a shift with Sue and Amanda

Last Friday i had the delight of working with Sue at the hospital. She is one of my most favourite people to work with for a heap of reasons.

1. she is a great nurse
2. very supportive
3. works hard and pitches in
4. she is a nice calming person to be around
5. she is a friend
6. SHE IS A SCRAPPER.

We do have very funny converstations and it isn't unusual for our shift to run something like this :

A: Sue can you come and help me turn Mrs X?
S : yep sure

(as we are doing it)

A: ooooooh i was in Leonies the other day and saw she had some new *insert exciting product*

(conversation that follows for the next 10 minutes is on new and exiting products)


S: Mr W needs some panadol Amanda.
A: Ok sure - am onto it..............oh hey did you see on the scraptac site they are having a massive sale?

(conversation follows on online sales and recent www purchases)

At coffee break
S: oooh i finished off my Rachael album!
A: omg did you? Where is it? Did you bring it in?
S: nope forgot to. (then promises to bring it next time)

A: well i bought some stuff to show off........(pulls out big bag overflowing with scrap stuff)
S: *eyes bulging* oh wowsers.

(next 20 minutes discussing bits and bobs in bag. Then analysing Sue's latest magazine she brought to flick through)

later on -

A: Can you do a set of obs on Mr P for me please?
S: yep sure.

A: *eyes glazed over* oh look at this graph paper (that we write obs on) ................ i can feel a page coming on



honestly i really love working with Sue. We have some fun times and i am certain that all the other nurses think we are totally nuts. Luv ya Sue *mwah*

batty on butterflies

Another one with the butterfly theme.

Thought you may like a peek.

The gorgeous pattern paper came from Scrapworkz in Port Lincoln

:)Tiff's answer to Challenge 3

Wow. I pulled this one together in record time for me.... and had fun. As you can see I turn the sketch upside down and worked with it that way.

Journaling says :

I just love this photo of myself. I am usually behind the camera and not in front of it so I don’t have many shots of me. The ones I do have, my dearly beloved takes for me with the kids and the focus is on them (of course). In this shot I feel sexy. I don’t know if it’s the half smile, my hair or the eyes but I love it. I usually hate photos of me but not this one. I am proud to say this is me. 10.11.07

Hope this doesn't sound too up myself because I definitely am not that way at all.

Amanda's page for challenge THREE

Heya girls :)





Hope all is well out there in blog land.





I have done a page on myself but didn't base it around the sketch - so kinda following the rules but kinda breaking them too (LOL typical!)





The main photo here is of Piper and the little one is of me.

also letting you know that i gave Maryanne and Sandra their prizes for challenge one tonight so hopefully we will see some amazing creations from their new bits!

Just adding here that i scraplifted this page from a girl called Tinkster whose page was awesome and inspiring!

get ready to laugh your butts off

OMG this page from Sandra absolutely cracked me up. It is for Tiff's challenge number THREE.

I love everything about it. The humour in the journalling is fantastic.

Journalling says -

I Am an Addict!
No...I am not addicted to
alcohol or drugs or even sex (excuse me?)
but to the escape2create blog!
I know it's an addiction because I
HAVE to check it EVERY day!

Thanks Sandra for a brilliant entry. Glad we could feed your addiction :) Now we will have to start up an Escape2Create Bloggers Anonymous group!

To share - My little Patch

I would like to share with you a LO that i did last week of my little patch, which i love. My little garden, which after some lovely rain was looking nice and refreshed. I love to get out into the garden after a rain, to dig and plant.

I just had to scrap it, and i used inspiration from a page that caught my eye in a creating Keepsakes - May 08. The colour of the duck egg blue and the red thickers got me in!!

Hope you like it too :)

a layout i thought might interest you all

I finally have gotten around to scrapping some photos of our retreat!!





i had to take a photo of it = the heart and pin really pop off the page so i cannot scan it properly without shadow and it looking crapola.

sorry have had to take it down as it has been accepted for publications YAY!

