It's going to be a goody!

I have now seen all the amazing classes that will be on offer at the Scrappin’ Outback, 9th Wave Rock Scrapbooking Retreat and they are all absolutely fantastic. If you are attending then you are in for a real treat.

Here is my final class sneak peak - A Travel Album - designed to be made before your holiday so that you can collate it as you enjoy your vacation and that way you won't miss all the little details. If you have already been on your holiday and have happy snaps to include then you will need photos 6x4 or smaller.

If you would like to see the other classes being taught by Lis Cassey or Gayle Smith then go here and here or here.

If you would like to join us all for this very special retreat then Contact Karen Smith on 98805300 or email scrappinoutback@bigpond.com to book and for details and prices. Updates for the retreat can be found at Scrappin' Outback's blog.

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My big girl turned 17 yesterday! Unfortunately she is in the middle of her Mock TEE Exams and had to endure a Maths Exam on her birthday of all days. We will be celebrating on Sunday with a family dinner so she is very much looking forward to that. Stay tuned for some photos. I feel old!

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I'm listening to:

This girl has an awesome voice!
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I'm still reading:

Struggling with this one a little - I might have to put it down and come back to it as I have these three waiting in the wings....


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And some self portraits for a project I am working on at the moment!

The B&W one was taken looking into a mirror and then I flipped it horizontally in Photoshop so my moles were on the right side of my face. The colour one was taken at my desk using self timer. I don't look too bad considering I have had Gastro for 2 days! No one else in the family - just me - thank goodness really as Renae has had exams. I'm on the mend though and picking up this beauty tomorrow should cheer me up :-)

Eclectic post I know but it's been an eclectic week.

See you next time!

Mixed Media Sampler

Here's a sneak peek at one of my classes at the Scrappin’ Outback, 9th Wave Rock Scrapbooking Retreat. I love teasing you all - I can't wait to teach this one, there are lots of techniques so be prepared to get messy.The project once completed can be framed, used as a journal/album cover - well anything you want really.

I'm finalising my second class (another off the page project) in the next couple of days so hopefully I will be back with another teaser very soon.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Baby Album for Reid

You might remember I photographed Jo a couple of weeks ago? Well here are a couple more photos from the shoot now I have finished editing them!

I have used a "seventies" action on this first one which I kind of like for the subject of the photo. I think these "washed out" actions can be overused and still prefer a naturally coloured photo.

This one is soooooooooooo Jo. As soon as I opened it I smiled - look at those blue eyes!

Jo is having a baby shower on Sunday and I started this project a couple of months ago for her (and Reid) and I have finally got around to finishing it!

I have used a 7 Gypsies 6x6 album and covered it.

Added lots of different shaped pages, including this felt pocket with a couple of tags to store inside.

Made some pages using co-ordinating Bazzill.

A simple tag with felt embellishment.

Transparency pages.

There are also envelope pages to store bits and pieces in and pages dedicated to his big brother and sister.

I have also included some extra tags, transparencies, bazzill and embellishments that Jo can add herself as she completes the album.

I have also left the page protectors in the album so she can create some traditional pages or add bits and bobs if she wants to.

Simple but effective!

I have been putting some final touches to the classes for the Hyden retreat and hope to have some sneak peeks later in the week - so stay tuned! If you are interested in joining us in Hyden then here's the details:

Scrappin’ Outback
is turning 5 and to celebrate presents the 9th
Wave Rock Scrapbooking Retreat16th - 18th October 2009

Don’t miss this fantastic weekend of fun, creativity and girl time. You will be truly inspired by tutors Lis Cassey, Sharon Manning and Gayle Smith, to sink your teeth into some awesome layouts and projects in the company of other like-minded women.

Join us for some laughs, great food and shop at the Scrappin’ Outback onsite shop which boasts a vast range of yummy scrapbook and card making supplies.

Contact Karen Smith on 98805300 or 0427 977 672

Or email scrappinoutback@bigpond.comto book and for details and prices.

It's shaping up to be a great weekend as always!

Plenty to share

My gorgeous husband bought me these today !
- he knows I love daffodils and it has become a little tradition that he buys me a bunch around September......it's also a signal that spring is not hat far away - thank goodness - I'm over winter! The sunshine just makes you feel so much better than dreary rain and grey skies. I think this winter has also been colder than the last few years and for some reason I cannot seem to get warm at the moment. I'm constantly carrying around one of those wheat heat packs. But my daffodils are certainly "warming" up my studio today.

Some happy mail! From my last post these stunning fabrics
arrived in the mail yesterday from "Of Paper and Thread".
They are earmarked for 2 special projects that I would like for my kitchen. So more to come on these....visit Danielle Smeets here and here.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have been struggling with my creativity lately so I decided to enrol in this online workshop with Cathy Zielski titled "Me the abridged version" - for two reasons really - firstly to try and get my "mojo" back and secondly because during my "thinking" time the other day I realised the obvious "I don't really scrap about me". Not only that - I'm usually the one behind the camera and I'd like to leave just a little something for my kids to remind them of, well, ME! I know this is something that alot of us "scrappers", "artists", "authors" (call yourself what you will), don't do and consciously make an effort to include ourselves in a few pages every now and then. I'm not one to really talk about myself and when I do it's in a private journal that only I read. My family knows it exists and it certainly doesn't include any photos of me, so this is something I'm really going to try and tackle with a little trepidation and also excitement, creative excitement. Wish me luck!

On the same note of creativity - I threw all pre-conceived ideas out the window about what I wanted to do with a re-cycled canvas that has been floating around my studio for the last couple of weeks. Thank you to Lis and Gayle for their support too on my "Lost" post :-) It's still a work in progress that I hope to finish off very soon - very technique based and a little bit eclectic, it was like I was trying to purge my mind of everything that was blocking it by throwing it down on the canvas - ha! sounds like therapy! Not sure if it's what I had in mind at the beginning of the journey but hey it's something and it has made me feel a little better. At the end of the day isn't that what "ART" is supposed to do?
Another special thing to look forward to, Steve and I will have been married for 20 years this year and we have decided to treat ourselves to a holiday to here later in the year. Just him and me! The two of us for 12 days and 11 nights - I cannot explain how much I'm looking forward to this holiday! Our very own 1 bedroom villa with our own pool, treatment gazebo, chef if we want it, aaaaahhhhhhh (insert very big humungous sigh).

Enjoy Friday and the weekend and hopefully I will be back very soon.