Layout number 98 .....

I have a digital layout for you tonight, mainly because I am halfway through moving things around in my creating room and I couldn't find a clear space if I tried! I like that about digital - no mess!

This one came about because Madonna challenged a few of us to use song lyrics on a layout. This night in Noosa on the 2009 Incentive Trip immediately came to mind when we had an impromptu Karaoke night which was so much fun! I have used the words "'Cos we all just wanna be big Rockstars" from the song Rockstar by Nickelback as my title.

I am sure you will notice some familiar faces on this layout, Marelle, Vanessa, Sue, Makeesha, Nicki Tidbold and even Aaron and Dave Baugh. Such a fun night and a great memory to record.

Be back soon with layout 99 and 100. Hope to get to post them before we go into the city tomorrow night to see the fireworks from Paul's work building.

Thanks for all the lovely comments to my layouts. I hope I have inspired some of you that have been having a scrapbooking break to get stuck back in recording these precious family memories. It's not just the end product, I think the actual process of scrapbooking and recalling these memories is so good for the soul. So invite time for scrapbooking back into your life in 2012. There's no right or wrong way to scrapbook, just collect the pictures and combine with some words in whatever way makes you happy :)

Claire xx

Layouts 95. 96 and 97 .....

(For those who may have caught my in-between post - I'm having a rethink as I am not sure I have the energy for 2 blogs!. My solution for this dilemma will come to me I'm sure, give me time :) ).

Three more layouts for today, just three to go. I know I will make this goal now (and then take 6 weeks to clean the mess in the house that has developed while I scrapbooked, lol).

Today I have a mix of fun layouts with a heritage style layout. Here's the one of Sam playing Wii with his Grampa. The boys have affectionately called Grampa G'pa since he signed their birthday card with that earlier in the year so I wanted to incorporate that into the title. I have used Stampin' Up!'s Just Add Cake DSP for this layout. It's a great pack of colourful patterns which are perfect for kids pages.

This one is Sam playing with a new Christmas gift - a water slide. My little action man loves this thing and it's a great way to keep them happy on a hot day when we can't get to the beach or pool. For this layout I printed my 4 photos in 2.5 x 6" which was perfect for a series of quick pictures. I have created some bubbles using stamping (Stampin' Up! Circle Circus) and also some epoxy circles.

For this final layout I have created a heritage page using a couple of photos from my Dad's childhood. I have used the Mocha Morning DSP from Stampin' Up! here, plus a few scraps from my stash. When I have scraps of patterned paper which are predominately one colour, I save them in a page protector as they often come in handy for pages like this. I have also used the First Edition DSP from Stampin' Up!. Love that stuff as a neutral on pages!

Only 3 more to go! There might be a digital page or two in that lot as I need to find the top of my desk again! I am going to be having a mega change around in my creating room to organise myself and make more room for a creative year ahead :)

Whichever way they go I will be back tomorrow with the last 3 layouts :) Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Claire xx

 

Three more layouts!

Getting there! I have photographed up to 94 now, nearly finished 95 and have printed photos for 96 and 97 (plus I have a ZILLION pics already printed!). Today was a slower scrapbooking day while I had some fun out and about. I took the boys to see Happy Feet 2 (great movie and loved Pink's voice in it!) and then we had lunch in a cafe together. Then Paul's Dad came over for tea and to stay the night to spend some time with us which is always lovely. I got a fantastic photo of Grampa and Sam playing the Wii which will be next scrapped for sure!

Here is layout 94, again using the gorgeous new DSP from Saleabration. I just love the colours and patterns in this one and can't get enough of it! The layout is of when my nephew Phil came to visit last August. Sam doesn't see him a lot and couldn't stop hugging him!

I liked how I was able to get so many photos onto this layout. I have been printing my own photos for these layouts (I usually get my pics printed but sometimes print my own if I want strange sizes or aren't when the scrapbooking bug takes me by surprise!). I print using a Canon Pixma MP980 printer and use Canon Photo Paper Plus Semi Gloss. I believe you get the best results from a photo printer when you use the same brand photo paper.

