Covering up your mistakes.

What to do when you make a major mistake?

Well I suggest putting the layout down and walking away from it for a while. At least that's what I did when I doing this layout of my son at preschool last year during pirate school (his teacher used pirates as the topic for all their lessons for one term as the kids were interested and loved the opportunity to dress up). In this photo the kids were 'sharing the treasure they'd found'. It was a great activity where they learnt some map reading skills and solved some riddles. So when I was doing the layout I decided to use a stencil and write the word treasure directly on the page........ Only problems was I spelt it wrong!

So after kicking myself, I walked away from this layout for a couple of days. During that time i tried NOT to think about it.... Then suddenly like a bolt from the blue the solution hit me.

So I cut out a piece of white paper (slightly thicker than usual) I then rolled the two edges like a map is rolled. Then I stained the paper with a teabag. After that dried I wrote my words on it in black and then I started burning the edges! I love this affect! I think it goes perfectly with this layout....... I don't think the burnt paper is acid or lignin free so I have put a piece of transparency behind it to protect the archival quality of my layout.

But all in all I think this is a great way to cover up my mistake. I also like that I was able to burn out a gap for the teachers head.... lol

2 Peas Wednesday Blogger Challenge: What are your five best attributes?

You know I might have to give up participating in these challenges because the 2 peas bloggers come up with such curly topics. Also I give way too much away about myself. ... lol

So this blog challenge is to blog about what you consider to be your five best attributes? So here is my list:

1. Great Friend (I try really hard to be a good friend, mostly I'm just struggling to keep up with my fantastic friends and how wonderful they are to me! That's means you Tam, Chris, Alanna, Erin, Sandy, Marie, Katie, Dave & Nicky)
2. Honesty (I am honest with my friends and family, sometimes maybe too honest! But really I think the role of a best friend is to tell you that... sorry those $100 pants do make your butt look big!)
3. Loving and Caring Mother (I had the best role model in this department and I try to think how my mum would do things and do it that way whenever possible! Lots of hugs and kisses, always listening to them and asking them about their day)
4. Good Work Ethic (I always try to put all my efforts into any job I do. I believe that if someone is paying me to do something then they deserve 100% of my effort where ever possible)
5. Great Problem Solver (I think this is one of my greatest skills. I always try to see things from every angle and will often come up with the perfect solution to a problem. Things have to make sense to me so if you're doing something in 10 steps that could be achieved more easily in 5 steps I'll usually see thoses steps first)

So there they are the five attributes I think are my best... Lets just not examine what we consider to be our worst!

Cheap Scrapbooking Ideas ...: My Scrap Space

My sewing table idea has been working really well for keeping my supplies safe (because it all folds up and locks) from my two year old but not having my table open all the time has definitely affected my productivity. Cheap Scrapbooking Ideas ...: My Scrap Space I'm just not getting many layouts done! I was getting a few layouts done a week on my old table because it was always available.

I'm going to try leaving the table open and ready to use and see if I can train my two year old to leave everything alone..... Oh who am I kidding she loves stickers and stamps too much to ever do that...

Aaaah a scrapbooker in the making... How proud am I? Both my five year old son and my 2 and a half year old daughter love scrapbooking with me. It's fun!

Cheap Scrapbooking Ideas ...: First Day of School

I have had some wonderful suggestions on the forum regarding my request for help. Cheap Scrapbooking Ideas ...: First Day of School I asked for help on colour schemes, patterned papers and layout ideas. Because I will have so many photos to scrapbook over the next 7 years and I dislike the shade of green of my sons' uniform so much I really needed some guidance here. A few really good suggestions have been to use Green & two other primary colours, Print the photo's in black and white or a monochramatic green layout and finally a neutral toned layout. My absolutely favourite suggestion received to date was to cover the entire photo in vellum and tear out the vellum from around his face so just his face pokes through..... It has also been suggested that it would be a good idea to grab several sheets of any paper I see that does co-ordinate well as it will be difficult getting more of this paper in 7 years time. So now I'm not feeling quite so overwhelmed at the prospect ahead of me.

Thanks to all those whose suggestions I received.

Using your childs artwork in your layout!

I received this 2 Page layout from Anne of Virginia. Many posts ago I was talking about ways you can create your own custom papers and ways you can involve your children. Anne had done exactly that, before reading my post so sent me a photo of her cool layout. This is a double page spread and you can see how the artwork created by her son has become part of the layout! She has used a helium foil balloon as her background paper too! WAY TO USE FOUND OBJECTS!

I love the idea of using original artworks. In years to come your kids can see actual examples of their work proudly displayed and preserved for all time.

When my son graduated from Pre- School last year I created a scrapbook about his year in preschool and had his artwork displayed in plastic sleeves. The whole project was really cheap. I used an old folder (A4 three ring binder) I had left over from our Driving School Business as well as the loose leaf A4 plastic sleeves (also from this time) so all I purchased was one packet of A4 cardstock, 1 kit of school papers and 1 packet of school embellishments... all up I spent around $10 to complete the entire album.

