The Scrapping Mystic

Love your Pictures, Love your Pages class

2010-07-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

I've been unable to find time to scrapbook for a while, hence my quiet blog also. Hoping that having signed up for Love your Pictures, Love your Pages at shimelle.com will be a bit of an inspiration to me - but I have already managed to start three days late!

Ny favourite journalling techniques

2008-06-21T00:57:00.000-07:00

I was looking over some of my previous posts, and which are my favourite journalling ideas that I have used again and again in my own scrapping.

The idea of using a kenning was a helpful one – and fun too.

What’s in a name? works for placenames as well as people’s names.

Why do you like this photo? Works for 99% of the photos I scrap. A question you can always ask and answer. And then no doubt other aspects of the photo will come to mind and before you know it you need a whole journalling page!

And I haven’t done this one again – text messages – but it was such a successful layout that I’m pretty sure I will soon! And that was one of the first layouts I had the idea for and THEN took the picture :)

Transform your face

2008-06-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

Face of the Future

Upload a photo of a face and see it in a variety of transformations including as a younger or older person, painted by botticelli or modigliani - you can morph two faces together and other interesting tweaks!

Great for a "see into the future" layout?

When I feel overwhelmed

2008-05-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

Whenever I feel overwhelmed - by clutter, or by things to do - so that my creativity starts to suffer (and worse, my sleep starts to suffer!) I ask myself this question:

What can I do that will give me the greatest sense of accomplishment today?

Sometimes it may be a creative thing - giving myself time to complete a layout or two, make a card, allow myself time to shuffle through my papers. Sometimes it's something very much more mundane: seeing the bottom of the washing basket, phoning up someone I've been putting off.

Still, however, I find sometimes things hang over me and worry me more than once. It's silly to let that go on - recent examples have been getting round to applying for a passport, finding my birth certificate that I'd lost in the overflowing paperwork pile...

But when I finally received my new passport, and when I found the birth certificate (in the box of papers I had already thrown away, then decided to look through one more time!) I DIDN'T feel a sense of accomplishment. Despite the disproportionate stress not doing the task had caused, I didn't feel all that much better when I completed it... it was just high time! And what gives me the greatest sense of accomplishment? Clear kitchen surfaces, a dining room table clear of the usual flotsam and jetsam of family life and ready for a meal to be laid (or a creative session to start), a clean loo.... have I become a housewife in my middle age????? !!!

No - I still HATE housework with a passion. I just like the results. It was great when I could afford a cleaner, because every Thursday evening the family knuckled down and tidied up (which they would never do just for me!) before the cleaners came on Friday, and every Friday I sat in a clean and tidy house, without even cooking to do because we also had Friday as takeaway night. And the whole weekend stretched ahead with the house tidy so we could do useful family things and not chores. Maybe I really need to find the money for that again - in fact - that's a great incentive for making my new business work - if the business brings in money I spend my time doing what I want to do and hire someone else to do the housework!

My grandmother used to say "What every woman needs is a wife..."
She was right. (Think about it)
Or maybe: "Every scrapper should have a cleaner!"

What do you think?

New ways to display photos?

2008-05-09T09:19:00.001-07:00

Get your photo, logo or picture on an abundance of different items.

Try
moo.com (interesting stickerbooks, customisations for greetings cards and the like)
or
orangehedgehog.co.uk (including a thermochromic mug that you put a pic on which is only visible when full of hot drink...)

Scrappers' links

2008-05-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

A couple more helpful blogs this time.

Sketches and more:
http://www.littlebookofsketches.blogspot.com/

Craft Robo GSDs and more (in German)
http://meinekleinescrapwelt.blogspot.com/

Titles with double meanings

2008-05-06T03:41:00.000-07:00

I've been musing on titles that are not quite puns, as they don't have the obvious humour, but nevertheless have more than one meaning:

It's a walk in the park
It’s all relative
What A star! (for someone who's scored well at GCSE)
Hair today
Calendar Girl
Hold the front page!
Picture perfect
Hair raising
Top Gear
Circle
Marry together
Rules of engagement
Laws

Lightening photos that are too dark

2008-04-21T02:03:00.001-07:00

I have just found out a really useful tip for using Photoshop to tidy up photographs.

I have been fiddling with Image > Adjust > Brightness/Contrast to try to lighten dark photos, without much success, but now I've read in an online article (I wish I could remember which!) that Image > Adjust > Levels is the tool to use to lighten up pictures. It's revolutionised my scrapping because now I can use all those photos that are a bit too dark.

Try it, open a dark photo in Photoshop (I have a very old Photoshop version - 5 and it works in that as well as later versions) and use Image > Adjust > Levels

Move the central slider to the left to lighten the picture instantly, and experiment with the other sliders.

Alternatively try Auto Levels and see if there's an improvement.

Put The Fun Back Into Scrapbooking

2008-04-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

This article from Aby Garvey in August 2007 struck a chord with me. "Suddenly, where once you had an enjoyable hobby you love, now you have DREAD". And why? Because I can't find anything, and I look at my piles of paper or embellishments, or ribbons or stamps, and think - what do I do now? "Scrapbook overwhelm is typically a symptom of too much STUFF getting in the way"

Narrowing down cardstock colours

2008-04-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

I love to read about and see pictures of other people's scrap spaces, so I was interested to read Ali Edwards' blog entry about her scraproom.

But the thing that really intrigued me was when she said:

"I have pretty much narrowed down my cardstock selection to just a few colors - white, cream, kraft, black, and red - which has really simplified my process and helps me focus more on the story."

Well if you look at her gallery there's a bit of yellow and khaki/green - but yes the colours are pretty limited - no blue, purple, pink...

Could I do that? Restrict myself to a few colours?

I have done so in my clothing. I had my "colours done" and found out that I am a "winter" (though I can wear summer colours too, especially in the summer). Which meant I could forget about brown and green. I now base my winter wardrobe around navy, black, grey and purple with turquoise and blue accents, and some red or fuchsia, and my summer wardrobe is chiefly blue, aqua and turquoise. It makes it much easier to shop (except when one of the key colours is out of fashion, as navy has been for several years!) and to choose basic pieces such as jackets with which everything will go.

Could I do the same with scrapping supplies?

Not really - because photographs can be in any colours (unless you go so far as to choose your clothing in the colours of your cardstock!), and I choose paper and cardstock to match the photos usually. However, I do have my favourite colours and paper ranges (blue and turquoise feature here too...) I don't think I'm ready to limit my colour selection just yet. How about you?

Which kind of scrapper are you?

2008-04-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

OK I admit it - I'm a clutter bunny. Are you?

Scrapping clutter bunny
Each piece of clutter holds an important memory and you know you will scrap it someday... But make sure your memorabilia reminds you of positive things and not negative ones!

Scrapping collector
Every object that you collect is a reflection of who you are and what you have achieved. As a collector you like to never stop at just one of something - or even two - the more the merrier... The objects you collect are a major part of your identity. For a scrapper this means the type who has every bottle of Prima flowers ever sold or a pile of papers just for stroking, that you would never ever use. Think - what is scrapbooking really all about?

Mucky pup
This scrapper simply can't be bothered to clear up. (Men more often fall into this category, generally!) However, clutter creates its own stress and makes more work - you can never find the embellies you're looking for, or you discover the paper you were looking for, at the bottom of the pile, half creased and half covered in coffee. Cut that clutter, and clear up, even if it's an effort - it will save effort in the long run!

Busy bee
You're so busy that when you get a moment you want to scrap not sort out. But, gradually, forgetting to deal with those little things starts to cause problems. As time moves on the piles of clutter don't. Then you start with that feeling of "not being in control" and you can't find anything. Luckily, most busy bees will eventually make the time to deal with this.

Free daily journalling prompts

2008-04-01T01:39:00.000-07:00

I have collected all my journalling prompts and am offering them starting today as a free ongoing journalling class or daily journalling prompts to use as you like.

We'll be having themes, and the first week's is MUSIC.

The prompts are suitable for scrapbooking, blogging or art journalling.

Come along and join me! And if you'd like to be on the design team (occasional contributions not every day!), let me know.

Daily Journalling Prompts Blog

The new blog will have short helpful prompts.

I'll continue to add longer journalling inspiration and
techniques (and scrapping organisation tips) to this blog at least twice a week.

Sources for journalling prompts

2008-03-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

Papa Bear

From scrapbook.com: tips

Another from scrapbook.com

From Bella Online (US)

From Scrap your stories also from Angie Pedersen

Journal the hurts, scrapbook the highs from Joanna Campbell Slan on Angie Pedersen's Blog of me

30 "All About Me" Scrapbook topics from Scrapjazz

I'd recommend Shimelle's blog – she’s the journalling queen! – but if you click on the link for Free Projects: Write it Down all you get is one post from January 31^st and no way to move on to the rest…. No doubt she will fix the link in due course!

Journalling about people: try a kenning

2008-03-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

What's a kenning then?

Here's Wikipedia's definition which is rather heavy on the ancient Scandinavian roots.

Kennings come from Old English and Norse poetry, and they describe something without using its actual name, e.g. 'mouse catcher ' was a cat, a sword was a 'skull-splitter' and a river a 'swan road'.

So a kenning "names something without using its name". They can be like riddle poems - what am I describing?

Kids learn them in school these days: here are lots of kennings from youngsters, on the children's writing website Kids on the Net.

Here's one in a LO about my son, who'd just had a new haircut.

You probably remember a Coke advert which did something similar. The advantage is you can do it to name anything, and it can be different each time. When you don't want to just put the same old word or name on a LO - why not embellish with a kenning instead?

Using up paper scraps: #1

2008-03-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

I was having a bit of a sort out, seeing what I had in my paper stash, and I realised that I had a lot of scraps. I LOVE patterned papers, but the scrapbooking style I prefer at the moment is the pared-down lots-of-white-space style. And that doesn't use up a lot of paper! Yet I find it difficult to throw anything away - let's face it, I might find a use for that pretty paper even if it is only 3 inches square. After all, I make cards as well. And a cardmaker can find a use for any paper pieces that are just bigger than my smallest punch... Especially if I make small paper dolls with a selection of tiny clothes...

I have scraps left over from kits and classes from up to three years ago, scraps from paper ranges that I loved, and ranges that I didn't. I even pick up scraps from other people at crops - how could they throw away nearly half a sheet of 12 x 12? So I've been looking in earnest at ways to use up paper scraps.

Here are some that I've found recently:

Cut out letters for titles - either using a cutting machine, or by using repositionable glue to stick them to computer paper, run them through your printer to print an outline letter on the back and cut out.

