Friday Freebie: LT23

Ok, so there is just so much happening around me at the moment - career-wise, mothering-wise and personnal-wise! How am I going to keep up!!!!! I know! I need another diary. I've only got 4 for this year, and I write little bits and pieces into each of them, scheduling this and that. And of course, none of it sticks because it all depends on which diary I'm looking at that day!!

Argh!

And to top it all off, my husband is away fishing for two weeks! RIGHT AT THE MOST SPECTACULAR TIME OF MY CAREER IN ALMOST 8 YEARS! But he does it every year at this time, so I guess it's just the forces-that-be that have made it all happen right now.

Feeling the pressure much? You bet.

And I love it.

Everything that I've been working for is all happening right now. All at once. It's glorious! Can't wait until I can tell you! But I must. So...

Enough chaos, it's time to release this week's freebie from the vault...

Download here.

((**This link has now expired. But don't fret, this template will be available soon in my shops at Polka Dot Plum and Funky Playground Designs **))

And here's what I have made with it.

Credits: Danielle Young Designs as part of the Sugarshock Collaboration at Sugarhillco.

Enjoy. And if you pick it up, please please tell me about it. I like comments, no matter how big or small or insulting (well, maybe I don't want insulting ones so much....!)

Big Announcements Are A-Coming!

.... tease ... tease ... tease.. ...

Ok. I'll give you at least one.

If you follow me on Facebook, you might already know. I've accepted a gig as the 2011 Digital Scrapbooking Guru for the biggest-selling scrappy magazine in the country - Scrapbook Memories Magazine!

Excited? You bet!

And you'll just have to keep tuning in for the next big announcement - coming in the next few days - just sorting things out! It's exciting for both me and you, if you like my stuff!!!

Tuesday Tip: Don't Give Up on {Project 365}

Pffftt!! Yep, that’s what’d I’m saying too. We are now into our 43rd week of the year, and the last {Project 365} layout I can remember creating was back in Week 27. So, ahh, yeah, that’s a bit of catching up to do.

But, that’s ok. I can do it. And so can you. So you may have fallen behind a little lately. I know I’ve got a great excuse for doing so. {You probably do too}. I’ve been designing up a storm! Trying to stockpile a heap of kits and digital scrapping goodies for when I launch into the digital design world come 2011. I’m gonna be famous baby! (well, I want to sell something at least!) And I’ve been doing a hell of a lot of layouts for my CT designers.

Try this for size: 56 layouts for Mscraps.com in the month of September. And that’s not the only Creative Team I’m on, you with me? But it’s just that there are sooooo many great products out there that beg me to download them and give them a try. Honestly, I lie awake at night thinking about all these page ideas and special techniques that I could try out on the next layout. And then, when it comes to 4:30am and I STILL can’t get to sleep, I get up, make myself a cuppa and get onto the computer pronto – I need to release these creative endorphins! PRONTO!

So I’ve taken to keeping a tiny notebook beside my bed, to at least write down these fantastic ideas. Because I forget them as soon as I start making the school lunches, and can’t for the life of me, get those ideas back. So now you see why I find recording our weekly happenings as a family is so important. Because I’d simply just forget it all, wouldn’t I?

Ok. So I’m missing a few weeks in April, when I had only a disposable film camera at my disposal. {Mwahahahaha!} And yes, it has been kicking around inside my insidiously large handbag since then – 6 months – awaiting the day when I walk into a photo processor to get it developed. It has great camel-riding pictures on it. So, understandably, I left those few weeks out of my 365 until I processed and scanned them in. Um, I actually didn’t record the journalling then though ... So I’m hoping these pictures will be enough to trigger some kind of memories to record.

And the big gap from July – September? Um.... I think the dog ate it?

At the start of the year, when I had a really great system working, I would schedule my {Project 365} in every Sunday night, so that I would actually have a visual reminder to DO IT. Every week. And it worked, because I had a little box that I could tick each time I completed a week. I never got more than 3 weeks behind. But somewhere along the way, I stopped writing myself those calendar reminders and so then I forgot to get onto the computer late on Sunday night, and instead had a drink and a movie and went to bed. Weeks went by and I actually forgot {Project 365} existed.