Here's what I do to actually create the page to print:

• I plan what size I want the photos to be.
• Crop them to that size in Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements) using a resolution of 300 dpi.
• To maximise the use of my photo paper, I then create a new A4 size document at 300dpi and then drop the photos onto that, rotating where I need to to get as many photos as I can on a page.

Sometimes, like in the layout below; I plan the pictures to fit into a grid like shape. This looks best when you allow the same width between and around the photos. Again I think how I want the grid to look and work the photo cropping around that. In this page, the top photo is 5" x 8". I am glad I was able to get a full shot of the house decorated for Christmas.

Another trick I have used here is printing your title onto your photo before you print it. I sometimes print journalling on empty space in photos too (as on the next layout). I just do this in Photoshop when I am editing the photo.

This last layout is of a photo I caight of Josh watching the Oxley College light and sound show. He was mesmerised by how these lights coordinated with the carols.

I'll be back tomorrow with more layouts to share for sure. I plan to be scrapbooking for a while yet tonight. I find with the boys home all day I appreciate that silence when the whole house is asleep more than ever!

I hope you are doing just what you love doing as well. Thank you for sharing these fun few days of scrapbooking with me, I promise I will make a card one day again soon!

Claire xx

 

Some more scrapbooking ...

Seems I'm not done yet! I had a burst of inspiration to do some scrapbooking and now I've just finished layout number 93! Only 7 to go to meet my goal. I think I can do it!

The last 8 layouts have been paper ones again. Here's a few of them and then I promise to post all the remaining 94-100 layouts for the year.

This first layout is an 'all about me' layout which is the left hand page of my 'reflections on 2011' journalling. I found this fabulous post about reflections and intentions and the documenting your feelings and emotions as you say goodbye to one year and hello to another. Tght up my alley!If you would like to check out the blog post you will find it here. This layout also gives you a sneak peek of the gorgeous new Stampin' Up!DSP which is one of the free product choices for Saleabration. It's so nice!

This one is a very simple layout with my favourite photo of our last dog, Monty who we loved very much. I loved this photo of Paul and Monty at the beach watching the boys swim at the beach near Tootgarook where we go for a week each January. This was January 2010.

This one is pretty self explanatory - the boys 2011 Santa Photo :)

These last two are meant to go together. The single photo on the left hand side and the 4 photos on the right hand side. They are from our Christmas eve family photo shoot.

Be back soon with layouts 94 to 100!

Hope you are having a relaxing few days too,

Claire xx

Merry Christmas and my Heartfelt Gratitude .....

Tis the night before Christmas and all is happy and calm in our house (OK, maybe that's just because Paul has taken the boys to the pool!.

I just wanted to pop in and wish you all a very happy Christmas. I hope your house is overflowing with love, laughter and happiness on Christmas day. I have two very excited biys here, and we have also been enjoying some lovely time in the lead up to Christmas.  Here's some pictures for you (oh and about 3 hours after i wrote my last post Paul walked in the door with a new Canon 60D for me - excitement! Photos make me happy!).

Our tree:

Enjoying the Christmas sound and light display at Oxley College:

The boys with Santa:

and some pics from the fabulous Gingerbread Village display at the Melbourne Town Hall. They had a group of chefs make iconic melbourne buildings out of Gingerbread. It was amazing! Here is the MCG

Tha Arts Centre complete with lit up spire:

and the Melbourne Town Hall.

Finally I just wanted to say thank you for visiting my little space in cyberspace and leaving me a comment, making me smile or following me on my creative journey in 2011. Making things and recording my memories makes me happy, and it's lovely to have you along for the ride as well.

I probably won't get to the 100 layouts (too busy playing with my new camera) but i have had fun putting together a few more digital layouts recording this years Christmas memories.

This layout tells the story of some of the ornaments on my Christmas tree:

This one is about our trip to the city for Santa photos:

Have a great Christmas and I will be back here sometime soon :)

Claire xx