Say Something Nice Sunday

I have had an amazing weekend thank you to some wonderful people in my life. Saturday started with a beautiful little girl aka Miss Lily, brightening my morning with her joyful enthusiasm.  The afternoon took me to an environment that I didn't think I'd enjoy, but did, at my gorgeous neice's Bachelorette Party where I had fun with some wonderful female friends and family.  This was followed by an evening in the city of more fun female social time.

Sunday has proved to be just as amazing with an attendance at a book launch by another amazing woman, Inna Segal, whom we have known for a long time.  After that incredible experience, I was whisked away by my loving husband to Grumpy's in Fitzroy where we were entertained by an Argentinian Mambo Band whilst sipping wine and watching some passionate dancers bopping around on the floor.

And all this was preceded by a weekend of more family connection where I enjoyed the company of some special people visiting from UK!

So, there's alot to be thankful for right now -
♥ I am surrounded with so many remarkable people around me that enrich my life

♥ I am blessed with my family ties

♥ We live in an amazing city where there are so many contrasts and I can ever say I am bored with nothing to do

♥ There is always more to learn about life, love and living

♥ When trust and faith are around, so much opens up

So, what are you grateful for right now?

Till next time ...

My Little Monkey Mini Album

I did say that I would be posting some completed mini albums to share, and finally I am bringing one for you.
This album was created with an idea from Patricia Viramontes via You Tube, using a file folder.  I chose two green foolscap folders to use with papers I got from Aldi called Playtime Papers.  It all lent itself to an album for a little boy.
I made most of my own embellishments as well as some paper from Echo Park which I cut into photo mats or journalling mats.
Using the green papers was a bit of a challenge as I found it harder to match things up.  In the end, it is quite a simple way to make a 'simple' mini album.  The paper is quite busy and bright, but overall I am happy with the result.

And here are most of the mats/tags I have in the album.  I hope you have gained some inspiration and ideas from this share, if you have let me know.

I also have a You Tube video posted below which will take you through the pages.

Thank you for visiting, till next time ...

Say Something Nice Sunday

 

A very warm Sunday - which is great because those of us who work can actually enjoy the beautiful weather on our day off! It was warm enough for Lily have a splash around in the baby bath.

I have been working on a mini album that I started over 12 months ago and now it is finally finished. I was using a paper bag album that I bought on eBay about 5 years ago and felt a bit limited by it as it was stitched. But, I am happy with the result. I will put some pictures up in the next couple of days.

The class with Mariana really inspired me, now I want to do some hinged albums using her techniques. I also want to get back into my own scarpping using the heaps of photos I have accumulated over the past couple of years ... but what do I do first?

So what positivity can I share today -

♥ Shared a wonderful evening with friends last night, sitiing outside under the pergola till dark, enjoying the fresh air and good company.

♥ Tidied up my scrap space today and did some rearranging.  We have a double garage and I use one side to store my craft things and have my table set up there.  It's great as I can make as much mess as I want and can close the door on it till I'm ready to clean it up.

♥ I am looking forward to my cousins coming out from the UK next month.  I had such a great time with them last year when I was in London.

♥ I just love Pinterest! There are so many clever, creative people in the world who are not recognised for their amazing talent, this is a great avenue to see and share that 'amazingness.'  So many ideas to re-create!

What has been positive in your life today?

Till next time ...

Say Something Nice Sunday

 

The sun is shining again today although the breeze is a bit on the chilly side.  It's definitely Spring weather - warm, windy, raining, cool - and all in one day!

So what have I enjoyed his weekend -

♥ What a weekend, the football has now finished for the year with the Grand Final yesterday. A good day to sit in the warm comfort of our lounge room to watch the game. One day we'll be there cheering for our loved Bombers.

♥ Last night we ventured into the CBD for a bit to eat and to soak up some of the excitement of the big game.  We headed to Hardware Lane, known for its food and music, and sat outside under a warm heater. There were lots of Fremantle fans around, a few noisy Hawthorn fans and a couple of footballers passing through.

