Linkage

Published pages to share

2012-02-01T10:46:00.005+10:30

I had two layouts in the December issue of Scrapbook Trends (US). I do love this magazine.

This is the first page. A real Christmas page!

Journaling: Know what it is to be a child? It is to be so little that elves can reach to whisper in your ear. Francis Thomson.

That little face. Nawww. It just makes me smile.

And this page. I created this page when I started working more days a week last year, because I was struggling with the general lack of time.

Journaling: Now that Jamie’s started school we have all new routines. I’m working more and trying to squeeze everything else in too.

I found it a real challenge to get the balance in my weekly schedule. I almost can't remember the relaxed, pleasant days of being stay-at-home mum. We seem to rush everywhere these days.

I am grateful though. At least I'm not fulltime! I still do get a chance to do my housework during the week. And get to the gym once or twice. Gotta be grateful for those little things :).

Kathie xx

School holidays

2012-01-29T23:16:00.001+10:30

Jamie goes back to school tomorrow, to Year 1. We have had such a fabulous summer holiday. It's been just how a summer holiday should be. Lots of sleep-ins. Lots of lazing about watching cartoons. Lots of friends over. Lots of visiting. A sleep over at Grandma and Grandad's... It was good.

Bayblades was popular

Lego with Dad

Trips to the beach

Visiting friends

Indoor fun when the weather got too hot

Lunch out with friends

Friends sleeping over

Bouncy castle in the back yard

More fun with dad

Time to laze about playing electronic games

Talking the latest Wii games with friends

Flying a kite at the beach

More friends over

Pool parties

Hanging out at the swimming pool

Picnic lunches inside, just for something different

Beachside fun parks

I have gotten used to my boy being home with me for the last six weeks. I've gotten used to the lazy pace of summer days, to beautiful weather, to friends and activities to look forward to every day.

I am not looking forward to tomorrow.
It feels like Jamie's starting school all over again.

Kathie xx

Collections

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000+10:30

Jamie still loves his collection of soft toys. I wanted to pack them up to make room for his cars or Starwars collections the other day. But, no, he wasn't having a bit of that.

Sweet :)

Sunset

2012-01-22T15:59:00.000+10:30

Even though there is little time to sit down and scrapbook or create anything arty at the moment, I am still trying to keep up with the memory-keeping. I've joined a 366 photo group on Facebook and am committed to taking a photo a day for this year, and recording the story behind it. If you are interested, you can friend me on Facebook (see sidebar) and follow my photos.

I find though, that sometimes it's difficult to choose just the one photo. My photo for yesterday was a good example.

This is the photo I posted. Phil and Jamie at the beach flying a kite - well, trying to if the full story be told ;). I chose it because of the interaction between the two of them.

But this was a pretty close second. There is something about a photo of a little boy gazing out to a boat sailing into a setting sun. Don't you think?

Kathie

Story teller

2012-01-21T10:42:00.001+10:30

It's a warm morning here, and Jamie has been leaping about being silly. Here he is telling me a story about his new Rayman Wii game.....

Whew!
He cracks me up. You really cannot help but laugh with a small child around the house. Their enthusiasm for life is catchy :)

Have a great weekend.
Kathie xx

Favourite pages from 2011

2012-01-17T07:00:00.018+10:30

Every year I look back through my creating and choose my top 10 favourite projects. It's become a tradition, and it's a nice way each year to reflect on the journey I have been on as a scrapbooker.

For 2011 my favourites are a real mixture, although there are definite trends that I see appearing, in terms of what I was trying and how my work was evolving.

This is by far my favourite project all last year. I altered a vintage book to create a book containing the wonderfully quirky quotes from Brian Andreas, that I've illustrated. It would seem that it was your favourite project too. This page has by far received the most hits of all the pages on my blog, and the project is still being pinned on Pinterest. The internal pages can be seen here.

Nawww. I love this page for the bright happy photos. The entire page is so reflective of the little kid that Jamie was during 2011. I reckon I created half a dozen pages from this Toy Box line (Crate Paper) last year. It was totally my favourite product. And it showed, as all of the pages I made using it were picked up for publication.

2011 saw me introducing more mixed-media techniques to my work. One of my resolutions at the start of last year was to incorporate more stamping into my pages. On this layout the background is stamped. I love how it worked out.

More mixed media work here. There are a few reasons this page made my top 10. The memory of Jamie as a little guy running around the garden picking flowers, the painting on the background, the cute chipboard, and my favourite letter stickers all in combination on the same page :).

Aaaah. I love it when I get a chance to do a girly scrapbook page. This layout draws comparisons between the hobbies that mum and my sister and I had as children. I love this page for the story I captured, the old photos, and of course the chance to use flowers, flowers, flowers! I also used walnut ink to paint around the edges of papers to age them and loved the look.

A journaling heavy page! This one compares Jamies childhood toys with mine as a kid. I love the memories on here. I also love the colours, the vintage feel, and the gorgeous embellishments.

This layout was so simple! And it's one of my favourites. A bit of glimmermist slapped on with a wet paintbrush, a printed frame, a Prima vine and voila! The title and the photo really say it all! I love this clean and simple look. It is a look that I think I might be trying more of in 2012.

A mixed-media canvas for my sister. This project was a delight to create. Tissue paper covered canvas. Acrylic paints. Stamping. Misting. Patterned paper hearts. Loads of charcoal shading. Embellishments. Handwritten title (another thing that I enjoyed adding to my pages last year!).I am inspired to explore hearts as a motif in 2012.

One of the last pages I made last year. Stream of consciousness journaling about what was happening in my life at that moment. I created the chipboard window frame from an old piece of chipboard (you know, the piece you get on the back of a note pad). Just ruled it up and cut it out with a craft knife. Nearly everything on here started out as a nude beige colour. Then I misted and coloured, and misted and coloured.This would be one of my favourite colour combos!

And last but definitely not least... this one! Jamie playing with his trains. Splatter painting, chipboard to create a scene... capturing the story. Love!

So there you are. My favourite 10 layouts last year.I discovered some new techniques that I've added to my toolbox and will take with me into 2012. Painting with glimmer mist, mixed-media backgrounds, splatter painting, walnut stain, handwritten titles, stamps, charcoal pencil work, heart motifs.

Did you introduce any new techniques into your scrapbooking last year? Do any of the techniques I tried in 2011 interest you? Are any of them something that you'd like me to devote a post on my blog to? Let me know!

Kathie xx

2011 - a pictorial review

2012-01-13T07:00:00.005+10:30

I've been doing some reflecting......

Web board tempate from here.

2011 in pictures. Lots of good memories there.

Kathie xx

Scrapbooking pages to share

2012-01-10T07:00:00.012+10:30

Hello there. I thought it was time I shared with you a couple of pages that appeared in Scrapbooking Memories magazine 14(1) a couple of months ago. The first is one of Jamie digging in the garden:

You know, when I look back at pages of him as a little tacker, I am just so appreciative of this funny little hobby I fell into. I have so many wonderful memories collected.

The pages I love the most are the ones where he is doing stuff. Where he is interacting with his environment. I see him here, playing with his little garden spade and I can recall how he used to play out in the pine bark for hours, tipping bark chips into his wheelbarrow with his little shovel.

Sweet, sweet boy.

The other layout is one I also did a while ago. It was created for a class I taught at Seriously Scrapbooking. (In fact, now that I think about it, both of these were.)

Jamie and Phil at the beach while we were on vacation in Perth a couple of years ago. I indulged in a teeny bit of paper piecing here - using a very very old stencil :). I love getting out old stuff and repurposing it for today. It makes my little heart happy!

Kathie xx

Welcome to 2012

2012-01-07T12:23:00.000+10:30

Happy 2012!

I hope you all had a beautiful festive season. I had a wonderful time off. I took nearly two weeks off work, and just lazed about. We caught up with friends, had loads of playdates, went swimming, went to the beach. It was perfect.

So, now I'm back I am wondering what I will do with this little blog this year. I am taking a break from scrapbooking and crafting at the moment. I haven't scrapbooked since last September. To be honest, I marvel that I ever carved out the time for it last year! It was manic. I was really struggling for time. Life is much calmer and focussed now that I no longer have crafty commitments. I am more centred. It feels good.But I do miss my crafting outlet. It took a while for that feeling to come back. I wondered if it would. But it seems to, bit by bit. So who knows what 2012 holds?

I am doing a 366 day photo challenge at the moment, and I contemplated using my blog for that. In the end though, I've decided to use facebook, so I you want to see my 2012 in photos, friend me on facebook (see my sidebar). This was my photo yesterday:

So I guess that my blog will evolve during the year. Some photos, some snippets about us, about us and a little bit of crafty stuff.

I do have a couple of scrapbooking pages that were published recently. I'll be back with them soon.

Kathie xx

Summer holidays

2011-12-10T11:14:00.002+10:30

I'm taking a little blogging break over Christmas. And a scrapbooking break too. Life has got busier and busier and I find it difficult to squeeze much crafty time in to our lives at the moment.

Wishing all my blog readers a fabulous Christmas and new year.

See you in 2012!

Kathie xx

Published pages to share

2011-12-01T09:41:00.004+10:30

I had two layouts in the October issue of Scrapbook Trends (US). The first one is a page about my parents' vegetable garden.

Journaling: Mum and Dad have an amazing vegetable garden this Summer. Jamie helps out with the watering and the picking and is learning so much. And I’m loving the fresh beans, cucumber and corns he brings home.

I used Pink Paislee's Sweetness collection on this, plus a variety of other odds and ends.

The background started out being the brown ledger paper from the collection (which I loved!) but I got a big splotch of cream paint on it right at the end of making my page. And I simply could not work out how to cover it up. So the whole thing got pulled apart and recreated on the BasicGrey paper. It looks lovely anyway, but who would have thought I would wreck the thing in the home straight! Gah!

And the second page is one of Nicole's little girl, Jazz. Ah, I do love making girly pages every now and then.

Kathie xx

A scooby dooby dooooo party!