My inspiration came from a magazine's contents page - i just really liked how it was set out and thought that i could transfer that onto a page..... I changed a few things but really like the wide open spaces, even though there are three photos on here, journalling, a title and subtitle.

the journalling says -
45 scrappers
3 days
2 nights
5 scrap shops
1 venue
4 classes
1 photo talk
6 meals
44 new friends
7 pages done
3 hangovers

when can we do it again?

and before anyone asks - no i am not pregnant :) it was a freebie magazine from Kindy!

go scrap yourself

Hiya Scrappers. Well have I got a challange for you.

Let's put faces to names and scrap a page of yourself based on this sketch. Don't forget you can use the sketch in portrait mode, you can mirror it (turn it backwards), upside down, whatever. Use your imagination to suit the photo. ;) It's a bit hard to see but there is a journal card or something like it poking out the right hand side of the photo. The sketch is a bit fuzzy. (I thought it would load up better than this). If it helps email me to send you the sketch directly to you. katmfirth@bigpond.com

Sketch from littlescrapbookshop.com.au

The dimensions are 15cm x 30cm (6'x12') for the base page (good chance to use up some PP or Cardstock leftovers.) Use a photo size of your choice.

Try to use a recent photo of yourself (say in the last couple of years or so). If you dont have one this could be the excuse you need to set the camera on timer and grab some shots of yourself. Don't fret if you don't have the time, use a baby photo and we can try to guess who you are.

How to get my LO onto the blog? You have a couple of choices. Whatever is easier for you.

1. Take a photo of it. Lay the LO on the floor by a window in the morning light. Turn off your flash. Stand over it with your back to the window. Watch out for your feet and shadow. Line up the LO so it is square in the view finder and take your shot. email your jpeg file to ga.hall@bigpond.com for Amanda to load it up.

2. Scan your layout. This challange will be easy to scan at it will fit on an A4 scanner. Save as a jpeg file and email it to ga.hall@bigpond.com . For future LOs that are larger, scan it in 2 halves and stitch it together using a stitch program. If you don't have one send the two jpeg files in an email to Amanda and she can stitch it for you. (Thanks Amanda :) )

3. If you only have a camera phone that is just fine. Take your shot as describe in 1. and email it to Amanda.

Leave a comment if you would like when you have seen each LO when it's loaded up. Just click on the comment box on the bottom of each post. Don't forget to type your name or intitals into your comment before you click Anonymous otherwise we have no idea who you are. Or set up a blog/google account with the link and your sign on name and pic is done for you. :D

I reckon we will make the closing date a little bit extended on this one so you can have the chance of doing some self portraits and get them printed or developed. So let's say

midnight Friday June 6th.

So....... go scrap yourself

;)

will post a pic of the prize pack soon.... just have to get the camera.

The prize pack is donated from Scrapworkz in Port Lincoln. Big thanks Leonie :D

Winner of Challenge 2

Hello everyone!


Well we did a random draw of all the people who entered our challenge and the winner is ...

I would like to thank my able assistant, Rohan for his help. The first photo shows him smiling ... terrific smile, not!! He did feel very important doing this job though!!

So Karen a prize will be winging its way to you soon. Congratulations!!

Now I know that Tiff has the next challenge ready to roll so without further adieu

.

.

.

come on down Tiff!!

I hope that we can have more entries for challenge 3 - we were pleased with the number this time so keep on scrapping girls. Thank you too for the feedback about how much you are enjoying the challenges.

A little hint for the next challenge ... see Karen's entry into challenge 2!!

val's fault

Ok this is Shaz's entry for the last challenge which Shaz completed well in advance of last night's deadline.

Unfortunately her internet is down so she passed it onto Val to pass onto me....and well being human we all got busy and forget.

So here is Shaz's fabulous entry - not really late in the making but late in the getting to me. I thought that we could still pass it on through as she has done such a brilliant effort.

Thanks Shaz!!!

Be sure to leave comments visitors..........we honestly feel like we are talking to ourselves (apart from great feedback from Maryanne and Sandra - thanks girls for being so encouraging!)

Challenge 2 closing soon

Well hello everybody ;-)

This challenge will finish in one hour and then tomorrow we'll put the names in a hat and draw out a winner for our mystery prize!!

