Scrapbook challenges - Sketch 328

What's a Monday without a scrapbook sketch reveal... and today is just such a day.... the new sketch is up on the Scrapbook Challenges blog.

and with this page I have finished my 2010 album!!! WooHoo.

Here is the sketch.... you will see that I added in a few extra photos on the bottom strip.

There are lots of lovely layouts to see on the blog so go check it out.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 249

It's been a very up and down week... school started last week and we dived right into the routine. Work wise it's been a busy week with some highlights and a few low points too - mainly just frustrations.  But the best way to get through all this for me is to scrap... and that is what I spent a good part of the past weekend doing.

Here is today's layout reveal for Nuts About Sketches

The great sketch is full of circles but I decided to use a new nesting shape instead... just adds some fun to a good page.

There is lots more lovely layouts to see on the blog... so head over there to check them out.

Paper Mixing Bowl - January recipe

It's the start of a new term at the Paper Mixing Bowl... there have been a few changes tothe way things are run... so please if you want to take part in the challenge (and please please do!), make sure you read all the ettiquette rules very carefully.  The new reveal will be done on the 15th of each month and run till the 14th of the next month.

This is my layout for this month's reveal....

The recipe for this month is all about the sea... as in sushi. 

Now I don't particularly eat sushi at all... but I really did enjoy making my layout. I used the following design elements on my page:
 - the three colours
- metallic elements - I added microbeads
- splash - I tried to spritz my page which didn't work to well so ended up stamping in black and then added in a few more dots here and there
- bling it on - yip the SHINY microbeads as well as some glitter glue on my scrolls (can't remember the proper name for this product off the top of my head!)
- rolled paper - as I do quilling I rolled some paper strips which I added as little "golf balls"
- white space - yes there is lots of that!
- hand wrote my journalling... which doesn't say too much besides the who/what/when

Head over to the blog to see lots more inspiration and to link your layout.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 327

The new sketch is up on the blog at Scrapbook Challenges... and boy oh boy it is fun to see all the different layouts that the Sketch Crew has put out this week.

My layout for this week is about Granny's birthday (my Mom)... which was the morning we arrived in PE for our holiday.

The sketch is a great starting point this week and lends itself to all sorts of possibilities

 

You can see lots more layouts on the blog or in the forum.  Be sure to join us for lots more exciting challenges each week.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 248

Tomorrow is back to school for us... "yippee!!!" says Aaron.... and in a way me too.... I'm just not looking forward to the traffic or getting up at 5:30am again... been spoilt with sleeping till 7am most mornings for the past 6+ weeks.

During the holidays I did quite a bit of scrapping and my design team layouts were on that list... this week's layout is a new fav of mine... I love the layout, the photos and the colours.

The layout is another one from our September beach holiday... it was hightide and we had fun trying to capture the wave splash over the rocks and breakwater.  Aaron also had a good paddle in the sea.  The antics of the seagulls was fun to watch too.

Here is this week's sketch from Nuts About Sketches

If you look closely, you will see that I actually included 5 photos per strip... that makes 20 photos just there alone... plus the three others on the left page... a really great way to include a ton of pics without it looking cluttered!

Be sure to check out the blog for more layouts... there are some amazing examples of how else to use these strips... journalling, embellishments or simply patterned paper.

Remember too, you have till the 31st of January to get your application in for the new design team.

Snippets on from our holiday in Sept 2012

I mentioned in one of my previous posts that I would tell you about our holiday to PE in September.... well that never happened! hehehe... but now I've actually started scrapping some of it, so thought I'd share this first layout with you as well as the journalling

This holiday was planned in March already.... Mom, Dad, Aaron and myself... all booked to go by train to PE and stay in timeshare there for the week and then train back.  At least that was the plan.  BUT then we got thrown a major curveball in August when Dad suddenly died.  Mom and I discussed it and decided that we would still do the trip... sort of "in memory".  So the three of us were looking forward to it with much excitement... especially the train trip.... could just hear the clickity clack of the rails as I was packing our suitcase on Saturday night!

We all woke up super excited for our train holiday....after going to church, finishing packing and making our packed lunch, we left home just before 12 to go Joburg station. Keith dropped us off at 12:40 and we made our way down to the platform....Mom got stuck at the top of the escalator trying to get on...her hands were full and she needed one to grab on with....so I went down with Aaron and left him to look after our luggage...went up to help Mom. We then went towards the platform...I went to enquire which platform to go to and got told "The train isn't running. There is a bus...just go out that door and climb on." When I asked why I was told it was infrastructure problems....whatever that means!!!!

