Ningin'

So the theme is for our ning challenge this month is "She...", what a great theme!  I decided to make it all about ME!!! I think it is soooo important to take time out and have a think about what is going on in our lives. Take a deep breath, look around, work out what we have, what we need, what we need to get rid of. I am always taking measure of what is in my life just so that I can take the time to be truly grateful for the simple joys and value not the aquisitions but the experiences. I am sooooo blessed because the one thing that makes me ME is the people around that I love and that love me. And my true blessing comes from knowing that I have the most wonderful people "on my side". The truest, deepest, stoic, faithful kind of friends, the ones that are so much more than a person who you happen to know. The kind of friends that make your heart sing when your in their space, make the world clearer and brighter, make it all make sense and if not, make it easier to accept. And of course, with out a doubt, number 1 is my beautiful Yang. It was such a lovely surprise to find this photo in a bunch of photos that my Dad has. I was really really uplifted to see in front of me such a display of affection (even though we are the most soppy, hand holdy, cuddly, kissy, fingers-down-your-throat-gaggy couple you've ever seen). Thank you dear friends, thank you soul sisters, thank you beautiful man who makes the air fill my lungs and my eyes open to the world everyday and makes my heart race (still to this day).


(Don't forget if you take part in our ning challenge you could win a $25 store voucher, so pop over here and join in!)


Take care of each other,
see you soon.
M

A break to catch up...

It has been a quite a while since I have updated, but before you think I have forgotten about my blog I should have let you know that I have given up my internet for Lent. But 40 days seems like an awfully long time to not let you know how things are going. However, I am like a little mushroom at the moment, not having read anyones blogs, hearing all the good news secondhand (Linda's going to be getting a rather excited email soon!!!! 8-D ). I am not breaking my Lenten fast but I am going to give you a quickie-bite of something I have been up to.


This is my sketch interpretation from my first Scrap-a-Sketch class we had a few weeks ago. I will be taking my camera to my next class so I can show you some of the beautiful pages the girls are making. The Sketch class is really fantastic!! It's so social and fun and the girls are making their own pages, and (I hope) getting lots of useful tips and techniques too! They have set the bar high this fortnight, they would like to see crackle paint!! So a nice big crackly layout is on the cards this week!




Take care of each other,
see you soon!
M

So You Think You Can Scrap...

So what does the staff from a scrapbook store do to celebrate the end of the year and spend quality time together for the festive season...?
Have a scrap of course!!! So at the end of last year we had a fantastic work scrap! It was Natalie, Kelsey, Mel, Jenny, Vicki (from our DT) and Me! What do we do to spice things up...? (I just know these are all questions you have been asking yourself this whole time, tehehe!) We have mystery challenge! Each of us bought in a pack from our own stash at home to the value of $10 or so, and we put them in and pulled one out each, lucky dip style, making sure not to grab our own (that would just be cheating). We then had an hour and a half to make something with what we had. We could add colour and bits and bobs but the bulk had to be out of our "pack". We then put it up for the customers to vote on and who ever got the most votes was in line for a most gorgeous tool tin that Jenny had made. And the winner was... ME!!!! Talk about blown away!! Thanks to all the girls that voted and in particular the ones who voted for my little canvas. Thanks to Jenny for packing in G45 paper, tags, dress form and wings! This thing just made itself!!



I am almost sure that they are all still at the store, scattered around for everyone to see, but I will also remind the other girls to put up something on their blogs so you can take a peek.
Take care of each other,
see you soon.
M

Sharing

It has been awhile, but here is a quick update with a "share"!
I had a fantastic class on Sunday with the girls in my Intro/Basics class!  We played with lots of design and layout ideas and then had a play with making our own embellishments with Opals! And I asked the girls what they would like to do in the next class... drum role please... CHIPBOARD!! So I am whipping up a sample, with heaps of ideas of what you can do with chipboard.  If you'd like to come to the next Intro Class on Sunday February 28, 12.30-3.30pm, ring Scraptivate to make a booking.