Stayed tuned for the winner!!

Then I think it is Tiff or Amanda or Sue's challenge time!! I have had a sneak chat with Tiff about her ideas and I reckon that they will be good to see!!

Paige's Page :)

Paige sent in her fantastic LO for the challenge. She said that the only camera she had was her phone camera - talk about committed!!!

She says -

"The stamp is my letters, they were done with paint on the brown paper and then cut out.

My brad is the lil silver heart in the top left hand corner.

The sticker is the flower, which i cut out of the paper behind the pic, then covered in Kindyglitz (i love that stuff =D).

I don't have rub-ons that fit with this lay out so i rubbed-on ink around the edge of the 12 x 12 piece of patterned paper, cheating i know. =P

The journalling reads -

I believe the sun should never set upon an argument,

I believe we place our happiness in other people's hands,

I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you,

I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do.

I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul,

I believe that family is worth more than money or gold,

I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair,

I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires.

I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned,

I believe you can't appreciate real love 'til you've been burned,

I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side,

I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye.

which i took from the song affirmation by savage garden (thats written on the lil tag in the bottom right hand corner). I just picked out the ones that applied to me."

Thanks Paige - i too love that song and have thought that they were very 'scrappable' lyrics which often bring a tear to my eye. So true!

Thanks again for your phone entry!

still banging out butterflies

Found this metallic butterfly in a pack of a few in Beers Newsagency in Port Lincoln. How cool. They compliment bling so well, and I love bling.
*
*

still digging butterflies

just finished this LO. Am tickled pink with it (no pun intended). Thought I'd post it so we don't always have only LO's relating to the challenges.



The butterflies came from my daughter's scrunchie. Shh...Don't tell her, I think she had forgotten that she even had it. They have a mother of pearl lusture to them and I find them so perfect in so many LOs. I hand sewed one onto a bloom. I found these gorgeous hat pins in the Birch habadashery section at Spotlight in Whyalla. Who ever is there next, I know Amanda and Meredith want some of these.



Just thought I'd share it with ya.

:)

Sandra's challenge creation

Wow - this heritage page is just awesome. I love how 'ancient' it looks but so elegant and classy. That paper is perfect for the photo (how beautiful is that photo by the way).

Also lovin' that white space Sandra ;)

Thanks girls for the encouragement and support. I am loving seeing all these interpretations and how creative you all are.

thanks for sharing.

Sue's Page

This photo of Jacob has been sitting in my pile of 'to do' for some time now, so the challenge was a quick inspirational way to get him into my 'album'! I just love that dear little face of his. He is now almost 3!!

On the page you will find, Cardstock, Patterned Paper, tag which has been stamped, labels, sticker - white lace & smile chip, rub-on- owl, heart brad and of course photo!

It is my first attempt of actually photographing a LO and sending it off - i cheated and sent to Amanda. Every little step is progress, they say!

Everyone's LO's are great!!

Sue

Challenge finish date

Hello again,

I think we will stop taking entries for the current challenge on Saturday 24th May 2008, at midnight.

Remember to e-mail them to the address at the top of the blog. Then Amanda can post them on the blog.

The prize ... yet to be decided!!

Challenge 2 layout

Hello again,

Well I have done a page for the challenge ... it's okay not thrilling though!! Sorry!!

The journaling reads "After seeing the TV show you decided to dress up! Very scary! April 2008".

2 pieces of patterned paper , 1 tag, 1 label (from the Dymo label maker!!), 1 stamp, 1 sticker (my title letter stickers!), 1 rubon, 1 brad, 1 photo.

Keep those entries coming ... it's great to see all the interpretations!

Keep them coming!!

Hello everyone!

Well what a great early response!! The layouts are beautiful.

It makes the blog more attractive having something other than writing to look at too!! ;-)

I have yet to do my layout for this challenge so maybe today ... the pressure is on hey!

HINT:

If you are using a journaling stamp ... stamp it on a scrap piece of paper (more than once if you need to) and try out your journaling before stamping on the actual layout.

