Scrapbooking all over the World - oh and my EasyRibbonHolder!

I met a nice lady in cyberspace today! Since setting up the SimplyScrapbookingNow.com site and the EasyRibbonHolder.com, I have had the pleasure of chatting to lots of people from all over the globe!


I was only thinking this evening... whilst cooking the dinner - you know... during those times when you "tune out" of the bubbling pans (well buzzing microwave in this instance!) and the mind wanders - how wonderful it is to make new friends from far flung places. I was talking to someone in New York yersterday and Australia before that, and so on.


Anyway, this lady (in the UK as it happens) is Kathleen and has bought a copy of my ebook for the Ribbon Holder and kindly wrote about it on her blog, for which I thank her.


I am in the process of setting up a an EasyRibbonHolder site for UK payments, as it is currently in Dollars, so you don't have to worry about the exchange rate!

ScrapBuddies Sketch no.6 - Could be a multi-photo page layout!

Hello there everyone!


I have been busy putting the final touches to the SimplyScrapbookingNow.com Newsletter which is due out on Saturday (1st Nov).


But for something else - here is the next ScrapBuddies Sketch. Sketch no. 6 in the Series so far.


And below is the layout from whence it came!

The reason I say it "could" be a multiphoto sketch is because of the blocking. You could easily add more photographs where I have used patterned paper. In fact the whole page could be made up of just cropped photographs?!


Would make for interesting cropping, wouldn't it?!

The beauty of a flower

How beautiful is this...

... and the picture below.

It is a photograph of a "SunPatiens" (or Busy Lizzy) in the evening sunshine.

If you click on the pictures you'll see a bigger image and you will be able to appreciate the glistening of every petal, especially noticable on the white flower.

I often get lost for a few special moments just admiring the wonder and beauty of nature.

I sometimes wonder how I can recreate such texture in a scrapbook page! I am thinking about creating a background paper with these and/or some photos I have taken of flowers... I will have to make sure that I choose the right paper for printing mind!

I may even use some spots of 3-D gloss to attempt a recreation of the sparkle of the petals... Hmmmm!!! thinking...!!!

Circle Journal - "Quotes" finished pages

Well I did actually finish these pages a couple of weeks ago, but other things have superceded their publication till now! Ooh er!

You may notice that there are 2 "envelopes" (one on each page) both of which do have journaling inside, but I haven't shown the contents as they are my personal message to the creator of the circle journal.


These pages are pink and blue as per the "rules" at the front of the journal.

A Hybrid Scrapbooking Page - what do you think?

A short while ago I showed you a video of how I made a background paper using pencil shavings and my colour home photocopier.

Well this is a page layout made using the resulting background paper. You may notice that it is an A4 sized layout. I just thought it worked this way, what with the brwn background paper and the big word "Smile" - which I didn't want to lose.

So although the homemade "shavings" paper did actually come out around 8x10" I trimmed it to fit, I thought 12x12 would be to big.

Of course, the background paper already being lined, rather leant itself to direct written journaling... always a bit nerve wracking when you've done the whole of the rest of the page!

Anyway... would you say this was a traditional layout, or a hybrid one?

What it IS though, whichever you decide, is a multi-photo page layout!

Scrapbooking Inspiration - keeping notes

Here's a little one of my tips!

When I am surfing for Scrapbooking Layout Inspiration I make notes to remind of things I have seen, for later use... nothing new there!

However, when I am in my internet browser, I have my word processor package (Microsoft Word, in my case) running in the background.

When I see a layout I like, I copy the picture and paste it into my open page in Word. I then copy the address bar (the address of the exact page, not just the domain name) and paste that into my document too.

In Word, the links are "clickable" and I can get straight back to the right page directly from the open document.

I make notes, copy and paste text, etc... and I then save the document and can refer back to it later.

This is great for keeping sketches, layouts for scraplifting, etc because you have the information linked so that you can refer to the internet pages to make sure you give the correct credits... especially in my case with publishing on my blog here.

I often place these documents directly onto my "desktop" for easy access. When I have used the information, I simply delete the file! Of course you can print out these pages, but I mainly use this system for the ease of clickable links with which I can write some of my own notes.

