Some creativity!

I have managed to do a layout today and thought I would share as it is soooo long since I posted anything creative.

It's a pretty simple one using: Kraft Cardstock, Black Bazzill cut with my scallop blade, 7 Gypsies Gaffer Tape (YUM!), KI Elsie - Jack & Abby Apron Dot fabric paper (this is self adhesive!), Thickers Felt letters and American Craft MiniMarks Rub-ons.

Last week I got my Zutter - Bind-It-All so I thought I would try it out today and I made this little notebook as a gift.....

I have used the same KI Elsie - Jack & Abby Apron Dot fabric paper as the layout above and because it's self adhesive it makes it really easy to do the covers and I just cut a smaller square to cover the inside covers. I had to use a thinner cardboard as it only just fitted inside the Bind-It-All.

Don't forget the competition over at my website - http://www.sharonmanning.com.au/

We are also starting up a Circle Journal! If you are interested, then check out the Messageboard and sign up.

I photographed my Brother-In-Law's dogs yesterday and here are a couple of good ones.....

They are so well trained that getting them to sit still was easy!

Well that's about it - I hope to get some more time in my scrap room this week so you may just see some more from me before Friday.

Have a good week!

Website update and competition!

Well I have been frantically working on updating my website with a Chat Room and also a new project kit. To get all the goss click here and download my latest newsletter!



AND



I am running a new competition.............


Name our Chat Room and win this....

A Making Memories Desktop Organiser!

Details are on the front page of my website www.sharonmanning.com.au good luck!

Mammoth Job!

Chapter 1

You know when you start a big job you have been putting off for years and you get half way through and you think to yourself.....I know now why I haven't done this before now! Well that's how I felt last week. OK to go backwards to go forwards.....a while back I purchased Stacey Julian's new book called Photo Freedom. I did as she suggested and read the entire book before deciding on what elements of her amazing photo filing system I wanted to use for my own. The first task at hand was to sort through all my family photos and put them into some sort of date order. Here is a photo of just 1/2 a table I was using to do this one "small" task.

After just a few days I knew this was not going to be something I could achieve in a day - I think the photos sat on my tables for about 10 days. Steve was asking me "when were they going to be done" and the kids also contributed with comments like - "Haven't you finished yet?" I just ignored them, this was something that was now bugging me too.

Anyway - about a year ago I purchased some Cropper Hopper Photo Storage boxes and have used these to chronolgically file all my 6x4 photos. Once I started it was obvious the year we got our digital camera because we had at least 5 times the amount of photos printed that year to any other. Then they taper off as we realised that we could print just the ones we wanted and store the others digitally (more on this issue later). Here are the boxes with sticky notes for the years and the events that happened in that year (this made my job a little easier).

One last step in this process was to bin doubles and anything that I didn't want to keep and boy did I have to be ruthless! I filled a Beer carton box as you can see......

I have also started a Memorabilia box with postcards, letters, brochures etc - but I am still deciding on which box to go with for this.

So where am I now? Well I have them filed in year order and I just need to get some nice dividers made with cute little labels - they have to look good too you know!

Next step is to sort out my digital filing of my photos and for this I have bought a 750gb external hard drive - this needs some more thought as to the way I file my photos and I might even check out some tagging software so that I can find photos more easily - If you have any suggestions then please let me know what works for you!

I now have a checklist set up for all the steps I need to take to get this sysetm operating and working for me. If you have done this yourself then I would love to hear if it has been a success and what elements you have decided on?

Chapter 2 to come......soon I hope......

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Happy Mother's Day to one and all for yesterday! Here is where we spent the morning -

Whiteman Park - We had a BBQ breakfast with friends and the kids had a great time running around with soccer balls and discs (Frisbees). We had a few showers but when the sun came out boy was it hot! Home in the afternoon for a siesta and Steve made pizzas for tea......All in all a great day! I hope you had a wonderful day too?

Enjoy your week and this fantastic Autumn weather we are having if you are in Perth!

Cheers!

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who left messages and emailed me for my birthday, I had a great day.

The Make and Take class went off a treat at Tomorrow's Memories and Vicki even made me my favourite cake (a recipe we have shared for many many years) Apricot Choc Chip! Yum! Although Clori missed out on a piece - sorry Clori - next time I make one I will bring a piece in just for you.

Saturday night we went to dinner with very good friends and enjoyed yummy food and great company. There is a story behind this photo, a story too long to go into today, but let's just say it it's especially for Kath!

Sunday was a lazy one in the morning and then in the afternoon we met up with some friends at the Chocolate Factory - boy was it busy - the "kids" had a great time as you can see.....

Back to reality now though, I have a project for a workshop to design, a new kit to design and some photography enquiries to answer! So I had better get my behind into gear.

Shooting blind!

While I don't recommend this as a way to take good photos, I'm finding I shoot blind more and more and to be honest I'm loving the results!

Here is a photo I took yesterday at a photoshoot by simply lowering the camera and roughly judging the frame.





Sure they are hit and miss, sometimes all I get is sky or dirt but generally I'm pretty happy with them.....let's face it only the digital age allows us to do this!

The photoshoot yesterday was for Lis and her family and when we can decide on which ones we want edited I'm sure she will share some more on her blog. They have a fantastic property with lots of old rusty trucks and farm machinery so it makes for a great photoshoot location and at this time of the year everything is so green and lush.

It's my birthday tomorrow (42 - not that I feel like I'm 42, I still feel about 26) and I will be at Tomorrow's Memories for their birthday 12 hour crop and I will be doing a special Make and Take - so if you are joining us I will see you there! In the evening we have some plans for dinner and Sunday looks like being a casual one too - not too many chores I hope.... yeah right!

I came across this site some time ago and every now and then I discover a great tutorial about how to make something - this morning this one leapt out at me......How to make a Moleskine Notebook.... check it out, the instructions are very detailed and heaps of diagrams too.

Paper Pesto have released their May kit and it is to die for.....check it out here. I can't wait to see what the girls' create with this kit - it looks very inspiring.

The very talented and gorgeous Judy Wilkenfeld has just returned from the US teaching at ArtFest - you can read about her travels here. Judy and Michael de Meng (they're in love you know!) are joining to bring you a very special workshop in Bali -"Temple of Dreams"A 5 day workshop March 11-19 2009 - more information can be found here at Arcangelo Productions or on their respective blogs. Looks fantastic!!!!!

Well I think that's about it for today. I have heaps to get through today, so I best be off to get it all done. Have a good one everybody!