Another HINT coming:
I will take photos to demonstrate this one so will catch you with it later!!

*challange 2 LO* and *butterfly kisses*

Hiya Scrappers.

I have finally done the promised 'butterfly kisses' LO. AND it was also my Challange 2 LO. Quite proud of myself.

Just to explain those who are new to the blog. I love love love this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh8o8LZQbC4 it makes my heart wrench and a lump (sob) in my throat. So I thought I would use this as an inspiration idea for myself and create a LO based on the lyrics. And butterflies are really in atm.

I had the idea for the photo from an article in Creating Keepsakes April 2008 edition pg 52. Basically keeping the aperture really narrow (high F stop number) and distance. This should keep everything you see in the view finder in focus.

I used the first two verses of the song on the left side of photo (these are the words that really got to me)

Journalling on the tag says :

after hearing the words to this beautiful song, I had a big cry. This is exactly Kym and Annie. I watched the clip on YouTube and cried again. Then I saw in a magazine how to play with aperture and distance and an idea flooded my mind. I knew how I wanted to scrap all this emotion. Also as butterflies are so hip at the moment, it all came together so easily. 11.5.08

two more entries for challenge TWO

woohoo.

Two early entries for challenge two...

Well done girls for getting this one done - it was quite a challenge as i found last night.

First in my inbox was the very clever Karen's LO. I love how she isn't afraid to use herself as her subject (as a lot of us are). She has left lovely amounts of 'negative' or 'white space' which is just a fancy way of saying 'blank spaces'.... True testimony that you dont have to jam pack every cm of your page with embellishments for it to look fantastic.

Next in is Maryanne's creative master peice! I love how she has used humour in the title (ewww at kissing that fish!!!) and again a great use of white space. That rubon that extends OVER the title looks amazing too - great effect! LOVING the non traditional size here too Maryanne (not 30 x 30 " ) Red pages just pop out at you and this great layout is no exception. Great eye candy :)

Thanks girls for your fantastic entries. I know Meredith will be stoked with your interest and support in keeping this blog alive. Tiff has also completed this challenge so stay tuned for hers to be uploaded.

Dont forget to comment and say hello!

amanda's interpretation of challenge 2

Please find on this -

brad

rubon

stamp

label (dymo)

cardstock

paper

tag

photo

optional elements (oopsie did two - ribbon and flower)

journalling says -

2007-2008

dad's special name for you

Challenge number 2

Hello everyone,

Well as promised ... the next challenge!!

Now this one is a little different in that none of us (Tiff, Amanda, Sue or I) have done it ... so here we go!! Don't forget to e-mail your pages to Amanda so we can display them here.

There will be a prize ... just haven't worked that out yet!!

On about the 5th of May 2008 it was National Scrapbooking Day ... mainly celebrated in American and a bit in Australia. On an American website called 2Peas this was one of the challenges that they had!!

Grab the following:

1 sheet of cardstock
1 piece of patterned paper
1 tag
1 label
1 stamp
1 sticker
1 rubon
1 brad
(optional: 1 embellishment - chipboard, acrylic shape, flower etc)
1 photo

The idea is to try and work quickly!! Also try and think out of the box a bit to meet the criteria.
eg. 1 stamp could be a date stamp
1 tag could be a luggage tag or one you make from cardstock
1 patterned paper could be used as the background as per Amanda's tip in the previous post

I think we could even allow the 1 cardstock to be swapped to patterned paper if you want to try something different!!

We would like to see lots of entries for this and once we have worked out a prize and a finish date we will let you know!! Even if you are a digi scrapper this can work (I think!!). Obviously journaling is allowed too!!

Try to use only the things on the list ... remember the optional item!!

Start scrapping!!

[the end of challenge one]

Considering we have only had two entries in our first challenge i have decided to give both girls a prize. I will try and catch up with both of you to get you your goodies (possibly at the next GC meeting??) Congrats to Sandra and Maryanne - i hope you like your challenge layouts because we were all really impressed! Such great work! You go girls :)



Thankyou so much for being supportive and 'having a go' at our challenge.



