More Circle Album pages, the Seaside & an Autumn walk

Sunday's Weekly Scrapbooking Round-Up 25th October 2009

A few posts this week... excuse me while I keep this short! Click on the titles to see the full articles. I will be posting more finished pages next week.... oh and a card.

More Circle Mini Album Pages
Ok, so… as promised in the previous post here are the other pages I created in my circle mini album.

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Southwold Seaside Pictures
My mum visited us last weeked for a couple of days and we managed some scrapbooking together, which was nice. She bought me some stash for my birthday, including a pack of Basic Grey “Porcelain” and some Rhonna Farrer mini bag-o-buttons in “French Twist” Colours - both being basically pale greens and pinks… which happen to be my mum’s favourites… luckily I quite like them too!...

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Autumn Photos
I am very pleased (on a regular basis) that I finally took the plunge to get a mobile phone with a decent camera in it! I even saved myself £10 per month in the process which was a bonus! But it means I can take pictures wherever I go, as I almost always have the phone with me....

Sunday's Weekly Scrapbooking Round-Up 31 May 09

Hello, I hope you have had a good week. I have had a very "Scrapbooky" week I am pleased to say! I had some scrapbooking time with my Mum on a recent visit to her house (once we managed to get my daughter in bed for the evening!) and I made a couple of pages, bought some stash (actually quite a bit...sshhhh!) and then spent yesterday at an all day (10.30-4) local crop where I managed the best part of 2 pages, but have to finish them off here.

Right now (after writing this post) I have to continue setting up a new website for my husband! Phew!

So... on to scrappy links for you this week.

I posted an article about two ways to get scrapping if you have frozen yourself into inaction because you believe that you have a mountain of photos that you SHOULD scrapbook. One of them includes making pages without photos (as in the picture above)! It also includes a snazzy photo viewer which I have just installed on the SundayLDesigns.com blog too. Click here to read more>>

I can't post the other finished layout as it has been submitted to a magazine, which reminds me that now that my last layout was published and the issue is on sale now, I must ask the Editor if I can share my page on my blog now!

Below is just one of many beautiful layouts by Chelsea Cook, I do like her style. I am very much "into" the edge curling and "softly shabby" look and seem to be creating similar style pages myself at the moment. And actually, looking at Chelsea's layouts has reminded me of an idea I had a while ago, which was to regularly scraplift a page from a blog and show you my version along with the original (with links of course). So I think I will start with one of Chelsea's scrapbooking pages seeing as they are so beautiful... let's see if I can do justice... the only problem is... which one to pick!

Visit Chelsea's blog to see more (one word of caution is that there is music that plays automatically, but no way of turning it off that I can see, so beware if your speakers are up loud, autoplay music can cause me a problem sometimes as I often blog-hop late at night, within feet of a sleeping hubby and daughter!) An alternative is to visit Chelsea's Gallery on createmykeepsake.com.

A while ago I wrote some articles about Why we should Scrapbook Ourselves. This was in response to conversations I had had with ladies about creating self-portrait pages. I think it is a lot more "normal" now to make pages about yourself including photos of yourself, but many still believe it is a bit self-indulgent. Frankly, the hobby itself (as with any hobby - it being something you do for your own amusement) is self-indulgent so let's brush that aside and get scrapping ourselves. We can learn a lot about ourselves by doing so, not to mention learning about (and connecting with) others who shares their thoughts and pictures.

Anyway, as I am writing an ebook about to "How to Photograph Yourself the Easy Way with Great Results", I thought I would post the article on the new blog. Here is the link to "Why we should Scrapbook Ourselves>>

You Too can Take Self Portrait Photos

I am currently writing another book! I am tailoring a version of it specifically for scrapbookers!

The book is about how you can take a self portrait photograph in the comfort and, most importantly, privacy of your own home, with little equipment.

The reason I am tailoring for scrapbookers is because I believe it is important for scrapbookers to have and, if possible, be proud of (or at least pleased with) a photograph of themselves.

This is important because these people can feel much more comfortable making pages about themselves.

