Just wanted to share this layout I did for the challenge at My Creative Sketches. You have to create a layout based on this sketch.

I have stuck to the sketch pretty well except for the tag behind the photo which holds the journalling. The photo used in this layout was taken at my nephew's 30th birthday celebrations earlier this month so it is very recent. I have two other sisters but they were not in this photo and I do not have a photo with all of us in it on this night.

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Cheers
Julie

Uh Oh, I have just deleted a post by mistake. I will re-post now.

It was posted yesterday Sunday 21st April

It has been raining here off and on all day. We certainly needed the rain as it is the first decent rain we have had this year. Unfortunately it meant that the All Clubs Picnic the the Legends Rock and Roll Club organise annually had to be cancelled. Ray was to be the Compare/DJ for the day and there were 5 bands playing as well. It is generally a very pleasant way to spend a day.

We went to the Port Dock Brewery Hotel in the afternoon and listened to The Silveradoes. I enjoyed their music and we had a few dances. Very relaxing a couple of champagnes, good music, a couple of dances and watching the rain fall.

These photos were taken at the Arkaba Hotel on the 13th April while we were celebrating Ray's 60th birthday. The Speedsters from Melbourne and Rave On from Adelaide were the bands and the music was great. It was a very lazy way out for me as all I had to do was organise the cake and some helium balloons and all the rest of the organising was done by the people putting the event on.

When we were on our cruise down the Mekong River, Andres celebrated his 60th birthday. We all gathered in Deb and Andres cabin for a few celebratory drinks before dinner. Somehow all of the girls ended up on the bed with Andres and a photo was taken. There were four females. At Ray's birthday someone suggested that he should try and beat the number of girls he could get in his photo laying on the bed with him. As there was no bed the dance floor was used. Don't you just love the two beautiful ladies at the back. They were the drummers from the two bands who had said if the show was a sell out they would do a number in drag. Lucky Ray

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Julie

I just wanted to share this layout I finished yesterday. I saw a double layout by Kim Price in Australian Scrapbooking Ideas No. 19 and loved it so thought I would adapt it to a single layout for these photos of Charli playing in the Goop she had been wanting to make. Kim's layout is a monochromatic layout in whites. I have added some bright colours to compliment the painting smock Charli was wearing and the bright food colouring used in making the Goop.

I'm having a very lazy day today. I have been to Yogalaties and that is about it for the whole day.

Am going continue with my techniques journal using all of the different ideas shown in the Creative Jumpstart series run by Nathalie Kalbach each January. Great series but I need to put all of the techniques somewhere to remind me of the things that can be done otherwise they slip into cyberspace and are lost to me forever.

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Julie

Just thought I would share a mini album I created recently.

I used a different style of binding on this mini album so it is more like a book. I saw this binding on youtube and just had to give it a go.

Front Cover

Each page has a tag for more photos. Some are at the top of the page and some are on the side.

Each of the tags are decorated in the same style but they use the same pattered paper as the outside of the page

A close-up

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Julie

I know, it has been a long time between drinks, life is just too busy.

I have had Mum staying with me for 10 days and have been very happy to just spend time with her. We did do a bit of crafty stuff. I decided to decorate the cover of a book. Mum bought a diary to decorate  but she could only get one with a flexible vinyl cover. I thought we could stick some chipboard on it and make it OK but unfortunately that just made it curl up. In the end she bought another book from Spotlight, with a thick board cover, and we covered that. This is what it looked like when we had finished

We covered it with some patterned paper then applied some texture paste through a template. A spray with a couple of Glimmer Mists and some hand made flowers, metal embellishments left over from Finn's class and some die cut leaves. Looks very nice and Mum is very happy with it.

I did not get much of mine done. Covered the book with patterned paper, and completed the texture paste and Glimmer Mist. Have been messing around with it a bit this afternoon but have not finalised anything as yet. Will share it when it is finished.

