Mixed bag in point form

1. New Photography package is coming along nicely thank you - I really cannot wait to share this one with you....by the end of next week I promise!

2. Ellenbrook was hit by a big Thunderstorm on Monday, roads were blocked by fallen trees and there was lots of damage everywhere!  We live in Bullsbrook (about 20 mins north of here) but received hardly any storm at all!

3. Paid a visit to here with Lis - came out totally stuffed!

4. This baby was released on Wednesday, not actually available for a while here in Aus....I want one I would like one....that's it - that's all I'm going to say!

5. I have been crafting...look at the mess I have made....

We are heading into a long weekend here in Perth and we have a few things planned to enjoy our mini break.  I am thankful the humid weather has abated for a while - I don't do humid, like alot of people I have come across these past few weeks given their grumpy moods.  Hot and dry is ok so hopefully it will continue along with the happier dispositions!

Stay safe and see you next week!

Scrappin Outback : Wave Rock Retreat

I have just enjoyed a whole weekend off work and away from home.....at the Scrappin' Outback Wave Rock Retreat in Hyden.  Again Karen needs to be congratulated on an amazing weekend of prizes, classes, fun, laughter and most of all spending time with friends.

I am normally a tutor at this retreat teaching 2 classes (one layout and one off the page class) but this is the first time in the last 9 retreats that I have been a participant.  There to play and enjoy time out doing something that I love but have neglected in recent months due to being so busy with my Photography business.  Someone asked me yesterday if I preferred to teach or not, my response was quote "the jury is still out on that one".  It is still out, I get so much enjoyment from teaching and sharing my knowledge and skills with everyone but at the same time I can't tell you how nice it was just to be on the other side of the fence and get to play and learn from others.  It's like I've rediscovered what I love about the world of paper crafting.

Anyway enough about me.....here's just a few snaps taken at the last minute yesterday afternoon just before I left to come home.

The tutors this time were the amazing Lis Cassey, Gayle Smith, Karen Smith and Julie Van Oosten.  They all produced the best projects and we all appreciate the effort it takes to come up with these classes.  Thanks ladies!

I managed to complete 10 pages whilst at the retreat - some of them classes and some not.  When I get the chance to photograph them I might be back to share.

I just want to thank the policeman that pulled me over on the way home just out of Hyden (yes I was speeding, just a little) - RBT and a caution to use my cruise control on 110km/hr in future.....phew!

I have a heap of paper work and editing to do so I had best be off and get that done.

Have a great week everyone!

Break

Yes I know I have been missing around here - I really needed a break from everything and Easter proved to be the time to do just that. I slept in, I read books, watched movies, caught up on some me time and generally relaxed (so did Steve for 1 day - that's good for him), Oh and I devoured some chocolate too of course.

The first week of the school holidays is over and Gemma is competing in the West Coast Dance Festival at St Mary's twice this week., On Tuesday night she placed 2nd in the Slow Modern section out of a group of 18! I cried the first time she did this routine back in October last year because I hadn't seen it before, this time I was really good and controlled myself. Another trophy to add to the shelf - Steve is going to have to build a new shelf soon I think. We are off there again tonight for her Modern Solo section, she won this one last October so she has moved up to the Intermediate section, wishing her luck!

I have managed to pick up my camera a few times and snap some photos just for me - for no particular reason other than to try new things, new settings etc. Here's just one I have had time to edit....

A 50mm F1.4 lens in on my wishlist so perhaps it would have been a better choice than the 24-105mm that seems to be permanently attached to my camera at the moment, not so good for close up Macro shots.

I have also managed to get some layouts finished off over the last week or so and it has been quite a satisfying experience to get back into scrapping. I always forget to change my lens before photographing them so please excuse the distortion on this one.....

This one is loosely based on Lis' Millions of Photos class from the Wave Rock Retreat last month. I'm a bit rusty at the moment so I'm liking that I have a starting point like Lis' classes and then adding my own little touches - and notice that I journaled too. Journaling I have realised is an important element that I need to add more often to my pages - to tell the story and not rely on my memory, which seems to be getting worse the older I get.

