Today I am grateful...

...that I created a scrapbook page despite seemingly feeling grumpy and lacking in mojo! I am also grateful that I finally sent my last batch of 2010 photos for printing!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Today I am grateful for ...

... my new creative retreat!

I have never considered myself an artist. In fact I have always considered myself to be really really dreadful at art! Someone who can't draw, can't paint, can't create.
But then I thought to myself, but what about Scrapbooking?! You are good at that, and its arty! Its VERY creative! And... you are good at it!
Suddenly all these self-created walls in my little brain fell down and I had a bit of an arty epiphany! (All this happened at about 1am this morning!! Today I am enlightened, if a little sleepy!!!

I came across this inspiring blog. I had a good look and discovered the amazing world of the art journal.
'I couldn't do one of those' I thought to myself. 'I have no idea how to paint'.
Well, I had no idea how to scrapbook when I made my first layout but I still enjoyed making it and the page itself was absolutely fine!!

So this afternoon, I made my first page in my art journal {squeak} I was going for a grungey look and I think I achieved it. I think.

Time to detox!

I read about the concept of a digital detox
over at Linar Studio.
I thought this was something that might be good for me to do during the first month of this new year.
I see no reason to re-invent the wheel so am going to use the successful format I spotted at Linar.

Monday - social networking detox. Facebook, twitter and flickr. Delete inactive friends (or in fact people who aren't 'friends' at all, but rather people you once knew vaguely!)

Tuesday - Google reader. Unsubscribe to blogs that you just flick past or that don't inspire you when you read them (or in fact the ones you flick past and don't even read!)

Wednesday - desktop. Tidy it!

Thursday - address book/ contacts. Declutter and organise.

Friday - calendar. Organise it and clear it. Check it is up to date.

Saturday - Downloads. Delete anything not used - especially e-books and digi elements!

Sunday - Email. Purge and organise.

BIG PROJECTS to do through week:

Photos - get printed.
Digi files - back up.
Bookmarks - OMG! Sort them out!!
Apps - delete unused.
My documents - purge, organise.
BACKUP

Wow! Lots to do!!!!! :0) It'll be worth it though!

Today I am grateful...

... that today was a good day!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Today I looked to the past and planned for the future!

I had a lovely day scrapping today.
First I celebrated my childhood with a wonderful photo from 1983. I used a sketch from Shimelle's new weekly sketch series.

My second project isn't that great a layout, BUT it is really important to me. It is a page documenting our decision to move forward with our extension.  It may look a little odd without photos but I wanted our own words to be the focus.  With this in mind we each wrote our thoughts on a tag.

Here is what I've been up to over the past few weeks:

ONE LITTLE WORD
You may remember my word is BALANCE.

Here is my self portrait. Not the most flattering but for now I wanted a natural make up free one. I'd like one to suit the word more but need to go out somewhere special to capture that shot, so this page will change:

And here is my divided page introducing BALANCE:

MY FIRST PAGE FOR 2011
Although I have created a number of layouts this month I actually file them chronologically. So all photos from 2010 are in a 2010 album, even if they were created this year, or next etc.
But this is the first photo of 2011 I printed at home. I wanted to use the ideas from Scrapbooking from the Inside Out who give great thoughts for deeper pages than the usual document-that-event kind. For January the prompt is REFLECTION. So I used a photo of myself taken in the mirror. As this was a 'start the year' off page I reflected on the past year and how I'd like things to be different this year. I journalled this as a note to self, as if I had written it in the steam of the mirror.  I used my November GoGo kit for this page and wanted the embellishments to have the feel of unlocking my potential and escaping into freedom...

Have a great weekend everyone!



Saffy Saturday returns!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Checking in on my January goals again!!

1. Complete this months One Little Word prompt. Although I'm not happy with my own photo! Am hoping to go out for the day this Sunday and take a meaningful photo!!


2. Complete a layout for each of the 4 free classes at Two Peas in a Bucket....Two classes are now 'live'. I have done one layout so not too bad!....
21/1/11 Hmmmmm, 3 are now live and only one layout. Although I am looking forward to a lot of scrapping at the weekend!!

3. Achieve all goals on my Simplify 101 checklist....completed this weeks checklist. Next weeks checklist starts tomorrow. Exciting! Its about turning those 101 dreams into goals.
21/1/11 Yay!....second weeks checklist completed. Hooray!!

