Wilson Wilson Collection - Childhood

I am about to embark on a journey.  It will be a long one, one that will be filled with joy, laughter, smiles, tears, heartache and maybe even sadness.  But the biggest gift will be the memories and stories that I will get to uncover.  I have no finish line in sight because I want to tread slowly, sit with each memory, and take it all in, how each of these moments has moulded me into the person that I am today.  I want enjoy this amazing gift that I have been given.  

I have my photos and they are in no order, they are all jumbled up, some have stories written on the back but most have nothing.  This is the part that I am excited about.  Looking at a photo and writing down the memories that come to mind.  The photos that have no story and ones that I have no memory of will be the ones that I pick up, delight in the possibilities of memories and stories, then sit down with an older relative and get lost in their stories.

Why am I doing this?  That's a very good question.

As you know I am lucky enough to be on the Creative Team for Wilson Wilson and this Friday the 3 March 2023 a beautiful collection will be released - "Childhood" and this collection is full of inspiration to document your own story or maybe the story of your own children.

This beautiful collection is filled with journal cards, templates and much more to document your story.  The few photos that I have shared here are only just a few, there are so many more but each one is of a time that was long ago, some I remember and some I do not.  They include precious images of people that I know and love well and those who I met as a young child.  Each has a story, an amazing story and details that I am itching to find out.

I will be sharing many of my pages and stories here, on my blog and on Instagram.  I hope that I can inspire you to embark on a similar journey.  Lets celebrate these memories the only way we know how, by documenting them, to keep for generations to come.

xo me
 

OLW 2023 - January

... and that's January, well near enough.  I don't know about anyone else but that went quick.  I thought I would share my pages and thoughts about my choice of OLW and going digital to document my word this year.

When I started the process of picking a OLW I was struggling.  I didn't have a word, which is unusual for me and I had now ideas at all at what I was looking for.  I had several words picked but none really sat right.  I listened to the zoom call between Ali and the other contributors, taking notes and still nothing was coming in the way of a word.  Ali starting talking about her word, Joy, which was on my list but not a front runner.  But, then Ali said "I want to reclaim JOY" and "boom" that hit me in the face like, WOW, that's it.  Until that moment I didn't really think I needed to reclaim anything, but my thoughts were going crazy, my heart was beating fast and then I had this realisation that although I am on the other side of cancer, I still wasn't allowing myself to fully embrace being free of cancer.  This was a shock to me, really it was, but I started to realise that I was still so scared and not game enough to say I was free of cancer, because what if I did, what if I jinxed myself.  It was at that moment that my word was born and I begun my OLW journey for 2023.

So far I love it.  I really do love it.  I gave myself permission to just go slow with January's prompt, not rush to get my pages finished (like I usually do) and really be mindful about my OLW and how I wanted to document it.

One of the BIG advantages of going digital is that my pages are not set in stone, until the book is printed really.  So I made my pages slowly, playing with the digital kit and other digital supplies that I have.  I changed some things, changed them back to the way they were and also played a little in procreate to make my own digital elements.  If January is anything to go by, my choice to go digital was a good one.  I love that I can change my mind, re-order my pages, add a page in etc etc.  While I am calling January done I am not ruling out adding more in or taking more out.

The only down side that I have found so far is not having the physical pages to flick through.  Looking back at my notebooks/albums (from past years), during the year was something I loved to do.  However, so far I have more positives than negatives so I will continue on my digital journey and see how we finish up.

How have you been going with your OLW?  I hope you are enjoying the process, no matter how you have decided to document this journey.

I am excited about February...

Love me :-)

 

CREATIVE PLANS FOR 2023

Hello 2023 and hello to writing in this space.  Don't worry I'm just as shocked as you are that I am back here posting.  I'm not really sure why I'm here other than I had this feeling to go back to blogging.  I am not sure how long this is going to last but I'm just going with it.  One of my goals with my OLW is to do things that make me happy, bring Joy to my life.  I used to really enjoy blogging and not really sure why I stopped so I'm giving it another go.  I won't lie, I'm not sure how long this will last but I'm jumping in.

At the moment everyone is sharing what their creative goals are for 2023 so I might as well join in, although I have been known to go completely away from my initial idea, and, if you have been following me for awhile you know that I'm super amazing at starting shit, not so great at finishing them. 

So here is my list, in no order and with little hope that I will actually do them LOL!

1.  Gratitude Notes

2.  Documenting in my Memory Planner

3.  Photobooks as in finish them - this covers all that I have started (and there are many), all those I wish to start (there are also many of them) and probably some that I haven't even thought of yet.

4.  Digital memory keeping - I have dappled in it for several years now but have never fully committed to it but I have two projects that I really want to try and stick to.  These are a 6x9 photobook that I am calling "digest" a digital journal (totally inspired by Shannan) and I'm doing my OLW in a digital photo book.

