one little word™ | focus

It's been a struggle to find my word this year.

For a while there, I thought I would be spending 2014 with GRACE, but the more I thought about it, the further that seemed from the right word.

I looked at HONOUR, and RESPECT, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that I needed FOCUS in my days.

I started scouring pinterest for interesting quotes. And I signed up for Ali Edwards workshop, too (I confess, I signed up for the workshop before I found my word.)

And now that I've claimed FOCUS as my word, my head feels clearer, ready to journey into 2014 and see what the year holds.

Have you chosen a word for 2014?

{you can see past words linked through this post}

{linked up with Maxabella Loves}

10 things I've learnt from photos

linking up to 10 things [Shimelle suggested 10 things you've learnt, in honour of Learn Something New Every Day]

I learnt that everyone loves new sheets

I learnt that sometimes my ideas work the first time. [today's project for And Sew We Craft.]

I learnt that a beautiful cover can make all the difference when writing.

I learnt to check jars more often.

I learnt that once everyone else has the fun things to play with, he will want them too.

I learnt that sometimes you just have to wear the hat.

I learnt everything in boxes keeps the wildlife out.

I learnt that a boy with a stick is entertained for hours.

 I learnt that I didn't have enough changes of clothes for a toilet-training boy on a camping adventure.

I learnt that I don't mind taking selfies if I've got my sunglasses on.

What have you learnt this month?

blogging from the heart

I've whined shared a little bit that September is a busy month for me. Mostly because of the number of online classes that I've signed up for (but also because I'm juggling scouts, scouts training, a special project, and life). One of the courses I've signed up for is Blogging from the Heart with Susannah Conway.

I've wanted to do the course since I first heard about it over a year ago, but the time was never right until now (and I'm still not totally convinced the timing is right) We're on day 3 of course material (sometimes, time zone differences are a curse!), and I'm struggling already. (surprise, surprise!)

But not for the reasons you might think.

At the moment, it's slow paced - identify some blogs that inspire you, write a mission statement, think about your page design. All stuff that I've been thinking about lately with my journey into blogging.

But the bit that I'm struggling with is that I feel like I'm the only one who has been blogging for a long time.

There's a facebook group for class participants to chat in, and there's been lots of discussion from students who are scared to post. Who can't get past the perfectionism of their thoughts. Or who want to figure out the balance before they put fingers to keys and start typing.

I'm struggling with that.

Because if I had ever stopped to think about the title of my blog, the words I shared, the quality of my photos, I may never have started.

And I'm so grateful I did start blogging all those years ago.

I hear it said over and over again in my life that to get anything done you have to begin. And I find that is never truer than when I'm procrastinating, putting off something, afraid to press publish. (I've actually never been afraid to press publish, and some of the posts I'm proudest of have been written through the haze of tears.)

How do you push yourself to begin?

wellness | MMEW January

I shared last week that I joined Weight Watchers for the first time ever. And that I was taking Cathy Zielske's class at BPC. Spending Sunday washing loads of clothes recovering from camping, I forgot about class starting until late, and didn't download and print anything until Monday.

There was a pre-class task, to photograph your shoes, and write out your intention for the year.

You also had to photograph yourself, and share five things you do well.

January's tasks included sharing your story of how you got to here.

{The spot on the right is for a photo of me, where I'm at now. I've taken the photo, but need to print it}

And to share your numbers (which haven't changed in a year), and choose one thing to focus on this month. My one things is to eat one serve of fruit each day. (lucky for me, grapes are in season!)

I think I'm going to be able to make it work this month.

{did you know pavlova with cream, banana and passionfruit is only 6 ProPoints?}

100 days to Christmas | Christmas classes

I might be thinking about taking these classes, or just sharing them because I think they're pretty cool and worth looking at.

{12 days to Christmas}

Who doesn't love BPC classes? But the thing I love most about a class like this is getting so many different perspectives on the same time of year or idea. I love Karen Grunberg's style, and Elizabeth Dillow, Stacey Julian, May Flaum, Amy Tan are all swoon-worthy.