2011-11-21T07:00:00.007+10:30

Table decorations

Wobbles the Clown comes to visit

And Jamie helps out

A very special birthday hat

Blowing out six candles

It was the perfect day - balmy with blue skies. Wobbles the Clown was a total hit. He made all the kids a balloon animal after his magic (haha, failed magic tricks that were so funny) act. The bouncy castle was up and entertained all the kids. The boys played cricket. The girls coloured in. (So different, girls and boys). It was a great afternoon.

Kathie xx

Gets me movin'

2011-11-20T07:00:00.000+10:30

What's on my running playlist at the moment?

Never be your woman (Wiley)

MasterPlan (Dyewitness)

Annihilating Rhythm (Ultrasonic)

Let you go (Chase and Status)

Shut Up (The Black Eyed Peas)

Sexy Back (Justin Timberlake)

Heads will roll (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

You make me feel (UK Radio Edit) (Annagrace)

Not over yet (Perfecto Edit) (Grace and Glory)

I can't help myself (Judge Jules remix) (Lucid)

Toca's Miracle (Fragma)

The Real Thing (Trance Mix Edit) (2Unlimited)

Open your Mind (Usura)

Why Go? (Faithless)

I need music to get moving. I run on the treadmill and I stare at a wall. Boring. If it wasn't for my music, I don't think I could do it. Are there any great tracks that inspire you to get moving?

Kathie xx

Birthday photos

2011-11-18T07:00:00.002+10:30

Opening presents before school. This year he wanted a big Starwars Lego set. :) Guess who spent three hours this afternoon after school, putting lego together! And I'll give you a clue. It wasn't him. And there was only me and him here. Oh, that's two clues...

Birthday tea with Grandma and Grandad. He wanted tacos and Grandma's apple crumble (I tell ya, that dark brown sugar and coconut crumble topping is the best best best ever!).

Kathie xx

Happy sixth birthday!

2011-11-17T07:09:00.001+10:30

We have a six year old in the house!! Happy birthday to my adorable, cheeky son!!

I had a layout in Scrapbooking Memories a couple of months ago.... look at that little baby face. The six years have past by at the speed of light. It seems like just yesterday I was gazing in awe at that little baby face.

I used one of my favourite baby poems:

You don't remember, I'll never forget

that blessed day when we first met

and I saw the face I always knew

the little smile, the little you.

You don't remember, I'll never forget

one day in my life I will never regret

to feel such love I never knew

all bundled up right there in you.

As I held you near my heart

I understood at last, that part of me I'd never met

you don't remember, but I'll never forget.

You don't remember, but I'll never forget

that blessed day when we first met

and when I heard your voice I realized the truth

everything in my life led me here to you.

You don't remember, I'll never forget

one day in my life I will never regret

a gift so precious given me, my angel love

truly a miracle from God above.

Unknown

Kathie xx

What I see

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000+10:30

One of the things that I had not expected about being mum of a little boy was the riot of colour I find around our house.

And the occasional alien ;)

Kathie xx

Scrapbooking share

2011-11-13T07:00:00.001+10:30

I have another layout in the US edition of Creating Keepsakes magazine recently, this time in the September issue. I have been so fortunate this year, with publications in this magazine, and I'm always chuffed to see my work there.

Journaling: You had your first homework from kindy. I smiled to see you sitting there studiously, and thought I’d better get used to it!

My layout was part of an article on clustering, written by the supremely talented Kim Watson.

The photo was only taken a year ago, but already he has grown up so much! He was only a little kindy kid here. Time flies past!

Kathie xx

First Sports Day

2011-11-11T07:00:00.002+10:30

Yesterday was Jamie's first school sports day. I took the day off work, so I could join in the fun.

Running race

Long jump

Come 'n Try Tennis

Come 'n Try Lacrosse

Pentathlon (so much fun!)

Pentathlon (lol!)

Tug 'O War

Tug 'O War with the parents

Earth Ball - here it comes!

Get ready!

Push!

It was a perfect Spring day, and the grounds were beautiful. And Jamie's team won! It was a perfect way to spend the day.

Today I'm back in the office, trying to write a submission on draft Codes of Practice for work health and safety. It's not quite the same!

Kathie xx

From our weekend

2011-11-09T07:00:00.005+10:30

He and I were out to lunch and a friend snapped this photo of us :)

Kathie xx

Inspiration

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000+10:30

Some inspiration today:

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It's an amazing colour combination and I can't help but wonder what's in all those cute little suitcases. The red one at top looks just like the little case I had when I started school back in, gulp, 1970.

Kathie xx

Photos from a Halloween party

2011-11-06T07:00:00.001+10:30

Last weekend we threw a Halloween party for a few of Jamie's friends.

The kids were invited to come in dress up. This is Jamie - a little devil - he had a pitchfork, but I didn't manage to get a photo of him with it.

We played games - bowling spooky ghosts from this post, pin the spider on the spider web....

Here they are, colouring in their spiders before trying to stick them onto the web... hilarious!

And a game of find the skeleton bones in the back garden.This was in lieu of trick or treating - we don't really do that in Australia.

It was an enormous hit! We played it several times.

(Oh yeah, the fancy dress costumes didn't last long - with the exception of the fairy in the group.)

I made some bones from coloured cardstock and hid them in the garden.

When they had collected them all, they exchanged them for sweets.

And a quick shot of part of the table before the guests arrived. Quick and easy. But effective.

Kathie xx

Scooby Dooby Doo!

2011-11-05T07:00:00.009+10:30

For his sixth birthday party in a couple of weeks' time, Jamie wants a Scooby Doo party.

After visiting the local party supply store I realised that decorating for this party would have to be done from scratch as there are no Scooby Doo party products to be found.

Not to worry, Jamie and I found an image on the internet that he liked and I whipped up some party invitations.

Scrapbooking cardstock comes in mighty handy :).

As far as party decorations go, I am being inspired by these images:

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Scooby Doo colours.

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Food served in doggy bowls!

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Making Scooby Doo neck chains :)

I think it's going to be a fun party!

Kathie xx

Year 10 art

2011-11-02T10:10:00.000+10:30

I found this picture the other day, tucked away in an old sketch book:

It was a Year 10 assignment for the topic of "line and tone".

I loved art.

Kathie xx

Scrapbook Trends October : Create Families: Jamieisms

2011-11-01T07:00:00.005+10:30

I did so well with Blogtober!! One blog post every day all month. I don't know whether to continue blogging regularly, or whether to go back to just sharing creative stuff. Did you enjoy it? Let me know what you think.

On the sharing creative stuff side of things, I had a layout in the October Scrapbook Trends Create: Families idea book (US).

Mum, when I grow up, I’m going to be a GINGERNEER.

You know, the ones that build planes and buildings and stuff!

Look at that sweet little face! I love capturing his funny little sayings.

The materials are from Crate Paper's Toy Box collection. I've made quite a few layouts with it now. It would have to be one of the very best boy collections I've ever worked with. I love it.

Kathie xx

Get Picky Blog Hop winner

2011-10-31T07:00:00.024+10:30

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Get Pick blog hop!

I have a pack of scrapbooking goodies to give away.

Kerri, please email me (my address in in my profile information above),

and I'll get the pack out to you.

Kathie xxs

Mustard

2011-10-30T07:00:00.000+10:30

Whew, I am suffering a bit this morning after a friend's house-warming party and a few too many Polish green-apple vodkas and lemonade. Oh.My.Goodness. This afternoon we have a handful of five year olds running around for a Halloween party. [Insert goggly eyes and silent scream faces right about now!]

So, while I am trying to collect the cottonwool that has taken up residence inside my head, I thought I would share some fashion inspiration.

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Karen Walker

Carolina Herrera

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J.Crew

I am loving mustard accents at the moment! I have not one item of this colour in my wardrobe, nor have I really seen it in the shops this spring. Maybe it will be available come Autumn.

Maybe I need to go and have another look?.

Whatever, I am seriously loving it!

Is there a colour that you are in love with this season? Link me up. I am after the inspiration.

Kathie xx

Busy weekend

2011-10-29T07:00:00.007+10:30

Actually, I don't know that the weather's going to be all that fine this weekend. Showers are forecast. Oh well. We are going to be pretty busy so it is not going to matter all that much.

Baking

Tennis

Cricket

Jogging

Shopping

Housework

Tidying up the garden

Body pump at the gym

Putting up the bouncy castle

Kiddies' Halloween party at our house

Friend's sixth birthday party across town

Friends' house warming party at other end of town

BBQ for friends at our house following Halloween party

Working on the new house (ready for sale in three weeks? Eeek)

OMG. I really should not have written it all out like that. I need a lie down.

Nope, no time to lie down. Go! Go! Go!

Kathie xx

His favourites

2011-10-28T07:00:00.003+10:30

Ah sweet. I love catching little scenes like this.

Kathie xx

Listening

2011-10-27T07:00:00.004+10:30

The Get Picky blog hop finishes tomorrow. Have you joined in already? Link up here for a chance to win a give-away from me, plus there's other prizes and the chance to be a guest designer for a month.

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I stumbled across this quote the other day. They are such wise words.

I want to be a better listener. During my career I have come across people who.just.never.shut.up. I find it annoying to hear the same person bleating on, meeting after meeting after meeting. Do you have someone like that at your work?

I try to work on listening. It's something that I have to remember to do though. And I don't think I'm all that good at it. It's something that I have to be conscious of, and really try to discipline myself to do. When I get engrossed in a conversation I suspect that I sometimes forget to sit back and listen. I suspect that I can get overenthusiastic at the speaking part...

Kathie xx

Scrap Lifting - the Blog

2011-10-26T07:00:00.009+10:30

I am featured over at the blog, Scrap Lifting at the moment.
The girls chose to lift this layout of mine (one of my favourites!)

Thanks so much to Evgenia Petzer for asking me to participate!
Pop over and have a look at the lovely pages created by the design team.

Kathie xx

Halloween inspiration

2011-10-25T07:00:00.015+10:30

And from pretty things to all things spooky!

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Phil and I decided, kinda on the spur of the moment, to host a kiddies' halloween party next Sunday afternoon. And, as you do, I have been scouring the internet for inspiration.

