A Creative Life

Issue #43 of FK

This magazine just keeps getting better all the time.  As I perused the pages LO's just kept catching my eye.  I thought the last issue was fabulous as well.  With how it's going I can't wait until #44 now! LOL!!  Thought I would go through some of my highlights from this mag!

Firstly I love the cover by Kate Mason, love the warmth and texture in it as well as it's just so darn feminine! 

I also liked Steph's Kitchen prize LO, you really get the feeling that you're looking into her kitchen (I'm such a snoop). 

I love the way Belinda Webster ruched fabric and overlayed with buttons - fabulous effect and an adorable picture as well.

I love the way Shirley Chai has handstitched the yellow over the red and incorporated the sequins, it really gives the layout energy. (the bright yellow probably adds to the energy as well! LOL!)

There were some gorgeous photos in some of these layouts and the ones that stood out to me were Janine Kings teddy bear on the line and Lisa Chadfields Peace LO.  And for pure cuteness Sharee Mortensens, Shhh with the 2 kids pretending to be alseep!  That made me chuckle!

Love Zina's LO, very cool as always. And Kate Masons Guess LO, love all the fabric and colours.

Deb Fullers Pure LO, I love the way she used the splash of red paint in a couple of spots, really adds drama and the flowers were cool as well.

Sally Mitchells first winter just has a lovely simple elegance to it and is set off really well by the jewels.

Tammy Milborn has done a great job of a LO for under $6 with her Slide LO, just goes to show that you don't need to spend a lot of money to make something look good!

I adored the colour and motion of Lisa Chadfields Sunkissed LO

I loved the journaling of Juanita Walkers Idiosyncrasy LO, what a funny insight into her personality.

Fiona Kahler's Daddy's Girl LO I just loved. The colours and the motion and the use of texture.

Susan Doyles Unique Bollocks about Me was just divine.  From the brushes on the photo to the colour palette and the way she altered the colour of the text as she went.  Love it.

Loved Chris Millars article on home-made templates. I love the way the swirls and flourishes on the layouts are slightly irregular.  It just adds more interest to the layouts.

I loved the way Debbie Bray handstitched the retro rectangles on her layout.  It's a creative and effective way adding texture and colour to a layout.

I also loved the way Nic Howard utilised a fabulous picture of a bottlebrush behind her photo of the boys on the Clarks Beach layout.

Loved all of Kerrins as well!

I know, I know I may as well have said I loved every single LO in the mag but I really had to narrow it down to just a few....well just a few in my eyes! ROFLOL!!

I did have a bit of a cringe when I opened up to the contents page and noticed myself in a bikini!  I never thought I would see the day where a bikini clad picture of me would end up in a magazine!  All I can say is thank goodness for sarongs!  Without that bit of extra covering there is no way that they would have put that in the mag!  A sarong can cover a multitude of sins! 

These are my LO's from my article in issue #43.  I really enjoyed doing all of these layouts and the Touch of Paradise LO is still one of my favourite LO's I have created. TFL.

Many Words!

I have so much to say but I know that I will bore all those reading so I will try and keep it short!   Firstly, ISC was absolutely fantastic.  I loved all the classes I was in, but have to confess that I loved Zina's Reality Check class the most.  It was wonderful to catch up with people I have met before as well as some new friends.  I have to say a special thanks to Jeni O'Connor for 'fixing' my neck!  The girl is soooooo multi talented!  Not only is she a scrapper, mother, and midwife, she is also an exceptional massage therapist that can work wonders!  I had some sort of muscle spasm or pinched nerve in my neck (Friday night) and couldn't turn my head at all on Saturday, Jeni's massage was the only thing that helped!  So huge thankyou's to Jeni!

As some of you have read in previous posts, my best friend Kym was due to have her baby on the 22nd and I was so very worried that she would go into labour while I was at ISC.  Well, she held on until I got back (how sweet of her) and went in last night for an induction.  She had a baby boy just before 8am this morning by emergency C-section.  I really felt for her as she was hoping for a natural birth and after attending the birthing classes with her a c-section was the last thing she wanted.  However when your baby's health is at risk all priorities change and she is just glad to have her little boy.  He weighed in at 8lb3oz and was 52cm long.  As yet they haven't named him, but I'm guessing they will decide soon enough.  Kym was very stuffed when I visited her tonight, but she did enjoy the chocolate doughnut I got her (she's had gestational diabetes and wasn't able to have one while pregnant) I couldn't resist since she had said multiple times before the birth that she was hanging out for a doughnut as soon as she could have one!

Now that the Awards book is out I am free to share my 2 layouts that are in it.  It seems like a lifetime ago since these layouts were completed!  It was great to look through at the different work and I found Chris Millars layout particularly stirking in the design section.  I just love everything about her layout. 

Okay, this scan was done before I got around to writing on the tag, sorry about that!

This was my favourite LO from my entry.  I used 14 different patterned papers on this one!

