Someone told me today that she enjoyed reading all the little titbits and links that Meredith and I put on this blog.
I said "what ??!! I never do it, Meredith does a fabbo job letting us know of the trends, what's hot, new releases, techniques and general scrap news"
(and we do love seeing what is out there i might add!)
So to totally prove myself wrong i have found something amazing. Something that i am the anti of... the complete opposite.
So grab a coffee and drool over how organized this space is!
general post about organization with amazing pantry and linen cupboard photos!
scrap room envy
of course this is from write.click.scrapbook. a great place for inspiration and this superwoman is Australia's very own Jody Dent Pruks.
In other things overheard..... another someone told me that they were looking forward to May when our challenges start again. I hope you are too!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
affirmations
I do find Ali quite inspiring also. Even though her blog is very product driven and comercial now, her style never fails to make me want to grab for my stash and start scrapping. I love the way every single page she creates has a story about her or her children's lives. Not just the 'gorgeous' or 'i adore you' type pages that we all did when we first started scrapping but REAL journalling about REAL events.
I know journalling frightens some scrappers, and it isn't everyone's cup of tea i admit. Recently i read something that Leanne Stamatellos wrote for a recent magazine and i was totally nodding along with it. I felt that i could have written it word for word! Check out the latest Scrapbooking Memories for her amazing article.
What story are you telling in your scrapping?!
***
I guess a few people may be wondering what is happening with this blog - it seems awfully quiet lately! I wont speak for the other girls (Sue and Meredith) but personally i have needed some time away from the blog - with all the hustle and bustle of the retreat and in that lovely peacefulness afterwards it seemed like the right time to 'take a break'.
I hope everyone understands...
The desire to blog and post challenges again is starting to come back for me so i am sure things will be firing up again soon.
Remember that we get enthused to post when we know that we have visitors. Please say hello if you stop by.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sandra - Sue's sketch
Hi Amanda
YAY!! finally got round to Sue's sketch....yes it is under there somewhere! lol
Cheers for now
Sandra..
I can see the sketch Sandra! Great job! I can also see an influence / inspiration from Lou.
Very creative!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
more e2c group photos
I had a really hard time trying to find the 'right' photo to send out to the group... there were always one or two with eyes closed or funny expressions! I guess it is hard to co-ordinate eyelids with 65 women!
So here are some of the group shots for you to look and laugh at. If you click on the images you can view them much bigger.
sensible shot
and a silly shot. This one made me laugh with Michelles expression behind Tiff's head! Priceless!
another sensible one...
and then the sneeze! Dee this was so well timed!
finally another silly shot!
and just to show that i can show stupid / horrible photos of myself too...
This expression is exactly how i felt on the inside Friday morning - sky high with stress and anticipation!! Lucky i have two calming influences by my side!
Anyway i hope you get a giggle out of these. I sure did :)
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
font lovers unite!
If you love a good font as much as i do check out this website :
they have weekly newsletter updates which have great font offers and three free fonts if you subscribe (it's free to subscribe to the newsletters)! They also have fab. instructions on how to install these fonts if you are new to the game or easily confused like me :)
click here to have a look!
they have weekly newsletter updates which have great font offers and three free fonts if you subscribe (it's free to subscribe to the newsletters)! They also have fab. instructions on how to install these fonts if you are new to the game or easily confused like me :)
click here to have a look!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
School holiday fun ...
Okay so those of you who attend the retreat will be rested, caught up on your sleep and now ready to use some of that mojo that you accumulated ...
and it is school holidays ... eeekkkk ... some of these ideas might be good to get the children involved in too!!
These ideas have come via a newsletter I receive from Aussie Scrapbooking.
Some have made these bows before but the stamping takes it to the next stage!
and the next one ...
creating a negative image with scissors ...
http://studiocalico.blogspot.com/2010/04/scrappy-tutorial-creating-interest-with.html
Just a little more on Studio Calico ... an American kit company
they have a great blog posting that you can subscribe to where each one is sent to your email address and they have a very inspiring gallery!
Blog
Gallery (via their home page)
If you have a link to something we could create post a comment on this post to share!