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Cute orange balloons with texta faces. And donuts! I think I could do that.

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Although i don't think I'll be getting this clever, I totally admire these Martha Stewart broomstick party favours!

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Yep, fruit skewers, and I might even try my hand at making those adorable owl cupcakes.I have to see if I can find some spiders and bugs somewhere.

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Chocolate pudding, crushed oreos for dirt and gummy worms. Haha! Love it!

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And pumpkin bowling! What a fabulous game for five year olds. We have an orange ball somewhere. I think we might be doing this down our hallway!

I am inspired.

Kathie xx

Pretty things

2011-10-24T07:00:00.012+10:30

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I have noticed something. I have a growing collection of pretty pictures pinned over on my pinterest boards. I have surprised myself.

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I was never a pink-girl. My sister was the ballerina, the barbie girl that wore pink. My mother dressed me in everything else but - usually mustard and brown blurgh (blame the red hair, lol). Then I went on to a career in science. Definitely not girly. So why am I finding myself collecting these beautiful dreamy photos?

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Could it be that, being the only female in our household, I am trying to seek out some pretty things? Our house is a work in progress, with no shelving yet for pretty things. And, in any case, our house is a no-pink zone. My husband is anti all things pink and feminine. Which is OK. Sort of. I'm not going to die in a ditch about it. I like modern streamlined house fittings and am quite happy with that minimalist kinda decor (even if it then gets cluttered up with StarWars figures, cardboard boxes and lego!).

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But I keep being drawn to these dreamy soft photos. And to soft dreamy scrapbooking products, which then lie in my stash, unused. I think I need to find ways to incorporate more dreaminess and pink into my life.

Kathie xx

A published page to share

2011-10-23T07:00:00.007+10:30

Another published page to share. This one was in Creating Keepsakes (issue 16(5)) Aussie Reader Gallery.

It uses Crate Paper's Restoration line, which I absolutely loved. I made quite a few pages using it. I reckon Crate Paper would have to be my favourite manufacturer in the last year or so.

And my favourite crochet flowers.

And clouds.

And little whimsical floating dots. Just some of my favourite things. And, of course, that sweet smiling face in all the photos :).

Kathie xx

Favourite things

2011-10-22T07:00:00.000+10:30

**Welcome to those readers on the Get Picky blog hop! My contribution to it is here.

This cushion is one of my favourite things in our house.

It's in Jamie's room (obviously?).

And it makes me smile every single time I go in there.

Bright red and orange.

And a cute little dog with his ears flying back in the breeze,

so carefree and fun!

Kathie xx

Home renovating

2011-10-21T07:00:00.001+10:30

As you know, we are gearing up to renovate the back section of our house. Which includes bathrooms. I have been inspired lately by these images:

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I love the combination of light airy rooms with timber fittings.

I find it incredibly difficult to choose home decor. I mean, I can look at a series of bathroom tiles and know which ones I like. I can choose a bathroom sink. But when it comes to putting it all together? Urgh. I am so bad at being able to imagine what it will look like. And I second guess my decisions.

Anyone else have the same problem?

Kathie

Springtime inspiration

2011-10-20T07:00:00.001+10:30

Ah, sweet springtime :)

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I am loving this springtime weather. The nights are warmer and, at the risk of sounding all Dr Suess on you - the sun is sunnier. My mood is so much better when the weather starts to warm up, and I feel like I have more energy. Yay!

Kathiexx

Today

2011-10-19T07:00:00.013+10:30

**Welcome to those readers on the Get Picky blog hop! My contribution to it is here.

Laundry day. Blergh. Housework. Double blergh.It's going to be 33 degrees celcius. Summer weather! I'd much rather be lazing by a pool.

Kathie xx

Parrot soup

2011-10-18T07:00:00.065+10:30

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"We played with the parrot soup in PE today, Mum."

"The what?"

School holidays have finished for another term. It was Jamie's first day back at school yesterday. He was less than impressed. However, he did enjoy playing with the parachute in his sports class....

Kathie xx

Want to know the materials list?

2011-10-17T07:00:00.014+10:30

**Welcome to those readers on the Get Picky blog hop! My contributon to it is here.

This post is inspired by a question one of my readers asked the other day :). If you are ever wondering about the materials that I have used in project for Aussie Scrap Source, there's a way that you can find out. Did you know that?

Go to the Aussie Scrap Source home page. At the bottom of the page, on the left hand side is a link to the gallery containing the designers' projects.

See it there? Well, click on it and it will bring up a list of the designers' names

Click on my name and you will see a collection of the pages that I've made for Aussie

And if you click on any one project, you'll go to a page that shows the list of products used for that particular page.

Good, hey?

Outside my window

2011-10-16T07:00:00.005+10:30

I have this layout up on the Aussie Scrap Source blog at the moment.

Journaling: Outside my window our maltese is playing on the grass in the sunshine. It's springtime and the days are getting warmer. I am hoping that the beautiful weather is here to stay. Jamie and I might walk down to the park later. I'm trying to get him more interested in riding his bike, so a fun destination is good motivation. And he loves the monkey bars. He has mastered them like nobody's business since he started school. It's amazing to see. Ah, I do love school holidays. Outings, trips to visit friends and time together.

I've used Tattered Angels' Nut Hollow Spring/Summer paint system to colour the canvas ribbons and flowers on my page. I love these paint systems. Little pots of beautifully coordinating colour :).

I started off with plain kraft cardstock and raw fabric ribbons, flowers and stickers. Then I went to town with my acrylic paints, the Tattered Angels products, Tim Holtz distress inks and walnut ink.

The page was inspired by a meme I've seen on a few people's blogs recently. Here it is:

Outside my window... our dog playing on the grass in the morning sunshine.
I am thinking... that Jamie and I might walk down to the park later
I am thankful for... school holidays and not having to rush in the mornings.
I am wearing... knit mini skirt, tights, black boots, black biker jacket
I am going to... empty the dishwasher.
I am currently reading... Nelson DeMille’s The Gatehouse
I am hoping... that this sunny weather is here to stay. Yipee, it’s spring!
On my mind... our plans for today fell through because friends are not well. What to do; what to do. Shall I take Jamie for a bike ride to the park?
From the kitchen... coffee from my new single cup coffee plunger
Around the house... cardboard boxes. Jamie loves creating with them, but they are an eyesore!
One of my favorite things... my new Fossil tote bag
A few plans for the rest of the week... It’s school holidays – I’m working for a few days, and the other days we are catching up with friends and going on playdates.
One photo to share... Jak on the back lawn

Kathie xx

Get Picky Blog Hop

2011-10-15T09:30:00.008+10:30

I am very excited to be part of the first birthday celebrations for Get Picky inspiration blog this month.They are running a blog hop and the details are below. As it's a special occasion, leave me a comment here on this post to be in the chance for a little give-away from me. There's also the chance to win a major prize and the opportunity to be guest designer for a month thanks to Get Picky and sponsors.

Welcome to the Get Picky 1st Birthday Blog Hop!

We are celebrating our first year with a very exciting reveal as we unveil our 13th Sketch with you today and share the beautiful creations of both present and past designers from our first year! Some of the team members will be offering prizes so you will want to visit all of the blogs to increase your chances of winning a prize. We are also offering a major prize along with the chance at a Guest Designer spot for the month of November if you visit and leave a comment at all of the blogs in our blog hop and participate in Sketch Challenge #13.

The Blog Hop starts today and will remain open until midnight (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on October 28th so this will give you all plenty of time to visit everyone’s blogs and create a layout for the sketch challenge.

Here is Sketch #13

And here is my layout

As we mentioned, there are lots of great birthday pressies up for grabs along our hop today. Some of our designers will be offering a RAK of their own and of course there is the chance to become our Guest Designer for November....but what's a celebration without that very special gift.

We are so very excited to also announce that Imaginisce have been kind enough to sponsor us with an awesome prize for our very special birthday celebration. And the prize:

Included in the prize is....... the two latest collections with embellishments and stamps from both Geek is Chic and Bon Voyage plus an i-bond cordless glue gun with glitter glue sticks, a d-stress tool and a box of fabric flowers. Wow!

Get Picky is the first stop of our birthday journey where you will find the complete list of all blogs in case there is a glitch along the way. If you would like to play, just follow along the blog path in order so you don’t miss anyone.

Remember, if you want to be considered for the Guest Designer spot in November, once you have visited all the blogs and uploaded your entry for Sketch Challenge #13, please make sure that you go back to the Get Picky Blog and leave a comment on the challenge post.

The blog hop begins here: Get Picky Blog

Your next stop is here: Leanne Jago

Thank you so much for joining us for this very special birthday celebration and for your continued support!

Sweet or?

2011-10-14T07:00:00.011+10:30

This is our Jak. Doesn't he look sweet?

Last weekend I applied some flea ointment to him. You know, just the regular application. Then we went out for the day. Later that night I noticed some odd staining on our NEW leather modular lounge.

Public service announcement: Leather and flea ointment DO.NOT.MIX. Argh. Jak had curled up on the lounge for a lovely snooze while we were out and all that flea ointment oozed out onto the leather. My beautiful lounge! I am getting someone out to look at it and see if they can make it better. Sob!

It is just as well that he's cute!

Kathie xx

Beautiful weather

2011-10-13T06:40:00.001+10:30

It was beautiful yesterday. Twenty-one and sunny. Perfect beach weather for me :). Before it gets too hot and I am burnt to a crisp.

Jamie played in the sand. I gazed out at the water. It was so peaceful. The sun warmed my shoulder. How much better does it get?

Kathie xx

Schoolboy

2011-10-12T07:00:00.002+10:30

Just popping in to share a layout I did for Aussie Scrap Source this week. It's for one of the articles we're doing at the moment on Colour Theory. In this case, Tetradic Colour Schemes. I've used red, orange, blue and green.

Journaling: He looked such a big boy in his new school uniform. And he was so excited to be going to school. I did so well, doing the proud mama thing with no tears... until he put his bag on his back. And that huge great bag made him look so little and quite did me in!

I wanted to scrap these photos of Jamie's first day, from my point of view. Til now I've only done a couple of pages that are written for him. This one's for my album :). To remind myself how proud I was of him on his first day.

