Off the page...

...and out of the box.

There's this blog I found dedicated to off the page scrapbooking stuff. It's called More than just scrapbooking - a good name really! It has heaps of really good inspiration if you want to step out of your 12x12 square and do something different.

Even better - Jacqui is offering a free on-line class to make a very cool looking felt book. You have to register your interest and then she'll send you a list of products required. Definitely a blog to keep an eye on!

More Layouts

So the layouts I did for Scrap of Faith over the weekend...



This was for Sal's challenge. We had to get someone at home to choose the topic - or if everyone was asleep someone at the crop could choose. The kids were asleep and Michael was out so Lara suggested 'Joy'. It had to include a Bible verse and use a non traditional scrapping item - like felt. And cause I wanted to get it done quickly ... I went back to Nic's sketch from the Paparazzi layout I'd only just finished. Hey - it's a good sketch when you've got three photos to work with!


This one was for Lara's challenge. She wanted us to use the word create/creation/creator in a layout and also use atleast one Bible verse.

And now - I'm working on a c.j with Elsie papers of course! And Rebekah's birthday invites might just see a bit of Elsie too!

It's been a scrappy weekend.

My new Elsie stuff has really got me going. I've done three layouts this weekend ... and considering how slow I am at scrapping that's lots.


The first was for a Nic Howard sketch comp over at Scrapbook Outlet to celebrate the release of her book 'That's Life.'

This is what happens when you (or rather I) mix Elsie and Nic!

I also did a couple of challenges for the Scrap of Faith Crop on Saturday night, but I'll have to share those later - it's time to brave the cold and wet and go get the kids from school and kindy.

I love Elsie...

... and Jack Me Up.

I finally found the time to finish off this layout for the Kiwi Jack Me Up blog.

Click the link above to see Vicky's awesome layout which was the inspiration for mine. When I saw it, I knew straight away that it was a perfect excuse to go get me some Elsie stuff!

These are Jessi's new church clothes - I love having the excuse to dress the girls up nice atleast once a week. I bought the matching hat, but for some reason she has decided she doesn't want to wear it - she's usually a real hat kid.

I love the scrapbooking inspiration that comes from kids clothes only trouble is I lack the discipline to only window shop ... if I go in I'm bound to find something I 'need' to buy for one of the kids.

My Scrapbook Essential's kit just arrived this morning ... have you seen what's in it yet? Click the link if you haven't and make sure you order early cause, in my opinion, this is one you won't want to miss. Sassafrass Lass stuff mixed with Elsie Stuff - yep I'm going to have a fun scrapbooking month!

You know what ... I think my mojo has returned, I'm feeling that excitement again, gotta scrap - now!

Alone

I've got a secret ... shhhh don't tell .... I'm home alone! Yep, it's the middle of the day and there's no kids here. Jessi is now a big kindy kid.

So I now have 2 and a half childfree hours, three times a week. Oh the things I could do - lets see, housework - I don't think so, exercise - did it already, I left the car at kindy and walked home, uninterrupted computer time - this post will be completed in one sitting, a nanna nap - not today, too much to get done, scrapbooking - yes! Scrapbooking desk here I come!

Oh and while we're on the topic of Jessi. She likes to shorten words, like she says 'noon' tea instead of afternoon tea. But one word she really shouldn't shorten - shampoo. "Daddy you put poo in my hair didn't you?" What really does go on when Daddy looks after the kids I wonder?

This is one of the layouts I did with the June kit from Scrapbook Essentials - click here to see the rest.

Meet Jessi's new friend.

My NZ Dares cute critter - or Jessi's new friend. She claimed it right from the start, when it was still a floppy bit of felt cut in the shape of a girl like she has me draw for her. She always asks for 'up shoes' - so this doll has high heels.

The skirt is made from lace I found in Dunedin - I got more than a metre for 10cents. And cause the back of the skirt looked as good as the front I decided to go for a double sided doll. So she has two faces.

It's a bit hard to see in the photo but on one side she has a 'love' on her mouth - Jessi's way of describing the heart shape she wanted me to use for a mouth.

Thanks for the dare - I've been meaning to make one of these for a while. And cause there's three kids in this house I guess I've got two more to make! Maybe the next one will turn out more 'critter' like.

The new and the old.

The New.
I've been playing ... trying out a fresh new look. Gotta get me a flash new header thing to go with it now.

The Old.
My collection of lace has expanded over the last week or so. Did you know that antique shops often have very cool collections of lace and other bits and pieces which can be very useful for crafty stuff?

I spent a bit of time last week doing the antique shops of Dunedin with Mum and her sister. Mostly saw a bunch of old boring stuff but then I worked out what to look for. Buttons - lots of cool ones just like Grandma used to have. Ribbons and Laces - some very antiquey looking and most very reasonably priced - 10cents a metre. Hat pins/broaches and bling stuff. And little chests, boxes, baskets to keep all the stuff in.

I've just looked at the time - 3pm ... better go get the kids from school.

Three Things.

1. Well, I failed miserably with my focus goal! But that's o.k cause it's a new day, new week and I can try again.

2. Why is it, that every time I hang washing on the line - it rains? It was a beautiful sun shiny day when I put the washing out but now it's foggy and wet. I refuse to get the washing in just yet .... cause you know when I do the sun will come out!

3. Just wanted to show you my cool letters.

This is one of my layouts for the June kit at Scrapbook Essentials. I covered the letters with green bazzil and then stamped on them with my new 'script' stamp I got from SENZ and my new souffle pen which I also got from SENZ. And then I covered them with that liquid glass stuff.

Focus

I finally completed my little birdie layout that Tia Bennett did at freestyle. This is the needle felting one - the birds red bits are needle felted. The photo was taken by Trace at SENZ last weekend - makes a change from photos taken by one of the kids.

So if that little bird could say one word to me today it would be focus. I'm thinking about focussing on the goal. The weightloss goal. I've come so far but I'm not there yet and I need to focus. When I lost that 50kgs I was focussed. I wrote down every little bite I ate, I exercised - a lot, I visualised, I studied and researched weightloss theories ... I was focussed. Now, I've let life take over a bit. Sometimes I'm too busy to stop and write down what I eat, sometimes I don't have time to park further away and walk, sometimes life is just too fast.

But today I'm coming back to that one little word ... focus. Today I went out and walked before breakfast. I'm in Dunedin - I walked in the frost. It was -2 degrees and I couldn't feel my nose, but I walked. I saw some beautiful frosty sights too, tomorrow I may just walk with my camera.

In the bible there is a verse that talks about pressing on towards the goal, fixing my eyes on the author and perfector of my faith. It's talking about the Spiritual goal of heaven but the same thing applies to this goal. I need to press on, to focus on my efforts that will help me move closer to the goal but I also need to fix my eyes on the goal itself. When I first started I didn't dare set for myself a goal like 67 kgs. My goal was to get under 100kgs. Somewhere along the way that goal has changed and now here it is, 15 kgs away. It's within reach, I can see it and so I will set my eyes on that goal and press on till I get there.

I will get there. Today I will focus.