Day one - December Daily

When planning my December Daily I made sure that for Day one I had plenty of room to document this day.  As my title page was 12 x 12 it meant that Day One could be a 12x12 layout as well because it would sit behind the title page in a page protector.

December 1st was always going to be a big day because we daughter was going to Sydney for a week.  This was to celebrate graduating from High School but it was also her very first major holiday without her Mum & Dad.  

When I first joined the CT for Feed Your Craft I noticed that Elise does several sets that can be custom made and one set in particular would be perfect for what I needed for this layout.  I chose "Custom Explorer by Plain" and had the letters SYD added for Sydney.

When I was searching the Silhouette store I couldn't believe that there was a cut for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.  Perfect element to add with my mini flair.

... and here is the completed layout.

This whole layout was inspired by these very cute and versatile mini flair buttons from Feed Your Craft.  Right now you can get 30% of your order from now until 10th December and that includes her custom sets as well.
 How is your December Daily documenting going?
Would love to know how you are going about it this year?

Love me :-)

Advent calendar...

New digital stamps from Kellie Stamps are available today and I am so excited to show you what I created using the "December Circles" digital stamps.

There is a little story behind this Advent Calendar... If you have been following me you know that I love Christmas and I love Advent Calendars and I love making new ones every year.

A few weeks back I was talking to one of the Teachers that I work with about Christmas, putting up the tree, and advent calendars.  She told me that putting up the tree etc wasn't fun when she was younger and she has never had an advent calendar.

I decided that I would make her an advent calendar and as she loves quotes I chose to make matchbook style cards with my favourite quotes in them.

... and this was the end result.

This was such a fun project as I knew the person it was going to would be so happy to receive it.

I gave it to her on the 1st of December and she told me yesterday that she opens one every day and reads it out to her class.  And if she forgets the children remind her.

Happy Saturday

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Technology love...

I was super excited when Mandy from Turquoise Avenue asked me to host this weeks prompt for #hashtagthisweek.  I chose the prompt "technology love" because life has changed so much and continues to change at a rapid rate.  Items or products that we used several years ago have already been replaced with better, faster and easier ones.  I thought it would be fun to document what piece of technology you just couldn't live without and for me it's my iphone.  That will be no shock to most of you but I have never really documented it before but it's something that I have wanted to do for ages.

I cut out cell phones from pretty pattern paper using my silhouette cameo and used some embellishments from a past Story Kit from Ali Edwards.  The gold lettering is from the main DD kit back from 2013. This kit is currently on sale.

Hope you have enjoyed my prompt for this week and please link up over on Mandy's blog so that I can check out favourite pieces of technology that you just couldn't live without.

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December Daily - cover page

As soon as I received this stunning glitter acrylic, I knew exactly what I was going to use it for.  It would be the perfect way to start my December Daily album.

I have done December Daily before and with a lot of success, however, since doing Project Life my December Daily albums have been, well let's just say, neglected.  I start out all gung ho and then BAM, I stop.  And it's usually that quick too.

I like the idea of December Daily though, so this year I am doing it a little differently.  It will be part of my project life album.  I am going to tackle it just like I would project life but with more focus on one particular story a day.  This particular idea of how I would do my DD has been with me for some time but I wasn't really sure if that's how I wanted to go.  I have been doing Ali Edwards Story Telling with December Daily class and that certainly helped make my decision final.  I have even started getting my foundation pages together which I think will help me, but I have not stuck anything down as I want to leave it open to move and change things around if I need to.

I have kept my cover page for my December section of my Project Life album but I just love how it turned out.  These beautiful embellishments, "Silver glitter accents" from Color Cast Designs are simply stunning.  My cover page is 12x12 but the following pages are a mixture of project life pages protectors cut down to 6x12 and approx 7x12 with a few 6x8 thrown in.

I cut the wreath from my silhouette cameo and added red sequins from the main December Daily kit.

I am hoping to be able to share some of my foundation pages soon.

If you are doing December Daily I would love to know you are planning on completing this project.

Love me :-)

Journal tips & ideas 4...

One of my favourite things to do is journaling.  I know many of you struggle with it but words on your layouts and project life are so important.  It's what gives the photos history.  Remember you won't always be around to explain what is going on in the photo.

One of my other favourite things (I really love this one) is to make lists.  Yep, I can list about anything!

I love to make lists about what I want to achieve, goals I would like to chase after.  

Most people like summer, it lets you get out and about and soak up the fresh air.  It also allows you to relax and unwind.  Summer for me is all of this plus its HOT!  It can get so hot here that we just don't do anything.  We stay inside in the airconditioning.

It keeps us cool but our long summer break (school holidays are about 6/7 weeks) can get very long and boring.  This summer I wanted to set some fun goals, to give me a little prompt to get outside and enjoy life... whether its hot or not.

The new digital stamps from Kellie Stamps inspired me to write my manifesto and I thought for something different I would try a 12x12 photo.  I am fairly new to digital scrapbooking so it can take me awhile to figure something out.  Adding the words onto my photo in photoshop was fun but I wasn't sure if my spacing would be right or not.  So I decided to add "strip text" as this would allow me to move things around if my spacing wasn't quite right.  I could have done all the journaling in photoshop but I wanted to add some texture, I didn't want it to be a completely digital layout.