I have a couple of Family Photo Sessions booked this week (one very special family of 18) so I'm looking forward to being back with some sneak peeks very soon.

Take care and enjoy your weekend!

Quilt & Artistic Mother Art Group

I always like to get to the end of the day and feel like I have achieved something in a creative sense. Even if it is to update my blog or email a fellow creative friend to chat about a project. Lately I have had to make time so that I have that sense of satisfaction when it’s time to wind down at the end of a busy day. Lis emailed me the other week and said let’s join up with the Artistic Mother’s Art Group started by Trudy Callan, you can find out some more here at Trudy’s blog. Or by clicking on the Artistic Mother button in my side bar. Basically Trudy has invited us to be part of her group to follow along with the projects in Shona Cole's Book - The Artistic Mother.

So I ordered the book and thankfully it arrived on Thursday and I hope to start on my projects very soon, but some quiet time and reading is in order first. If you would like to join up you still can, just visit Trudy’s blog for the details.

So, I decided I needed to finalise some “stuff” and also finish off some UFO’s before embarking on a new creative regime. I have always wanted to learn how to quilt and perhaps I was thinking I would leave this new creative venture until a little later in life but when I visited my local Fabric and Quilting Store I saw the Rag Edged Quilt on display and thought it was a good project to start with and get some basic understanding of quilting underway. So I attended a class a couple of weeks back and it has taken me a while to finish it off (and alot of mess) but here it is - The Rag Edge QUilt. I had intend using it as a picnic blanket but now I'm not so sure.

The colours don't really suit anywhere in my house except maybe my scrap room so maybe it will live in there for the time being and keep me warm when I'm editing photos in the winter. The Fabric is from Michael Miller - Whimsy - Pillow & Maxfield - love them. I have also purchased Michael Miller - Mezzanine - Patty Young in the pink/green colourway to make a second quilt with but other things need to be finished before I can even think about cutting just yet.

I'm working on a scrapbook/fabric album based very loosely on this one here by Dianne Payne who in turn got her ideas from Mary Ann Moss - I'm making it up as I go along, which is really quite liberating. Hopefully I can get some more done to show you over the weekend.

Scrappin Outback : Wave Rock Retreat : Final Sneak Peek

Just to tease you all a little more - here is the final sneak peek for the "Off the page" class at the upcoming Scrappin Outback Wave Rock Retreat....

The theme of this project is easily adaptable to suit your own style and purpose. Boy, girl, decorative, useful - you choose and make it your own. It will be alot of fun and I can't wait to see what you all come up with.

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I am preparing to shoot a wedding tomorrow with a bridal party of 12! Looking forward to it very much and I'm sure D&J are too.

Enjoy your weekend and hopefully I will be back early next week with some photography tips for you.

Hyden Retreat Sneak Peeks

Here are a couple of sneak peeks for the 2 layout classes I will be teaching at the Scrappin' Outback Hyden Retreat on the weekend 26th - 28th March!

"Sisters" uses the Fancy Pants - Vintage Valentine range of papers and I have teamed them up with some handmade embellishments and distress ink to give it a little "shabby chic" feel (said with french accent).

"10 Things" in 2010 at the 10th retreat - do you see a connection? This layout can be about anybody but seriously consider doing it about yourself (please!). I have chosen "10 things you might not know about me". My list (yes I know what your thinking - Sharon's a list maker!) contains some things that even my daughter Renae did not know. So get thinking about your "10 things" or someone elses "10 things" - this class is going to be alot of fun! It uses the Amy Butler Lotus blue range of papers and embellishments - YUM!


There is one more "Off the page" project to come so stay tuned for some more sneak peeks very soon.

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Last week sometime by Bloglines stopped working and so it was time to shift my RSS feeds into Outlook and have a tidy up. In doing so I came across some very timely and interesting reads and I thought I would share a couple with you......

This one at Scott Kelby's Blog which lead me to this one at Nick Onken's - Shoptalk.

Two!

I have done two layouts today. First one I have wanted to do for a while, my big girls turns 16 next week and starts learning to drive - now there's a scary thought ! I have done the journaling by hand which I'm not keen on but it's done and dusted.It usually takes me a layout or two to get back into "my style" and I think I have achieved it with this next one.

