Creations From The Heart

guest CT spot at Snap & Scrap

This would have to be one of my favourite digi kits...this is a layout I've made for my time as a guest Creative Team member at Snap & Scrap (a digi shoppe).  I've used a kit called Moroccan Sunset that all the shoppe's designers have put together for July and it will be showcased on their blog along with all other layout samples by the regular CT team.  If you want to check out my last layout, here's a link to the Snap & Scrap blog post and this one will go up at the end of June as the kit is promoted in July.

In other digi news, I have accepted another CT position, this time at Laura Lively Designs.  At this stage the new CT are just on for one month to see if we fit in there as Laura's shoppe is brand new but full of beautiful goodies.  Hopefully it will lead to a permanent role there....who knows but I'll be doing a couple of layouts with her kits shortly!

I'm finally back to somewhat normal routine...it's taken a day or so to wash, unpack holiday gear, shop and restock the fridge....oh, had to buy a new fridge first as my old fridge died just before we went away so had virtually no food in the house because we were going away and because the old one carked it!  Not good.....  I still haven't even looked at uploading some more pics of what else we got up to in Cairns, but they'll be done at some stage.  I caught up on lots of magazine reading while I was away.  I have never thrown out any of my old scrapbooking mags as I can't bear to part with them "just in case" I ever needed them to refer to!  Well, I'm in a cleanout mood lately, so I just ripped a few pages out of each mag that I took away and came home slightly lighter than when I went....felt great to offload them as I rarely find time to sit and read them cover to cover as I'm usually scrapping at night when the boys are in bed.  Another thing I got around to was watching loads of shows I'd downloaded off the internet that I have never had a chance to watch.  I don't even turn the TV on anymore and just download the few shows I do want to watch....caught up with the current series of Grey's Anatomy, Survivor All-Stars (thanks heaps for lending me these Ange), The Apprentice & Private Practice.  I just loved PP, which is a spin-off from Grey's.  This first series was only 9 episodes and I want more so hoping they air it soon in the US.

Toby had his last day of kinder for the term.  Ryan is now enrolled to start 3 year old kinder for the rest of this year which he is excited about.  He always loves going to Toby's kinder and will find out for himself what it's like to go on his own.

Off to get things rolling with my solicitor next week in regards to my financial settlement with Mark.  It's been over one and a half years since we separated and with everything rising in prices, I need to know where I stand for the future.  Hopefully Mark agrees to everything so it doesn't have to go through court.  He's heading off overseas for 2 months in September, so that will mean the boys are going to struggle even more with not being able to see him and my parents are going travelling in their caravan at the end of July for up to 4 months so it's going to be interesting to see how I manage with things while Mark and the family are away.  Won't be able to do any workshops or go too far with these two little terrors in tow!

If Mum and Dad are serious about moving to Port Douglas, I'm off like a flash to move in with them!  Just need a house big enough to fit all our scrapbooking stuff in as I could never go back to not having my own scrapping space after what I have here...a big luxury I know!  Anyway, time to get to bed as have some visitors coming tomorrow and need to get the house waaay more cleaner than it is!

Songbird Avenue challenge

Every time I remember to do something in Photoshop that I've learnt in one of my previous online classes, I get so excited!  Like the blending of the photo bit or the blending modes bit.  It's so much fun and trying to bring it altogether is always a challenge at best!

I have submitted this layout to the Songbird Avenue blog scraplift challenge for May using their "Take Flight" kit.  You had to pick a layout from their creative team's Inspiration gallery and lift it so here's the layout I started with from Kirsty B and you can see what I ended up with above!

This blog is dedicated to selling digital scrapbooking kits each month, put together by an assortment of amazing digi designers and all proceeds go to a different charity each month.  This one is for a foundation for breast cancer.

In case you can't read my journalling it reads:

My little bubby Ryan trying to crawl.  You were so much fun to watch, and look at how happy you were that you could hold yourself up! Aged 9 months old.

the kids are out!