Until now. THERE’S ONLY 10 WEEKS LEFT!

So. My plan of action is to start with this week. And then work backwards. I know there will be some weeks where I didn’t actually take any photos at all. ARRGGHHH!!! But all is not lost. I will look over my emails and see what was happening at that time. I will also take into consideration any birthdays during that time. And lastly, perhaps I should check my phone history and web browsing history to see what things we were researching/looking up during that time. These are all triggers that will help me fill in the blanks. And if I’m missing photos, there are other options.

I can fill the photo spaces with patterned paper. I can download a stock photo for something I am describing (like lots of rain, for example). I can scan in some of my children’s artwork for that period. If I am really desperate, I can substitute photos for thumbnails of my own layouts! I know I have been scrapping during that time. I could maybe even just cut and paste the journalling from some of those pages and include them in my 365. Because there are no rules saying you cannot plagiarise yourself!

{Project 365} is about memory keeping. Pure and simple. So I don’t really care about the kit or embellies I use to decorate it. I need to get down the photos and journalling. I will find triggers for that in some of the layouts I’ve created during that time. And it’s not like I’ll be repeating myself, for this is in a different format, and if experience is anything to go by – everyone in my family tends to read the {Project 365} album a hell of a lot more than they do their own individual scrapbook albums. Is that just because I have boys? I don’t know.

But now that my two eldest sons are starting to read, scrapbooking albums have taken on a whole new meaning for them. They can actually read them! They laugh and ask me if that really happened and they love to share their memories of it with me verbally. This gives me immense pleasure. And I’ve got to say, I greatly enjoy reading back through the {Project 365} albums too, marvelling at how quickly time passes me by. Wish my husband would look at them too, lol!!

So I think that’s a part of the problem here – I haven’t printed out any of my 2010 {Project 365} yet. I printed all of last years, every few months, in 8 inch x 8 inch format. But this year I was planning to print it out in a photobook – mainly because I think it is actually cheaper than to print each page individually – but also because the bound photobook just looks nicer, and I can print out multiple copies for the grandparents. (Not that I ever have, but the good intentions are there!)

I was spurred on throughout the year last year, because I’d read back through my albums and realised each time, what an amazing resource this project was. For families now, and for the future generations. Can you imagine your future daughter-in-law looking through your album and realising she is not the first woman to become a first time mum!!??? Priceless. She’d be able to read all about my own foray into motherhood and what challenges I faced at the time. How bloody interesting it would have been to have read the same thing about my own mother and grandmother!

So I’m telling you – keep at it. It’s just worth it. There are only 2.5 months to go. You can catch up on the missed weeks. Even if it means just publishing photos without a lot of journalling. I mean, anybody can write the who, what, where, when and why of a photo, right? Don’t worry about it being different to the method you have used in previous months. Don’t worry about having to include every single detail of what went on. Just summarise the best bits. Even just a few lines of journalling will be devoured by those who look through the album. In fact, graphic-design-ally speaking – less words are better – if you can manage to convey the message you intended in fewer words! Clearly, I cannot. The length of this post is testimony to that!

So. See-ya. And good luck with it.

** I have opened up my own {Project 365} album here, for you to gawk at.

*** I keep whispering {Project 365} because I’ve found out it’s actually a trademarked phrase now! So perhaps that is why this scrappy phenomenon is slowly being referred to as “Photo-A-Day” and “365 Challenge” and “Project 52”. Just so you know ...!

Blog Updating ...

If this blog looks slightly wonky or wackily crazy, it's because I am in the middle of a major blog re-design and I'm busily transferring or re-creating all my thousands of widgets! Bear with me while I make this change. Should only take a couple of hours ... (!)

Friday Freebie: LT16

Hello Chickies!

Another Friday has rolled around already and I am here to give you another free template, made by me back in September. It's a full-size 12x12 inch, 300dpi layered template, ready to be used on PSE software and above. It's been kicking around my computer and I finally, finally, uploaded it. I hope you like it! If you do, please take a minute to say so here by hitting the "comments" box below :)

                                                                Download here.

