Guilt-free Scrapbooking - my first class!

I'm not taking it (though heaven knows I carry much guilt about my large scrapbooking stash). No, I am teaching this one. It is Tech Week at Erina Scrapbook store, and we have laptops, ladies! I am going to teach you how to make awesome custom labels so you can start to get your supplies organised. Out of sight is out of mind, girls, so let's get organised so that we can all pursue our fave hobby without the guilt :D

Erina Scrapbook Store
Wednesday 6 January, 7-9pm
Saturday 9 January, 9:30-11:30am
COST $25 per person

Check out the brochure for January classes by clicking here.

You can find the Erina Scrapbook Store at:
2/203 The Entrance Road
ERINA NSW 2250
4365 0770

Come along and have some fun!

My Project 365

I've mentioned on Twitter and Facebook and a few people in real life, that I am taking on Project 365 for 2010. My mother doesn't see the point, and hubby is still rolling his eyes at me ... but I am persisting ... and here is why ...
1. I want my album to be really interesting, so I feel motivated to achieve something cool every day.
2. I am planning a very, very full-on year in 2010 for my health, my home and my career. I want to record them so I can look back on my success.
3. I want my girls to know that when you set your mind to something, you most certainly can succeed, especially where dreams coming true are concerned. This will be a permanent record of that.

I looked at every P365 layout I could find on 2peas, and that was when reality really hit home. If I tried to do this with my copious collection of papers & embellishments, it simply wouldn't get done. Unless it's work, I baulk at the scrapbooking table. It's been over 6 months since I created a layout for my album. Tragic. I am more a digital girl now.

So here's my approach:
1. One week to a page keeps it compact.
2. Use one gorgeous digital kit so that the whole thing is nice and uniform.
3. I created templates for my daily journalling & photo so all I have to do is drop in the pic and type a little at night. They can then sit on the thumb drive until I happen to be printing photos.
4. Every file has the date on it, so when I get them back from the printer I just have to trim them and stick them on the right page.
5. I spent an entire day creating my week titles and templates. I printed them all today and stuck them down on the cardstock.
6. See previous post about why you should approach post-bound albums with caution.

Credit where credit is due:
Colourful kit: One Perfect Day by ShellyRae
Lined paper: Homework Fun by Mushy
Fonts: Freeze! and Pea Jennifer
Adobe Photoshop ... what can't it do?

My pieces are 5.25" x 2.5" and I can fit 8 on a single 12"x12" page.

Feel free to ask me any questions :)

Post-bound albums, oh how I loathe them!

I set up my Project 365 album today. I figured I would use one of the dozen empty post bound albums I own. Here's a synopsis of my afternoon.

"OK, I've cut up all the week titles, and the first page is almost finished. I'm awesome! I'll just get down one of those albums off the top of the bookshelf. I wonder why I have so many? Hmmm ... 20 pages, I guess I need to put in another 6. Isn't it nice that they put in those post extender thingies."

... and that's where it pretty much fell apart. The posts wouldn't go together, and then when I realised that I'd forgotten to put the spine binding thing in, and had to take it all apart I couldn't get the screw tops off the posts! Hubby helped for about 2 minutes then declared "I didn't sign up for this" and left.

*INSERT BAD WORDS HERE*

Eventually I got everything in place. "Yes!" I said with great triumph, followed by "Crap". There were only 10 pages in the album, not 20. I undid it and started again. I left the spine out again. I undid it and started again. "Yes!" I said ... and started putting the pages in the sleeves. You guessed it ... I was one short *insert more bad words here*. I undid the bugger again, did it back up, trying my best to keep as calm as possible whilst hubby roared with laughter at me from the lounge room.

It is finished.
It is done.
I am going to sell off all my empty post bound albums at the next garage sale, because I never EVER want to go through that again.

*sigh*.

New Pattern on Etsy!

I designed this bunny aaaaaaaaaaaages ago, as a painting project rather than a doll-making one. I unearthed it yesterday whilst getting my creative papers in order, and decided to make another one. Naturally, this bunny has been claimed by Princess #2, so if I want one to sell or keep I will have to make another one LOL.

The pattern is really, really easy. It's so easy that my 11yo princess is going to make one herself this week. And if you're not into painting, there are so many other ways to decorate your bunny. Fabric markers, iron on transfers, embroidery, or just gorgeous patterned fabric! Please do check it out on Etsy by clicking here.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

... only with blistering heat that we've come to expect in Australia *sigh*. I've had my Christmas cd's on, getting in the mood. Our tree is up (and kitty is paying very little attention, surprisingly) and lights are on each night.

Now, don't hate me people, but I finished 99% of my Christmas shopping, and have wrapped all the gifts. I even made time today to create custom photo gift tags. Helps the kids who can't read yet be little santa's helpers on Christmas day because they can just look at the photos. I also created custom calendars for two of my besties (you know who you are), which I do every year. Loving my 2010 creations!

I am also flat out in my official role as Santa's Helper at my local Domayne store, taking photos of all the girls and boys (and mums and dads of screaming toddlers) on weekends.

Today I had a visit from the nice parcel lady ... a box of yet-to-be-released scrapbooking products to play with *YAAAAAAY*. It's all happening here folks! Now to luxuriate in the airconditioned comfort of the lounge room whilst sipping tea and gazing lovingly at my new scrapbooking products *hee hee*.

Are you having a nice relaxing lead-up to Christmas? Even if you're busy, it can still be relaxed :)

What a busy year!

Anyone who knows me well will always ask me what exciting project I have on the go at the moment. This is because I always have something interesting to do ... I really love my job(s)! LOL 2009 has brought me some amazing projects including:

* An Australia-wide tour of Spotlight stores, promoting Martha Stewart's papercraft range.
* Scrapbooking projects for Handmade magazine
* Painting project to be published in 2010 in Fine Art & Decorative Painting magazine.
* Entering my first competition piece, on display at Darling Harbour Quilt & Craft show (and currently featuring in Fine Art & Decorative Painting magazine).
* Designing original crochet patterns for a book by Milford Threads.
* Creating projects for in-store project sheets for various Brandcorp products (like the photo).
* Designing sewing patterns for Australian Girl Dolls.
* Running the school Bookclub.
* Keeping 3 shops open on Etsy.
* Santa's official photographer at West Gosford Domayne.
* .... and soooooooooooo much more.

The problem is that I am running out of steam. So now it is time for me to take a step back, look at what I have done, and decide what I want to do. In order to free up a little time I have put my photography store on Etsy into vacation mode until the new year.

I'm really looking forward to taking my creativity in new directions in 2010 as well as meeting some personal goals :)

Waifs & Strays

I am really excited to share a gorgeous new Etsy shop with you ... Waifs & Strays by Jayne Mateljan. This extraordinarily talented artist / sculpter / dollmaker lives in my neighbourhood, and I really enjoyed photographing her stunning mini creations.

You can visit her Etsy shop by clicking here ... www.JayneMateljan.etsy.com, or just click on the photograph below to be taken directly to the shop and see more views of these gorgeous creatures.

Enjoy!