Tetradic colour schemes can be a little tricky. It's best to keep a couple of the colours dominant and use the others as accents. And, like I've done here, a load of white (or neutral) space helps to rest the eye amongst the riot of colours.

Have a look over at Aussie Scrap Source to have a look at the other layouts that the Design Team has created for the Colour Theory series. It's a really great series.

Kathie xx

Old Photos

2011-10-11T07:00:00.000+10:30

Mum, Dad, Grandma, Sonia and me, 1970.

I had forgotten I had this old photo. My family around 1970. I loved that old Ford Capri. We still had it when I was seventeen, and I used to drive it when I first got my P plates. Old photos are precious, aren't they?

Kathie xx

Thought for today

2011-10-10T10:24:00.001+10:30

source

I love this print. I found it on Pinterest. I love the message. I love the image.

And it's a message that I try to keep front of mind, but I find it difficult. I'm always multi-tasking, or trying to work out how I can shave some time off what I'm doing so I can get onto the next thing on my to-do list. Are you the same?

I really need to incorporate some meditation back into my life. I keep making excuses that it's too difficult to find the quiet time. But it's just an excuse. I just need to make a commitment to it. Because I remember how good it used to make me feel.

Jamie's up at his grandparents today and tomorrow, while I work. Theoretically it would be an ideal opportunity to schedule some mindfullness time, either before or after work. Alas, these days I really do think that I would fall asleep if I tried :).

Do you practice mindfulness? How do you incorporate it into your routine?

Kathie xx

Bright Eyes

2011-10-09T08:38:00.003+10:30

I downloaded the Coffee Shop Eye Bright action the other day and thought I'd have a play. I had been wondering how other photographers achieved beautiful sparkling eyes in their subjects.

Well, I'm amazed. What a difference this action makes to eyes:

See how much clearer, lighter and brighter Jamie's eyes are? I toned down the action quite a bit, as I didn't want him to have glowing eyes ;). So, the effect's not overdone, but nevertheless brighter.

I'm almost tempted to print the photo and replace it on the layout I did recently.
Almost. But probably not.

Of course, you have to have the light source just right to get beautiful catchlights in the first place, lol. Most times I have to capture Jamie in whatever lighting situation he happens to be in at that moment, or else I lose the chance to get a shot. My son does not like to be posed. It's photography by stealth around here ;). Sometimes I manage it.

This action really helps to brighten and sharpen the eyes of your subject.

I didn't get the exposure right on this photo, and it was quite underexposed. I am amazed at what you can do with a bit of photo editing .... and my new favourite action :).

*SOOC = straight out of camera

Kathie xx

Mastering the Monkey Bars

2011-10-08T08:39:00.001+10:30

It's amazing what a difference 18 months can make:

This is Jamie back in May 2010. He desperately wanted to master the monkey bars. He'd get me to give him a boost up to the first bar, and then I'd have to prop him up while he would slowly go from one bar to the next.

If I didn't hold on to him, he'd manage to get to the second bar, and then he just didn't have the strength to get any further. He'd hang there, little arms trembling, trying to get up the strength to take that second hand off the bar and swing it to the next.... but he just wasn't strong enough.

And he'd drop down to the ground.

Over and over and over and over he'd try. I felt so sorry for the little guy.

Flash forward to this week. Jamie's now had six months at school. He plays on the climbing equipment every day. I had been unaware of how clever my son has become. Look at him go now!

And look at the difference in photos with a nice new DSLR in the intervening 18 months too ;). I love my camera!

Go Jamie!

Kathie xx

Getting ready for summer

2011-10-07T11:10:00.001+10:30

I blame it on my good friend. I was never tempted to shop online before. But recently she gave me a Veronica's Secret catalogue and she convinced me to order some clothes from them. My parcel came the other day:

source

No that's not me.....

So, I'm set for summer. Well.... maybe just a few more things? I am so tempted! After never being interested in online clothes shopping, I've been bitten by the bug.

source

Lock away my credit card!
Do you shop online? What are your favourite sites?

Kathie xx

Intuition

2011-10-06T19:33:00.000+10:30

Steve Jobs. RIP (source)

Wise words indeed. It is something that I try to remember. But I find it difficult. I'm influenced by what other people say. I should trust my intuition more than I do.

What about you? Do you listen to your intuition?

Wednesday

2011-10-05T12:14:00.003+10:30

Working working working.

It's rainy weather here again today. It must be Spring - such changeable weather! Anyway, it isn't really of any consequence to me as I'm busy working today. There have been a stack of changes proposed to our work health and safety legislation, so I have brought home ooooh, over a thousand pages of regulations and codes of practice that I need to plough through. Fun stuff. I've been steadily analysing it all morning and I have goggly eyes ;). Now it's lunchtime!

Jamie's with his grandparents today. I am sure he is doing something much more fun than me :).

Kathie xx

Springtime inspiration

2011-10-04T21:15:00.000+10:30

source

Spring is here! I can feel it in the air. And all sorts of springtime prettiness is inspiring me at the moment. What's inspiring you?

Kathie xx

Sunny public holiday

2011-10-03T19:28:00.000+10:30

It was a perfect day here today. And we had a public holiday too. We packed up the car and took off on a drive to visit some friends up in the hills. With a little stop at a popular kiddies' tourist spot on the way.

A perfect day!

Kathie xx

Daylight saving starts

2011-10-02T13:15:00.000+10:30

Summer must be on the way :). Daylight savings started here today. I totally forgot! I think it was 10am before I realised (which was really 11am). Just as well we're just having a lazy day today.

Him:

Lazy day. We might take a walk to the park later (he rides his bike).

Me:
Housework; 5km on the treadmil; start a scrapbooking project due this week

Phil:
Working

Kathie xx

He loves to scrapbook

2011-10-01T09:54:00.000+09:30

It's October and apparently that means the start of Blogtober. Can I do a post every day during October? Hmmm... Well, seeing it's school holidays for the next two weeks, I am going to do my best to share a little glimpse into our holidays every day. See how I go! Today I want to share this photo:

Jamie loves it when I print out some photos that we've taken recently and he gets to rummage through my scrapbooking leftovers and create his own memory pages :).

Kathie xx

He Has My Heart

2011-09-30T19:16:00.001+09:30

Aussie Scrap Source has three weekend inspiration posts up at the moment. Plenty to keep you inspired over the long weekend! I got to play with Studio Calico's Countryside collection:

No journaling on this one. The title says it all really :). When I ordered for this project, the embellishments that accompanied the Countryside line had completely sold out, so I dug through my stash and found a little Twiddleybitz birdie and some BasicGrey bloomers to work in. It gives a different look to the page when you add a few unexpected touches, don't you think?

That's it from me. I'm off to veg on the couch. It's been a busy week.
Till later!
Kathie xx

Hobbies and Sports

2011-09-22T22:58:00.000+09:30

This week at Aussie Scrap Source we are exploring sports and hobbies through the generations. This is my layout:

Journaling: I really wanted to play sports at school but Mum had decided that we were to do ballet. She had done calisthenics and wanted us to follow a similar path. So, instead of netball and tennis I learnt classical, jazz, tap and acrobatics.

My sister and I both trained as ballet dancers for a great part of our childhood. My sister in fact left school after year 10 to forge a career in the arts.

I've used Sassafrass' Sweetly Smitten papers and embellishments here, mixed with some Prima and some Crate Paper. I really do enjoy making girly pages! If only I had more of an excuse...

Kathie xx

Scrapbooking my two guys

2011-09-15T09:07:00.006+09:30

I had a layout in Scrapbooking Memories issue 13(8) a couple of months ago:

Journaling: "I like weekends" he said to me. "On weekends I get to play with Daddy. And that's my favourite thing to do!"

Such a sweet series of photos of Jamie and Phil running around the park together :). And I'm so glad I recorded that little snippet of conversation. Otherwise I would have completely forgotten that he ever said it, by now.

The title was inspired by Michelle Clements. She did it on one of her layouts and as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to incorporate it here.

Back soon!
Kathie xx

Batman

2011-09-10T14:16:00.000+09:30

I do love Crate Paper’s Toy Box collection. Here is another layout using it. I have several :).

Journaling: Ah, Rabbit, I might be biased but when I see these photos my heart swells with love and I find myself thinking that you are just the cutest little Batman ever!

It is up on the Aussie Scrap Source blog this week.

I have been so sick this week, but am on antibiotics now and gradually starting to feel better. Have a great weekend everyone!
Kathie xx

Colour Theory - Pastels

2011-09-07T15:20:00.002+09:30

Continuing with Aussie Scrap Source's Colour Theory series, this week we are exploring tints and shades. I decided to scrap with tints - which are hues that have white added to them. In other words, pastels!

Journaling: He is five and a half. He is in reception at school. He loves computers, the Wii and his PSP. He learns Japanese. He is reading level 7 readers. He has lost two baby teeth. He tells me he hates school but PE is OK. He is funny and kind. He plays soccer and tennis, and takes swimming lessons. He loved contructing stuff. He is amazing.

Pastel coloured scrapbook pages are usually associated with pages about babies or little girls, but not so much with boys. But I'm really rapt with how this page turned out, and I'm wondering what has held me back using pastels more. I think I worry that they'll turn out too babyish. There's no chance of that here - and I've added some kraft elements - twine, aged stickers and kraft cardstock - to my page to try to add a bit of masculine depth.

I'm pretty happy with my page. Head over to the Aussie Scrap Source blog to see more about colours and projects from the other talented design team members.

Well, I'm heading back to the couch now. I have been urgh, sick this last week. 'Flu compounded by a nasty sinus infection that has left me in bed for the better part of the last week. But I'm on antibiotics now, and hopefully will be back on my feet soon.

Kathie xx

At the Port

2011-08-26T12:20:00.000+09:30

So, when I was assigned Webster's Pages for an Aussie Scrap Source blog post this week, there was never any question about which line I would choose :)

Journaling: A long awaited holiday outing with a friend. Pancakes at the Port for lunch. Sun on the water by the wharves. Holding hands and sharing stories. Cars 2 the movie. Perfect day.

