Organisation

I've called this post organisation as I feel I'm really getting my creative life sorted. I've had a really good sort and clear out of my scrapping space which has included separating all my embellishments into little drawers and labelling them and finally putting all my papers where I am more likely to use them. I've really enjoyed using my space now that it's in this lovely state. It's very satisfying to scrap in a tidy space where you can actually find stuff!

I've recently purchased some albums to fit specific subjects into and printed lots of photos to get me on my way. One of the albums I've recently bought is an 8.5 x 11 inch American Crafts Modern D Ring album. I've been wanting to try this size for a while now and I really like it. I still love doing 12 x 12 layouts but there is something about this smaller size that's very appealing. Here's a few of the layouts that I've done for my 2010 album:

Of course the good thing about scrapping layouts in this size is that you don't use as much of your stash as you would a 12 x 12 and you could also use every day A4 ring binders and pockets for keeping them in which works out a lot cheaper.

Give it a try. It would be great to see what anyone else comes up with.

Sherrie x

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

iPad Blogging

After reading (briefly in WH Smith cos it cost £10!) an iPad magazine I've figured out how you're supposed to blog using the iPad. You can download a blogging app like this one, BlogPress or Blogsy for around £3 which allows you to link your blog and photographs all in one place in order to be able to write posts directly onto your blog! This is so very much easier when using an iPad, I can't recommend it enough.

Sherrie x
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Success

All I can say about Paddy (iPad of course) is that I'm in love. It is truly amazingly clever. Probably more clever than me in fact. And I really don't mind at all because this little piece of amazingness is definitely going to revolutionise what I call ME. 

Really? I hear you say. Why yes, and I have proof. I've been working on a sketch competition that happens every month over at Scrap365 and not only can I blog about it using Paddy but I can also take a photo of it using Paddy and upload directly onto said blog! In my world this is nothing short of spectacular. This month's sketch was created by Sian who also has a fabulous blog over at High in the Sky.

Okay I will admit that this took me a couple of hours to figure out but hey presto!  Once you have the correct apps installed and your brain has fired up, it works. 

I loved working with this sketch.  So much fun and I hope I've done it some justice.  The DT layouts gave loads of inspiration.

Sherrie x

iPad Love

Okay so my new idea to enable me to be a good blogger was to save my pennies and purchase an iPad.  Ha!  When the delivery man arrived with my new purchase I almost wet myself .... and then nearly hyperventilated.  It's simply beautiful.  And it's very very smart. 

My cunning plan to achieve blog dedication is this .... I'm hoping that not only can I carry it around with me wherever I go to speed up blog entry but I can also take images/videos directly onto it which can be pulled straight into my blog, yippee! 

Watch this space blog readers .....

Sherrie x

Oops

Okay, so I haven't been here for a very long while.  There are major reasons but none of them are really good enough.  There's really no excuse and really the only person who's missing out is me.  Especially as the reason for starting the blog was to document a journey with scrapbooking. 

Anyway ........ I am back again and have loads of new layouts to upload.  I'll pop these on in dribs and drabs but in the meantime, hello again Mrs Blog. 

I have been very busy scrapbooking loads of new layouts.  I've also made an effort to purchase albums and have starting yearly albums so that I can make layouts specifically for these and hopefully over some time I'll have lovely gorgeous albums to look through. 

For some reason though I have started on 2010.  Nothing for 2007, 2008 or 2009!  I don't know why I do things round the wrong way but I just can't help myself.  I get distracted way too easily. 

Bysey bye for now Mrs Blog, I'll be back shortly - I promise!

Love Sherrie x

Weather Wierdness

The weather is behaving in a very strange way here in the UK.  One moment it's pouring with rain, the next sunshine and blue skies.  It's a right pain when trying to decide what to wear but because of this unending rain there is a glimmer of sunshine - more time stuck inside scrapbooking!  

I have a gazillion photos that I need to scrap so I've been trying to push as many pages as I possibly can.  Here are a few:

No journalling on these pages yet, I will add that later.  I'm trying to make a holiday album that blends together well and where all the layouts are coordinated..... ish.  I have written my holiday journal already so all I need to do is add in the journalling from there.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Sherrie x

Journalling

One thing that I've always found tricky is journalling. In the past I have preferred not to journal on layouts as I never like the look of my handwriting and I always question whether what I've written is going to look silly to the person reading it later on. 

It turns out that this actually affects a lot of scrapbooking buddies and I'm not the only insecure scrapping wierdo after all!  I'm a bit like this with a lot of my layouts too.  I get to the end of creating a layout and just think, hmmmm, I don't really think this is very good. 

So, I've decided to try and tackle this little problem by planning my layouts and journalling a little better. I bought a notebook and (of course!) before I could use it for journally I decorated it. I've been journalling special days and every day things and particularly events that I've taken pictures of. 

I've found this really useful when it comes to scrapping a photo as I have the journalling already prepared and I can either use the whole thing or just take the important bits out and transfer them to the page. It has definitely made the journalling part of scrapbooking easier for me. I'm not saying that I'm going to put lots or even any journalling on all future pages but it's nice to have even if it's on the back of a layout. I think photos do say a lot but if you've got a terrible memory like I have then you can't really beat putting your memories in your own words for others to read.  After all, I always think (rather morbidly) what if I'm not around to tell my children about their births etc. Who else is going to know all those little bits of detail that the photos don't show? 

Sherrie x