felting and creating...

I have decided that February is my Creative Month...

Last month was dedicated to clearing out the house and I did a LOT...there is still lots to go...but I had to have a break...lol...it was doing my head in! I am a messy creative hoarder by nature and although my inner clean neat minimalist self has been trying to get out there is only so much I can do...lol...

So this month I have been creating...YAY!!! Plus it helps that Ben is home for me to handball parenting duties too!

I have created layouts for three classes for the Wave Rock Retreat in March...

And layouts for term time at Scrappin' Outback...so if you are heading into Hyden to scrap, Karen will have some of my classes there for you to do!

And then today I went to a toy making class with Emily at Silver Tree...I am so glad she invited me along...I had FUN!

Morganne came along and had Yindi and another little girl to play with in a lovely shady playground right out the window of where we were working...

It was dry felting taught by Nicole...I had never tried it before...my creations lack finesse but I love them...an angel for each of my girls...

And some birds to make a baby mobile for a friend's little bub due mid year...they kept blowing around in the breeze but you get the idea! They are actually looking rather cute hanging in the window in the playroom... Next week is wet felting...I think we are making a cute little gnome or baby like this ....And I'd love to go and make a doll like this... And look at some of the other amazing things Nicole makes...all from felt wool stuff....And I have done a couple of other things over the weekend...A birthday album for Morganne's Rainbow Party...And a layout of her actual birthday...But never fear I am actually still working on the de cluttering...I am in the play room this week...

I have cleared most of it out and I am going to make some tough decisions over toys...we have far to many and some of it is very commercial stuff...and there is stuff they do not play with...and baby toys...

I prefer my girls to use their creativity to play...and they mostly do....so the other stuff needs to go!

Plus if I keep toy making they will have some fabulous new things to play with! Lissy

valentine's day...

Ben has headed off to Manila today for a week...so we had coffee and cake at the airport! I hid a card in his suitcase!Evangeline and Morganne went adventuring this morning...they were "hunting"...Evangeline made Morganne a Valentine's Card...I made her a heart garland for her bed...
And this is our little one sleeping yesterday...We had a BBQ at Ben's parent's place last night with his sister, aunt, uncle and family too...I hope you are having a good weekend...Lissy

christmas past & present...sneak peaks

My last class at the Wave Rock Retreat is

Christmas Past & Present

So get out those Christmas photos...old ones or new ones and get ready to scrap!

Some traditional and some modern papers and embellishments...

Three different layouts...

Sketches coming soon - Lissy

new things...

Evangeline has some new adventures this year...

She has started dance...well she did this a couple of years ago but was keen to have another go...they do a bit of a mixture of jazz, tap, ballet etcMorganne kept opening the door to go in...she would love to start too!

And piano...we bought a piano from Alli last year...and finally got a spot with Kay at school for lessons on Friday mornings...She did very well...Lissy

You 2010...

I am doing an online class with Mel Nunn over at Kim Archer's Workshops @ Home...

Why??? Because it is all about me and I do not scrap book myself...sure I make sure I am in some photos with the kids sometimes but that is for telling their stories...not mine...

So I decided to join in to make myself tell my story ...or part of it at least!

I am also getting onto scrap booking my childhood photos too...

Anyway I did the first layout today...I even had to go outside and take a self portrait...shudder....lol...not brilliant but hey I am never going to suddenly turn into Cindy Crawford now am I...it will do! The layout only took me about half an hour! Perfect! Thanks Mel!

I am sure you can probably still join in...go over and take a look...Lissy

millions of photos...sneak peeks

So the next Wave Rock Retreat Class

I am teaching is all about how to fit

MILLIONS OF PHOTOS

on a layout...well not millions obviously but LOTS!

Some big photos and some little photos...to tell your story...

I used 3 - 4 large photos to highlight my theme (which were our summer holiday trips to Albany and Margaret River)

And then lots of little supporting photos...that tell the rest of the story...up to 26 photos on a double layout...

And lots of journalling as well...so you can record your memories...

I have created two versions of the double layout...

And three versions of the single layout to give you ideas...

You could also convert the single to a double layout...

But don't worry if you don't have small photos...you will be able to substitute several small ones for a 4 x 6 ...

I used the Basic Grey Sugar Rush papers and grey, black and yellow card stock...

The papers I choose were mainly red and orange with hints of grey, blue, green and yellow....they work well with all sorts of photos...

And you can choose your embellishments to suit as well...

I used hearts and flowers and such but there are plenty of less feminine options as I will be showing you how to create some...

Sketches coming soon!

And believe it or not I am working on a third class...

Stay Tuned...Lissy

sneak peeks...retro scrapping

OK Girls...

Here are the sneak peeks for

the RETRO SCRAPPING class

at the Wave Rock Retreat in March...

The class has three layouts scrapping those beautiful 60s, 70s and 80s photos...and there are two examples of each layout...

I have used Basic Grey Origins for all six layouts and it works beautifully...I have left a white border around all the photos...pretty much any number of photos will work...I shall be doing sketches soon...

Maybe we should have a competition for the best hair ...I think Fina may win this one...just a hunch...lol...I have heard she had some serious hair in the 80s...

...and the best glasses...now I could win this easily...lol...

and the best outfit...any nominations???

I have done the first two layouts for my next class Millions of Photos...stay tuned...Lissy

a class...

Well I actually went to a scrap booking class yesterday!