Our aim here was to try and a) bring news to locals about the retreat but also more importantly b) keep scrapping motivation going. Challenges are a great way to think a little differently about scrapbooking our pages.......so stay tuned for our next one.







Tip from Amanda this week -



dont feel as if you HAVE to use bazzill or plain coloured cardstock as your background sheet on your layout. REMEMBER THERE ARE NO RULES IN SCRAPPING! Patterned paper looks brilliant - choose one without a bold print for a 'less busy' effect. I haven't used bazzill for so long now - using the brilliant packs from K&Co (Ally and Shabby Chic Shack stock these). I find these pads excellent as there are a range of colourways to suit every scrapper. I have recently bought 3 (yes three!) in quite antique-y type tones which i love! Added to this they are such good value for money, AND all the papers in the pack coordinate with each other. A fantastic product i think.



Here are two recent layouts that i will show as examples of my 'ditch the bazzil' campaign using those K&Co pads.

[we have another entry!]

Right on the death knock of this challenge i get an email from Maryanne!

Thanks for participaing Maryanne - your entry is fantastic! I love the purple on your page - and the photo is unreal!!! Excellent title too!

Great to see people getting involved and enthused by this.

anyone else for a very late entry?? Only a few hours to go.

[a few more days]

We will leave the tag challenge open for a couple more days - Midnight Wed and if we have no further entries, the prize will automatically go to Sandra and her fantastic entry.

Come on girls - please get behind us.

If we dont get any feedback there is little encouragement for us to continue the blog.

[entry 1]

We have an entry people!!

Can I come in? by Sandra.

Thanks for being so encouraging about the blog Sandra and participating so super quickly!

I love love love that row of flower rubons down the bottom - i have never bought them myself as i wasn't sure how to make the most of how beautiful they were - but i have to say that you totally NAILED it. They look awesome.

And awwwwwwww at that puppy!

He/she can come in at my place anytime :)

Hurry up

Hello chicks,

Well I hope we have a few takers for this challenge because I have another one ready for whenever this one is done!!
.
.
.
Ha ha ha
.
.
.
You will have to wait and see
.
.
.
Please post an entry in this current No 1 challenge!!!!!
.
.
.
The sooner the better for the next challenge to occur!! :-)

[a little bit of encouragement]

Ok the challenge has been posted by Meredith. You have seen what we have done. Now it is your turn.





For those who like a little bonus here it is.





You could be in the chance to win a little prize if you....





1. use our tag challenge as inspiration - see how it inspires you. How can you interpret it and translate it onto YOUR page? Then show us via email!





2. Post a comment here on the blog.





The prize will be a noteworthy 30 page spiral notebook (which i accidently bought two of today. whoopsie for me - goodie for you!)

So get creating, email and commenting and we will draw the name out of a hat to win! Only one entry?? Well then you are the winner :)

We would love to show all entries off here but if you would prefer not to then we will honour your wishes and keep it private- but an email to us is still vital.

Dont be intimidated - we are not judging. The name will be drawn out of a hat - not a talent contest at all.

Please (on knees now) dont forget to comment if you visit. So easy to do - just click on the 'comment' button on the bottom of the post and write your bits making sure to leave your name and then have the 'anonymous' box ticked. That way you dont have to join blogger to comment but we know who you are!!!

Thanks to the girls who have commented already. It means so much to us that you have taken the time to say hello. Also thanks to those who have stopped me in the streets/chemist/supermarket (ahh gotta love living in a small country town) and have said that they love the blog!

So now it is up to you!!! Create and you could win a little prize!

*tag challenge*

Hiya. Here is my tag challange LO. I turned it around and did it in landscape. I also put the tape on top. I actullay used my printer to write on the tape. I did it in Publisher. I just opened a text box to about the size of the tape, did 'knowledge is power', spell checked it (bloody handy gadget that), printed it, gently stuck the masking tape on top of the printed words, inserted into page back into the printer to print out again, this time on to the tape. Removed carefully and stuck it on. Easy Peasy.

How fantastic that 1 idea produced 3 completely different layouts. Give it a go. Try to work on A4 size (11inches x 8.5inches) to keep dimensions. Email it to Amanda @ ga.hall@bigpond.com and she will upload it for you. Cant wait to see all the layouts come in.

