Living my dream

5 minute card for the holidays

Hi everyone. How are you? It has been a while since I blogged huh? Well I thought it was about time I did! I hope you've had a wonderful Xmas, and a happy and safe new year. 

Over the holiday period we tend to want to do more crafting, but still have a hard time finding time to be creative. 

So I've put together a little tutorial to enable you to get your creativity on while you're on holiday, and/or when you've only got 5 minutes to spare, but 'need' a card or just want to create.

Here's what you could make in just 5 minutes....

Ok, ok, so making both will take you a little longer, but one, just 5 minutes! Here's how....

White cardstock
A few favourite stamps (I used one as mentioned below, plus Stampin Up! Amazing Birthday.
An embossing folder
A butterfly punch/die
Wink of Stella
A black inkpad (I used Stazon)
A gold metallic inkpad (I used Prima Metallic chalk edger gold)

 Take a piece of white cardstock and trim to size to fit the stamp you're going to use. In this instance I've used a set by Couture Creations called Stamping, Embossing & Die cutting 3in1 set - Dreamboat collection, Ornate frame. And so my card is 6" tall x 9" wide. Folded in the middle along the horizontal axis.

What's great about this set is that it has everything you need in one go. Of course, you don't need something like this, you can use whatever dies/embossing plates you have in your stash, but this set (and others like it) make things really quick and easy....


Stamp one image in black ink....

Then stamp a second image over the first one, in metallic gold ink...

Using your embossing folder, create a raised area on your card.

Use a craft knife to cut the middle piece from the inside of the stamped area.

Punch or die cut a butterfly from some white cardstock

Ink with the gold metallic inkpad, then use a Wink of Stella pen to give it and the stamped image on the front of the card, a glimmer/shine.

Adhere the butterfly to the bottom right hand side of the main area of the stamped image.

Inside the card, stamp a 'background' image in gold. Then over the top of this image, choose your sentiment and stamp that as well.

Aim to have it so when the card is folded closed, you can see through the 'window' in the card to the greeting.

Use the metallic gold ink to create a border around the outside of the front of the card.

And that's it. 

It looks like quite a few instructions, but just take them step by step and you've got a beautiful card in just 5 minutes....

Enjoy!

T

National Scrapbook day WINNER

Hi All, I'm so sorry for the delay in announcing this. I have to be honest and say I just forgot! Eeeeek. Not good. Anyhoo, I have now drawn a winner, and it is:

I really like those envelopes you used. Nice place to hide little treats or journaling.
Posted by: Kelly Roberts | May 08, 2016 at 08:37 AM

Kelly Roberts! Thanks for leaving me a comment and congrats on winning. If you could please get back to me asap, I'll get the prize in the mail to you asap.

Thanks.

 

National Scrapbook day - Frank Garcia DT blog hop with PRIMA

Welcome to my blog and the Frank Garcia International Scrapbooking Day Blog Hop! We have some surprises in store for you in this hop! Along the hop, we're featuring some of our favorite Frank Garcia projects from the design team and right here I have some of my own favourites from a recent scrapbook cruise where I was teaching some lovely classes with Franks designs.

We also have a giveaway up for grabs! To take part and be in to win, simply follow along on each blog, leave a comment and/or follow each of the fabulous designers to be entered to win! There may even be additional give aways on the designers blogs.... like right here.

Prima - www.prima.typepad.com
Frank Garcia - www.frankgarciastudio.com/new-blog-1/
Trina McClune - www.trinamcclune.typepad.com
Lisa Novogrodski - www.lisas-livingincolor.blogspot.com
Delaina Burns - www.delainas.blogspot.com
Cari Fennell - www.meandmymaryjanes.blogspot.com
Beatriz Jennings - www.iralamija.blogspot.com
Jennifer Snyder - www.scrap-escape.blogspot.com
Lisa Gregory - www.what-a-beautiful-mess.blogspot.com
Prima - www.prima.typepad.com

So you should have arrived here via Frank's blog. My name is Trina and I've been addicted to this crazy hobby of ours... scrapbooking for many years now. 