Hope everyone had a great Easter!!
and it is school holidays ... eeekkkk ... some of these ideas might be good to get the children involved in too!!
These ideas have come via a newsletter I receive from Aussie Scrapbooking.
Some have made these bows before but the stamping takes it to the next stage!
http://bananafrog.typepad.com/bananafrogblog/2010/04/lessons-at-the-lilypad-bows-and-bling.html
next up ...
cute crepe paper butterflies ...
and the next one ...
creating a negative image with scissors ...
http://studiocalico.blogspot.com/2010/04/scrappy-tutorial-creating-interest-with.html
Just a little more on Studio Calico ... an American kit company
they have a great blog posting that you can subscribe to where each one is sent to your email address and they have a very inspiring gallery!
Blog
Gallery (via their home page)
If you have a link to something we could create post a comment on this post to share!
Hope everyone had a great Easter!!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
retreat reviews on other blogs
I do love reading blog posts after the event when other ladies who attended the retreat do a little run down.
I have made a bit of a list here. If i have missed anyone please let me know and i can add them.
Meredith
Mel Forbes
Ali McDonald
Tiff
Sandra
Kerryn Lawson
ok i know i have missed someone but cannot for the life of me find it now!
I have made a bit of a list here. If i have missed anyone please let me know and i can add them.
Meredith
Mel Forbes
Ali McDonald
Tiff
Sandra
Kerryn Lawson
ok i know i have missed someone but cannot for the life of me find it now!
Monday, March 29, 2010
e2c retreat 2010
Well it is done! The whole weekend feels a bit like it passed in a big blur - of setting up, class organization, teaching, meeting new faces, scrapping, eating and drinking. (some more than others!)
Wednesday night I drove to Port Lincoln to pick up Mel Forbes, our guest teacher from WA. We went out for tea, drove home and settled her in her temporary bedroom (thanks Kelsey!)
Mel was exactly as i remember her. She is just like one of us and fitted in so well. I have known Mel online for over 4 years now and she feels just like an old friend.
Thursday we woke, popped the kids on the school bus, loaded the car to the hilt and drove to the Lion's Hostel at North Shields for setup. We had some male muscle to help lift the trestles and sort out positioning for powerpoint displays and extra lighting. This set up day took almost all day and by the end we felt completely exhusted.
Friday we gave some quick birthday wishes to Georgia and Kelsey, popped them all on the school bus, loaded the car with more gear and headed to 'retreat HQ' yet again.
We packed goodie bags, set out chairs, showed the retaillers where to go, sorted out bedroom allocations, assisted in the kitchen (Val and Kathryn were already buzzing around in there: busy little beavers!), said hello to the Country Arts SA lady (Simone) and introduced her to Mel, picked up table decorations, met some girls from the big smoke at the airport and before we could blink again it was 3.58pm and people were rocking through the door. (tsk tsk early birds!! LOL)
Every attendee got a goodie bag, personalised mug and lanyard. Here is mine post event with a bit of added white spray paint!
Before not too long all our ladies seemed to be settled in and scrapping!
We then welcomed everyone, had a scrumptious pizza, garlic bread and lasagne dinner (the weather was perfect for sitting outside) and my class kicked off.
It was quite a drawn out class due to the sewing, painting and ink splats but thankfully the ladies were so patient waiting for their turns with the various sewing machines and painting / inking stations.
Hopefully everyone was happy with the end creation.
After that was free scrap time and there were a lot of late stayers that night (us included!) There were a few spots of rain on the shed roof as we went to bed which was lovely to listen to as I fell into bed at 4am absolutely stuffed.
Saturday I woke and it was action stations as we ate breakfast and kicked off the morning class which was Merediths amazing little 'flap' book. There were many, many laughs and i have heard much anticipation on her class project for next year! ;-)
Lunch was scrummy panninis, meats and salads with fresh fruit for dessert.
Saturday afternoon saw our guest teacher Mel take the floor and it seemed that the whole shed stopped to watch her in action. WOW what a great fun class. Every single person that i spoke to loved the layout they made with her.