On a Personal Note

I thought I would just take a moment on my blog to do something personal!

I was in the process of logging into Blogger to write a post today... and then I realised it is now tomorrow! LOL

It's quarter past midnight whilst I type this... I got side tracked looking at other people's blogs... you know how that goes... right?!

Well I was going through some recent photos and I found this one, so I thought I would post it. My hubby took it on the evening of my birthday, just before we left to have a pizza together.

A nice photo (not cos I'm in it you understand!).

Anyway, I have been thinking about this blog and the sorts of things on it.

I have peeked at some others which seem to be ranked at the top of the Crafty Blogs list (see button on left hand side for my rating).

The blog at number 1 on this list gets around 800-1000 hits per day! it's a blog about handbag making! Next few down are from 500 down to 300 visits per day. I notice that a few of these shot up "the charts" as they give freebies away, such as digital scrapbooking kits, etc.

I wonder... do I give value for money (bearing in mind it's free LOL)?

I wonder what it is that makes those people visit? I also notice that a lot of the posts on the blogs (not all blogs) are just about personal stuff, and nothing to do with crafting, yet the visitors return, they are drawn somehow?

I have tried to keep my posts to scapbooking or crafting and have steered clear of personal posts... but maybe you would like to know more about other things too?

Hybrid Scrapbooking page layout

This is a hybrid scrapbooking page layout!

It's quite a simple page, using shaped background papers (the light pink colour I "inked" digitally) and some matching accents such as the ribbons and bows, plus the title.

I then added 5 brads, a large flower ad buttons for the centre of the flower and finally edged the printed layout with cardstock to bring the page up to A4 size and to give it a uniform edge

Materials used...

Brads - Basic Grey
buttons - various
flower - Bazzil Basics
Bazzill Cardstock

Digi papers, ribbons and bow - by Verena Karolyi "My first flowers" kit.

Free Fonts
Title - "Oh Photo Shoot" and "Patterns and Dots"
Journaling - "Cathies Hand"

Freebie Frenzy...And the Winner is....

Well the lines are closed... as they say on the TV! LOL Thanks for entering in the spirit everyone! Nice to see you all!

And the computer picked out the winner at random with a highly complicated algorithm which took many technical people months to perfect... oh all right then, the real way this was done this evening...

I wrote a number for each person who had commented on the Scrapbooking Freebie Frenzy post, onto the middle of a piece of paper, in a mixed up fashion. I then took the paper downstairs, with pin in hand, gave the pin to my husband, held the paper up with the numbers facing away from him and asked him to stick the pin in the paper anywhere he liked!

So... all mod cons and hi-tech stuff here! LOL

And the winner is.... Denyze! Denyze your number is up! It has a large pin 'ole through it! So email me your postal address and the kit can be winging it's way to you very shortly!

Actually... hang on a mo.... I will just pop downstairs and ask my man (!) to stick the pin in again and I'll send a little something as a RAK to someone else from the list...!

Ok... update... the pin (which I have to say was thrust rather forcefully into the paper this time!) stuck right through the number which corresponds to Siobhan! So as apparently your fave colour is green, I shall send a green RAK to you!

Well done to you both and a big thank you to all those who came over and commented this month.

October's Freebie Frenzy Time

It's Freebie Frenzy Time again, middle of the month means that subscribers to the SimplyScrapbookingNow.com Newsletter, receive an email from me letting them know "it's that time again" and to head on over to this blog to leave a comment.


In 24 hours, someone's name will be picked "out of a hat" and they get to win this lovely Mini Album Kit!

If you're not already a subscriber, then be quick, else you'll have to wait till next month's Freebie Frenzy! Click here for more information and to sign up. Then come here and leave a comment.

But for those who have already received their Freebie Frenzy Email Alerts... you know what to do... post a comment on this post - and to make things more insteresting, this month I would like you to tell me what your favourite colour is please!!!

The kit up for grabs consists of a 7x5" PaperMania 12 page mini scrapbook album, with a window at the front to include a photograph (or title) and it has a pretty ribbon fastening.