I love to use lots of patterned papers, beautiful flowers, texture paste, stencils and well, let's be honest, anything pretty!

Recently I've been on a cruise from Sydney, Australia to Noumea in the South Pacific where I taught several scrapbook classes with Franks beautiful products. Here's a wee look at a couple of items that I taught.....

First a few simple tags....

After creating the tags, we used one of them as the base for a single layout. Tales of You and Me was perfect for these projects.

The tag opened up meaning you can put a photo inside, on the front of the tag, or even down in the right hand corner. 

As a bonus, I also threw in some extra teeny tags instructions that could be used as gift cards for some presents...

Alongside this, I also created a 'from scratch' mini album using Franks French Riviera Collection and some packaging for the front. Take a look.....

I adored the little charms I found which matched our cruise perfectly.

Making this album on the cruise meant all the attendees could go home, print their photos and put them straight in. And the sea side theme of Franks collection worked perfectly for this!

With plenty of pockets, and hidden journaling spots and fun interactive pages to add extra photos/journaling and/or ephemera.

There were 20 pages plus covers in this class so everyone was kept very busy! But everyone also got most if not all of their pages done. WTG ladies!!!

So if you'd like to be in for a chance to win, please leave me a message below and come back to check the winner in a few days. I'll be giving away some of Franks beautiful products so you can have a play yourself.

Please don't forget to hop along to the next person's blog to see what they've been creating with Franks lovely collections. You'll be heading off to Lisa Novogrodski next. Just click on her name and it should take you right there. 

Have a fabulous day all. Happy scrapping!

I've got a new kit for sale....

I know! It's been forever since I last posted, but I'm not going to harp on about that. I'm just going to pretend I was only here yesterday. Grin. And move on to the new kit I have for sale right now.....

It's one kit filled with enough love and product to make 5 single layouts (12x12 in size) and at a fabulous price of just $60 plus postage. Take a look.....

To complete the layout you'll need your own background stamp, some gold spray and brown inkpad.

There is a ton of paper in this kit, which means you'll have a lot left over to complete even more than the 5 that you'll get instructions for. And of course being such neutral colours you can make them into the sought after boy/masculine themed layouts.

If you're interested, please pop on over to my website.

I'll be back with more soon.... Promise.

How to get 24 photos on a 6x4" photo print

Yesterday I showed everyone a series of photos of my husband with my children. There were 24 photos on a single 6x4" file.

 

I was already creating this file for a layout I was doing and it seemed right to share on his birthday. Then I realised how cool it looked and thought you might like to know how it was done?!

I used Photoshop to do this, but I'm sure other programs will have similar ways of doing the same thing.

So here goes....

Open a blank file that is 6x4" in size.

Open all the pictures you wish to put into the single 6x4" print.

Crop so they are square.

Reduce the actual size of the picture so it is 1x1".

Copy and paste into the blank 6x4" file.

Repeat 24 times.

Save and print.

Enjoy!

Yes, it takes a little while, but it's worth the end result and on top of that, I've been able to use 24+ photos on a single layout!

A good book

I don't think the title of my blog post adequately describes the book I've just finished. "Message to my Girl" Dr Jared Noel with David W Williams.

I've read it over two days, squeezing it in as much as I could over the time I have amongst the everyday.

A lot of kiwis will have already heard the background to this book/life (put simply...a mans journey through cancer, and all the hopes, dreams, positives and finally ending), but to read it in more depth and take in Dr Jarred Noel's personal thoughts brings it to a whole new level. It had me crying (alot), and it has me thinking. That to me is always the sign of a good great book. 

It is one mans insight of what it means to be dying. He says often that each person will go through their own death. And we can't compare. But he gives us his insight into what happened when he was dying and what that meant to his hopes and dreams what they become, and many ideas that are associated with what he went through.

I am constantly questioning my life (I personally think this is a good thing - making sure I'm on my right track). What does it all mean? What will be left behind? For me this book answered so many of my questions with "actually, you just need to get on and do what you love. You need to stop worrying so much and do and be. And most importantly, appreciate the moment". 