A creative file folder album with lots of paint and stuff with Emily Falconbridge...she is back living in Perth after a few years in the US...

I went to have a bit of fun and do something I do not normally do as it gives you a bit of a creative spark to try something new...and have fun I did...I loved splashing around the paint and stitching and stuff...

Here is what I made...my version of Emily's album...with a theme of the girls playing together in July last year...we started with a plain manila folder (for the cover) and some file folders (that flip up inside)...and ended with this...
Emily showed us how to construct it then we just played with the bits and pieces to produce our own albums...I love it! All the albums were completely unique and so different...

The last time I went to any classes was in Sydney a few years ago with Alli and we had classes with Ali Edwards, Donna Downey,and Cathy Z

Anyway I am glad I went along yesterday! Emily is really easy going and lovely...and her bub Banjo is super chubby and cute!

And talking of scrapping...I have finished the layouts this week for one of the classes I am teaching at the next Wave Rock Retreat in March...RETRO SCRAPPING...scrapping those 60s, 70s and 80s photos...you know the horrible yellow discoloured kind of ones...and the unfortunate fashion choices...I had the most amazing glasses in the 80s....lol...

So now I will have to get onto the next one which is all about scrapping LOTS of photos...Lissy

first bath by nine a.m. sunday morning...

Yes my girls had their first bath before 9 a.m. today...there is rain forecast here in Perth (the first rain for 70 days or something like that...) so they dressed and went outside in anticipation...no rain yet other than a light shower earlier...So now what...hmmmm...why not make some "cement" and do some brick work just like daddy!
Boys are supposed to be dirt magnets...but my girls sure are too! Lissy

more pages...

Here are a couple of more pages to share...these Echo Concert photos were a bit tricky to scrap as they are not great photos...but I found the Crate Paper worked quite well...
I some times take "self portraits" of me and the girls...just so there are photos with me in them...a very simple page...
More pages coming soon! Lissy

creative thursday...

I have decided Thursday should be my creative day...at home...sewing or scrap booking and such...other days are for house work and commitments such as music and play group...

It was easy to get started today as the water was turned off most off the day as Ben was repairing burst pipes...so unfortunately no washing or cleaning could be done...lol...

Here are two very simple layouts I did...it has been a while since I have scrapped so I decided to start of simply to warm up!

This photo I took at the beach in Albany last week...And this photo Sharon took...her photos are so nice I am nervous about scrapping them...lol...

Then I was on a roll and I did quite a lot of layouts in between having "cups of tea" with Morganne and sharpening pencils for her to colour in! I will have share more soon...

And Evangeline was a very patient and considerate big sister last night...she was busily making some glasses...and carefully painting them and Morganne wanted to join in so she let her "so she can learn" she said!
Another weekend almost here...and Ben and I are actually going out...no kids! A meal out with friends and then onto a movie at the Burswood Outdoor Movies...it is a fund raiser for Riding for the Disabled...Lissy

first day...

Today was Evangeline's first day in Year One...she is in a Lower Primary Montessori classroom with Year One to Three (6, 7 and 8 year olds)...
She was very excited to be starting this new part of her Learning Journey...she will be in the class for three years with her teacher Natalie...and Eden is in the same class...
I think she was most excited about the new hat...lol...they had a dark blue cap in Children's House...and she has one of the new t shirts on...I loved the old check shirts but the new polo is rather nice...She had a good day!

And Ben came home today as well...so all good here...Lissy

childhood photos...

I only have a few photos from my childhood...most of ours were damaged...and I have a few of Ben...mostly they are blurry and horrid colours...but I still want to scrap them...

So for the next Wave Rock Retreat one of my classes will be RETRO SCRAPPING...scrapping your childhood...

This is a bad photo but it is the only Christmas Morning one we have...so I will scrap it...I so remember this huge walking doll!

I am organising my photos now...so I though I would share what editing I have done...my skills in this area are very limited!

I am not scrapping the original photos...I have scanned them into my computer...

Then I have re sized them a little...and mostly just used the Auto Colour Correction feature under Enhance in Photoshop Elements 7...and that is it...

Here are the before and afters...
It takes away the worst of that yellow look!

Some of my photos are "eaten' so I have done a little touching up using the Clone Stamp Tool...pretty roughly but it fixes up there worst spots...I am not at all competent with photoshoping...but it will do... I am not aiming for perfection...

Here are the before and after pics...
I think I am mostly going to leave a white border around the photos...

So go sorting through your old photos and scan them in...touch them up and stay tuned for more details...Lissy

almost disaster...

In December we had a studio portrait session...it was almost a disaster...

Morganne hated the pop sound of the flash and mostly clung to me and cried...Evangeline was acting up...so it was amazing we got any vaguely decent photos...

I mainly wanted a family one...it is OK...
But these are the ones I really LOVE...they are framed together...
So no more studio sessions for us...lol...it is not worth the agony...

I do not know what came over me...lol...

It is so much more pleasant with Sharon...Lissy

reunited...

Evangeline's little friend Eden is back...They have been overseas for 6 months...they were so happy to see each other again!Eden came to play this afternoon and now Evangeline has gone over to her place for a sleep over...They start school...Lower Primary in Montessori (Year One in state schools) on Wednesday...It was lovely to see Simona too...And look what I discovered Morganne can do...climb up and wash her feet....oh no!And E made a cute fairy ring yesterday and left a note for the fairies to come and see!
A good start to February...Lissy