Make paper beads: Cut strips of paper and roll them tightly around a knitting needle or similar. Stick down the ends. Leave to dry, then carefully slide off the knitting needle. Make the beads more substantial by coating the beads with a layer of PVA glue or diamond accents or similar. Stick on a LO or thread them for jewellery!

Create a 'quilt' page: cut 4 or 5 photos into 3" squares and make up to 9 squares with patterned paper cut into squares the same size.
Create serendipity squares with scraps of paper and use the squares on a LO.

Use the scraps to create a mat for your photograph, as in Karen's Conga class from the UKS birthday cybercrop (unfortunately not currently available, but here is my version)

Use up scraps in Artist at Work, a UKS class from Maria

Use strips of papers behind a photo as a stripy mat

Radiate strips of papers like a sun from a central pic
Create pockets
Punch, especially squares and circles and create a pattern on cardstock as a background to the LO
Cover chipboard shapes
Cut flowers out of papers and use as embellishments

I'm working on a few more ideas and will upload them in a later post :)

Clines - get deeper into your journalling

2008-03-21T03:27:00.000-07:00

When you're journalling, especially if you're using just one or two words, it’s important to find the word that accurately describes what you're trying to express. Common words such as "happy", "handsome", "cute", can be over-used: and once you've been scrapbooking longer than a year or so you start to be desperate for more! Here's a technique to explore a few different words to use.

For example: there are many words for degrees of heat in addition to the word ‘hot’. A cline is a graduated list of words to give shades of meaning, for example:

Whitehot
Red-hot
Steaming
Boiling
Simmering
Hot
Warm
Tepid
Luke-warm
Blood warm
Body temperature
Cool
Chilly
Cold
Freezing
Frozen.

Once you have your list of words, you can pick one that's perhaps more meaningful than the obvious!

Colour palettes

2008-03-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

Do you ever need to know what colours to use to match a particular photo?

Here is a useful online tool. Now if only they would identify the Bazzill shade and paper range that's most appropriate - or perhaps that would take all the art - and fun - out of scrapbooking!

http://www.degraeve.com/color-palette/

Updated scrapbook video sites

2008-02-25T08:05:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd update my list of scrapbooking video sites, as I do like to watch videos now and then.

Still love the Scrapbooking Lounge videos at Craft TV Weekly: so much variety and well presented!

UKScrappers also listed a few recently that I hadn't mentioned in my previous post.

CK's online video gallery
Paperclipping blog
DIY Scraproom - from the US TV channel Home and Garden TV
Do Crafts video Library
Scrapbooks etc. (The Scrapbooks Lifestyle link mentioned in my previous post no longer works)

Write it on Wednesday - Seasonal Inspiration

2008-02-20T02:28:00.000-08:00

Seasonal inspiration

Last weekend the weather was glorious, cold but bright, sunny and dry. I took advantage by wrapping up warm and heading off on a trip to see some famous snowdrops. It really made me think - so I guess the way to journal is simply to write about how I feel...

The children were off on weekend trips of their own and it was one of those increasingly frequent times when my husband and I were on our own and able to do "grown-up" things. Although it is odd to do things without the children, it is comforting to realise that we still have things to say to one another and can enjoy ourselves as a couple.

The snowdrops are more than a sign of growth in the spring of a new year, they are a sign of our own new style of life. One in which we must let the youngsters poke their heads up out of the family soil into the light of their own lives. As parents we must feed and nurture their roots while allowing the buds to open into lovely flowers. Then, as parents, we become free to stroll quietly a while, view and admire the beautiful blossoms.

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Maze book instructions

2008-02-17T02:12:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for instructions for maze books - that is a tiny album created from one sheet of 12 x 12 paper. I was think of using it for a little inspiration book - to add pictures of loved ones and inspirational quotes and sayings.

Here are some links to instructions:

Scrapbook Crazy maze book (cut in a spiral)

Anso's maze book on Glitter Adventures, with photos - fabulous instructions.

Scrapbook Lounge Video Tricia Morris makes a maze book

Another maze book

Karen Scrapdolly's instructions

Write it on Wednesday - circular journalling

2008-02-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

Circular journalling

Circular journalling is quite difficult to achieve.A pair of compasses can be useful to draw guides on your page in pencil.An alternative is to create circular templates of card and draw round those to get the lines.

There’s a helpful video on Paperclipping that shows how to achieve this…

If you are creating circular journalling on a computer you can use Corel Draw or Photoshop or Photoshop Elements to “fit text to path”.

Or you can even draw your circles freehand!
If you’re no good at it perhaps you can copy this bloke on Youtube…

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Write it on Wednesday - What’s in a name?

2008-01-30T08:32:00.000-08:00

What’s in a name?

Juliet: in Romeo and Juliet:

Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is not hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.

A US couple in 2001 who tried to find a corporate sponsor for their baby son failed to find a bidder. Jason Black and Frances Schroeder used eBay and Yahoo! to auction the name of their third child. They were aiming for at least $500,000 so they could name their little boy Cisco, Microsoft, Intel, or whatever. But time ran out. Under New York State law, the deadline to put a first name on the boy's birth certificate came and went without a substantial offer. So instead, his parents decided to simply call him - Zane.

If you think about it, there are probably many stories about names. And not just people’s names, but names of houses, boats, pets…

What’s the story behind that name? What happened when someone got the name wrong? What name do you like best?

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Write it on Wednesday - Journalling pens

2008-01-23T05:34:00.000-08:00

Most people have a favourite pen that they like to use for journalling with.

I'm a bit fickle, personally, I'm always looking for a really good pen and I change my allegiance often.

Here are some of the pens I've used myself and been recommended:

Sharpie pens
Zig writer (I have a blue one of these and as it has two different widths it's really useful)
Gel pens are often popular
Sakura gel pens - I've had some great Sakura pens including a white one, glaze one, glitter ones, etc., but they seem variable as to how smoothly they run and how long they last.
Fountain pen - if you're not fussed about using ordinary ink, a lot of people enjoy using a favourite (often old) fountain pen for journalling - perhaps best where you're journalling on a separate piece of paper such as a journalling block, rather than all over the layout
Uniball signo - white particularly recommended

So - the challenge for today - doesn't matter what you write (did I say that??), but have a go at writing with the pens that yo have to hand. Try out a title, a saying, some journalling. Get the feel of the pens you have. You might surprise yourself!

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Scrapbooks in Order: Organizing your scrap supplies

2008-01-19T04:49:00.000-08:00

It must be the new year – the scrap blogs are awash with organisational tips.

I’m certainly up for re-organising my scrap supplies. My ribbons have overflowed their current storage and I either have to use up some of them (nooo!!!) or find a different way to store them. Plus I have so much stash I can’t use it effectively any more.

Here are some links to organising scrap supplies:

MM Blog: organizing your embellishments http://makingmemories.typepad.com/makingmemories/2008/01/organizing-yo-1.html

MM Blog: how do you stay organized – with 700 tips from readers in the comments!
http://makingmemories.typepad.com/makingmemories/2008/01/how-do-you-stay.html

How to Organize Your Scrapbook Room!
http://kadordea.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-organize-your-scrapbook-room.html

Ribbon storage
http://scrapbookobsession.wordpress.com/2008/01/01/scrapbook-organization-more-on-ribbon-storage/

You’re not alone…
http://scrapbookobsession.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/scrapbook-organization-my-spaceagain/

Free planner downloads from Creating Keepsakes
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/mag/index.ihtml?issue=January+2008

General organisation tips
http://robindiniphotography.blogspot.com/2008/01/time-to-organize.html

Write it on Wednesday - Printed quotes

2008-01-16T01:38:00.000-08:00

I don't often use printed quotations - I find they're rather expensive when I can find quotations really easily on the Web and print them onto whatever paper matches my layout - but there's no doubt that the latter method takes longer. In this case, I had a lovely picture of my children which I wanted to scrap for their grandmother's album, and I turned to the printed quotes that came in QVC pack a few months ago. I knew the pack had a strong theme of family and selected three different elements, a transparent quotation sticker, a title and a couple of stickers. The quote:

"Life's aspirations come in the guise of children"

...summed up my feelings so that I didn't have to write my own journalling. A good quote can do that.

Often a good quotation can be the start of a layout, or it may start you off on your own journalling (I'm sure I've said this before!). Or, like this, it can be just exactly what you need, on its own.
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Scrapping inspiration - blogs and websites

2008-01-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

Pure inspiration for the new year!
Some old, some new.... lots to borrow and hopefully nothing blue!

Scrapping the music
Mojoholder
All About Eve
Pencil Lines
Anna Bowkis 365 days

365 Gnomes
Rouge de Garance

Craft Caboodle free online craft magazine

Write it on Wednesday - How do I love thee?

2008-01-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

How do I love thee?

Let me count the ways...
Christina Rossetti

Think of someone one you love: set down the reasons why you love them, the things about them that you love. Count the ways... here are some prompts to get you started.

I love the way you...
I love it when you...
My favourite part of your face is...
Your smile makes me ...
I love your ...
You're a great husband because ...
I'm so glad you ...

(Posted early because I'm busy this week)
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Titles for summer holiday Los

2008-01-03T03:40:00.000-08:00

I know it's an odd time of year to be thinking of it, but I've been thinking up some summer and holiday themes titles for layouts:

Just add water
Splash!
Water, water, everywhere
Sun, sea and sand
An English Summer
Beachcomber
The Shell Seekers
Splish Splash
Life’s a beach
Seaside frolics
Beach babes
Beach boys

Write it on Wednesday - Why do you like this photo?

2008-01-02T05:06:00.000-08:00

It's not often I scrap the same photo twice, but I did this one. Last thing on Christmas Day I decided to create an 8x8 album for my mother-in-law who was staying with us. I managed to finish it by the time she left on the 29th. OK, I printed out 6 copies of recent 12x12 layouts, but I also needed 14 new layouts.

I thought the subjects of the photo looked cute, so the first time I scrapped it I used a pun and called it "Ferret touching" - very touching - OK, OK, a bad pun!

This time I looked at the photo and thought again about why I liked it. Because my son has a right soppy look on his face! And I still thought they BOTH look cute!

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Downloadable papers and digi-scrapping elements

2007-12-30T23:54:00.000-08:00

I occasionally scrap digitally - usually only as a test to be created in paper later, or if I haven't time to get all the paper and glue out. Ideas that go on the blog are most often roughly scrapped digitally! So it's great to find places where one can download free goodies which can be used for digi scrapping or printed out and used for regular scrapping.