I know we all get told to live in the moment, to take more time to be in the now. And having been through a few times where I could have died, meant that for periods I remember to do that. But this book made me realise that everything I do and aim for is ok.

Everything that is important to me is what is right for me and that is enough. Read that again. Everything that is important to us and is what is right for us is enough.

That today is right where I'm meant to be, and if I am happy great, if not, then I can do something about it. Re dream. Re make what I want my life to be.

It reminded me that all the things we strive for and see in others, isn't necessarily what is right for us. That we have to stop looking at others in an objective way, but instead look at others with grace and mercy and hope.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it? Maybe having a death close to me recently made me more vulnerable to thinking about life and death?

But this book spoke to me in so many ways. I'm going to have to read it again. Soon. Slower, taking it in. 

One of the things Dr Jared Noel talks about a lot in his book is how he always believed he was here for something big. Something that would touch people. He thought this was going to happen in the field of medicine. He said that while he was ready to die, he struggled to let go of that dream.

After reading his book, I know he has already done great things and will continue to do so long after he is gone, through is book. That he will touch many more lives than just my own.

I'm so grateful that he took the time in his last weeks to ensure his story was told.

Thank you Dr Noel, David W Williams and your families. 

It's hard to say good bye.... even when you know it's time.

Last Monday on the 7th December, my husband lost his father. My children lost their Grandad, I lost a father in law. And that is only one branch of the McClune family. 

We were expecting it. He had been sick for a while. But it didn't stop the hurt that goes with the realisation that someone will no longer be around.

I was so incredibly proud of my husband and his family as they went about the organisation that needs to happen when someone is no longer with you. They work well as a team, supporting each other, making plans. They are a great unit. I feel incredibly lucky to have become part of their 'team'.

But the organisation can take it's toll. It's a funny thing when you go to the supermarket at Xmas time and buy a whole heap of food/drink for a family gathering and the checkout operator comments and say's have a good party. How do you explain that it's actually for a wake? You don't. It's too hard, so you wander off with the thought that this is really happening.

Our children are the youngest of his 19 grandchildren, so I think they may have it a little easier than the rest of the Grandchildren? They are still at the age where they don't really 'get it'. The rest of the Grandchildren are older, and even some great grandchildren are older than ours. They will 'get it' and they will feel it perhaps more than ours? But they also had him for longer and will have more memories. It's just the way it is. There is no right or wrong. But each person will go through their own grieving in their own way. For me, I couldn't face social media. Am still a little hesitant about it. Alot of it seems so trivial.

But I did gain an insight into my daughter. So proud of my 12 year old. Talking to her the other day, she was quite wise. I asked her how she was doing. She replied "I'm ok Mum. I think it will hit me in a week or so when we would normally see him, and we don't". 

Peter was an incredible man. He was wise. And clever. He was astute. He could read people well. He wasn't perfect, none of us are. But he was special. I will never forget my first real conversation with him. It was an awkward one. But he took me for who I was and accepted me for that and I will be forever grateful to him for that.

And he loved our kids. Boy did he love all his kids and grandkids and great grandkids. 

Since his death, I have been questioning alot of things. As you do. And I realised when I was at their house and looking at Val's scrapbooks how very important they are. And how important the stories are. For me, it's always been about the stories, but sometimes you get sidetracked and I have found myself doing 'prettiness' more often than stories. I know, I still love that, but it's made me rethink...since last Monday I've started working on our Christmas's. Project life way. With more pictures, more journaling (hopefully) and less 'fufu'. For me it was a reminder of why I do what I do. I will aim to make time to do that more often. All the holidays, the birthdays. The family get togethers. They are so very important.

In the meantime, I just want to say a big thank you Val and Peter for the family you have created. For the place we can call home. For the feeling we get knowing we belong somewhere and that these people are 'our' people.

Peter is and will always be sorely missed. 

