DECISIONS, DECISIONS.....

In creating my "back in time" album, I used at least two different paper packs and still there were not enough "different" papers that co-ordinated in order to ensure there were no duplicate pages.....in future I think I will make smaller albums....need so much paper considering there are 12 "units" and each one of them uses at least 10 different papers!....I have also purchased individual sheets that I thought might match somewhat....but there are only so many black/caramel/cocoa/cream type papers out there....I already had plenty of black/white papers in my stash whose patterns would go beautifully with the theme, but the white was just too stark....I must have tried more than 20 different inks, sprays, etc. to try and touch up the white to blend better....almost gave up....then EUREKA I finally found two that blended great.....now at least I can use up some of these papers in my stash and stop buying more pads or individual sheets, especially when I only want a little piece from them!

A TRIP BACK IN TIME......

In 2009 I took a trip to France for two reasons:  the first one (and my original reason for going) was to visit a few of the towns/villages where my ancestors on my grandfather's side were born and lived out their lives.  The second reason came along after when my daughter discovered that I was planning this trip and we decided that a week in Paris would also be great fun....she met me there after I finished my ``journey into the past``....I took several hundred pictures of this trip, which til now have pretty much had a place on my computer.....now that I am so much more into scrapbooking mini albums, I decided to devote an album to this trip.....since my creativity definitely needs a jumpstart, I combined two of Laura's mini album patterns (followingthepapertrail.blogspot.com) and made a few alterations to better suit the pix that I planned on putting in the album....OMG....first was deciding which pix NOT to include!....that was difficult to say the least....then, before I could put any pix in I had to choose the right paper to co-ordinate with the theme of the pix....that was and is still another hurdle....I am slowly making my way though and have attached a couple of pix of some of the ``almost`` finished pages......WOOHOO.....and then there is still all the journalling to do......my ``journey into the past`` mini album is also turning out to be a ``journey`` in itself.....

First is the front, partially opened, and back of the envelope page.....
 

 

 

next is the front and back of the paper bag page....  

and lastly, the front, pullout and back of the cardstock page.....

 



HAPPY BIRTHDAY VEGA AND FELIX....

Well today is my twin grandbabies 2nd birthday!...HIP HIP HOORAY!!!....cannot believe how quickly the time has gone....they are just such a joy and I am very fortunate to be able to look after them three days a week, watching them grow, learning new things, and being able to develop a very close bond with them that not all grandparents are lucky enough to be able to do....Happy Birthday my sweethearts!....with much love, Grandma   xxoo

Retirement.....ahhhhh the life....

Well, now that I am officialy retired I am hoping to put all of my crafting supplies/tools to good use....but where to start!...I have so many projects/kits waiting to be opened and others in a semi-finished state!...also, quite number of chores/renovations to finish around the house and yard this year as well, that keep getting pushed back due to other commitments.....but, in the meantime, I will enjoy a few weeks of basically doing NOTHING and savour these initial moments of retirement....then I will just take one day and one project at a time and enjoy every minute of it!

CHA Goodies

So excited about some of the new items being showcased....several of the creative wizards that I follow have been sending out little bits of information and pictures to whet my appetite...cannot wait til their return and see what they will have up their sleeves on how to incorporate these goodies into their creations!

CHA Withdrawal

Well the last of my crafting gurus will have her show tonight, then they are all off to CHA - no classes for about a week!...what will I do!...

The good news, however, is that each and every one of them will be streaming and/or tweeting their comments and reactions (hopefully with pix) of what is new for the coming season....I will be glued to my computer for the next week hoping for little snippets of info.

Bad news is that probably almost all of the products will not be available for several months to those of us waiting with great anticipation for the goodies to hit the stores....alas....

My First Post! - Finally - YAY!

For some time I have wanted to start my own blog, especially after seeing and hearing about other crafters who have done so, and quite successfully too.....so I finally got up the nerve many, many months ago now and since this is the first thing I have written since doing so, perhaps I was a little too eager/hasty to get started.....for the life of me I just never seem to find the time to post anything!.....but perhaps it is not how often you post anyway....

Although I love scrapbooking, it seems that I need a little push in the right direction to get me started....my creativity seems to flow once others have instilled an idea or spark.....there are so many great creative/artistic people out there in the scrapbooking world and I love watching their designs come to life and following step-by-step through their thought processes...new techniques and new tools/gadgets make my mouth water!