And why is That important... well a lot of scrappers have children which would enjoy seeing photogrpaphs of their mum, they won't care what the photo looks like, but mum does, so always shys away from cameras... am I right? And the same goes for anyone with relatives frankly, we all want to have nice pictures of our friends and relatives.

Well with my up coming book, showing step by step instructions, you will be able to.

Take this photograph as an example. I took it today with my daughter's camera. (We spent all of £29 on a little digital camera for her - a proper one, but for £29 it's no Fuji or Canon I can tell you - but it was better than the toy ones for resulting pictures!)

Anyway... quite often this camera has real trouble with over exposure and the end result can be useless. However, this self portrait is very over exposed, but it works! It can take quite a bit of fiddling in a photo editing programme to get the same effect - an effect often used in magazines!

I have not edited this photograph at all, I have merely cropped in tight to discard the background (which happened to be my very messy craft room as I was in the middle of a scrapbooking page this afternoon!)

Now in case you are thinking that the "bleached out" look isn't to your taste, let me just tell you that I had no make-up on at the time, apart from some lipstick! And although I would love to say my complexion is glowing at all times, sadly it is not. The bleached out (overexposed) effect of the photograph is flattering in that it has belached out all imperfections of my skin! A real bonus if you are unhappy with your complexion for whatever temporary, or permanent reason.

So even with a Really cheap digital camera, half way decent photos can be achieved almost "by mistake"!

Watch this space for more news on the Self Portrait Photography book.

Video Tip for printing your photographs for scrapbooking by Sunday L

Here is a short (2 minutes) video explaining a quick tip about printing your photographs so that you can get some scrapbooking done! Stop Worrying so much about quality and just get scrapbooking!

Scrapbooking Layout - Single Photo - "It's Time"

This 12x12 scrapbooking layout is a pretty simple one, it's a single picture and pretty monochromatic design! The photograph is the one I posted a few posts back, about my "micky take" on the Vogue models looking so serious and gloomy all (well most) of the time. The magazine could do with a few more smiley faces - and frankly so could the catwalks!




Anyway, that's the reason for the expression!

But I used this picture to do some experimenting in Photoshop Elements and thought I would actually use the resulting image.

I drained some of the colour and used a couple of filters, the most noticeable being one which makes the photograph look like it has been sketched with pencil, (not that you can really see it, so here is an enlargement... the sketchiness is most noticeable on the bag). I also made the whites of my eyes more white - maybe a bit creepy?! LOL



It's quite a cheap page really, I used ordinary paper for the photograph (as opposed to photographic paper - see this video TIP about this), one piece of grey 12x12 cardstock and the flowers were from a bloom which I took apart so a few pence each, and the other bits and pieces were fairly inexpensive too.

In case you are wondering... as my husband was when he came over to inspect... the title - "It's Time" refers to a number of things, and so I haven't elaborated on the scrapbooking page.

It's Time refers to...

• time for me to start contributing more to the family's coffers,


• time for me to start believing in myself and my abilities,


• time for change with regards to the things (possessions) in my life, ie, buying a coloured (multi-coloured no less!) handbag, that isn't the utilitarian black or brown thing that goes everywhere,


• time for a new house,


• time for me to cease curbing my own creativity for fear of critism or rejection...

need I go on... I told you there were a number of things! It's a bit of a "catch all" scrapbooking layout... and will go into my BOM (Book of Me) Album. I think there may well be more as I continue my search for life answers!


Talking of which here is a link to a website to do with scrapbooking your emotions, I reckon everyone should should be scrapbooking their emotions - it's a very cathartic experience!


Although I have just looked up the dictionary definition for "cathartic"... and I never knew that!!!!!!

Another "Tips Video" on photo cropping & Easily Made Favours Bag

Hello, We had a great afternoon at the ScrapBuddies Crop yesterday! (where we do Scrabooking and Cardmaking and, well, just about any papercrafting to be honest!) My demonstration was about "how to make a 2-5-7-10 bag".