Last saturday night we went to Stockport (between Gawler and Tarlee) for my nephews 30th birthday party. The weather was perfect and we had a great night. All of my sisters were there but unfortunately my brother could not make it, he had and interview with a panel so my niece can hopefully go to America as an exchange student.

These photos are of my sisters at the party, with the addition of a friend.

Mum went home yesterday and things are back to normal with me.

A few thoughts to share:-

outside my window... it is dark. Daylight savings have finished now and things seem to be back in alignment

I am thinking... about what I have to do tomorrow. I will spend most of the day running around catching up on the various messy shopping I need to get out of the way.

I am thankful for... Mum seemed to enjoy herself while she was here. I did not think she would handle the 10 day stay very well as she generally does not like to be away from home for too long.

I am wearing... a skirt, t shirt and ugg boots!!!!!

I am going to ... go for a walk along the Torrens tomorrow

I am currently reading... nothing. I have become addicted to Candy Crush on my iPad and seem to spend any free time I get trying to reach the next level, or waiting for some more lives.

I am hoping ... to get to the next level of Candy Crush as soon as possible

I am creating ... a book cover

on my mind ... Ray went to the doctor today to get results of his blood test and has high cholesterol. This will require a change in his eating habits so I will have to adjust my shopping to suit.

from the kitchen... liquorice allsorts that Mum left behind

around the house ... everything is normal. A good way to be.

one of my favourite things ... seeing family members I have not seen for a while.

a few plans for the rest of the week ... Yogalaties on Thursday, hairdressers on Thursday, dinner with Ray, Cindy and Charli on Friday, celebrating Ray's 60th birthday on saturday night and Birdwood Rock and Roll Rendezvous on Sunday. A quiet week.

one picture to share... me on Kangaroo Island. Who would believe that was a year ago.

Till next time
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Cheers
Julie

My nose is settling down. My eyes are no longer black and my face is back to it's normal size now. I just have to wait for 3 or so months for the scarring to fade.

I had my brother come to stay overnight on Sunday. It was good to catch up. We went down to Port Adelaide to see a couple of bands and had a couple of drinks. Most enjoyable.

Last Wednesday night we went to Her Majesty's Theatre to see Gerry and The Pacemakers. Gerry was original but the Pacemakers were a younger version of the band. It was a terrific show...short but good. Gerry sang all of his hits and he still handles it well.

Friday night we went to Legends Rock and Roll Club and saw Rythmn Cats. They were OK and we had about 3 or 4 dances. Not really on my list of bands I will go out of my way to see again though.

Ray has gone to pick Charli up from school and take her to piano lesson so it is quiet here at the moment. Not for long though, once she gets here things will liven up.

This is a bit of photo manipulation I did as part of my last Photoshop course. Charlie was fascinated by it.

That is it for today. I can hear the car in the drive

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Julie

It's 8 o'clock Sunday night and I am doing the washing. What a hectic week...

Monday was a public holiday and Ray flew to Queensland (no public holiday there) to have a look at a motorbike he was interested in buying. A very early start as I had to take him to the airport at 5am. I went back to bed when I got home and slept till 11am. He got back at 7pm with a new bike to add to his stable. They are sending it down on a truck this coming week I think. Anyway he is happy with it so that is the main thing.

Tuesday I went to the doctors and had my stitches out. Man what do I look like, a freaking mess.
We picked Charli up from school, took her to piano lesson then to the swimming pool then Cindy joined us at Cafe Primo for tea. A pleasant afternoon/evening.

The weekend has been very busy. Renmark held their inaugural Renmark Rocks On Festival and Ray DJ'd on the Friday night at the Renmark Hotel with the Party Cats, Saturday afternoon on the river bank with Stepping Back and Saturday night at the Renmark Hotel with Stepping Back again.

Some photos

Friday night

Saturday afternoon

Saturday night

It was a great weekend. Plenty going on and good friends to enjoy it all with.

So no crafty stuff to share tonight. Life has been too busy for any of that.
Hope to get some crafting time this week.

Till next time
Thanks for dropping by
Cheers
Julie

It's Friday and another week is just about over.