Promise this is my last layout for the day as I've got to get to bed as I'm doing my one day a month work tomorrow in Collingwood and am getting picked up at 6am (yikes)!  Luckily I can manage one day a month...not every day starting that early.

Anyway, this gorgeous kit is by an absolutely wonderful designer called Natali Design and this is her "Freshness" kit which I absolutely love.  These are some pics of my high school buddies' kids and mine are in there somewhere!  This was taken in Dec 2006 so they're all a lot bigger than that now but we don't get together all that often and when we do, the kids have all totally changed.  Good that we all still keep in touch as it was 1987 when I left high school and we're all still around!

Credits are over on my digi blog.

playmates

Here's a little layout I've created for Veronica Hurly's Creative Team using another new kit, this time a girl themed one.  I love to use pink but hardly have any appropriate photos except when the kids are at playgroup when there's lot of their 'girl' friends around.  Usually it's Sally and Amy, so Narelle and Shaun get to see their kids plastered all over the web with my layouts :)

Thought I'd pop the journalling in here as it's a little hard to see even when you click on the picture to enlarge it:

Ryan, you were such a cutie at Jackson's Hill this day saying hi to your friend Sally from your pram.  You were holding her hand, giggling and trying to grab her hat and you still to this day, love playing with Sally!  Ryan aged 10 months and Sally aged 22 months.

Credits are on my digital blog.

digi entry into another challenge

Here's an entry I've placed into a challenge at Shabby Miss Jenn's team blog and I've used the opportunity to journal about my separation from Mark which I really hadn't documented at all.  I am drawn to scrapbooking because it is such a therapeutic way to express yourself and I am not a typical journaller by any means...maybe back in my highschool days, but not since then have I ever kept a diary.  So in conjuction with my love of photos and getting crafty and creative with all my digi stuff and paper, glues, flowers, etc, it's a great way to get stuck into all types of issues in our lives, whether they be happy or sad memories you're reliving.  All the credits are over on my digi blog.

another kinder layout

Here's a layout that I really, really love of Toby and his friends at 4 year old Kinder.  Aren't they just adorable and this pic was taken on a very chilly day as you can see by their attire.  I've entered this in a Challenge over at Vicki's blog and all the credits are on my digi blog.

my special Mum

Thought it was appropriate being Mother's Day to honour my beautiful Mum Margaret with a special digital layout.  For all she does, for all she is and for all that she means to me.  I love you Mum and happy Mother's Day.  Thanks so much for putting on another wonderful lunch/afternoon tea for us.  You always go out of your way for your family and that's what Mum's do isn't it?  I love this photo I snapped of Mum last Christmas Day.  I took a few family shots but it was so sunny and everyone was squinting but this one is just a nice, natural closeup and it shows Mum for who she really is.  No touchups, no airbrushing, just real life (sorry Mum, but I could have photoshopped all your wrinkles out and given you a facelift but that wouldn't be you)!

I'll pop all the digi credits over on my other blog for those interested.

oh brother layout

Here's a digital layout I've created using a new kit by Veronica Hurly.  If you want to check out all the details, head on over to my digital blog.  Love the colours in her new kit.  Very classical with cream, red, black and white.  This layout is about how the boys CAN actually show some love to each other once in while rather than belting the heck out of one another!  Had a bit of a play with Photoshop to make the photo more faded and vintagy and the title has been subtly placed across the bottom of the pic.

more circle journal pages

Here's a double page layout I've done for Tracy's Circle Journal titled "Inspiration".  I thought I'd whip up another digital creation as it's much more fun for me to do...I've certainly strayed right away from paper scrapping for quite some time now!  If you're keen to find the credits, hop over to my digi blog.  I'm a little behind in my CJ's so wanted to MAKE sure I got it done tonight so now off to beddy-byes!

family circle layout

Here's a layout I created for a challenge on a digital website.  You can win a really gorgeous kit so thought I'd have a go - we had to make at least one photo into the shape of a heart which I did with our cat Rusty.  This was a little layout tribute to my mate Skye who we had to put to sleep recently.  All the details and links to contents are over on my digi blog.