Designer bracket covers

Where has the week gone. I had so many things I wanted to post this week, but the week just slipped by.

However I am getting more and more organised though, but it takes a while to change 37 years of doing things in the same way and with the same mindset. Two key tools I am using is firstly this to get my weeks and days organised the SMA from Sunny Mummy, love it. Secondly a few sessions with a Life Coach. Whoa there is nothing like a reality check and of course someone to make you understand why the beliefs you have had for so long just aren't serving you any longer and of course, change can be a long and slow process. So bare with me as I adjust to my new routine of which is not my natural way of doing things. I am more of a spirited, spontaneous, social and impulsive aries, and well although these characteristics are great, when you run your own business and have a family as well, there needs to be a bit of balance, namely organisational skills, routine, structure, predictability, doing one thing at a time rather than multitasking 3 different things at once ( I am an expert at this) and generally not rushing when I do things. I have lived a hurried exsistence for a long time and I think kids do this to you. Especially if you are like me you want to cram in as much as you can in a day, and well I don't it is serving me any longer, nor can my body keep up. So I am implementing some strategies which at the moment feel so abnormal. I am so aware of how easily I get sidetracked from one thing to the next at home, why is it that men don't have this problem!!! Anyway enough ranting. Sunny Mummy has a really great post on her blog about mums and the pressures we put ourselves under titled who are you head on over and have a read when you get a minute.

Now onto scrapbooking......

Our designer Meri has been busy the last few weeks scrapping up a storm using these gorgeous papers from My Minds Eye Meadowlark Papers. The first project was a mini bracket album using Teresa Collins Bracket Covers. Also used was various ribbon and bling from the store.

Meri has done a couple of other things with these papers but I will put them in the next post as I think this post is long enough.

Hope you have a lovely Saturday night.

Anna xx

Go Glitter Crazy with FIZZ...

Arriving in store soon is a selection of Fizz Superfine Glitter in an array of sparkly colours. Dusty Rose, Candy Rainbow, Green Rainbow, Peach Rainbow, Gold Lites, Red Fine...Don't the colours even sound delicious. These gorgeous glitters will be up on site tomorrow ready for purchase.

Back with more tomorrow

Anna

Scrapbooking Layout Step by Step using OA Cherry Hill Range

Finally a new step by step layout.

I have used October Afternoon Cherry Hill papers and die cut shapes in this layout all available on the website. Although this range is a little older I still love it, it is one of my favourites. Once I found the perfect photos for it there was no stopping the creativity. You could easily get a couple of layouts done using the sheet of die cuts and a card or two. They are just gorgeous. The Cherry Hill Shapes die cut sheet can be found on site here.

The other main supplies used for this layout were Aussie Scrap Source Ladybug cardstock and Cherry Hill Tea Towel Patterned Paper.

Step 1 - Ink around the edges of the red cardstock. I used Tim Holtz walnut stain distress ink and used a sponge dauber to ink it. This is optional but i ink pretty much anything that doesn't move. I love the distressed vintage finish, it just adds a little something to each project.

Step 2 - Take tea towel paper and draw freehand a scalloped edge vertically on an angle. Start at the left and draw it on an incline going to the right. then cut this out. It doesn't have to be perfect because then you will distress the edge anyway.

Step 3 - The following 2 photos show you how I have roughed up the edge of the paper using your own fingernails a distresser or a blade just rough up the edge of the paper roll it, pressing down with your fingers, sometimes wetting the paper with water helps but I didn't need to use water. Then ink the edge with the distress ink.

Now attach with tape to the bottom half of the cardstock as pictured.

Step 4 - Now the remainder of this layout is all optional depending on your photos. I have selected a few of the die cut shapes and placed them around the photos. Find where you want to place your photos first and then work from there placing and adjusting seeing how everything fits together before attaching. Here are a couple of close up views.

Step 5 - At the last minute I decided I needed a heading to fill that gap. I used some cardstock stickers I had lying around open already but I have similar ones on site here from Pink Paislee.