5.  Talking about OLW - as I mentioned I am going to do a photobook this year.  I nearly did it last year but chickened out at the last minute but this year I am going to give it ago.

6.  Play with my stamps more. simple.

Well there you have it.  I'm sure I will add to it because I can't help myself.  But one thing is for sure, I am going to give it my best shot.

Happy New Year and here's to lot of creative fun, whatever that is for you.

love me :)

Paislee Press - DAILY JOYS

 

Hello and welcome to February.  Now as we all know February is the month of love and in particular Valentines Day.  Now, I don't really get into the whole Valentines thing and my husband definitely doesn't.  So I was so thrilled when Liz from Paislee Press released a new digital kit called "Daily Joys" that celebrates all the other things we love  -  Like coffee, ok, not everyone loves coffee but I do.  Anyway back to the point of this post.  

I live in Perth, Western Australia and recently we had a snap lockdown due to Covid-19 and my birthday happened to fall in that week of lockdown.  I was actually ok about it, seeing as I have celebrated many so missing one wouldn't be so bad.

But my daughter thought differently.  She came around and left some little treats including Hot Cross Buns (which is another love of my mine) on the door mat. This seriously made my day and I just loved it and I just had to document it.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Valentines

xo Tracey

Memory Planner / Week Two

Hello!  OMG its the end of January already, how does this keep happening.  I look up and next thing I know a whole month has gone past.

I think that's why I am enjoying the Heidi Swapp  Memory Planner style of memory keeping.  I am finding that not only am I telling the big stories, I am telling the very tiny ones.  I think, in years to come it's going to be the tiny ones that I love the most.  I'm totally loving just doing dot points, one line of text but brings back so many memories.

I thought I would share in a little more detail some of the ways I have told stories for Week 2.  I am still finding my way with this style of memory keeping but the creative side in me is loving it.

Here is a look at my week.

I have covered over some of the writing because it's personal information that I would rather keep private.  

We use our phones for so many things these days, but have you ever stopped to think how many stories they hold.  And, I don't just mean in the photos.  Have you ever thought of taking a screen shot of a DM that you got through social media.  I included one this week because when I received this message it really made my day.  And, it's also a little detail  that I would completely forget in years to come.  It's also a reminder to me that Instagram is more than just a place to share photo's etc, it's also a place where I have met some very lovely people who have made a difference in my life.

I also included a "on this day" note/fact that I heard on the radio.  It was rather an important fact that I think in years to come with be such a huge reminder of just how crazy life was last year.

The RHS of my week has lots of interactive elements which I just love.  I love seeing them, making them and they just make me happy.

As I said earlier, our phones are a great place to get some story telling information from.  My kids are getting older and it's increasingly hard to get any photos of them but they are always texting me.  So I screen shot the ones I want to remember and then add it to the digital iPhone template from Ali Edwards "TECH" story kit .  I created a pocket to hold the message because I also wanted to include some photos and I wouldn't have had any room left.  This way I could hold the message, and include two photos.

I created another pocket using a photo that I took from our day out in Fremantle.  Using the photo was a great way to make a pocket plus include a photo.  I added digital stamps from Paislee Press as a title for the pocket.  I had a lot of photos that I wanted to include plus the story.  In this one little area I was able to include 10 photos and the story.  When I put it all together I realised that I had left out our selfie photo so I just added it as a swing tag on some twine.  

 

As I said I am loving all the interactive elements.  If you have any questions please feel free to add them in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by

Tracey xo

Farewell,Hello

Here is my first project for 2021 for Paislee Press.  The new digital kit "farewell,hello" is so much fun and the colours are just popping out and screaming lets get into the year.  I can't tell you how much fun I had doing this layout, I just couldn't stop adding bits and pieces here and there.

This set is available now and you can find it here at The Lily Pad.  I have also used a Storyline Chapters Notebook from Heidi Swapp.  I purchased mine from Sassy Scrappers in Australia.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

xo

Tracey

Hello 2021

I woke up this morning and took a big sigh of relief.  Yes!  I thought to myself.  2020 is finished and done.  As I start this new year I am well aware than some monsters are still lurking ie. Covid-19, but the difference is I know they are there.  It's no longer new or surprising so the shock is no longer there.

I am optimistic about 2021.  I feel calm, which is weird, but a nice feeling.  In the build up to New Years Eve we were camping, in nature and away from news and (mostly) social media (low or no signal).  We read, rested, swam, drank, ate, laughed, chatted and rested some more.  I think it gave us all time to centre ourselves, catch our breath and be.

I am grateful that everyone we know made it through 2020, some with scars and some with battles still to fight, but, we made it through a year that threw everything at us and more.

So with that in mind I say goodbye 2020 and all that came with you.  You are no longer needed so I release you with love, ready to invite 2021 into being.

xo

Tracey