« June 2011 | Main | August 2011 »
My new Big Picture Workshop DOUBLE TAKE with the amazing May Flaum is open for registration from today! Double the teachers, double the fun, double page layouts, double page sketches, this is going to be HUGE!!
And even if you aren't interested in attending a workshop, the clowning around that May and I do while creating the promo video is worth a laugh, right? Visit the workshop page here for more details (and to view that video - seriously, what were we thinking?) ...
| |
|
School holidays are pretty cool. I get up a little later to go to the gym, there is no pressure to get 3 kids off to school. They look after their own breakfast. They empty the dishwasher and get the firewood in for me. Life is good.
I'm still fairly busy organising my classes for Paperific in Melbourne and other scrappy projects, but school holidays mean stopping every now and again to play, well , kid stuff.
Kid stuff on Tuesday comprised of Baker's Twine (I know you will ask, I get mine from the Twinery), PVA glue and a heart cookie cutter shape. And I have to add that this wasn't my idea. I saw it whilst browsing the web *somewhere* during the week. I can't credit where because it was during the middle of one of those I-should-be-working-but-I'll-procrastinate-by-blog-hopping-for-hours-on-end type times.
This project involved baker's twine, a whole heap (I was always so scientifically accurate at school too - perhaps why my hokey pokey in science class didn't work out...), anyway, a whole heap of 5-10cm lengths of string. A heart cookie cutter, some PVA clue that I'm sure Paul won't miss from his work shelf, and a kebab stick. Abby and I cut a whole lot of twine. We placed the heart shape on an old plastic lid. A small amount of PVA in the bottom and started pushing the string in. We added a little PVA glue as we went. We filled the cookie cutter shape up with a gluey, stringy mess.
(note that we put the kebab stick on the bottom, but actually, it's best doing this without the kebab stick and adding it later).
Abby decided at this stage that really it needed glitter. Because every girlie project needs glitter. She also decided it would work better if we had glitter on our faces too. Apologies for not having photos of how gorgeous we looked.
Cue sunshine. And since we had sunshine on Tuesday, this dried surprisingly quickly. Once it's dry, push it out and you have the cutest little string-glitter heart ever! Push a kebab stick in the bottom and it becomes a wand, even. This is the best little 15 minute project for the school holidays.
You may not be able to see how cute that glitter-string heart is, as you may be blinded by the total overwhelming cute-ness of that girl holding it (no biase here!), but really, it was such a success and made one 7 year old very happy. So happy, infact, that I see this morning there is a roll of baker's twine and a star shape cookie cutter beside my computer. I think she is trying to tell me something?
laters
| |
|
I've just confirmed that I'll be teaching this class in Melbourne using the new Prima. This product is so new that it won't be in my hot little hands until August! This class has already been popular, this is sure to make it sell out, so email me now if you are planning to join in!
| |
|
Comments closed! EDITED TO ADD: Winner! We have a winner! Picked randomly (using the tke-a-7-year-old-ask-her-to-close-her-eyes-turnaround-and-point-at-a-winner method.....)
Posted by: Lisa | July 21, 2011 at 04:23 AM
ig Picture Classes are doing it again - a FREE festival for summer. Or winter, if you are in that hemisphere. I have been lucky enough to be part of this festival before and it is awesome - the energy, the inspiration, the daily doses of motivation.. it's well worth joining in! (and it's free, what could be more awesome?)
Involved in the festival this year...
The details ....
Big Idea Festival 2011 - Words to live by...
You are invited to a FREE festival packed full of big ideas at Big Picture Classes this August! Join us for 12 fun-filled days starting Monday August 15, featuring 12 of our talented instructors. Each instructor will be giving you a word of the day, which we hope will inspire you, along with a downloadable template (in both printable and digital format) so that you can create a mini layout about that day's word and how you applied it in your life. Finally, each teacher will leave you with an inspirational video message and a preview of the page they created with their word.
http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/summerfun11.php
The goodies...
Big Picture Classes has also created our first-ever kit to go along with the Big Idea Festival! While the kit is not required to participate, we've designed this kit to make creating your mini album easy and fun. http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/summer2011kit.php
And the BEST part? I have a kit to giveaway. Remember you don't have to have this kit to do the class, you can use your stash but take a look at these goodies! Anyway - giveaway time, leave me a comment, tell me if you are joining in, and I'll draw the lucky winner of these goodies on July 27th.