Yep, Yacht Club. It was perfect for scrapping a school holiday outing to Port Adelaide. We went with a girlfriend and her grandson, who is just a few months older than Jamie. It was a glorious winter’s day and the sun shone off the water. Jamie and his friend walked along the wharf, hand in hand, and deep in conversation (usually about the latest Wii games!!).

I just loved the image of the two little boys playing with their pull along cart, so I had to fussy cut it out of the paper and use it as an embellishment here.

I used a couple of sheets of patterned paper on the background, then painted over them with a wash of acrylic paint in blues and creams. It gave a more subtle background.

Have a great weekend, whatever you have planned. I'm not sure what our weekend has in store for us just yet. Jamie is home sick from school today and I will have to wait and see how he is tomorrow. Hopefully he makes a quick recovery :)

Kathie xx

It's Just the Way it Is

2011-08-16T20:43:00.000+09:30

The other day I'd just finished a layout and had all the scraps and bits and pieces lying around on my dining table. So when I saw Julie's post about the Stuck?! bonus sketches this month, and I saw this sketch:

I thought.... hmmmm.... and within an hour I had the bones of this page in front of me:

The journaling reads: You have become reluctant to play with girls. "Mum", you said to me, "Boys like boys, and girls like girls. It's just the way it is!"

He's such a funny little thing. The things he comes out with!

Last week he had a casual day at school. The kids had to take a gold coin donation, and the money they raised was going towards an orphanage overseas. I asked Jamie if he knew what an orphanage was and, without going into too many details that might distress a small five year old, we discussed that it was a place where kids lived when they didn't have parents. He thought about that for a while, and then turned to me and asked "so, are they going to be able to buy some parents with the money we give them?". His expression was so earnest and he looked so concerned that maybe the money they were raising might give these kids the wonderful ability to purchase some parents. Nawwww. The way that kid thinks. It warms my heart.

Kathie xx

Houses of the big and small variety

2011-08-11T21:08:00.000+09:30

Hello! How are you all. Wow it seems forever since I shared creative stuff with you all! I have been creating a little bit, and I'll share a layout with you down further in my post. Time is at a premium right now though. Because on top of my job, and caring for my little family and our house, we are right in the thick of a new project... building a house! Eeek :).

It is something that Phil has wanted to do for ages - a hobby, if you like (!). And it kicked off a few months back. He is acting as the owner/builder. Which, yep, you guessed it - means every single decision and activity is up to us. It is certainly keeping him - and therefore by association, me - very busy.

If you're on Pinterest you may have noticed me busily pinning inspirational pictures of bathrooms and kitchens over the last few weeks. For instance, these stunning kitchens:

from ceasarstone.com.au

from desiretoinspire.net

And some bathrooms:

from housetohome.co.uk

from hgtv.com

Finally, after several weeks of poring over decor magazines and websites we have decided on the house decor, the tiles, the kitchen and counters and now it's all systems go with getting it all installed in the house.

This is not a house for us to live in. Unfortunately - because it is going to be beautiful when it's completed. We will put it on the market and sell it. Phil is already scouting out land and dreaming up ideas for his next big project...

So, now... scrapbooking activities. This week sees two new series start on the Aussie Scrap Source blog. The first continues on with something we started a while back, and that is reflecting on generational changes and similarities. Each week we wil tackle a different topic area and we are invite readers to submit their own pages - using predominantly products stocked by Aussie Scrap Source - and the DT will choose a winner each week who will receive a prize pack!!

This week's theme is leisure and playtime, and you have until 17 August to send your layouts in. Submission details are on the blog here. This is what I created:

Journaling: When she was growing up my Mum had a playhouse in the backyard. Years later when my sister and I were growing up, the playhouse was still there, but it was run down and we weren't really allowed to play in it. I remember wishing that it was still new, and imagining the fun make-believe games I could play. I was always fascinated by dolls houses. I never had one though. Fast forward forty years and I had my own child - a son. It didn't occur to me that he would be interested in dolls houses. So imagine my surprise when, while at the toy library one day, he chose a beautiful pink dollhouse. A dollhouse! And why not? Little boys like to imitate home-life too. And I was quite happy to play alongside him.

Hah! Continuing today's theme ;). Doll houses.

When I had a son I didn’t expect that playing with doll houses would be in my future. In fact, when Jamie was an infant and I borrowed toys from the local toy library, I always steered clear of the pink dolls houses. In my stereotyping (argh!) it didn't occur to me to take them home with me.

But, of course, little boys like to copy daily life just as much as little girls! When he was a bit older and able to make his own choices, he had no qualms at all about the cream and pink dolls houses with the pretty little dolls and chairs and make-believe prams. Lesson number seven thousand and two: don't stereotype!

Jamie borrowed several doll houses during his time at the toy library. And I got a chance to relive my love of dolls house. Oh how times have changed though, now that he’s nearly six. He turned his nose up at these photos of himself the other day. I had a few left over from making the page and gave them to him when he was doing some "scrapbooking" of his own. Urgh, he exclaimed. Just not cool Mum! I do not want to look at those photos!

My layout features Crate Paper’s Emma’s Shoppe collection, tempered with a few boyish bits and pieces from Crate's Toy Box. Crate is, hands down, my favouite manufacturer right now :). I also threw on a few little flowers. Just because I could. Oh, and a doll :) - not often that happens!

The second series is a Colour Series. Each week the design team will explore one facet of colour theory and how it can be translated into perfect scrapbooking pages. This week we are looking at primary, secondary and tertiary colours. The DT has created amazing pages for you to draw inspiration from. Check them out here.

Well, that's it for me today. Whew, that was a long post. Talk soon!

Kathie xx

School holidays

2011-07-27T16:51:00.000+09:30

I had a week off work during our school holidays and it was sooo nice! Jamie and I hung out together and I realised how much I have missed just hanging with my son since he started school. Life has definitely gotten busier, and we seem to rush from one thing to the next, so it was lovely to slow down and do loads of fun things together.

Face painting

New toy library things to play with

Playing at the park with friends

Day trips

Activity books

Movies with friends

New toys

Doing not much at all

Kathie xx

Vintage love - sewing display tray

2011-07-12T10:51:00.000+09:30

During the school holidays the Aussie Scrap Source design team has a treat lined up for you. We are decorating gorgeous 7Gypsies display trays and showcasing them on the blog all fortnight. Mine is the first up:

I decided to use an artists tray to showcase vintage sewing items that used to belong to my grandmother. Mum has had them all boxed up and stored away at her house. But they are so beautiful and, well, vintage that they deserve to be out on display. I love how they look here - I've used some of her vintage spools of thread, cards of darning thread, antique measuring tapes, tailors chalk, even an old metal thimble.

The tray has been decorated with a combination of vintage text papers from 7Gypsies and BasicGrey, vintage sewing tissue paper, unbleached calico and antique laces. I tried to pick items that would underpin the sewing theme.

Alongside the sewing items I've included a mix of scrapbooking embellishments including Prima flowers and pebbles, Tim Holtz sprocket gears, vials, and broken dolls, and Webster’s Pages Silhouettes. I love how they all look together.

The memory jar contains larger items that wouldn’t fit in the Printer’s Tray - spools of thread, a little bobbin, another vintage tape measure, and a linen runner that Grandma hand embroidered.

It has been decorated with beautiful Webster’s Pages gold netting trim, some Prima flowers and pale pink ribbon.

The project is a sentimental one for me. The cream and pink colour scheme is totally reminiscent of Grandma - they were her favourite colours. The tray and jar will be a gift to mum, to sit on top of her heritage treadle Singer sewing machine. I hope she likes it.

The members of the design team will be sharing their projects each day for the next two weeks, and they are gorgeous! Believe me, simply stunning. So make sure you bookmark the site and check back each day.

If you would like to join in, Aussie Scrap Source is inviting you to send in images of your decorated artist tray and they will be featured at the end of the serires. Check the blog for more information.

Kathie xx

Run

2011-07-08T14:40:00.002+09:30

Journaling: It’s a matter of just getting on the treadmill and putting in the time. Before I think about it and make excuses. Shoes on my feet, music in my ears and off I go.

Ah, this is what I was doing this morning. Before I headed off to the school assembly that Jamie's class was hosting. Very proud of my little boy. It was the first time I had attended school assembly. I tend to try to avoid them. Naughty!

Anyway, I'm catching up with sharing my published layouts with you. This layout appeared in Scrapbooking Memories a couple of months ago. It records my efforts to run at least a couple of times a week. You know, I used to run religiously. Five times a week. 6km at a time. I loved it! It was my way of keeping healthy and managing a stressful job. It cleared my head and made me feel good about life.

Of course then I used to run along the scenic track by our River Torrens, and through the North Adelaide Golf Course. It was beautiful and calming - almost meditative. Does that sound strange, given that I was usually huffing and puffing the whole way round...?

These days, I have these pesky knees that ache so I'm restricted to running on the springy treadmill. Pavements and uneven surface really don't work for me. Getting older sucks! But I don't let that be my excuse. I discipline myself to do it. Just to get on the treadmill. And after the first five minutes I'm usually OK.

I must say, my friend Shelley gave me some glucosamine supplements for my birthday (you can tell when you are getting old, when you get arthritis supplements for your birthday, lol!). And, man, why have I not been taking these before now? For the first time in I can't even remember how long I did lunges at the gym without my knees hurting, and I ran this morning with no pain at all. Yeeeee! Feelin' like a spring chicken!

(Oh, and I have to clarify that Shel didn't just give me arthritis tablets. Heee. Can't leave you thinking that my good friend just got me health supplements for my birthday. They were just a little something that she threw in the bag. Because she knows me well and, more to the point, has heard me complaining at the gym about my arthritic knees.)

And now I'm off to pick up Jamie from school. And now starts the school holidays. I think we have something on nearly every day. I might have a couple of projects to share with you during the holidays, so I'll pop back in to show you those.

