"If you want a rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain"

May 27, 2010

I just loved the Kioshi paper when I saw it....and knew exactly which layout I wanted to use it for. The soft gentle colours...a palette of pastels reminded me of my rainbow pictures from last Summer. However, I will say, that the pics of the rainbow are NOT exactly wonderful. I remember being in such a rush to just quickly take them. I LOVE rainbows, and have never had a camera with me when I have previously seen one. I was determined that no matter how bad the pictures were....come hell or high water, they were going on a layout with this soft, pretty and dainty looking paper. I was inspired to do this layout by one that I had seen in the Spring Edition of "Scrapbook and Cards Today", by Lisa Dickenson, where she too, used rainbow pictures. My placement and size of the pictures was definately scraplifted, along with the idea of different pattern paper behind.

Now, scroll down and look closer.....much closer...

THIS CLOSE.........

See the stamps??????????

I love them and was able to incorporate them into part of this layout for expressive journalling purposes. I used "beautiful" definition block, as well as label memory block. These stamps are a must. Never underestimate the use of stamps in a layout, especially all the definition stamps. They are expressive and can sometimes be all that you need, if you don't like the journalling part. Go ahead, try something new....something that you wouldn't usually do.

"See My Garden, See My Soul"

May 25, 2010

I know that by looking at the above pictures, you may be asking yourselves, "where is the scrapbook layout?"...."Is this an art journalling entry?".....NO SIREEEEE!

This is a whole other part of me.....my garden. This was the most wonderful weekend....I spent so many hours planning, arranging, re-arranging and planting my garden. In my eyes, gardening is yet another creative outlet, we are able to express ourselves even more, in the plants that we buy, and how we arrange them. Do you like your flower beds and pots symmetrical, neat and tidy? OR a little, you know....wild, wooly and all over the place. Well....I have to have pots on my patio.....EVERYWHERE, grown and overgrown. In my opinion, one can never be surrounded by too many plants and flowers. There is nothing more relaxing to me, than coming home at the end of day, going into my garden, and gathering my thoughts.

For those of you who love this too, I wish you a warm, green and colourful Summer, and for those that are NOT too green thumb inclined, just start off with a small window box or planter. You will feel happy watching the fruit of your labour grow, flower and flourish.

There is a BUZZ and BLOOM over at the BELLA BOO-TIQUE

May 18, 2010

Well there is chipboard and there is chipboard.....and then along came BUZZ and BLOOM, which definately gives new meaning to the word "chipboard".....it is nothing like what I have ever seen, touched, spritzed, painted and played with before. It is nothing short of outstanding. Not only is it fabulous to use, but it comes in shapes, fonts, words, flowers.....name it? Where, o, where can you get it.....TONS OF IT? None other than my favorite place in the whole wide world....STAMPING BELLA. You see, one thing, amongst many, that I love about Emily, is that when she see's something she likes....she goes full steam ahead....and we usually have just about everything.

For this layout, I used the "celebrate life" stamp the new Basic Grey Elements Paper and trims, Tim Holtz filmstrip, and Buzz and Bloom Fonts.....shelby, tubby, vette (upper and lower case), as well as Up the Garden Path and On Cloud Nine. I also spritzed the chipboard with Tattered Angels Marshmallow, which just gave such a pretty sheen. Right now, I got to say, that this Buzz and Bloom stuff is really Buzzin' and Bloomin' all around my head....can't think of much else.

Hope you get to experience this chipboard stuff.....you'll love it....I guarantee.

K.I.S.S

May 12, 2010

What does K.I.S.S stand for.....you may ask?

KEEP IT SUPER SIMPLE

I have to say, that this is definately one of MY very favorite layouts. Not quite sure what makes it so....but if I look at it, I think it is the simplicity of it....just some pattern paper, some pictures and minimal embellishments. We scrapbookers are hoarders, collectors and gatherers...we complain about the amount of paper we have, AND YET, we are unable to stop ourselves from buying more....so really that is another reason why I love this layout. I can take any paper from my favorite collections and easily apply them to this layout. I bet it would look totally different if I did....not only that, but I would also use some of the older stuff to make room for the new. We are inclined to want to put everything on a page...just because it is all soooooo beautiful, we have bought it all to match, and we MUST use it. NO SIRREEEE! don't always be tempted to empty out your stash and attach it to every spare space on the page. I guarantee you that the embellishments you bought to match a certain collection, you will land up using elsewhere where you least expected to. I encourage you to make something simple and using something a little older in your stash. We all LOVE the new stuff, but DON'T FORGET the old. And now, my countdown begins.....can't wait for the Donna Downey classes over at Stamping Bella....I am sooooo super excited and have already put my name down for all of them. Can't wait.....if you have not checked out these classes, you should, you REALLY should.

Accountability and Goals

May 6, 2010

How many times have I heard myself say "the diet starts on Monday?" You know how super skinny I would be if I actually lived what I said. You know how many Mondays I have eaten my way through.....just justifying it and saying to myself..."Thank God, there is a Monday every week." I can not tell you how many times I have walked up those stairs, telling myself " I can't believe I am here again." Yep....good ole' Weight Watchers. The journey through that door is way too much of a familiar one. Even becoming a lifetime member a number of years ago, here I go again....

I have learnt that losing weight is NOT only about the exercise (what...did someone say exercise), and healthy food choices, BUT also about accountability. For those of you who are lucky enough to NOT be familiar with Weight Watchers (GRRRRR), one is supposed to write down what one eats....yep ACCOUNTABILITY, and that I believe helps one achieve goals. Hence, my above journal page....by doing and posting this page even makes me more accountable....I have announced and journaled my intentions. I am accountable by way of anyone asking how I am doing at WW.....(but please don't ask....just in case). Every week I am now accountable to that damn blinking scale and the little Weight Watchers patrol that stands behind it. If any of you have a goal...no matter how big or how small, write it down, somewhere, anywhere. You are more likely to achieve it that way.

But no matter what the diet is of the week....I can guarantee, that at around 4pm, every afternoon, you will always hear Emily or I yell across the store "what's for SUPPAH?"

So here's to me, you, accountability and reaching for our goals.

Another Sketch Layout

May 3, 2010

Here is another layout that I did based on a Studio Calico Sketch. I especially love when they post the sketch with no layout.....WHY????? you may ask! Simply said, it takes away the temptation to scraplift....there is NOTHING I can copy. I am therefore forced to use the products and imagination that I have. For this layout I used the Stamping Bella Scrappy Stamps...which are the Round memory block and Today memory block. I LOVE these stamps for journalling. Very often, I hear people say that they don't include journalling on there layouts, because they don't like there handwriting. Firstly, remember....your handwriting is UNIQUE....in years to come, someone will really love that it is authentic, it is real and it was a part of YOU. These stamps are great for journalling because they do not require alot of writing. It can be as simple as the date, the day and a thought.

I encourage YOU to do a layout based on the space in which you craft....I know it is an important part of our lives...it is where we hide out and spend all the spare time that we can. It is definately MY best spot in the house (besides my garden.)

Go ahead and do a layout.....don't just think about it!