Canon's Scrapbook site
http://cp.c-ij.com/english/scrapbook/index.html
Downloads including patterned paper (there are some lovely Chiyogami patterns)

Some Gwen Stefani designs are offered by HP
http://welcome.hp.com/country/uk/en/welcome.html

Digi-scrapping free downloads (personal use only) from http://theephemeralvictorian.blogspot.com/

Maria's blog has a freebie search engine, DigiFree. It's a computerised search engine that scans blogs for possible links to digital scrapping freebies and their previews.

Write it on Wednesday - Superstitions

2007-12-19T00:39:00.000-08:00

ow was she to know that a black cat would cross her path, just as she walked under a ladder? She tripped and the mirror she was carrying crashed to the ground. If only she hadn’t stood on the cracks in the pavement on Friday the 13th. As she nailed her upturned horse shoe to the wall, she hoped that - touch wood (the door jamb in this case) - this and her new brass elephants with trunks stretching upwards would help neutralise the seven years' bad luck she had coming...

Today why not write about a superstition that fascinates you?

For example: never leave shoes on a kitchen table.

She pulled out the grey hair, mumbling that she didn't believe in silly superstitions about five grey hairs growing in its place. So when three grew back the very next day it didn't worry her because the number was wrong...

Tell a tale about a superstition in the past that you remember or were told about.

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Christmas quotations

2007-12-18T02:46:00.001-08:00

Many scrapping titles around Christmas are song lyrics...

White Christmas (if we're that lucky!)
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Joy to the World
All I want for Christmas is...
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
The Night before Christmas

Here are some alternative Christmas quotations:

At Christmas play and make good cheer,
For Christmas comes but once a year.
- Thomas Tusser

At Christmas I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled mirth;
But like of each thing that in season grows.
- William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), 'Love's Labour Lost'

Peace on earth will come to stay,
When we live Christmas every day.
- Helen Steiner Rice

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.
- Peg Bracken

This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone.
- Taylor Caldwell (1900-1985)

It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to one's fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit.
- Isabel Currier

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
- Charles Dickens (1812-1870), 'A Christmas Carol'

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.
- W. T. Ellis

From home to home, and heart to heart,
from one place to another.
The warmth and joy of Christmas,
brings us closer to each other.
- Emily Matthews

At Christmas, all roads lead home.
- Marjorie Holmes

It comes every year and will go on forever. And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the customs. Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and ponders, like Mary in the secret spaces of her heart.
- Marjorie Holmes

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
- Calvin Coolidge

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.
- W. C. Jones

Heap on the wood! - the wind is chill;
But let it whistle as it will,
We'll keep our Christmas merry still.
- Sir Walter Scott

My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?
- Bob Hope

Ill...

2007-12-13T02:44:00.000-08:00

It's not easy to keep a blog going when you're ill :( Back soon!

Write it on Wednesday: Food traditions

2007-12-05T04:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes memories can be inspired by objects, people or places in what seems like a random way. In fact, smells can be some of the most potent connectors with memories.

Are there any smells that bring up a strong memory for you?

Are there any foods that have a particular resonance? At this festive time of year especially there are often very distinctive smells associated with family traditions.

Do you have any special foods or eating traditions associated with Christmas or any other festival or family event?

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Write it on Wednesday: text messages

2007-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

You can get inspiration from almost anywhere in daily life - I was deleting texts from my phone and realised that they revealed a whole relationship between me and my two teenagers. There are a lot of messages with e wondering where one of them is...

Here's a typical exchange which I am now going to immortalise in a layout...

I'm in roman, my son is in italics...

where r u?
in town
ok
just out of cinema
r u eating?
goin 2 cookieshake
okeydoke c u soon

where r u?
on the bus

where r u?
Out of film. Are trying 2 decide where to eat. will come home with jhelisa later x
ok
Im on the bus home now
OK

where are you?
told u i was working l8 2day - have u got ur keys?
yes

Can you get inspiration from your text messages?

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The perfect set of embellishments

2007-11-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

What would be the perfect set of embellishments?

I love co-ordinating ranges of paper - at the moment I'm keen on Basic Grey Periphery, Basic Grey Fusion, K'ology Addison, and DCWV Once Upon a Time. These ranges make it so much easier to choose elements for layouts by being able to use matching papers and embellishments.

I used to get a Club Scrap kit every month. It came with a selection of co-ordinating papers - well, all at cardstock-weight in fact, beautiful quality - plus a matching alpha sticker set, photo mats and cut-outs or stencils. That was just the Junior kit - there are extra embellishments available such as fibres and buttons.

I'm packing for a weekend crop, and I don't want to have to make up page kits - or alternatively take everything I own! - so I thought of taking a selection of matching paper, cardstock and embellishments. Now I have some embellishments to go with the paper ranges I mention. But what would be the ideal collection? I can even create some with my Craft Robo before I go (the ones marked ** in the list below), if I have time. Can you add anything to my list of suggestions?

Prima flowers
Ribbons & fibres
Buttons
Gems
Paper frills **
Brads
Large flowers **
Alphabets **
Frames **
Photo turns **
Flourishes and corners **
Quotation marks, brackets, washers, arrows **
Tags **
Journalling blocks **
Circles (to layer and add words or journalling) **
Autumn leaves flourish stamps!!!
Rubons

Write it on Wednesday: My favourite things

2007-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favourite things

You've heard it before, right?

So what are YOUR favourite things? If you love them, then even making a layout about them is likely to make you feel happy, so whenever you're a bit down, this is the job to do.

I'd been meaning for some time to make a layout about one of my favourite things - my bathroom and the art that I commissioned especially for it - dragonflies by Jaq McCaughern. I love it!

So here's the layout - in colours to match the dragonflies and the bathroom, and journalling to enhance it.

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Write it on Wednesday: Journalling babies

2007-11-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

No, that doesn't mean get the babies to do the journalling!

Even if you haven't had babies of your own, you will have had babies in your family, and with luck you'll even have some pictures of yourself when an infant. Babies are very photogenic and photos generally make satisfying pages that everyone enjoys looking at.

So: how to scrap babies?

The cute things they say and do

If you have a baby or young child now - I know it's difficult when you're so busy - but for heaven's sake write down those cute things they say or the funny things they do. You WILL forget them later! I wish I'd been a scrapbooker when my babies were young. Luckily I was keeping a journal, so putting the text together with the photos isn't too hard.

And she toddled for two miles along the beach before we found her...

And write down too those apocryphal stories that you have been told all your life about things you did. There's a story about me when I was about two - the family had got lost on a trip out to the contry and we stopped the car to get out and see where we were. Apparently I got fed up and said "I'll find the way" and set off along the road determinedly, all by myself. They were laughing too much to stop me at first, and then they helpfully got the camera out.

Baby books

If you have a friend or relative about to give birth, a baby book is a lovely gift - not one of those that records weight and height and so on, although that might be part of it, but a themed scrapbook readymade for the mother to slot in the pics and the journalling as she goes along. A big space for hidden journalling may be best, so mum can write as much or as little as she chooses, but doesn't run out of space.

Possible themes for baby books:

My first year: 12 pages, a pic for each month and plenty of journalling space (a great theme to remind mum)

Nursery rhyme theme

Animals theme

Alphabet theme

Colours theme: every page a different colour

Definitions theme: baby, love, cute, motherhood, family, growing up etc.

Play theme: teddies, bricks, dolls etc.

You could even make a book for the baby itself, with spaces for pictures and names of all the relatives - especially welcome if family are far away and the little one won't see relatives often enough to recognise them otherwise.

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Definitions

2007-11-04T04:49:00.000-08:00

Definitions were a popular trend in scrapbooking not so long ago. But don't discount them just because they aren't quite as "trendy" as they were!

Use definitions to expand and build on the words that you come up with for your titles or subtitles. A quick way to extend your journalling!

Pick up your dictionary for a classic definition in traditional style... write it or type it in a pretty font in your wordprocessor.

There also online dictionaries and thesauruses:

Dictionary.com

Merriam-Webster (American)

Here are some to use:

Adore (a·dore) 1. to worship or honour as a deity or as divine 2. to regard with loving admiration and devotion 3. to be extremely fond of

Admire ( ad·mire ) 1. to marvel at 2. be pleased by 3. respect

Abundance ( a·bun·dance ) 1. a more than plentiful quantity of something 2. large amount

Adventure (ad-ven-ture) 1. a daring, hazardous undertaking 2. an unusual, exciting, often suspenseful experience.

Accomplish (ac·com·plish ) 1. to succeed in doing or achieving something 2. reach point in time: to arrive at the end of a period of time

Beautiful ( byoot-e-ful) 1. pleasingly attractive physical appearance 2. lovely; fine to behold 3. delicate and favourable

Believe ( be·lieve ) 1. to accept that something is true or real 2. to have faith in 3. to put one’s trust in 4. to accept as fact

Bliss (blis) 1. great or perfect happiness 2. a state of spiritual joy

Bright (brit) 1. shining with light 2. brilliant in colour or sound; vivid 3. lively and cheerful 4. favourable; hopeful 5. radiant with happiness, smiling faces, moments 6. radiating or reflection light 7. of high saturation or brilliance 8. clever or intelligent

Celebrate (sel-e-brat) 1. perform as a ritual 2. to commemorate with festivity 3. to do honour 4. have a good time

Cherub (cher*eb) 1. a type of angel characterized as a chubby, rose-cheeked child with wings 2. a child with a sweet, innocent face

Chemistry (chem·is·try) 1. study of transformation of matter: a branch of science dealing with the structure, composition, properties, and reactive characteristics of substances, especially at the atomic and molecular levels.

Cherish (cher-ish) 1. to hold dear 2. to treasure, adore, value and love 3. to keep deeply in mind

If you can - add to the definition with a thoughtful extra that is more feeling than definition:

moth·er (mu-th-er) n. 1. A woman who loves, nourishes, protects and nurtures a child. 2. A creative source; an origin. 3. Respected for her wisdom and age. 4. Maternal love and tenderness. 5. A son’s first and best friend. ♥ moth·er-in-law n. 1. The mother of your spouse. 2. A second mother or friend. ♥ nan·a (nä’nä) n. 1. Endearing form of grandmother 2. The mother of your father or mother. 3. Sweet smile, warm hugs, bedtime stories, treats and kindness, heart of gold. 4. A person with time for their grandchildren. ♥

moth*er: \'me-thar\ n 1. compassionate supporter, giver of warm hugs 2. a woman generous of herself and her love 3. a dedicated listener 4. a woman who gives selfless tender affection without expectation 5. inspiring, dependable; all caring

fa*ther \'fath-ar\ n 1. protector and guardian 2. source of strength and support 3. guide through life; honest advisor 4. person always ready to help 5. person whose tolerance and pride are unlimited 6. ready taxi-driver

Journalling boxes

2007-11-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

Journalling boxes are quite popular. But you don't always need a bought sticker or a stamp. Try printing one of these (created by mysticclare) on matching cardstock, paper or patterned paper. Then fill it in with your own handwriting :)

The boxes can be resized to suit your space, and you can also import them into a word processor or drawing program and fill them in on the computer, THEN print them out.