Wednesday night I drove to Port Lincoln to pick up Mel Forbes, our guest teacher from WA. We went out for tea, drove home and settled her in her temporary bedroom (thanks Kelsey!)
Mel was exactly as i remember her. She is just like one of us and fitted in so well. I have known Mel online for over 4 years now and she feels just like an old friend.
Thursday we woke, popped the kids on the school bus, loaded the car to the hilt and drove to the Lion's Hostel at North Shields for setup. We had some male muscle to help lift the trestles and sort out positioning for powerpoint displays and extra lighting. This set up day took almost all day and by the end we felt completely exhusted.
Friday we gave some quick birthday wishes to Georgia and Kelsey, popped them all on the school bus, loaded the car with more gear and headed to 'retreat HQ' yet again.
60 goodie / etsy bags all packed
We packed goodie bags, set out chairs, showed the retaillers where to go, sorted out bedroom allocations, assisted in the kitchen (Val and Kathryn were already buzzing around in there: busy little beavers!), said hello to the Country Arts SA lady (Simone) and introduced her to Mel, picked up table decorations, met some girls from the big smoke at the airport and before we could blink again it was 3.58pm and people were rocking through the door. (tsk tsk early birds!! LOL)
Every attendee got a goodie bag, personalised mug and lanyard. Here is mine post event with a bit of added white spray paint!
messy lanyard and mug
Before not too long all our ladies seemed to be settled in and scrapping!
Deb and Bernie scrapping up a storm.
It was quite a drawn out class due to the sewing, painting and ink splats but thankfully the ladies were so patient waiting for their turns with the various sewing machines and painting / inking stations.
Hopefully everyone was happy with the end creation.
After that was free scrap time and there were a lot of late stayers that night (us included!) There were a few spots of rain on the shed roof as we went to bed which was lovely to listen to as I fell into bed at 4am absolutely stuffed.
Saturday I woke and it was action stations as we ate breakfast and kicked off the morning class which was Merediths amazing little 'flap' book. There were many, many laughs and i have heard much anticipation on her class project for next year! ;-)
Lunch was scrummy panninis, meats and salads with fresh fruit for dessert.
Saturday afternoon saw our guest teacher Mel take the floor and it seemed that the whole shed stopped to watch her in action. WOW what a great fun class. Every single person that i spoke to loved the layout they made with her.
a table of 'Ronnies'
It was free scrap time after that until tea and make use of it we all did! Dinner was delicious little mini roasts of chicken or beef (my beef was DELICOUS), potato bake and assorted veg. YUM. Fresh fruit and chocolate platters soon followed.
I did take a few funny photos of the A team but am not allowed to show the funniest one (or two) so i will console myself with this one of them both laughing before tea on that Sat. night.
i can hear them laughing just by looking at the photo! A rare photo with a wine in hand...
Our major prize raffle followed in which every person won a prize. Some of the 'must have items' were the big chomp, a jotote bag, an amy butler tote, a studio calico kit and far too many more to mention. We need to mention again our amazing sponsors and local scrap businesses. What fab. support. Without this sponsorship there is no way our retreat could go ahead.
Another late night followed with lots of laughs and a beverage or two.
It didn't seem long and we were up again for breakfast - our magnificent cooks had prepared pancakes!! Sadly the end of the weekend was coming up quickly - eeeeeeek too quickly!!!!
the 'noisy' table
these girls are fab!
some e2c blog regulars!
The entire rest of day of Sunday was free scrap time until 3pm when we all said goodbye :(
A few personal highlights:
*meeting Tatum, Ali, and Lauren and having them sit 'behind' us. They were great girls and we had a lot of laughs together. Totally amazing scrappers also! What those girls can do with a bit of yellow paint is incredible ;-)
*seeing beautiful Ange again. Clever, clever, clever. ... and beautiful.
*having a lovely friend in Michelle (and Andrew!) and knowing that she would be willing to travel from Sydney to attend another retreat again in 2011!! It was fantastic to have you on our table again Michelle. Loved it.
*our very talented guest teacher Mel Forbes being able to come a little earlier and stay and help set up. This really concreated her in the 'team' and we all felt like we had known her forever by the weekend's end. What a special friend i have!
