Working my way through outstanding projects!

When Libby came over to Germany in the Summer, she brought one of Cleo's wonderful kit projects. She had bought one for herself too and thought it would be fun for us to have a go at the same kit - Nostalgia. She even got mum to sort out some photos of the two of us when we were little. That gave us a giggle I can tell you! All those "fashionable" 70's brown knit jumpers, long socks and sandals and rather dubioius haircuts to name just a few! Of course, we did not have enough time to get them finished while she was here but we started them and then went our separate ways. Libby managed to finish hers weeks ago (blog entry here), and I kept thinking about it but no action!

Well, on Saturday I made myself a list of just those projects that I can remember that need to be finished off or made. I was quite shocked at coming up with 12 items which does even not include those ideas that I have that I would like to do but haven't got around to yet. No, that is just half-completed projects or outstanding class projects that I can think about (am sure the list is really double as long!) So, I sat down and got going again with the Nostalgia kit!

It's lovely of course. A great folded mini-book that opens out to reveal all sorts of treasures! and space for hournalling too which is always a bonus. I did not look at Libby's finished book so I do not know how similar mine is to hers which will be interesting when we really check each other's out. I had such fun doing it, even if I ended up with craft knife injuries on both index fingers and my leg (don't ask!), paint and glue everywhere and chaos in my workroom. It's all done and another thing off the list - check!

OMG - I just checked out Libby's blog to get the link to her project and she called hers Childhood too!!!!! I swear, after the first time I looked at this entry, I did not sneak another peek! I must have had it in my subconscious! Too weird! And just goes to show, I am not as original as I thought! But I still love it! (Oh yes, I actually did copy Libby's button stacking that I heard her talking about when I was over - also not original of me!!! )

Can't Believe My Eyes!

I honestly cannot believe that it has been more than TWO months since I last updated the blog. What must you think of me? And there I was doing so well and then silence for so long. No excuses although I have to confess to having a crazy time over the summer with family visits (baby brother for three weeks and then the Chance family for five days) which are always great, a visit from my best friend, holidays, two trips to the UK including my baby sister's 18th birthday party and various scrapping challenges!

So where do I start?

Ok. How about with the Bellaboo stuff over the last couple of months? If you have not already checked out the monthly kits that I work on, well pop over to the site (here) and check out the kits for September and October here. I'm sorry to have to tell you that you missed a couple of FAB kits for July and August but September was a dream to work with and October was right down my street with hints of Autumn, texture and memories of home. I will put a few sneak peeks for my October projects below but check out the gallery here and then order your kit here!






Unfortunately, I have to admit to falling off the Big Picture Scrapbooking "Have More Fun" class after such a good start but I am slowly working through the outstanding projects and have made inroads into the daily project for September which I hope to be able to post later in the month.

I think these two projects have not yet been posted and I have to say, the layout was a lot more fun than I thought it would be and I like the fact that it includes small items that have special meaning to me - ideas are represented by certain items! And as for the mini-album, well this is great and I have just finished a second one with the October Bellaboo kit (see above). This is Stacy Julian's take on completing a "photo album scrapbook" quickly and easily to get a whole load of photos "dealt" with to allow you to focus on the important stories you want to tell on your scrapbook pages - such a great idea and so easy. Uses up lots of photos and product and you get such a sense of achievement. Great!

Mmmm, what else?

Well, yesterday I managed to catch up with my 12 of 12 project - I was missing Aguust and September althought I had at least managed to take the photos! Thanks to Susan's reminder! So here they are ...

And of course, there was the infamous Bellaboo Birthday Bash which you can read all about in the October newsletter here! We had a total blast and it was so worth the effort of going over to be part of it - I enjoyed every second of it and participated in three classes by the delightful Cleo which were great fun. I managed to finish the canvas on the day which I was so proud of (featuring me and Ted at Crange Kirmes - a local famous funfair). The other two projects are half done and I really want to find time to get them done over the next week or so! It was just so much fun and you HAVE to be there next year!!!

I am sure that I am forgetting something but that will have to do for now!

What have you been up to?

I think I want to share!

I have been having so much FUN over the last three weeks on the latest BPS class, Have More Fun with Stacy Julian. I am keeping up with the assignments which is an absolute first for me - (ok, if I'm honest, there is one that I have not done so far, but I will get around to it. Somehow it did not speak to me as much as the other ones.) Over three weeks there have been a total of 14 assignments and I have done 12 of them - I am SO pleased with myself!

Yesterday's is one of the larger projects and I need to give it more thought and I might need to go out and get some supplies in. Still thinking!

We have done some great, silly things with our pages and have not been thinking so much about everything which has made them fast - some of them were complete in under 30 minutes! Others such as "Baby Sister" or "Meant to be Together" of course took longer but you can see why when you look at them! And I have only been using scraps. I think I have not broken into a piece of new paper (except cardstock) for any of them which also makes me feel productive and therefore, re-energised.

In effect, FEELING GOOD!

I have already posted the mini book I created for Cam and the 12 on 12 layout but here are the other 10 projects:

Bowl

Engineer Creek Divas

3 x Trouble

Mini album with photos of the Yukon

Mad Maddie

Home?

Baby Sister

Isabella

Meant To Be Together

This is today's assignment and I feel I should explain - it's on acetate but it won't lay flat because it was rolled up so the picture looks a bit strange - and it's a double sided layout hence the second picture below! (As for the story: Well done Libby!!!)

Cover Story

12 on 12 - July

Another month - already? Hard to believe, but true. July came up so fast and as I write this, it is hurtling towards August.

