Dry Spell

I have had such a dry spell lately when it comes to my scrapbooking, hence the lack of blogging.  I have been very busy choosing and ordering product fro ScrapPacks, ordering new products and updating the website as well as concentrating on all the newsletters.  Scrapbooking has taken a real back seat - sigh.

Yesterday I decided, that was it, time to do a couple of layouts.  One fore me and a double-page layout for a class I am having tonight.  Both have come together very well.  It was just so nice to have some time to be creative.  I really need to do this more.

I would like to share the two layouts I did.  Here is the page I have done for myself.  It is on my sister-in-laws dog who sadly passed away just the other month.  He will be missed.  Now, as you can see all I need to add is the journaling.

Here is the other layout which we will be creating in class tonight.  It really is a fun double-page layout.

Don't Leave It For So Long

I had a great Saturday afternoon over the weekend where I was able to catch up with some very good friends from school.
We had not seen each other some of us for over 20years.  It has just been too long between visits.  I wish we had been able to catch up sooner.  We were able to all get back in touch thanks to Facebook.

Well naturally being a scrapbooker I just had to make a little something for each of my friends, and the SRM Tubes were the perfect thing to use.  As you can see I used "The Tube" as well as the We've Got Your Stickers - Little Birdie sticker sheet.  I was able to decorate four tubes using just one sheet of stickers.  How great was that.
Gotta love SRM tubes and stickers

The gifts were much appreciated and I had so much fun making them.

Great to see you all girls, lets do this again soon - but let's not leave it so long between catch ups.

Prince Edward Island

Last Friday afternoon I was coming home from some where and as we pulled into the driveway it was Melissa's turn to check the mail.  As she was pulling the mail out of the box I could see there was a package.  Ti is always exciting to get a package.  Then I remembered it was about time my package from my sister-in-law was suppose to arriving.  Melissa gets back in the car and says, "Mum this package is for you!"

Oh I was so excited I could hardly wait to get the car down the drive, parked and get myself into the house to open this exciting parcel.  It seemed like time slowed down and it was taking forever to get myself in the house.

Finally I was in and with scissors in hand I carefully opened my parcel.  There is was, all the way from Prince Edward Island, Canada.  Can you guess what it was?  Those of you familiar with L.M. Montgomery will have guessed ... It was the latest publication of Anne of Green Gables, celebrating 100 years of Anne.

Oh I could hardly contain myself.  It is so beautiful.  The have apparently printed this edition so it looks like the original publication of 100 years ago.  All I could say was - oh, wow!!!

There was also a postcard in the book from my dear sister-in-law telling me that she had visited all places Anne on Prince Edward Island and that her darling husband was being very patient.  OK I admit I was and am a little envious (but in a good way) that she was able to visit such a special place.  I do look forward to her photos (which I will scrapbook LOL)

Now I have three copies of Anne of Green Gables.  How very cool.  I have just discovered however that neither of my daughters have actually read the book.  So when they have finished reading the books they are reading we are all going to read Anne of Green Gables together and have our own mini book club.  Should be fun, but beware, we will be having some scrapbooking challenges shortly to do with Anne.

It's Sew Easy

It is finally here and it is so easy to use.
The Sew Easy Tool and accessories from We R Memory Keepers arrived this week.

I have had a little chance to  fiddle and play with the Sew Easy, and I have to admit I really like this tool.
Both my daughters gave it a go and they both said exactly the same thing, "Awww Cool Mum!"

It does take a little practise to get even pressure, but the holes that didn't quite form can be poked through easily with the needle that comes with the tool.  It also helps to use the Sew Easy Mat as it is foam rubber and enables the tool to poke the holes.  Our hard craft mats just won't work with this tool.

I also like the "hidden" needle compartment in the base of the handle of the tool.  Yay, no lost needles.

Well I am looking forward to a weekend where I can really put this little tool through it's paces.

Happy Scrappin'

Online Challenges for July

It has been a great seeing so many of you enjoying and taking part in our online challenges.
Here are our winners for June's Online Challenges
Layout Challenge: Congratulations to Sharon

Photo Challenge: Congratulations to Jenny

Project Challenge;  Congratulations to Debra.

Now here are July's Online Challenges

You have until the end of July to upload your entries to our challenges.  These are a lot of fun and can be a way to get into your scrapbooking supplies and just create.
Layout Challenge - Create a layout using only green colours.  Yes lets do a monochromatic layout for a change.
Photo Challenge - Sports/fitness action photo.  Winter is a great chance to get a photo of you or your kids/grand-kids taking part in some sort of sport.  It could be soccor, rugby, dance, gymnastics, in my case Zumba, or even running.
Project Challenge - Decorate a tin or box and show it in use.  I love decorating boxes and tins and then don't know what to do with them.  Let's see what you do with them.
Card Challenge - Peel Craft stickers are fantastic for card making.  Create a card using these fabulous stickers.


Happy Scrapping'

Can you Help?

I am wanting to 'clean' up the G&T and make it better. So I am looking for your input.
I would love to hear from you.  I am looking for what frustrates you with your scrapbooking, it maybe your time management it maybe what adhesive should you use for what product on your scrapbooking projects.  It may even be just how to use something.  Let me know and I will see if I can put something in the G&T that will help.

Also maybe you have some techniques that you think either myself or the design team could demonstrate for you.

Please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post or you can email me at megan@betterscrapbooking.co.nz
I look forward to your thoughts.

More Scrap Pack Layouts and Videos Too!!