4. Get photos from 2010 all printed and ready to scrap... sorted onto a CD and ready to head to Jessops for printing tomorrow! Last time I did a bulk print I used Photobox. It was amazingly fast delivery and good quality pics. BUT they defaulted as 6x4.5 which although only .5 of an inch made a huge difference to scrap pages!! When I changed them on the site to 6x4 they cropped the photos :0(
21/1/11Still to print :0( This is holding my scrapping up a little bit :0(

5. Complete Document 2010 {blush!} ... not touched this yet!!
21/1/11  Ditto!!

6. Complete a 2011 page with a photo from THIS year (So far I just seem to be scrapping from last year and although last year was only days ago, I want t do something that is NOW!!) ...lots of ideas for pages, lots of sketches, lots of prompts, lots of pages to scrap lift BUT... no photos!! Again hoping this weekend will bring some yummy photo opportunities!

7. Contact an architect about our extension! {Note to self: CONTACT one! Thats all you have to do this month! Just do it! Before you go insane :0( } Eeeeek!! I've croseed this out!! The most important one and...I've done it! I've emailed him back! Woooo hoooooo!!!

Yay!! Quite a lot done (some fairly important stuff too) and a bit still to do. Not bad though, so I'm happy!!
Thanks for being my witnesses to these :0)

At the weekend I'll post some photos of LOs completed over the past week or so.
Have a good Friday.

Today I am grateful...

... that I decided to take a healthy lunch to work with me! Yummmmmmmy!!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Today I am grateful ...

... that our first day with self service went without a hitch!

But I am very very tired now! Night night blog land {yawn} x

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Today I am grateful ...

... that the library refurbishment completed on time.

A long day today after a stressful week and a half but we did it! Library all spick and span, new desk, new self service machine and all ready to open bright and early tomorrow morning :0)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Today I am grateful for...

... the current absence of tooth ache!

I've had an infected root/ nerve for the past month and a half. As a result I have been living with a constant tooth ache :0(
Today was the first of {sob} THREE sessions to root canal fill and crown that poor tooth. Although the drilling was worse than I ever dreamt it would be, the discomfort I feel now is nothing compared to the pain over the past few weeks. Session 2 in 2 weeks!!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Today I am grateful for ...

... the fact that we managed to talk it through- at least a little bit - and remember that we love each other.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Today I am grateful for...

...a visit from a sweet sweet friend when I was at my lowest point.

Today was an absolutely awful day at work. I was even in tears at one point :0( And just when I felt at my utter lowest, and really alone. I had a visit to make me smile!
This week has shown me I have a lot of friends who care {heart is warm and fuzzy!}


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Today I am grateful for...

...my oldest and dearest friend still being in my life.

Even when I don't see her for weeks or even months at a time it's like we were never apart. Such a blessing to have her in my life.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Crafty news...

Well, I've been busy busy over the last few days. I've made some pages to finish off some holiday photos, including my first ever double page spread:

I have also made the first card I have made for years. AND I am happy with it which has never happened before!!

Checking in on my Goals for the month...

1. Complete this months One Little Word prompt.  Although I'm not happy with my own photo! Am hoping to go out for the day this Sunday and take a meaningful photo!!


2. Complete a layout for each of the 4 free classes at Two Peas in a Bucket....Two classes are now 'live'.  I have done one layout so not too bad!

3. Achieve all goals on my Simplify 101 checklist....completed this weeks checklist.  Next weeks checklist starts tomorrow. Exciting! Its about turning those 101 dreams into goals. Yay!

4. Get photos from 2010 all printed and ready to scrap... sorted onto a CD and ready to head to Jessops for printing tomorrow! Last time I did a bulk print I used Photobox. It was amazingly fast delivery and good quality pics. BUT they defaulted as 6x4.5 which although only .5 of an inch made a huge difference to scrap pages!! When I changed them on the site to 6x4 they cropped the photos :0(

5. Complete Document 2010 {blush!} ... not touched this yet!!

6. Complete a 2011 page with a photo from THIS year (So far I just seem to be scrapping from last year and although last year was only days ago, I want t do something that is NOW!!) ...lots of ideas for pages, lots of sketches, lots of prompts, lots of pages to scrap lift BUT... no photos!! Again hoping this weekend will bring some yummy photo opportunities!

7. Contact an architect about our extension! {Note to self: CONTACT one! Thats all you have to do this month! Just do it! Before you go insane :0( } Eeeeek!! I've croseed this out!! The most important one and...I've done it! I've emailed him back! Woooo hoooooo!!!

Today I am grateful for...

... unexpected opportunities.