I hope you enjoy using them! Comment and link to your layout if you do use them, I'd love to see what you do with them.

To save these to your own computer (PC), rightclick on one and select "Save Image As".

Write it on Wednesday - 7 random facts

2007-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Nickibee tagged me last Wednesday - and no I'm not going to play by the obvious rules, because this is a scrapping blog - and not only that, it's a journalling blog.

So let's use this as a journalling challenge!

There was a great Cathy Zielske Big Picture class with a template for a LO about 5 random facts. So this is a bit of a scraplift of that template, which you can find examples of all over the Web, e.g.,

5 random facts
(UKScrappers Gallery)

This time I didn't even write facts about myself - I interviewed my son. He came up with a few phrases, which I then fleshed out with him. I "tag" you to have a go! Scraplift this, by all means :)

More Write it on Wednesday

Scrapping TV

2007-10-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

Blogs and TV go together in scrapbooking land.

Here are some good online TV stations or video archives relating to scrapbooking - all American so far - I haven't come across any UK ones - have you? Tell me!

Craft TV Weekly
Real women scrap TV
Scrap in style TV (requires registration)
Scrapbook Lifestyle with Scrapbooks etc.
Kari & Gina
Paper Wishes Weekly Webisodes
Fiskars TV
and of course, anything on Youtube including the parodies Inside Scrapbooking...
Youtube scrapbooking videos

Write it on Wednesday: The unexpected

2007-10-24T00:22:00.000-07:00

"Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks." - Samuel Johnson

The unexpected - it happens all the time - whether it's an unexpected compliment from one's loved one or an amusing comment from a child. Or it could be an unexpetced juxtaposition of two objects that make for a funny result - and makes you want to get your camera out.

Of course, the unexpected can often be sad, tragic or depressing. And sometimes you don't really feel like writing about or scrapping those kinds of things. Yet they are often some of the most meaningful times of our lives.

So let's have one of each. Today, write about one unexpected good thing, and one unexpected bad thing. Just give yourself ten minutes and a blank piece of paper and start:

"I didn't expect..."

Worry about the photograph later - this exercise is about the journalling!

Here's mine

"I didn't expect to be working in a city 70 miles from home - I left my last job because I couldn't cope with the commute - it was 30 miles away. And now I have chosen this! Luckily it IS all my choice, and I only do it once a week and not every day. It is on my terms, and that makes all the difference. So sitting in a traffic jam on the motorway at 7.15 am is unexpected but I can cope - I hope!"

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A face that says it all...

2007-10-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a picture really can be worth a thousand words (and you didn't hear me say that!)

Coming back from a holiday in Cornwall I realised my son had rather tiresomely pulled faces in virtually all of the photos I took, in many cases spoiling a beautiful photo of his sister smiling attractively. So I took as my theme a quote (I wish I could remember where I found it because it's PERFECT!):

"Masquerading as a normal person day after day is exhausting"

Just look at those faces!

Write it on Wednesday: Writing about Home

2007-10-17T01:23:00.000-07:00

What does the word "home" mean to you?

Home might be a place we have not visited for a long time, or perhaps never at all. For some of us, it's just part of a personal history we create for ourselves, but for others there really is somewhere like that described by Robert Frost:

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."

But even though its meaning is strongly rooted in a physical place which we can visit, in these days of frequent re-location the real power of Home is often defined more in our heads than by buildings, countries or landscapes. Of the several meanings given in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, perhaps the most germane for the global village is a definition from as far back as 1548:

"A place, region or state to which one properly belongs, in which one’s
affections centre, or where one finds rest, refuge, or satisfaction."

So, Home can frequently be found more in memory than in geography or more in imagination than in reality, and a song, a flower, a word, or a mouthful of food can be all it takes to bring to life a whole theatre of recollection.

What photographs do you have that say "home" to you? Alternatively - start with the journalling.

When journalling to create a layout ask the questions:

What does the word ‘home’ mean to you?
Describe the home of your childhood.
Describe the scent, taste or feel of home.
Which object most evokes home for you?
Where do you feel you ‘properly belong’ now?

Home mosaic

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Using similes as titles

2007-10-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

The simile is a way to create a picture in the reader's mind. It can add an extra dimension to a piece of writing, a poem - or a scrapbook layout. It asks us to picture one thing as being similar to another; it does this by using the word 'like', 'as' or 'than'.

Let's look at some examples:

Dance like an angel/princess
Shine brightly like the star you are!
You sparkle like a diamond
Your words are like eyes burning deep in my soul
2 peas in a pod
A face without freckles is like a sky without stars
Life is like a Bubble Bath... a few splashes, but generally good, clean fun!
Spring came that year like magic, and like music, and like song. -- Thomas Wolfe
Our love is like a song that never ends

Some similies are cliché - something we have heard so often that it has lost its original power to surprise or amuse us, such as: Cool as a cucumber; like chalk and cheese; softer than silk. The same is true of many scrapbook titles. But if you haven't used them yet - they may be new to you!

Sweet like chocolate
Sleeping like a baby
Blooming like a garden/weeds
Swing like a monkey

Can you come up with some more creative similes to be titles for your layouts?

Jot down the name, the event, or a feeling that the photo immediately evokes, then "is like" and see where you go...

Emma is like a butterfly, always flitting, never settling for long...

Hopping crazy as a cricket

As changeable as the British weather...

Your smile is like a thousand suns

Write it on Wednesday: Mondegreens

2007-10-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

There's a name for misheard song lyrics - they are mondegreens.
There's a lovely story behind this name:

The word mondegreen, meaning a mishearing of a popular phrase or song lyric , was coined by the writer Sylvia Wright.

As a child she had heard the Scottish ballad " The Bonny Earl ofMurray" and had believed that one stanza went like this:

Ye Highlands and Ye Lowlands
Oh where hae you been?
They hae slay the Earl of Murray,
And Lady Mondegreen.

Poor Lady Mondegreen, thought Sylvia Wright . A tragic heroine dying with her liege; how poetic. When it turned out, some years later, that what they had actually done was ‘ slay the Earl of Murray and lay him on the green’ , Wright was so distraught by the sudden disappearance of her heroine that she memorialized her with a neologism.

An Aussie friend's son’s class at school used to sing the first line of the Australian national anthem as:

Australia’s sunset ostriches.

(Australia’s sons let us rejoice – now amended to ‘Australians all let us rejoice’)

I remember a few from prayers and hymns at school as well...

More recently, I thought for some time that the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "The Zephyr Song" had the lyrics - "Fly away on my cellphone..." I thought it was somewhat fanciful to describe a mobile phone call in such terms!

Have you a mondegreen to share? (Can you find one on the Web?) Is there a mondegreen that could inspire a LO for you? Could you use it as the title?

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Never be afraid to see...

2007-10-08T02:34:00.000-07:00

I created this layout on the day that my mother-in-law was in hospital having a cataract operation.

She has led a quiet and sheltered life in a small town in the north of England, and is one of the nicest and sweetest people I've ever met. Whenever she comes out for a trip or a holiday with us, it seems that we do something that she has never done before, whether it's having a milkshake in McDonald's or seeing a peacock for the first time.

I loved this photograph in which she was looking out to sea from the lantern room at the top of the Souter Lighthouse. There are so many things I would like to show her. On the day I scrapped it my feelings were quite strong because we needed the operation to be a success. So all the feelings were summed up in one longer-than-usual title...

Never be afraid to see...

Inspirational scrapping spaces

2007-10-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

So you're disorganised? Or maybe you're not but you'd like your scrapping space to look a bit more unusual or stylish. Here's some inspiration!

An American scrapping shed

A British scrapping shed!

Scrapping Rooms on Scrapjazz

Diana’s room

Terri on 2peas

One from scrapbook.com

Something a bit more elegant

The one that gets people drooling (for all sorts of reasons!)

From the blog On Eagle's Wings - the Prima collector!

The Work Box - a scrap cupboard you can buy - very organised!

Storage for Crafts - a shop that specialises in craft storage

Write it on Wednesday - inspiring people

2007-10-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is a BOM LO really - and if you don't know the jargon, that's a "Book of Me" layout!

I have for some time been a deep admirer of Aung San Su Kyi, the imprisoned opposition leader in Burma. Her courage in the face of dreadful repression is truly inspirational, and she risks death just by existing. Looking into her story there are personal tragedies and sacrifices that she has made for the sake of her country and her people. And her struggle, and that of the Burmese people, is far from over.

Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of a famous martyred general, was married to a British academic in 1972 and had two sons, Alexander, born in 1972 and Kim, born in 1977. She spent all too brief a time enjoying family life in England before, in 1988, she heard that her mother had suffered a stroke and did not have long to live. Knowing what was likely to happen, she returned to Burma where she joined the pro-democracy movement and was put under house arrest in 1989. She left her husband, Michael Aris, a Tibetan scholar and two children (then aged 11 and 16) behind in England. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991: her sons accepted the Prize on her behalf.

In 1999 her husband was dying of prostate cancer. He was refused permission to visit her in Burma and Suu Kyi dared not leave Burma for fear she would not be allowed back. They had met only 5 times since her return to Burma. They never saw each other again. Michael died in March 1999. She is now a grandmother, but rarely sees her family.

There are several possible LOs in this:

People who inspire me

If you were separated from your family what would you want them to know?

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Great inspiration for making cards

2007-10-02T03:02:00.000-07:00

This is an American store which I think looks really classy:
Impress Rubber Stamps
http://www.impressrubberstamps.com/
Check out "Impressive Ideas"
Archive of Christmas card ideas

Some inspiring cardmaking blogs:

Kathy B’s blog

Jo Kill’s blog

Daring cardmakers’ challenge blog

Journalling the acrostic way...

2007-09-30T02:17:00.000-07:00

Everyone has subjects that feature in layouts again and again. With me it's my children - it might be your pet or a particular place you have lots of photos of... When all you can think of is to put their name on the LO - think again!

Firstly, don't forget the where, when and who.

And here's an idea - use an acrostic of their name to describe them or the situation.

Adventurous
Intelligent
Demanding -
A typical teen!
Not a quiet moment...

If you have a difficult letter in there (if you have a Max or a Zak!), it can be easier to try a mesostic version - that means the letter can be anywhere in the line.