♥ Losing my car at a local shopping centre (that I don't go to very much) meant I discovered some retail stores that I didn't know were there - one that I was only thinking about a couple of days ago! I did find where I had parked eventually!

♥ I am lucky with what I have in my life and everything is perfect, whether it is a blessing or a challenge, just as it should be.

Till next time ...

Snapshots Mini Album Finished!

Wow, this has been a task of patience and perseverance and I've finally completed an album of multi-faceted pages and inserts.  Thank you Mariana Brulja for the challenge, I've learnt many things and now have more ideas under my belt to incorporate into my future projects.

I can't believe that some of the ladies completed the pages during the all-day class - it's taken me at least 4 days to get this done!  But, I am extremely pleased with the finished product.  There are so many nooks and crannies that I had to keep going through the pages to make sure I had completed each surface.
So here is a share with some of the pages - this is a long post ...
I started with a Smash Book cover, added brown cardstock and products from the Simple Stories 'Vintage Bliss' collection (plus a few journalling cards I already had). 
I made five pocket pages with flips and added pockets using the card stock, then added the pattered paper, made up inserts, used embellishments here and there, added three plastic pocket pages and here it is ...

 It is very thick!

The cover is sweet with simple embellishments. The first page has a large insert.

Which flips up to reveal more pages.

Which then opens into even more pages.

 And even more pages, with even more inserts.

The second page is a bit simpler with three pockets (now I've realised I need to make another insert for the middle pocket) wher inserts are added for journalling and photos.

The back has a simple side pocket as well as a small page for journalling. It is followed by a plastic pocket page with four inserts.

Then the next pocket page has two small pockets on one of the front flip pages.

 The two flip pages - one to the top and the other to the bottom - opens up to two envelope type pockets.

 And each one contains an insert for photo or journalling.

 The bottom pocket ...

 The back starts with two flip pages.

 Which open up to reverse pages and a big page and insert.

After another plastic pocket page, the next page has two insert pockets - one that extends to the bottom of the page and the other that is half page.

 The back has a flip page ...

 

with two pocket inserts underneath.

Which opens up to another insert page.

 The next pocket page has three small pockets with inserts for journalling or photos.

 The back of that page has a small flip page, followed by a large flip pageand another insert page.

And, this isn't every page! But what fun I had!

Till next time ...

Say Something Nice Saturday

Wow, last post was March - 6 months ago! And now, the days are lengthening again as Spring brings warmth, rain and a sense of lightness.  Spring and Autumn are my favourite seasons as the days are much milder and the colours are stunning.

So what positive things does today bring -

♥ This weekend gives me time to focus on doing the things I love with paper and paste, tucked away in my craft room (especially good as the sunshine streams in the window). I can get lost in my own world and forget those things that create negativity in life.

♥ Finishing my Sunshine Album that I started last week in a class at the local scrapbooking/papercraft store.  It's an amazing book with lots and lots of hidden pages and pockets, nothing I've done before.  I will share it when it is complete.

♥ Sharing quality time with my supportive husband/partner who puts up with my ups and downs and still oves me.

♥ Enjoying a warm, sunshiny weekend exploring the countryside and local area.

What can you find positive to reflect upon today?

Say Something Nice Saturday

(source)

As Summer ends and Autumn shortens the days, it is interesting to reflect on the past few months.

♥ Long hot summer days - We have been blessed with a summer that we can really call summer with lots of hot sunshine. It's funny how we complained about the heat as we sweltered through consecutive days of cloudless skies and warm balmy nights, a change from the complaints of having no summer where we are able to enjoy the cool sea water and holiday activities.

♥ Spotify - what an amazing application! I have discovered music I love that I never knew existed, re-discovered music from my teenage years and enjoyed endless hours of all sorts of music.

♥ The joys of having a toddler in the house - the excitement of discovering new things, the raw emotion that is presented at life in general - we can all take a leaf out of their book and learn to embrace life with the same passion.

♥ Life lessons - what would we do without the lessons that help us to grow personally and spiritually? At times quite painful but in the end we learn more about ourselves as a result - and isn't it fun to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

What is something nice that you can reflect on today?