Woohoo!!

I am so happy that I have done three more layouts this week.  I am not expecting this to continue as I have some busy weeks coming up.  But while I can it is great.

I have been enjoying working through the sketches.  I has helped me see what I like to do on a page and what is a struggle for me.  I like the layered paper look.  I was never one for using much paper as initially I didn't have very much and metered it out like gold.  I would always start with a cardstock background, but of course you cannot watch much of Shimelle and not be inspired by the way she uses paper as backgrounds and lots of layers. So I am trying to branch out that way.  However I do really like the subtle look (although this week I have tried to be bold :)).  I am also trying to be more aware of how the layers overlap so that they are visible and interesting.
I have also been trying to work on the layered embellishment clusters that I like so much of Shimelle's.  Again, I don't think I will ever achieve her level of co-ordination but I am trying :).

So here are my next three takes of her sketches 13-15.  Don't forget to check out the links back to her original posts, mainly as you get to watch and be inspired by more of Shimelle :)

Sketch 13

Sketch 14 and 15 together: Shimelle put both these sketches in the one post.

So that is it from me for another week. Have fun scrapping!

Cheers, Marie

What a week :)

So I am trying to get back on track...which means that the washing is still on the line and there is a basket of clean clothes that needs to be folded and put away...however, the dishes and cooking is getting done as well as the kids getting to school so I think it is ok to do some scrapping :).

I managed to do 3 more layouts to match Shimelle's sketches and one for her current challenge of 'hearts' on a page.  I am enjoying the challenges.  I am going to try and do the Glitter Girl ones too but don't know if I can do this much scrapping in one week on a regular basis.  I am finding it very useful to follow someone's idea so that really I am just looking for pictures and paper rather than necessarily coming up with the plan from scratch.  Definitely makes for faster scrapping.  And I do so love Shimelle's style using mostly 4x6's as that is what I have.

Since following Shimelle, I have to say that I am more consistent with putting journalling on pages. I look back at my older ones that don't have journalling and feel that there is something messing.  I will have to go back and add stories or background to some of them (not all...not that much free time...washing will have to happen!  Clean undies are overrated, aren't they???

So here are my takes on the next 3 sketches:

Sketch 10

Sketch 11

Sketch 12

So that is it from me...don't forget to check out the links to Shimelle's sketches for some great video watching ;)
Have fun scrapping,
Marie

Aaagggghhhhh! What happened??????

So, obviously I haven't been here for some time.  After the last post, which was written back in the middle of November and never put up, I hit a wall with both scrapping and life!  I couldn't get into a grove with the sketch I was doing at the time (#8) and as the others had just flowed, I just kept putting it off.  I did do a few other pages but I physically and mentally avoided this one.  But I felt I couldn't move on until I had it done.  By the time I just 'sucked it up' and did something it was the end of our school year with all the extra stuff that that involves, then I had a head cold for 3 weeks...blah.

The one very exciting thing that happened was we moved into our nearly finished renovated area which left our old bedroom as my new scrapbooking room.  Well, I do have to share part of it as the 'office' area with my hubby, but really it is MINE...all MINE!  So I spent most of the time between Christmas and New Year's moving everything in and getting organised.  Having just learnt that I need things visible if I am going to remember to use them, but not liking the look of everything out, it has been a bit of a challenge  - but that is ok.  I am just so chuffed that I have a space where I can leave things out and a door to shut so visitors don't get in there :).

I am now hoping to get back on track and keep scrapping the sketches...although now that Glitter Girl is back (want to one day work my way through those too) and Shimelle has the weekly challenges I don't know how I will go.  At least it is motivating me to scrap and that is a good thing.  Here are the last few sketches I did before I stopped.

Sketch 7   This might just be my favourite page that I have ever done!

Sketch 8  This was one of the hardest pages I have ever done, I think.  Not because of the sketch but just that nothing fit with each other.  And I still don't like it, but it is done and I am moving on!

Sketch 9  This obviously goes next to sketch #7 in my scrapbook.  A bit of a different take on the sketch but I loved making it.

Have fun scrapping,
Cheers, Marie

Continuing

Once I set up an actual area to scrapbook I was much happier and much more productive than before. Within a couple of weeks I had about 10 or so layouts done just by spending bits and pieces of time on them. Wonderful!  I have also discovered that I do use things when they are there in front of me...and not so much when they are packed away and I have to hunt for them.

After my brain wave of working my way through Shimelle's sketches I have been doing roughly a layout a day, which I am so happy with :).  I haven't been a sketch user before but I am loving that I don't have to spend time trying to figure how to lay out the pictures on the page.  I have a tonne of pictures so I just look at the sketch and look for roughly similar sizes and numbers of pictures and get going.  I also love Shimelle's videos so I watch her matching video then get going.  It helps with the internet/YouTube addiction but keeps it in proportion with actually doing something too!

Sketch 4

Sketch 5

Sketch 6

Have fun scrapping,

Cheers, Marie

Getting going...

I am just an ordinary home scrapper.  My scrapping usually went in fits and spirts as I would scrap at the dining room table.  This meant that when I felt like scrapping I would cart everything out from cupboards and storage to the table, scrap intensely for a day or two (as long as we didn't need the table), then pack it all up for another couple of months until I felt inspired enough to do it all again.  A couple of months ago, my frustration with this got me to the point of clearing a space behind one of our lounges, putting a table there and at last having a permanent place to have some scrapbooking stuff out.  It is not without hazards as I found out after my friend's 2.5 year old tipped all of my wood veneer over and distressed herself and a few other things with an ink pad...not as bad as it could have been!!!  It was time well spent with my 6 year old boy as we picked all the bits up and sorted them out together...chatting happily as we went.  He was kind enough to move the couch and sift through the dust bunnies under there for me :)

So here are the first few sketches and my pages to match with links back to Shimelle's page if you are interested :) Warning: I am a simple scrapper so there are no fancy techniques to see here!

 Sketch One

Sketch Two

Sketch Three

This one goes opposite the first one in my album so has matching stuff on it (just in case that wasn't obvious enough!!! lol).

Have fun scrapping
Cheers, Marie

How it all started...

I had been in a slump with my scrapbooking for a while. One day (in early 2014) I went on something called 'YouTube' and the slump got drastically effected in two ways.  Firstly my whole scrapbooking world opened up - products and people that I had never heard of, techniques that were both amazing and scary! Secondly, I spent way to much time on YouTube and the rabbit holes that it leads to rather than actually scrapbooking. I did really need to go to a help program for it!!  "Hello, my name is Marie and I have a YouTube problem!"

In my wanderings around the internet I came across Shimelle (if you don't know who she is, really your time here is wasted) and her alter-ego Glitter Girl...yes rather late to the party as it was only last year!  However I love that she mainly uses 4 x 6 photos and loves paper, although she can technique up a storm when she wants :)  

So in an attempt to actually get some pages done I have challenged myself to work my way through Shimelle's sketches and to keep some accountability, post the pictures here. My first page is one just inspired in general by Shimelle's style and not a specific sketch.  I did it about 2 months ago and it was actually the inspiration for this challenge. I had recently met Amy Tan and so I used mostly her products.

Have fun Scrapping,

Cheers, Marie