I decided, as the bag is sooooo easy to make, that rather than me demo it and then members make it, we all worked along together (those that wanted to join in that is - as ScrapBuddies is a very relaxed group and you can join in if you wish or just carry on with your own projects!)



Above are some examples of some of the members' completed projects which they managed in no time at all. I did hand out a free template for everyone, (I always provide a free hand-out at the crops).

Next time I will be demonstrating Hybrid Crafting, and there will be a free kit available for anyone attending, but make sure you email me befre 6th April so that I can send you a link for the download that you can print out and bring with you.

As for other things, the ICanCraftNow.com website is almost up and running, and the free hybrid card kit will be available for all very soon! I'm just putting the final touches to the matching items which will be available to purchase such as a matching envelope, tag, scrapbooking papers, and a brag book and mini bag which will come along a little later. I'm also not going to make you all wait till I have my shopping cart installed either, that will come later, so buy now buttons will be available. I'm getting really excited about it all now!

Right then, I have another video for you... and don't forget that there are more posted every month in the SimplyScrapbookingNow.com Newsletter, sign up and you'll get them first!

This video is about Photo Cropping Tips for Scrapbook Pages



I hope you find the video useful!

Some Summertime warmth to cheer the heart

Hi there,

I was just going through my photos to pick out some for my mini album (which is actually for my hubby for valentines too!) and I ran across some that I took last summer! Look...

You can just feel the warmth can't you... BUT... don't sigh in sadness that it's not like that now... sigh in thankfulness that it was and will be again and the beauty of nature never fails to lift the heart, even in the depths of winter.

Take a moment to "breath in" the warmth of the sun in this picture (briefly close your eyes if necessary), FEEL the warmth on your skin and enjoy the "shabby chic" (a very "in" phrase at the mo) of this simple "Rock Rose" flower with it's delicate crumpled petals.

I just wanted to share this simple beauty with you!

Colourful Scrapbooking Layout and the snow!

Hello there! Well all the snow has gone grom my part of the world, much to my daughter's dismay this morning! And to think I was pulling her along on a sled yesterday afternoon! Ah the joys of English weather!

My Mum, who lives only 160 miles to the south (and westish) of me has over a foot of the white stuff! She did send me some photos, but I didn't mention it to Honey as I thought it would be a bit like "rubbing salt in the wound" as they say... anyway... I've included some pictures for you down below.

But I did promise I would show you a colourful layout I made on Sunday.

I made the layout specifically to show an example of a free download which is available in the Februrary issue of the Newsletter.

It is a set of printables (words and alphabet) fo colouring in any way you fancy. I used coloured pencils here as I wanted that "Sketchy" feel, but you can be as creative as you like with doodling, patterns, pens, pencils, paints... the world is your oyster!

So here is one of the photos my mum sent up from the south of England! I particularly like the cones of snow on the top of the lanterns!

Colours - inspiration from everywhere

Look at these photos... aren't they lovely. I think they are beautiful !

They evoke an emotion.. at least they do in me.

I realise that the photographer has "fiddled" with these shots, but still... the one of the boardwalk is fairly true to nature.

Twilight is my very favourite time of day. My hubby reckons Dawn is best, but I'll take his word for it, I am a night person, not a morning person!

Sometimes, on my way home from work (this was before my daughter came along) I would park my car a short way from my house (at the time we lived amongst fields) on a high spot where I could soak up the soft rays of the autumn or spring evening sun. It was a lovely feeling. Sigh.

The pictures here are from the "sunset of the Day" widget on the left hand side of this blog, courtesy of Blogger (scroll down a bit if necessary), so you can all enjoy these lovely photos.

Oh and by the way... it's official, Santa has finally finished wrapping my daughter's presents... wink wink!

Party Planning all day! oh and some Bonfire Night photos

I feel as though I have spent the whole day browsing the internet looking for suitable party goods for my daughter's 5th Birthday party coming up soon.

I really wanted to give it a break... there are only so many party bags and party plates you can take in one day... but I made myself finish and ended up ordering £60 of stuff from to online shops!!!