Here is page one; And the cover

his first day at

Preschool

Free tags for layouts

I bought my daughter a new shirt today and this (above) is the tag that came on the shirt.... I love using free stuff on my layouts. I think I'll just put some buttons or a flower on the tag and some fibres to attach it.

There are alot of free tags available out there for you to use on your layouts. Apart from clothing tags you can also use gift tags, business cards (use the back if not printed) and those cards you get at the department store with a spritz of perfume on them.

2 Peas Monday Challeng: What do you want your life to be like in 10 years time?

Ah another interesting challenge from the 2 Peas board..... As I sit and I think I can only imagine one thing I want to be different in 10 years time. My house! I want to own my own home by then. At the moment we're renting. I recently gave up full time work to spend some time with the kids. To be there for school activities and volunteer at my son's school this year. You know be a full-time Mummy! This naturally has had an impact on our income. We are continueing to rent though because it's not as stressful as trying to buy on only one income. So not owning a house has been put on hold for that reason. But I'd definitely like to have my own home by then.

And if I do get a bigger house I'd love another baby.... There I said it! Despite the fact that my children didn't let me sleep through the night until they were around two years of age I'd still like another..... hmm we'll see.. getting towards the end of my child bearing years but fingers crossed all going well???

So in ten years time where do I want my life to be? Well I'd like the relationship with my kids to be as loving as it is now. (Which may be asking a bit much of a 15 year old boy and a 12 year old girl). I want to be scrapbooking and making memories for them, travel a little maybe discover new places with them? Laugh with them ALOT!

And lastly but certainly not leastly I'd like to be celebrating my 22nd wedding anniversary with my DH. Maybe a renewal of our vows in Fiji? Ah Tahitti sounds nice (lol)

First Day of School

I DIDT IT! I took my son to his first day of school and I didn't cry. He was pretty excited about going so I wasn't too worried about him... It was more me! My daughter (head in bottom right of shot) wanted to go to school too! Problem is she has 3 more years before she can go.

He did get a little overwhelmed just before we went which was our fault for arriving too soon.... We were there too long and he wasn't happy about us going but we managed the first day without any tears from anyone... whew!

Now the fun part I get to scrapbook the photos'. The only thing I'm bummed about is the colour of his uniform. I'm not a big fan of this shade of green..... And I've got 7 years of this uniform to scrapbook..... Yikes! Any hints or tips from anyone reading this blog would be greatly appreciated!... Even links to gallery examples? PLEASE....... pretty please..... I'll be your friend? lol

Stamps, Stamps lots of Stamps

I was very naughty this weekend. I was at my local K-Mart and they had a box of stamps in a kit..... well the price wasn't that reasonable at $59.00 but with over 150 stamps in the kit plus two alphabet sets including numerical..... how could I resist? There are so many sets in this lot: Flowers, love, wedding, baby, girl, boy, birthday, heritage, animals! And best of all they're clear mounted so they're more economical on storage space and it's really easy to see where you're placing your stamp.

I know $59.00 is not very miserly of me. But sometimes you have to spend a larger amount of money for the overall saving. I know that purchasing 150 stamps even at $1 each (cheapest price I've found for a single stamp) would still cost me $150 then there's the alphabet sets to consider... Usually $4.95 each? So all things considered it was a very miserly purchase.

I think stamps are one of the best purchases you can make as they allow you to create matching papers, ribbons and embellishments really easily... They're one of those purchases that you can use over and over and over again.

I can't wait to use them! I've had a dabble and experimented with inks and felts and embossing powders to see what happens. Now I'm especially looking forward to creating my own papers and matching embellishments. I have some really cute embellishments for a bithday party (gift from a girlfriend for my birthday) but I've been unable to find a pink orange and lime green paper I liked to go with them.... now I'll just make it myself...

Maybe I can start it this week with a little bit of help....

My eldest starts Grade 1 tomorrow and my daughter (youngest) goes back to day care two days a week so I can do some work, but I'm really looking forward to the other three days so she and I can sit down and do some stamping together. (She's 2 and a half and loves stamping..... hmmm almost as much as she loves scrapbooking!)...

So that reminds me of all the things I have to get ready before school tomorrow so I'd better go.... I'll post tomorrow on how it went... I have a feeling he'll be fine but me... I'm not so sure of! Good thing the school gave a box of tissues with the school books.... Think I'll need them!

Free Transparency supplies.

If you've been reading these posts you know that I LOVE FREE! I'm always looking at everything that comes into my life and evaluating it's worthiness as a scrapbooking supply. Well as I mentioned previously Christmas bought alot of free supplies my way due to the paper, cards and ribbon, and also the packaging the toys came in.

My tip for avid scrapers wanting to save money is to check out all the packaging that comes into your life as many of them contain a clear plastic window. You can open the box up and remove this window and use it as you would a transparency.

Or sometimes the combination of cardboard and clear plastic are a great shape and you can simply paint the cardboard and place it over a photograph like you would a picture frame.

