The Story of my First Teaching Experience

Well... at least my first scrapbooking teaching experience!

I laughed a little inside whenever someone at work asked me what I was doing on my annual leave. I would reply, "traveling to Port Lincoln to teach at a Conference" because I knew they would automatically think it was something in the medical field and it would impress them immensely! Not suggesting that teaching scrapbooking is any less impressive.... just that.. well a lot of those doctory folk just don't really get it!! LOL!

 

So last weekend was the Escape 2 Create retreat in Port Lincoln and it honestly rocked my world! If you're an Aussie reader then you probably know all about this retreat and how awesomely popular it's become. I mean, the tickets to book a seat at this year's retreat sold out in about 2 minutes flat! And that's 80 seats! Even more frightening than that was the fact that they asked me to be a teacher at it, alongside such amazing talent as Kim Archer, Celeste Vermeend and Gina Rogers. I jumped at the chance but I'll let you know I was more than a little nervous!

I'm showing you the layout I taught because I wanted to show you how far I pushed the participants and what a challenge I set them! Not one, but two origami techniques with complicated instructions to verbally convey. I knew they could handle it though, and they were all committed to going on the journey with me to master these techniques. Thanks ladies!! And a great big thankyou to the good people at Jenni Bowlin Studios who worked with us to get a lot of the products for this page.

In fact, if anyone at the retreat has a photo or a blog post of their attempt at my layout can you either leave a comment or email it to me? I'd love to see all the finished products, and I'll include them at the bottom of this post.

(photo credit: Louise Nelson)

Just wanted to leave you with a little glimpse into the retreat (you can read a full commentary of the weekend's events on the E2C blog here). Here's a photo taken of me whilst I was teaching. Obviously I wasn't quite prepared for the photo, but it does sum up what it was like. There was a LOT of laughing! It was honestly quite a lot of fun!

I'll be back a little later with my versions of the other 3 lady's classes which I took. There was no way I was passing up an opportunity to learn something from these 3 masters of the art, and they pushed me in directions I never would have taken by myself.

So it looks like I've already got my next teaching gig already lined up! Have you seen the announcement of this today? Big Picture Classes are combining forces with Studio Calico to launch an epic event on National Scrapbooking Day. The aim is to flood Instagram with 10 000 scrapbook layouts using the hashtag #NSD10K on May 3rd, whilst also enjoying free classes from 10 recognised experts (well... at least 9!!) There will be an exclusive Studio Calico kit released on the day, but in the meantime you can enjoy the benefits of massive savings on some of their past kits.

All these kits are on sale now for $10 each, but you have to register for the event first! It's super easy to do, sign up here. It's FREE! You need to do it quickly though, already a couple of the kits have sold out.



ETA: Here's just one of the amazing layouts made by someone taking my class at Escape 2 Create. This is by the talented Kim Moloney... check it out....

The Story of My Monochrome Fear

I'm sharing this layout today over on the Jenni Bowlin Studio blog. You can see it here! But meanwhile I thought I would share some different thoughts about it here on my blog too.

Do you think this counts as a monochrome layout? Ignoring the pops of red of course. But the rest is pretty much all white, cream and yellow. I'm pretty sure most monochrome 'rules' allow you to include neutrals like the black and white too right? I only ask because the idea of creating a monochrome layout scares me, and if I had sat down to scrap with the intention of monochrome then this layout never would have been born. The panic would have set in and this would probably end up a jumbled mess that wouldn't make it to my blog (let alone the JBS blog!)

I think the fear originates from my early scrapping days where I attempted monochrome before I was ready. I didn't understand the 'rules'! Dull and boring layouts were the result! I still don't think I know good principles for their design (something about small, medium and large patterns perhaps?) although I do know that you need to include a lot of texture, and that's something I like to do anyway.

