I'm back and I have a New Years Album for you!!

Hello!! 

Yes I've changed the background picture AGAIN, i know I know, I'm incorrigible, but I really love this one. I think the glittery image and the colours are truly beautiful and they're just what I'm hoping 2011 will be for me, bright, beautiful and sparkly :)

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately where the blogger just launches right into talking (or typing) about whatever they want to say, no greeting or anything and whilst I personally don't have any issue with that style, i quite like it truth be told, I just can't do it myself, so I'm going to have to start compiling a list of greetings to mix it up a bit!

A bit of a bits and pieces blog post for you today.

Firstly, thank you to all of you who have arrived here from the a2z blog and have shown me such support over the past 2 weeks. It's been really hard having the store closed down so abruptly, especially the closure of that part of my life. I truly loved doing my job 'over there' and I'm so sad that the opportunity for it to become something full time that could support my family (which is where I had hoped it would lead) has been removed from my grasp.
A lot has happened behind the scenes that I can't really talk about, but it's still difficult for me when I realise I'm no longer 'on track' to have that particular dream realised. That's ok though, difficult moments aside, I'm fine and I know it will work itself out some way or another.

I am glad however not to have to be working on my computer while the girls are awake, I really hated having to say 'no, I can't 'play/read with you/do stamping with you' etc etc now because I have to work.  So that's an upside.

Secondly, I'd like to let you know in advance, as I'm QUITE likely to forget to say anything closer to the time--Charlotte has to have another surgery on the 10th Feb, which is looming rather a lot closer than I'd like, but I'm (as with the last surgery) trying my best to stay positive and think nothing of it.  So, if you don't hear from me for a week or two around that time, it's because I'm with her in hospital or helping her recover at home. I think the recovery will be a bit more difficult this time as she's started walking a little now (and crawling SUPER fast) so I think she'll be pretty put out when she realises moving around is a bit hard and painful. Hopefully not for long though. Children seem so resilient don't they?

Ok, so if you're not a reader of Dawn McVey's blog, I suggest you pop over there to check out her latest few updates--she's just getting better and better! Some of her cards are just not my style, but they're always beautiful and classic. She's done some great creative things with die cuts this past week and they've really made my mojo wheel start turning. lol

Same with Joy Taylor. I've been a big fan of Joy's for a while now, but she just keeps blowing me away. I try to make uber-simple cards like hers and think "BLAH" but hers are so beautiful. And I'm so excited to say, we've become friends lately too :) 

So this year I'm 'doing' One Little Word with Ali Edwards over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. I've not started the actual class work yet (I've read the email though lol) but I've chosen my word.
The premise of the whole thing is that you choose a word (or 'let a word choose you') that you want to define or feature more prominently in your life for this year. I've chosen two words, as I just couldn't decide between them. My first (main) word is PEACE.  I need to find some (or a lot if possible!) Peace at the moment. In my head, in my house, in my everything. I need to let go of a lot of the 'stuff' I've been carrying around (both literally and figuratively) and just be at peace.  For various reasons the past 3 or so years has been exceedingly difficult for me in a few ways and it has eaten away at my joy and my ability to relax, not to mention my ability to enjoy my children, my husband, MY LIFE...and enough is enough. So, this year (and for all the years to come), I'm choosing to find PEACE.  If something starts to stress me out (which happens a lot as the mother of a strong minded 3 year old lol), I take a deep breath, go to my quiet, peaceful place and listen to the rustle of the trees. It's helping A LOT.

This is my quiet place

...

...

...

ok how's this for ironic. I can't find it...(well the picture anyway...SIGH). How appropriate.

Imagine a big wide field, nothing but low grass on the ground, tall TALL trees all around the perimeter of the field, rustling quietly as they sway in the breeze. that is my peaceful place. It's beautiful..honestly it is. I'll show you the photo when I find it again.

Anyhow, my other word (which is no less important to me, it just came to me later and I think could be integrated in with peace if I wanted it to), is Delight. I think most adults need to delight more. To try not to let the 'real world' and it's negativity bring us down, ruin the amazement we had as children. I'm trying to take a leaf from Isabella and Charlotte's book and find delight in everything--and even more so, I'm trying to delight in them.  I'm not one of those parent's who think "I can't wait to leave my kids with the babysitter so I can have some time to myself", I don't have anything against anyone who IS, but I'm just not. We've never left either girl with someone for more than maybe an hour. And that was to go to a chiropractor or a quick run to the shops to get some bread or medicine.  We've just never felt right about it. I'm not saying there aren't times when I would like or could use some alone time, but both Matt and I personally feel it's our responsibility to take care of them-- no one else's. And so, given that we're not into taking "time outs" or whatever you want to call them, I have to focus on finding them Delightful. I want to enjoy their company and love their BAZILLION questions and being the one to pick them up when they fall, the whole lot.