What's in a Name?

I saw a post on the 2 Peas Board to check out this site ..."How Many of Me?" at: http://www.howmanyofme.com/search/ and it's great fun.

Growing up there was only one other girl with my name... and she was named after me! So I was pretty much an original..... Now that I'm in my thirty's I occaisionally meet someone with my name but not very often.

So it was fun to see that there are 5,999 people in the U.S. with my first name. Statistically it's the 2397th most popular first name. (tied with 365 other first names). Go check it out and post me a comment if your name is completely original!!

Making Memories Contest for Ellen and Oprah's Birthdays

The Making Memories Team are running a contest! Because Ellen and Oprah both have Birthdays in January they're running a contest. They're asking scrappers to show the cast and crew of both programs how much fun we have with our craft. So create a birthday card (handmade by you!) and then take a picture of it or scan it in and email this digital copy to Making Memories
ATTN: Ellen/Oprah Birthday Cards
1168 West 500 North
Centerville, UT 84014


Then mail your 'work of art' to the Birthday Girl / Girls (if you do both) directly to them.

For Ellen post to:
Ellen DeGeneres
The Ellen DeGeneres ShowTelepictures Productions
3000 W Alameda Ave #2700
Burbank, CA 91523
(to arrive by 1/26) This one might be a little difficult to achieve given the timeframe left.

And to Oprah at:
Oprah Winfrey
Harpo Productions
Harpo Studios
c/o Staff Member
110 N Carpenter St
Chicago, IL 60607-2146
(to arrive by 1/29)

The Making memories team will then pick 5 winners from the birthday card scans that they receive to win a Runway tote full of product. It's that easy. The winners will then be announced on the Making Memories blog (http://makingmemories.typepad.com/makingmemories/ ) They say the announcement will be made on Friday, February 2nd. .... So there's still a little bit of time........ Get scrappin Girls!

2 Peas Challenge: Do you Live in the Past, Future or Present?

The challenge this week on the 2 Peas board is a really great question: "Do you live more in the past, present or future?"

I'm in a quandry as I type. This sort of question really makes you examine yourself. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you bring up the past all the time or do you look hopefully toward the future. As much as I'd like to be able to say about myself that I live in the future, it really isn't true.

I scrap in the past and the present. And I think my scrapping in the past is making me live in the past? ..... (insert music.... 'Regrets I've had a few ... but then again .. too few to mention')... So my goal for this year is to get all of my 'past' photo's scrapped so I can focus more on the now!

I also scrap alot in the present. Who can resist when your little darlings give you so many fabulous moments to work with. So this keeps me focused on the now and what I have and how much I appreciate my husband and two beautiful children (who were pretty hard to come by... 5 pregnancies and only two live babies).

As to the future? I've pretty much given up on that hoping and wishing thing. It never turns out how I wished it anyway. I've put so much energy into wishing for things and they never happen quite the way you wish them. So now the future is always a lovely surprise! We'll get there when we get there. I now put my faith in the universe and that things are unfolding exactly as they're supposed to. I also don't want my kids to grow (lol) up so I try not to focus on where they'll be tomorrow instead focusing on today's achievements.

So I guess I live more in the now than anywhere else. But I scrap everywhere! lol

My Favourite Layout

My entry to be tomorrows Spotlighter on the 2 Peas Message Board would have to be this layout of my daughter. I love the composition of the layout, the colour scheme (I'm going through a real pink & orange combo phase at the moment) the papers used, the photo's (they're so like her!) and I even love all the craft knife work I did to cut the doodlebugs out of vellum (see swirly orange pieces on the corners of two of the photos). But most of all I love the saying I used "Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, so ever fresh and radiant possibility" (not sure where it's from but that's how I feel about my baby! I do ADORE her.... even when she's hidding her face and refusing to take anymore photos'!

My New Years Resolution - Challenge Myself on my layouts

In my search for new years' resolutions I thought I'd stick to I decided to challenge myself more on my layouts. Usually I will pick one patterned paper and two plains. I only ever use two patterns if they're by the same manufacturer and meant to go together. So this year I gave some photos' for a layout to my girlfriend, whom I've known since the fourth grade (1979 I believe) and my paper stash and I had her pick the paper and then give me a layout to follow... So here are my finished layouts.... On the Pink, Blue and Green one I did wimp out a bit. I was given the stripey paper and a pink diamond paper and as you can see I wimped out. I did push myself to use another patterned paper though... it was a green patterned paper that looked like water.... All in all I think I pushed my limits a bit here and I'm pleased with the overall finished product.

I'm usually so safe with my colour schemes and mixing patterns so this exercise for me has been about pushing my co-ordinating skills more. Trying new things. ... We'll see what comes of it anyway..

