Scrapbook retreats – past and present

Passports are issued for our retreat attendees who will be spending next weekend in Paris (also known as Moonyoonooka out the back of Geraldton, Western Australia)

Boarding passes are at the ready too, along with luggage tags. I love all these little home-made touches, time consuming, but worth it. I am one to keep my mementos, but rarely do something with them so have decided to make a scrapbook page “before the event” that has a place for these things as well as some photos. We all know that we take plenty of photos at our retreats! We have had such awesome themes, this year I thought we’d do the page “at” retreat and it would be sure to be done. The theme is “French” I wonder what everyone is dressing up as…
Our first retreat was back in 2003, I think the next year the theme was “Pink”, but I don’t even have the photos on my current digital media, that how long ago it was! Another year we did “masks”, I love how creative everyone is with their dress ups.
Last year we had 4 teams in colours… Red, green, blue and yellow. Have I scrapped these photo yet? Umm…no.

Then in 2010 we had the Black and White theme, with all manner of extremes…. Have I scrapped these photos? Umm… not yet.

2009 was “60’s” and the rock and roll came out!

In 2008 there was a Wedding. Oh that was so much fun! I think 2008 was my favourite retreat.

And who could forget the “Cricuts” – the best live performance I have ever seen!

Back in 2007 we had a Cowboy and Indian theme.

In 2006 we had a Gitz and Glam Gala Night.

Every year the retreat is a fun weekend, and always interesting! Many inspiring layouts are completed, new friends are made and laughs shared.
I wonder what this year will bring? Looking forward to it!

Just hangin out

The last class of last term had the kids using Texture Paste and Glimmerglaze. They were so awesome getting the right texture with toothpicks and adding the glaze to the monkeys and vines. They get to learn some terrific techniques and always go home with a work of art at each lesson. No wonder they keep coming back!

I wonder what Em has planned for next term?

Scrap FX

 

I love these chipboard words, shapes and off-the-page products. Because they are sold ‘raw’ (or “naked” hee hee) you can do so much with them. Ink them, Glimmermist spray them, or cover them with papers. You can paint them  or chalk them or add crackle mediums and texture paste and go to arty-town~!

We have so many of these chipboard babies in store already, but I am doing another order soon, (they KEEP bringing out new stuff!) so please head over to the ScrapFX Website and take a look at their awesome range of products. If there is a piece you’d like, flick me an email (Contacts at the top of this page) and I will add it to my next order.

I love Michelle Logan’s work, she is on the design team for Scrap FX, and  if you have another minute (and you KNOW there is always another minute on the computer.. just one more minute…) head over to her blog and check out the creation above in more detail as well as many other works!

Also… check out the Scrap FX Gallery for lots of cool pages, each listing the items used… so easy for you to re-create.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a layout  completed recently on a ‘Winter Girly Weekend’ and it was documenting our previous ‘Summer Girly Weekend’. I used Pink Paisley paper and glimmermisted it, then stamped with a script stamp in a few places. 7 gypsies rub-ons (love the colours in these)  were added, then Prima and Tim Holtz ribbons are layered up (and misted) as well as a punched border using black card. The lamp post is Cricut cut using Heritage, and then a few Prima flowers (and one from Petaloo) Hidden in there are some filmstrip ribbon by Tim Holtz ,some Martha butterfly punches and a new trinket by Bo-Bunny. The scrolls are Twiddleybitz Nero range and the title is by Scrap FX. This is painted white, then sprayed with glimmermist. It is also backed it with black and hand cut.  

Scrap FX is a laser cutting and etching business, designing and manufacturing cardboard (chipboard), acrylic, wood, and paper products for wholesale in the craft industries: scrapbooking embellishments, cardmaking, titles, handmade invitations, home décor and more.

 

Enjoy!

love from our house to yours

Cardmaking here today!

Just thought I’d do a quick share – these are the cards (and envelopes) we are making here today. I might have a kit or two left over after class- let me know if you’d like one. Class includes all 3 houses and 3 matching envelopes- all pre-cut and ready to go, they all just need ‘dressing’ with embossing, paint and stamps.  Even the envelopes are darn cute… looking like doors!

Like these and want to make them yourself? You can if you own the Cricut Expression! These houses are on the Wild Card Cricut Cartridge, along with plenty of others! Wish I could play all day!

EOFY

I dind’t know what EOFY was till after EOFY last year. I saw it in advertising, it was on emails and on the TV. EOFY sales everywhere. I felt like I was back in school, missed a vital piece of gossip information and was too frightened to ask for fear of being laughed at for not knowing.