And here is my "share"! This is a layout I did of some old photos of my Kassidy. He is 3 in these photos.  I can't ever get over how I can melt just looking back at photos. He is such a character.  It is so amazing and wonderful being able to watch him grow.


These photos were taken on an old phone and as such aren't such great quality. Instead of trying to correct them (especially when I know it isn't going to really make them very good) I have used the graininess to help give the photos an aged appearance. The photos of the photos actually makes them look pretty good! IRL they look grainy and I have faded out the colour just enough to make them look aged.

This Making Memories paper is gorgeous, I couldn't work out at first what I was going to do with them, I just knew I wanted to use them, and soon!

Take care of each other,
see you soon.
M

My Angel

And no, I am not talking about my children! In case you didn't know we live in a very tiny house, and there is alot of us, so I don't put up a Christmas tree because there is no room. We decorate with all the beautiful things that are made by all of us in the family. Lots of school made stars and wreaths and this year an angel made by me. We got these foam cones in the store before Christmas and I think we all pondered what to do with them.  Our talented Jenny saw a Christmas tree with cascading spiralled paper - me, I saw an angel!!



The wings are made from the Angelina Fibres which give them their beautiful colour and their gossamer appearance. Her face is not drawn in for a reason.  You can't look on the face of an angel and so we left her face for our imagination.


If you want to see my Angel or Jenny's tree they are in the store on display.  You can get some great ideas for next Christmas, can't believe I just said that, and yet I know it is screaming up to us at a cracking pace!!

Take care of each other,
see you soon.
M

Intro Classes, the Sisterhood and a Thank YOU!

So this is the layout of the Intro Class I ran on January 3. They were a lovely group of girls to spend the afternoon with and we all had a great time. I had two mums with their daughters and I can't think of a better way of getting some girlie time together. I love having the opportunity to teach classes, not only because I love to see the "aha" moments the girls get when they realise how easy and how much fun scrapbooking is, but also because I get to spend time with some really amazing ladies that I would never have been able to meet otherwise. I am a strong believer that we have lost contact with our sisterhood, we have become far too competative with each other instead of teaching and nurturing. I will look for any excuse to make opportunities for girls to make connections with each other in an enviornment that reminds us that we are all walking in the same direction. How good is it when we can put out our hands and help each other along, isn't that what it is all about?
Absolutely have to show you the beawesome dragonfly stamp from the Tattered Angels Glimmer Screen and Stamp ranges. I have used the Tsukeniko Glue Pad and some fine glitter and it came up an absolute treat. Photos just don't do it justice. Those stamps are so huge, they a brilliant for Stampers and Scrapbookers and for those of us who do both and everything in between. And on the other side, you know around the edges!!


This is a "preview" of the Intro class I am teaching on January 31. I will be showing the girls in this class some basic heat embossing techniques as well as all the usual basics and not so basics. I am planning the classes so they roll on after each other that way the girls that are coming can get to know each other, and I will introduce a technique or product every month as well. Feel free to contact Scraptivate if you'd like to book in!


Got some more work and photos to share soon, but some of them will be on the Scraptivate Ning site, so feel free to have a look and join so you can have chat withh all of us from the store!


I should have, at the beginning of the blog done the usual apologies and excuses for leaving my poor blog neglected over the last few weeks, but I decided not to bother, as I am sure all of you out there know and understand without me having to say a thing.  Instead I want to say thank you for coming back and having a look at my blog, I love that you do that, and I will try to keep in touch more often. 


Take care of each other,
see you soon!
M

Intro Class

I have just finished the sample for the introduction class that I am running on the 3 January and wanted to share a few sneak peeks. However, the peeks are a bit poor!  I was was using Mitch's camera because it was within arms reach and unfortunately I don't have the macro setting down pat like with my little, old flasher.



I am looking forward to this class, I really love the layout. You can't see all the good things in the pics but let's just say it's rather large and sparkly!
If you have any questions or want to book this class or any of the other beautiful projects that are on the calendar, please visit Scraptivate or call, or even better call in and have a look in real life!!












Take care of each other,
see you soon!


M