Tips. Layouts. Wakakirri.

I went to a crop on Sunday and produced 5 layouts!!!!!!!!! YES!!! 5!!!!!!! My record to-date was 9 layouts at a weekend retreat! Therefore, 5 in a day is my personal best! And here I was thinking I was going to chat all day at the crop because I so wasn't in the mood to scrap! Apparently, planning your layouts actually helps. I know many of us dread hearing that but hear me out. I used to hate (perhaps more like lazy and/or disorganised) 'planning' my layouts for a crop too. I just wanted to go with the flow. So I'll be bringing my entire paper stash, 6" high of American Crafts alphas, 6" high of Heidi Swapp alphas, colour-coded ribbons and probably even my fancy Clip-it-up, that would put the scrapbook shop at the crop venue to shame. People would almost come shop with me than at the shop, if I took credit card. But here's the thing: don't think that 'planning' a page means you have to have the entire page all laid out, with the exact embellishment and title in mind. I couldn't do it. I realised that for me, the biggest hurdle for all my layouts, was having the right photo and the papers. Once I have decided on the photo and papers, then I can exercise that part of "go with the flow". I printed 6 photos, and chose the papers I wanted to use and just brought those to the crop. I still brought along my 6" high of American Crafts alphas, 6" high of Heidi Swapp alphas and colour-coded ribbons, (come on... gimme a break! These are my indulgence.) and a few pieces of extra cardstocks. I actually managed to fit everything into my rolling tote and my All My Memories swivel tote thingy, and travelled light to a crop for once, and managed to do 5 pages!

So think about it... what is your biggest hurdle when scrapping a page? Try part-planning your page to make your day-out more productive (if productivity is what you are aiming for).

Time to share my pages with you.

Cooker - this conversation I had with DD was most recent and I had to scrap it before I forgot.
Products - Sassafras Lass papers, American Craft letters, Bazzill cardstock, Heidi Swapp and Prima flowers.


D is for Diet - One of the products my best scrapper friend, Ruey swears by... stickers for instant gratification. These stickers are soooo funny.
Products - Creative Cafe papers and diecuts, 7 Gypsies stickers.


Cool Dude - a layout of my nephew in Singapore.
Products - Bazzill cardstock, Jenni Bowlin paper, Hambly Studio overlay, Making Memories diecut journal block, American Craft letters, Maya Road sheer journaling spot, buttons.


A View from the Top - Pics of us at the Wineglass Bay lookout in Freycinet (Tasmania).
Products - Prima paper and flowers, October Afternoon rubon letters, American Crafts letters, Maya Road sheer journaling spots, buttons. (ADDICTED TO CRAFT range of products)


Just A {spunk!} - Photos of my nephew playing in my backyard (scraplifted Ruey Enanoria) It's not often that I do a layout without journaling, but this one is truly just a pretty layout, and the title says it all. Doesn't it?
Products - Bazzill cardstock, Crate Paper patterned paper, Hambly Studio overlay, Luxe Designs rubons, Creative Cafe brads, American Crafts letters.


We are very very excited for Ellen. She went for an audition at school and has been selected to participate in the Wakakirri this year. Many people haven't heard about this. So this is the website... http://www.wakakirri.com/tour1a.htm It is a multi arts festival for schools in Australia. Schools are encouraged to participate and be creative, create their own story/dance for the kids to perform. It is a competition and eventually, there will be a state and a national winner. We are not too fussed if the school won, but would just love for her to have the opportunity to be exposed to the experience. I can already imagine myself turn to a pool of tears on the day of the performance in August. LOL...

Anyways.... it's late and my bed has been calling me since an hour ago. I'd really like to post my Tassie photos but I'll have to do a raincheck. Good night.

WINNER - Scrapware Giveaway!

THANK YOU to everyone who left a comment. It's great to see so many of you de-lurk. I hope you continue to hang around.

I have 'picked' the lucky winner of the Scrapware Giveaway. Unlike many fancy Excel gurus, I have no idea how to generate a random winner. So if you know how, please feel free to share. I stuck to my late Grandmother's traditional method of "lucky draw". She makes us kids do the lucky draw to pick her lucky numbers to play Singapore's 4D (4 Digits... some kind of lottery).


A little Chinese trivia for you - the superstitious Chinese like to go to the temples to pray, and ask for their fortune to be told. To do that, you have to be on your knees, hold these bamboo containers with a bunch of bamboo sticks in it. These are called Fortune Sticks. Each stick is labeled with a number/code. You are meant to hold the bamboo container in both hands and shake the container till one stick falls out of the container (and only one! If two falls out, you have to put them back in and do it again). Seems easy? NO WAY! But that's not the point. ANYWAY, then you take the 'chosen' stick to the fortune teller to get it "decoded". I've printed out all your names, squished them up and placed them in a bowl, and kept shaking it till one name - the chosen one, 'popped' out of the bowl.