 A mAture
fun-Loving
   sEnsible
   eXceptional young lady

Great creative links

2007-09-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

Spell with Flickr
http://metaatem.net/words/
Great idea for a title perhaps - see what Flickr comes up with then go out and find your own letters....

Flickr Toys
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/
You can do all sorts of things here... create posters, ATC sized cards, mosaics (my favourite) etc. etc.

Voicethread
http://voicethread.com/
Add voice comments (as well as text comments) to a photo or photos - others can comment too - this is a real digital scrapbook.

Write it on Wednesday: Starting with one little word...

2007-09-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a way to create a whole LO based on a word.

When you start to write or journal about a subject, one way to start is to do a bit of research…

I’m still trying to bear in mind my word of the year TRANQUILLITY

First I looked in a dictionary:

1. an untroubled state; free from disturbances
2. a state of peace and quiet
3. a disposition free from stress or emotion

Then I looked in a thesaurus:

tranquil; calmness; composure, restful, serenity, repose

Then I did a Google search and noted some of the pages that seemed most relevant.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/tranquillity.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tranquility
http://www.cpre.org.uk/campaigns/landscape/tranquillity

The BBC page had a nice picture of bluebells – which reminded me of the picture I took at the crop in April outside the villa where there were beautiful bluebells… and that made me think of other tranquil places where I had taken pictures. And whenever I look at those pictures I feel more tranquil.

My final journalling reads:

An untroubled state
free from disturbances
A state of peace and quiet
Repose
A disposition free from stress or emotion
Serenity, calm, composure, equanimity
Ataraxia - peace of mind
A state I crave...

More Write it on Wednesday

Quotes about sharing...

2007-09-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

Sharing ...

... could be a title on any number of LOs - about children, about families...

or even an incentive to blog...

"Whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, so that all ingenious people might be informed thereof." Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with others." Robert Louis Stevenson

What does "sharing" mean to you? Does it have a spiritual meaning?

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” Buddha

"It's about sharing. You just give what you have to give wherever you go, and you let God handle the rest." Lindsay Wagner

This one could accompany almost any thoughtful photograph

“Our best thoughts come from others.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you have a LO abut a meal?

"Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.” M. F. K. Fishe

Scraplifting challenge

2007-09-24T05:30:00.001-07:00

I put my latest LO on the Chatterbox Chicks blog rather than here. It's a scraplift from Mojoholder blog. It hasn't really got much journalling on it! (Shame on me! - but it's one of those photos that tells its own story.)

Wedding quotes

2007-09-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

I was making a card for a silver anniversary, so I thought I would look out some sayings suitable for such a card.

Here are some of my favourites:

“There are three things that last:
faith, hope and love,
and the greatest of these is love.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:13

"Together you shall be for evermore...
but let there be spaces in your togetherness.
And let the winds of the heavens
dance between you." - Kahlil Gibran

Two human loves make one divine. Elizabeth Barrett Browning

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the wedding cup,
Whenever you're wrong, admit it;
Whenever you're right, shut up. - Ogden Nash

Love is the silent link
between heart and mind,
and the silver thread that
ties two souls together. - Flavia

Love is like a violin. The music may stop now and then, but the strings remain forever.
- June Master Bacher

Journalling Quizzes

2007-09-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

Simple Scrapbooks have some great quizzes available from their new book Scrapbook Play

Free on their website:

Best & Worst Quiz

My worst subject in school:

The best place I’ve ever lived:

The worst place I’ve ever lived:

By The Numbers: THEN Quiz

The age I actually got married at:

The age I’d go back to if I could:

The price of my first car:

By The Numbers: NOW Quiz, e.g.

Number of things in my junk drawer:

Number of televisions in my home:

Number of telephone numbers I can be reached at:

Just for Kids Quiz, e.g.,

What makes your family special?

Who in the world do you look the most like?

What’s one thing you’re really good at?

All About Things Quiz, e.g.,

One thing I’d grab if my house were on fire:

One thing I wish I could throw away:

One thing I’ll never, ever throw away:

http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/Playful%20Quizzes-SP.pdf

Write it on Wednesday: Knickering the elephant

2007-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Do you have any family sayings, words or phrases that are unique to yourselves, local dialect appropriated for your use, in-jokes and the like? These are great inspirations for a LO - write about how they came to be - or if you can't remember, just journal how these words are something that makes your family unique.

Here are two of mine:

Mouldywarps

My brother and youngest sister were, for some reason, known as the "Mouldywarps". There were four of us, so we split into pairs, the two older ones - the "girls" - and the two younger ones. Mouldywarp is apparently a dialect word for mole (though I must admit I always thought the Mouldywarp was a mole CATCHER)

What's odd is that in the next generation my son was fascinated by moles. It must be something about the boys in my family... With my son it was because of the story One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth - you'll have to read it to find out why! He has a much loved mole puppet or two and several mole china figures (Molennium...)

In E. Nesbitt's The House of Arden a contemporary boy, Edred, must be tested before he can become Lord Arden and restore the family fortunes. He meets the Mouldiwarp (a mole who appears on the family coat-of-arms).

Perhaps there are more mouldywarps around than I realised! But there isn't yet (at time of writing) a Wikipedia article about it.

Knickering the elephant

OK, it's a strange thing to say - but you'll see what I mean when I explain...

The bigger the duvet you have on your bed, the more difficult it is to change its cover. How do you do it? Do you dive inside? Turn it inside out and grab the corners? Get someone to help you - especially if it's a king-size?

This is such an awkward task that one of my parents (who might have thought it up or might have read or heard it somewhere) declared that it was "as difficult as trying to put knickers on an elephant".

So if you're in our house and someone asks you to "come and help me knicker the elephant", you will know what it means!

Go on, journal your own family words and phrases. It hardly even needs a photo, although the one to go with "knickering the elephant" should be quite interesting!

More Write it on Wednesday

Free time - what would you do?

2007-09-16T12:31:00.001-07:00

In her August blog as Scrapbooker of the Year 2006 for Creating Keepsakes, C D Muckosky suggests that "free time is a state of mind" (check out 30 August) .

She mentions that time in infant class when the teacher would say "it's free time" in other words, it is a time when you can freely choose what you want to do - to play, to experiment, to get dirty if you want, to play with things you wouldn't at any other time - because it is free time.

What if you had free time? What if you had permission to have free time?

What if I were to say to you... "This half day - this morning (or afternoon, or evening) - is free time, and you not only don't have to but MUST NOT think about anything else!"

What would you do with that time?

And it doesn't have to be scrapping - in fact for this exercise I'd like you not to think about scrapping, and to let your imagination go - transport and money are no problem - what would you choose to do? You're not allowed to do nothing, either, no sitting on beaches or going to sleep - assume you are rested and relaxed and raring to DO something - what might it be?

Jot down what you'd like to do: e.g.,

Go out on a bike
Play with paint
Swim in a river
Play guitar
Bake butterfly cakes

See how many things you can think of to take up your free time.

Two possibilities for the LO now:

First LO - find a picture of you - preferably a bit thoughtful - and do a LO entitled "I wish I were...." and make sure the words "Free time" are somewhere on the LO as well as the journalling you just did....

Second LO - go DO one of those things and make sure you get a photo of some kind either of you doing it or (if it's not possible - a picture representing the activity).

Reaching your goals

2007-09-14T00:28:00.000-07:00

I am in a difficult position at the moment - in four weeks' time I will be made redundant for the third time in three years. I work in a sector (HE) in which jobs are often dependent on transient funding. It's dispiriting to be in this position again. I find it very stressful. It seems I just get into a job and start doing some good, and it's over.

I don't have a HUGE goal in life - I just want my family to be happy, and to do some good in society, preferably by using my particular skills to help others learn. I don't want to rock the world...

I guess that if you have something to aim for sometimes it takes a LONG time to reach it. But a big goal perhaps keeps you more on track while you're waiting.

I was reading recently about teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, who was 55 when she finally made it into space on the August space shuttle mission. She's been waiting over 21 years for her goal of getting into space... She had trained as a back-up to fellow teacher Christa McAuliffe for the 1986 Challenger shuttle mission. But on January 28, 1986, Challenger exploded 73 seconds after blast-off, killing all seven aboard, including McAuliffe, and delaying for two decades Morgan's own aspirations to carry out a mission with the elite astronaut corps. She had to become a fully fledged astronaut when NASA banned civilians from its flights, and had yet another setback after the Columbia disaster in 2003: she was due to fly on its next mission. How wonderful must it have been, at the age of 55, that she finally achieved her dream!

In February 1990 Nelson Mandela was freed after spending 27 years in prison. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with FW de Klerk in 1993 for their efforts to transform South African society. In the first multi-racial elections in the country's history he was elected president and his party the ANC won 252 of the 400 seats in the national assembly.

Writer John Creasey faced up to 743 rejection slips before he was first published. Now over sixty million of his crime novels have been published.

There are more interesting tales of early rejection and later success at the Handling Rejection website.

So I shouldn't give up, I guess? If only I knew what my big goal was, I'd have something to hold onto!

Now - what are YOUR goals? What's the big thing you'd like to achieve? Make it into a plaque and put it above your computer to remind you. OK I'm getting a bit Ali Edwards here - but giving meaning to your life can transform it in many ways. I know I'm just floundering at the moment - with a bit of focus I will get so much more done - I just need to find that focus!

Some goals:

For my family to be happy
to be healthy and fit
to be calm
to have a worthwhile job
to help people
to make more friends

Write it on Wednesday: why do you blog?

2007-09-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting thread on UKScrappers recently when someone asked "Why do you blog?"

Answers ranged from the simple
"I blog for me"
to the casual
"It's a bit of fun"
"Because people told me I should"
to the purposeful
"To have a record of what I've made"
"As an online gallery"
"to share my latest layouts and projects"

I particularly liked Susan(scoobiesue)'s comment that she "wanted to remember when I had done what (also makes journalling on LOs easier!)"

And that's the crux of the matter - if you blog, then you should have a head start on journalling. You can even post the photos along with the writing and you've got a scrapbook-within-a-blog as a backup for if you never get around to scrapping the photos for real.

As you may have noticed in this blog, I often alter a photo to make a very plain mock-up - not really a digi page, but something that approximates what I might do when I get the chance to scrap for real.

And why do I blog?

I write a lot, and teach writing, and while I'm not a good scrapper I thought that by sharing tips and techniques for journalling I could give something back to the community that has given me so much inspiration in the visual sense!
Thanks so much, scrappers!

More Write it on Wednesday

Random creativity quotes

2007-09-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a random quote widget. It will produce a new creative quote every time the page is loaded (which means this post is forever changing...)

provided by FocalPower

No Write it on Wednesday this week?