Hello hello hello......The Frank Garcia Design Team Blog hop

It's been a while since I blogged hasn't it? Well I've got a great reason now. As part of the inaugural Frank Garcia DT, we are holding a blog hop so everyone can meet everyone and see all our wonderful styles, PLUS get to see the stunning ranges that Frank has released as part of the Prima Marketing team.

I'm hoping you've come here from Frank Garcias blog?! If so, welcome! I'm excited to welcome you to my little corner of the webosphere. Today I'm going to show you a bit of my scrapbooking style and also give you the opportunity to win a prize... But that can wait until the end....

First I'm going to show you a cute little album I made earlier this year using one of Frank's lovely albums and one of his stunning collections, Archivist....

 

I taught this album as a class in July and it was very popular.

It had a ton of different aspects to it, from hidden pockets, openings, extra pages etc etc.

I especially loved the trim Frank designed for us to use....

It really finishes off the side of an album.

To see more samples of work I've done using Franks delicious designs, just scroll on down to the next post where you'll see a class I put together using A Victorian Christmas. It was a fun set of tags to make, and we managed to get all 7 done in 3 hours.

Teaching is one of my passions and I'm lucky to do this on a regular basis throughout NZ, Australia and even further afield when the time arises. Next year I'll be teaching on a cruise through Needlepoint Tours and Cruises that goes out to Vanuatu. What an amazing time we're going to have!

Talking of amazing times, who wouldn't want to win a gorgeous prize from Frank Garcia for someone who joins us on the blog hop.

Just leave a message to us on our blogs and we'll be choosing a lucky winner in due course. I'm sure you'd like to see what your might win? Here it is.....

Perfect for that last minute Christmas card/gift.

Well, because this is a blog hop, you're going to want to know which blog to hop along to. I'm sending you to the lovely Jennifer at this blog addy: http://scrap-escape.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the hop and have a wonderful day!

A new kit

In the weekend, I taught the following Xmas tags to a great group of friends. I've got a few kits left and they are available on my website now...... www.trinamcclunedesigns.com

To find out more details, just click HERE.

It's a great kit, full of gorgeous new Prima product. And just $40. Enjoy.

 

For all the coaches out there.... a card tutorial.

With the end of the sports season upon us, it's time to get out those card making skills to make your child's coach a card.

Or, if not for a coach, then this cute card is also great for kids too.

I've used a variety of product. Bazill, Prima, Cherry Lyn, and Stampin' Up! Martha Stewart.....Let's take a look at the card and how you too can make it....

1. Take a piece of Bazill and cut so it measures 6x12". Score in the middle of the 12" length and fold.

2. Use the Cherry Lyn grass die and cut out a pattern of grass. Throw this grass away (or keep for another card/project), and using the 'negative' piece, and some different coloured inks, create a grass pattern on the front of the card.

Do this by placing the negative piece across the bottom of the card, then use your ink across the spaces to create a pattern. Move the negative 'stencil' and do again and again, changing colours of ink to create a full pattern you are happy with. 

3. Do the same, but this time use some cloud pieces to create the white fluff of clouds in the 'sky', using blue ink for the background colour of the sky.

4. Use a Stampin' Up! soccer ball stamp to create the soccer ball (or your child's sport ball of choice), add to the front of the card over the grass.

5. Stamp a Julie Nutting Doll stamp from Prima. Cut out. Clothe it. Add to the card so it looks like the child is interacting with the ball.

6. Use the Martha Stewart punch that has one largish flower and two small flowers on it to create a few small flowers. Add them into the grass area.

7. Add a small stamped 'Thank you' in the clouds. 

And that is a very basic version of a thank you card. It came together in about half an hour including time to find all my product/tools.

I've added an insert into the card so there is plenty of room for the whole team to sign it.

For another simpler card, I also made this one for the second coach....

This one was much easier. I stamped versamark on the black cardstock with the base design, added some white embossing powder and then heat set it. 

Then I added a soccer ball made from some silver ultra thick embossing powder.

Cut out, add to the middle of the base pattern on foam tape, and you're just about done.

Just add a set of fake stitching around the edges and you can call it done.