Free Webisodes on Scrapbooking Techniques

This site is awesome! The Scrapbook Lounge is a fantastic site of weekly webisodes for you to view totally FREE TV. Yep there it is my favourite word FREE! I've watched a few of the archived videos and totally recommend you check this out. Many of the tutorials are done by the manufacturers. I like that because the manufacturer of a product tends to know it really well and can show you exactly how to get the most out of their product. I do suggest though that you just watch the shows, don't be too driven by the explanation as a few of the explanations seemed like topics I wouldn't necessarily be interested in but on watching it I found they were totally what I needed to know. So if you're looking for more tutorials than I've provided here (and who isn't.. lol) I can whole heartedly recommend this site.

The only bad part for me is I have now found another thing to do in my spare time (whatever that is?). So apart from emails, blogging, forums and groups I now have webisode viewing to ad to the list...... Hope there's still enough time to scrap..... Well if you've seen any of my merchandise in the "Scrapmiser Merchandise" shop you'll know I totally believe you have to: "Stop and Always Make Time to Scrap"... which I'm off to do now.... I'm working on that other new years resolution I made.... The one about being a little more adventurous with my layouts. So I gave the photos to my scrapbuddy and all my papers and had her pick out the elements for my layout and design the template for me.... I'll post the finished product soon as I've finished and we'll see if I was more adventurous than usual....

This is the 'graphic' for the clock and apron available through my shop.... What do you think?

Why Scrapbook?

OMG I was actually asked this the other day. ... Why Scrapbook? I have a girlfriend who hasn't been bitten by the scrap bug and probably never will. She's not interested in having a creative outlet. But despite this I was surprised when she asked me this question. I guess alot of potential scrappers are out there asking this question and the simple answer is 'Don't"...... unless...... you have a desire to leave something for your children and grandchildren and great great grandchildren (if you've used Acid and Lignin Free products of course). I think for me this desire to set up a dialogue with my decendants began as I scrapbooked my mum's life and there were so many things I didn't know and would never know about her. I loved doing my mum's life because the journey of discovering who she was before she was my mum and how badly she wanted to be a mum brought me closer to her. But also to her friends, as they were the only ones available for me to ask questions of. The next project I finished was a scrapbook of my life..... just in case! If anything happens to me my children will have a place to go to find out answers. So if you want to preserve memories or leave behind a personal account of your life for your decendants or if you want to record those little moments when you're child looks up at you and says something priceless, then this is the craft for you! You don't even need to be very crafty. Just remember that at the end of the day the most important things are the photo's and the journalling. Even if all you do is stick some photos down on a piece of cardstock and write the story or memory next to them, you've scrapbooked! But most of all enjoy!

(Image from my merchandise)

Heidi Swapp is Pregnant

WoW! I just heard the news! Heidi Swapp is pregnant with number Five and number Four is only 11 months old. I can't imagine how she does it! Having Four kids already, running a business, designing...... I'm flat out with two kids. So our congratulations and warmest wishes, those of scrubbie and I!

I have just gone back to work but I have to say I am very lucky. My boss is the best! I am able to go to the office when it suits me for as long as I need to or as long as I have available and then I go home. I can also work from home if I need to which is a godsend. My scrubbie works at home so during the school holidays we've been swapping looking after the kids while the other works....... But I gotta say I can't wait for school to go back! Just to get my routine back. Although I have enjoyed the summer with the kids. Summer is my favourite time of year, so many wonderful photo's to scrapbook. We've been using the local lagoon alot this summer, which was one of my new years resolutions; to use more of the free facilities our town has to offer.(This is the link to my home tome web site: http://www.redcliffe.qld.gov.au/) Our council installed a very large pool, on some reclaimed land on the foreshore, that is landscaped more like a lagoon with bar-b-que areas, public toilets and a kiddie pool as well as a playground and the best thing is.... IT'S FREE!!! It's very beautiful and because its on the beach you get those fabulous sea breezes without the sea lice and jelly fish...not to mention sharks! It has been wonderful but I will be happy to get things back to normal. This year my eldest starts grade 1. He's going to be a big grown up schoolie. He's been so excited about getting his uniform and his books. But I just know I'm gonna cry! I'm planning that layout very carefully! I saw a great idea in a magazine where the designer applied dimensional magic to just the subject of the photo and it made the little boy really jump out of the photo. I might give that a try. I'd love to see any layouts from other scrappers of their "First day of School" Designs.

Notebook of Ideas

I recently purchased a notebook that has changed my scrapbooking. It's just an ordinary notebook. The great thing for me is that it is divided into sections so I can easily organise all the areas of my scrapbooking.

I take it everywhere with me and use is to make a note or sketch of any layout I see in a shop that I like.... or I jot down blogs and websites I want to check out... even posts I want to do on my blog. I even use it for poems and sayings that I encounter and even to jot down the cute things the kids say.

I especially love the sketches of layouts because by sketching a layout I am breaking it down to its raw elements and not just copying someone else's work... this allows me to alter the layout and give it my own flair as I'm not swayed by the colour scheme or papers used by the original artist.

I have also found it great when shopping and I've saved myself quite a bit of money because of my 'notebook'. I often keep a list of products I want and their price, I am then able to accurately compare when I'm shopping somewhere else.