*the 'fire recovery' kit that we collected for Bev's sister and neice. What an overwhelming response!
*how easy everything seemed to come together this year and our immediate enthusiasm to do it all again in 2011!
*how delicous all the meals were and how cheery and calm the kitchen was at all times - even when they were under incredible pressure. Val and Kathryn: you girls totally rock.
We had a little look last night after pack up at the surveys and were blown away at all the positive comments. Some of the fav. comments that stuck out at us were:
"I had a fantastic time at the retreat - it was so well organised and i was made to feel so relaxed"
"you can't improve it - it's excellent"
"a fantastic weekend - keep them coming"
"exceptional value"
"compared with other retreats i have been to there was lots of elbow room"
"fantastic food. Well done to Val and Kathryn - top job"
"PLEASE keep having them!!"
"great to be able to shop here for extra supplies"
We will certainly take note of some of the other suggestions that are 'do-able' and try to make 2011 even better than this year!
the 'silly' photo!
On behalf of Sue, Meredith, and myself we thank all the girls that were able to come along to our retreat : we had the BEST-EST time. Thankyou also for the lovely card (Bev) and kind words (Sandra). The 'gift' that you collected was completely unnecessary and we certainly do NOT expect it. However we are very very thankful and humbled by it.
At this stage everything looks 100% positive for another e2c in 2011. We will keep you posted :)
What a great weekend *sigh*
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Post retreat link ...
Thought this was a funny blog post title ... make me look skinny in a photoshop tutorial ...
http://papernstitchblog.com/2010/03/23/make-me-look-skinny-in-photoshop-a-tutorial/
After a weekend of not cooking and eating yummy meals, maybe nibbling on a little chocolate, a few lollies, a little cheese here, a few glasses of your favourite there it may well come in handy next week!!
http://papernstitchblog.com/2010/03/23/make-me-look-skinny-in-photoshop-a-tutorial/
After a weekend of not cooking and eating yummy meals, maybe nibbling on a little chocolate, a few lollies, a little cheese here, a few glasses of your favourite there it may well come in handy next week!!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
random musings.
I get a little thrill (and an almost scare) when i see that little counter on the sidebar - Sandra i think all your tapping has broken it and made it speed up!!
The retreat week for me starts on Wed. when i pick Mel up from the plane. I have known this chook since 2006 and it will be great to see her again. Her style of scrapping is totally different to mine, however i look at it in awe at the time and effort she puts into every single tiny detail. Not only am i a fan of her scrapping, but she is so down to earth and very much 'like us' that she feels like a friend that i have known forever.
Thursday will be our major set up day where my car will be LOADED to the absolute roof racks with e2c gear to take to Nt Shields. It will be great to take it all down there and finally clean my scrap space out a bit - at the moment it looks like we are shifting house with the amount of big boxes stacked up and blocking off half my room!
Friday will be more setting up, helping the retailers settle in and then at 4pm the fun begins!!
The past few days have been spent doing a few last minute retreat jobs - i think maybe third time lucky for me as i feel the most organized that i have ever been on any of the other e2c retreats. It has all come together so lovely and quickly this year! I guess practise makes perfect!
Also i have been cleaning and preparing our house for our visitor - this has been no small task!
I have also started packing my suitcase (which makes things feel very REAL and exciting), as i am working for the first part of this week and will not have time later on.
Scrap wise i am almost all packed - i just have to sort through my thickers and decided which ones (if any) to leave home. I haven't packed a massive amount this year as i always end up buying heaps of yummy new product and would rather use that while the scrapping urge hits on the retreat.
In other random news - don't forget to go through your stash and look for some goods to donate to Bev's sister who lost all her scrapping gear in the Port Lincoln fire late last year. There will be an area at the retreat where we will collect it all and give it to Bev to pass along. Bring those bits along!
Another thing not to forget to pack - which has almost been an oopsie from me also - is a wine glass (if you are a wine drinker that is!! No need otherwise!)
Well another day is drawing to a close, and there certainly are not many more sleeps until the retreat.