{Holiday Templates}

I took this class last year. But our Christmas season was so wet that hardly any photos exist, so I never really created anything. But the freebies alone are worth it! A little piece of me is thinking about signing up just for the freebies.

{Get Organised for the Holidays}

I love the sound of this class - and Aby has been running a series on her blog this month called "get your home ready for the holidays"

{Journal Your Christmas 2011}

I haven't finished a journal yet, but I love reading the prompts, talking about it with the family, and seeing what everyone else creates.

There is also a super-awesome online crop this weekend to help you get a jump-start on creating for Christmas.

{Holiday Card Boot Camp}

This class is already running - I won a place from Lain at Layout-A-Day, but I'm still waiting to hear from the class teacher.

Have I missed any classes (besides December Daily)? Will you be taking any of these classes this year?

pretty paper party | collector, sorter, packer?

I always sign up for Shimelle's classes as soon as they are announced, usually before I even know what they'll be about!

This time, it seems to be just the right topic to actually get me shuffling paper! Granted, I was only shuffling paper to figure out what sort of paper hoarder scrapbooker I am, but I have a nice clean desk, ready to pack away for a crop tonight.

The very first thing I figured out while shuffling paper (actually, I knew it already, but I didn't want to own up to it) is that I do.not.keep.paper.scraps. At all. Which ties in to my collection packer status - buying every paper in a range, because I will love every paper in the range. As you can see above with the new American Crafts Amy Tangerine line (which my LSS does not carry. I keep nagging asking, and now that AC owns Crate Paper and Studio Calico it might just happen!)

Today I discovered an unopened collection package of Echo Park's Country Drive. I also have every paper from the Summer Days range. And random papers from Happy Days, Little Girl and Little Boy. And a couple of releases from 3 Bugs in a Rug (still one of my favourites).

These are the only four sheets of paper from the Little Girl range. The stripes and spots still make my heart happy, even if I had forgotten put them aside to use on a special project.

And this is my current paper. I'm going to have to rethink this, because it's standing.on.my.desk. But for now, I know what's there. Down the bottom are kits I've purchased from Scrapbook Savvy. I've really enjoyed using kits lately, not having to think about what papers go with what embellishments, and just creating. Then up from the kits is my kraft and white cardstock (doodlebug lilly white). Then it's a few sheets from Echo Park's Holly Jolly, AC Amy Tangerine, EP Little Girl, EP For The Record, Crate Paper Random, Authentique {something - I didn't write anything down, just going from memory}, Crate Paper Peppermint, EP Happy Days, EP Summer Days, EP Little Boy, October Afternoon {something that I thought was cute for a page about ME}, the something I can't remember, and a pile of EP Walk in the Park for my Ali Edwards One Little Word album. At the very top is a couple of racks of coloured cardstock, which I haven't used for a few years on a regular basis, but every now and then I decide to pull out a sheet..

Phew, that's a lot of paper! And a HUGE amount of Echo Park paper! The empty box beside the rack is so I can start collecting scraps of paper. Because it makes sense to keep the smaller pieces in a box, rather than on a rack. And it's more likely to get used than dropped down the back of the desk.

And finally, I picked out a few papers that made me smile. I've never really liked yellow for scrapping, but fr some reason, I seem to have a lot of it around lately. And those big floral prints are super-awesome. I also have lots of blue, but star-polka-dots really are cool... in fact, that's probably one piece of paper I'll have to buy another sheet of.

Which manufacturer do you have the most paper from?

just one question

If you've been following my blog for any period of time (thank you!), you know that I love taking online classes. You would also be aware that the only class I have ever finished was Stories in Hand by Jessica Sprague in late 2008 (I think?) I most love to take classes from Shimelle Laine, and have discovered some pretty amazing blogs in the process.

{source}

A new class started yesterday - Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers. I'm excited for this class, because I've been trying to figure out how to take my blog to the "next level", and what that really means for me.

So today, I have a burning question. Something I've wanted to try for a long time, but haven't been brave enough to do. Something that I'm inspired to try when I see posts like this and this and this. And I'm wondering if you do it?