Until then....
Kathie xx

Remembering sunny days

2011-07-07T22:11:00.001+09:30

I am a bit behind in sharing my published pages with you. I had lost track of what issues were out. Anyway, here's one I had published in Scrapbooking Memories Issue 13 (5) a little while back. It features some summer photos of Jamie and I at the beach while we were on holidays.

Journaling: While we were on vacation we spent every morning at the beach. You were so little – every wave threatened to topple you over. But you had the best time!

I remember when I was making this, those little banners made me smile. They reminded me of little red and white polka dot bikini tops. I have a thing for red and white polka dots! And that photo. Awww. He was so little. I had to keep my hand behind his back in case a wave knocked him over. He was pretty unsteady on his feet in the surf. Little possum :).

It's freezing cold here today, so I'm longing for the sun. I can't imagine being able to wear bathers at the beach right now. It's so cold, and rainy. At least we're past the shortest day of the year! And almost halfway through winter :). It only gets better from here.

Kathie xx

Scrapbook Creations Issue 87 - Ten Years

2011-07-05T20:33:00.000+09:30

A while back Carol-lea Morgan invited me to participate in a sketch challenge for Scrapbook Creations Issue 87. This is what I made:

Journaling: My sister, Skipping ropes, My sister, Barbie dolls, Hopscotch, Paper dolls, my sister, Mr potato Head, Dragster bikes, Slinkies, my sister, Plasticine, What's the time Mr Wolf?

After thinking about all the toys and phases that Jamie has, I was inspired to reflect back on my own childhood. I wanted to show a series of photos of my sister and I growing up, that depicted how close we were. And then I listed the toys that I recall we enjoyed back in the, gasp!, seventies.

I adored the Crate Paper Restoration line and it was perfect for this layout. I've inked it to within several inches of its life. I love the richness.

Ah, and more crochet...

What do you recall from your childhood? I'm starting a list!

Kathie xx

First day of school

2011-06-27T20:52:00.000+09:30

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

2011-06-21T21:10:00.000+09:30

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

2011-06-10T12:13:00.006+09:30

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

2011-06-05T09:00:00.000+09:30

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

2011-06-03T16:02:00.003+09:30

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

A little canvas

2011-05-27T14:33:00.002+09:30

This little project is up on the Aussie Scrap Source blog today.

It features Prima products. I created a background using a dress pattern, as well as patterned paper and journaling notecards from Prima’s Botanical collection. Then I painted, misted and stamped all over the top of it :).

I've used Donna Downey's (for Prima) Dress Form foam stamp to create the dress - I simply stamped the image onto several pieces of patterned paper from the Botanical collection, then cut them up and pieced them all back into a pretty little stripey dress.

It was such a fun canvas to make. I think I might send it to my sister for her birthday!

Kathie xx

Finally some creating!

2011-05-23T21:25:00.004+09:30

I finally have another project to share! My creating time has really dried up these days, so at best I get through one project a week. This project is for Aussie Scrap Source this week. Our challenge was to show a new or different use for templates and masks.

Now, usually I associate these things with creating misted backgrounds. So I decided to instead use them to create a picture. I've taken a canvas panel and created a simple background with acrylic paints (I created my own cloud shaped mask from cardboard, and sponged around that to create a subtle background texture - not that easily seen in the pictures here.)

Then I used some templates to create flowers and butterflies from fabric, which I've adhered onto my background into a little fantasy garden.

That's it for now! Enjoy your week :)

Kathie xx

Around here

2011-05-18T23:35:00.006+09:30

We have had a busy month. Here are some snippets of stuff that's been going on.

Hanging out, doing what we do

Posing for the camera, Mothers Day brunch

Batman!

Batman and his mama

Bubble fun

Backyard fun

PSP Fun

It's definitely Autumn! On my walk this morning.

Gloom skies means Winter's almost here

'Night!
Kathie xx

Happy This Way Issue 86

2011-05-15T23:20:00.001+09:30

I had a layout published in Scrapbook Creations Issue 86 recently. It's one I did back a while ago for The Color Room DT:

Journaling: "An ice-cream container, egg carton and cardboard tube. You were busy “constructing” for ages... this particular construction required considerable engineering skill, not to mention sticky tape. You wanted a “skeletope” (ie telescope) at the front of your helmet. The egg container was to house your weapon (you have that in your hand in these photos) so it had to be capable of opening and closing without falling off the side of the helmet. When it was finally finished to your liking you were happy to pose and show it off for the camera. Ah, you are wonderful!"

I must admit that it is still a bit of a favourite ;) for the tale it tells, and for the photos. Ah, that boy, I do love him so....

I must purchase some more crochet flowers. I am almost out of them. They do seem to be the one flower that I have no qualms about plonking on Jamie's pages. Funny 'bout that.

Have a great week!
Kathie

Give away winner

2011-05-09T17:12:00.003+09:30

Pauline, you have won a copy of Scrapbook Trends' March issue of Create: Quick and Easy. Can you please email me your mailing address (my email address can be found in my profile details) and I'll get it sent out in the post to you.

Kathie xx

United by Art

2011-05-05T17:42:00.002+09:30

Ronda Palazzari is one of my scrapbooking idols. I have long admired her creativity and stalked her blog and galleries. And then I was lucky enough to work with her on The Color Room design team and I discovered that she is fabulous, fun, friendly and totally down to earth. Just my kind of person :).

Anyway, a couple of days back Ronda wrote and asked if she could feature some of my work in a weekly post she's doing on her blog called "United by Art". I was totally beside myself that she would even think of me. Totally thrilled. Here is her post .

Our craft does bring us together and unite us with people the world over. Is that true for you too?

Kathie xx

Style Lounge - my style

2011-05-04T20:59:00.006+09:30

This week in the Style Lounge over at Aussie Scrap Source, we are featuring ... me! :). These are the layouts I have shared as typical of my style:

Journaling: Ah Sausage, you really make me laugh. You will rarely smile or pose for the camera. But every now and then you ham it up for me and I can capture the complete nutty personality that is you at age five. Ah, I really do love you.

This page features BasicGrey's Life of the Party line. Perfectly colourful and fun for a Jamie page.

The photos were taken one morning just before Jamie started school. We were hanging about inside because it was super hot outside. And he was lounging on the couch just doing what five year old kids do. I couldn't help but be amused at the mischief he got up to with his toy doctor's kit. Especially wearing it on his head, lol.

I really miss having him around the house so much... He has a wobbly tooth at the moment. Argh, he grows up way too fast. But secretly I'm so pleased for each and every new thing he does and learns. His reading amazes me every day! But anyway I digress....

Journaling: You loved this Thomas train track. We gave it to you for your 2nd birthday. I had boom-gates that went up and down as the train went past, a bridge that opened and closed, and flashing lights. It even had a loader that would drop logs into Thomas' truck as he went past. But best of all, it played the Thomas theme song every time he came into the station.

The next page uses a bit of paper piecing, which is really what I love to do. I've used some chipboard elements from Crate Paper's Neighbourhood range to make a little scene reminiscent of the village railway scene in the focal photo.

I have great difficulty in labelling my "style". I can point to no other scrapbooker in the world who has the same "style" as me. Maybe my regular readers are a better judge of my style than I am? Who does similar work to me, do you think?

I chose to highlight the gorgeous work of Kaori Watanabe, from Japan, in the article. She does "playful" so delightfully. And she is masterful at the boy layout that somehow turns out whimsical and beautiful without ever being overly girly. I admire her work greatly. She's a bit of an idol of mine. Have a look over at the Aussie blog to see what I say about her.

Anyway.... playful style we've called it... and you have a chance to join in on the fun. Create a playful style layout and email it to aussiedt@iinet.net.au by next Wednesday 11th May for a chance to win a prize pack full of playful goodies!

Kathie xx

There's a lot going on..

2011-05-01T12:58:00.004+09:30

There's a lot going on at Aussie Scrap Source at the moment. We've just kicked off another competition.

Style Lounge: A Reader's Challenge is going to run for the next couple of months. It will be looking at different scrapbooking styles and attempting to identify and emulate them. Each of the design team members has been asked to identify their favourite style and create and share some examples of that style.

Readers will be invited to create and send in a layout or project that reflects the style featured each week. The projects will be featured on the Aussie Scrap Source blog and a winning layout that best represents the featured style will be selected. The winner will be sent a prize pack of goodies reflecting the featured style. And, at the end of the challenge, there's a prize pack if you you complete all the styles by the weekly deadlines.

Janine Koczwara starts off the challenge with some beautiful Shabby Chic projects. Pop over here and have a look.

And don't forget that you have a few more days to enter the Webster's Pages challenge at Aussie, for a chance to win a spot as a Guest Designer at the Webster's Pages blog. Entries are due by 4 May. Check out the competition details here.

Kathie xx

Sideshow Alley

2011-05-01T09:00:00.001+09:30

This layout appeared in the April issue of Scrapbook Trends magazine (US). If it looks familiar, you may have seen it on the Scrapbook Trends blog, as they featured it in one of their videos last month.

Journaling: When you were three we took you to your first Royal Adelaide Show. At first the crowds and noise of sideshow alley were overwhelming but before long you were right in the swing of things with your dad.

Ah, I do love Sassafras Lass. I mixed a few collections onto this page. The colours were perfect for the colours of the sideshows at our local Show.

Kathie xx

She's Got Style

2011-04-29T11:47:00.000+09:30

I've created a little layout this week using almost only patterned papers from the new Cosmo Cricket line "Upcycle". You'll find it up on the Aussie Scrap Source blog at the moment.

Look at those bright vintage colours. Love 'em!

I've taken one of the patterned papers from the range for the background. Because it was ever so bright, I toned it down by dry brushing it with white acrylic paint and then sanded it back a bit.

The frame for that cute little focal photo, the flowers, the butterfly, the heart and the word panels have also been cut from the Upcycle patterned papers.

The only other elements I've added are bright felt flowers from BasicGrey Olivia, some bright ribbons and Cosmo’s letter stickers.

Have a great weekend. It's the last weekend of the school holidays here, so we're heading out to enjoy it as much as we can!

Kathie xx

Another giveaway

2011-04-27T18:53:00.004+09:30

It's raining Scrapbook Trends magazines around here!