2 Peas Thursday Blogger Challenge 1.18.07

Today, although late I am posting my challenge to the latest 2 Peas Thursday Challenge which is to list your favourite musical artists from 1 thru 10. Hmm now this one is tricky and probably tells you more about me than I ever wanted you to know but here goes:

1. Billy Joel (He's just the greatest story teller and I can sing along to his stuff)
2. Pink (This girl has attitude and spunk and I love her message)
3. The Veronicas (Two Aussie Girls whose songs get stuck in your head)
4. The Dixie Chicks (I love their melodies, lyrics and most of all their harmony)
5. The Beach Boys (Actually hubbie is a big fan, I just hear them so much that I now love them too)
6. Harry Connick Jr (Got hooked on him cause I love his style of singing)
7. The Beatles (Classics, I grew up with these guys as my mum was a fan)
8. Wayne Newton (I have now inherited his "Summer Wind" album which my mum and I used to sing and dance to this all the time. I attended a concert he had here last year in tribute to my mum and I know she was there with me... apart from long suffering hubby who actually came with me in the flesh, as it were)
9. Frank Sinatra (Aah Blue Eyes.... well this is another one my mum turned me on to)
10. Chris Isaak (Love his songs, love his cheeky attitude!)

So there is it. Deduce what you will about my personality from that list.... And yes I already know I'm a dag!

Free Scrapbooking Auction Listings and Classifieds

I recently discovered a site called The Scrap Spot, through their posting of video's on You Tube. If you have the time to scroll through the many pages of videos that come up under the keyword "scrapbooking", I highly recommend viewing the posts by: Tammy of The Scrap Spot (I'd post the link but they won't allow it... so you'll have to go fishing guys, sorry). Anyway these tutorials are great content! Tammy steps you through several "how to" videos and if you go to their website: www.thescrapspot.com you can read several great tutorials. I was unable to find their video's on the site but the tutorials are also excellent. Now there is something else you'll find at this site which I as a Scrap Miser found to be an excellent idea and that's their free scrapbooking auction listings and classifieds. You can also swap supplies and tools here with other scrapbookers. This is a fantastic way to use up all those extra's you get in a kit or when you're buying in bulk!

Free Templates from JersGirl

I was surfing the web and found this fabulous site. This talented designer has designed some gorgeous free printables that you can print from your own computer for use in your scrapbooks.... She also has a range of new designs for sale that are beautiful. Check her out at: www.jersgirl.com.

Planning A Scrapbooking Layout Part 3.

Here's the final part in the series of Planning a Scrapbooking Layout

Enjoy!

How to tackle that mountain of photos?

I know alot of people feel overwhelmed by the back log of photo's they have to scrap and I used to feel that way too, but now I've hit upon a recipe that works really well for me.

I try to get at least one layout a week done, but for you it might be one a day or one a month. What I do is divide my scrapping into three categories, OLD (catch up), NEW (most fun) and finally RETOUCH. I'll explain these, don't worry.

So I allow myself to tackle as many OLD projects or catch up ones as I like! This could be photo's of my son as a baby or my wedding, or the album of me or more pages for in my mum's album. These all need to be done so if I feel like doing only old photo's for any period of time I DO!

Then I'll concentrate on doing at least one NEW project layout for the month. These are the ones I have the most fun with because my photography style (and that of my scrubbie) has evolved somewhat into more of a story telling than the snapshots it used to be. These are the photos where I'm planning the layout as I take the photos, so they're definitely the most fun. In alot of cases I've dressed the kids to match papers I have...

And finally my RETOUCH category, I keep these projects aside for when I don't have alot of time to dedicate to my scrapbooking but really want to sit down and do something. This is when I go back over old layouts and add to them to improve the look of the layout. I know alot of designers say you shouldn't do this as it showcases how your styles change. But for me my scrapbooks are a gift to my grandchildren and great grandchildren so I want them to be as beautiful as I can.

To keep the inspiration flowing I recommend not scrapping chronologically. I know you should organise the photos in that manner, but I tend to jump around all over the place (chronologically speaking). By picking out photos that stir my creative juices I can stay excited about my scrapbooking and less like its a chore I have to complete.

They say "She who dies with all her scrapbooks completed lives on forever" at this rate I'll never get there!

How To Make Fimo Buttons

Here's a great video about how to save money by making your own fimo buttons.

How to Pick the Colours for Your Layout

I know alot of newbies' are often stumped by what colours to pick for their layouts. I think the easiest way to do this is to glance at the photo's and say the first colour that comes to mind, then look for the next most obvious colour and finally an accent colour that goes with the first two colours and is represented in the smallest quantity within your photos. You need to think of the rule of three. The first colour you pick is going to be represented the most within the photos and would account for 2/3 of the finished layout. Then your second most popular colour which will represent approx 1/3 of the finished layout and finally your third colour which will be used as an accent (this will have the most effect on your layout if this colour is on the opposite side of the colour wheel to your other colours). Another method is to find one colour that is represented alot in the photos and use varying shades of that colour for your layout with the accent colour being the colour represented least in your photos. I often cheat at this process though by dressing my kids in co-ordinating outfits or outfits that will match a major element or theme of the photo's.......... or I'll dress them to co-ordinate with a paper I've just bought and would love to use..... As you can see in this photo of my son's 5th Birthday I dressed the kids to match his present! I know! I know! Its cheating.... but it's a good kind of cheating don't you think?