So what I did sit down and have in mind when I created this layout was the brief for the JBS blog this month which is to create something about your Love Lists (reasonably obvious for February right?!) Share something about the people you love, the things you love, the activities you love etc etc. Now that's a brief that I can get on board with! And it's only because the August Papercrafting Kit and August Artisan Kit (these are on massive sale at the moment by the way!) that I decided to use were absolutely packed full of fabulous yellow and white heart motifs that this layout almost assembled itself ;-)

I particularly fell in love with the Fancy Pants Stencils from the Artisan Kit and decided it would make a great title just as it was. I popped out the letters though and you're going to see them on an upcoming layout too! No way they were going to waste, so stay tuned for that. And guess what? That layout is almost monochrome too when I come to think of it. Pink though, not yellow. Oh my... I guess I've just conquered my fear! 

The Story of Autumn Days

Continuing on with my projects made with the Jenni Bowlin Mercantile October Papercrafting Kit, here's another layout I wanted to share with you here...

The colours in the kit were geared towards Autumn, and even though we're very nearly in Summer here I couldn't help but go along with the theme anyway. I mean, lets be honest, there's a pile of photos on my scrap desk still waiting to be scrapped that span back many years so it was easy enough to find some seasonal photos that would match.

The first thing I did was break open the ol' Cuttlebug and cut some leaves into the bottom portion of my page. Obviously I could have used my Silhouette for this, but the poor Cuttlebug has been quite neglected of late so I thought it only fair to share the love around ;-) A little sprinkling of the sequins in the kit and they found their way into the negative shapes almost by magic.

Autumn memories for us this year included our annual Easter trip up to the farm, hence why Moodles is wearing rabbit ears in the photo (in case you were wondering!!) I included my journaling on a hidden tag tucked behind the photo as I find it more challenging to find space for all my writing when I do these 8.5 x 11" layouts.

And before I go I wanted to share with you a special offer that's almost ready to expire at Jenni Bowlin. For this month only if you sign up for a new subscription you'll receive a past kit or add-on kit for free!

With all the new exclusives included in the kits there is no better time to subscribe, but you better hurry because it runs out at the end of November!!

PS. If you mention you're signing up because I referred you... I'll get a free kit too!! ;-)

The Story of Thanksgiving

November is a great month for reminding ourselves to be more thankful of the blessings in our life right? And even though we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in Australia, I find that it's still such a fabulous reminder to take the time and get a little bit of perspective on some of the things we might otherwise take for granted. 

Munchy is 7 now, and is at that stage where she really loves to write things down. She writes little stories, and lists of things she wants to remember, and letters to her grandparents and so on. This month on the Jenni Bowlin blog the DT members have been sharing the different versions of their gratitude albums. It inspired me to decorate a version of the same idea for Munchy to fill in.

I used the October Papercrafting Kit which is full of the Basic Grey Persimmon and Crate Paper Close Knit collections. The warm colour scheme is perfect for this heart-warming project (!!)

The inside is filled with blank pages which prompt her to think about what she's feeling and to list a few things she's grateful for. She's already filled out a handful of the pages, and trust me... she's not always feeling "fine". Here's a few of my favourites which I'll promptly translate for you since her writing is a little hard to read.

The one above says,
"I am thankful for my whole family, my washing machine and food and water. I am also thankful for clothes. Also money. Don't forget houses! I am also thankful for toys. I just adore them!"

This one is when she's angry, and she says,
"I am thankful for my school and class mates. Also my church friends including Michaela, Amber, Lara and Adah. Also I am thankful for horses because they don't give stinky air like cars do."

And lastly, this one from when she's feeling super happy.
"I am thankful for my friends that care for me and that play with me. They keep secretes when I ask them to. I am also thankful for God and Jesus. And the roof over our head."

Not a bad effort for a 7-year-old right? I love the sweet innocence and sincerity of these.
What are you thankful for?

Tutorial: Working With Neutrals

This post first appeared when I was a Guest on the Scrapbook Creations blog last month. You can check it out here.

Neutral colours include all the tones along the black, grey, white spectrum as well as browns and creams. Neutral colour schemes are a big trend right now, but it can be hard to get it right. Without some simple tips and tricks in mind your layout can end up looking very monotone and dare I say it, boring?! Here’s some pointers to keep in mind.

