More off the page???

Normally I would say that Off the Page projects are something I just don't do - so who would believe that 2 blog posts in a row would feature exactly that???  In saying that, I've always said that the only off the page projects I'm interested in are those that have a purpose. I hate dusting so pretties that just sit around are not on my radar.  However, the craft cady which featured in my last post and today's Gratitude Jar are both pieces that I feel have a purpose for me.

I first saw the Gratitude Jar via Nic Howard 's blog where she created one for 2013 for her family and featured it on the Prima Educator's blog also.  The idea is to have strips of paper and the family simply write out any little notes about good things or challenging times conquered and put them into the jar - at the end of the year you can revisit all the positives of the year. 

I felt this would be a great new tradition to start for our family with an opening of the jar on New Year's Eve.  OK so it's taken me 2 - almost 3 - months to get it ready but with a quick flick through the calendar and some time chatting with the kids it didn't take us long to catch up for the past couple of month's blessings.

Here's my version - go look at Nic's for more inspiration.

thanks for checking in.

Taking my new craft caddy for a spin

One of the advantages to having a bit of a break over the Christmas period from my scrap desk was the renewed enthusiasm to get back in and rearrange it before I kickstarted again.  For a while now I have been frustrated by the number of caddies I own to store my product and that the top of the one holding my taller items seemed to constantly be on a lean and tipping over the caddy itself.

During a trip to Kaisercraft at Browns Plains on one of my recent Scrap of Difference scrapbooking tours I was instantly drawn to the carousel caddy the girls there had on the front desk.  I eagerly purchased one and am pleased to say that now that I've put it together and stocked it full - it holds almost 2 of my caddies in one AND the carousel on the bottom makes it so easy to work from.  It is sturdy and has enough dividers to stop things from falling over.  The drawers mean that my sharps are now safely away from the accidental stabbing of the finger when you reach for something else.

If you are looking for a home based caddy for your products to sit on your desk and work easily from - this could be for you.  I know I'm thrilled to bits with mine.

 

 

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Check them out at Kaisercraft - http://www.kaisercraft.com.au/newsite/products.php?prod=SB2161

New Year and new projects

Well the end of last year seemed to disappear in a blur for me and from those I've spoken to I was not alone.

It feels like the year has just begun with the kids now back at school for a full week and the first crop / workshop for the year kicking off tonight.  However, in reality I look at the calendar and realise that we are already a third of the way through month 2!!!  Let’s hope the remainder of the year doesn’t fly by at this rate.


So, what have I been up to in this absence time from my blog.  Well I'm pleased to report there was quite a bit of crafty time involved :)

Here are some of the layouts created kicking off with a double layout featuring my little dancer and outlining the achievements she made with her Demi Character dance which has now been retired.  This is the first time I've featured a montague of all the photos of one dance over a number of years on the one layout and the journalling noted all her places.  I now intend to do this each time she retires one of her solo dances.  This means I've got 2 more already stacked and ready to get started on!

sorry but I'm having technical issues today and despite my trying 6 times now I can't get these pages to sit side by side on the blog!  Hope you can still get the gist :)

I also had a fun time in December helping to run the Christmas stall at my kid's school. To help instill the Christmas spirit with the kids we also offered they could come along and make a Christmas card or decorate a bauble. For the younger grades we went and did this in the classrooms but for the older ones they came to the stall and participated in these activities in their lunch hours. It was a great fundraiser for the P&C and loads of fun for the kids. We went through a batch of cards and about 150 baubles and bags of glitter - I shimmered for days!!! It was lovely to hear the kids tell me that their parents loved their gifts.

December and January in my calendar is jam packed with birthdays and of course we had Christmas thrown in there too.  I did a couple of card classes in the lead up to Christmas with a variety of different techniques.  My 2 little people both had birthdays as did my brother, husband and mother – in that order J  We had a 21^st to prepare invitations for and of course a card - here's the 21st invitation - I can share with you now that the party has been and gone.  The young lady who celebrated told me she wanted a country and western theme.  Together this is what we came up with

Nothing like Tim Holtz distress ink, a simple die cut and a distressing tool to add a western feel!

I've spent the past couple of days scouring the internet for wedding invitation inspiration as I have someone close to me getting married at the end of the year.  More fun on those ideas over the coming months!

So it is with much excitment that I anticipate tonight's first crop of the season and plan the many scrap pages to come for the year.  Hope you can all drop by and say hi throughout the year.

Happy scrapping!