The new June newsletter is out for Better scrapbooking so you know what that means.  I can post the layouts for this months scrap pack.  I loved the pack thins month, awesome bright funky papers, great patterns. Awesomeness!!


For something new this month I had a go at videoing myself making a couple of Los

I am still sort of working out the best angles and stuff with the camera and my video camera is a few years old now so its not Cristal clear like the new cameras you get today, but I have enjoyed making the vids none the less!!

This one is my fat little baby girl, oh how I miss the baby days!

Decided to try and make a boy layout out of this pack, most of the papers were rather girly, but I think I pulled it off.

Another one of miss Bell and the video to match.



Miss Bell again..lol



And lastly, One of me of a change, the photo I used for this isn't very good. I went and got some new ink for the printer only to get home and realise I didn't have any photo paper so I have used just normal printer paper till I get some.

Thanks for looking :) I hope you like the videos!



Window Writing

It was just over a week ago that my youngest daughter went away on school camp (she is back now which is why I feel OK writing about this).  As many of you know I do not like having my girls away from me for an extended period of time (I can handle sleepovers, it's just school camps I don't like).

Anyway, this year I decided I would be better and OK with it seeing as my daughter would only be on the other side of Rangitoto.  I could look out at Rangitoto and know she would be there.  I was doing oh so well leading up to preparing for camp.  Then the morning came to drop her off at her school where one of the other Mums was going to pick up a few other girls and take them all to the ferry.  We were up early, packed the last couple of items (tooth brush, hairbrush and pillow) and we were off to school.  We got down to her school just on 7am.
I dropped her off, gave her a big hug and watched as she drove away.  Hey I was doing well, no tears.  Then I started home without her and I could feel some welling up.  "No, she is going to be fine, I am going to be fine, it is all good."  I told myself and sure enough I was able to pull myself together before I got home.

When I got home, I had to go down to Miss M's room for some reason and noticed she had not opened her curtains.  So naturally I opened them, and this is what I saw ...

She had used her Smiggle Liquid chalk to leave me a message on her window.  Now I half knew about this one ... but it was this one ...

I saw this "Miss U" and I totally lost it.  I was crying almost like a baby.  How sad was that? (don't answer that)  For the rest of the day every now and then I would just cry.  I came to realise I was sad because I missed her not because I was worried about her.  I allowed myself that day to cry, but for the rest of the week I was fine.  I treasure the notes that Miss M leaves me on her windows.  These stayed on her window until she was home safe and sound.

What would you write on your window today?
Yes I will scrapbook these photos and show you the result once it is finished.

Happy Scrappin'

Bonanza Post!

Lots of Better Scrapbooking stuff to write about today!

Firstly the new June Newsletter is out check it out HERE. I did a few Off The Page projects for this months Scrap Pack. I loved the Bo Bunny Petal Pushers papers so much that I forgot to take a photo of the papers and stuff before I dug into it so sorry!!

But here is what I made ...

I made these using 6 of the large matchboxes. Abbey loves it and it looks super cute in the bathroom and keeps her hair stuff nice and tidy!

I know I was on Off the Page but a scrapbook page was screaming at me from these papers!! Abbey outside blowing 'dandy clocks' were perfect photos to go with the papers!

I have had this sitting around for a very long time. I picked it up at the hospice shop for 50c.

This is what it looks like now ....


This was the very first 'binkie' Abbey had when she was in SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit) and to go with the little shadow box I made this to match ....



I am so pleased with how these turned out. And Abbey was too!!

Now onto the Cards ....



I made this card for my Mum for Mothers day. I put a magnet on the back so she could put it on the fridge. I printed the card template from HERE


'Hello' Card


Baby Shower Card

To See how I made all these go check out the June Newsletter at Better Scrapbooking HERE

Since the newsletter is out also means that there are new June Challenges!

Layout Challenge - Sketch
This is fairly easy - simply use the below layout (designed by Megan), as your guide and copy it. You are welcome to add some journalling and a title.



Photo Challenge - Change
With the change of seasons Megan thought a photo challenge of 'change' could be fun. It might be the change in the trees, or maybe your change of hairstyle/colour or even a change in the house where you have tidied/re-organised. Share your 'change' with us!

Project Challenge - The Kids Room
Create a fun off the page project for your child's bedroom. It could be a word banner, name plaque or hair bobs box. See what fun item you can come up with for your child's room and then share your finished project with us.

Card Challenge - Folded Embellishment
Create a card using an embellishment, some form of paper folding such as teabag folding or our fold-it flower template.

There is a prize for each challenge so to be in to win upload your photos to the Better Scrapbooking Gallery HERE before the end of June!

And speaking of prizes here are the winners for the May Challenges ....

Layout Challenge - Layering Embellishments

Congratulations to Cherie!



Photo Challenge - Reflections

Congratulations to Judez!



Project Challenge - Tribute to Mum

Congratulations to Jenny!!



Card Challenge - Waterfall Card

Congratulations to Jenny again!! Way to go Jenny!



Happy Scrapping everyone!!

New Online Shop NOW OPEN

Woohoo,
I have been working so hard getting this ready and it is now up, running and live.

I am so excited.

The new online shop now has great looking colours, enlargements of products and even video of products.
Also the online shop now has PayPal.  With PayPal you do not need to have an account with them to use it - fantastic.
PayPal enables you to pay using your credit card with the comfort of security when paying for your orders.

I have also added some new product that has not been online before either.  I will be adding even more product as the week goes on.

Have fun checking out and purchasing from our online shop. http://www.betterscrapbooking.co.nz/shop/

One thing hasn't changed - our great service!

Happy Scrappin'