I spent the day just relaxing and taking it easy on Tuesday after my day surgery on Monday because I had a very hectic Wednesday and Thursday to get through. I think the people at the classes must have wondered what had happened to me because by Wednesday I had two beautiful very black eyes and was still quite swollen in the face. My black eyes are yellow now and my face is just about back to normal size.

Anna Dabrowska aka Finnabaire, a teacher from Poland, was here in Adelaide and I had booked into three of her classes before the day surgery was apparent. On Wednesday I did 2 layout classes at Seriously Scrapbooking and on Thursday morning I did the Journal cover class at Paper Flourish. Finn has a different style of teaching, she gives you your supply kit, demonstrates the technique, then tells you to go ahead and create something with the broad range of product and her general guidance. It was very creative.

This is a look at what I created during the classes.....

Journal Cover

Front

Back

Quite colourful but grungy at the same time. I love them.

Today I have done the grocery shopping and been to the hairdresser and tonight I am looking forward to a very relaxed evening of a couple of champagnes and reading my book.

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Julie

A very active 5 days since my last post.

Friday afternoon Cindy, Charli and I drove to Whyalla for the weekend. My two sisters from Port Lincoln were also there so it was a mini family re-union. I got to see all but one sibling during the weekend.

On Sunday morning my brother-in-law took Cindy Charli and I out on his boat to see the dolphins. It doesn't matter how many times I see them they always fascinate me. Such elegant creatures.

We had from 2 to 5 dolphins around us at any one time. Just look at them...so cute

Charli was absolutely wrapped that she could actually pat them

Yesterday I spent the afternoon at Ashford Hospital having day surgery to remove a cancer lump from my nose.

This is what I looked like when I got home. This morning my eye is blacker and more swollen  but my nose has settled down a bit.

Tomorrow I am going to scrapbooking classes with Finnabaire ( a scrapbooking teacher from Poland) for the whole day so I am hoping that things will settle down quite a bit and I will be able to see what I am doing.

Thanks for dropping by
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Cheers
Julie

Life is a blur...time is just whizzing by.

Today I taught 2 one-on-one scrap booking classes, the first for 3 hours this morning and then a 2 hour one this afternoon. A good day.

I made a couple of cards the other day ready for my lady that likes to make cards in my Saturday class at Camelot. This is her second lesson and I think she is enjoying it.

I have been looking around for some ideas for another mini album over the last few days, still haven't made up my mind what to make.

I am still going to Yogalaties twice a week and still enjoying it. I have not done any walking this week though.

I am going to Whyalla with Cindy and Charli on friday. Hoping to take them both out on my sisters boat to see the dolphins. I took these photos last time I was there.

This is me feeding the dolphin. Hopefully Charli and Cindy will get the opportunity to do that this trip.

Just beautiful.

A few thoughts to share

outside my window...it is quite cool and it has been raining off and on today. We definitely needed the rain and I am enjoying the break from the hot weather.

i am thinking...about yogalaties tomorrow, a new craft project, doing some of my on-line art course....so many things to do and so little time

i am thankful for...not having to go to work and loose most of my day.

i am wearing...jeans, T-shirt, cardigan and ugg boots

i am going to...enjoy the next week

i am reading...Dead Simple by James Patterson

i am pondering...my next craft project

i am hoping...the drive to Whyalla goes well. It will be the first long distance (4 - 4.5 hours) car trip for Charli.

i am creating...hoping to start a mini-book within the next week. Just trying to decide what format it will take.

on my mind...Weekend in Whyalla

from the kitchen...diet Ginger Beer

around the house...we had a ceiling fan fitted in our bedroom this week. Very timely, we have used it just about every night since it went in.

one of my favourite things...soft serve ice-cream

a few plans for the rest of the week...reading, packing, shopping and cooking and hopefully a lot of crafting

one picture to share...a strangler vine in the rainforest on Lifou. This photo was taken on a day trip while we were on a cruise of the pacific in 2006.

Thanks for dropping by
Till next time
Cheers
Julie