It is hard to believe that in issue 43 of FK the Awards is advertised for this year.  I've decided that this will be the last year I do it again.  It is the only comp I have ever adventured to enter but I have decided that this year is enough.  I haven't subbed anything for the last 3 months and I have really enjoyed creating for my own enjoyment.  I still love the challenge of pushing my creative boundries and never want to lose this aspect, but I adore the creative freedom I have when I only have to please myself!  I am a harsh critic on myself, there are a few layouts sitting partially completed in a tray that I have set aside as I deem them not up to my standards.  I'm hoping for a lightning bolt of inspiration so I can finish them. LOL!  Mind you, there is still very little scrapping happening here....I need to get back into it as I find the more I do the more ideas I have. 

Well I warned you I was very wordy tonight!  Thanks for bearing with me till the end! LOL!

2 More Sleeps to Go!!

OK that title makes me sound super excited about going to ISC, but in reality I haven't printed off any photos for my classes yet!  In fact I'm not exactly sure which classes I am booked into!  Ooops!!  Note to self.....figure out a way of working out exactly which classes I am booked into!  I also haven't made a single swap tag this time around and I haven't bothered with the bejewelled thongs (the feet variety not the g-string type! LOL!) My philosophy is that my feet will get way too cold in thongs!  But don't despair, I am very excited to be going.  I'm itching (couldn't resist that reference) to meet up with old friends and make new ones!  That is the very best part of ISC and what makes me want to go to all of them.....but that would just be greedy.  So watch out everyone, if I can muster up the energy I will be saying hi to all those that will pay me attention! LOL!

On a less festive note, the weblog service provider is still driving me crazy!  Still not returning phone calls and I can't even update the website with this weeks images!  Not happy!  I have been holding off sharing my LO for this weeks theme which is "ribbons and rubons", but as I can't get any satisfaction from the previously mentioned weblog host, I have decided to share my LO here!

The photo is of a couple of friends at my 21st!  OK, don't laugh that was taken over a decade ago!!  Oh, just saying that makes me feel like I'm aging way to quickly!

I have used HS rubons, both the drama set and one of the new fuzzy ones on the tag - they are really cool and I adore the feel of them.  There isn't a scrap of printed paper on this layout, which is very rare for me. All the strips are of ribbons.

In other exciting news.... I actually scrapped today!  First time in over 4 weeks so it is a big deal!  I had to do something or I was going to go troppo!  You know when you start to rant and rave as you walk about the house tidying up after everyone and swearing that you never get any time to yourself.  It gave me a very clear indication that it was time to put aside all the chores that need to be done and just sit down and scrap!!  It felt soooooooo good!  I also got to use my new Rhonna Farrer stamps on it ....yummy!! 

I just want to say a big thankyou again to all those thoughtful people that left me comments of support about my RRV.  It is so lovely to know that there are people that care in the wider scrapping community.  It has been greatly appreciated.

Time has Come.....

Yes, the time has come to update my blog!  I have thought about doing it several times, does that count??  Part of the reason for not updating is that I haven't been doing very much at all! LOL!  I am happy to report that the itching has gone away, thank goodness!  Now I am just a zombie by 9pm at night.  I have said goodbye to my late night rendezvous with my scrapping table, it pains me greatly but I figure I need the sleep more than the scrapping!  Yes, I know that is very sad but true!  In fact I hate to say it but no projects have been completed in over 4 weeks now!  Yes, I am writhing on the floor in convulsions of withdrawal!

For those of you who may have tried to get on our forum lately.....it has encountered a severe problem!  Our weblog service provided decided they would upgrade their system and in doing so have managed to erase our whole forum database!  No, I'm not kidding!  They are also not returning phone calls at this stage!  We are desperately hoping that they have a backup of our forum and can restore it, once they return our calls so they know what we need done!  The shopping cart side has been unaffected which is one good thing!

I have also been asked by a few people if my best friend Kym has had her baby yet.  No she hasn't and her husband arrived from PNG on Friday night, so I am officially off the hook!!  Kym looks so positively radiant!  I went shopping with her on Thursday and everyone was commenting to her how fantastic she looked.  She is drop dead gorgeous which obviously helps, but she just looks positively glowing!  I can't wait until she has the bubs, she is due on the 22nd and as her DH has to go back to PNG quite quickly, she will probably be induced early next week if she hasn't had bubs this week.  I told her, just not the 19th-22nd of May!  I have to get back from ISC first. LOL!

I can't believe that it is less than a week before ISC!!!  I am really looking forward to catching up with friends I have made from previous ISC's as well as meeting a lot of lovely ladies that I have chatted with online!  Can't wait to meet Jeni, Susan and Trish who are all on the shops DT as well as many others!  I think I am more excited about attending this ISC than previous ones as I know so many more people now and it is so much about catching up with friends.

It is also Mothers Day today and each of my little 'angels' came in with their own homemade cards for me.  They were all so special and cute!  As they get older the cards become more sophisticated and the words have more meaning as they have put more of themselves into it.  I found it oh so adorable this morning!  You have got to love a massage performed with freezing tiny fingers, that only lasts for 50 seconds!!!! LOL! I was also greatful that DH cooked breakfast this morning as well, the kids are well meaning but their breakfasts are quite scary!  Happy Mothers Day to everyone as well, I hope you all had a great day.