Please drop a comment at the end of each post. It is fabo that someone else out there will take the trouble to have a look AND leave a comment

A challenge ... the first of many!!

Hello again!


On the Sunday night after everyone had left our retreat weekend Tiff, Amanda and I did a bit of scrapping.

I put a challenge to the girls to take inspiration from the following clothing tag and do a layout!!

So we left it for a week or two so that we could all complete the task at hand!! (Amanda had hers finished that night!)

Here is my layout:

As you can see (I hope!!) I tipped the tag upside down - masking tape at top of photo rather than the bottom, rubons at the bottom rather than the top.

Amanda and Tiff's layouts to come!!

If you do a layout based on this challenge send us a photo!

Edited by Amanda to sneakily add my layout :) I flipped the masking tape section over to the other side.

Changing letter stickers

Hello,

Well over the weekend I was working on a page and had it semi finished but I didn't like how the title looked.

My husband waltzed past and commented that I could paint over it ... not sure where he gets his ideas from(?!) but I had actually thought about that too!! ;-) So I thought what the heck I'll give it a go as I had read about it somewhere!

I dabbed the paint on with a sponge and while the paint was still wet removed the letter stickers off by lifting the edge and carefully peeling them off.

I thought it didn't look too bad!

Howdy all.

Every scrapped a page based on a voice. I recorded Sean's gurgles and giggles on one of these PAGE TALKERS when he was about 6 months old. I haven't yet scrapped yet but will be up to it very soon.

Annie has started singing her own original lullabies to herself so I bought another PAGE TALKERS today in Kmart. They're about $15. They sound a little bit like a dolls voice on playback, but what the heck, I know whose voice it is.

The kids' voices have changed so much and its too easy to forget what they used to sound like, so this is a bit like a snapshot of their voice. Something to treasure forever.

[scrapbooking wisdom according to Ali Edwards]

For those of you that dont know, Ali Edwards is a pretty big name in scrapping in the USA.

Recently i bought the new Creating Keepsakes magazine in which she features as a regular artist.

Now i have seen this mag in the newsagency before. I have flicked through it before and have been less than impressed. In the past i have felt that i much much prefer Aussie magazines which showcase AUSSIE scrappers.

Piper started kindy on Wednesday just gone, and in my loneliness after i dropped her off i decided to grab a magazine and a coffee at the bakery.

The only mag that caught my eye at the newsagency was the Creating Keepsakes. I bought it was was TOTALLY blown away by the stuff inside. I am not sure why but it seemed much fresher and up to date than the styles shown in Australian magazines i have bought in the past.

One thing i read while sipping my capacchino (and was nodding my head at as i was reading it) was Ali Edwards' article 'a letter to a new scrapbooker'

It included 'ten lessons every scrapbooker should know' and i will quote some of them here.

Remember this is her words NOT mine. (white writing is my comments)

"1. THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO SCRAPBOOK.
Regardless of anything else, there's no right or wrong way to approach scrapbooking. It's the creative expression of your memories - the personal documentation of you and your family's life experience. If you feel like scrapbooking only one photo on a page, go for it. If you want to include 12 photos on a page, go for it. If you want to make an entire book with no photos, go for it.
(here is the thing that struck me that i think everyone needs to hear)

Don't get caught up in comparisons with your friends and their pages. These are YOUR memories and YOU get to choose how to create with them.

2. PRINT YOUR PHOTOS
Digital photography has changed scrapbooking - and the way we take photos - forever. Rather than having rolls of film lying around, we have files on our computer just waiting to be printed.

3. DONT BUY EVERYTHING IN SIGHT.
you dont need to have all the latest and greatest products to record your memories. As you get going, take a bit of time to assess what you really need to make pages you'll love. Look around on your desk - what elements have you already purchased that you could use right now on a layout? As you scrapbook each page, use your supplies to emphasise the two most important aspects: WORDS + PHOTOS
(love that last sentance!!)