Do you art journal?

blogging for scrapbookers | link love

In 2009 I shared 5 random links which developed into a semi-regular series in 2010. I'me a bit behind the times, and haven't really searched etsy before, so I though that might be fun to do for this prompt (and it helps me generate ideas for Christmas - yes, it's on my mind already)

{source}

Beautiful felted soap, useful and pretty.

(I wonder how hard it would be to make?)

{source}

I've been looking at these patterns for awhile now.

I can definately see these being made for the kids this Christmas

{source}

Because I've never used Etsy before, I'm a bit unsure how to search for things.

I found this shirt by using the shop by colour search, and randomly clicking on a pretty colour.

{source}

I wore dichroic glass jewellery for my wedding.

I can see my sister wearing these.

(found by searching through a treasury)

{source}

I know a big girl who is just starting to show interest in jewellery.

And a couple of little girls trying to copy the big girl.

(found by searching "handmade", "ceramic", "jewellery")

blogging for scrapbookers | my intentions

I giggled when I read my intentions post from the last running of class - I've got a sick bubba again today, and haven't been able to create my scrap layout!

• I will post each prompt to my blog (but probably a day or two behind)
• I will create a layout for each prompt. I'm thinking 6x12, but I need to start playing to see where it takes me.
• I will read all the blog posts shared during the class, and comment as applicable
• I want to share more stories on my blog
• I want to build community through my blog
• I want to share more everyday moments through my blog

 I'm looking forward to the journey that we're going to be taking together over the next three weeks.

wellness | finding your way

After I finished LOAD on Monday, I decided to sign up for Karen Grunberg's class at BPC (did you know you get rewards for buying BPC classes? For every $10, get a star, every 10 stars gets you $10 off. I forgot about it, and had two vouchers waiting for me! And if there's anybody left in the world who isn't a member at BPC, click this link to be referred by me, and we'll both receive 10% off our next class)

Layout-a-day definately helped get me scrapping again, and I've remembered some of the things that help make my pages authentic, but there's some stuff that I'm still struggling with, so I thought this class would help. When I made the decision in January to complete layout-a-day for February I went back to Karen's summary post last June from her  layout-a-day project (which is what she based her BPC class on) and scratched out some notes that would help me stay up-to-date. Those notes went like this -

sketches

• ella books
• 2 peas in a bucket
• something from almost nothing

products

• basic grey product of the month kits
• white/kraft cardstock
• my minds eye
• echo park

techniques

• paint/ink
• stamping
• stitching/sewing
• fabric

tools

• border punches
• butterfly punch

I also decided to get some photos printed in a mix of sizes - 4x6, 3x4 and 2x3

What I learned about this list while doing my layout-a-day project

Sketches - I had a couple of pages of favourite layouts from two peas printed out, and a couple of pages from pagemaps, and I referred to these constantly for a spark of sketchy inspiration. I only looked through my folder of ella books once, but was too pressed for time to follow through on the idea I had. I completely forgot about using something from almost nothing.

• I'm still in the scraplift/seek inspiration/use a sketch stage.
• I need to write down those sparks of inspiration so I can remember them next time.

 Products - I don't love Basic Grey as much as I used to. I went through a stage of buying every new release, which was part of the reason that I signed up for the product of the month kits. But I don't like the products. I'm going to complete the suggested layouts in the kits, because it could be that I just haven't played with it enough lately, but it might not be.

• having a kit of products, or matching embellishments, helps reduce the embellishment-anxiety I seem to be suffering at the moment. It also reduces the need to make decisions about what papers to use.
• I prefer bright coloured papers on kraft or white backgrounds. 12x12 and 8.5x11 are my go-to sizes, but I like to mix in the occasional 6x12 as well.
• Manufacturers of the moment include Echo Park, Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon, My Minds Eye and American Crafts

Techniques -  I think because I was creating at the kitchen table instead of downstairs in my craft room, it never occurred to me to pull out paints or mists. I did, however, use ink to edge most papers and some photos. Colour of the moment is versa colour pinecone, but I've also been known to use bark, charcoal and black. I only sewed on layouts twice, once by hand and once with the machine. Sewing by hand is very calming, sewing by machine is stressful at the moment as the tension on my machine is terrible. I didn't use fabric on my layouts.