This time it's the contributor's copy of March's Create: Quick and Easy that has arrived on my doorstep. And I'm giving one away. So if you missed out on last week's give away, and want to try again, just leave a comment on this post by midnight (EST) Saturday 7 May 2011. Aussie residents only, sorry.

Kathie xx

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T09:51:00.001+09:30

Happy Easter to all my blog readers!

Give away winner

2011-04-22T14:33:00.004+09:30

LOL, this is the second time I have started this post. Talk about trying to do things in a rush... this morning I posted a winner in a mad scramble before visitors arrived for hot x buns. Only to realise that I'd used the wrong post to pull the commenters from. Doh!!

So... start again. This time I've got it right.

Congrats Shazz. If you can email me your postal address, I'll send you the magazine in the mail. (My email is in my contact details in my profile up on the RHS)

Kathie xx

Recycled vintage books

2011-04-18T22:22:00.000+09:30

Aussie Scrap Source is running a series of daily posts during the school holidays on upcycling items for scrapbooking purposes. This is my little project which is up there at the moment:

It's no secret that I love text papers. A while ago my parents were clearing out their study and gave me a few old old books. I had started to alter one of them, and then left it because I got too busy with other things.

But while researching another scrapbooking project recently, I stumbled upon a whole pile of quotes from Brian Andreas. They were so delightful and they conjured up wonderful imagery that I decided to make an illustrated book featuring them. Some of you have mentioned to me that I should try making illustrations, and I thought that this gave me the perfect opportunity to try it!

Her umbrella was filled with rain she had collected in her travels & on hot summer days she would open it up for the neighborhood kids & we would splash in the puddles. Brian Andreas

To start, I adhered layers of pages together in my little book to form sturdy sets of text backgrounds. I have just finished an online course in mixed media by Christy Tomlinson. I was so busy while the course was running, that I didn't even get a chance to make any art, so I decided to try out some of Christy's techniques in my little album.

I only do this until I get dizzy & then I lay down on my back & watch the clouds, she said. It sounds simple but you won't believe how many people forget the second part. Brian Andreas

I've used paints, mists, masks, stamps, rubons and doodling to create fun backgrounds for my illustrations. I just added layer upon layer upon layer of paints, then mists, then stamped and added some rubons. There are probably a dozen or so layers on each background.

Diluted paints and mists allow the beautiful vintage text to show through.

To create the illustrations I went through all the little pieces of patterned papers I had lying around in my stash. I sketched my designs on spare paper to start with, then went to work building my images using different papers.

I said I could not see her eyes under her hat & she smiled mysteriously & said she liked it that way. Brian Andreas

I tried making some little She Art girls, featured in Christy's course. I don't know if I've done them justice, although I'm pretty happy with them for a first time effort.

I have a renewed commitment to elegance, she said,in case you think I'm just spending money for the fun of it. Brian Andreas

She wasn't sure where she'd been and she wasn't sure of where she was going, but she was on her way. Brian Andreas

But I think that I prefer the little whimsical scenes. Here's a close up again of the album cover. I painted it with mushroom colour paint (it was red to start) and then added my favourite Tim Holtz splatter stamp.

I have heaps of sets of pages prepared and ready to work on, and a whole series more quotes. Can't wait to get some more time to play :). But for now it's school holidays and Jamie and I are busy planning outings for the days I'm not working. We have movies, visits with friends, playdates, plaster fun house and toy library trips. Oh what fun.

Kathie xx

Somerset Memories Summer Evenings

2011-04-18T08:28:00.000+09:30

I was thrilled to receive a request for one of my layouts for Somerset Memories magazine (US) a while back.

This layout just appeared in the magazine:

Journaling: On Australia Day we went down to the beach after tea. Up until now you haven't really liked the beach. But this time you surprised us. It was a perfect summer's night. You and Daddy played in the sea and kicked your ball around in the water. You enjoyed it so much you keep asking to do it again.

It was a bit of a change for me, making this layout. I created the background by using masks and glimmermists to represent the sky and sea. The clouds were made by lightly applying texture paste to the cardstock background. Likewise, the sand was made by layering some texture paste on the background, then painting it. It was such a simple layout to create, but very effective.

I am still waiting for my copy of the magazine to turn up. It was supposed to be here by yesterday. I am crossing my fingers that it will arrive this week and then I can have a new magazine to look at over Easter :).

Kathie xx

Give away

2011-04-14T20:01:00.004+09:30

I received in the mail today my contributor copies of the January issue of Scrapbook Trends. Congratulations to Nicole Pomeroy, another Aussie scrapper, who is in there too with her gorgeous page. Nic, as soon as I saw it I knew it was yours!

Northridge Publishing is always super generous and send two copies. So I'm giving one copy away.

These magazines can be pretty hard to come by in Australia and they are a superb magazine. The thought that goes behind the photography of each layout is amazing, and the photography is always stunning. They are quite a treat to sit and read.

To be in the running, all you have to be is a follower of my blog and leave a comment below by midnight (EST) Thursday 21 April 2011.
(Due to postage costs, only Australian residents are eligible for this. Apologies to my overseas readers!)

And speaking of Scrapbook Trends, one of my layouts is featured on a video on their blog at the moment.

From http://create.northridgepublishing.com/creatv/creatv-make-it-your-own-with-lori-allred

See the layout on the lower RHS of the screen there? That's mine :). It appears in the April issue of Scrapbook Trends that is out currently. In the video Lori Allred takes the little flowers on my page as her inspiration for creating the cool scarf she's wearing in the video. How fabulous is that?

Thank you so much for your comments recently in response to my grumbles about my routine/working life. I tend to think of scrapbooking as being the domain of the SAHM. Which of course, as you showed, is not necessarily correct. I guess it's just that women who don't leave the home for eight hours a day to work in a job totally unrelated to their creative pursuits have more flexibility to create and probably do more of it. So they tend to be more visible in the scrapbooking industry. I have been comparing my output to them and feeling like I'm wanting. Which is ridiculous and I shouldn't compare. I know.

In my ideal life I would have unlimited time for exercise, coffee with friends, and being creative. But that's all dreaming. As I realised when I read your comments. And on reflection I don't think I would be happy if I was a lady of leisure. I actually like to be thinking and contributing and feeling that I have a purpose, and all that goes with having a professional career. Really :). Even if it doesn't sound like it some days ;). So thank you. I am once more grounded in reality.

Kathie xx

His alphabet

2011-04-12T21:25:00.002+09:30

I had a page published in Creating Keepsakes' Aussie Reader Gallery recently. I just received my cheque a few weeks ago, so I figure it must be OK to share it with you now:

Journaling: I adore the way you sing the alphabet song: “abcdefg...hijk ella in a pea”. Please keep singing it just like that for a very long time.

I am so very glad that I am mindful to record these little snippets of our boy learning and growing up. He's about to finish his first term at school and he has learnt so much, it's astounding!

I think I am used to our new routine. I do not like it one little bit, but I'm used to it. I feel so busy and struggle to keep all my balls in the air. It shows as my scrapbooking and my blog are suffering. I feel that I have withdrawn from the scrapbooking community at the moment. Partly because I don't have the time. But also because I'm so very very envious of those scrappers who get to create everyday. Sad. But true. I guess I'm not so used to my new routine as I like to make out, huh?

Kathie xx

Lullaby Lane cards

2011-04-02T09:00:00.000+10:30

I confess to being no great card maker. But I'm more than happy with these cards that I created from the Webster's Pages Lullaby Lane collection for Aussie Scrap Source this week.

The beautiful papers really did all the hard work for me. Only problem is... I like them so much I don't think that I'll ever want to give them away!

So... would you like to be on the gorgeous Webster’s Pages blog as one of their guest dt this year? Create a layout or project using Webster’s Pages product, email it to Aussie Scrap Source by Sunday 4th May and you could be the running to win this coveted position. Check out the fine print here.

And congratulations to Kathleen Glossop who won a spot as a guest DT member for Sassafras in last month's competition!

Kathie xx

Digging Fun

2011-04-01T09:00:00.001+10:30

Oh, I seriously love this next page I'm sharing with you. It was published in the US edition of Creating Keepsakes recently, in the article on using torn paper to add texture to your layouts.

I tore up an old dressmaking pattern to create the "substrate" for my layout. Just tore it up into strips and mashed it across the bottom of the page. Then I cut out various elements from some Webster's Pages papers and built up my illustration.

The butterfly is from a sheet of Graphic45 paper. I do love these butterflies!

Pennant flags. I still love them. They are so good for boys pages :)

Lace and gingham. Love the combination.

I am so rapt at being picked up again in Creating Keepsakes. It is an honour!

Kathie xx

Simple life

2011-03-30T13:38:00.001+10:30

This month's inspiration picture at Get Picky is up and it's gorgeous (as usual).

I was struck by the interesting combination of colours on this, and the freestyle feel to it. I wondered if I could interpret it across into a layout. Here's what I have done:

Journaling: This is what I want from now on: a slower pace, a more centered existence, and the feeling of perfect happiness to be found in the moments I come home to myself. Linda Weltner

I started with a page of Prima background paper that had a purple/green colour combo and I spritzed it liberally with hot pink and turquoise mists. Then I laid down a really thick layer of white acrylic paint for my photo mat. I've added a hambly overlay frame under the photos to give a bit of black oomph and inked around the edge of the background, concentrating heavily on the lower RH corner just like in the inspiration piece.

I loved the sprinkling of teeny flowers and butterflies on the original picture and used a combo of Prima, Kaisiercraft and Maya Road flowers, and nearly all of the butterflies in my rather limited butterfly stash ;).

The quote I used on my page reflects how I'm feeling about my life, and in particular my scrapbooking commitments right now.

This is my last project for Get Picky. I am sadly saying goodbye. I leave reluctantly, as it's a great bunch of girls and the inspiration that Nikki and Tanya find each fortnight has been awesome. I am going to miss designing for them. However, the level of projects I've been committed to each month just does not fit into the amount of time I have spare since I've upped my work days. So, reluctantly I must step back a bit. Sob.

I will be staying on at Aussie Scrap Source though, and I'm busy making something for them right now :).