Strip text journaling is a form that I have used many, many times. Mostly because I can type up my journaling and then find a space on my layout for it to go.  This also allows me freedom to create a layout the way I want and not worry about the journaling as I can just add it after.  This type of journaling is also a good way to get your words down on paper if you are going to a crop night.  Then all you have to do is cut up your words and find a space to add to your layout.

Now that I have my "to do" list I am all ready for summer.  

But maybe not the hot weather LOL!

Love me :-)

Why I Journal - tips and ideas Part 3

I have always put the words first in my memory keeping and to be honest I find it very hard to scrapbook/project life if I am limited to how much journaling I can add.  I do believe that photos are very important but the words bring the photo to life, give it meaning and emotion.

Quite often a story I want to tell is sparked from an embellishment or a stamp.  These are also great things to use if the words just won't flow easily.  I wrote a blog post about my "bucket list" (a prompt from 2015 Blog-tember challenge) and I wanted to get the story down on paper and into my album.  When I first got these mini flair buttons from Feed Your Craft my first intention was to use them to document a holiday that we had recently.  As I was looking at them, a different story started to unfold in my head.  The words on the mini flair and my blog post were coming together in my head and I realised that I could use these to tell a different story.

Quite often when I get new products like these mini flair or stamps I just stare at them for awhile, letting my head just take them in.  I let them flow around in my brain and as I sit there stories start to emerge.  If the stories come quickly I grab a pen and paper and start making notes but if the story is not there I just let them sit on my desk and wait for the story to appear.  It may sound a bit strange but this process has worked for me for many years and I have been able to tell so many wonderful stories.

This particular story was important for me to tell as I want my children to grab life and enjoy all that it has to offer, the good and the bad.  This has been my personal mantra all through my life and I want them to understand that a good life just isn't handed to you, you have to go out and get it.  I want this layout to encourage them to do so.

You can read these earlier posts about tips and ideas for journalling here and here.

Don't always be in a rush to use product, let them inspire you to tell stories and record your history.

If you would like to order some of your own mini flair buttons head over to Feed Your Craft and use the coupon code TRACEY20 to get 20% of your order.

What inspires you to tell stories?  I would love to hear how your stories unfold.

Love me :-)

Kellie Stamps - new release...

Its always exciting when new stamps/digital stamps are released over at Kellie Stamps.  And this month is no different.  There are three new digital sets and one physical stamp set available.

I am showing Project Life cards made using "Gosh" and "I am, you are, we are" digital stamps that are available for purchase now.  The great thing about digital stamps is there is no waiting and no pre-ordering.  As soon as your purchase has gone through you can start creating.

Also exciting this month is the "gosh" digital stamp and physical stamp set which has been designed in collaboration with Brandi Kincaid using her amazing doodles.

I have a few more projects to share over the next few days so keep an eye out.

Happy Monday

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Sapore Espresso Bar...

It's no secret that I love trying out new cafe's and restaurants and I love to photograph it all.  The more quirky or funky the cafe/restaurant looks the more I want to go.  I stalk several foodie accounts on Instagram and they keep me well inspired to keep a list of places I want to try.

On Friday I caught up with my very dear friend Donna and we went to Sapore Espresso Bar.  I have had this cafe on my list for some time so I was excited to finally be going there.

You can check out their instagram account here, and keep an eye out for their amazing milkshakes which I am yet to try.

I ordered the Breakfast Board of a bacon & egg slider, potato croquette and mini granola pot.  I have to confess... the main reason I ordered the breakfast board was because the idea of a mini granola pot sounded so cute and I am all about the packaging.

... and those jars are filled with freshly juiced apple, ginger and lemon!  YUM!!

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So Excited to announce...

You may have already heard but I thought I would share it here too.

I'm totally excited and thrilled to announce that I am part of Feed Your Crafts first ever Creative Team and super thankful to be working along side these amazing ladies.

If you haven't heard about Feed Your Craft then pop on over to her shop and discover her wonderful handmade flair buttons.  As well as being the creator of super cute flair buttons, Elise is super creative so check out her blog here.

Can't wait to start this new journey...

love me :-)

I am - layout

New digital stamps from kellie Stamps are now available and I think they might be my new favourites.  I think I have said it before about being worried that there were no longer going to be physical stamps from Kellie Stamps but I have definitely moved on.  I am finding working with the digital files so different and challenging and it's certainly helping to get my creative juices flowing.

For this layout I have used "I am, We are, You are" digital stamps both for my journaling and then I used them and the trace & cut feature on my cameo to cut out some of the words to add as embellishments.

Right now I am right into journaling about how I am feeling and the words in this set were just perfect.  I think it's really important to get these stories told.  It will be so interesting in years to come, to look back at this and see how I was feeling.