Still I'm hoping now that apart from the food and drink (which will be extremely simple!), oh and the cake of course, I have sorted the expense side of the party and just (she says rolling her eyes) work out how to entertain 20 kids for 2 hours! LOL.

Actually I do have a "cunning plan", but need to sort out the games and time table... military operation and all that, what what!!

I might set up a Kid's Party Planning Business !LOL

Anyway, other things... It was lovely weather for the fireworks on Friday evening, and the weather has not been good since, so in true "English" fashion... I'll say ... "we were lucky with the weather" LOL

I took some photos, before my batteries gave up... on the camera you understand... not mine! LOL

Would you combine such colours for a Scrapbooking Page?

Well, in the wake of uploading the latest issue (November) of the SimplyScrapbookingNow.com Newsletter last night, I am currently in the process of "clearing the decks"!

Goodness me it is a mess in here! Mostly of paperwork and not of craft stuff unfortunately, but my aim is get stuck into a page or two tomorrow.

Honey has not one, but two birthday parties to go to tomorrow! What it is to be popular eh?!! LOL

Anyway... Have you worked out what the top picture here is yet?

Well it's a photograph from one of the winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the year 2008. And actually the picture intrigued me, but that's not why I post it here... I actually think that the little write up that went with it was beautifully written! It is posted below exactly as I found it on msn news.

The second picture I do post here for aesthetic reasons... such beauty in nature... such superb colours. It is a "Carmine bee-eater"... um I wonder what he likes to eat?!

A fabulous photograph!

Anyway, I give you the write up with that picture as the text is evocative too.

Now would you think to put those colours together in a scrapbooking layout? Nature.... doesn't have any rules... and neither should we!

(For the TOP picture)
Baris Koca, Turkey: Starling genie (Animal Behaviour: Birds)
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008
Birds are among the most popular subjects for photographers entering the competition, but the challenge is to take a picture with aesthetic appeal that also shows active or interesting behaviour. At Lake Mogan, near Ankara in Turkey, the photographer tried over and over again, day after freezing day, to capture the amazing shape-shifting of the flocks of starlings coming into roost, but none of his attempts did the spectacle justice. Then, one weekend, something different happened. The lake was frozen, and so he was able to stand facing the reeds with the sun behind him. As usual, at around 5pm, thousand-strong flocks of starlings wheeled in over the horizon to merge into dense super-flocks, providing half an hour of incredible aerobatic routines. Then, as the sun set, the birds pirouetted into the spotlight of its rays, and the perfect picture was created. As they descended, their wings sounded like soft clapping. It was ‘so relaxing’ that he stopped taking photographs and just listened. Then the starlings twittered down into the reeds, and the curtain of darkness fell.

(For the BOTTOM picture)
Chris van Rooyen, South Africa: Bee-eater ballet (Animal Portraits)
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008
This category, one of the most popular in the competition, invites portraits that capture the character or spirit of an animal in an original and memorable way. A boat moored on the Zambezi was the perfect hide from which to observe the colony. At least 1,000 carmine bee-eaters were breeding in this area of riverbank, in Caprivi, Namibia – one of the largest colonies in southern Africa. Whenever a loitering raptor drifted too close, a burst of carmine would explode from the numerous burrows. Activity was constant and the birds never stopped chirruping to each other as they chased insects. “I had the distinct impression some were just having fun,” says Chris. “They would weave around in the wind, hover in the updraft created by the riverbank, and then fold their wings to parachute back into the nest-hole.”

Words By Benjamin Chernivsky
Photographer, MSN UK News
For more information about the photographs visit Natural History Museum: official website

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...!!!

Photo fun! You on the BIG Screen

I have subscribed to FotoJojo.com... a fun website I have mentioned before. They have some great, sometimes weird ideas for your photos!


Well today's newsletter was all about a website where you choose a scene and then upload a photo (of yourself or anything else) and voila...!


You on a 50ft bill board!!! Fantastic fun... here are a couple I did really quickly!!! Great fun... go on have a go!



My first Vogue cover!!!!!!







Even Posh endorses this blog!!! Allegedly!

This should prove the phrase...