I cannot wait!
The retreat week for me starts on Wed. when i pick Mel up from the plane. I have known this chook since 2006 and it will be great to see her again. Her style of scrapping is totally different to mine, however i look at it in awe at the time and effort she puts into every single tiny detail. Not only am i a fan of her scrapping, but she is so down to earth and very much 'like us' that she feels like a friend that i have known forever.
Thursday will be our major set up day where my car will be LOADED to the absolute roof racks with e2c gear to take to Nt Shields. It will be great to take it all down there and finally clean my scrap space out a bit - at the moment it looks like we are shifting house with the amount of big boxes stacked up and blocking off half my room!
Friday will be more setting up, helping the retailers settle in and then at 4pm the fun begins!!
The past few days have been spent doing a few last minute retreat jobs - i think maybe third time lucky for me as i feel the most organized that i have ever been on any of the other e2c retreats. It has all come together so lovely and quickly this year! I guess practise makes perfect!
Also i have been cleaning and preparing our house for our visitor - this has been no small task!
I have also started packing my suitcase (which makes things feel very REAL and exciting), as i am working for the first part of this week and will not have time later on.
Scrap wise i am almost all packed - i just have to sort through my thickers and decided which ones (if any) to leave home. I haven't packed a massive amount this year as i always end up buying heaps of yummy new product and would rather use that while the scrapping urge hits on the retreat.
In other random news - don't forget to go through your stash and look for some goods to donate to Bev's sister who lost all her scrapping gear in the Port Lincoln fire late last year. There will be an area at the retreat where we will collect it all and give it to Bev to pass along. Bring those bits along!
Another thing not to forget to pack - which has almost been an oopsie from me also - is a wine glass (if you are a wine drinker that is!! No need otherwise!)
Well another day is drawing to a close, and there certainly are not many more sleeps until the retreat.
I cannot wait!
Maryanne - colour challenge
this was supposed to be for the orange & white challenge, but I have used some black on it as well.
obviously its a layout using one of the befunky photos.
cheers
maryanne
ooooooooooooooooooh Maryanne. You are so very very clever. Awesome. Just amazing.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Free ebook from Ella
I have just gotten this info in my inbox and have promptly downloaded it.
The offer looks great - very inspiring so i thought i would pass the info along. This website and their offers are just great. I have downloaded and printed a heap of stuff from them already!
You will need to join the site to download it - but again i have had no issues at all with them. For a free dose of inspiration it is well worth signing up (no biggie to pop your name and email address into a few boxes anyway!)
free ebook
here's their blurb:
Enjoy professional photography tips, a digital tutorial, three free journaling quizzes, complete instructions for a darling home-decor project, a creativity exercise, a time-saving sketch, and lots of fantastic layout ideas accompanied by expert tips and advice.
This 22-page downloadable eBook offers at least one page, project, or tip from each of the 14 products released by Ella so far. And best of all, it's FREE.
In all, you'll enjoy 34 fresh tips, ideas, and insights from the industry's leading designers, photographers, and scrapbookers—from Stacy Julian and Cathy Zielske to Margie Romney-Aslett and Renee Pearson.
See just how easy it is to download and use Ella eBooks, and discover first-hand which inspiring Ella eBook you need to add to your inspiration library next.
The offer looks great - very inspiring so i thought i would pass the info along. This website and their offers are just great. I have downloaded and printed a heap of stuff from them already!
You will need to join the site to download it - but again i have had no issues at all with them. For a free dose of inspiration it is well worth signing up (no biggie to pop your name and email address into a few boxes anyway!)
free ebook
here's their blurb:
Enjoy professional photography tips, a digital tutorial, three free journaling quizzes, complete instructions for a darling home-decor project, a creativity exercise, a time-saving sketch, and lots of fantastic layout ideas accompanied by expert tips and advice.
This 22-page downloadable eBook offers at least one page, project, or tip from each of the 14 products released by Ella so far. And best of all, it's FREE.
In all, you'll enjoy 34 fresh tips, ideas, and insights from the industry's leading designers, photographers, and scrapbookers—from Stacy Julian and Cathy Zielske to Margie Romney-Aslett and Renee Pearson.