I have included the following embellishments to compliment the mini Album:
Brads- dragonflies, stars, flowers and butterflies
Buttons - miced selection
'Splat' flowers - selection of sizes in 2 colours
Selection of ribbons (3x 1 metre)

So good luck everyone!

Scrapbooking - Blog Action Day

I mentioned last week about the fact that today was Blog Action Day. Well this year it's about Poverty.

I said... "I definitely have my views on this subject... but maybe not the sort you might think...! "

Well that's because I'm NOT going to talk about Poverty and ask you to think about giving more and caring more for those less fortunate than others!

"Then what ARE you going to talk about?" I hear you enquire.

Well... I'm going to talk about the COMPLETE OPPOSITE!

"Why?" you ask.

Because all the time we Talk, Think and Act about Poverty it is our focus of attention and the more you focus on something, the more of it you get.

I have talked about "The Secret" (see this post and the link within the post) which is about the Law of Attraction. And the Law of Attraction says that if you focus on something, you eventually get it! Good OR bad.

If we focus our attention on Poverty, we will get more of it! What we should be doing is focusing on the opposite... abundance. That may be very difficult for those who are poverty stricken at the moment, but people have pulled themselves from the gutter, ie homelessness, using this Law.

Even if you don't consider yourself in Poverty, and let's face it, if you are sitting in the comfort of your home, sitting at a computer reading this... then I don't think you are!, you could improve your life by doing ONE simple thing.

Want to know what it is?

Gratitude

We constantly remind our children to say thank you, but why? Because it is polite to do so, right? Well actually there is a LOT more to "thank you" than mere courtesy.

I'm not going to preach to you here, instead I will tell you of my own experience.

Since learning about the Law of Attraction around this time last year, materially I do not appear to be any better off.

But inside... I am a LOT better off. I have much more peace, so much so that people have commented on how much more confident and happier I look on the outside.

Now there are a number of reasons for this, but one of the things up there on the top of the list is that I have learnt to FEEL gratitude.

I don't just enjoy the blue sky and sunshine, or the beauty of a flower, I say thank you for it. And not to God, I am not a religious person, but I just say thank you and really feel it in my heart. I am fully in that feeling, maybe for only a fleeting moment, but it is there.

It was hard for me to know what it actually felt like at first, and I still can't hold on to the feelings for long, but it is starting to become automatic now that I can "really" appreciate things.

I think that one reason I didn't allow myself to "feel" gratitude in the past (and why it's still hard for me now because it is an ingrained habit) is that to feel grateful meant I was to feel vulnerable. It meant that I was weaker for opening up to this feeling. I realise now that maybe I was only subconsciously trying to protect myself from hurt, possibly a childhood habit that no longer serves me.

We are supposed to "appreciate what we have, while we strive to achieve what we want". And now I understand what that means...

Don't forget, or push to one side in your mind, the good that you already have around you, don't begrudge where you are now because it's not where you want to be. Embrace where you are right now, right this minute. Look around you, you will start to see all the things to be thankful for.

Even if you are reading this in a library, because you don't have a home PC, or even a home... be really thankful that the library has a PC for you to use, that you have your health, the clothes you are wearing.

If you know someone who is "on their knees" physically, mentally, or spiritually, ask them to identify something to be grateful for... the clothes on their back maybe, that they have a friend in you? If it's a beautiful day, they can feel "thank you" for the blue skies... if it's a rainy day, say thank you for the beauty in a raindrop. It's all there if we can but see it the right way.

Joe Vitale (Google him he's all over the place!LOL) said that when he was really struggling and in dire straights, he felt he had nothing to be thankful for, then he realised that he could be thankful for the pencil he was holding in his hand, that potentially he could write a masterpiece with it, that he could write his CV with it and get a job, etc. He is now a multi-millionaire... but he had to start somewhere.

When in Poverty there is more of an incentive to focus on improvement, but being "just ok" can be improved on too.

So be grateful today and always that you are not in poverty by being grateful that you are where you are, that you have good things all around you everyday. Be grateful for what you have now and you will attract more things to be grateful for.

And so to scrapbooking..? Time to start scrapbooking those things to be grateful for now. This is a great way to start a Random Mini Album (see SimplyScrapbookingNow.com website for article) because you can be grateful about all sorts of things, using different shapes and sizes of paper and other stash to show the diversification of all things around you.