"Never believe all that you see!"

Feet Scrapbooking Album !!!

I mentioned a short while ago about a website/newsletter call Photojojo.com (see this post)

Well on the sale site/newsletter there was an article about a different kind of holiday photo album... "Photos of my feet"!!!

So in the true spirit of joining in the fun... and because we were visiting the same hotel, etc as the previous 3 years (it's just easier with a youngster) I decided to snap a few shots myself for a mini album!

Have to say I forgot to take a lot of them (not a usual thing to take photos of your feet ya know! lol)!

Ah one by the pool! Felt a bit of twit taking a pic of my feet, I just pretended I was reviewing the pictures on the back of my camera!!!!

Simple Layouts and different photographs

I was looking through my "Blog feeds" recently and noticed a post from the Paper Pesto blog.

Unfortunately I clicked on the link for more information, in other words to take me to the post on the Paper Pesto blog, but for some reason it couldn't manage it.

So I copied the small amount I had on my blog feed (it takes a copy) and I post it here. The reason I do this is for two reasons. One is for the layouts, I thought they were a good example of some very simple, but effective scrapbooking layouts.

Ideal for scraplifting!

The "green" page entitled "She seeks" I thought was a particularly clever title. Says enough about the photograph. Is it part of the "She seeks sea shells on the sea shore" do you think?

The other reason I wanted to share these with you was because of the photographs themselves .

Both photographs are not your "standard" portraits, and yet portray enough to make a lovely scrapbooking page... don't you think? Nicely understated I think, and great inspiration to attempt the less rigid and predictable portrait shots.

This link will take you to the Paper Pesto blog - to a post with a number of lovely layouts to admire!

Anyway the text with these two pages is below...

Love these layouts from Fi using the May kit. She’s brought a little of the outdoors inside using that lovely cherry blossom twig on her ’seek’ page. She’s also wrapped her felt butterfly in thin wire to create the antennae and body shape.For ‘cheeky’, she has used the bright blues and yellows from the kit( Sassafrass lass and double-mates cardstock) to reflect the feel of the photo. She has also placed a piece of basic grey elephant paper from her stash down the side and stitched everything together to help tie everything in.

Pep up your photographs for your scrapbooking layouts

I came across a website which is great for tips on taking, and using great photos.

It's called http://photojojo.com/ and is an amusing read... below is an excerpt. It is actually a free subscription newsletter site, but you can check out the archives.

Here's an amusing entry...

How To Take Group Photos That Rawk!


The goggling stares. The stiff, tortured stances. The false grins. The symptoms are all there.
You’ve got a bad case of Group Photo.
Fear not! Dr. Jojo, photoologist, at your service. And I’ve got a patent-pending, never-fail, miracle cure that’ll have you taking happy, fun group portraits whenever you want!
Here’s how:

Step 1: Set the timer on your camera. Make it short, like ten seconds.
Step 2: Arrange everybody in your shot, making the sure the camera’s zoomed out enough so you won’t cut off anybody’s head.
Step 3: Here’s the tricky part: have everybody that’s going to be in the photo come around behind the camera.
(Except Great Aunt Lily who don’t move so good. She can stay.)
Step 4: Ready? Press the button! Now everybody has to run to get into the photo before the timer goes off. Yikes! Hurry!
Now wasn’t that fun? And we can almost guarantee you’ve got a picture of smiling people actually enjoying themselves. Maybe even injuring themselves!

Now if you can just convince them all to do it one more time...

Snow's gone!

Well we had snow here at the top end of Suffolk (UK), but it didn't stay for long.

Still my daughter can now stop complaining that she hasn't been able to make a snowman! She had a great time with Daddy, playing in the snow with some neighbours in the playground behind the houses here.

My husband commented that it was all dads with the kids apart from one mum that was out with her son, but that was only because his daddy was at work!

Well I said, that's because us women as daft enough to go outside and get totally wet and freezing cold! (there are exceptions I realise, but on the whole us women know when to stay indoors in the warm!) LOL.

Anyway, I didn't manage to get any decent photos of the snow this time round! tut!