It's hard some days, but I find my peaceful place for a moment, get re-centred and re-focused and I have noticed, I'm able to find my Delight again.

So, in honour of the New Year, I made this little 'mini album' of sorts, I wanted it to be FULL of my favourite techniques with inking, embossing etc etc and it is. It's not polished, it's not overly "done" but that's part of my word Peace, I want to be able to find peace in the decision to leave things just as they are some times. To revel in the imperfection.  It's amazingly "releasing" (and yes, that's a word lol...or maybe not but who cares really? :))

I'm not big into resolutions, it seems so formal and stiff and LOCKED IN...i hate that feeling, the minute January 12th rolls around, I've usually gotten so sidetracked with life, I've forgotten to do them, then I feel like a disappointment...to who I don't know.

SO, in that mindset, I give you ... (warning:there are a LOT of photos coming.)

 The cover is a piece of acetate that I cut with a circle nestabilities die. I then stamped a little flower image from an OLD Hero Arts Stamp set using White Stayz On.

 I used letters and number stickers from my stash. The little square beige ones that spell out 'intentions' are Cosmo Cricket, the "my" is thickers, but they're a fabric covered type. love them. The flower is an older Prima one. (I really need to update my Prima stash lol)

 This page I inked up with Fired Brick, a tiny bit of Peeled Paint and Rusty Hinge Distress Inks using the 'ink on the mat then spritz then dip' technique. (lol) I then stamped the Hero Arts Musical Background in Black Soot and THEN again in 'Snow'  White Chalk ink by Hero Arts. The clock on the left is a Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous stamp and the bookplate is a Making Memories one (I think.) Inside the bookplate I've stamped the 'sentiment' on vellum. (the word 'to' is handwritten with a white Gel Pen)

 I really love the reverse shadow effect of the black and white musical background and the bookplate is one of those things I've had in my stash forever and always meant to use. I LOVE IT.

 Next page is just simple Distress Inking, Peeled Paint, Chipped Sapphire and a touch of Shabby Shutters (my favourite new combo). The Celebrate life is stamped in black Memento ink and versamark with red embossing powder. The stamp is from Technique Tuesday (Ali Edwards).

 Maybe my favourite page. First, the La Letter Background stamp from Hero Arts stamped on beige cardstock in Walnut Stain DI. Then the Fancy Flourishes stamp with versamark and clear embossing powder (then heat set). THEN I used my fave colour combo again but just the Peeled Paint and Chipped Sapphire this time. I loooooooove how this page turned out. The thickers are AC. (the same fabric ones from the cover). I NEVER write with the word falling over onto the next line ( i usually hate it), I tried to fit this in word properly, but it just didn't look right, then I thought "how stupid, I'm worrying about how a word will look on the page...and the word is SIMPLIFY...ironic". so I lay the letters out like this and loved it. I'm so glad I did.

 this page is hard to see. I used the Village Hero Arts Stamp (woodblock) in white Stayz On on acetate, and I did the flower using Hero Arts Big Flower cling stamp with white embossing powder, then inked using Fired Brick and a touch of Worn Lipstick Distress Ink on the edges. I love using the resist technique.  The little tickets I bought off an etsy store and I used some old HA alphabet stamps to stamp 'act' and 'do'. (the whole statement for this page is 'dont plan, act and do'...hmmm I really have to work on this one.

 A better view.

 Another gorgeous colour combo that I did NOT think would work AT ALL. turns out I was wrong *gasp*. lol So this is Rusty Hinge (my newest addition to my DI collection), Tumbled Glass and a little Chipped Sapphire (I'm so in love with that colour!). Stamped the Music Background and heat embossed with white embossing powder. The big ol' scripty thickers are not only gorgeous and flouncy and pretty, but they're by American Crafts. (i *heart* you AC!!)

 This page is probably my least favourite, but again, I was simplifying and sometimes you just have to go with what happens right?! Script background in Antique Linen on the background (Ironically enough lol), then Fancy Flourishes in Walnut stain over the top. Antique linen and a TINY bit of Walnut Stain across the page to give some shading.  The washi tape is from a friend in Japan (Arigatou Mari san!!), the ticket from that etsy shop and the butterfly from a local store. TOTALLY horrible colour combination honestly, but I'm at peace with it...and that's the point right?!?!

 Final page (backwards). I stamped the Christmas wreath stamp on one side in white Stayz On ink. The other side of the acetate, I used alcohol inks...I like the mottled effect but wish I had more colours.

Some weird aqua furry thickers from AC...i like them :)

So that's it... I'll expect you all to hold me to my INTENTIONS if I falter :) 

What do you think?  Do you like? If you need a step by step on how to do any of the pages, please let me know, I'd be happy to show you.

There will be more posts in the next few days :) (I've already got the crafty items made!! *GASP*)

love, L xx