Another last minute addition was to tie up the ends of this journaling tag with cotton red and white bakers twine into little bows. How cute is it??? Okay maybe I'm biased. You will find the red and white bakers twine here.

Here is the final product. Hope you like it and decide to have a go.

This layout took me under an hour uninterrupted to complete. So it's a quick and easy one and economical too. Any questions feel free to ask. More coming soon but I think that's enough photos for one post.

Enjoy your afternoon

Anna xx

Weekly Update

The week has once again flown by. I have actually had a fun week with my eldest daughter having an extra week home from school. Let's just say I have spent the last three weeks of holidays, out and about a lot, spent heaps of money (too much money eeek, don't tell my husband), had lots of lunches and coffees with friends, had lots of the kids friends sleepover, and come next week it will be time to find my focus again and develop a steady work routine. Oh well as the saying goes work hard, play hard, okay maybe play hard and now work hard.

Today I have spent a day out and about with a friend and my daughter looking for pirate themed dress ups. What fun!! adult dress ups. My daughter was completely intrigued. We have our school trivia night this Saturday with the theme being pirates of the carribean. I am not usually into the whole dress up thing, can't really be bothered, its just nice to get dressed up and go out for a change let alone having to find a costume.

Anyway enough babbling. I have actually done some work over the last couple of weeks, loading lots of new products on site. You can find them all here. New ribbons, papers, stamps etc etc. Go take a look.

I promise there will be more interesting crafty stuff next post. Promise promise double promise!!!!!

xx

How are you spending your Holidays?

Know where this is?????

Does it look like some exotic and wonderful seaside holiday destination? Maybe not as far away as you may think.... read on....

I have a house full of kids at the moment, 7 to be exact. My 3, 3 from up the road and my little niece who is sleeping over. They are excitedly wizzing from one activity to the next. They start a movie, then decide to watch funny adds on youtube, then decide to play with the pets in the backyard, then soccer in the backyard, then back inside, now they are back at the movie and I have control of my computer screen once more who knows for how long though. It is so great being a kid. The most important thing in their lives is just having fun and having friends around. Does life get any more complicated than that. If only we kept it that simple, have fun and have friends. But I guess as an adult there is so much more to think about than this or is there????

Speaking of friends....

Yesterday we had such a wonderful day. A few other school mums and I all decided to visit another school mum at her beach house at Sorrento (picture above is of the Sorrento Back Beach). We all drove up in our own cars and spent the day there. It was a beautiful day weather wise, the kids were great, they just all played together so well, we hardly heard a peep from them except when they were hungry. As for us mums got to sit around in front of the fire place and chat and have coffee and lunch and chat some more. Later in the afternoon we all went for a huge walk and climbed a very very steep sand dune with the kids. We then watched them slide down and climb back up and down and up. Such a relaxing and fun day. I took heaps of great photos but cannot post them here because most of them have other children in the photos and I forgot to ask permission to post them here. So here are a few that I can post.

So much fun being a kid. Hope you are having great holidays also.

Anna

Custom Handmade Cards

Hi Everyone,

Well I can officially say I survived the first week of the school holidays. Actually I didn't just survive I enjoyed it as well. Nice to have a little sleep in, and not have to rush. The kids have been fairly good and kept busy. So all in all a good week.

I wanted to post a card I made probably a month ago now. I often get approached at school by the mums who know I make cards to make them a special custom card. They just give me a theme and then I create something according to that theme or idea. The card below was requested to have a fairy theme, fairy dress, ballerina that sort of thing. The accompanying gift was a fairy dress. Below is the finished product. I must say I was happy with the result and the person I made the card for was absolutely thrilled. In fact this even led to another custom card order for a friend of this person who saw this card and wanted a special card for an engagement.

The reason for mentioning this here, if you wish to order a custom card I am more than happy to do a custom order for you. Contact details are on the home page of my website here. Of course I always have a supply of ready made cards in my handmade papercrafts dept. Finally if you love the thought of learning how to make your own cards, then you can find card making kits here to get your started. All in all anything to do with card making can be found on my website. I am also releasing a new beginner card making kit as the previous one has now sold out.

Stay Tuned!!

Anna xx