Saving Money with Free Papers

One of the only times I will buy a scrapbooking magazine is when I get either another magazine included in the price or when I get a freebie..... I recently bought a magazine that had some fantastic papers included as the free gift. I made these two layouts using the blue/green set of papers. (There was also a set of purple papers, same patterns which I haven't used yet). I also still have some paper left over so I definitely like the price of these layouts. For under $5 a layout, they're great value.

Digital Scrapping Where to start?

I've been checking out alot of the forums and have come to the conclusion I still don't know what to do.... I'm trying to decide on a program to do my digital scrapping on. But like everything else this is such a personal preference and most people tend to love the program they're using after they get comfortable with all the functions it has. So where do I go from here? I'd be interested if anyone had any ideas or suggestions for me. What program do you use to digiscrap?

Storing Your Embellishments

I have been going through all the stuff at my Mum's place again and found an old fishing tackle box she used to use for her sewing stuff....... which naturally got me thinking. And of course I have converted it into my latest storage device for all (sorry make that most of) my embellishments. The best thing is when I go to scrap at someone else's place I don't have to limit myself to the number of embellishments I take with me..... It's easy to search through because of the way the little compartments fold out. So all in all I'm very happy with my latest storage device!

Online Expo

OMG! I'm excited! There's going to be an online scrap fair..... I'm definitely going! Check it out at: http://presentations.inxpo.com/Shows/Scrapbooks/Website/home.htm

The organisers appear to be the same team that put together "Scrapbook Lifestyles". If you haven't seen this I urge you drop by and check it out. This show has lots of cool ideas and techniques and I've definitely been inspired by them... Plus its FREE TV online, so you can watch it whenever your kids give you a break, or in my case go to bed. (Of course as a seller of internet connections myself I think it prudent of me to warn y'all to check out how much download your monthly plan gives you and factor that in.... otherwise the 'free' show might cost you alot! I have an unlimited download so I can watch as much as I like)

Last season they did a scrapmakeover on a customer. All the designers took time with her and helped her with everything from shopping to organising her scrap space to taking photos and of course how to do a layout. You can check them out at: http://my.bhgscrapbooksetc.com/premium/lifestyle/?esrc=sblsdr There is only one problem, if you're not in America you can't join up for the member videos.

Anyway this Fair is a wonderful opportunity to learn from some of the masters! The class list looks pretty good. So I hope I'll meet a few of you in the lounge? I'm registering as ... what else?... 'thescrapmiser' so if you see me feel free to have a chat and let me know if you're a regular on my forum or just a regular reader of my blogs.... Look forward to meeting you guys there!

Creating your own brads?

I was having a look aroung You Tube.... you'll notice I do that alot... I think its a great place to see what people are doing, have a laugh and even learn something. The best thing about scrapbooking (I think) is the sharing community spirit. If someone has something they think would be valuable to other scrappers they'll make a video and post it.

This video is really great cause it talks about one of my favourite topics, how to save on my scrapbooking. Check it out for an instructional "How to create your own Bazzil Brads". I think I'll make mine a bit smaller though. lol

Can't afford a heat gun?

O.K. I've been doing more stamping. Especially seeing as how wonderful scrubbie (scrap hubby.... see the first funny video I posted below for more information on this topic... lol), Anyway my wonderful scrubbie got me a set of inks and stamps for Christmas. So I've been stamping away since christmas and have now started using embossing powder... but.... you really need a heat gun to make embossing powder work.

I tried using my hairdryer and all it did was blow the embossing powder right off... Then I tried using the toaster, but that didn't work at all.... So getting a little desperate by now as it was late at night and none of the stores were open to sell me a heat gun... I stumbled upon the perfect way to heat my embossing powder.... You'll never guess.... My hair straightener! Yep that's right my hair straightener. Now my hair straightener came from one of the discount chains and cost me $25.00, it has ceramic plates and a heat dial (a great buy in its own right). But an even more miserly purchase now when you discover it has two functions. 1. To try taming my rediculous hair (yes I have issues with my hair, stupid hairdresser, cut it too short in one spot..... anyway I digress) and 2. As an embossing powder melter (aka heat gun replacement).

So by placing the paper onto the bottom plate and nearly (I SAID NEARLY... NOT COMPLETELY!) closing the top plate I create a very hot environment and the embossing powder works! The only problem I found was it will warp a thin paper... but I don't care because by finding a multiple use for a household item I have effectively saved myself $50.00.

Viva la Miser! (Sorry got a little carried away with myself there) But you get what I mean... A little ingenuity goes a long way.