See just how easy it is to download and use Ella eBooks, and discover first-hand which inspiring Ella eBook you need to add to your inspiration library next.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Tiff - colour challenge
cheers.
tiff
nice and crisp Tiff. Great job. Very different to your usual style! Lovely clean, linear work... and of course the orange just pops.
Karen - Sue's sketch
One of my favourite scrappers has finally scrapped again YAY!
Hi Amanda,
I was sitting down scrapping last night, I produced this page which loosely resembles Sues Sketch challenge from last month and is also the colours of Februarys colour challenge! So I thought Id send it in as I have done NO scrapping at all for months and now Im feeling all charged Im worried I wont have any photos to scrap at the retreat!!! LOL. I cant wait. See you all next week......
Karen D
Oh i love the clean lines of this and those touches of pink (particularly the pink spots behind the journalling strips) . Perfect Karen! I also need to know that font you have used - it's delicious!
So happy to see you back into scrapping again.
Hi Amanda,
I was sitting down scrapping last night, I produced this page which loosely resembles Sues Sketch challenge from last month and is also the colours of Februarys colour challenge! So I thought Id send it in as I have done NO scrapping at all for months and now Im feeling all charged Im worried I wont have any photos to scrap at the retreat!!! LOL. I cant wait. See you all next week......
Karen D
Oh i love the clean lines of this and those touches of pink (particularly the pink spots behind the journalling strips) . Perfect Karen! I also need to know that font you have used - it's delicious!
So happy to see you back into scrapping again.
Jenny - Sue's sketch
This is my entry for 'Sue's Sketch'. It has turned out very purple, I think, I didn't want it all blue. Too 'boyee' So hopefully purple is a good compromise. I'll take note of the reaction on the weekend, when I show him.
Great interpretation of the sketch Jenny! Purple is a nice comprimise instead of lots of blue. Look at those cute smiles too! The Princess looks like she would tower above your little Prince LOL.
Fab job of an inspiring sketch.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
retreat tips = it's ok!
This last tip is about a situation that we are all probably going to find ourselves in at the retreat.
Sitting, chatting, eating, drinking, laughing, socializing.
No scrapping.
And i am here to tell you that
Our aim is for all of us to have some hard earnt 'time out'.
The retreat is an ESCAPE. If you CREATE then it is great and an added bonus. If you are ESCAPING and CREATING = woohoo. If you are just ESCAPING = excellent and woohoo too.
If you sit there, for three days and just relax.............. that is wonderful. I know i will probably just plonk down, look around, sip my glass of wine and soak in the atmosphere a lot more than i will be productive. And this is ok.
No pressure. No competition on who is producing the most layouts. No one judging you on what you have or haven't done. Just time out.
.
.
.
.
.
Hmmm bring it on i say!
Sitting, chatting, eating, drinking, laughing, socializing.
No scrapping.
And i am here to tell you that
it is absolutely fine if you don't scrap.
Our aim is for all of us to have some hard earnt 'time out'.
The retreat is an ESCAPE. If you CREATE then it is great and an added bonus. If you are ESCAPING and CREATING = woohoo. If you are just ESCAPING = excellent and woohoo too.
If you sit there, for three days and just relax.............. that is wonderful. I know i will probably just plonk down, look around, sip my glass of wine and soak in the atmosphere a lot more than i will be productive. And this is ok.
No pressure. No competition on who is producing the most layouts. No one judging you on what you have or haven't done. Just time out.
.
.
.
.
.
Hmmm bring it on i say!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Amanda - colour challenge
Ok, ok it is more cream than white, and there is a touch of aqua..... but hey the orange is there! (rules were meant to be broken anyway!)
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Tiff - banner
Well, better late than never. Maryanne gave me the germ of an idea for this one with cupcake brushes. Aren't they so cute!!
The torn paper between the lines of sewing inspo came from Natalie Perks LO 'Sick' in this months SBM.cheers
Tiff
nice rip and stitch effect Tiff.
And you are right = those little cupcake pics on the banner look great.
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