AW WIGHT! I won't keep you in suspense any longer. The winner of the Scrapware Giveaway is.....


(would you like your fortune told?)



(just kidding...)


(but I can tell one thing for sure... )


(you've won a $20 Scrapware prize!)


(ok, ok... I'll shut up now)




JEN!!!!

I'm a lurker too..love your work Michelle. We use to be in the same EB sept group. :)

CONGRATULATIONS, JEN!!!!!!!! I'll forward your email addy to Angela for her to send you the prize!

I'm going to an all day crop organised by Simply Scrapbooking on Sunday. Have been dying to go to a big crop for ages... wished I could have sat down and scrapped at Crop For Kids but of course, that was just wishful thinking. So a few of us (Jess, Suzanne, Jorja and myself) are going to make this a "make-up" crop for what we've missed out. :)

OK. That's all for tonight. I'm tired and brain dead, if you haven't yet noticed the nutty incoherence earlier.

Till next time.... take care!

SIA releases... yummmm

So... the SIA trade event is over. I did 2 projects for Angela (Scrapware) to display at her stand. I don't know if anyone knows, I'm a big chipboard fan. Crazy over it. I don't know how to create a layout that is flat! When I got onto the Scrapware Design Team, I told myself I would be in heaven. And I am. :) :) :)

The new range of chipboards we got to work with, which were released during the trade show, are absolute must-haves for any scrapper IMO. Not only am I a chipboard junkie, I'm now a journaling block junkie. In this 12x6 ringed book, the new Journaling Bits are frequently used, in variations. Some are cut with appended words (eg Notes, The Facts, Details), some have shapes of crown/skulls/star "cut in", some are just date blocks ( 3 sizes).... etc etc. The grooves in the chipboard act as the lines to journal on. You can ink them, paint them, glimmer mist them, stamp on them, or use them a la natural! (If you paint and the paint gets into the grooves, don't fret. Just use your cutting knife to go through the groove when the paint is dry to remove the paint.) Now, you have no excuse not to journal your pages! :)

There is also a new range of products called Word Trios (set of 3 words). They come in many many themes, and their sizes are just perfect for albums as well as layouts.











Karen Day, who is also on the Scrapware Design Team has designed some uber cute chipboards... clouds, birdie, trees, ... Go check out her blog post (about Karen Day Designs) and you'll all agree that they are just tooooo cute and you OUGHT to get some! I've used some clouds in this following layout (and another journaling bit!).


OK... That's all I have to share with you for now. Keep the comments coming on my RAK post (closes Thursday night)! You might just win yourself $20 worth of Scrapware goodness!

RAK TIME!!!!

It has been 3 weeks since I last blogged. The last 3 weeks have whooshed past me like Hurricane Go-Go-Go. First it was Crop For Kids, then our Tasmania holiday then catching up with DT work for Angela (Scrapware) to bring to SIA - Scrapbook Industry Australia Trade Event that is happening on 8th and 9th April (aka this weekend!). So I haven't had time to look at any blogs, let alone update my own.

But who is to say I can't make a LOUD come back starting with a gorgeous GIVEAWAY from Scrapware?!?!?!?! Just take a look at these sneak peeks! Journaling bits, date blocks, clouds, birdies, stems, trees, word trios ....



These new Scrapware products will be launched at the SIA show. So get your LSS to place their orders pronto! I will show you the rest of the layout as soon as it goes to the SIA show next week.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!! If you are still reading my blog, and would like to win $20 worth of products from Scrapware, just leave a comment. You'll be getting these goodies before they even hit the shops! OPEN TO OVERSEAS READERS TOO!
I will close this on Thursday (10th April 2008) 11pm AEDST and do a random draw.

The last time I told the story about my daughter in Singapore (on my Jan 16th birthday post), I received many nice and warm responses, 34 of them. I can't believe so many people read my blog! Let's see if we can get these numbers again :) :) I know, I know.... I was supposed to draw a RAK prize from those who commented on that post because I was the birthday girl. Months have gone past, my good friend, Ruey reminded me that I haven't done that. I nearly killed myself with shame. I AM AWEFULLY SORRY. I will now draw 3 names out of those comments.

Winners of my long-overdue-birthday RAK (I even feel embarrassed giving this RAK now)...
1. kristine
2. belinda
3. mel nunn

I will email you girls separately to get your mailing address. :)

So keep your comments coming! I will post about my Tassie trip soon. :)