New pages

I have been forcing myself to stop just reading scrapbooking magazines & actually do some scrapbooking. I struggled with both these pages and to be honest one is still unfinished & I need to print some more photos for.

This is a page from our nephews 2nd birthday (can't believe he is 2 already!), this is the unfinished page as I didn't have enough pictures printed. The extra photos will go under the main photo in a flip up hidden section (sorry no photos of the hidden section!), this layout took weeks & in the end I had to ask my WH (wonderful husband) for help to finish it to this point.

Though I really feel that this layout is finished it doesn't totally sit with me. I think it's probably because of the colours, I am not really a pink girl & there is alot of pink in this layout. But I really like the string of lanterns, I actual cut them out of the photos I had taken.

Feels good to do some scrapbooking, still have plenty of photos to go & I haven't even started on this years photos!

On a roll

I love scrapbooking, but I have been in a creative slump. I have made cards and other things for friends & family. But no scrapbooking pages. That was until a month or so ago when I participated in a free hybrid scrapbooking class through Jessica Sprauge, and I created this page.

Once I finished that layout I had the urge to create another, then another, then another and now I have an actual pile of finished layouts waiting for me to put them in an album. Here are some of my recently created layouts.

I am unfortunately running out of photos, I am going to have to print some more photos. Time to get editing!

Newest creation

A good friend of ours had her birthday recently and I made her this card

I love the result

The image I found on Martha Stewart's website, it was meant for a Mother's Day card, which I had every intention of making. But when I sat down to do it the image just didn't seem right for either of our Mother's (mine or my WH's (Wonderful Husband)). But then our friend T had her birthday, T is vintagey hippy type of girl. She lives in a small converted dairy on her parents property, and it is filled with furniture and decor that she has found on the road side or at Op Shops. So the image would suit her perfectly.

On Martha Stewart's website the image was designed to have the buttons sew on, I glued them on (laziness, mostly), and that was it. Which looked great but to me wasn't finished. So I cut a couple of slits into the card and threaded a piece of ribbon, alittle folding and tada! A scarf! The image to me had a windswept feel and the scarf ribbon gives that feel perfectly.

I am considering adding similar cards to my Etsy shop SuJoh, using vintage photo's and postcards. But I am still playing with the idea.

Got my groove back

Since I did this scrapbooking page I have been trying to get into creating another one. With very little success, life seemed to have gotten in my way abit and I just didn't have the motivation or creative spark. Papers did inspire me and I could like of colours that would look good with photo's I wanted to scrap. Not happy :-(

A couple of weeks ago and great friend of mine had me and another friend over to her place for a scrapping day. We use to do these alot of scrapping days last year but things have gotten so busy that we havn't been able to find any common free time. It was wonderful to sit and chat and slowly bring a page together. I didn't finish the page at the scrapping day but that really wasn't the point, I had got things moving though.

Today is my WH (wonderful husbands) day off and we descided to have a TV free day, which has been great definatly recommend giving a TV free day a try. So this morning I put away my scrapbooking supplies away from that scrapping day with my friend (they had been sitting all packed up for weeks!) and cleaned my scrapping desk up abit. Then I got out the half finished page and set about finishing it off, it took me all day of on and off scrapping but I am so proud to say that I finished it! Woohoo!

And I am also happy to report that I now want to go and start another page, but it is almost dinner time so I am joining my WH in the lounge, he is cooking and I am blogging and checking emails. Scrapping time is over for today, maybe Wednesday.

Much needed Mojo boost

Today was soooo what I needed and I didn't even know it. My friend invited me over for a scrapbooking day, I pack up the holiday album that I havn't been doing anything about and printed off enough photos to complete 6 pages and off I went.

Honestly wasn't sure that I wanted to go, think that was probably the depressive feelings talking. Didn't want to waste petrol or have to be around other people. But my ever wonderful, knows what is good for me husband said that he would leave work and drive me if I didn't go myself. So I went....and I am very glad that I did (don't tell my husband :-) ). It was so nice sitting there and chatting with friends and getting back to a hobby that I love very much. I think that I have been neglecting something that would make me feel really good.

Best thing is that I was able to complete all 6 pages that I brought photos for, which was great 'cause they just came together quite smoothly. One I am very proud of, and it was probably the one that came together the fastest.

That is one thing that I learnt today, I shouldn't neglect my passion. My husband says that I have a talent, and if that is true then that is something that God gave me. Something that I am suppose to enjoy, and shouldn't just close the door on this hobby.

Funny how when things get tight, money wise anyway. Things you find just simply enjoyable you feel guilty for enjoying them. That really shouldn't be, these are the times for these hobbies and activities, if you feel good and happy then that will come across in interviews and in life in general. And for me personally anything that keeps me busy and thinking positive is a good thing.

One a slightly different topic we found out today that my husband's brother and his wife are expecting their second child. About 5 weeks along, they already have one son who we love very much and love having him over. And the family is looking forward to meeting this new addition to the family.