So started a looonnnng day of hurry up and wait.  We boarded a Translux bus for our trip....thoroughly disappointed not to be on the train.

We pulled out at 12:50...earlier that train schedule of 13:15 and drove straight to Kroonstad. Got to the Ultra City at 3pm and got told we had 30 minutes....Mom had coffee and Aaron and I each had milkshake, plus did loo stops. Got back on the bus and then sat there till 4pm (took these photos while waiting). When we pulled out the driver went to Kroonstad station. We ended up sitting there till 5:40....just waiting for the other buses in the "train" to arrive! The rest of the passengers were on City-to-City buses...chock full. It was announced that we had to follow the train schedule and stop at all the station.

They played dvds on the bus...no sooner had we pulled out of Jhb and the first one went on.... violent and loud! Really not the right sort of movie to play with all the children on the bus. So I asked at Kroonstad if there was something more appropriate...the next movie was Spirit, a much better choice.

The next stop was at Ventersburg (not Virginia as per timetable) at 6:30pm ... we didn't get off. Went through to Bloemfontein...arrived at the 1Stop at 8:15pm and were told we had 10 minutes!!!! Did a mad dash for the loo and got  hot drinks and a meal for Aaron (takeaways). Got back on the bus...left at 8:30 and then the driver went into Bloem...we got to the station at 9pm...sat around waiting till after 10:30 before we left again. The other buses left before us and we got stopped at a robot and didn't see the buses again.
In Bloem they started playing "the gods must be crazy"...There was a problem with the disc and so when things started going wonky they eventually switched it off...peace at last!!! They kids could now really get some sleep. As the bus wasn't that full, most of the kids got two seats to themselves and could lie down to sleep.

Next stop was at Colesburg...just went to the loo and stretched our legs... around 1am. Drove to Middelburg then to Cradock 3am...driver had a 10 minute break.

Aaron managed to get some sleep off and on through the night. I dozed here and there....kept feeling all the twists and turns and some bumps...Mom said it was the mountain passes. Mom didn't sleep much so was really exhausted.

We ate some of our lunch just before Kroonstad and then the rest as supper just before Bloem.
Got to Uitenhage at 5:45am and dropped off passengers. Aaron and I wished Granny Happy Birthday.... sang to her even! The bus arrived in PE at 6:15....We were exhausted.
 
We hung around the station having coffee whilst waiting till 7:30 for Budget car rental to open so that we could get the car earlier than 9:30 as booked. They didn't answer their phones, so I thought it best to just take a taxi to the airport....only cost us R60...so we left the station around 7:45 and I think we were at the airport by 8. I asked about extending the hire of the car and driving it to Jhb. Also went to Kulula to find out about flying.... could only fly to OR Tambo and it would cost us R1983 each!!! So we decided then and there to hire the car and drive.... this that and the other costs were added on and taken off... but eventually all paperwork signed.

So after a long and exhausting night on a bus, we headed out to Aunty Sylvia for the day… had a lovely lunch with her and then at 4pm went to book in at Brookhills for the rest of our holiday.

ps.... this layout was actually made at a MegaCrop in 2011 and has just been waiting for the right sort of photos.

The rest of the holiday is slowly getting scrapped, so those layouts will be up when they are done.

The year 2013

In October last year I did a class at the Scrapbook Den that was run by Jowilna Nolte... we made a lovely calendar.  I have eventually finished it (yes before January ran out!) and now have it sitting on my desk at work... here is the masterpiece.

The front and back covers

The first six months

The last six months

There is space for photos on a few of the pages that I plan to have printed soon... they will just finish it off nicely.

I can't wait till I do another class with Jowilna... booked for one on the 2nd of Feb!

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 326

It's a new sketch term at Scrapbook Challenges... and I am a returning member.... woohoo!!  Loving it here I might just stay till they kick me off (hehehe).

So here is the first layout for the new term....

And of course the sketches

Now head over to the site and check out the new colour scheme, blog and forum.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 247

It's the first Monday of the new year and so it's the first reveal for this year for Nuts About Sketches.

My layout is all about the orchid that my Dad got from his neighbour but actually never got to see open... they opened the Monday after he died.

Here is the sketch

Check out the blog for lots more lovely layouts... and don't forget to enter the Design Team call too.

Happy New Year 2013

It's a new year... and it looks like it will be a fun adventure this year with a few changes for our family.  Let the adventure begin!