Yes, I AM still here

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Is there anyone there?

So, yes, I am still here, just doing (or not doing, in the case of my folding) the normal everyday stuff, and getting bogged down with a nasty, lingering little bug, that involved high fevers followed by a persistent and hacking cough, and that jumped from family member to family member. But no snot, thank heavens for small mercies.

Anyhow, today I unpacked four of these:

Which look rather better in real life than they do in this image from ebay!  You get what you pay for, and these were ridicuously cheap:  I am having some issues with screws not lining up with holes.  I shall press on, as they do look pretty smicko lined up along the kitchen bench.  I will provide real life pictures, once I have finished putting them together.  And done the dishes.

Just jokin'!  I HAVE actually done the dishes AND swept the floor today! But lets not talk about the bathroom OK?

To completely change the subject, how cute is this card:

How easy would it be to whip up a set of these using fabric or paper scraps?  And stitched on, although the same effect could be acheived with glue.

Also, have been totally inspired by this digital template album - totally doable in both digital and traditional format - treating the square blocks of photos/papers in the middle as 8x8 and mounting on 12 x 12.  This is how the original designer treated it: she printed out the images and mounted them on cardstock.  I didn't keep the link to this blog (sorry) but if you go HERE I think there is a link.

So, that;s about it.  Kids, parents and teachers all looking forward to the Easter break, although for me its very busy as the weekend after Easter is our local campdraft, of which I am STILL secretary.  The week of the school holidays (yes, we only get ONE week after Easter) will be spent preparing for the 'draft and doing trips to and from town.

But rest assured, we will be making time for the Easter Bunny. And making room for quite some chocolate consumption. :-)  but I'll be back before then!

Tired amd Digital don't mix!

I am a bit tired today, spent the night on the floor (on a mattress!) of my boys room - the high fever bug that my girls had has made its way to him...unfortunatley, the boy's reaction to the severe headaches and roaring fevers is to vomit. And lots. (always has been!)

He was so hot, and couldn't keep down any medication for quite a while, that I decided that I best sleep in there with him and keep an eye on him.  Fortunatley he stopped throwing up enough to get some Panadol into him, which in turn brought the fever down...

But of course a sound and uninterrupted sleep wasn't happening for me, so I confess to being a bit steady today!

That alone should have told me I was too fuzzy to really do any justice to any DYL pages, but I did some anyhow.  I am not happy with them, but they are done, so moving on!

Making thinking even harder, the layout above was a funny shape that didn't convert well to printing (though I could have printed in bits in CZ style, but I want to do it all at once) so I changed the template a fair bit. (I will end up printing just the photo/journalling block, and doing the rest with real supplies).

And this one below: nothing like the original template. The journalling comes from this blog post HERE with some slight editing to make it fit.

Again, not happy, but its a story I wanted to tell (the first few words of this blog post the journalling comes from still bring tears to my eyes) but it is done.  This is the original template:

As you can see I went WAY away from the original design, so I think I might go back and do another page without changing it so much! But not today though.

So there you have it...I think I need to go and get some fresh air, and perhaps I might try again tomorrow when my head is feeling a little clearer (and brain engaged!)

A new trick

I learnt something new today - how to quickly process multiple images that don't need much fiddling with - perfect for posting some shots to the web.

In Elements - File > Process Mutiple Files.

Now, you have to have all of the images you wish to process in one folder by themselves (not in with everything else!) But this function will sharpen and do auto corrections, as well as resize to your specifications AS WELL AS apply a watermark.  Cool hey!

One of my Feb photos, posted over at puddin n pie, of my husbands' recent birthday, one whos' number will remain nameless.  He's feeling a little...."sensitive"... about pending old age..!.. :-)

More on Monday

Slowly catching up on some DYL layouts (although not necessarily following exactly!)

For example, this one had black lines/borders around most of the elements. Just didn't feel right, so I made them go away and resized most of the boxes so everything was even. And again, I forgot to put a border around this 8.5x11 page to show on my blog, but you get the idea.  I think when printed I will mount this on some 12x12 blue cardstock, and maybe add some scallops somewhere.  Its just a wee bit plain. And I've just noticed, the borders between the main photos and the rest of the page are narrower...hmm, what's the go there CZ?!!!