It's always wonderful when an unexpected opportunity presents itself in your life. It's up to us to make the most of them though!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Today I am grateful for...

... time spent with friends who are dear to me.

It's amazing how a good friend is able to turn a bad moment into a good one, just by being there for you and making you smile. And then laugh. And then have a real 'belly laugh' (the kind of laugh that ends with a stitch and tears running down your face, and gasping for air!)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Goals for January...

I know we are already well into the month but i thought I would share my goals for January here. They are:
1. Complete this months One Little Word prompt.
2. Complete a layout for each of the 4 free classes at Two Peas in a Bucket.
3. Achieve all goals on my Simplify 101 checklist.
4. Get photos from 2010 all printed and ready to scrap.
5. Complete Document 2010 {blush!}
6. Complete a 2011 page with a photo from THIS year (So far I just seem to be scrapping from last year and although last year was only days ago, I want t do something that is NOW!!)
7. Contact an architect about our extension! {Note to self: CONTACT one! Thats all you have to do this month! Just do it! Before you go insane :0( }

Do you have any goals for this month? If so blog them and leave me a link in the comments - I'd love the support of my blog friends as I try to do these things this month and to support you with your goals too :0)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Today I am grateful for ...

... my friends xxxx


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Scrappy Day

Just a quick post as I have a corker of a headache and don't want to spend ages in front of a laptop.

Here is the layout I made the other day:

And here is one I made today from the November GoGo Kit. I just looooove Sassafras papers!! {swoon}

Happy Friday Blogland!!

Hi All,
I've been slack with blogging lately and want that to change!
I love blogs that have a regular 'slot' or timetable of events and subjects and am thinking of trying the same here! Things is, I'm not sure what to focus on!!!
I used to do Saffy Saturday (which involved an amusing photo of my cat Saffron getting up to various mischief!!)
I can obviously do a scrap page day :0)
But what else?!?!?! Any ideas of things people would like to see on a regular basis?? I wouldn't want to plan out every day, but think a few more than 2 would be nice!!
One thing I am starting as part of a workshop I am doing is a daily GRATITUDE post.

Today I am grateful that is is Friday (and that it is NOT my week to work on Saturday - woo hoo!!)
Today I am grateful that I am NOT going out tonight and can stay in, with PJs and Baileys and scrap - bliss!
Today I am grateful that it is my Crystal Group on Sunday {love}.

What a lovely last day of freedom!

I've had a wonderful start to 2011! I have achieved so much that I have been planning for month but never gotten around to! I have tidied and organised, planned and prettified and...I have scrapped {swoon}!
I realised today that I haven't created a 12x12 page since December started as I have focussed entirely on JYC!
I made up for it yesterday and created 3!!!! Two are here now, I will blog the other one asap as the light is too poor for a good photo!
NOTE: I'm having issues with Blogger and my ipad. Its made the photos below very blurry. if you click on each to see an enlarged picture the resolution is as it should be.
The first is for the Scrapbook stamping class over at Two Peas:
































The second was just for fun:























Tomorrow is my first day of work this year {sob} and I'm working 9-7! I'm fairly dreading it and jus hope my new found energy, drive and commitment continues no the working year! It's so easy to get things done when you are a home all day, but harder when you get in from work to a house that Has been messed up by the other inhabitants- grrrrr!
Are any of you returning to work and dreading it this week? Any tips for not getting depressed at the mere thought?!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Introducing my One Little Word 2011 - Balance...

Alot of people are joining Ali Edwards on the One Little Word journey this year.
Last year my word was PLAY.  The word chose me and I was excited at the idea and then ... I totally forgot about it!! (Blush! #fail)
This year I am excited to join with Ali and other class mates to embrace my word far more poetically and creatively.
My word 'found' me again this year.  I have a set of word cards.  Printed on each card is a word. Nothing more than that. But the feelings evoked by each word are very very real.  I always pick a card every morning and decided to do that to find my word for the year - or rather for the Fates to guide it to me! And thus BALANCE entered by life for 2011. I'm really excited as its a great word!!

To document by journey with Balance I will be following Ali's monthly prompts for the class over at Big Picture Classes and showing my work on my blog.

As a little extra to the prompts I decided to create something to show my word off! 
I fell in love with the free Christmas printables that the talented SJ gave away on her blog. and so decided to steal the idea and make my own with some free font downloads found for me by my lovely man and PSE!
Here is what I created:

And here it is on the shelf {love}:

Are you also embracing a word for 2011? I'd love to hear what it is...