can't really see as it has a

wonderful "Perfect Pearls" sheen to it that doesn't

show at all unfortunately but it's there believe me!}

I am doing well with my daughters school graduation dance

album - here the photos are just focusing on the decor.

I used a lot of different mists to create that

really radiant {and radiating} effect...

I broke up a Webster's Bouquet & reconstructed it, inking

the gold flowers up to show up the leaf veins some more.

I also split up a couple of Prima bling swirls

& stickled over some Thickers for my title.

I got some sheer effects going on with doilies & a Hambly

transparent overlay from my dear friend Mitra in the US.

I was trying with the mists & the sheer additions

to emulate the luminosity of the night lights.

Supplies List for "Your Big Nite" Layout

Cardstock - DCWV

Mists - Ranger "Perfect Pearl"

Tattered Angles Glimmer Mists - Vanilla Breeze,

Sunshine & Key Lime

Maya Road - Maya Mist - Orange Sherbet

Doilies - stash

Bling swirls - Prima

Flower & Leaves - Webster's Pages

Alphas - American Crafts Jewellery Box

Glitter - Stickles - Ranger

Journaling Pen - Creative Memories