I may have waffled a bit here, but I do hope it has made you think, even if for just a moment.

Couple more multiphoto layouts and an Award from Katy

Here are a couple more scrapbooking layouts created by UK Scrappers Members. They are from the challenge set my my Team last week (see Saturday's post).

A lot of ladies took part and that you to these ladies for allowing me to post their lovely layouts here.

So this layout is by Leanie

And this layout is by Tinkerbelle

I also have to say a BIG thank you to my friend Katy, for recently giving me this award. I'm glad you like the Blog Katy, I hope I can "continue with the good work"! I enjoy your blog too, especially all that "stash" you keep buying LOL! (Katy's Blog)

More Layouts using the Scrapbooking Sketch used this week on UK Scrappers

Here are 3 more 12x12 scrapbooking layouts based on the sketch and challenge set by our UK Scrappers Team. Again the names are those "handles" used on the UKS forum.

I must say I have enjoyed seeing all the Layouts that my fellow scrappers have created as a consequence of our Challenge. It just highlights how diverse all our techniques and skills and most of all interpretations are when it comes to Scrapbooking. Given the same 4 parameters but the layouts are fantastically different!

And one of the great parts of this challenge is that it is a "multiphoto" challenge too!

Layout by TracyTeabag

Layout by Tillybud

Layout by NoviceScrapper

Team RRR Layouts from This week's challenge on UKScrappers.co.uk

Here are some of my fellow team members' scrapbooking layouts based on the challenge (see yesterday's post), which includes my sketch.

The names below are "members nicknames" - as those used on UK Scrappers.co.uk

This Layout is by Pink Lady

This Layout is by CeruleanBlue

This layout is by Aurora

I shall post another 3 layouts tomorrow!

Scrapbooking Sketch used this week on UK Scrappers

Here is a 12x12 scrapbooking layout I created recently as an example to go with my sketch (below).

I created the sketch for my UK Scrappers Team - the Rockin' Ribbon Raiders - as part of our challenge for the rest of the members to take part.

There is a weekly challenge and it was our Team's turn to set one again this week.

So the challenge is:
Use my sketch
a 3 word title
3 of whatever you use i:e papers, ribbons or pictures etc other than the title
and someone or something inspirational

So far there have been many lovely page layouts made and some of them quite touching in their journaling.

Below is the sketch and underneath that the close up of the journaling on my page.

Tomorrow I shall post some of my fellow Teammies' scrapbooking layouts, so you can see some of the different layouts.

A hand made card from a Self confessed Non-Arty Person

Here is the card I was telling you about yesterday! How good is that!

Maybe I am more impressed because my sister made it, who is a self confessed non-arty person, although she makes things with her children and lovely "themed" birthday cakes, so she can't be that bad eh?!

Anyway, inside each "page" of this card is a couple of letters on a tag in a pocket, which when read consecutively spell the word Birthday!

I have it standing pride of place in my craft room... So the word "Happy" is staring at me all the time!

Good one Troy... thanks ever so for making the effort (as she said she thought she would make the effort for my 40th). It was well worth it, it shall be treasured!

Finished Simple Layout and an admission!

Ok, ok.... I'll come clean... it's my 40th birthday today!

Right, I've off loaded that burden of a secret! phew, now I can move on, LOL, No not really, just another day!

So... the Simply Layout... yep.... can you spot the difference between this one and the version from Tuesday?

Yes folks, it's a game of "spot the difference" !

Sun was a bit strong this afternoon when I took this picture (I am pleased to say) so the shadows are a bit strong and long... and shhh to all those with filthy minds.... you should be ashamed of yourselves! LOL

You know who you are! LOL again.

Any road up, as my Grandad used to say... I will post a picture tomorrow of a super birthday card from my sister, who is a self-confessed "Non-Arty" person! So lovely she made the effort, but I have to say it's in true "Scrapbookers" style! and I think a round of applause will be in order!

Blog Action Day - 15th October 2008

I have decided to take part in the Blog Action day again . Last year it was about the Environment and this year it is about Poverty.

I definitely have my views on this subject... but maybe not the sort you might think...!