Laters!
| |
|
We've been working on a brand new Big Picture Class, opening for registration soon. Yep. A brand new, all new layouts, awesome new class. We? Yes, we have... I've paired up with good friend, May Flaum for this one. We've known each other forever, and often chat about our Big Picture Classes. So we got comparing notes. We started brainstorming. All of a sudden, emails were flying back and forth. We came up with a rockin' new idea together. And so it was born.
Double Take - Double the layouts and sketches with Nic & May.
Are you ready? Are you ready for 4 full-on weeks with double page layouts? Two teachers, double pages, double the sketches, twice the amount of layout examples, inspiration overload! Both May & I love a good interactive workshop, so no doubt there will be an awesome atmosphere in the gallery and messageboards.. this is something we are both really looking forward to!
Class runs from September 22nd, registration will open July 28th, it's a few weeks away, but it's something to look out for. May & I are both really excited about this class, we hope to see a great turnout. I'll let you know when registration is open!
| |
|
Hands up who is going to Paperific in Melbourne! Me! I'm excited to announce that I'll be teaching for Scrapware at Paperific Melbourne in August! Here's the write-up, descriptions and small print - join me for a woooohooo! It's been a while since I've been to Australia, I'm thrilled to be teaching there again! Email me for bookings. Details of all classes below!
" Scrapware is bringing Nic Howard to Melbourne Paperific! Nic will be teaching three of her most sought after classes, spread over two days at the Melbourne Showgrounds. Catering to all types of paper crafters and combined with the fun, relaxed style of teaching that Nic is well known for, Nic’s classes always sell out quickly; book now to secure your place in class! "
All classes are layout classes.
Bookings are taken directly with Nic by emailing [email protected]
All classes are $52 AUD each, limited spaces are available!
Prima-licious, the sequel!
Friday 26th August. 9.45 - 11.45am
Saturday 27th August 9.45 – 11.45am
Following hot on the heels of the super popular ‘Prima-licious’, a class which Nic taught to over a thousand students, comes ‘Prima-licious, the sequel!’
Paper, ink, flowers and clusters of embellishments, the kind that make you look at the detail of a layout again and again, let's get creating! Join Nic Howard as she creates a dimensional double layout full of gorgeous Prima goodness! Nic will start with the simple paper curling technique that she is well known for and work through inking, layering and ways to achieve perfect cluster embellishing. Discover how easy it is to create something so visually effective – and learn techniques to help you create similar beautiful clusters of embellishments again and again.
Sneak Peek coming soon!
That’s my Boy!
Friday 26th August. 12.15 – 2.15pm
Saturday 27th August. 12.15 – 2.15pm
Time and time again we hear you saying you want a BOY layout class! Ask no more, Nic has put together the perfect boy layout class just for you! Celebrate that boy in your life, whether it is son, brother, hubby or friend, this class will suit them all. Interesting technique and bright colours combine to make two layouts in class with enough supplies and a sketch for a third layout!
Decadent Details
Friday 26th August. 2.45 – 4.45pm
Saturday 27th August. 2.45 – 4.45pm
Join Nic as she brings you her freshest class in dimensional scrapbooking. From the background to the smallest embellishments, Nic will visit her favourite techniques, some old, some new, it’ll all come together to create a gorgeous 12x12 layout that will be suitable for a variety of themes. Kit includes product sponsored by Scrapware and detailed colour instructions. Nic maintains that this is one of her favourite classes, so if you love the detailed look of layered pages, you won’t want to miss this one!