4. SCHEDULE TIME TO CREATE
Go to a crop at a local store, gather up a group of friends and literally make time to scrapbook. Get up a bit earlier or stay up a bit later if it's tough to find time during the day.
(Tiff, Meredith, Sue and myself know all about the 'staying up later' bit)

5. DONT THINK YOU HAVE TO SCRAPBOOK IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
Record teh stories that inspire you thee most - this could be a story from yesterday or from 10 years ago. It could be in the order that events occured, or it could be random everyday moments. I hear people talk about being 'years behind'. Remember there will always be another story to tell, and that's awesome. Look at this aspect as a positive rather than a negative.
(i have never scrapped in chronological order, so this thought process is hard for me to understand, but i do know people really get caught up in it. Rather than making rules for yourself - break free from that. Who cares if you are 'out of order' - scrap what is inspiring you right this minute. There must be nothing worse than feeling like you HAVE to scrap a particular photo because it is next in line - set yourself free and just create because you want to)

6. USE YOUR HANDWRITING
(uh oh!)
It is part of you. Regardless of what you think of your handwriting, your family will LOVE that they have this little peice of you when you are gone. If you absolutely hate it, dont feel like you have to use it on everything you create, but make sure it's there somewhere. Your family will thank you.
(now i have handwritten on ONE layout in my life. I know i should do it more because i totally agree with Ali here. Mum has a cookbook which i really really want to inherit because in it she has handwritten all her recipies. That simple thing makes it so special. Sooooooooo in saying that i really should embrace my scrawl and use it more or at least one more time - eeek!)


7. DONT FORGET THE DATE.
In looking back on my work, i've noticed pages where the date is missing. What??? This totally defeats one of my main purposes in creative documentation : identifying when and event occured. Now I often use a simple office supply date stamp to make sure i can quickly add teh date to projects i create.
(Meredith dates EVERY page she creates and i love her for it. Probably something i didn't always do a lot of but she had definately inspired me to do it to most of my pages. In years to come that date, be it simply a year and month will be so valuable)

8. BECOME A TRANSLATOR
(Amanda starts cheering)
I love looking at the scrapbooking magazines and idea books for design ideas. A translator is someone who can look beyone the page theme and see the cool design or a cool accent and be able to adopt that for his or her own layouts. Can you look at a baby page and see elements you could adopt for a sports page? Dont just look at a great layout - rather take a look and then take a closer look. What pieces and ideas can you pull out and use in your scrapbooks?
(just taking it a bit further - what design ideas can you see in your everyday life? A T-shirt design? A magazine advert? Particular colour combinations? Look at how elements are placed and translate them over onto paper. Use paper and embellishments as well as your ever important photos and journalling to make that design work for scrapping)

9. LEARN BY DOING.
This magazine is here to inspire you, educate you and empower you to tell the stories of your family. Take our ideas and run with them! Translate them and make them your own.
(i have noticed many new scrappers scared to try different techniques - often i hear "ooh i am scared to tear/ink/scrunch/sand the paper" I am at the point of thinking WHY??? it's only paper!!!! HAVE A GO! learn by doing. The same goes with off the page projects. Those that have never done mini-books, or other exciting projects have no idea on the creativity and inspiration AND FUN that they are missing out on.....come on and have a go!!)

10. GET YOURSELF ON YOUR PAGES
(more cheering from Amanda)
hand your camera to your spouse, partner, friend or kids and make sure that you are present and represented in the story of your family.

(i must say that i underestimated the importance of this. Imagine you had in your hands your Great Grandmother's scrapbook album. How precious to look at a page with a photo of her and some journalling about HER feelings, HER hopes and dreams, HER fears. A little snapshot of what her life was like. Now imagine holding her album and finding it full of her family, but nothing - not one page on her. The person who created these beautiful pages was missing. How sad that the person that was the main storyteller never told one story, or took one photo of herself. Get your camera out, set the self timer and take some self portraits today!!!! The first 50 will feel silly, but after that you may take some of the most precious photos you have ever had )



so there. There it is! Well done Ali on a great article in which i cheered through most of your points with a cappachino moustache in a bakery full of people !