Taking your life-temperature Ali style ...

I love reading Ali Edwards blog. I think it's because she always manages to put into words concepts about life that I think are important. Take her latest post about 'taking your life temperature' for example. That's right where I have been in the last 1-2 months. Reflecting on what's working, what's not working and then changing what I can. Even though the last month has been crazy with birthday month, I have still found myself simplifying my life, working less, staying home more, doing things which are more meaningful, doing things which are good for me. Over the coming weeks I want to do some more gardening, play with the kids more and scrapbook just for me. Remember why we started to scrapbook in the first place? To tell our life story, to pass on memories to our children, to get things down on paper. Somewhere along the way we sort of lose our way and it becomes a competition about who can place the most product on a page or turn their page into the biggest work of art. All the while we spend so much money on scrapbooking supplies and time developing pages using predefined or the most heavily marketed products that we have less money and time to experience the very life we are supposed to be scrapbooking about. Quite a paradox really.

I'm going to try and be true to me over the coming months. I want to simplify things and spend my time with family and use my creative talents to encourage people to scrapbook for the right reasons, and to enjoy the journey more. I'm going to nurture me and nurture my friends and family. Just like Ali recommends I am going to take my life-temperature more regularly. How about you? The start of a new month seems a perfect time to do this. I'm going to spend time tomorrow scrapping a layout just for me, just about this. Time for a new header too I think. I'm a little excited.

Speaking of new beginnings, Sam moved into his 'big boy bed' today as he had mastered the climbing out of his cot act over the last week. Much excitement was had this morning choosing new big boy bed linen before we finally settled on the Wiggles big red car and matching red sheets. The excitement obviously didn't last as I have just gone to check on him and he was on his cot mattress on the floor. He'll get there soon enough. I am in no hurry at all for him to grow up :)

Night lovelies xx

Boxes and bags ...

How cute are these little boxes? They are really easy to make up using the '5 in 1 card template' in the new Stampin' Up! catalogue. The papers I have used are the Recollections designer series papers {page 132}. I am loving these!

Here it is with the matching card:

There are so many boxes and bags that you can make up or personalise for gift giving or parties etc. This one uses the Bodacious Bouquet stamp set {page 73}. The card design was inspired by a US stamper 'atomic butterfly' and I made the matching bag.

And check out these little noodle boxes - too cute! You can buy these in diecut sheets from the new catalogue {page 138} and you get tons of little tags die cut around the edges too. The actual box took all of 5-10 minutes to make up. It was so easy. The other little bag pictured is a 'bagalope' just made out of a stamped envelope. I have just made 15 different ones for Josh's birthday party lolly bags tomorrow!

Here's a few card samples i have made this week - yes I have been very busy!

This card uses one of my favourite floral sets, Petal Prints {page 68}. I have stamped the background using the Very Vanilla craft ink pad - isn't the effect great? This cardstock is Vintage Violet, with Marigold Morning and Naturals Ivory. They are all new cardstock colours this year {page 127-130}.

This one uses the gorgeous new Paisley background stamp {page 105} , together with the Seeing Spots set {page 101}. The colours are the new 'In Colours' - very funky hey?

Here's another Bodacious Bouquet creation, using one of my fave colour combinations - 0ld 0live, Chocolate Chip, Rose Red and So Saffron.

This one uses the Terrific Tulips set {page 76}, with some bright happy colours - Certainly Celery, Cool Carribean and Rose Red.

This card features one of the new jumbo wheels - Kindness {page 50}, which matches the Simply Said set {page 50} perfectly.

Finally, here's a card I made for my Mums birthday in March using the Natural Beauty set {page 79}. Mum loved it. It's so nice to get a handmade card in the mail :)

That's it from me. I've been busy and I have five year old birthday party tomorrow!

Roses ....

are one of my favourite plants. The colours, the perfection of the flower shape, the scent. I just love them. It's coming up to bare root rose season again and I have been scouring the online catalogues to see what I must have (have you checked out Treloar Roses?). I read in the Yates Rose Guide, that after pruning roses, you should fertilise each rose (ground planted) with half a bag of cow manure and then lucerne mulch. I tried this a few years ago and the size of the flowers have been amazing! I definitely recommend it. Anyone else got rose growing tips?

So of course it makes sense that this Stipple Rose stamp is one of my faves in the Stampin' Up! catalogue. Very 'olde worlde' don't you think?

To create this card, I stamped the image in basic back and then watercoloured using the pastels. I then used the masking technique to stamp the french script background stamp around the outside in Versamark ink. I then embossed with gold embossing powder. To create a porcelain type effect on the rose image, I covered it with Crystal Effects. I am impressed with how quickly this dries compared to dimensional magic and also find it easier to use (less mistakes!) It doesn't seem to run off the edges as much as my attempts with dimensional magic! The background is Always Artichoke cardstock which has been embossed and rubbed over with the deliciously creamy Very Vanilla stamp pad. I have also added some photo turns from the Hodgepodge Hardware little tin of aged copper goodies!

Have a happy day and remember to take time to smell the roses!

Claire

Tagged ...

for the first time by the lovely stamping diva Marelle :) I have to share 7 things about myself so here you go :)

1. I'm a country girl at heart. My dream existence would be to be living on a hobby farm with chooks, a vegie patch, rain and surrounded by my family and nature (oh the internet too please)
2. When I was in grade 6, I won a cooking competition at the Serpentine show for fancy iced cakes, and came second for pikelets
3. I'm a night owl. I need some me time each day, so I sit up late creating and playing (and sometimes working) while everyone else is asleep. It keeps me sane.
4. I am an emotional person. People sometimes tell me I am too emotional, but the flip side of that is I am sensitive to the emotional needs of others and have been able to support people through some difficult times. It also helps in journalling 'from the heart' on my scrapbook pages
5. Scrapbooking and cardmaking has changed my life and made me such a better person
6. I love my garden and my favourite plants are roses, camelias, hydrangeas, citrus, tulips, japanese anenome, daphne, lavender (and anything else 'cottage')
7. I have suffered from migraines since I was about 15. So not fun :)

Now off to find 7 more people to tag :)

Wild Roses ...

Loving the new papers from Stampin' Up!  This is the Recollections set which goes perfectly with the new Wild Rose stamp set (that I have used for the flowers bottom left). Great for heritage pages don't you think? This is a picture of my maternal Grandmother, taken at my parents wedding. It's one of my favourite photos of her.

Did you see the new lace stamps too (bottom of the burgundy pp too) - heaven for a lace lover like me! They are called Trimtastic and come in a set of four :)

Be back soon ..

Claire