Because the card is black I also added a white insert into this card. Not only does it give plenty of room for all the boys to write on it, but it means you don't need a special pen to be able to see the writing.

I know that I usually do quite layered, in depth card making/scrapbooking, but there is nothing to say that you can't make a card quickly and easily and for it to still be heartfelt!

Hope you've all had a great weekend! I'm off tomorrow to see a friend I haven't seen in a while. Yay!!! Plus drop off our bee hive to her / her hubby so they can split their bees and we'll get some for the new house. I can't wait to get them back once we're all settled in. Exciting times!

A tutorial for a boy themed scrapbook layout

It's been a while since I created 'just for the fun of it'. But recently I managed to give it a go and created this cute layout about my son using the Prima April Special Delivery kit. 

It was pretty simple to put together but had a few little tricks to it so I thought I'd show you how it was done. Let's take a look:

1. Use a black piece of cardstock as your base.

2. Choose a paper which has a little pattern, but not too much to 'take over'.

3.  Use at least two border punches and without looking, punch in the 4 corner areas to create a great distressed look to the page. Use your fingers to roll the left over edges and create even more of a distressed look.

4. Either use 4 pieces of paper that you cut (from your stash), or journaling cards (either way, size is 6x4"), and lay them on a diagonal, horizontally across the page from the bottom left to the top right.

5. Take some medical gauze and ink it with some brown ink to match the papers you're using

Tip: lay the gauze on some scrap paper, and just dab the ink pad over the gauze until you have the colour you are looking for.

6. Place the gauze in the left and right corners (approx. 3" from each corner).

7. Over the top of the gauze, and the initial journaling spots, add another journaling spot (mine this time is wood, but you can use paper and just add height by adhering with foam tape). This time on an angle.

8. In the top left and bottom right corners of the wooden journaling spot, add a cluster of flowers/embellishments. I've used a Prima vine, Prima flowers, and Prima cogs.

9. Add your photo into the middle of the wooden journaling spot, first distressing the edges to give it a look like it's on a mat.

10. As a final touch, add some journaling/words/title to the page.

Tip: I've added some journaling by cutting the Prima packaging and adding that into the cluster of the flowers/cogs.

Finally as I didn't think there was a place that would suit journaling on the front, I've added it to the back. I talk about this in my classes a lot. I know we all scrapbook for different reasons, but even if you don't want those stories on the front where everyone can see them, there is nothing wrong with putting some basic information on the back. That way, those vital details aren't lost.

Tip: When choosing a photo to use on this layout, choose one which has a splash of colour in it to make the photo stand out.

This is a really quick and easy layout to put together. The 'hardest' part being the flower clusters. But don't be worried when putting them together. Just have fun.

As I said to someone recently. Our scrapbooks should bring us joy. They are our art, our memories, our stories, our 'time off'. They have so much of ourselves in them that sometimes, we think about them too hard. But if you can look at a page and it brings you joy, none of the 'rest of it' (the newest, latest, cutest embellishments) just don't matter!

Have a wonderful weekend all.

Merge like a zip - what does it mean to you? A thought about perception.

How many times have you heard that saying? When joining the motorway, merge like a zip.

Hundreds? Thousands? But do you actually know what it means?

I was ranting to a friend recently about Auckland traffic and she and I had quite different ideas of what this means.

She said, something along the lines of yeah, people need to take those holes that open up. I was flabbergasted. WHAT? Those people are the ones that cause the problems.

Merging like a zip to me means going right to the end of the merging lane, and going between the cars that are there. Just like the zip below. If you take one of those gold bits out, it causes the zip to stop. 

So I got home and I googled and I found that in traffic management both ways are acceptable ways of 'merging like a zip', but the 'late' merge is much more time efficient and causes less hold ups. I felt a tiny bit vindicated. But it made me think....

Even before this communication miscommunication, I had another conversation with a friend years ago when we were explaining to a foreigner what 'Tall poppy syndrome" meant. She came up with a totally different version to what I thought. Again I went home and googled it. Thinking goodness me, how can we both get such different ideas to the same words. 

