my ramblings

Maya Road Journey Album kit

This month's design team challenge over at the Maya Road DT blog was to use the Journey Album Kit. We all created very different albums and you can view them all on the Maya Road DT blog.

The Journey Album kit comes complete with the binder album, plastic sleeves, card stock, pattern paper, ribbon, chipboard shapes, letter and flower/shape stickers.

I used the album to hold my scrapbooking layouts about my Chicago trip. I really enjoyed working with the smaller format (8"x8") and have had a lot of fun working with my photos. I have actually researched some of the places I had visited to add extra information to my journaling.

On the cover of the album is a map of Chicago. I scanned the map which I used for my sightseeing, printed it on photo paper and glued it to the cover. The cover has then been finished with a sealer.

These chipboard letters were the only think not included in the kit, which I used. The are some Maya Road chipboard letters painted with some new Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint by Ranger.

Here's some of the pages from the album (and yes, I do like my maps, when I'm visiting new places, if I have a map in my hands I'm a happy traveler).

In other Maya Road DT news, six new "Roadies" have joined the Design Team for 2008, read all about them on the DT blog. And I was thrilled to be asked to stay on the MR Design Team for another year, Caroline and Deb are so lovely to work for, and the DT girls are great to work with... all very exciting!

Hope you're all having a great weekend, thanks for visiting my blog.

Cheers

Fiona

x

   

October kit for Designing Memories

I was so happy to be a guest designer for Designing Memories and work with their October kit, along with Jill Geraghty Groves, also a guest designer for the month. Thank you Katja for asking me. Be sure to look through the Designing Memories gallery for lots of great scrapping ideas. Thought I'd share the layouts and cards using all the lovely products from the kit.

First layout uses a new favourite photo I snapped of Emily a few weeks back, not great lighting, but I love the expression is captured. At the moment her life is so good, she is achieving such wonderful things, and is so happy... just wanted to record those thoughts.

Next layout is of our cute little bunnies... they have been living with us now for four years. Wish I could say they are achieving wonderful things too, but their biggest achievement is being cute and fluffy.

And a couple of cards using lots of embellishments included in the kit for decoration.

 

Thanks for visiting, hope you're all having a good day.

Fiona x

Answering some questions with links

I've had a some questions lately about a few things, so thought as well as answering these emails, I'd share some links here.

In Tarisota Talk recently I shared some of my scrapping equipment.

One piece which a few of you have asked about was the caddy holding my pens.

 

This is my new pride and joy! I bought this from Pottery Barn when I was in Chicago in July. It spins around and is perfect for all my pens. You can see it HERE shown in black towards the back of the photo. I do have to thank my shopping partner in crime, Karen, for assisting me in its safe return to Australia. Karen and I spend one very fun day sightseeing, shopping and eating up and down Michigan Avenue, Chicago.

These are some of my new pens which I also purchased in the US:

 

On the left is a set of fine tip Sharpies I found in Target (24 pens in a pack for about US$12.00, thanks to the Back to School specials). I also found a pack of Souffle pens which I had read a lot about and bought these during a visit to Windy City Scrapbooking in Chicago. I also bought a Gelly Roll Stardust pen and a couple of Gelly Roll clear gloss Glaze pens. These are great for adding color and a little dimension to journaling and stamping projects.

Now, going back to Sydney Craft Fair in June, I purchased a couple of these 12"x12" paper holders from the Craftainers stand.

In her last newsletter, Nicole has given details of the Craftainers opening hours. So if you're in Sydney you can now visit their warehouse. I'm going back for some more of these holders, I've found them very helpful in keeping my DT papers in order.

Something else which prompted a few emails were the sugar flowers I used on our cupcakes recently. These can be bought from Alfresco Emporium, and can be viewed HERE.

I'm sure I'm leaving something out, if I remember it I'll just add it in another post.

Hope you're all having a great day.

Cheers

Fiona x

Tarisota's September Collection : Spring Sojourn

This post is long overdue...

I was thrilled when Tamar asked me to be the September guest designer for Tarisota a little while back. Just in time for my favourite season, the SPRING SOJOURN collection was full of colour with Urban Lily and Tinkering Ink papers mixed with the textures of matching fabrics and ribbons. The Tarisota designers created beautiful projects which can be seen in the Tarisota gallery. And the latest Tarisota Talk can be viewed HERE.

Here's my projects created from the kit, more details can be seen in the Tarisota gallery.

This layout below was a one of those "spur of the moment" ones. Emily plays the drums and percussion, and lately she walks around the house stamping her feet, tapping her fingers or clapping her hands... in perfect beat... very loudly, (and she's usually singing as well). And it drives me crazy. I'm reluctant to tell her stop (trying to be the good encouraging mother, etc, etc) but sometimes I just have to tell her to give is a break (particularly when she's stomping in her school shoes on the wooden floor boards standing right next to me). Anyway, that's what this layout is about.

Next layout just documents our front garden in spring. I seem to take the same photos every September of our freesias which carpet our front garden. They are self sewn, starting out a few years back with just a few little bulbs. They are the old fashioned freesias which smell so sweet. On a warm spring day, the scent is beautiful.

This little blank book is included in the kit. It is very cute, a small chipboard book with plastic sleeves.

And some cards. I used StazOn in to stamp on the acrylic flower and heart.

Thanks for visiting.

Have a great week.

Cheers

Fiona x

weekly catchup...

Weeks come... and weeks go.... we've had another busy week here in the Carter family.

I've had a few scrapbooking projects which I've been working on. A few have now been posted and on their way to the US to be displayed at Memory Trends. I'll share these when I've been given the all clear!

Emily had her 12th birthday party last weekend, which was a challenge to the ears with twelve 12 year olds (and a couple of little sisters) squealing with delight on a jumping castle. Yes, you read right.... Emily decided she'd like a jumping castle for her party. And I have to say, the girls had a ball. Inside it had a "mouth" that opened and closed, taking the girls to the top of the slide (which you can see on the left).

The girls also decorated cupcakes. I made a huge batch of cakes, provided icing, decorations and 100's & 1000's and let the girls ice their own cakes before eating them. Here's the before and after shots:

 

 

All the girls had a fun time. It was nice to have them all together as this is their last year at school together before moving onto high school next year. The party girl was VERY happy too. The party finished with an ice cream cake which we made with layers of chocolate ice cream with meringue and vanilla ice cream with mini marshmallows.

The registration for my latest online class closes this Sunday. The class will be open to students for another month after that, giving unlimited access to the online instructions. Thank you to the ladies who have already signed up for the class.

And finally one of my super favourite stores has opened in our local shopping centre. I found myself in a SMIGGLE store a few years back in Melbourne. I fell in love with the funky designs and colours of their products (mainly stationery). Well, it seems SMIGGLE has crossed the border and headed into NSW, and found their way into Chatswood Westfield. The stationery lovers of this family are very happy indeed! I just couldn't resist a little purchase when we visited the store.

That's about all. We are heading into a long weekend here in Sydney, thanks to APEC. So looking forward to some relaxing and family time!

Thanks for visiting.

Cheers

Fiona x