2007-09-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

OK, I hold up my hands. I am guilty. I have not blogged enough this week! That's because I've been at a conference with work and while I've had a little time to blog, I have been writing about the conference on my work blog so no time for scrapping. I had some great ideas for this week too... expect a storm of blog entries on here soon!

I've been trying live blogging - that's when you blog as you go - while you're listening to a lecture, or I suppose for scrappers, while you're in the middle of a crop... People were live blogging from CHA weren't they? It often includes pics...

me blogging...

Journalling jar #2

2007-09-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a poem that goes on the journalling jar.
And the instructions that go with it.

Either look pretty printed onto a tag tied round the neck of the jar with a ribbon.
Alternatively one can form the label on the jar.

Poem

Preserve your memories,
Seal them up well.
What you forget,
You can never retell.
Writing it all at once is a lot to ask...
But bit by bit you can complete the task!

Instructions

This little jar celebrates something very important - YOU!
All you need to do is take out one slip of paper each day.
Write the question or topic at the top of a blank page in your
journal and begin to tell all about it.
Just tell your story about YOU!

Journalling Jar

2007-09-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago I made my mum a journalling jar for Christmas. The idea is that you print out all the journal prompts and cut them into strips, pop them all into a pretty decorated jar and give as a present with a pretty notebook. Or make the jar for yourself!

These are the questions I used. Some of them will be applicable to everyone, others might prompt you to write your own depending on the recipient's age and background.

Tell something about each of your children, their personalities, their talents and traits that make them different and special.
Describe your favourite holiday since you were married.
Tell about home cures or old wives tales, hiccups, toothaches, earaches, and arthritis.
Where were you and what were you doing the day the wall came down in Germany?
Describe your wedding dress.
Write a description of your husband or wife.
What does retirement mean to you?
Describe your mother's wedding dress. What do you know about her wedding?
Where did you live as a child? Town, country, suburb, etc?
What is your greatest joy, your greatest sorrow?
Do you have a favourite author? Why? Who? Tell about your favourite books as a child and as n adult.
What do you feel have been the most significant world events that have taken place in your lifetime and why?
Describe the most serious illness or accident that you have had.
What are you reading at the moment? What do books mean to you?
Describe your yard as a child - what are your memories? Draw a diagram if you can.
Tell about Family Reunions.
Tell about your teenage social life. Your friends, dances, dating, outings, church functions etc.
Can you remember your first day – at school, University…
What was your first job?
What would you like to be remembered for?
Describe your first home as a young couple.
What lessons did you take as a child? Did you carry any over into adulthood?
What were the favourite places to go with your family when you were young?
Tell about any ancestors that you know about. Names, dates, etc. for historical purposes and any stories about them.
Tell about anniversaries, celebrations, trips, and gifts.
What were your fears, expectations, and anticipations about getting married?
Tell about a special date you had with a boyfriend or your fiance.
What is your mother's best trait? Worst? What are the traits you share?
What is your father's best trait? Worst? What are the traits you share?
One word on how to live successfully.
How do you feel about winning? Losing?
Tell a courtship story about your parents, how they met etc...
Tell the same about your own courtship.
Describe a favourite childhood friend and something you did with her or him.
Tell about your grandchildren - how do you feel about being a grandparent? How did you feel after the first time of becoming a grandparent? How does it feel now?
Have you met or worked with famous people? Who? Where?
How did you become engaged?
What is the most wonderful thing that ever happened to you and the worst?
What is your child rearing philosophy?
Describe your Sundays as a mother or as a child.
What can frighten you the most and why?
Do you wish you had more sisters or brothers, and why?
Tell about your favourite aunt.
What is the most exciting place that you have ever been to and why?
What was your worst, really embarrassing moment?
What games did you play as a child - inside and outside?
Where did your Grandparents live? What was their home like? Did it have a certain smell or look?
Tell about your favourite aunt or uncle.
Did you have a close relationship with your grandparents? Tell about it.
Tell how, when, where you learned to drive and any memorable experiences.
Tell about each of your children's names, birth date, where, doctors, circumstances surrounding the birth, bringing them up, problems, joys etc.
How did you like being the youngest(/eldest/middle etc.) child? What were the advantages or disadvantages?
Tell about a frustrating experience that you have had with a car.
What is your advice to those younger than you?
What sports clubs did/do you belong to? What did/does the sport mean to you?
Did you and your father share any interests together? What and why?
What is your favourite part of scripture and why?
Describe a childhood Christmas.
Describe a typical day in primary school.
What did you do when you were a child that got you in the most trouble and how did your parents handle it?
How did you feel about school?
Do you remember any of your four grandparents? Any greats? What were their names? Any memories that you have.
Tell about your mother: personality, characteristics, stature, coloring, talents, temperament, family stories about her, her role in your home, etc.
What is your personal secret of happiness?
Describe a perfect spring day and activities on that day.
What is the most important lesson, message, or advice that you have learned that you might pass on to others?
Thinking back, was there a teacher who had a great influence on you?
Tell about your own family traditions. Christmas, Easter, birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals, first communions, confirmations etc.
Describe a childhood birthday.
What personality trait do you admire and why?
Did you have a favourite TV or radio program as a child? Tell about it.
Did it snow much when you were a child? Tell something about it, what did you do?
Write about some places you went with your father.
Write about some places that you went with your mother.
Write about some places that you went with your sibling/s.
What do you think about films - what is your favourite film and why?
If you could be an animal, which one would you choose and why?
Describe a typical day during your secondary school years.
What kind of extra-curricular activities did you participate in at school?
Tell about the house you lived in during your childhood.
What do you think brings good or bad luck?
Tell about all the places you have worked.
Tell about your siblings. What made them the people they were? How did they change from childhood to adulthood?
Tell an evacuation story about you or your siblings.
Tell about the war where you grew up.
Describe your wedding day.
What are your food preferences and how did they come about?

Write it on Wednesday: inspiration from quotes

2007-08-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite quotes is something like:

"It's not the days in your life that count, but the life in your days."

I've seen it attributed to Brian White and, as
"Don't seek more days in your life but more life in your days", to Charles Swindoll

Inspirational quotes can inspire titles and journalling. It's one of the simplest ways to journal - you hardly have to write anything yourself there are so many great quotes to choose from. (See my post here for some great sites for quotes and sayings.)

Here's today's starter for ten...

"It's not what you do in life ..."

Decide on your own ending to the quote: choose one of these or make up your own to suit your picture and the story you want to scrap! e.g.

... that matters - it's who you are.
... it's what you finish! (Katherine Hepburn)
... that counts, it's what you bring to what you do that counts.
... it's the way that you do it.
... that counts, it's where you left your mark in things you tried to do that counts.
... that makes you who you are, it's who you are that makes you do what you do. (Cirek Brecy)
... that counts, but how much you enjoy doing whatever you do.

photo by monceau

More Write it on Wednesday

Ways to add journalling

2007-08-27T03:10:00.000-07:00

Anyone who wants inspiration about where to put journalling on your page could do worse than check out the online gallery of your choice. While not all LOs have journalling, there are many and varied ways that other people have added journalling.

Here are five of my favourite ways;

Tags are definitely a favourite: I use them on the LO both visible and hidden, often several tags tucked behind a photo.
Cutting out the words of a short amount of journalling separately makes an attractive feature

Here's a simple journalling block - position it like an extra photograph.

I have printed journalling on transparencies or vellum - this one is attached with brads

Here I've made a feature of the journalling by printing and then cutting out an appropriate design.

No longer around (step by step)

2007-08-25T05:45:00.000-07:00

When I saw Becky Fleck’s August RoundMaps I knew I wanted to try out the round format for a LO.

So obviously – “round” became a theme. What pictures did I have with something round in them? I was immediately reminded of my guinea pig, Button, now no longer around (!), but whom I miss when I’m chopping (usually round!) vegetables. He had a round white crest on the top of his head.

I haven’t got very good pictures of him – the rest of him was black so contrast was always a problem – and guinea pigs aren’t good at keeping still for the camera! But nonetheless I wanted to scrap my feelings about how surprisingly much I miss him and his brother Blaze.

So this time – I just started with “I miss …” and continued to write down how I felt.

I miss our guinea pigs Blaze and Button most when I am chopping up vegetables for cooking. I used to put the cauliflower leaves and the broccoli stalks to one side for the piggies. They did love their veg. We even bought organic carrots so the pesticides wouldn’t harm them. I miss their squeaks in the morning too. They used to recognize the noise of the kettle going on and start squeaking madly for their breakfast vegetables.

For the second LO I used the same sketch, but I used my experience from the first one. Firstly I chose less brightly coloured papers because in the Piggie LO I thought the colours distracted attention from the photo. I also picked papers that continued the circle theme.

This time I used a photograph of arches – again that circular motif. And in my journalling I asked the question: what was significant about those arches?

Andy Goldsworthy’s Arches were a feature at his exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. J and I have been interested in Goldsworthy’s work for some time and Easter Monday 2007 was an opportunity to actually see many pieces (although we couldn’t photograph most of them because photos of the pieces are also his art). The [others in our party] enjoyed it too.

"English" & British slang titles

2007-08-23T01:33:00.000-07:00

After seeing a great list of Australian slang titles and some wonderful Scots ones (how lucky the Scots are to have English AND lots of wonderful dialect words to use), I thought I'd start compiling a list of uniquely English words and phrases for titles. We have too much US influence (down with cupcakes!)

Plodging (NE slang for paddling)
Time for tea
Two for tea
Nosh
Lubbly Jubbly!
London Calling!
Bonkers
Giddy up!
You’re A star (A* grade)
Pearly princess
Top Gear
Exterminate!
X-Factor
Yorkshire Pudding
We’re all going on a Summer Holiday!
Specs appeal
Ground Force
Telly Addict
Anyone for a beer?
One for the road
Angel of the North
Wotcha!
Gotcha!
Alright Petal!
Wet wet wet ... (after the summer we've had!)

If you've done or can think of any uniquely English titles, please let me know in the comments?

Write it on Wednesday - five little words

2007-08-22T02:32:00.000-07:00

Today’s Write it on Wednesday idea is really easy.

Find a picture that you love, or that you think you should scrap

Jot down FIVE words that come to mind to describe or relate to the picture or the story behind it.

You can stop there and use those words to embellish your layout. Here are some ways to add the words:

print onto patterned paper and cut out into separate strips
add using rub-ons
write in your own handwriting
use small alpha stamps
use letter stickers

OR try now developing the words into a sentence or sentences

Add to your LO as a journalling block or a series of journalling strips

Here is my photo - from a holiday in Cornwall 3 years ago.