So, for those who do not know, EOFY is “End Of Financial Year”.

And I have disliked EOFY week this year, for both myself and those I love around me, it’s all been a little stressful. Not just the financial and business issues either, it seems nothing is going right for anyone this week. I do hope my friends and family get through this week and the sun comes out soon for them. The plan is to step back, take a breath and methodically get through it. Tomorrow is Sunday and I am NOT doing ANYTHING work-related. Nothing. It will be a miracle if I can actually complete this first task as I live and breathe work. Tonight I turn on my computer and see my Step-Mum sent me this today… she must be reading my mind.

Stress

A lecturer, when explaining stress  management to an audience,
Raised a glass of  water and asked;
‘How heavy is this glass of  water?’

Answers called out ranged from  20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, ‘The  absolute weight doesn’t matter.
It depends on  how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for  a minute, that’s not a problem.
If I hold it  for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right  arm.
If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to  call an ambulance.
In each case, it’s the  same weight, but the longer I hold it, the  heavier
it becomes.’

He  continued,
‘And that’s the way it is with  stress management..
If we carry our burdens  all the time, sooner or later,
As the burden  becomes increasingly heavy,
We won’t be able  to carry on. ‘

‘As with the glass of  water,
You have to put it down for a while  and rest before holding it again.
When we’re  refreshed, we can carry on with the  burden.’
‘So, before you return home tonight,  put the burden of work down. Don’t
carry it  home. You can pick it up  tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you’re  carrying now,
Let them down for a moment if  you can.’
So, my friend, Put down anything  that may be a burden to you right now.
Don’t  pick it up again until after you’ve rested a  while.

And here are my last couple of 365 entries.

Sleep will make it better 143 / 365
I am looking forward to closing my eyes and being finished with today. It wasn’t a good day.
The owl is one I made for a kids scrapbooking class for the school holidays in July – kinda cute hey?

Stocktake 144 / 365
numbers numbers numbers… oh how I am beginning to dislike numbers

Haircurlers 145 / 365
Thank goodness there is another girl in this house! My girl just loves to play with my hair and tonight she tried out her new curlers on me, they are pretty funky, but look WAY better on her (of course). This is the closest to a selfie I have come so far.

Enjoy your weekend. xx

Busy busy

So busy that this blog has been neglected.

But… I have been creating… and at work every day of the week early catching up on backlog of work, seemed to have piled up being away so much. I had kids class pages to complete, with instructions and all and have got a fair way through it.

This week, I have done 6 layouts for classes. Phew! No wonder I am neglecting this blog. 

The kids classes for the school holidays are shaping up to be fabulous, with cardmaking in the mornings too. Emily is now working in the shop, and is keen to see some more ‘challenging’ layouts and cardmaking projects for the teenagers. Bring it on. She’s shaking it  for me and we have decided to add some of the projects from the adults classes for the teens and more confident scrapping kids. We are also putting on the scrap sketch for kids too in the holidays. I will have a holiday brochure out soon with all details. If you know anywhere we can get our brochures out to kids that might like these classes, give me a shout.

Here are some sneak peeks of layouts coming up.

CD Art

Make a beautiful ornament to hang in your home this Christmas with this easy to assemble CD Art Kit. Everything included – ready to go. 

 

  

Layout Share – Geek Alert

My gorgeous boys. How cute are they? I just wanna jump in bed too and watch a movie with them. Pair of dorks. Love ’em to bits!

I had looked at this paper so many times and wished I could use it, but it was just too way out there for me… until I saw these photos.  The little chipboard dude is from ScrapFX and is painted the same colour as the random chipboard letters. I used the Cricut to cut the letters, then another layer in Chipboard. Swiss dots was cuttlebugged onto them, then each dot was touched with a blue scrapbook pen.

The blue and red cellophane though… do not overlook this. I did not have cellophane, and wanted it so badly. Badly enough to make my own with Blue and Red Staz On and pieces of plastic packaging. What a pain, just like the halloween eyes. Then the whole thing was raised with magic mount so you could see through it.

Just love that photo though – it’s so THEM. Makes me wanna rush home to play with them.

Layout Share – Imagine

The challenge was

• the word “imagine” in the title
• red
• cream
• black

This challenge turned out easier than I thought it would. I just grabbed a heap of leftovers in the challenge colours and then figured which photos I would use. These were perfect. Pity it takes me so long to put together though.

The title is cut from the Cricut (welded with the Design Studio).  I cut two; one from black and the other from chipboard to layer.