Gangster Rap About Scrapbooking???? Pretty Funny Though...

Now I've seen it all :)

Enjoy

Even Rosie O'Donnell Loves Scrapbooking...

Saving Money on Magazines

O.K. I admit it I do buy Magazines. Who can resist right? I mean where else do you get a virtual library of techniques and styles on so many topics? It's also a fantastic place to discover where the next fad is coming from. BUT.... they can be expensive right? I mean if you have a $10 weekly budget to spend on scrapbooking you can only buy one magazine for that price....

So how does the Scrapmiser get around this dilema? Well my first tip for saving money on your Magazine purchases is not to purchase them at all. If you're on a very strict budget this can be a crucial way to save money. So I borrow alot of magazines from my local library and go through them, return them and get some more.

Next if I am purchasing a magazine I will only buy them when they're at a reduced price (some scrapbooking stores will do this to get rid of old stock) or if they're bundled together like a two for one offer..... OR if they come with a freebie I consider of equal value.

For instance I purchase ScrapBook Inspirations (an English Magazine) nearly every month. There are a few reasons why I like this magazine. Firstly every time I purchase it I get a free gift. Sometimes this is free papers, sometimes fonts, a stencil even a mini album. So I think this is good value. Also I like the layout of the magazine as they tend to do alot more "How To" pages than I have seen in other magazines. I especially like that in the magazine I get my free stencil in (for instance) I also get three, sometimes four examples of how to use that freebie. If you don't see this magazine in your local shop you can check them out at: www.scrapbookinspirations@futernet.co.uk The other thing I like about this magazine is the different styles of the english scrappers. It's amazing how different we can all be..

Subscriptions can be a great way to save! But only if you buy that particular magazine every issue. If you check them out online most of the magazines offer a reduction in the per issue cost if you do a yearly subscription. Also many of them now offer you lots of freebies and goodies for subscribing. Most of the time though I would suggest you get a family or friend to buy you this as a present rather than spend your limited scrapbooking budget in this way. If you are looking at subscribing I suggest having a chat to your girlfriends and fellow scrappers. If you best friend is thinking of subscribing to the same magazine it would be more economical for you to subscribe to another magazine and you can read each others subscriptions together. Great excuse for a coffee!

Well I hope you've found something useful here....

Which Super Hero are You?

Well life is finally going back to normal after the holidays. My husband went off to work this morning which gave me a chance to hop on the net and have a look around. While checking out Katie the Scrapbook Lady I noticed she had taken a superhero quiz.....This is a great quiz...Lots of Fun. If you have a spare 5 minutes give it a go for a laugh.. You simply answer the survey questions and it rates your superhero potential..... My results:
You are Superman

Superman 95% Supergirl 92% Green Lantern 80% Catwoman 80% Wonder Woman 72% Spider-Man 60% Batman 55% Robin 55% The Flash 40% Iron Man 40% Hulk 35%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...

Planning A Scrapbooking Layout...Part 2.

Hi Guys, Here's the second part of my planning a scrapbooking layout demonstration.

Scrapbooking ... Law And Order Style ... Funny Video

Hey guys check this other video out I found very funny.

Multiple Photo Layouts

I recently did these layouts of my kids. As you can see I've used multiple photos. I think this is a great way to save on your scrapbooking. Let's face it if I did one layout per photo I'd use alot more supplies than I have here. I love to use multiple photos whenever I can. I really only do a single photo per layout when I'm wanting to produce something of the same artistic value as the layouts featured in the magazines. I also tend to resize alot of the pictures on a common theme and print them on one single photo. (See example) I then cut these out later, and use them on my layouts. This is especially useful if you're scrapping an event such as a wedding or birthday party. This montage of photo's is from my son's birthday and was printed on a standard 5' x 7' photo.

This evening I found a great blog which shows lots of examples of multiple photo layouts. So if you're wanting to try this technique, or just looking for new inspiration go to: http://scrapbooklayouts.blogspot.com

I'm back

I'm back.... Well we didn't quite make it camping. We set off with every intention of camping I promise. But this wicked storm kept following us so finally we gave in and stayed at a motel. Lucky for us! We sat inside and watched the river through great big glass doors and saw the trees bend and sway and the rain just kept on coming. It was huge!

I'm still adamant that we should of gone to Wivenhoe to fill the dam as it is now painfully obvious that the rain monster follows us where ever we go.

On a brighter note I love the circle of light produced on the rainsforest photos from my flash lighting up a droplet. So sometimes a photo taking mishap can be a good thing.

A camping we will go

A camping we will go, high ho the dairy o, a camping we will go. Record downfalls we will bring. Record downfalls we will bring. Hi ho the dairy o, a camping we will go. (You need to sing this)

Well I won't be posting for a few days as we're going camping. The funny thing is whenever I even contemplate camping it rains. Now at the moment this is a good thing as South East Queensland (where i live) is in drought. The dams that supply our city water supplies are at record lows and rain is needed badly. Which is why despite the rain we're going anyway..... Only way I know to keep the rain coming.

