Totally caught up

...well on DYL assignments anyway. This one is for the Real World Color assignment based on the earthy colours Cathy chose. I am still debating whether it needs another strip down the centre as the top photo seems to get lost in the brown/green patterned paper.

These photos were from a trip to the Maize Maze, in April 2004, I hated every bit of the maze, it was hot and dusty so I forced the kids to open the map so I could get out of there. It still took an hour though. There are a tonne of photos of this trip but will be using those on the kids layouts.

Now I need to create a layout for the November Jack so need to go and sort out a photo to use, we have another great layout to jack so keep an eye on the blog on the 1st.

Repetition and more

Week 3 & 4 in the Design Your Life class, have been all about Repetition this is my final double page layout for Week 3. The funky flowers are my attempt at repetition on this asymmetrical layout.

a few years ago the craft group I attended weekly took a wee visit to the Chocolate Factory and Cafe. This is the place to go for delicious choccy treats.

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The journalling block on the next layout was a class download, I love this easy layout design and I can see myself using the journalling block over and over again (its comes in a variety of colours including black). Cathy assures us that repetition doesn't have to be in groups of three hence only two hearts. Again this is an asymmetrical layout as one side is heavier than the other.

I know the main photo here isn't very flattering but Ross has no patience when it comes to having his photo taken and during this 'self portrait' he started telling me to "just hurry up and take the photo", meanwhile I am trying not too giggle. LOL It's true too, if we go out for dinner we are home in under 1 1/2 hours as we are both homebodies (the only time we are later home is when the restaurant is further away than our local or if the meal was delayed! hehehe

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Cathy had us making a mini album in week 4 to show off our repetition skills. Again the downloads came in a variety of colours (so spoilt).

I asked Alyse and Taylor to "gimme 5 things they are good at", TJ was very forthcoming hence his page in the album is completed however I chose the wrong time to ask Alyse, one day she will oblige her Mum I am sure *wink*. Ross was having a wee snooze when I asked for journalling help. Will catch him up too one day!

We have a lovely colour palette to work from for this weeks Real World Color bonus project, earthy tones (my favourite) of mid-green, mustard, red, brown and a lighter green. I will work on the photos and the layout over the long weekend and hopefully have something to share here early in the week. Remind me if I forget.

On that note, enjoy the long weekend, we have had an extra day here in Hawkes Bay for our Anniversary day. It rained quite heavily this afternoon so DS headed outside in the downpour in his underwear, keep an eye out cos I took photos from the safety of the dry lounge, a few will surely be layout-worthy!!!

DYL catching up

I have been busily creating layouts based on sketches and design elements from Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life class, these are the latest (still have one to finish off to get myself up to date)...

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This layout is an "asymmetrically balanced design" - what is asymmetry you ask - if you draw a line down the centre of this layout the visual weight is unequal from side to side.

These photos are of Ross and I in Fiji on our 15th wedding anniversary (our very belated honeymoon) having a picnic and spa in our private bure. You may be able to spot a button canvas in the top right photo, this was made (by me) for Ross to celebrate our anniversary.

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This layout was created using cardstock colours suggested by Cathy. Part of the course is to show us how colours go together, not only the colours themselves but the amounts of each colour used.

It isn't easy getting my little family to smile for a family photo but somehow I guilted them all into posing for a few photos as my birthday present one year.

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This double page layout was based on another sketch from Cathy, another asymmetrical design, but more streamlined this time.

I have to say it wasn't easy finding enough photos for this one, so I chose more from our recent Fiji holiday.

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These two were based on the same sketch just swapping the patterned paper, journalling elements and title elements around.

Who says every layout has to have a title? The wording on the balloons show its a birthday event and the journalling tells the rest of the story.

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I nearly freaked when I saw the colour suggestions for this layout... I love brown and orange and hot pink but not all used together on one layout... however I love how it turned out.

Who says you can't use the same photo twice on the same layout? LOL Not a lot of journalling but something for the kids to chuckle over in a few decades!