Back to it!
Kathie xx

Fireman Jamie

2011-03-25T16:13:00.002+10:30

I was rapt when I discovered that I was assigned Crate Paper's Toy Box collection to play with over at Aussie Scrap Source. And this is what I made:

Journaling: The fire brigade came to playgroup and you got to climb up on the fire-engine and see the equipment. You even got to squirt water with the firehose!

These photos are of Jamie at playgroup almost a year ago. The fire brigade brought their firetruck to show the kids, and taught them a little bit about fire safety. I love these photos of Jamie in his fire helmet!

The chipboard in the Toy Box collection is the best assortment of images I've seen for little (or older) boy pages for a long time! And of course, the old vintage colours just speak to me. Needless to say, I had a blast creating with it!

Kathie xx

Spring Pages

2011-03-24T10:46:00.003+10:30

I just discovered that a scrapbooking page that was in Creating Keepsakes magazine Scrapbooking Tips and Tricks: Texture recently, is featured on the Club CK blog at the moment :).

AND they have a competition running - all you have to do is create a Spring page. Go check it out if you're interested.

School and Contemplation

2011-03-21T15:55:00.003+10:30

These are my final two layouts for Handmade by Suzanne this month. I have so enjoyed working with the Echo Park For the Record papers and letter stickers.

This first layout features one of the little pockets Suzanne sent me, along with the Echo Park papers. I have intentions of scanning some of Jamie's artwork this term and printing it out small enough to fit in that pocket, along with recollections of what he liked doing at school in his first term - best friends, favourite activities etc.

And then my next layout:

I wasn't intending on making a fourth page, but I had cut out something from the light green paper, and an offcut was sitting on the kraft cardstock looking so much like a little hillock. I've had the doggie in my box of offcuts for ever, and thought I'd get him out and make him a little page to sit within :). I do love these kinds of fun pages.

So, we were supposed to be having a quiet weekend away with friends at the river this weekend just gone. But wouldn't you know it, we had been there no more than three hours when Jamie came down with gastro. He spent all weekend throwing up or sleeping and Phil and I played tag team staying in our cabin looking after him, or going socialising with our friends. Ah well. He seems to be on the mend now. I am pretty ordinary though now. Hopefully I'll not get any worse

First Halloween

2011-03-18T13:37:00.000+10:30

Recently I made my very first Halloween layout! Halloween isn't really celebrated here in Australia, so I haven't ever had photos that were appropriate for Halloween pages. But, last year we were invited to a kiddies Halloween party, complete with Trick or Treating.

Journaling: Last year w were invited to a Halloween party with some friends. It was the first time we had celebrated it. All the kids dressed up and went trick or treating in the street. Oh my! You had the best time and got an awesome stash of treats.

This is my layout for Aussie Scrap Source, using The Girls Paperie Toil and Trouble collection. I adore the vintage-ness (is that a word?) of this range!

Jamie had his little TOT bucket. It was full by the end of the evening!

Go have a look at the other projects here. Aussie has three new posts choc full of weekend inspiration - that's three different manufacturers. You're bound to find something to kick start your weekend creating. Have fun!

Kathie xx

Get Picky March Sketch

2011-03-16T14:26:00.001+10:30

This is March's sketch over at Get Picky:

I pondered for a while on this one, because it lends itself to many interpretations. In the end I settled on this:

Journaling: He loves playing My First Monopoly. It's one of our favourite games. We both chuckle at funny ol' Mr Monopoly in his silver car - lately he doesn't seem to count that well (I suspect he needs a new battery). Jamie's already quite the empire builder. He's totally gleeful when I land on one of his properties and knows just how much rent I owe. And he always wins - but I suspect that's because the rules according to Jamie are always in his favour!

Can you see the inspiration? Instead of creating a garden as depicted in the sketch, I created a township based on the images from the My First Monopoly boardgame.

This month SRM Stickers is sponsoring the site and we had an amazing selection of stickers to choose from. I used some flowers, a little birdie and the word stickers. And these stickers are amazing - they are so smooth and great quality.

To make the page I have taken a background of 7gypsies text paper and painted and misted it to give it colour. Then I pieced a little township scene on it using patterned papers from my stash. I borrowed heavily from the images on the boardgame itself. See the red and yellow multistorey on the board below?

Here it is on my page:

See the green and pink townhall?

What are you going to create this fortnight? Are you going to join in?

Kathie xx

Then/Now - Our childhood

2011-03-15T12:57:00.001+10:30

This week at Aussie Scrap Source we're continuing the Then/Now theme and reflecting on childhood over the generations. I chose to reflect on how different my childhood home was to the house that Jamie's growing up in.

Here's close up of all that journaling. Hopefully you can get most of it (click on the image to view it up close):

I'm one of two girls and our home was predominantly a girl zone: Barbie dolls, princesses and fairies, toy ovens, ballet slippers and tulle. These days I live in a house full of colour, well every colour except pink it would seem ;).

When I first had Jamie I stressed about raising a boy. What did they like? What did they do? And of course, then I got smitten and we've worked it out as we've gone along :).

In fact, I've become so accustomed to being the mum of a boy that I found it a challenge recently to navigate the pink aisle at Target. I was in search of a birthday present for a three year old girl and realised I was completely clueless as I scanned rows of pink Barbies, Dora the Explorers and Pretty Ponies. Who would have thought I’d now be more at home in the boy aisle with its superheroes, Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine?!

I used a mixture of Crate Paper Toy Box and Cosmo Cricket Material Girl on the page, to incorporate imagery of the style found in the picture books I grew up with. A bright red background and ledger paper to write on kept the whole vintage vibe :).

So today.... today I'm just back from the doctors. Jamie ran into a wooden pole at his grandparents' place on the weekend and has broken his nose. No other damage thank goodness. He ran full tilt into it, so it could have been a lot worse. Still, a broken nose is bad enough, poor little possum.

I have another speeding fine. Yay me. These 50km zones are doing me in, now that I have a nice smooth new car. Both times lately I have been caught doing 58kmh in a 50 zone. This time I didn't even realise it was a 50 zone. Yikes. I thought I was under the limit :(. Sneaky sneaky. I can't afford to keep getting speeding fines. I'm going to have to crawl everywhere from now on. I'll be one of those annoying people who does 50 in a 6okmh zone, lol.

Hopefully the week gets better from here.
Kathie xx

Some Creating

2011-03-14T20:28:00.006+10:30

I have had fun this week, creating some pages with the kit Suzanne at Handmade by Suzanne sent me this month. It was loaded with Echo Parks For the Record papers and stickers, which I love. Totally up my alley.

Here are two of my pages:

New Routines

Journaling: Monday: 6.30 shower, load washing, unpack dishwasher; 7.30 wake Jamie; 8.45am school drop off; 9.30 arrive at work - research draft codes of practice for proposed new work health and safety laws; 3.15 pick up Jamie, reading, hang out washing and other house stuff, Jamie in shower; 6.00 tea; 7.00 walk; 8.00 clean kitchen, make lunches; 9.00 scrapbook. Tuesday: 6.30 shower, load washing, tea in slow cooker; 7.30 wake Jamie; 8.45am school drop off; 9.30 arrive at work - organise seminar for public sector OHS practitioners; 3.15 pick up Jamie; 4.00 swimming lesson; 5.00 reading, tidy up, Jamie in shower; 6.00 tea; 7.00 put Jamie to bed; 7.30 clean kitchen, make lunches; 8.30 scrapbook. Wednesday: 6.30 treadmill, shower; 7.30 wake Jamie; 8.45am drop Jamie at school and stay for seminar on reading; 10.30 gym; 11.30 errands; 1.00 scrapbook; 3.15 pick up Jamie, shopping, reading, housework, Jamie in shower; 6.00 tea; 7.00 put Jamie to bed; 7.30 clean kitchen, make lunches; 8.30 art course. Thursday: 6.30 shower, tea in slow cooker, empty dishwasher; 7.30 wake Jamie; 8.45am school drop off; 9.30 arrive at work - start drafting public sector submission on draft work health and safety regulations; 3.15 pick up Jamie, reading, baking, Jamie in shower; 6.00 tea; 7.00 walk; 8.00 clean kitchen, make lunches; 9.00 TV. Friday: 6.30 shower, load washing, scrapbook admin; 7.30 wake Jamie; 8.45am drop Jamie at school and stay to help with reading; 9.30 gym; 10.30 grocery shopping; 12.00 errands, housework, start tea; 3.15 pick up Jamie, playdate; 6.00 tea; 7.00 put Jamie to bed; 7.30 clean up; 8.30 scrapbook. Saturday: 7.30 walk; 8.30 breakfast, tidy kitchen; 9.30 Phil takes Jamie to tennis, I hit the treadmill; 1-3.00 Jamie's friend comes over to play; 3.00 take Jamie up to mum and dad's for a sleepover; 5.00 back home and start tea; 6.00 tea; 7.45 Fringe show with Phil and friends. Sunday: sleep in and generally mooch around; 11.00 go look at pavers for our front driveway with Phil; 2.00 afternoon at the movies with our Gold Passes Phil won; 5.00 Jamie home; 6.00 tea; 7.00 put Jamie to bed; 7.30 clean up, lunches, ironing.

I have been struggling with our new routines since Jamie started school and I started working more days. I thought I'd record our week. I did a similar page a while back for Scrapbooking Memories magazine, and I find it interesting to look back at it now. Our routines change all the time! It's also an interesting audit of where I spend my time and where I could maximise it. It was also therapeutic, lol, as I have really been finding it a struggle to find work-life balance right now.

And then I made this layout as well.

Journaling: July 2008. You collected flowers from the garden for me. Love you Rabbit!

I painted the sheet of text paper in the collection, then made a little scene. I was working from the March sketch at Handmade by Suzanne, although I changed it up a bit so I could create some white space in which to situate the cute little Dusty Attic birdbath that was in the kit :).

I'm loving this style of messy painty creating at the moment and hope to do more.

I still have more product left in my kit, so I hope to do at least another layout for this month. I am so chuffed to be guest designing with them this month. Stay tuned :)

Kathie xx