Here are my five words:

labyrinth/maze
prehistoric?
fake?
Rocky Valley (OK that's two really...)
flood

Here they are developed into phrases/sentences:

I love mazes of all kinds.
Is this prehistoric?
or a Victorian fake?
in beautiful Rocky Valley
that was destroyed just two weeks later by the flood that also drowned Boscastle.

Here's a digi sketch of how the page might look (needs a lot of development!)

Now try it for yourself!

More Write it on Wednesday

Quotations, quotes, sayings, titles and journalling

2007-08-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

Where to find quotes, quotations and sayings for your scrapbook pages...

Denny’s Quotes: http://www.dennydavis.net/index.html Amazingly comprehensive

Simple Scrapbooks magazine Quote Archive: http://www.simplescrapbooksmag.com/quotes/

Two Peas Pea Soup: http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/res.asp

Scrapbook.com: http://www.scrapbook.com/quotes.php

Scrapbooking Quotes: http://www.stickersnfun.com/quotes.asp with some interesting Australian slang...

The Quote Garden (not specifically scrapbooking): http://www.quotegarden.com/

Brainy Quote (not specifically scrapbooking): http://www.brainyquote.com/

You can also personalise your Google homepage (see http://www.igoogle.com/) and include inspirational quotes every day as one or more of the elements.

Mine come from Quotations of the Day
http://www.quotationspage.com/qotd.html

and

The Quotations Page
http://www.quotationspage.com/

My favourite quotation of all time?

' Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.' William Morris

Now there’s a challenge to scrapbook!

Write it on Wednesday: Adapting layout designs for journalling

2007-08-15T02:31:00.000-07:00

How fabulous are these layouts?
Luzinha
Most inspiring! Love 'em.

I'm not sure why I am so attracted to LOs that have just one picture and little or no journalling, when what I want to do is try to scrap more multi-photo pics and tell stories. I ask myself how do I follow inspiration like this and still remain true to the journalling imperative. What if the LO you want to scraplift, or the sketch you want to follow doesn't have journalling on it?

Here are some ideas for adapting LOs or sketches:

1. Hidden journalling: a tag slipped behind a large photo
2. Hidden journalling: the main pic is hinged and lifts like a flap for journalling underneath
3. Hidden extra photos: as above - but put extra photos as well as journalling
4. Minibook: use a minibook with a big photo on the front instead of a single pic
5. Journal on the back of the LO!
6. Journal around the picture or around the edge of the LO (creating journalling that forms part of the design is a whole other story - but look back at Luzinha's Relax for a brilliant example)
7. Replace one of the embellishments with a journalling block
8. Journal on a small piece of paper or cardstock folded concertina-wise and tucked under an embellishment

Today's journalling prompt:

I love this photo because...

More Write it on Wednesday

Splash - Hidden Journalling

2007-08-12T03:57:00.000-07:00

Here's an example of hidden journalling. The photos of me aren't very good (tempting to say not good or important enough to scrap), but when I started thinking about journalling about myself, my likes and dislikes, I realised these pictures express something important - I love water - the sea in particular (which for someone living in the middle of England, too far from the sea for a day out, is a bit sad...).

My UKS teamie Nicki challenged us on the Chatterbox Chicks blog to "scrap a beach photo or photos with non traditional papers".

As I've been working on a series of posts about hidden journalling, I thought I would include it on the layout as an embellishment, so I created a little folded card tied with ribbon and finished with pretty flowers.

The journalling reads: I love the sea! I adore swimming or even paddling. This was in Bournemouth before we had children – me in a daring leopard-print suit, splashing in the shallows! (and my signature)

Supplies: Prism black cardstock from Scrapajack (for an unusual beach LO!), my favourite K'ology Addison paper & stickers, Cratepaper Wildflower chipboard alphabet, MM brads, Prima Bubbles flowers, a Craft Robo-cut seahorse and confetti and gems from a now closed shop. Definitely NOT a cardstock only LO.

Hope it's appropriate Nicki!

Write it on Wednesday - Journalling the moment

2007-08-08T01:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you're there and you know that something is important and should be remembered, and as a scrapper - you know how. But don't forget the journalling ...

My daughter went out and bought a new summer dress with money her grandmother had given her "to buy something pretty". It is a very pretty dress indeed and very different from the teenage black and muddy colours she often wears.

So out we went in the garden to take a photo to send to her grandmother so she could she what DD had bought. DD said that she could see in my eyes as she was posing - there's a scrapbook page coming up!

Indeed before the end of the day I'd printed the best pic, and scrapped the page. It had a great title - It Must be Summer! (if even DD is buying strappy dresses...) At first it lacked journalling - but that ignores some of the most important parts of the memory...

The question(s) to ask...
Why did I scrap this page?
What is the most significant thing about it?

The title and subtitle are important - who, when and where are important but the main answer is: All in one day

So I've journalled discreetly in the "white space" of this LO.

Name & Date
Subtitle
Journalling: All in one day: A bought this dress with money from Nana C for "something pretty". we took the photo in the garden and I scrapped this page. Too pretty to miss!

So take a look at your page and ask yourself

Why did I scrap this page?
What is the most significant thing about it?
Who, what and where?

And make sure you find somewhere to add these details - even if the journalling is hidden.

More Write it on Wednesday

All About Me - Page prompts

2007-08-06T06:08:00.000-07:00

Make a time-line of significant events in your life.
Make a list of favourites - books, food, films, places, colours, clothes
Take one of those internet quizzes: use the questions or the results.
Jot down 7 random things about yourself.
What activity and/or place and/or person/people make(s) you happy?
Get your partner/sister/kids to write down some words that mean "you" to them...
A life in a day - write about a typical (or nontypical day!) in your life!
See how many words and phrases you can jot down that you feel describe you.

My Quiz answers...

What's your ideal job? A successful writer
What do people tend not to like about you? Short temper!
What makes you happiest in life? Being with family
Click your heels and make a wish. What did you wish for? Continued health for all my family and a return to health for some of the older members

Free class - Colouring-in your life

2007-08-03T05:24:00.000-07:00

After a revamp of the look of this blog, I'm going to post my free scrapbook journalling classes in one place so they can be found easily. Of course, there's also inspiration, quotes and advice about journalling all through the blog (You can find some here), especially "Write it on Wednesday".

Also - if anyone has a problem with journalling and would like some help, just make a comment on any post (giving me info about your issue) and I'll reply with some help in a new post. I'm here to help you!

The first free class "Colouring-in your life" has been on the blog for a while, but here it is collected together for you.

Part 1: Thinking in Colour, Sunday 14 January
Part 2: Exploring Colour, Saturday 20 January
Part 3: Colour in Scrapbooking, Friday 2 February
Part 4: Colour me a Layout, Friday 2 February
Extra for those with Firefox browsers: Colour picker widget

Hope you enjoy the class. Please comment with a link to your LO if you have a go :)

The free classes will be collected on the right hand side, just below my slideshow :)

New (to me!) dare/challenge blogs

2007-08-03T04:16:00.001-07:00

From around the world some interesting dare/challenge blogs...

How Dare You? (Australia)
All About Eve (mostly US but international)
One Little Word (inspired by my fave scrapper Ali Edwards)
How much is too much? (US)
SALT (a scrappers'/cardmakers'/altered art faith blog from the UK & international)

Write it on Wednesday - the secrets of stress-free journalling

2007-08-01T02:45:00.000-07:00

A weekly series to kickstart your journalling

First: The principles of stress-free journalling:

Keep a notebook or file of journalling or, better still, journal in an online document or blog that is searchable (or transfer written notes to online)
Journal when you haven't time or space to scrap
Keep your journalling notebook with you (it can be a mini notebook in your handbag!) and journal when you take photos.

It's Wednesday and it's sunny:

Journalling prompt for 1st August

What was the best summer you ever had?

Where were you? Where did you go?
What activities did you take part in?
Who else was there?

I remember the summer of '76 - the hottest summer in my lifetime. I'd just finished Lower Sixth and life was good. We spent a lot of time lazing around the outdoor swimming pool in the park in a nearby town, and planning the next year's holiday - after our A-levels - when we were going to backpack in Europe.

Lawnmower man

2007-07-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

There were various techniques I said I wanted to try and here is the result of

Using ric-rac to frame a picture
Cutting out gears on the Robo and using them for a boy LO
a monochrome colour scheme

AND I used my brand new foam stamps and 15-year old paints to try a foam stamped title for the first time since I tried it once at my first crop - a class that Lorna taught.

OK, so I got one of the letters upside down! Not perfect
But I'm quite pleased with it. NICE new foam stamps!

Techniques I’d like to try

2007-07-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

Just a few...

Using ric-rac to frame a picture
Using just cardstock, photos and stamps (although this actually has a blossom in it too!)
Cutting out gears on the Robo and using them for a boy LO
Using cardtock for backgrounds, e.g., cardstock lace or something like this
Use more buttons ...
LOTS of white space and a monochrome colour scheme
Try PBear’s example of “drawing” from a photo (even though I’ll probably be pants at it!)
Create a whole LO on a slant
Using LOTS of ribbons in circle or half circle
Try using lots of patterned papers!
Use one photo cut into three panels
A really fast LO – just throw it all together...
Crop a photograph that’s already printed (rather than resizing and taking ages in Photoshop and printing out the final result)

Top organisation tips

2007-07-27T02:58:00.000-07:00

I've been surfing for "get organised" tips again. It's what i do to avoid having to actually deal with the big problem of (mostly paper) clutter. And with the craft stuff and my home office being at the top of the list to organise, I procrastinate as much as possible!

Today's tips:

Assign various projects color-coded work folders. When papers cross your desk, mark them with the color of the folder in which they should be kept.
Record mail you need to act on in a daily planner along with the list of jobs to do - although, it's better to have a "Will Do" list not a "To do" list!
When establishing a filing system use plastic carrier bags to sort out things into categories. It's difficult to estimnate at first what categories will be biggest - this way you "file" until everything's sorted then you know exactly what's needed and can subdivide.
Plan meals at least a week and preferably a month in advance (I have meal plans dating back years - I can just recycle!)

Ali Edwards' forthcoming book

2007-07-24T03:31:00.000-07:00

Oo-er - think I might have to buy this one when it comes out! I think I am becoming the world's biggest Ali fan. She really seems to speak to me!

Lots of scrapping

2007-07-23T00:32:00.001-07:00

I did several LOs over the weekend. But I can't post most of them - they are too personal.