And this latest one (merging like a zip) has me thinking..... if we are all going through life, talking the same language, but meaning totally different things, how on earth are we all going to get on? And heaven forbid, what if we don't speak the same language and are trying to communicate? Well easy, we don't.

Add in things like the internet/email where we talk off the top of our heads without much thought going into it as we hide between our computer screen and quite frankly you have a mix which is ripe for disaster.

So here I am putting some thoughts out to the world, encouraging you to put a little more distance between your words and reactions. If we all took a little more time to question and understand each other, we might all get along a bit better too?

Side note: Nothing 'bad' has happened to me to write this, no falling outs, no issues. But it's really made me think about what we all say, and how it can be interpreted so very differently. Perhaps we all need to take the time to question more than try to solve/fix things that aren't actually fixable or needing to be fixed?

Have a wonderful issue free day all!

My plea to you - health related

It's 2.36 as I start to write this blog post. I've been awake since around 1.30am. I've been having nightmares. I went to bed with a headache, I knew I'd gotten a dose of another spray but I also knew I'd have to wait until Monday to get treated. That meant two days of agonising pain.

But tonight, I had nightmares and couldn't sleep. So I know what spray got me. I know what the culprit is, even if I don't know who gave me this..... It could have been you. 

It is one of my favourites "Round Up". We all use it. We've all been told it's safe. What's that Tui ad? "Yeah right". Well, actually I don't use it anymore because I know the damage it does to me and many many more kiwis around the country. 

You know that cough that you just can't shake? Feeling dizzy? Nauseous? The headache that you can't explain? It's probably a spray too. Perhaps not "Round Up". Maybe another like the 245T or 245D that my local golf club uses. Or maybe something like the products that promise you don't have to do any work, the one your neighbour uses, or the any number of horticultural sprays from up the harbour that float down from Hellensville and the likes, or even the spray you see the council using. "Yep, its perfectly safe, that's why I'm all covered up in this suit that protects me". You can hear another Tui ad huh?! "Yeah right!".

And like me I believed all the promises that it's not harmful. That it doesn't affect us. We're ok. "Yeah right"!

It has now been proven that Round up is dangerous. There are studies showing this. It was all hidden in the media about 2-3 months ago. But still we use it and other damaging chemicals that are supposedly safe.

For approx 6 years, I was diagnosed with having ME (Chronic Fatigue syndrome). What does that mean? Well for each person it's different. For me, it meant one day going to bed after a gym session and basically not getting up for 3 months. Yep. Seriously. I got up to take the kids to school, and pick them up again. That was around 8 years ago. On top of that, I couldn't do anything. Any class I taught, well that needed a weeks 'recovery' booked into my schedule to allow for the tiredness I felt after. And that doesn't include any kind of normality in my schedule. It was hell, actually that is an understatement (and yes, I hid it well, that's my job, to put on a good face, even when I was sick as a dog. My poor family dealt with the mess after).

As a last resort I went to this 'hippie' doctor. I met up with an old friend and a friend of hers. They suggested him. . . He treats things like ME I was told. Things that 'normal' doctors just blow over....like those lumps that had started to appear all over my body. "Just an allergic reaction to something. We can't treat it, we can't diagnose it. But that's what it 'probably' is".  Things like ME that 'can't' be treated.

And I have to admit it didn't happen straight away. There were appointments (which continue each week now), but then I started to realise I wasn't so tired anymore. I was able to do things I hadn't done for a while. The lumps went away. I had days lump free, and then when they came back, they were smaller! I asked my family, have you noticed a change in me? The resounding answer was 'heck yeah'. And approx 1 year later I realised I was 'pretty healthy'.

Before I saw this miracle worker (yes, to me he is a miracle worker! And I don't use that term lightly), I was seeing my 'normal' doctor every month. Sometimes more than that. Pneumonia, recurring bronchitis, coughs that just would not go away. All on top of the chronic fatigue (for some reason I have a weakness in my lungs and skin that the sprays gravitate to, for others it will manifest in other areas in their body). I look back now and don't know how I did it. Seriously.

