Thursday, March 4, 2010
Amanda - Challenge #1
The main colour i picked was blue - so i have various shades of blue from navy right through to light.
My one element is the yellow button with also doubles as the O in 'toy'.
I couldn't help myself and also put the word yellow in a yellow colour as well so a bit of a cheat = whoopsie.
Chaz - Sue's sketch
Love the bright red Chaz - so eyecatching! Great photo of the three kids too!
Fab interpretation of Sue's sketch!
Helping out a fellow scrapper...
She wrote a sad post here, which made me stop and think about the amount in my stash, how i would feel if i suddenly lost it all (as well as my pages already done!) and finally and most importantly how i could help.
Yesterday i went through my stash and have gotten quite a big box ready to give to Bev who can then pass it on to her sister. It felt good to
a) cull my stash down a bit - i mean how much really does one person need??!
and b) help someone out.
I have asked Bev if it is ok to pop the details on here incase any one else would like to be involved. She said that the other option for donation is to create some blank pages - where everything is done apart from title, journalling and photo placement.
If anyone would like to help, please email me ga.hall@bigpond.com and i can pass on Bev's details and sort out a drop off spot so as these goodies can get to Bev's sister ASAP.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
retreat tips = prepare
If you are a 'fly by the seat of your pants' type of scrapper then this is going to sound like a load of BS. If you are like me, and can easily get lost or overwhelmed at retreats read on:
Get photos sorted now. If you have no photos that inspire you, or nothing printed off = get it organized.
- There are still plenty of days to take the kids/ husband / self (all of the above would be ideal!!) and grab some photos. Fresh, new photos always inspires me to scrap. If you are feeling a bit blah about the shots you have - do something about it and get some more!!
- Remember to pack your memory card and take to the stores to print off your phtos or print them at home (whatever you usually do). This is definately NOT a last minute job to do the week before the retreat as it will add stress and no doubt cause mistakes in sizes for photo requirements for classes.
- We have stressed to take note of photo sizes and their orientation (portrait or landscape). Do this now while there is still plenty of time!
- What does that photo mean to you? What do you want to say about that photo / moment in time? Jot these down in a notebook or pad to take with you on the retreat. This will instantly help when it comes to journalling.
- One thing i have found with retreats is to pre print off my journalling strips. I use a lot of jounalling strips in my scrapping (more power to you if you handwrite - god i wish i loved the look of mine...alas i do not) and a major holdup with scrapping - particularly on retreats or crops where there is no printing facilities - is not being able to finish pages due to the journalling. At home, once i have looked at the photo and thought about what i would like that layout and photo to say i print off my strips. I use a variety of fonts, colours, sizes so it mixes things up a little. You wouldn't believe how much of a help (and often a great starting point) just having the journalling done and gist of the page ready to go in my head. I don't do this for every photo i take to a retreat but it sure does help pull the pages together faster.
Once you have your photos sorted, the story set out and maybe even your journalling strips, you are almost all set and you can sit back and relax. Pat yourself on the back for being a fantastic-ly organized person.
I know it sounds like a lot of preparing and buggering around (there are probably a lot of eyerolls going on reading this i can imagine) , but these jobs honestly would maybe take half an hour. Believe me......... it will be such a massive help.
Just in closing, the other thing that always amazes me is people say "oh i suck at titles. I can never think of what to title to put on my page".
The only time i have ever had trouble with a title is when my pages have had no direction. If i know exactly what i want to say in the journalling and what story i want my photo to tell - the title seems to come easily. So again, preparing your story and journalling before hand will help in this aspect too.
Good luck preparing, the next tip will involve your imagination.
just clarifying :
Just to clarify the challenge of using one colour and then using only ONE element of a different, contrasting colour does not necessarily mean that you must use white as the base colour (as per white with one type of challenge)
You might wish to use different shades of green with ONE bright yellow element for example. This is what i am after - not white :)
Creativity Quote #3
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Chaz - be funky!
Oooooooh cool effect Chaz. Love seeing how the different photos and effects take on different 'moods'.
Great job!
Kylie - be funky!
These are fantastic Kylie. I particularly like the sunrays one of Bree. It seems so right for her gorgeous 'radiant' personality.
Thanks for participating!
March - sketch challenge
Have fun with it all....can't wait to see your pages!
Creativity Quote #2
Being Funky.
First up is Tiff -
a pair of massive hippo legs! Love the blue tones!
then came Sandra.
she made a little template up to show all her fiddling - great idea! (original photo is top left)
along came Maryanne:
i am in love with this image - looks like it is straight from a Quicksilver advert in a magazine. Fantastic effect and photo to use it on!
keep them coming girls. Amazing work and it is so much fun seeing your photos used with new, different effects.
Monday, March 1, 2010
and suddenly it was March....
Amanda's Challenge #2.
Unleash your creativity! Yep right now. Unclip it - let it go.
