I used an envelope and created a first page using some of the bits and pieces I had kept from our journey over here in 2010. In the envelope I have a couple of collage photo prints, our hotel booking details, our boarding cards, a little sewing kit from the hotel and a few pages from our Lonely Planet book we bought. I really enjoyed making this page and it all came together really quickly. Please excuse the poor lighting in the photo. I used Instagram for the photo to try and ‘photoshop’ it.

For the second challenge the task was to use three or more collections on a page. We could scraplift Shimelle’s page or make our own. As long as we used three or more collections.

I used a sketch from my print outs of The Hitchhikers Guide to Scrapbooking as below

For me, using multiple collections is quite a normal thing to do. I don’t tend to buy whole collections, instead I prefer to pick papers and embellishments I like. For my page ‘Parisian Love Affair” I used and old Graphic 45 scrap, some pieces of a paper I got in my one and only Studio Calico kit and a piece of leftover paper from what I believe is a Kaisercraft range (that is no longer for sale). I used all left over scrap pieces and then cut a few smaller butterflies out of a DCWV mattstack that I was sent as a birthday present in 2010. So all in all I have no current collections on this page but I am happy with the overall look. I also found some really old letters that I bought way back when I first got interested in scrapping but knew nothing of suppliers etc in a closing down sale. When I left NZ in 2010 there were just two scrapbooking/stamping specialist stores in existance after most had to close down – mostly due to the economy I assume.

Anyway, enough of the chatter! Here is my page I made:

The journalling reads: I love Paris! It all started @ 13 years old in French class in high school. I learnt the basics but got lost somewhere along the way with the verbs: past, present, future, female, male…so I gave up. But I never stopped wanting to visit France. We toured through Paris and Nice in 2010 and visited Paris again with my sister April and her boyfriend Rowan in 2011. There is just something magical about the place. I love the food, the people, the chic little clothing stores, the bakeries and of course the Eiffel Tower. Pure bliss…

Enjoy!

I am actually participating this month!!!! Hurrah! I have a reminder on my phone which has gone off so many times now and one thing or another has happened and I haven’t posted for months now!

This month my 10 things are all about our wedding planning and what not…

1. Venues:

We are getting married in my Gran’s church where I was christened as a baby and where my parents got married 30 years ago (this year!!) The outside isn’t the most beautiful but inside is a wonderful big hall with wooden pews, a nice long aisle and incredible stained glass windows. Oh – and a HUGE organ!!!
Our reception is currently under negotiation but we have two possible venues at this stage that we will confirm soon hopefully.

2. Stationery:

This is maybe one of the hardest things for me (I wouold say us but Dave is happy to leave this one to me…) to choose…we need to send out Save The Date cards sometime soon and I have yet to decide what I want…Theme wise I am loving a little bit of old school retro like this:
(yup – you are getting a sneak peek of my wedding book where I am sticking all my little bits of magazine inspiration into!!!)

3. Theme:

I can’t seem to choose what ‘look’ I would like for our day and Dave is so lovely and laidback about it that anything would go! I think I need to decide on what items I want as key decorations etc and use that as a basis? As you can see the look kinda goes one way or another from the bits of mag I have been clipping…

4. Favours:

We were having a Skype call the other day with Dave’s mum, my parents and my sister and tossed around the idea of taking home/sending home Wedding Rock/Brighton Rock as a favour…I love the idea but Dave needs a little more convincing.

5. Photography:

We have our main photographer booked and I am a little nervous since we haven’t met face to face yet but he has said we can always Skype so I might add that to a list of things to do so we can get a feel for what he is like as a person, how we get along etc (so that we feel at ease with him taking our photos!!!) and to discuss what sort of photography we want…

I also would love to ask a friend or someone I know to join in as a sort of second shooter…to take the photos of the boys getting ready and to be with us later in the night when our Photog. leaves us. I have yet to think of who I could ask. Something to ponder.

6. Music:

I can’t really share too much here so that I don’t give away the whole thing…but we have chosen our songs for during the ceremony and a couple for at the reception but we still need to think about prior to the ceremony and also whether we want a band or a DJ for the reception.

7. Food:

We got a sample menu from one of our potential reception venues and I am drooling!!! We are now just waiting on some refinements and a little secret mystery shop visit (Thanks to our Mums) and we will have confirmation!!!

8. Transportation:

Any ideas guys? I know what I will have to get to the reception (top secret)…but we don’t yet have any definate ideas for the boys and bridesmaids and also for the ride from ceremony to reception venue(s).

9. D.I.Y:

This is the part that really gets me excited!!!!! I was thinking of lots of little ways we can decorate our reception venue and I am aching to get home, do some shopping at Spotlight and get sewing. Check out my wedding Pinterest board for some recent pins of stunning Cath Kidston fabrics…getting the ideas mulling over!

10. Inspiration:

Just a couple of blogs I read now and again to see if I can ‘borrow’ anyone elses great ideas for our wedding!!!

Rock and Roll Bride

Rock my Wedding

And that’s my 10 things for April. 11 months till “I Do” day!

When I decided to restart my blog a little while back I said to myself that this could be an ideal monthly schedule I could make use of. Now it is just to keep the habit going!

From Shimelle: “Every month, we blog ten things on the tenth.  Your ten things can be absolutely anything you feel like sharing!  Link to your specific blog post on Shimelle’s blog so we can all come read your own list of ten.”