I did try several new techniques as well - one DLO has 13 pictures on it - it's about my first business trip to the US so it wasn't worth more than a couple of pages. I was going to put on a postcard when I realised that the back of the postcard was more interesting because it was one that I sent to my husband at the time and it really tells the story. This is the other half of that LO.

I've set aside most of the other pics from that trip, but I'll keep two small sets for two more LOs - a lovely pic of me all dressed up - all ready for a "What a difference 23 years makes!" layout - and some pics of me demonstrating online (which was my job even back then) - after all, how many people can say they have been online for 23 years?

Transitions and changes

2007-07-19T02:29:00.000-07:00

Ali Edwards, in one of her Studio A columns (PDF file) for Creating Keepsakes magazine talks about documenting transitions in one’s life. Every one of Ali’s layouts set off a lightbulb in my head. I’ve never been a chronological scrapper and I don’t stick to albums of particular people either. Ali’s attitude exactly suits the way I want to document the essence of the moment, the feelings, the traditions, the way we are or were at a point in time.

I am at a point of transition now. It has been crystallised by Scrapdolly’s All Work and No Play challenge. I just can’t do the challenge – the prompts are too painful. My work situation is uncertain and I’m not sure what to do for the best. I am so unsure that I took on a career counsellor, and I couldn’t even begin to answer the first set of questions she sent me.

So scrapping and journalling other times of transition in my life are strangely comforting in helping me decide where to go from here.

Here are some titles:

Transitions
Changes
What a difference a year makes
From X to Y
My new XXX
A tapestry of changes
Transformation
Differences

And some quotations to inspire:

"It is not the years but the changes that make us grow." - Neal Maxwell
"All appears to change when we change." - Henri-Frédéric Amiel
"BE the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James A. Baldwin
"Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me." - Carol Burnett

Here are some journalling prompts to add to Ali’s great article.

What was the most significant transition in your life?
I changed when ...
What I wish most was different is ...
When I look back, I see I coped with change by ...
If I could go back in time for just one hour and change something it would be when...

Ali Edwards Archives

2007-07-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

I'e just discovered via Ali Edwards' blog that she has an archive of wonderful articles - her Studio A articles from Creating Keepsakes magazine. I rarely get to see the magazine because it's American and I rarely go anywhere that I can buy British scrapbook mag (s) let alone American ones. So this is a really inspiring find.

The only thing is - I want to rush off and start scrapbooking and that isn't possible right now.

Vertical titles

2007-07-16T02:02:00.000-07:00

I saw some stamps that had interesting vertical titles, so I started creating some of my own.

Here are the ways these images can be used:

1) Print backwards on a transparency and use as a home-made rub-on
2) Trace for craft robo - (GSD available as soon as I get the chance...)
3) Print on card or patterned paper and mat onto LO
4) Print on base cardstock (print on a strip and cover the join with ribbon/paper etc.)

A Dragon for the Craft Robo

2007-07-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

I needed a dragon to match one on my husband's T-shirt, so here it is for anyone else to use!
The GSD is at UKS

Keeping track of those useful sites

2007-07-09T01:27:00.000-07:00

You know the feeling... you know you saw that information, that layout, that sketch, but can you remember where it is?

Use your blog to keep track of these sites! Not only will you be able to find them again yourself, but you are also providing an inspirational service for your readers.

For example in this blog I know there are links to Matching Bazzill pages and an interactive colour picker widget.

The next thing to remember to do is to tag your posts appropriately so that you can find them again without having to look through every blog post.

Sayings and poems for couples

2007-07-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

Suitable sayings and poems for weddings, anniversaries, engagements and civil partnership ceremonies

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. - Mignon McLaughlin

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments: love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds.

- William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), Sonnet

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances:
if there is any reaction, both are transformed. - Carl Jung

To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides. - David Viscott

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.
- Khalil Gibran

My true love hath my heart, and I have his,
By just exchange one for another given:
I hold his dear, and mine he can not miss,
There never was a better bargain driven:
- Philip Sydney

i carry your heart with me
by e. e. cummings
i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

We must not sever, you and I,
The world is cruel, friends are few;
Let us be steadfast faithfully,
I and you. - JJW

May you have laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire
May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward

A thousand welcomes to you two today, may you be healthy all your days. May you be blessed with long life and peace, may you grow old with goodness, and with riches.

Some quotes and sayings about aging

2007-07-02T00:30:00.000-07:00

I'm often looking for quotes and verses to put inside cards for the older generation. Or indeed, to put on a scrapbook LO about older relatives. Here are some I've found recently:

Some people, no matter how old they get,
never lose their beauty - they merely move
it from their faces into their hearts.

So Life's year begins and closes;
Days, though short'ning, still can shine;
Though youth gave us love and roses,
Age still leaves us friends and wine.

Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age.
Sometimes age just shows up
all by itself.

Like a beautiful rose unfolding
as the summer day begins...
may your special day unfold into happiness.

A birthday is a time to plan ahead and to dream
of all the beautiful things that life has to offer.

Anyone can count the years... it's much more fun to count the joys along the way.

Birthdays are Like Bumper Stickers
You enjoy other people's, but you don't really want one for yourself.
Happy Birthday!

The great thing about getting older is that
You don't lose all the other ages you've been. -Madeleine L'Engle

Matching Bazzill Colours

2007-06-29T01:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the ladies on UKS here's some links to lists of matching Bazzill colours for patterned scrapbook papers.
http://www.rememberthemoments.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=5
and
Cath's fileshare
acknowledging the It's a Creative World Blog

Creative ways with dates (Write it on Wednesday)

2007-06-27T01:13:00.000-07:00

Some of the most basic questions to answer on your layouts are:

Who is in the picture?

Where was it taken? and

When was it taken?

Dates usually have great significance for scrapbookers. Even if you don’t scrap chronologically, it’s nice to record when a photo was taken. I often look at photos of my two when they were tiny and think – they’re around 2 and 5 or maybe it’s 3 and 6 even 4 and 7 – believe you me, I didn’t think I would forget so fast!

Here are some ways to put the date on your LOs.

1. I saw a lovely way of putting the date on a mini-album – of course I can’t find it now I want to link to it to show you! – it was a photograph of fours stones artfully arranged with the figures making up the year 2 0 0 6 painted on them (or maybe it was rubons).

2. I did something similar by writing the date in the sand and using a photo on my Plodger LO.

3. Velvet stickers

4. Numbers from your favourite alphabet range

5. Chipboard numbers – painted and/or glittered

6. Hand cut or Robo cut in any colour or font that you can imagine!

7. Dymo

8. Handwritten

9. Date stamp (the kind you get in stationery stores for offices)

10. Rubons

11. Paint / foam stamps

12. Small alpha/numeric stamp sets

13. Printed on the computer as part of the journalling

14. Postcard or letter frank with the date on - or some other souvenir that dates the photos clearly, like a major event (see Tall Ships Race, below)

15. Be creative with the title so that it references the date or time of year ... here’s my example:

Simplified scrapbooking

2007-06-26T14:16:00.001-07:00

Ooh here's something I found interesting and useful!

How to organise yourself, scrapping-wise, by Aby Garvey. A link from the latest (July/August) Simple Scrapbooks on their website, of course!

I've got one or two of the Simple Scrapbooks books. There are definitely elements of the method that appeal!

Inspiration

2007-06-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

A scrapper can get her inspiration from the strangest places...

My husband took me and four friends out to a local restaurant (Memsaab) to celebrate his birthday. The food was magnificent because they had an award-winning chef in on a special visit from London. (Don't ask how much the meal cost, I couldn't sleep afterwards for thinking about it, but then, we rarely get out.)

Where the inspiration came in (as well as the food!) was the feedback card they left for customers to fill in. You know the type of thing: where did you hear about us, how was the food, the service, the surroundings? Well they didn't get it back - despite being excellent in all respects - because look how pretty it is - wonder if I can adapt that for a LO?

Those LOs I did the other day

2007-06-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Just to prove I DO sometimes scrap! A Cathy Zielske scraplift and a Scrappers Unlimited class.

. .

Is it good to be silly?

2007-06-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

"Mix a little foolishness with your prudence: It's good to be silly at the right moment."
- Horace, Roman lyric poet & satirist (65 BC - 8 BC)

My family tell me I am always complaining and am never happy.

I guess I'm not a naturally easy-going type. Not an optimist as such...

But "never" happy?

I do believe in duty and responsibility and being serious, but I am often playful - but perhaps it's only ever online, in my blogs or forums or emails. I find it difficult to "mix foolishness with prudence" and let things go.

I wonder if I have any pictures of myself being "silly at the right moment"?

It's unlikely that I would have permitted such a photo to be taken.

Do I dare?

If you already have such a pic then you probably don't know what I'm talking about. But if you understand where I'm coming from - then you probably need to lighten up too, so go get a "silly pic" taken and send me the link via comment!

Go scrap!

2007-06-20T02:52:00.000-07:00

I have a day off today. Sort of. I work 4 days a week and fit some freelance and voluntary work into the other day plus spare time. I was overwhelmed so I thought that I would have an extra day off work this week to concentrate on some of my other projects. But it's nearly 11 am and all I've managed to do is have a bath...

So - I ask myself the question:

"What can you do today
that at the end of the day
will allow you to sit back and say
'today was a really successful day'."

Most of my projects need loads of work doing on them - none of them are at that point where I can make a big breakthrough and feel that rush of success! I need some "two-minute" jobs that I've been procrastinating about...

Relaxing is definitely on my list! So that's ticked off {sigh}
Apply to renew my passport
Put entries in all of my blogs (but NOT spend time on the forums!)
Some housework is needed, but to get a success in shortest time... the bathroom...

and of course what would give me a big fillip of satisfaction would be to complete a LO, or better still, three LOs. That really would have me saying I've succeeded in something today, as I get so little time to scrap and haven't done any this month {gasp}. So: post at least one on this blog by the end of the day!

I can recommend this question if you're ever at a loose end.

Tell me (via comment!) what would make today (whatever day you read this) a success for you? And then - did you accomplish it?

Take my breath away...

2007-06-18T00:45:00.000-07:00

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

Lewis Hamilton won his second Grand Prix yesterday in the United States. His rise to sucess certainly takes my breath away.

This week, do something different. Scrap a layout about the things that take your breath away - maybe you have a picture of a moment, but more likely you don't, so you have to be creative about this layout.

What takes my breath away? A very strong wind! Or probably, the winsomeness of a child...

Colour picker

2007-06-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting widget that helps you pick co-ordinating colours - useful if designing webpages, but also good for colours of any kind!

And of course - brilliant for helping you work out the colour palette for a scrapbook page!

Only works in Firefox, I'm afraid. If you have Internet Explorer, you won't be able to see it properly.