1. Texture is the Key

When working with a limited colour scheme it’s important to create interest in other ways, and the way to do that is to include as many different textures as possible. On my layout I’ve included plastic, metal and wooden embellishments which all have a different visual appeal to them. Even my patterned papers have variations in their texture – smooth cardstock, crumpled ledger paper and the embossed hearts.

2. Layer Upon Layer

Along with texture you must have dimension. Make the viewer want to reach out and touch your layout by having certain elements jump right off the page at them! If the photo is your focus point then create a sense of depth around it by layering up loads of paper, tags and embellishments. You can use foam tape or the embellishments themselves to create the depth in between layers.

3. Create Contrast

The eye is drawn to areas of high contrast, so even though the majority of my layout is beige, cream and white I’ve added some important highlights in black which create quite an impact. These should be kept to a minimum though or else they risk overpowering the effect. Similarly you’ll notice a few teal embellishments and paper amongst my otherwise neutral scheme. This colour was carefully chosen as it’s soft enough to blend in whilst still creating a splash of contrasting colour.

4.  Use White Space

White space doesn’t need to be white (although in this case it is!) White space is simply an area on your page with minimal or no embellishment that allows your eyes somewhere to rest. Whilst it’s great to have clusters of embellishments and layers of paper make sure these don’t fill the entire page or it can be very overwhelming. On my layout I’ve left space down the bottom of the page that’s my designated white space. I too fight the urge to embellish it and you can see I’ve added a few rubons, but that’s ok because they’re quite subtle.

5. Photo Choice

You don’t necessarily need to chose a black & white photo but you’ll certainly want to chose one with a fairly neutral colour scheme of it’s own. Mine was a sepia print because it worked better with the dominating colours of brown and cream in my layout. But you could still have a colour photo as long as didn’t have any bright tones in it.

Well I hope I have given you some inspiration today and a few tricks on how to work with neutrals. If you give this a go please link up your projects in the comments, I would love to stop by your blog and see them.

Bloggin' all around the World

Well not quite, but I have got a lot of posts that have gone up this past week that aren't actually here on my own blog! (And speaking of my blog, have you noticed the clean new look? It's still in need of a bit of tweaking, but what do you think?)

Let me show you some sneaks, and then you can check out the full versions for yourself...

#1

First up, I'm sharing another page made with the gorgeous Maggie Holmes Flea Market collection over on the Paper Stories blog. This is surely one of my favourite lines ever. The colours are exactly me, but that doesn't mean that I couldn't augment it a little with a bit of mixed media.

In fact, I've even posted another video on my YouTube channel that shares the process of this layout coming together. But for all the details and explanation head on over to the Paper Stories blog.

#2

Today I'm super-excited to say I'm Guest Blogging over on the Scrapbook Creations Magazine blog!! Asked to share something that's trendy or inspiring me right now I chose to go with my recent love of scrapping with neutrals. I put this layout together with the September JBS Papercrafting kit. The kit as a whole was actually really bright and colourful, but with some careful choices I turned it into this tone-on-tone page.

I share my tips and tricks for doing this though, as I think if you're not careful with scrapping with neutrals it might turn out a little.... well.. boring!

Scrapbook Creations have got a Blog Hop going on right now (which I'm a part of) where you've got a chance to win a 1 year subscription among other things. Check it out here.

#3

I was recently sent the newest products from X-Press It in order to review them. X-Press It are known best for their high-quality adhesives and they've just released Wide and Extra-Fine Glue Markers along with the standard size. I have to admit... I really loved them!

Putting them to the test I whipped out this set of relatively simple cards with some Basic Grey goodies. The feature piece of each card is the series of glitter stripes running along it's length. It shows you the difference in width of the 3 Glue Markers at a glance.

X-Press It have also got a Blog Hop going on right now where you could win these products for yourself! Check it out here. 

#4

And lastly... over at Jenni Bowlin Studios we're celebrating all things Autumn and Halloween. Slightly tricky I admit, given I definitely don't do Halloween and it's currently Spring here in Australia! But it's not like I don't have a thousand photos from 6 months ago sitting on my desk waiting to be scrapped, so turns out it wasn't that hard after all ;-)

It definitely helps that the October Papercrafting Kit was filled with all things Autumnal too, which I loved. But I have to admit I've got my eye on the November kits and can't wait for them to arrive on my doorstep!