The small print and other important stuff:
All classes are $52 AUD and will be taught by Nic at Melbourne Paperific, 26-28 August 2011. All classes are non-refundable. In the unlikely event Nic is unable to teach at this event, you will be mailed your kit with full colour step-by-step instructions. Bookings are made by emailing Nic direct at [email protected] , and payment is made via paypal invoice (please provide your paypal account email address with your class request). Please be aware that Nic answers her emails within 24-48 hours, so please try again if she has not answered during this time. Class places are limited. No small children or packets of Jaffas were harmed in the making of this advertisment. Wait. There was one packet of Jaffas, after all, it is Red Nose Day tomorrow.
| |
|
Ya know, in general, I think I'm a good Mum. I feed, clothe, and love my kids unconditionally. I am their biggest advocates. I'm a strong mother, raising confident, strong children. There are a lot of things I don't disclose on facebook or my blog, being a firm believer that no child should be able to grow up and find discouraging information on themselves when searching the internet during one of those random quiet teenage moments when they have nothing better to do. But I have to tell you about this bad-parent moment. Stick around, you may learn something.
Abby came to me in a quiet moment recently and snuggled into me. Seven year olds are good at that. I'm soaking those snuggles up before she discovers it's not a cool thing to do.
And then she turned to me and quietly said "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, waiting to start again?"
A moment of hesitation and a touch of "WTF did my seven year old just ask me?" and I asked her to repeat herself.
"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, waiting to start again?". Now if that wasn't the most profound and sad thing I had ever heard come from a seven year old. Again, stick with me, imagine that said with cute-puppy dog eyes looking up at me sadly through snuggles given with pudgey little arms. That's sad, right? At which point she stood up and walked away. Dragging her feet. Sadly.
See, right now, I'm feeling like the. worst. mother. ever. (Well worst, since I confiscated Jacob's Tamagotchi back in 2008, throwing it with a "HA!" up on top of the kitchen cabinetry, only to hear it go crashing down the back, where it can never.ever.be.retrieved from).
So this sits with me for a few days. I talk it over with Paul. We're confused. That is some seriously deep language coming from my 7 year old.
So life goes on as normal. I rise each morning, feet on floor, gym time, home (only then the sun rises, I can't wait for summer), work, eat, parent, bed and it repeats... until yesterday when I was at the gym, on the treadmill and a Katy Perry song comes on the big screen. Sick of this song. Fireworks. I've heard it 8000 times already. Walking on the treadmill, walking, walking. "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, waiting to start again?" I stop.dead.in.my.tracks. and actually, seriously bad idea on the treadmill 'cos it keeps going. Katy freakin Perry lyrics? My seven year old was repeating Katy Perry Lyrics?
I guess I should take it for what it was. A serious 'wake up, you don't know it all, MUM" moment. How'd I not see that coming? And the ironic thing? I mentioned the whole thing to my 10 year old and I only had to get one sentence into the story and he interupted with "Do you ever feel so paper thin, like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?"
Cute puppy dog eyes, Braden, but I'm not being caught out by Katy Perry again.
laters
| |
|
Comment to hubby. "For the record, if your BBQ cover is not there in the morning, I did warn you that the wind was trying to take it away". His answer? "Yep, sure". He doesn't believe me. The male's faith in the female's ability to predict around-the-home-misfortune is beyond me. Like the time I warned him the trampoline was about to make a sailboat of itself and it impaled itself sideways on the clothesline. Or the time I warned him not to let the kids put their own food colouring in the bath. Why yes, Abby looked great with a red tinge to her skin.
We have the ickiest weather outside right now, which is okay, since it's winter, but I did watch the BBQ cover try and take off on several occasions today, I mentioned it several times, why it has not been anchored down, I have no idea. Wild wind, thunder and lightening , and fingers crossed we still have a BBQ cover in the morning.
CHA sneak peeks. Love what Prima is releasing. Excited about BasicGrey's new releases but Picadilly especially. Always looking forward to Wesbter's Pages new releases. I see a lot of bold, rich colours but also a lot more neutral coloured papers, ledger, time, clocks, and architecture as well. Loving it all.
Anyone up for a challenge? You have about 2 days to create your version of my layout on this website. Some cool interpretations there already if you are keen for some blog hopping.
Alrighty, leaving you with one of my BasicGrey Picadilly layouts. I was asked to do 8 fairly simple layouts with instructions for an assignment recently. This is one, very simple and non-dimensional for me. I had to show you how gorgeous these papers are.
Oh - before I go, a question - anyone going to Paperific in Melbourne in August? Hands up! I'd love to hear!
Laters.
| |
|
I'm excited for the class and am already signed up - such a great list of instructors. I'd so love the kit to go with it!