So, stay tuned... on 15th October (next Wednesday) all will be revealed in my ramblings!

In the meantime, if you have a blog, pop over and sign up (click the image below) and become part of a HUGE event of one voice from a thousand mouths.

8x8 Scrapbooking Layout made in the Radio Studio!

This is the 8x8 scrapbooking Layout which I started in the BBC Radio studio yesterday morning!

I was trying to explain how simple it is to make ordinary pictures look fab by just mounting them on a bit of coloured card, patterned paper and the odd embellishment.

So I could leave this layout as it is, but I will add something else to it yet and then I will post another picture here and you can compare the two!

Lots of Scrapbooking "stuff" to show you later

I have finished my Radio Interview with BBC Radio Norfolk... I think it went well ! Hubby rang me on my mobile just after I had said goodbye - while I was still in the studio! Forgot to turn it off and nobody at the studio reminded me... they forgot too! LOL

Anyway, I did take in an 8x8 LO to do and did some of it, I will just add a couple of ribbons and then I will show it to you all. It's another one of Inde (my border collie)... so everyone get ready to say Ahhhhh! LOL

Right... I am off to walk the dogs right now and then take the final CJ (circle journal) back to it's originator... Katy, who happens to live in the next town and as I have to go there to take Toffee to the vet for a (hopefully final) checkup, I thought I'd drop it off.

It's ok, I've taken photos... and will be posting them on here shortly.

Oh and yes, almost forgot... my team on UKScrappers (the Rockin' Ribbon Raiders) are providing this week's UKScrappers Challenge and I provided the sketch! So I have those items to post on here too!

Told you there was lots!

See ya laters!

Scrapbooking Radio Interview

Hi, tomorrow (Monday 6th) I have to make my way up to Norwich (England) to the BBC studios!

I have been asked to join BBC Radio Norfolk for a chat about Scrapbooking!

This is because I run the Crop called ScrapBuddies in Ditchingham in Norfolk, and they want to tell their listeners about all things Scrapbooking!

They have asked me to take a few things in... what a dilema... I want to take it all in!! LOL But I have selected only a few items (tools of the trade) and a couple of my albums.

AND... this morning it was "chucking it down" with rain... real Hollywood rain (you know the type - torrential!) and so I sat on the floor of my room strapping a big plastic bag with gaffa tape (duck take) around my PaperMania scrapbooking rolling Tote, which is most definitely NOT waterproof and I may well have a bit of a walk from the carpark to the Studios! Not taking any chances with that one!!

Hopefully it will be dry... I'd rather look a prat pulling along a black bin liner with wheels than have my tote and it's contents go all soggy! LOL

Anyway, the program starts at 10am (BST... obviously) so supposedly my dulcet tones will be filling the airwaves between 10 and 11am after which they say "go before you bore us to death with your scrapbooking!!!" LOL

Scrapbooking Video - "How to make a background paper with a photocopier and pencil shavings!

Yes... that's right... pencil shavings! LOL

I have made this video to show you how easy, and effective, it is to create some scrapbooking background paper by scanning in/colour photocopying objects - in this case Colourful pencil shavings from the leftovers of having to sharpen my daughters pencils before she went to school!

At the time I made the photocopies, which I plan to use for a scrapbooking layout soon, I also took a scan. When I have made my own page layout, I will create a file of the background paper in either 8x11 or 8x8 (or both!) for you all to download.

So I hope you enjoy the video!

Finished multiphoto layout from the latest Newsletter Sketch

Good evening lovely scrappers!

I've had lots of lovely feedback from Newsletter subscribers which is really nice, so many thanks to you all for that! It is helpful to have such feedback, especially your suggestions for what you would like me to cover in the next issue.

This picture is of a layout by Dawn in the UK who created it from the Sketch in the new Newsletter which was only published yesterday! Well done Dawn, how quick were you!!

If you would like to see the October Sketch and an example layout, you'll need to sign up for the free Newsletter (boxes top left), but I can say that Dawn's scrapbooking layout is quite true to the sketch.

It is so nice to see some real scrapbooking creations made as a direct result of my blog or websites... makes it all worthwhile - and the more the merrier!