I also seem to have this freakish effect on the weather whenever I leave my washing out overnight. Bam! It rains. I have contacted the local water board and offered to go do my washing out near the dam, if they'll pay me of course. But they're treating me very strangely so I don't think they're desperate enough yet. lol

Anyway I'll be back in a couple of days (my estimate is actually one day as I don't think my husband will like being crammed in a tent with two small bored children and I'm sure there is a leak in the airbed so my back isn't going to cope with sleeping on the ground) with (hopefully) some great holiday photo's to show y'all.

My Scrap Space

Well I have finally organised everything and taken some photos....

So here it is..

My Scrap Space.

As you can see I have used a sewing table. The middle section where the sewing machine usually goes is left in a partially down position and acts as a storage shelf for my paper trimmer and the shelf for the light. So effectively the entire table top becomes a light box for embossing etc.

The thing I love about working in this space is the sections of the table top. This gives me three work areas. I have a space for my layout and then a workspace for cutting paper and a workspace for painting or stamping etc. When I'm not using the light I place a self healing cutting mat over this section. The other great thing about this table is the storage space. The draws are a perfect size for holding my supplies and the top draw comes already divided into handy compartments. Also the compartments in the door are handy and enable me to keep all my tools within easy reach.

I wouldn't suggest buying a sewing table brand new for this purpose as it would be a bit expensive but if you inherit one like I did or can buy one secondhand on ebay then definitely go for it!

Funny Video On YouTube

Have a look at this video I found on youtube about scrapbooking...it's very funny!

Creative Delights Newsletter

If you're wanting to get started in the world of digital scrapping or maybe you're looking for new resources and ideas goto: http://www.creativedelights.com/maillist_action.php and you can sign up for a free newsletter. When you sign up you get some free fonts too!

There's nothing better than free! lol

Digital Scrapbooking with Beach Fonts

I have to admit I've been somewhat reluctant to try digital scrapbooking. My main problem has been getting started. Intellectually I know that I will save alot of money if I digitally scrap because any resource I buy such as fonts or paper or die cuts etc etc can be used over and over again rather than just the one off use of a paper product. I'm also attracted by the idea that I can resize the photo's within the layout as I often resize my photo's and get a couple of pictures printed on the one photo just so I can get a variety of sizes on a layout. But emotionally I've loved making my layouts with my hands. I'm also not sure how to cope with the printing out of the finished layout. But all in all I think digital scrapbooking is the way to go. The advantages far outway the negatives. Affordability of the products and multiple use of each purchase are very attractive as is the low storage space factor.

Last night I stumbled across this creative delights newsletter and I absolutely have to have these holiday fonts. Check them out at:
http://www.creativedelights.com/letteringdelights/searchprod.php?maker=&designer=&showingonly=&catid=15&search=&Submit=search

I'm even now desperate for a Hawaiian holiday just so I can use the Hawaii prints. I also love the fact that all the die cuts and alphabets are on a transparent background.

I have to admit this is going to take me longer than usual to implement though as I will first need a computer just for me... sharing a computer with my hubby means I don't get to use it much. In fact elbowing him out of the way for my daily blog isn't always achieved (as you'll notice by the dates of my blogs) plus this computer doesn't have the memory to cope with any new programs or files.... So I'll have to buy a new laptop... darn! lol (I've actually been searching for a good reason for me to get my own computer for months now.

But for the scrapbooker looking to save money on layouts I think digital scrapbooking is definitely the way to go

New Year, Purge 'Baby'

I hope everyone had a great new year. My hubby and I took the kids down the beach last night and watched the fireworks put on by our local council. This was a momentus occaision for my daughter as she managed to watch the fireworks without getting freaked out. She's usually afraid of loud noises (a recent fire truck arrival at our place to free her trapped brother from a car had her running screaming down the yard). So her acceptance of the many loud bangs associated with the fireworks was wonderful. Unfortunately I didn't take my camera.

How could I possibly let this happen? Well last night I was authoring my blog before we went out. This took considerably longer than usual as strange things were happening when I tried to save it... Consequently I was running late getting ready and didn't take blankets or my camera. So not only do I not have any photos to share with you, but we were also a little chilly, as the breeze off the water was a bit frisky last night.

Then on waking this morning I was gripped by a strong desire to tidy and organise etc etc. Luckily for me hubby just went along with it and we purged alot of excess stuff from our lives today. I love a neat tidy space, unfortunately my kids and husband aren't adequately trained on this front yet.

So my new year has commenced a little more uncluttered than before. A state of being I highly recommend. And not just because Feng Shui experts recommend it but because it's easier to find the things you do need.

I highly recommend regularly re-organising your scrapbooking supplies. For a few reasons. The first is so you'll get maximum use out of your storage space (this is especially important if you have a small space like me). Secondly because you will have a clearer picture of what you actually own and lastly because a tidy space is easier to find things in than a messy one.