It's been one of those days...

A world of black and white.

I often wonder what I'm going to do for laughs when my kids grow up enough to stop wanting to talk to me.  Paul and I sat after dinner watching Abby dance her way around the room to random 1990's videos - whatever happened to Nenah Cherry? - including her version of the newly popular shuffle dance the kids all seem to be doing these days.

She then posed like a ballerina in full curtsey - well as beautiful as a girl in pyjamas that have dinner all over them can be - and declared that she is glad she lives in the present, because in the past there was no colour.  "Everything was sooo black and white, black and white clouds, black and white skiiiin, black and white clothes, everything, everything was black and white"

I questioned where the colours came from.  One day the clouds were black and white, and everything around us was black and white and what happened? Apparently coloured clouds came across the sky and then the colours came.  that was the first time I asked anyway.  I tried to get more information on soemthing I clearly had missed when I studied the earth's history but she shrugged and said "i don-know" and skipped off out of the room.

Seriously, how will I get my kicks once these children have locked themselves in their room and will only grunt to ask for dinner?

Autumn Escape is close to 3/4 full - we will sell out soon so please register if you intend to do so... and those of you that know people that were interested, ask them if they have registered!  We do have a maximum number we can go to!  Click here for info on registering!

Did I tell you all I have a 4 week workshop coming up for Big Picture Scrapbooking?  Point of View runs for 4 weeks from the 9th of July.  It has 4 weeks worth of handouts, including instructions for projects for each week, a lot of tips and tricks from me (as well as a few audio messages!) and a gallery of layouts from myself as well as talented ladies such as Suz Doyle, Trina McClune, Ginger Williams, and Hera Frei.  Hoping to see some of you there :o)

Alrighty... a layout.. this one didn't download out of my head as well as I had hoped, in fact I didn't like the way it turned out at all, the version in my head was way better - I think this is something that happens to everyone though so I can't be too disappointed.  Created with the May tarisota kit.

Laters

Orders

I've had orders.  They came in the form of a little girl carrying "The Power of One" book with a piece of toilet paper marking the page she was apparently up to.  Obviously, she is clever, she takes after her Mum, I was a six subject school C student but I don't recall reading Bryce Courtney at 5 years old...

"I need a bookmark, Mum, and I think you could make me one".

Sure - what kind of bookmark do you want?  What do you want on it?

"Oh you know, my favourite things.  Pictures.  Like of my favourite stuff.  You know, computers, playstations, love hearts, flowers, sausages, toys, cool layouts and lights that are square "- she was looking around the room at that point and was grasping for things to say, I think..."

Okaaaaay.  Sure thing... I'll do that this weekend, is that alright, Abby?

Yep - just let me know when it's done and I'll put it in my book.

The kid is ambitious.  I'll give her that.

So this week I found my mojo.  And for those of you that took the guess - pixie caramel is the answer and I try not to find my mojo in them.  I avoid them.  They are the new freddo frog and will be avoided at all costs.  They are the number 1 reason I could never move from New Zealand.  Number 2 reason being that I'm a homebody and couldn't stand being away from my stomping ground.

Unfortunately though, although I found my mojo and wanted to scrap, I have a love-hate relationship with my photos right now.  I love taking pics, I hate the download from camera-edit -figure out which ones I want and get them printed process.  So I just don't do it. And I use the same pics over and over.  And I now have thousands of unedited neglected pics on my harddrive and I've even stopped taking pics because I don't want to add them to the pile.
I think someone would make a fortune as a 'in home editor of photos".  Is there anyone that has been made redundant that has those skills?  I'd love someone to take all my pics and edit, name, sort and present them back to me all beautiful.  Seriously.  Money to be made.  A business to start up.
Anyone else feeling the same way?  A pixie Caramel might fix it.

A layout I created for Tarisota.  I saw this stamp of Princess Diana and just thought "Oh wow, if only she knew what was coming" 

oh and one last thing - for those of you that saw the gorgeous pic of the house made with Porcelain basicgrey at the Autumn Escape?  It's now been made into a class. Scrapbook Studio in Mt Wellington have Nickie Mouncey teaching her fabulous Porcelain house as a 2 part class - Fridays 5th and 12th of June at 10.30am!

laters

One year on

This time last year we were living with just tarpaulins between us and the weather outside.  We were huddled around an oil bar heater in a room the size of an average single bedroom.  I distinctly remember all moving with our dinner down to Jacob's room one night and sitting in there to eat dinner because it was too cold elsewhere.

So much has changed in a year.  I have three children at school now and freddo frogs are no longer my favourite. (Take a guess what are).  My commitments have been cut right back and I have time to think about what to make for dinner during the day instead of creating a 20 minute magical meal out of leftovers.  And we have a roaring fire.  And I'm certainly thankful for that.

Another thing we did a year ago?  We got two gorgeous kittens, now favourite members of the family.  Curled up at the end of beds during the day and harrasing the town by night. 

One year on..
laters

oh - Autumn Escape details being posted on the blog tomorrow night.  Keep watch!

It's been a bittersweet week...