And here's my version:



Soggy credits: Kim DeSmet's Little Adventurer kit, available at Oscraps; ErinInk's scribbled circles and grid brushes available @ Mscraps.

This template was inspired by the lovely Feli and her layout below:



Thanks for dropping by, and stay tuned for more freebies (am planning on broadening my horizons with more quick pages, embellishments and kits soon!)

Lots of Inspiration Happening!

I kid you not - it snowed here on the weekend! Springtime Snow! It didn't settle as it's been raining endlessly, but it was still fun to catch a few sprinkles and take a few snapshots of the boys running around like lunatics in it! And I finally have a chance to use some of the snow kits I've got in my stash! Yay!

Right now I'm inspired by the oncoming warmer weather. Getting my house and home in order so regular maintenance issues such as laundry and tidying is a lot easier for everyone involved. And I'm working on the part of getting others involved - especially the boys. I'm inspired to see how well Harvey has taken to his new chores. He actually looks forward to the responsibility of feeding the animals each day. He doesn't have to be reminded to do his jobs, like, ever. Riley, on the other hand, is a lot less enthusiastic. He just wants to play on the computer, because he's discovered the wonderful world of the Penguin Club and Moshi Monsters.

Anyway, I said I'd fill you in on my layouts - of which there are many. So here they are. Credits for the products I've used are just a click away if you need them. Enjoy.

Nana Brine's Ride: credits

Fall: credits (Jennifer Fox Designs Funklicious)

Kissed: credits

Thank You: credits

Helping Hands: credits

Devil Child: credits coming (released in November 2010)

You Had Me At Hello: credits

She Loves To Talk: credits

Master Chef: credits

Calendar Months: Riley credits (coming - released 1 November)

Thankful: credits

Harvest: credits

Mine!: credits (coming)

Jac's Wedding Photobook: credits (shhhh! Christmas present alert!)

Anyway, I'm sure there are heaps more that I haven't spotlighted here in the main part of the blog. But you are welcome to come check out everything I've made by clicking on the flashing Picasa galleries up in the top right of the page. 

Friday Freebie: LT21

Download here.

I am getting into designer mode ready for the coming year, and so I am testing out a few different logos and some packaging for my products. Please, please take the time to comment on what you think of them when you grab. It would really help me out :)

So this one's called LT21 (Layered Template 21) and if you're one of my regular visitors, you'd be thinking "what the hell happened to 18, 19, 20?" It's not that I can't count.




It's just that I have been making so many templates and working on some kits too, and my cataloguing system is in meltdown.





What cataloguing system? you ask. Well, you know, that one in my head where everything is stored very neatly and precisely where it's meant to be, things are always labelled correctly and everything is returned exactly to it's place. So yeah, that's in meltdown.





Which is why I've had to release LT21 when I've had others waiting in the wings for you for a month or two.





So anyway, here's my offering for this template. It uses Sarah Barber's kit "Hey Doll", available at Digiridoo Scraps. Like the little cut-out things at the top? I'm sooooooo into cut-outs right now. I've been doing them all over the place.

This template design was inspired by a page by Kelly. Check back in the coming weeks, I am preparing a lot of changes to my blogging schedule, as well as a blog makeover (again! I hate them because everything tends to go wrong and I end up spending days afterwards re-jigging it all again!) Don't forget to leave me some loving - I had more than 124 downloads for my charity quick page with only a single comment of thanks! At least I know you're out there though, lol!

Keeping Bloody Busy!

So here are some of my layouts to share. This is what I've been doing the past 1.5 months (has it really been that long since I've shared?) I think I'm getting carried away making templates for my blog and actually not keeping up with the display/inspiration and helpful tips side of things. Oh well. I am trying :)

I am going to start linking up my images to their shop galleries, so you can simply click on the image and be taken to the shop gallery where you'll see my credits (who I got the digital kits from) and then be able to buy them yourself if you want to. Because I link up all the kits in my shop credits, so it just could not be easier for you! Just cuts the whole googling aspect out of it, okay?