The 12th was quite uneventful apart from almost forgetting to take pictures at the beginning of the day. How does that happen?

And this is really not deliberate, but once again, there seems to be a theme running through the day - it's clear that each month through the year will have its own feel but I had never expected to have themes each month. April was socialising, May was hectic errand running, June was all about travelling by public transport. July, I am embarrassed to have to admit - was ALL about food and drink. I don't think we stopped eating and drinking all day! I only had a couple of photos which featured neither food nor drink. But that is what is interesting in this project! I have to admit that over this weekend, I really think that I gained two kilos! But it was all enjoyable at the time! We went out for breakfast, needed refreshments at Ikea, stopped off at Starbucks, decided we NEEDED a fast food snack, had dinner at Helga's and finished off stuffing our face with sweets! Shocking but true and I am glad to have captured it!


This month's design was inspired by the Kelli Crowe project this week in my BPS Have More Fun class (will post other "stuff" from this class another time) using the square punch and only scraps from the scrap box. But I am pleased with how it turned out and may come back to this style again in the future. At some point, I want to settle on a style for each month to make it more uniform and easy to produce but I think that maybe the first year will all be different!

Sorry the photo is not brilliant - so difficult to get good non-reflecting light.

On the subject of "scraps", do you only have one or two colours in your scrap box? Or is it just me? Is this a sign that I only ever scrap pinks, greens or browns? Am I boring? What's in your box?

Roll on August 12....

I did it!

I wrote about doing a layout and then I sat down and did it! So pleased with myself. I have to admit to being influenced as far as design by Stacy Julian's post here and I changed the journaling a bit from yesterday's post but it is done. At the moment, I am concentrating on only using my scraps wherever possible so I was delighted to rediscover these beautiful Crate Paper pieces. Scrumptious green and turquoise - what a great combination.

And thanks to Library of Memories (again Stacy Julian), I knew exactly where to go to find a favourite piccie of Recklinghausen (in the Places We Go under the subcategory Recklinghausen!)

Ok, so the photos are really so so but I just wanted to prove that I did it!

Wednesday Philosophising

July 15th is a special day for me.

For those of you who know me and Ralph at all, you'll know that we like to celebrate the little things. The special days. The silly anniversaries. And I promise you, it's not just me! For example, Ralph surprised me one day by announcing we'd been married 1,000,000 minutes! And we both calculated (independently) and then planned special things for 1,000 days married and so on.

Therefore, I like to keep July 15th in my diary as one such day. What is it? It's the day I left the UK to come and live in Germany. So yesterday, I celebrated 7 years since arriving here. For me, the act of remembering is important. Recognition of a turning point in my life.

I remember saying a few words at my "leaving" celebration. I said that many of the people there had attended other leaving parties - me leaving for France; me moving to Cambridge; my big adventure in the Philippines. But that THIS was different. In the past, I had left knowing I would be back. But now I was leaving and Ralph was waiting for me at the other end. I wasn't planning on coming back - ever. This goodbye was for real.

I felt it strongly then, and I feel it strongly now. I have made Germany my home. My heart is really settled here and I can't imagine ever going back (of course, I still dream of moving on to Canada but that is another dream altogether!)

Since becoming an adult, I have never stayed in one place for so long, never continued the same job for longer than a few years, never really felt as at home as I do.

My family make fun of me that I have found my true destiny in Germany seeing as though I am a controlling, bossy so & so. But it's so much more than that. Yes, I'm convinced that I really must be half-German (!) but I feel so happy, content and settled. I live a charmed life and my home plays a big part in that.

In celebration of my achievement, I want to create a special layout - maybe I will use this text as the journaling - hopefully tomorrow evening. But here is a layout that I made back in January looking at the same subject but a little more light-heartedly.

What achievement are you celebrating this week?

Late resolution

I know, almost a month has gone by YET again since my last post and I have decided to set myself a new resolution to do better!

I can't say why I have not managed to blog - I always mean to but somehow the days turn into weeks and then here we are, a month later again.

But I intend to try harder - really!

I have been really busy recently on the scrapping front as well as stepping up my work hours which has made a difference. I can't show everything I have done as I was working on projects using the next Bellaboo kit (August) which was, as always, fun and easy and got the creative juices flowing! I know that I say this each and every month, but the kits get better and better and better. The July kit (available here) was not just great, it was wonderful and is up there with February as my favourite kit so far.

Here are a few sneak peeks for August then...

And you can see my projects using the July kit here, but in case you, Jacqui, are reading this, here is one dedicated to YOU! (or rather US). Hope you like it.

And what else then? Well I made these two simple layouts using up some Urban Lily that I had from a pre-Bellaboo time kit! Again, trying out some different styles and testing what I enjoy doing.

And once again, I am in a Big Picture Scrapbooking class for the next couple of months and this little mini-book was the first project. So simple, so quick, so lovely! I made it in about 3 hours including writing up the tags, deciding on photos and printing them out. And the best bit? It only takes three sheets of double sided paper and then I added in a bit more PP for the decoration, two sheets of cardstock for the mats and tags, some stickers and a bit of ribbon - so easy and I love it. I dedicated it to sweet Cameron - hope you like it Libby!

And my head is full of ideas and inspiration so expect more to come....!

Apart from that, computer issues have been taking up a lot of my time and frustration so I am currently sitting at my dining table using my old, slow computer connected through a lan cable to the internet - YUK!!!! Work is busy and slow at the same time if that is possible and I am REALLY grouchy! Must be the hormones - poor Ralph.

12 on the 12th again this Saturday which I am looking forward to. Watch this space.