Bittersweet for so many ways. The downfall of Memory Makers Magazine was the start.  Then the realisation that the Autumn Escape really was over for another year.  Post event crash, isn't that someone clever told me?  I couldn't find a cure for post event crash online so I invented one and it comprised of purchasing American Crafts Thickers online and watching Grey's Anatomy after 4 rums.  I'm not sure I'll enter my cure for post event crash in Wikipedia though.  I woke up Monday morning with a bigger credit card bill than the night before and a nagging headache that screamed "You should have drunk more water and less alcohol".  One can only but try.

Talking of Autumn Escape - here are a few pics...

 

I have heard * rumours * that the 2010 Autumn Escape is booked tentaively for the 16th, 17th, 18th of April 2010.  It's rumours of course, but time will tell... registrations should be open in the next week or so.  And we listened to all those feedback forms.  We are hitting for a full day on the Friday and more optional classes spread over 2 days.  Price will go up a little to account for the full day conference charges etc but not too much, we've been working hard to keep them down!  Watch the Autumn Escape Blog.!

In the mean-time, take a look at this video.  Ahhhh memories :o)

Thanks SO MUCH fabulous teacher, photographer and all round awesome lady, Kim Archer for preparing the video!

Leaving you with some images of Collections boxes from the latest Tarisota collection.  I made 2 of the smaller boxes into shaker boxes with beads and butterflies (again from Collections).  Then I used them as a front and back for a little book!  It's for Abby and has pics of her favourite treasures.  All tied with a pretty bow.  Fun to do, although it took me a few days trial and error before I worked out what I was actually doing. 

Thanks for the lovely comments on the previous post.  Onwards and upwards...

 
 

The scrapbook industry is changing.  It's cutting back.  Some smaller manufacturers are closing their doors while larger ones that are based primarily around craft and not just scrapbooking are scaling back to more of their original role in crafts.  Scrapbooking in the craft industry is shrinking back.  Slowly and surely.

This year we have seen Scrapbook Trends move to being an online magazine only.  We have seen the closure of Simple Scrapbooks Magazine, and we have seen Creating Keepsakes in obvious financial trouble.  Last night I heard of one more casulaty with the closure of Memory Makers Magazine.

This saddens me.  My scrapbooking career (and yes, I will call it a career, it's been full-time income earning - tax paying work for me for the past 4 years) rested firmly on the foundations that Memory Makers Magazine created for me.  They chose my entry as one of 10 winners out of 680 entries back in 2004.  They took a chance on a New Zealander when noone else would.  Those times working with Memory Magazine were some of the most exciting I could have had.  I had over 50 pages published just with them in that first year and my career grew from there.  I met one of my scrapbooking idols, Kari Hansen-Daffin back in those years - she was the first person I ever saw curl paper with water - I've never given that up, have I?! 

Anyway.  I'm saddened.  There will be no more Memory Makers Magazine.  No Memory Makers Magazine Masters contest.  It seems weird for the foundation of my scrapbooking to disappear.

I guess it's a lesson to all.  Enjoy the hobby you have as the resources for it will slowly disappear.  Support your LSS.  Promote events.  Tell people about good things that are happening in your area.  Encourage others to join you when going to scrapbooking events and discourage competition in the industry.  We are all in this hobby together, and if we don't support it, it'll continue to die back.

Thanks for the memories, MMMagazine.
laters

Tackle rugby, goal posts and treasures..

I have the journaling, but I don't have the photo.  I've got to write this down before I forget.

"Mum, today I played tackle Rugby"
Who with? Abby?
"Jacob - he told me to meet him by the Gold posts"
What are Gold posts?
"Oh you know, those ones that you kick the ball over"
Right, and what colour are the Gold posts?
"Oh they are silver".
They are silver?  I thought they would be gold.
"No they are silver"
Why are they called Gold posts then?
"Oh.... I dunno.... Jacob just said for me to meet him by the gold posts"

Precious. 
It'll be on a layout soon.
Talking of precious, I created this little treasures box for Abby with the latest Tarisota Kit. 
It's just a sneak - the whole gallery goes up tommorrow.
laters

You know it's cold when you stand your butt against the dishwasher to get warm.  It took me a full 2 minutes before it occured to me to lean over just a little and flick the kettle on to make a hot milo and that would cease the need to hug appliances. 

Anyway... Autumn Escape is over for 2009.  We had a blast.  I guess I was going to say that anyway, even if it was a disaster, but we REALLY had a blast.  One of the best things out of the whole weekend for me was reading the feedback forms.  Lucy and I worked so hard on that retreat - we spent uncountable hours organising and figuring things out.  It was so good to read the feedback forms and get perspective on really how people felt.  So many people asked AT the retreat to register for next year.  We have too many details to iron out before opening registration, but we'll let you know - rest assured though that there will be an Autumn Escape 2010!  Stay tuned!

Just a short post today.  I'm battling a cold or flu.  It's been with me for over a week and it decided to be at it's ugliest at the Autumn Escape over the weekend. I'm still recovering.  Worst thing is that I have no voice and raising my voice to the kids using sign language just isn't effective.

I just can't extend my thanks to everyone that helped out with the Autumn Escape enough.  It was an amazing experience that I can't wait to repeat.

Leaving you with a layout from the Aussie Scrap Source blog.  I LOVE this Pink Paislee.

Laters.