Reflection time

I am not sure if it is with everybody else - sometimes I am focused in scrapbooking, sometimes it is on photography. At the moment it is photography, I am taking a few photos and have been reading a lot.

I made a few Christmas cards in the weekend, but didn't take any photos before I gave to a friend; she's got a stall in a fair to raise funds for a charity and asked for my contribution.

This is one I made a while ago, I stamped in the cardstock with doily patterns in white and green.  It isa good idea to add  a bit of interest in a plain background. I used the same technique in some of my Christmas cards, using blue cardstock and white and dark blue ink - it looks a bit like snow, which is seasonal.TLF!

Adventure and Rain

Last month my daughter went camping for the first time. It was supposed to be a 4-day/3-night trip, and you can't believe how much stuff she had to pack for that. Look at the size of her backpack! It rained to hard on the second night that they had to cut the trip short. Her sleeping back and PJs were soaking wet when she came how. Still, she loved the experience!

*Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee, My Mind's Eye, Crate Paper

*Stamp: Studio Calico

*Stickers: American Crafts for SC (letters), Cosmo Criket (small, rhs)

*Mist: Studio Calico

*Embossing Powder: American Crafts

*Ink: Versamark

*Digital Images: Ya Yeah Designs @ Two Peas in  a Bucket

*Punch: Woodware

The Moody Miss Journal cards by Ya Yeah designs were perfect for the layout!

A quick card

I am doing an online class on stamping; Studio Calico's Summer Stamp Class. The first lesson covered stamping off, which is to stamp several times with same stamp without reinking in between. I have still to produce a good result but am having lots of fun!

* Stamps: Studio Calico

* Ink: Tsukineko (versafine, versamagic, versamark)

* Embossing Powder: American Crafts

*Other: Cardstock and button

I am not great at stamping so this is a way to work on my skills and also to try to use them in scrapbooking.

When I had a chance to get into a rubbers stamp shop in London I bought a couple of versafine inkpads and am converted to them. They really give a good impression and it is the only one which worked well for this technique.

Surprised?

When my daughter came along, I used to read these child-development books, and was happy that she was reaching all the milestones. Actually, she was reaching them way before it was expected. When my son came along, I'd grown tired of checking, telling myself that as long as he was developing, on his own pace, it was OK. But I couldn't help noticing the difference. Like no interest in Lego, toys or games. Unless it involved electronics. Anything with buttons, he loved.  Or TV. If I let him choose, he'd rather watch TV than go to the playground. Seriously!

(I don't mean I thought he had developmental problem or other serious issues.)

He started school last September, and I remember joking with my husband that we should start a petition to add "nintendo playing" as a subject in school as it was the only think he'd be interested in doing that involved manual dexterity.

I knew he would be good at reading, but besides that, I was bit worried.

I shouldn't have. He surprised me big time.

*Patterned Paper: Making Memories (stripes), Basic Grey (all other)
*Stamps: Studio Calico
*Butterfly: Making Memories
*Font: Calibri Regular
*Punch: Woodware
*Ink: Colorbox  
* Embossing Powder: Stampendous

 Journaling:

Surprised? Me?

Surprised that you now diligently write your  A,B,Cs?

That you walk to school asking me "Does 8 and 2 makes 10?  And 4 plus 4 is 8?" That you  walk back from school asking me if I knew about caterpillars and butterflies?

That you left a voice mail to Daddy reciting all the months of the year?

If I tell you that you never had any interest in Lego nor building blocks. That you took forever to learn how to play Snap. That you refused to draw or write in preschool. If I tell you that you took so long to learn your colours that I was convinced that you were colour blind, you'd understand. I am surprised. Pleasantly so. Over the moon so.

PS: I always knew you had brains. What I was afraid was that you'd be too laid back to use them.

That was back in October. He's reading now...

Run!

I am pleased with this one, a bit time consuming, but it came out as I envisaged.  Another "inspired by" is LO, this time by a layout by Piradee Talvanna in Creating Keepsakes. She had punched out endless rows scalloped borders in craft paper in both ends of a double page layout. The result that was both understated and elegant. Not to mention stunning. I had done something like that before but she just put the whole concept in a new level.

I went with graduating the colours from blue to white.

* Punch: Xcut
* Stamps: Studio Calico
* Ink: Colorbox
* Embossing Powder: Stampendous
* Font: Underwood Champion