First day of school

I am a huge sucker for scrapbooking stickers. So, when October Afternoon released this sticker sheet with their Report Card line, I knew that I would be using it for a layout about Jamie starting school.

And this is the page. It's on the Aussie Scrap Source blog at the moment.

 

Journaling: You were so excited to finally be a schoolkid. You checked out your new desk and pencils and crayons. you greeted Jasper, your friend from kindy and then happily waved us goodbye.

  

 Kathie 

Scrapbook stickers

This week at Aussie Scrap Source I was given a brief to do something a bit unusual with stickers.

Recently, Jamie and I made a series of black cardstock "motorways" for his little matchbox cars to drive along. And I had been toying with the idea of making some little houses to sit along the roadside.

As I was thinking through how we might make a cardboard box village along his cardstock motorway, it occurred to me that some of the Echo Park stickers would look really great as trees and other road-side elements. If only I could somehow get them to stand up on their own!

It took a bit of experimentation, but I did it. And the end product is so fun!

The little playground is made with the cardstock stickers from Echo Park's Playground range.

I've used the tree too. And the hearts and flowers make the little garden bed here:

And here. And the little critters are from the chipboard stickers in Cosmo Cricket's Togetherness collection. Chipboard stickers, I found, are really suited for this as they're super sturdy and stand up really well once they're supported.

To create the images, I've adhered the stickers onto a base (a green scalloped border sticker or a hillock of green cardstock) and then onto a background of sturdy white cardstock. I cut around the entire image, then attached a little triangular piece of cardstock to the back that supports it upright. You can see the back of one on the right in the picture below:

The little boy and girl (and dog with his kennel) up above come from the patterned paper "Bubble Gum" that's included in October Afternoon's Five and Dime collection. I have several pieces of this, as I totally fell in love with it.


Jamie loved his village. Hey, I'll admit - I loved it too. We both had great fun driving our cars around visiting our neighbours in their painted houses and playing in the playground!

Jamie now wants to create more buildings (with doors that open!), so we are collecting yet more boxes for another crafting adventure :).

Kathie xx

Another canvas

I have been making more canvases. This one is up on the Aussie Scrap Source blog at the moment.
I'm really enjoying doing these. It gives me a chance to explore a more feminine style of creating, than making Jamie's layouts.

It's a nice balance. You will be seeing me do more of this type of work, I think.

There's lots of painting, misting and inking going on here. I've used Prima Botanical papers but coloured them with soft acrylic washes and added some shading with charcoal pencils to create a more colour-rich palette.

We have a long weekend here this weekend. Actually, I am having a super long weekend. I took some recreation days from work so I will have had nearly a week off by the time I go back on Tuesday. Ah, it's been so nice!!! Whatever you have planned, I hope you enjoy it.

Kathie xx

Words

I have a layout in the May/June issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine (US Edition).

Journaling: You were talking to Grandad on the telephone, telling him what you made at Lucas’ house yesterday. “Grandad, you know what I made?” you asked. “Buzz Lightyear wings!!!” I stopped what I was doing and looked up. “Buzz Lightyear?” What happened to Buzz Lightyou? For two and a half years we’ve had Buzz Lightyou around the house – a contraction of Buzz Lightyear to the rescue. Ah, Rabbit, your speech as improved in leaps and bounds in the last year. While I’m happy about that on one level, I’m also reluctant to let go of my toddler boy and all his cute words. I wasn’t ready to say goodby to Buzz Lightyou. Oh well, I still have “annugga”, “beepooter”, “maminals” and “bemember”. I will enjoy them while they last.

Being a bit daring... pink on a boys' page. Gasp.



Kathie xx

Blogging

It has been a week since my last post. I am very conscious of that. I used to blog almost daily.

I am not creating so very much these days. And I am very conscious that I don't have as much art or craft to share with you. So I am wondering what to do with my blog.

Shall I keep it for just weekly posts showing my creatings? (Which, let's face it, is probably going to be as frequent as I will actually produce anything to show.)

Or do you want to read my ramblings on other stuff? I wonder sometimes if people who read my blog are interested in anything other than my creating. Are you? I don't want to bore you with drivel if the only thing you are interested in is seeing artwork.

So drop me a comment and let me know. How best can I use my blog now that I am a very part time scrapbooker. Do you want me to focus more on how I do stuff that I show you? Do you want me to answer questions? If so leave them here. Do you want me to share more about the day to day doings in the Link household. Or is that terribly terribly boring? (probably, lol).

I love blogging. I have always had a really active blog and I enjoy it. But I also had a lot more free time before, and more stuff to share with you.

Of course, if you would like a detailed account of how the occupational health and safety legislation will change across Australia next year, and in particular what that will mean for the South Australian public sector workforce, I am also happy to oblige ;).

Kathie xx