I'll start with this one, because it got me my first ever GSO!!!! That's a blog where the cream of the day's layouts are picked out and displayed by some industry experts. To get a layout on there is just the ultimate.

credits here

This next one was a story I've been meaning to record for a while. About my son's favourite toys, the ones that go everywhere when he needs to feel secure (ie away from home).

credits

Just mucking around in photoshop trying out a sketching feature.

credits

So many Haloween kits out there at the moment! Makes it hard when you don't actually celebrate it yourself, lol. I have played with 3 so far, and it's weeks away!

credits

A fun one with an older kit at Mscraps. But I just love how it turned out with these photos!

credits

Ok, I've got about 50 or 60 more to show you, but I have to get to the bus stop! Stay tuned....

Tragedy Strikes: Charity Collab at Mscraps

I'm so sorry to be posting this. But one of my fellow Creative Team Members, Mary (or cyberically known as Marnel) at Mscraps.com has been through the worst possible nightmare following the death of her beautiful daughter Charlie.

For more information, visit Mary's blog here. But be sure to have your tissues handy. It's so sudden and terrifying. And so, so sad.

Here's where you can grab the kit. It's at Mscraps, Sweet Shoppe and Scrap Orchard.

Some of the best {digital scrapbooking} designers have come together to create a collab to help our dear friend Mary (marnel) cover the cost of her daughter's hospital bills and funeral.

This Kit Includes:
002 alpha's
018 clusters
308 elements
001 font
134 papers
006 templates

Not all papers, elements shown on the preview!!

Participating designers:
ad77design, Amy Stoffel, AnnaBV Designs, Berry Sweet Designs, Boutique Cute Doll, Captivated Visions, Che Yang, ChrissyW, Cindy Schneider, Crystal Livesay, Darcy Baldwin, Designs by Anita, Designs by Doodelle, Designs by Kat, Diamante Designs, Dunia, EHStudios, Erinink, Eva Kipler, Faith True, Flash Line Designs, Heather Roselli, Heather T., Irene Alexeeva, Iscrap, Joyce Paul, Ju Kneipp, Julie Billingsley, Julie Bullock, Kristin Cronin-Barrow, Lauren Grier, Lauraskathi, Libby Weifenbach, Lyndsay Riches, Lleilla Designs, Loreta Labarca, Meghan Mullens, Melissa Bennett, Misty Cato, Misty Mareda, mle Card, Penny Springmann, Polly & Rufus Designs, Re Kneipp, RuthMelody Designs, Sabrina's Creations, Sashinamama Designs, Shawna Clingerman, Studio Basic, Three Paper Peonies, Tracy Little, Traci Reed, Tracy Stroud, Yoshiko Designs, Ziggle Designs, Zoe Pearn.

Please know that you can also donate directly to the Charlie Gonzalez Memorial Fund.

Here's my page:

And I'll definitely be buying the quick page set as well - it's packed full of unbelieveably stunning pages to make up into a quick personalised album. All for a measly $US10 (and with the AUS currency rate at 99% it's a crime in itself!)



Purchase it here.

Anyway, it's such a terrible tragedy, and I hope you can help out. Even if you just re-blog about it yourselves. And PS - I loooove comments! And I'll bet Mary would too. Night!

Freebie Quick Page for Charity


**EDITED** so sorry ladies! For some reason, my blogger did not publish while I was away last week. But will make it up to you with two fabulous posts coming very, very soon! ***


The talented and generous designers at Mscraps (my main haunt) and 9th & Bloom have come together to create a stunning array of eye-candy with their "Overflow With Beauty" kit.

The proceeds will go to Unicef's Pakistan flood relief appeal. So not only do you get to create gorgeous pages for your albums and sample wares from big-name designers. But you also get a warm fuzzy glow from contributing to the bigger picture that is humanity.

Check this out:

Here's one of my pages with it:

And here it is made into a quick page for you!

Download here.

So if you want the kit, grab it at Mscraps or 9th & Bloom. There are also tons upon tons of freebie quickpages available at various Mscraps CT and Designer blogs. Feel free to spread the word!