But now, guess when I see the 'normal' doctor? I DON'T. Since seeing Matt, I've seen the doctor once. That is in an 18 month period. I just haven't needed to. That flu? Yep, it was another spray masquerading as a 'real' illness. That cold? Runny nose? Same thing. And the cough.... we've already talked about that! None of it for me is real (sorry I lie, I did have one cold, but again it was treated by Matt and the length of it was shortened). . .It's all (ok, that's over dramatic and definitely emotionally charged, but pretty close to being true) induced by one spray or another.

Here we are in little ole New Zealand known throughout the world as a 'clean green' country. Yet when I travel overseas, I'm healthier than I am at home. This year, in Jan I went to the states for about a month. I was terrified of traveling overseas for so long and being away from my miracle worker doctor. But I needn't have worried. I was fine! Going to Aussie a few weeks ago. I got a little spray, but nothing major. Both times, I came home and was instantly sick again. After being treated, it took longer for me to be affected again, until my body just couldn't cope anymore and I end up being affected every day again.

And there is NOTHING I can do. I can't stop you using the spray you choose to keep weeds from your garden. And that's why I'm putting up this post. As a plea. As something I can do.

You see when I started to write this post I wasn't sleeping, had a headache close to a migraine. After working out from my symptoms what the likely spray was, I decided to treat it myself. I did and within 5 mins, the headache was gone. I was right. I'd been got with Round up.

And so I'm here to plead with you. To BEG you. To please please please stop using sprays that have chemicals in them.

I know! Believe me I know! It's the easy way, right? I mean what is one popular products catch phrase? We all want the easy option. Today's lives are too busy to have to do more. But unfortunately I don't get that luxury, my friend up the road who sees Matt too now after chatting with me, she doesn't either. Neither do our kids. And the hundreds (perhaps thousands???) of other people who see Matt on a regular basis. And the unlucky ones who get affected and think they are just sick. Cause that's the thing. We are ALL affected. It's just that some of our bodies are affected differently. Some can handle it better than others. But the reality is, that we are all affected. Just by varying strengths.

So here I am pleading with you to please check your sprays. See if they have a chemical in them? Are they natural, and if they claim to be, are they really? What does that number REALLY mean? That long word? And if it's dodgy, if you're not sure, then find out. And/or find an alternative. Google natural alternatives and then use them.

Here's another example of how it works.... Today (I guess yesterday now) my husband and I went for a walk. It was lovely. We needed something from the supermarket so instead of driving, we walked. Stopped by the building site, then carried on to the rental we currently live in. Not 5 mins from 'home', we walked past a man spraying. I covered my mouth with my jersey, then started to cry. I knew I'd be affected. I knew I was in for more pain. And I knew that I couldn't do anything about it. And I was right. Here I am at 3am typing on the computer instead of sleeping because a chemical mucked with my brain, gave me a headache, nightmares and wouldn't let me sleep.

Look, I'm no expert on this. All I know is that 18 months ago I was a mess. Now, all this time later, and all these treatments later, I'm not. It's that simple.

Yes, I still get affected, but not like I used to. And most importantly I have 'windows' where I can go without any consequences. It's incredible. Amazing. Literally unbelievable (I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't gone through what I have). 

But I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of being affected. I'm tired of taking homeopathic remedies to treat something that shouldn't be a problem because it's 'safe'.

And from my experience, over 1.5 years I can honestly say that what I'm being treated for (which is essentially chemical poisoning) has been true for me and has literally changed my life.

This, this blog post, is my truth. Sitting here with another few lumps, crazy itchiness, suffering a migraine like headache, sleepless and troubled by nightmares. Just one spray, on any other normal day. 

So again, I plead with you this weekend, and all others, to please put away the chemical sprays. Please.

It was a weekend of classes, and Runner Up in Australian Simply Cards Cardmaker of the year competition...