Since about April (I think) when I first started purchasing Kellie Stamps I have been trying to challenge myself every month to see how many stamps I can use from one set.  I love this challenge and so far I have been able to accomplish it without too much difficulty.  Fingers crossed I can keep it up.

What have you documented lately?

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all I care about is coffee...

its no secret that I love coffee.  Actually its more than love is more like an obsession.

It's funny though if I think back, I didn't like coffee at all.  I loved the smell of coffee but not the taste.  But I had never had real coffee, only instant coffee (which is no wonder why I didn't like coffee - I still hate instant).  One christmas day my Uncle made an espresso coffee and I couldnt' stop raving about how glorious the smell was. He asked if I wanted a cup.  I laughed at first, but then thought, why not.

... and so begun my addition to coffee.

 I recently ordered some flair buttons from Feed Your Craft and what better way to use them but to do a layout about coffee.  We have an Nespresso Coffee Machine (affectionately called George) and when I need to go and buy new pods you get to have a free coffee.  Its one of the many things I love about my "George" and this layout is all about documenting that little story.

My title was inspired by a wood mount stamp from Kellie Stamps and the cute coffee flair button.

What little story have you documented lately??

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2015 Blog-tember challenge - bucket list

I am not sure that I really have a bucket list as such.

I just want to travel the world, experience different cultures, taste amazing food and document the ride.

It's that simple, now if only Lotto would pay out, this dream would become a reality.

But on a serious note, my true bucket list is to "live life".  I want to experience all that it has to offer.  I don't want to get old, be sitting in my rocking chair, surrounded by my Grand Children and say to them "I wish I had done________ ".  I don't want to have any regrets.  I want to do all that I can do, experience all that I can experience and enjoy a  full life.

... and be thankful for the adventure!!

love me :-)

Kellie Stamps - going digital

Sometimes life goes along, buzzing, moving ahead, going somewhere, although you are not that worried. You think you have things mapped out, what direction you are going in and then there is a shift, a change and one that you have no control over.  Its not a huge devastating change but one that puts you in a different direction.   One you hadn't really thought about before.

I have been on the Kellie Stamp Creative Team for several months now and can honestly say that its been such an amazing and fun ride.  I have loved the challenge of finding a way to use the stamps and hopefully inspired a few to give stamping a go.

Then I got the email to say that things were changing. Kellie Stamps was going digital.  DIGITAL!! what no stamps.  I was sad, I'll be honest here.  (you can read about why Kellie went digital here) And then I thought digital, I don't really do digital.  But I love the designs and I loved working with such a great team of ladies.

Change is not an easy thing for anyone and change is something I can do, but  sometimes I like things to stay just as they are.  But this was changing so I just had to "suck it up" and either move with the change or not. So glad I decided to "move with the change".

Going digital has given me a great opportunity to try something different.  Stretch my creative skills and learn some new ones.  If you follow me on Instagram you will know already that I am having the best time playing with these new digital files.  I am loving the challenge and I am loving where it is taking me.

I wanted to share some of my first creations using the new "kiddo" digital kit from Kellie Stamps.

this project life journal card is one of my absolute favourites.

sometimes change is knocking on your door and sometimes its just worth opening the door to see where it takes you.

Happy creating

love me :-)

2015 Blog-tember challenge - favourite season

I am back, playing along with Blog-tember challenge over at Brave Love Blog.  Missed the last few prompts but hoping to get back into again.

My favourite season... definately Winter.

I love it!

You would think living in Western Australia that I would love Summer (summer goes for like ever here lol) but it just gets too hot here.  Winter however, is just perfect for me.

We don't really get that cold here, okay we have the odd days that get cold but really its pretty good.  We even have sunshine most days in winter so who could  complain about that.

I love winter because...

I can wear my favourite jeans like all the time

I can snuggle on the couch with a blanket, coffee and a mag - bliss

I get to wear fluffy socks

I can live in my Ugg boots nearly 24/7

I get to wear fleecy pj's to bed (love these)

I sleep much better in winter

Love having the heater on

I go outside way more in Winter (odd isn't it)

I love being warm and cosy inside while its stormy outside

the smell of rain (total love)

it makes me happy

 

... and I get to wear scarves everyday.  Oh Yeah!

Whats your favourite season.
Love me :-)

2015 Blog-tember Challenge - My Playlist...

Ok... first up I need to be completely honest.  I don't really listen to music on my iPhone.  When I am in the car I always have the stereo on and in the morning I have it up real loud so I can sing all the way to work.  It kinda wakes me up, that and coffee. I do however, listen to music on my iPhone when I go for my power walks.  I only have about 10 songs on my "powerwalk" playlist (I only just scraped in to do this post) and I just keep playing them over and over again while I walk.  

These are the songs that I hit the pavement to, they keep me pumped and keep me walking at a fierce pace.  Each of these songs makes me happy and give me a burst of energy.  My only problem though is I tend to want to break out into a dance while I am listening to them.  I have been know to be walking and all of a sudden throw in a side step or two and wave my hands in the air. 

I love that music has the power to transform you into a different place, feeling or mood.

love me :-)