Cricut Cakes

I came across this site whilst wandering around on the Internet the other day http://www.creativedesignscakes.com/index.html She uses the Cricut to decorate her cakes. I have no idea how she does it, but they look absolutely wonderful.

A very talented cake maker and decorator. Makes me hungry for cake just looking at them. She has recpies and tips too. Wish I didn’t have to buy the DVD to figure out how to use the Cricut… might have to get messy and have a go.

 

 

Cricut Club Class

 We are running the Free Demonstration Night again for the Cricut Design Studio next Friday night, followed by an easy Cricut Class on Saturday morning.

Click here to see other pages by our customers in past classes.

Friday 18th – Free Demo Night

Saturday 18th – 10.30 – 12.30- Cricut Class. Suitable for Cricut, Create and Expression users.

Cricut Cartridges

Have you seen these Cricut cartridges? There are always more and more. You’ll have to ask to see them in the shop these days as they aren’t on the wall anymore. We have new ones too.

I just love the font on this Hannah Montana one… not that anyone here is into her… just love the fonts. (but ya gotta admit that guitar is kinda wicked… wish my boys had kept up with their lessons)

Hannah Montana

Life’s a Beach

Lyrical Letters

Pooh Font

Joys of the Season

Wild Card

 

 This Wild Card looks like I might like it, there is so much on it… these snippets only give a teaser as to what’s on them. Might have to get myself that cartridge for the cardmaking classes next term.

Cricut Class

Boy those girls were good to me.

The lovely ladies from Carnamah had looked forward to this class for so long, I didn’t want to let them down so we went ahead and I gave it my best. See my personal assistant next to me? I sat the entire time, and slurred the instructions and the ladies somehow ended up with some great work. Dani was a star helping with picking papers and looking after all the customers. Lauren kept awatchful eye to be sure I didn’t try any funny business.

Diana visited and took some pics for us.. then a couple of them stayed to join the Late Night Lock In ladies for the Sat night. Me… I went back to my couch.

Here’s one of the projects we made using Accent Essentials.

 

Cricut Club Day

We have a  Cricut Club day coming up… and will be holding a double class.

It’s this Saturday 9 till 1

Samples are up on the wall behind the counter, we will be doing a page, a card and a project. (I hope I haven’t underestimated the time allowance again).

Two people can use one machine if required.

Layout Share – Brrr

As you can imagine I am still scrapping photos from our South Australia visit earlier this year. I am so behind I have almost given up hope. Ah well. Such is life. As I always say, a busy life is a full life. I’d hate to be bored with nothing to do. (or would I… mmm)

Simple layout using Cricut snowflakes for some skating photos. It was difficult to chose just 3 to use for these pages. I still need to scrap the rest, there are even some of ME on ice skates… talk about scary… one would think the ice would crack! The manageress assured us she had a direct line to the ambulance so it’d be ok. That’s  reassuring. Not.

Your Story

I’ve just learned about a new product from Provocraft.. how can they keep making more? No, it’s not another Cricut.

It’s called a Your Story. Its a book binding and laminating system. Now, I’m a big fan of the Zutter so of course I would be interested. I took a look and can’t wait for them to come to Australia. They are being shown in the US and say delivery is around September, so it would be after that for us Aussie folk I am sure. But… it’s coming, and it’s cool.

Click here to take a look. There are video demonstrations and plenty of information.

Cricut – Cartridge Promo

And there’s a great promo on the cartridges too! Buy 2 and get one FREE.

Don’t miss out. Get your order in to me asap. This one ends the end of May.

Cricut – Cuttlebug Promo

There’s a great special on right now for Cricut and Cuttlebug machines.

Cricut Design Studio

The Cricut Design Studio Demonstration Night is Friday 6th March at 6.30.

Come and see what it’s all about. There is no cost to come, just sit back and relax while I show you how the Design Studio hooks up your Cricut to your computer and how to use all the features.

 

Something new to go with the Cricut

This is the YUDU machine from Provocraft. You will be able to cut your own designs on the Cricut (or purchase pre-made designs) and screen print whatever you like; Clothing, Albums, Cards, Home Decor items, Canvas or anything your heart desires. It brings a whole new meaning to the word personalization! Just imagine cutting your own funky designs on the Cricut, and then creating your own designer shirts. Available to pre-order now for $795.

There is also a limited release of the New Home Decor Cricut Cartrdge coming into Australia soon. This is available for $130. It has all the grace of Home Accents with some cool images like the Crown and the Cupcake, (very cute!).  YOU WILL NEED TO GET IN QUICK, when the warehouse runs out of stock, they will not be able to re-order, it is a once only opportunity!