Filing Layouts

As part of my preparing for a forthcoming scrapbooking weekend I noticed I had several piles of layouts around my scrappy room all waiting to be filed. I also had a number of random albums where I had slotted layouts in to keep them protected but with no thought to the theme or order but rather as and when they had been created led to where they were filed. I ordered a couple of new albums, some additional page protectors and decided I was once and for all going to file all my hard work.

BOY DID IT TAKE SOME TIME!! I now however have all the kids albums up to date (they have one each) and family albums for general pages stretching from 2009-10 to date. One album left to file away is my "me" album where I have pages about scrapping, training for marathons, concerts, days out and travels. I may have to put a little more thought into splitting this out further, but I now need yet more page protectors before I can do anything else - oh and maybe a few more empty albums and the kids ones are now all full!! Does fell much better having sorted it all out though and my hard work is now safely behind page protectors and I have a list of "gaps" where I need to print off some pictures and fill a few holes! Good job I have a retreat coming up eh?

Superhero party invites

Occasionally, having made the odd bespoke card for friends and colleagues, I am asked to make something a little different. Recently a request came in for 40 birthday party invitations for a Heroes and Villains party. I had a browse around the internet to gather some ideas where I could incorporate using my New York Skyline stamp and whilst leaning towards a comic themed design. A browse on eBay too and I found some "POW" and "THWACK" stickers which gave me a colour theme to join up with the my ideas.. and here is what I eventually came up with.

Obviously the rest of the party details are contained inside with a RSVP to a Special Agent mum who was rather pleased when I sent her a sneak peak of the design. Now if only my printer hadn't run out of ink this evening I would have them all complete but alas the final part will now have to wait until tomorrow. I am rather pleased with how they have come out, even if I did underestimate how long they would take to make!! Never mind - one satisfied customer and a few more spends for the forthcoming ATDML retreat.

Sneak Peak of March ATDML gallery

Coming soon to ATDML is the March Gallery featuring design team creations using a mix of papers from GLITZ. Quite possibly I may have a layout or two about New York in there!! Here are a couple of sneak peaks...

 

Not long now until the Spring 2013 ATDML retreat either, just two weeks away this weekend coming and am teaching two classes this time again, one with Simple Stories 24/Seven and the second with Basic Grey papers...cannot wait to share them with you!!

February ScrapMates

It seems like ages ago but what with one thing and another I haven't shared the two layouts I taught at my crop last month. Photos fresh off the press from my January trip to New York this is the first layout from that trip and using the lovely Crate Paper Fourteen range.

The papers are a typically valentine range so suitable for scrapping in February I thought, but my class was about showcasing how you can take a theme paper collection and make it work with a variety of photos. We got busy with some misting, made clever use of 6x6 papers to hide the joins beneath the photo and added heart embellishments cut from the papers.

The second layout used the remainder of the kit for a page focusing on blocks of patterned paper overlaying each other, very much in a Shimelle style. This time I chose a photo of my youngest and I, his nickname being Mr Squishy because he is so squishable and huggable!

Happy Mothers Day

Didn't get to see my mum today but caught up with her and dad last night for dinner with my hubby and the boys. Gave her an orchid and a handmade card (one of 13 that I have made this week due to popular demand for orders from colleagues after having seen one I had made for a friend).

Thought we were due for an updated photo too as the last one of us together was taken in 2010 when I weighed over 3 stone heavier! 

Hope no matter what you have planned for today, be it with your mum, with fond thoughts of her, or being spoilt as a mum yourself, well I hope it brings a smile to your face. I know my kids have certainly brought a smile to mine.