And one last thing..
I've got my own Evalicious Giveaway going on right now, and it's open for anyone to enter. Good luck :-)

The Story of Learning to Write

Loved the latest release from Jenni Bowlin. Rubons seem to be an often overlooked product these days but Jenni keeps on coming out with fabulous designs. The Gold Doilies are my favourite (although I am also loving the Speech Bubbles and Tiny Trims too).

The other new-release products on this page are the Happy Flatbacks and the Flash Card too. The "write" card is in fact where the concept of this layout all started from. Munchy is in her second year of school now and she loves to read and write. She devours books by the stack and when she's not doing that she'll happily get out her pencil and notepad and write down whatever comes to mind.

I have to say it's such a relief to see her enjoying school as much as she does, and I hope to continue encouraging her down this path. But I'm sure I'm not alone in my parental anxiety in wondering if I had done enough (or am doing enough) when she's at home. Am I a good parent? Do I teach her appropriate things? Have I taken her enough places? Should I have read more books to her / filled the house with classical music / made her do dance lessons sooner? etc etc! Slightly neurotic right?!

I took my choice of papers from the August Papercrafting kit to maintain a fairly monochromatic effect with lots of shades of whites and greys but with a vivid splash of red. Most of the papers you see on this layout are the exclusively designed ones by Lisa Dickinson. The chalkboard tag and the journal tag are also from the exclusive paper in the August Historian kit. Just another fabulous reason why you should become a kit subscriber!

Anyway, it's lucky that she enjoys learning as much as she does. In fact, most of it is self-directed and I barely have to do anything except keep supplying her with bunches of books. I hope it keeps up for a long time to come yet!

The Story of Scrapmatts and FWAB

Right back in February when I was still designing for my favourite Aussie embellishment manufacturer 'Flourish With a Bling' we teamed up with 'Scrapmatts' who make the most interesting and intricate chipboard. My projects were on both blogs at the time, but never made it here.

Better late than never I say!

At first you might not pick me for a bling and chipboard kind of scrapper. In fact, a lot of the time I would have trouble calling myself that too. But only because it usually conjures up images of the flowery-romantic-shabby-chic-vintage kind of style, and that's really not me. But both of them are actually quite versatile products and can be used in a variety of different ways.

What I prefer to do is a fun and whimsical and colourful style, and both FWAB and Scrapmatts offer that with their products. For this page I combined the FWAB Up in the Sky raindrops with Taylah’s toadstools and Silver Elise flourish (all links are at the end of my post) with Scrapmatts Butterflies, Kite and Birdbath to tell this funny little story.

You see, The Man thought it would be a great idea to buy a push-mower rather than a petrol one as it would be better for the environment and would encourage him to get out and exercise whilst he was doing it. In reality what it means is this... the grass in our backyard is now growing out of control to the point where my youngest even gets tripped up in it!

Each chipboard piece is first covered with gesso as a base, then I coloured with either acrylic paint or ink before finishing them off with Dimensional Magic, Liquid Pearls and glitter for a sparkle and shine!

The next thing I love about chipboard and the range of bling FWAB carry is that you can make them match any colour scheme you can think of. My second layout was slightly more traditional as I captured that magical moment of my girls watching a bride walk down the ‘aisle’ to meet her groom. They were so awe-struck and couldn’t take their eyes off her. I stuck to a fairly simple pastel colour scheme with pink, aqua and cream and chose my embellishments to match.

I kept my Scrapmatts birdcages white but coloured the birds brightly mauve and glittery so they really stood out. Then I let my FWAB add a lovely textural touch with the Grace Pearl flourish behind the cages, and the Wine Rhinestones as a twinkling border.

I was pretty good at incorporating lots of Jenni Bowlin products in this one too, and you can see a few papers from her Black & Red and Magpie collections as well as using Evalicious stamps on both pages as well. This was my DT page trifecta!!

There were a couple of cards I made for the showcase as well, but I'll leave them for another day.
Happy Scrapping :-)



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