In challenge number two i need you to go to this site
and choose a photo effect that you like. NO cheating and doing it in photoshop! (be patient as it takes a little while to upload your photo)
you might like to share your finished photo with us, you might like to scrap the finished photo (the print and save option is also free) or you might just like a private fiddle (ooooh!)
This challenge i particularly would like you to think differently about your photos. Use them differently. Pick a different effect than you would normally go for. And finally and most importantly think of how to use your photos differently!
Sue's Sketch
Stay tuned! Sketch coming soon!
Meredith's Challenge.
Don't switch the dial - coming soon to a screen near you.
Colour Challenge
orange and white. Yep. Fresh. Funky. Go.
I don't know if you noticed this in the latest CK but it is here to download free. I love it .... and guess what? It is orange AND white :)
**in the next few days i will post a special retreat challenge. This is for everyone - most particularly the retreat attendees to think about and do in the coming weeks.
Think team building.
Think cool-ness.
Think creativity.
Think yeah, woohoo, e2c here i come !
Sunday, February 28, 2010
a few new places for inspiration :
Saturday, February 27, 2010
not sure if anyone has noticed...
WOW!
Amanda's Layout Class
photo theme - you or a child's top 5 from 2009 (photo of whoever's top 5 you are scrapping)
photo requirements : 1 x portrait black and white 8 x 12cm
other requirements : You will also need a list of 5 sentences of your subject's top 5 from 2009. These are to be typed and printed from a word or publisher document.
Scrap stash to bring to class: adhesive (tape runner, glue dots, DST- whatever you normally use) , stapler, cardinal red and turqouise versacolour inks if you have them (some available to use in class if you don't already have these colours), sandpaper.
Photo requirements : 4 x portrait OR landscape colour photos trimmed to 8.75 x 15cm
photo requirements: 1x landscape colour 18x11cm , 2 x portrait colour 7.5 x 5cm
Sandra - cover challenge
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Lisa - cover challenge
OMG I have actually done some scrapping. First LO since the Karkoo retreat. This was a nice easy one to get my mind back onto scrapping, thanks for the challenge. I have lifted a LO from the cover of an old SM, by Belinda Venables.
I still need to add some stitching to mine, but my sewing machine is not working atm, so if I don't get it sorted before the retreat, will be bringing the LO with me to finish it off. I tried so hard to doodle around the letters like in the original, but I JUST CAN'T DO IT! LOL, no matter how hard I try it always looks messy and yuck when I do it...love it when others do it though. So, out with my trusty inks...a page doesn't feel complete without some ink anyways, so all is good.
Thanks for looking.
Cheers,Lisa
This is awesome Lisa! Great colourful paper (very Belinda!) and wow they sure pop on the kraft! Also love that blue felt flower! It is ironic actually - great minds think alike....and you will have to wait a little bit for that cryptic message to make sense! That is a VERY cute photo too - adorable! The chip hearts really finish it all off beautifully.
Sorry for the delay in popping it up here too Lisa - things are madness around my place at the minute!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
retreat packing / storage tip
Granted - it isn't fancy = but wow is it cute and compact!
It's a very cheap,'under the desk' kind of storage unit. Not big enough for 12 x 12 papers but perfect for embellishements and all our other scrap essentials that are critical to take on the retreat.
This would be an unreal option to keeping things compact for the retreat. Enough storage for all the necessary bits and bobs and yet not cumbersome.
The drawers are very large - i can see my thicker collection nestling in there comfortably and calling it home for 3 or so days! These 'apartments' could also house my rub-ons and there may even be a few new tenants over the course of the weekend ;-)
I think if i pack mine full, as well as a separate thing for my papers it will be more than enough for the retreat weekend. It is quite small and i can imagine it rolling (yep the little castor wheels roll beautifully) under the table out of the way of everyone and yet still handy enough to grab in an embellishment emergency.
Found in the storage / plastic container area in Kmart. With my careful book keeping i have stashed the reciept in a safe place and cannot find it to tell you an exact price. From memory it was either $13 or $23 - either way i say CHEAP!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tracey - cover challenge
Attached is my effort at the covergirl challenge. This is an old CK magazine Nov 2006 but it has always been a favorite. The magazine cover layout is by Angi Stevens.
Tracey
Oh Trace this is stunning. I can see why you wanted to lift the original - so timeless and classy!
Love those papers you have used - very vintage and yum. Perfect!
I can't believe how similar you are in the face to your Mum in that pic = i have never noticed before!! And can i just add that i am very envious of your relationship. That is what a mother/daughter bond should be like.
Great job Tracey. Love it in so many ways.
Marika - cover challenge
Thanks Marika
oooh those tags - they look awesome. Oh Oh and that measuring tape - is that a stamp? Totally fab Marika!
Good luck with the move and i hope your scrap room gets sorted out really quickly so tht you can have some creative time again soon.