from somewhere in my imagination

Scrap - Just Bright & Happy!

I guess that this is my fourth challenge layout for Amanda's challenge...I was having trouble finding something that jumped out at me as something I wanted to try...however I have had this photo for ages and have been waiting for the perfect product to scrap it with....so I ventured a bit from my original intention here...

I got a rather large pack of Sass Lass straight from the warehouse last week and included was a stash of Me Likey paper...the one with the icecreams on it was perfect for scrapping this photo and the story!

 

The main 'technique' I have used on this layout is handcutting...so not really a technique as such...there are lots of scrappers that use it lots and do it so well (Kathie Link and Maggie Holmes come immediately to mind but there are soooo many more than that!)...but it's not something I do a real lot myself.  I also painted and stamped some masking tape, sprayed some blue memory mist and folded a few pinwheels (pinwheels make me happy).

The photo is quite old now but I have never forgotten the story behind.  You'd be forgiven for thinking that he had been enjoying an ice cream but in truth he had a few licks and handed it back...he didn't like it!  He still isn't much of an ice cream fan...he doesn't like the cold of it!

I scrapped this layout over the weekend too...I got a bit lost with it and wasn't really sure what I wanted to do next so I just added the story and was done with it.

This one followed the domestic bliss layout so there are more scraps...I think mostly I was having trouble getting all the colours to work together and my eyes were blurring from tiredness LOL!

Thanks for visiting & big thankyou for all the gorgeous comments you have been leaving...they always make me smile :)....oh and speaking of warm fuzzies I was a bit excited to see some of my layouts on the Crate Paper blog!

Have a great day!

Tatum xx

Scrap - Inspired by Mardi Winen

When I saw Marika's LO on the Escape 2 Create blog I wanted to do a Mardi inspired one too :)  Mardi is someone who inspires me an awful lot for more reasons than just her scrapbooking, she is a pretty inspiring person too.  I was lucky enough to do a couple of classes with Mardi last March at the Scrapboxx retreat which gave me some insight to the way she creates (I also got her all to myself for 3 hours on the plane and talked her ear off LOL!).

So to stay true to Mardi's style I worked with the scraps around me, used machine stitching, scrapped in 8.5x11 and chose a story from our everyday life.  I've also been wanting to use some of my old XL Heidi Swapp flowers since seeing Mardi's LO about her sweet Granddaughter Bella.

 
The base paper is AC Dear Lizzy, left over from the layout I had just finished...the rest are scraps of MME, American Crafts Botanique & Dear Lizzy, Sassafrass Lass and the Journalling is on Collage Press PP.  I have used a (new to my stash) Gel-a-tin stamp on the flower and embossed with AC Zing, more Dear Lizzy chippie, new Rouge de Garance little letter stickers, Sass Lass Brads (new to my stash again and cracked out for the first time), Old old Li'l davis clip, Making Memories cord and Some Jenni Bowlin Journal spots.

Mardi often prints journal strips but I copy and pasted the journalling straight from my photo a day blog, I've used a different font for each paragraph.

Hmmm...only thing is I'm not sure what 'new' technique I've used...stamping and embossing is defintely a new favourite though ;)

Scrapbooking Memories was recently running a competition with the theme 'Celebrate' I left it to the last minute to do an entry and didn't finish it in time...I finished it bit by bit over the last week because I wasn't really sure what to do next with it.  I just added the journalling this afternoon before I photographed it.

 

I love this photo of all of us, Lauren took it while were hanging out on the beach near Coffin Bay the day after the Escape 2 Create retreat.  It was such a perfect day!  We had the kite in the car and flew it practically from to one end of the beach and back.  I love the kite, it makes me smile!

I'm not really sure what I think of the layout...It kind of doesn't quite look like one of my layouts to me or like it needs something more...I'm not sure...like I said I've fiddled with it for a week but I'll call it finish and add it to the rapidly growing stack of layouts that need to be put in Albums...but I need some new ones because they are all full!

Charlotte, J & I are off to Adelaide tomorrow for an eye doctor appointment, a spot of shopping and noodles for dinner, then back home on Wednesday with our fixed car :)

Tatum xx

Book - Mao's Last Dancer

I chose this one to read because I wanted to read something a bit uplifting and inspirational...and I got it.  It truly is an incredible story...I think we might watch the movie this afternoon when the footy is over and I am going to track down the young readers edition for Charlotte.

I enjoyed the book....the second half moreso than the first half which I found a little repetitive and it seemed to drag on a bit.  Once Li finds his dancing passion the writing becomes more fast paced and passionate too.

The insights into Mao's China are pretty amazing (and have made me want to read more about China) as are the perspectives on modern China and the rapid change from strict communism under Mao to China today.  Interestingly there is no mention of the Tiannemen Square Massacre.

A very good read but difficult to compare to anything else I have read recently...The genre is really the same as Shantaram but Mao's last dancer isn't as good.  I am looking forward to watching the movie...I suspect, from the previews I have seen, that it might be better than the book...I will let you know :)