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Cathy asked us to choose a photo as an example of asymmetry. I felt the darkness and lightness in this photo showed that beautifully. Maybe, Maybe Not, but I used it anyway cos I love the photo!

This photo was taken by me approx 3000ft over Melbourne city last year, I was taking a balloon flight with my friend Wendy and managed to snap some great sunrise shots.

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We also had to choose a photo showing symmetry, when I read this task I immediately thought about the perfectly symmetrical markings on a monarch butterfly.

I love Monarch butterflies, they are not only graceful and beautiful but of course they are orange too. LOL

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Cathy's class is awesome, I am however using almost a whole colour ink catridge every 10 days with all the handouts, but I figure they will be of benefit in the future when the classroom and messageboard closes - my Bible so to speak.

yaaaaaay back online

well I wasn't really offline, but for some reason I could not log in to my blogger dashboard from my main computer. I just thought I would give it another go today and voila its working. I am busy busy busy making page kits today and hope to be able to upload some layouts on Sunday. I am a wee bit behind with my DYL stuff and we are only into week 3. Will share soon.

Meanwhile if you want to check out a post about SENZ take a looksee HERE. (you may even see yourself in some of the photos, I sure did LOL)

what a score!!!

I was in the right place at the right time today, look what I scored...





I was just popping into Warehouse Stationery when I noticed a guy up on the scaffolding, removing these letters from the Arbuckles store next door. I asked him what he was going to do with them and jumped at the chance to score these two from his trailer when he said they were going to be dumped!

The other letters weren't in great shape so I didn't score any others, but was rapt to get my initials (spiderwebs and all)!!! Not a great photo of me, but that's ok.

You may wonder what the heck I am going to do with them, well after I tidy them up and paint them a nicer colour I may just hang the 'r' on my scrapping cupboard and the 'a' may hang outside near the front door! hehehe I have started a wee collection of 'R's which are displayed on my bookshelf . I recently printed off some photos of my collection - will scrap them one day and share the layout here.

I am off to SENZ in the morning with Mum & DD, I will be a teacher aide for Vicky over the weekend, so am very excited about that. Have not booked myself into any classes but intend to have a good look around the shopping area. I have written a wish list and a budget so lets see how well I do.

If you see me wandering around please say hello!

Design Your Life has started!!!

I have been waiting for the start of this 12 week online course for ever (well for a few weeks anyway). This week we learnt that BALANCE is the most fundamental principle of design. The first two layouts we created using Cathy's sketches, they are definitely symmetrically balanced. Embellishment is kept to a minimum so we can concentrate on the symmetry/balance principle...

This one is a double page 8.5 x 11 layout with only one wee embellishment. Since spending a night alone in a motel in Palmerston North back in June, I have decided to treat myself every couple of months or so. I can highly recommend the Kingsgate PNth for reasonably priced, comfortable accom including a delicious breakfast.

Phew this layout called for an enlargement and some smaller photos. This is a fave photo of Wendy and I taken 3300m up in the air above Melbourne at about 6am! The smaller photos of Wendy and I are Left to Right: wearing hideous wigs on a Diva Tour around Sydney; Starbucks for morning tea and Crafting at SENZ Palmerston North.

This is my bonus layout, I used Cathy's same layout design and used an autumn-ish colour palette (Cathy is also providing us with colour inspiration as a bonus, she is so inspiring). These photos are over 30years old of me and my soft toy elephant.

Click on any of the above layouts to enlarge them, if you want to read the journalling.

OMGosh I have just read on the DYL messageboard that so far there are about 1500 people signed up for the class (registrations close Oct 8th)! WOW that is a lot of people!

October Jack challenge

Check out the jack challenge for October here...

this is my layout inspired by Margot's basic layout design and the masked title - I have wanted to try this out for awhile now and even though my masking isn't a focus element, I still like how it turned out.

(I smudged out my workmates name in the journalling for privacy reasons)