 What a fabulous weekend. Saturday was spent in Hamilton at Paperzone, teaching 2 different classes. A gorgeous mini album based around Bo-Bunny's gorgeous Garden Journal range. The album itself is divine!!! Then we decorated it.

Here's a wee look at the front cover. I'll be teaching this again in Aussie, so will just show this peek for now and will show more once I'm back from Aussie.

We also did a new 'Twice the fun" class. This brand new class was created using Marion Smith's "Motley" collection and I have to say I've been LOVING her products recently. If you get a chance to get some, do take a look. They are simply divine and the papers are a very good quality.

I'm also teaching this one in Aussie, so will leave you with another sneak peek...

I'm loving the lattice from Scrapmatts! Divine!!!

On Sunday I also taught for a group of my friends. We normally create cards and this month they had requested masculine themed cards. Thankfully Prima have a great range of papers that can be used for the male in your life so I grabbed some out and designed the following cards....

Adoring the cogs/gears chipboard from Scrapmatts! Perfect for the boy crafting you do!

I kept asking Andy as I was designing, 'what do you think'. I know that we men and women like different things, and he kept telling me to 'keep it simple', so that's what I did.

But just because it's 'simple', doesn't mean you get away with not learning. There are a ton of different techniques throughout the class and little ideas that give you another way to do things, adding to your repertoire.

We used quite a few different punches and dies, all were cut and put into the kits (except the border punches - they were done in class).

I just adore dimension in my work. Thus am constantly adding foam tape. It's a great way to add 'movement' into your crafting and if you don't like it, you don't have to. And you still get the same look.

Adding a pocket to your card is a great way to add in a gift card. It can go on the front, in the middle, wherever you can think of.

I have just a couple of these kits left over. I'm going to see if I can find anymore papers to make up a few more, but in the meantime have put the couple I do have on my website, at THIS link, if you'd like to buy one.

They are only $40 and you get to make 6 masculine themed cards!

And talking about cards, did you hear my news? I recently won Runner Up in Australian Simply Cards, Cardmaker of the year competition. I entered this in December, and to be honest, had almost forgotten about it, so to get the email saying I'd been chosen as a runner up was pretty special. Here's a wee look at my cards (top row).

In my cards I used some beautiful Prima products, chipboard from Scrapmatts and a cool little clock from Tanya Leigh Designs (who will be at SENZ!).

Well that's about it for now. Quite a bit I know. Grin. Til next time.... I hope you have a wonderful day.

SENZ class release

Yippeeeee! After months of ordering product and designing classes, SENZ details were released to VIP customers yesterday.

Tomorrow (Wed May 20th) the day pass holders will get details, and on Friday 22nd May classes will be released to the wider public.

If you are wanting to become a VIP or get some day passes, then just head on over to the SENZ site to sign up....

In the past I've sold my classes through Create and haven't undergone the tension associated with a release.

Waiting for the email to go out, then for people to look over all the classes, visit websites to get more information and to then see the orders start coming in.

In the past, I've got my information to Fiona, then forgotten about it. Not so yesterday.

As always with such a subjective industry, this type of time is fraught with insecurity. Have I created something good enough? Will people like what I've done? Will they like me? LOL!

It's crazy! After so many years of being in the 'business' it's still such an uncertain time highlighted by actually being able to see the orders arrive in my inbox.

I have to constantly remind myself I do this because I love it. Because I'm passionate about sharing my knowledge, my love of scrapbooking, or ideas that could help with future projects, with people. And really being liked or 'wanted' doesn't come into it.

But isn't it funny how insecure/silly we can get?! Jeez!

So, just wanted to do a quick post about SENZ, show you a little insight into how I cope (or not), about my little part in it, my excitement and nervousness and insecurity and joy and and and to remind you that it's on and you can take a look at all the work we tutors (and there are some GREAT tutors!) have done over the past weeks and months to bring you some amazing classes that you will LOVE!

And just cause I can, here's a couple of sneak peeks.... for now I can't tell you what or when they are on, you'll have to wait for the release you are aligned with, but I can tell you, they are going to be so much fun.

I can't wait to see you in class!