And the other:

I don't normally use patterned paper in a background, but in this case, I don't mind it at all! Thinking that I will print this out and then put on white 8.5x11 card and call it done. (the corners are rounded just for web, I won't in real life).

I'm looking forward to getting these layouts done and printed - they won't go into a DYL album like Cathy suggests, but in the album belonging to the respective subject/person (above, for example, the layout about Kate will go into her album, and the breakfast one will just slot into our family album, or even into the "2010" snapshots album...I haven't decided! Or perhaps 2010 will go into the family album!  Hmm, decisions, decisions....

And now, I better go and fold some of this washing I have been putting off.  And tomorrow, finishing off tax (yes - LAST years!)

Some Pages

Yes, I am still here, just been preoccupied with that boring occurance called everyday life...although I seem to have little to show in the shape of neatly folded washing or a clean house, but quite a messy office desk.

Anyhow, I thought I would share with you this page I did a little while ago, in the face of the impending deadlines that I tackled last week (nothing like procrastinating down to the last minute!)

I did this very quickly, and grabbed the paper on the top of the pile, and dug through and found some suitable card.  My paper and card stock is at the moment woefully disorganised - I am waiting to purchase the storage shelves in a little while, when we don't have so many big bills to pay (there you go, real life intefereing again!) so I can stack up my cardstock in lovely little piles of colours....

And I did this one today, with no real life supplies involved at all.....

Silly me didn't put an outline around the white 12x12 base, but you get the idea.  Plan to print just the outlined section you can see above, and then just stick down on some white cardstock and done.

Are you noticing any similarities between my real life scrapping and digital efforts (albeit using a CZ template for the latter)? I am getting so lazy these days, I dont' even bother looking for inspiration or a sketch or layout to guide me (my usual way of doing things) - I am so attached to the linear collage way of doing things in Elements, that it is flowing across into how I place things on the page in real life. Not that I ever had too many non-symetrical out there layouts before hand anyway!

Up to week 10 in DYL, and I have to confess I have not progressed past week (assymetry) in the layout department.  One of my biggest reasons for signing up to DYL (apart from getting instruction from CZ!) was to push me to get more pages done.  I hope to get back into it soon...but in the meantime.....

I am off for a nanna nap ....thanks to a not-so-late but nevertheless tiring birthday party last night. An 8th birthday party, but what an excuse for the adults to get together as well  :-)  Not one drop of alcohol passed my lips - so why do I have a headache?!!

More for Monday?

so, you would have noticed that I've been quiet...drowing under a pile of paperwork and deadlines.  Compounded by the fact that I always, without fail, leave things to the last minute...you would think I would learn.  So there hasn't been anything happening to report on, although I do have a couple of little gems on my camera to share, if only I could find where I put it..(just kidding, it just seems like a huge job to download it right now!)

But I do have some crafty finds to share with you, if you care at all, from my favourite online crafty shop, madeit.com.au .  Some of the stuff there can be a little bit like its from nanna's house, but then there are some really wonderful things.  Its all subjective isn't it?

Love the graphics on this and how COOL it is! Wouldn't it be just so fun to get one of these in the mail?

Couple of girls around here would think themselves just it indeed with this cute headband (and the clips, which they would think they would have to wear at the same time as the headband!)

The same girls would think these great as well - little denim bags that come with a little purse made from the matching spotty fabric. Birthday gift anyone?

And love this simple but oh so effective applique on plain t shirts.  I think I could even handle this - will put in the file for things to do one day when not blogging. :-)

ADORE this cute library bag, and again with simple, simple applique with fabric and felt.  This one for the boy....and this one for the girls! And even cuter, the bag is made from cordoroy (the bumpy, corded winter fabric) for added texture, and durability. Great idea.

And now for some things that are UTTERLY, absolutely useless, but their cute factor is way high. If you can find a reason to justify the need to own these items, let me know. I have not yet worked out one!

So there you have it!  Much light and fluff today, but never fear, I am thinking about a post I want to do at puddin and pie about my choice of photo developers - online and mail order. Til then!