Tools - Border punches rule! I only have three at the moment, and a Martha Stewart double punch, but I need more. Using them adds a fun element to pages, and they are suitable for boy and girl pages. I even managed to get butterflies onto a boy page (or two), and need the middle-size butterfly to match my whale-of-a-punch and tiny punch.

Other stuff before you start - I need photos and a story in order to create. I'm flexible enough with photos that I can print them at home, although I did like having some photos pre-printed and then remembering the story behind them (or sometimes telling a completely different story). I definately need to write down the stories rambling through my brain. Having the stories written down is almost as important as having the photos taken.

I'm going to work on a layout-a-day-or-two starting next Monday (I say a-day-or-two purely because March is birthday month for Natalie and I, so we've got a few days out planned) as Karen suggests in class, and see if any of these things change once I'm creating in my craft room instead of the kitchen (with all my supplies around me instead of limited supplies)

Do you have a notebook/other method of writing down stories to scrap?

move more, eat less

Cathy Zielske has inspired the scrapping community over the last year with her weight loss and journey to wellness. I've read along with everyone else, and cheered her along, and thought to myself "I must do something about my weight".

I've never been a big fan of scales. My whole life I have been "big". I come from a family of "big" (on my maternal side). I also come from a family of type 2 diabetics. And I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with Riley. I make poor food choices, and spend much of my day sitting. All of this puts me at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. I'm closer to forty than thirty, with 4 children. I want to watch my children grow up and live life.

The treadmill is installed downstairs. I signed up for the Wellness Journey at BPC, and last week, Cathy released Move More, Eat Less. So I purchased the journal, printed and assembled. I bought a new set of digital scales, and didn't like the reading. It's not my heaviest, but it's close.

one little word 2011

I only discovered Ali Edwards in the last week of 2007. I remember reading her posts about why she chose a word to guide her year, and having a feeling of complete understanding, and I've been choosing words ever since.

My 2008 word was play. 2009 was create. 2010 was about change.

In 2011, my journey will be one of community. I shared my loss of community this year, and I'm determined to build something good from that loss.

Like most people, I find that life can get in the way at times (but more often, I let it get in the way and use that as an excuse to throw my hands up and say "oh, well, too hard"), so I signed up as soon as I saw that Ali was offering a class at Big Picture Classes. In 2011, I'm planning to mend my procrastinating ways!

my project365 is really only a project156

inspired to share by Stacey's post

I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't be able to keep up if I scrapped every photo, so my plan was to print out photos with journalling directly edited on to them. This album has 360 pockets in it, allowing for some missed days (and a cover that can be modified when-I-get-around-to-it)

So, I started with the best of intentions, downloading photos weekly, and editing straight away. It was summer holidays, so relatively easy to take photos of life each day, even if the kids were driving me barking mad. I shared some photos here.

I took photos of the strangeness and normalness of life. Babies in cloth nappies, vegemite in play doh, that sort of stuff.

I took photos of birthdays, and crafting, and handed the camera to someone else, and celebrated milestones.

This project has made me realise how much Chloe is missing from our lives. And I think that has been part of the reason (at least subconsciously) why I lost enthusiasm.

I had my photos developed through snapfish (and fell in love with "proper printed photos" again)

June 14th was the last time I edited photos. I kept taking photos through June and July, and then a bout of illness in August threw me. I couldn't "catch up". September was Riley's birthday, and I tried to pick the camera up again, but didn't get photos every day. In October I broke up with my mums group, and we hardly ever left the house. Photos of the same purple walls and messy desk every day isn't very interesting. We're now in November and I haven't taken one.single.photo. In fact, I discovered last night that the batteries in my camera are flat (from children playing with it, I think) and I don't have spares!

I am going to take a photo every day in December. In fact, I'm planning to have my camera in my hand all the time in December, because I will be scrapping it!

I have been inspired all year by this album from Jody Dent-Pruks. Except mine is going to be 6x6. And I'm using Echo Park's "Everybody Loves Christmas". And I'm using an American Crafts d-ring modern album (red) And I'm excited to be scrapping our December this year!