Hi all! After my giveaway shambles thanks to no comments being able to be made I have found an alternative!! Here is a treat from a bloggy friend of mine that I have had the pleaseure of meeting in real life several times now too.

Please forgive me for a lack of posting,,,I am trying to get this blog sorted as soon as possible but need the help of a guru back home!

More from me soon,

And here is the link!

Here is a look at my creation, including the embellishments I made! I really enjoyed creating from a different approach and like the page I have made. It doesn’t have much relevance directly to class but it does play into the theme of my album for our ‘big adventure’ that is living here in the UK.

I call myself a part time perfectionist…there is a reason for this that goes something like:

Some things I can stand being messy –

(aside: this mess has now shifted from the lounge floor to the kitchen table, and chairs, and bench, and floor…lol)

But there are some things that need to be just so:

So the question is: how do I balance this in my life? I definately should be more relaxed with some things, and I know this…Like: there is no point spending ages making the bed, folding hospital corners, at least on Dave’s side – because I can guarantee you that literally seconds after he gets in to bed the sheets are pulled out!

There is one thing in my life that I view as perfect. It may not be perfect in everyone’s eyes and certainly sometimes I forget this and believe it to be false, annoying, fustrating or just dumb…but I love him and our relationship means the world to me. In case you haven’t guessed yet I am referring to Dave, my fiance…yeah I am the big cheese! I love my man!!!

So my thoughts on other things in my life I wouldn’t trade are:

Calling NZ home
Family
Friends
My hobby
Laughter
Skype-ing home
Mum and Dad’s visit
Time in UK
Gran on fb at 81!
Travel
My engagement ring
Chilling with Dave

Some of these I have scrapped, some are yet to be scrapped. But I now have plenty of new ideas and layouts swirling round my head!!

Tell me some of your ‘things you wouldn’t trade for the world’

Lou x

As a travel agent I got really excited when I saw today’s moot point was maps!!! Travel really is a great passion of mine and is the sole reason my partner and I moved to the other side of the world not so long ago. We live in London and travel as much as we can afford. This year we have visited 4 countries and we hope to travel some more of the UK and 2 more “international” trips yet too.

Currently at work I have a client who is preparing to travel the world next year and she has enlisted my help as her travel agent. I am having so much fun helping her make her long time dream a reality! It is also inspiring me to become more focussed and intentional about where I go next and also to learn more about all the different ways of seeing various countries.

There are so many places I wish I could visit all at one time…not too long ago I posted a list of the top 5 places I wanted to visit here Two of these I can now tick off! I travelled to Marrakech with Dave to celebrate his 25th a few months ago and recently stayed in Tuscany with Dave and my parents when they visited. We stayed in an amazing converted farm building (our room upstairs had been the hay barn and my parents stayed downstairs in the pig sty!!!). Both trips were totally different but incredible experiences. Now I just have to plan and pay for the next few holidays.

I chose a quote to include in today’s post that has got me thinking about both the literal meaning and also the hidden meanings in it. Feel free to share your interpretations! I would love to know what you think.

“All you need is the plan, the road map and the courage to press on to your destination” -Earl Nightingale

Lou x

Today is my first ever giveaway! It is just a little something to see how it goes.

It’s a Xyron 1.5″ create-a-sticker. I got so excited when I first started scrapbooking and someone pointed it out to me. I had a big toy sticker maker as a kid and would spend hours making stickers! I have one myself and love using it for scrapping those pesky little bits that seem hard to work with. When I was at home (NZ) and used the Cricut in my local store I used mine far more – I have somehow come across a second one and decided rather than try to sell it I will see if anyone wants it here! This is also an exercise in seeing how many people do follow my blog, I am told I get a fair few hits but would love to gain some extra interaction on the blog. As the giveaway item itself isn’t entirely exciting I will pop a little extra something in the package as a surprise for the winner.

All you need to do is post a comment – I’d love to know if there is anything about scrapping that reminds you of the crafty child you might have been?

I will draw a winner next Tuesday night and announce it on the blog.

Looking forward to your comments!

Lou x

Note to self:

Self portraits…not something I do a lot on my own but as I was called upon today to take one, I did! It is after midnight as I had a friends birthday dinner out tonight so the conditions aren’t ideal, but that is why I love these apps on phones that make the photo look so purposefully odd. I haven’t ever really been someone who scraps themselves alone so perhaps this is worth a try? After all, in the future my pages are bound to become children related etc and it will be nice to remember some of the things I enjoy just for me in the here and now. Something to remember.

I am hoping this new class helps to spark up my creativity as for a long time I have been inspired by other people’s work, inspired by colour schemes and patterns, inspired by the trips and adventures we are having here in the UK and inspired because all my stuff is packed away and I haven’t had a choice! Now we are settled in the new place I need to learn it is ok to make the time for myself to relax and scrap. (And to not just keeping on adding to my pile of projects I WANT to finish!!!)

Tonight as I write this blog the night sky rolls by in darkness. A symbol to me of everything that goes on around me without my knowledge. This is not a bad thing, I need to learn that this is how life goes – I cannot be everything to everyone. Doing this class and becoming more intentional about how I use my time is what I want to focus on for the next few months.

This is for me and me alone. : )

Hope to see you tomorrow!!

Lou x