I have a third underway and I will share once it is finished.

Have a great week!

So many posts in one week!

I know, I know, scary that I have posted so much this week. I think it's a good thing mind you, my poor blog gets neglected when I immerse myself in other stuff, but then I have heaps to blog about when I do come to blog. OK I'll shut up now.....

Here's a sneak peek of one of my layout classes for the Wave Rock Retreat in October....

Titled "Sunrise" I don't think you will be disappointed - let's just say that it's a simple layout made to look "fancy". It's using the Mira range from K&CO, one of my favourite manufacturers. So if you want to come along then you had better contact Karen asap! Lis has some peeks are her classes on her blog too if you are interested. I'm working on my other classes very soon and will have some more sneak peeks in the next week or so.

Some frustrating news yesterday that Scrapworks are discontinuing all stock except for their "Exposed" range of clear acrylic albums. This includes their Anthologie albums and as some of you know I swear by these albums and in fact are the only ones I (and Judy) use for commissioned work (and my own!). What are we going to do? I have searched the web for a replacement but nothing seams to compare in style and quality. AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH.

I have something exciting in the pipeline (well I think it's exciting) - When I actually make some more and photograph them being modelled I will post up here. Has that got you thinking? No it's not a new bikini range!

I got to photograph this little one yesterday again.............she's just so adorable and I discovered she is extremely ticklish ! Thanks for a lovely day Lis.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Believe and you shall succeed!

Most of my friends (and hubsand) know that I'm just not an in your face saleswoman, I don't blow my own trumpet (so to speak), tell the whole world etc etc, gosh even when we had our own business that was Steve's job - but when we decided to put together a workshop with Judy here in Perth I knew that I was going to have to come out of my "dark room" and sell this sucker. I've worked pretty hard in the last few weeks and I am so unbeliveably excited to announce that

the Workshop is going ahead!

We have minimum numbers! There are still some places available so if you are sitting on the fence and are thinking about coming along, then you had better make your mind up quick! I can't tell you enough good stuff about Judy and the project she has come up with exclusively for us. It is amazing and she is amazing. I'm fortunate enough to be doing the workshop myself and Steve will be "gopher" for the 2 days. So if you are coming along please be kind to him won't you!

Another passion of mine is my photography! This has become such a busy part of my business in recent months and will be in the future too as I have a couple of weddings and at least 4 photoshoots booked. From the wedding I shot in April I have a scrapbook album to do too, so things are starting to "cross over". Last Friday I photographed a Mum's playgroup in Armadale (a friend of a friend) and I just wanted to share one very special photo from the day.

Isn't she divine! There were 5 other children I photographed too and once I have got through the mountain of editing I have to do I will share some more. But can I just tell you that I could not walk for 2 days after this photoshoot as I was doing full squats (so I could be at the kids eye level) and my thigh muscles were killing me - a very funny sight to see me walk down stairs - indeed! When I look at the photo above it was worth all the pain.

Sunday was spent at Scrap-IT! at the Sheraton, what a great day. Auctions, $2 prize draws for some amazing products too, main raffle (which I really wanted to win but didn't!), make and takes from Tomorrow's Memories and Scraptivate and heaps of other fun too. All for a great cause, to raise funds for reasearch into Alzheimers. The committee were amazing and of course my dear friend Vicki (from Tomorrow's Memories) was part of the team to make the day so successful to the tune of more than $37,000 - truly amazing! And I managed to scrap too! 2 layouts which I will share once I have decided on the titles for one and finished the other one off.

The last few days I have been madly trying to get my GST/BAS finalised for the accountant - I think this will be the first time I have ever gotten it in before the due date - very proud of myself. So today I am having a me day, I'm heading to Ikea to check out some frames like these ones so I can create one exactly the same - using my photos of course. This is thanks to Lis by the way - she emailed the link the other day and when I saw it I just had to have one myself! I have chosen and edited 8 photos so far, I just need to select one more. Alli (check out her new banner - very cool!) has put me onto these guys to get the photos printed which will probably take a while but I'll post a photo when it's all done.

Enough jibbering from me....catch you next time.