The bottom photo here is of the view out of my office/craft room window and the very black sky. trouble is... with the camera on "auto" it tries to compensate for the stark contrast and so the resulting picture isn't quite a striking as it was in real life!

Why we should scrapbook ourselves part 5 - "From Me to You"

This is the next instalment of the "why we should scrapbook ourselves"(WWSSO) series of posts. Part 4 was about "Scrapbooking our Love". Creating layouts showing who, what or where we love most.

So this is about the Valentines mini album (as promised). I know I have recently posted my 2008 Valentine mini album, but this one is actually from last year.

I have included it in the WWSSO series because in these books I have also scrapbooked myself!

You see your husband/boyfriend/(girlfriend/wife for the men scrapbookers out there) want to "see you". Think about it... Isn't nice to have a good photograph of them? Don't you feel proud? Well it is the same for them?

We all have to "get over" this label - accusation if you will - of vanity. If you're caught looking in a mirror (other than when getting ready to go out, or similar situation) a flippant comment can be that you're vain? Quite often meant in jest, and often it starts from childhood. My daughter likes to look at herself in the mirror... family make little comments about it. All harmlessly meant, but it has an effect I think.

Society has made us feel self-conscious of our own bodies and faces and that it is bad to "look" at ourselves unless it's to get something out of our eye! LOL

So... if you want to give your other half something nice for valentines, or anniversary, or maybe just to say Thank you, make a little album with YOU in it for them, Put in some of you and them together, even if you have to use two smaller cut outs from different photos, it's still inferring togetherness if you place them on a page together, right?!

I think you'll find the recipient will be pleased, even if he/she pretends that they dislike all your "arty-farty paper stuff"! And even if you don't do a whole album, just a nice photo on a card says so much more than just pretty colours and patterns and embellishments.

And it doesn't have to be for spouses, my mum likes to get pictures of her daughters and granddaughters, so I include up-to-date ones on her cards.

Come on everyone... Stop hiding and start showing!

I'll post the rest of the album tomorrow.

Make a montage - use up your photo frames

I was doing a bit of tidying up (rare thing I know but has been known to happen LOL!) and I came across a couple of photo frames that I have been given - some of them my hubby had rescued from someone throwing them out which have naff prints in them. (Only the best for me! LOL)

I was keeping them for a nice photograph, 5x7 or 8x10" size, you know the sort of thing.

Well I thought "why don't I just make up a montage of a few photos to place in these frames!"

So, that is what I shall be doing! I will probably use a digital layout format, although as long as no raised embellishments are used, I could make up a montage using traditional scrapbooking techniques.

The difference between what I am suggestion here and a scrapbook page...?

Well a straight montage is just a collection of photos placed together really, as opposed to a scrapbook layout which includes other things, but I will probably do a bit of both.

So if you have some unused frames that you would like to have displaying something rather than stuck in a drawer waiting... why not arrange a 2 or 3 photos on a piece of background paper instead of waiting for one big photo. You can always replace the montage when you find that photo that's just right... but I bet you won't want to!

The photos here are just a couple more of my Inde. The one below where he's jumping all over me trying to lick my face, hence the expression, was taken by my daughter! (with my Digital SLR! - and yes I always make her put the strap around her neck, because it's heavy and prone to being dropped by little hands!!)

A Beaming Smile!

I couldn't resist putting these pictures up here tonight! Self indulgence maybe, but as much as a laugh can be infectious, I believe a genuine smile can be too!

This is my daughter having real fun trying to master the art of "rising trot", during a private riding lesson this morning! She was failing miserably, although she was trying to get the hang of it!

I realise that I am her mummy, so may well be biased, but I know a true smile of joy when I see one!

I AM SO THANKFUL FOR MY CAMERA!!

What would we be without our photographs... eh...? Well we certainly would find scrapbooking difficult now wouldn't we! LOL!

But there are some photos that just say it all! And these are amongst them!

By the way - I shall be making an announcement soon about some freebies that will be available when you sign up for interest in my new Scrapbooking ebook, more details soon!