did i do that?

Just a quick update...

before life gets away on me again.  There's Christmas shopping to get through before the end of next week because #2 son finishes school NEXT FRIDAY!!!! EEEEEeeekkkkk!!! Where has this year gone???

 

I caught up with Haggith from the Netherlands earlier this week!  It is always exciting and nerve wracking and weird all at once when you finally meet someone you've exchanged online conversations with for a couple of years.   It was a short couple of hours but we talked, walked, shopped and lunched before we said our goodbyes.  It was kind of weird to end the goodbyes with a non-promise of catching up again.  We live on opposite sides of the globe!  The odds of meeting again are pretty dang slim...  

Anyway!  I loved catching up with you, Haggith!!!! 

Incidentally,  'Haggith' is NOT pronounced as it is spelt!!!! It has some weird dutch tongue action going on.  Even when Haggith said "van Barrelo" I kind of recognised the consonants but the rest of it was like 'Woh, Baby!!" I couldn't even repeat it.  Not that I didn't want to repeat it.  I just couldn't get my tongue around it.

   

 


I like the black and white ones...  Isn't she lovely?!?!?!?  

And this reminds me of a post that Kendra did a couple of years ago about finding something out there with your name on it.  I think she found some ribbon or a spool of yarn or some such thing that had her name on it.  Well, this is my claim to fame!!! How many songs/streets/famous people share my name?  

I wonder if I can get Brad to take guitar lessons...  After all a surprise serenade has its perks... 

Now... Is anyone on here checking for the latest materials requirements for my Dimensional Pop Class at Scrapbooks etc???

Here is this months...

• 1 x 5x7" B&W portrait photo.  Girly.
• Chipboard letters for the title
• Foam dots
• Dimensional Magic
• Distressing tool
• Gingerbread ink

and here's a sneak peek...

On the photography front, I've had 3 commercial shoots this week.   That wasn't something I considered doing when I began this thing so being approached in this capacity kind of gave me an awesome surprise!

Last weekend girlfriend attended a classical ballet production audition so I took advantage of the nearby locations to get some practice shots in.  It was a good family day out and it was hot!  

It's weird.  I hear Janine Kaye in my ear whenever the camera goes around my neck.  You know when you're crossing the street and you can hear your mother telling you to look right first, then left, then right again well, I could hear Janine Kaye (photographer extraordinaire) talking to me about frames.  I took lots of pics but I am in a distinctly B&W mood at the moment!

 

So there you have it for another week or so.   Have a great weekend!!!

It's always the little things...

that get in the way.  I have mountains of them.  Just thought I'd tell you that. 

Last week I took my camera out to see if I could take a photo or two of something... Hone the skills so to speak.  Anyway,  #2 son has a habit of playing football in his school uniform.  Because he has the 'homeboy' thing going on where his school shorts are hanging on for grim death around the widest extremities of his nethers and the crotch is flapping around between his knees he can't kick the ball or run with legs outstretched without stressing the inner seam of his pants.   So he rips his pants.  No. Not split.  Ripped beyond repair.  3 out of  3 $50 regulation school uniform shorts are cactus.  Turd burger.  3 more weeks left of school and he decides to tamper with my good nature.  Do you think if I bought him white Y fronts and made him wear the ripped ones he would learn a lesson? 

Why did I tell you that?  I have no idea.  It was on my mind.  That sort of stuff happens a lot these days.  It's like "OMG!  Who said that?" and it was me.  I know it was me because I was there when I said it.  

Now... where was I??? Ok, when I had my camera out I looked around for fresh meat. Hur hur... my kids do the old eye roll now and they look way sultry and sour when I take their pic so now I've moved on to people who actually give a toss how they photograph!  

Corinne.  Beautiful, sweet, blonde pure cuteness did not give a toss.

After a couple of these non-tossy shots this was the one where she was more interested.  The rest of them she's hugging Aunty Karleigh.  Soon however, Aunty Karleigh started to rock the camera.  The rest is history.

I do believe Aunty Karleigh and my camera have a future date.  Stunning.  The camera loves her.  I love her.  I love you, Karleigh.  There. I said it. In a purely professional, photographiticationalative kind of way.  

Can't work out which one I like the most...

So photogenic.

On the scrapping front for this month's Dimensional Pop at Scrapbooks etc. we will be scrapping a black and white 5"x7" portrait photo with a feminine touch.  I haven't done the layout yet.  I've been slightly distracted... 

I have an announcement to make...

I've been off tending to my new and exciting adventure...

 

True to form, I go off on creative tangents every now and then which is the reason scrapbooking has been a big part of my life for the last three years.   Whilst I am still scrapbooking and teaching, the main thing that is keeping me out of trouble has become photography.  

After doing a few family portrait shoots for friends, and at the insistence of my own family and friends, I decided to take the plunge and do a Nike!!

It is taking off!  So thank you to all who've encouraged me and had faith in me because doubting myself is the only thing that has held me back in anything I do.

Have a peek at the website  here.  There are forms on there that you can use that will go directly to my email if you are interested in booking a session.

I'm still learning and fudging my way along and post-processing is becoming a way of life.  I just know I'm going to look back on my earlier efforts and cringe.  Oh well... for the moment my clients are happy and that is the main thing.  Nothing wrong can come from striving to be better at whatever I do.

 Here are a few pics from a recent shoot...  Gorgeous family...

 

On the scrapbooking front, here is the layout we did last month for Dimensional Pop at Scrapbooks etc.

Now with all of that business out of the way, does anyone even visit my blog any more since I've been sorely neglecting it?

Does it mean that I can undo my top button and chillax for a bit?

Ok, just testing...

Just having a fiddle with some digi stuff. 

Pretty cool huh... Ok, over it.   Moving on...

Boy, oh boy...

I've been taking a few pics... and every time I do, I learn something new.  I am having a blast!!! I am getting bookings, bookings and more bookings.  Word of mouth and exposure is a powerful thing and now there is something brewing in the wings...  Watch this space!!!

I took photos of this wonderful family a couple of weeks back.  I love how they played the game and they were up for anything.  Great location too...

 

Lots and lots of pics... Here are some of the kids.

 


Mum and the girls...

I love the sunlight at this time of the day...  Thanks for being PERFECT subjects, Sharon and Family!!!

Anyway, Girlfriend and I went to see the Imperial Russian Ballet perform Swan Lake.  Breathtaking.  Beautiful.  We hung out at West End, South Bank and the Wheel of Brisbane.  Went on the hunt for locations and took a few pics.  Here are some of them...

Ooopppssss!!! Sorry folks!!! I snapped an unsuspecting but very cute nip...

We stopped for lunch in West End.  I love this girl!

I had to take this...
 
 

 

There are a few more on Facebook...

Anyway, I've been playing around and experimenting with a few actions... My cup of tea isn't exactly everybody's cup of tea so let me know which effects  you like best..

Or...  Same texture, different action...

Or... (He thinks either of these is the Shizz...) Haaah! Lesson #213 of "How to Get Your Teenagers to Think You are Cool"

Or... the grunged up, textured one...

Well???? 

Anyway, if you are in the Brisbane region and would like some family pics, kids, teenagers, pets, etc. Please contact me on the above email to arrange something.  BTW... I have just acquired a very cool prop that I am just itching to use!!! 

And for those of you who think I have given up the ghost in the scrapbooking arena, here is a sneak peak into this month's Dimensional Pop at Scrapbooks etc.  If you are attending any one of this month's THREE classes, your materials list and photo details are on the sidebar on the right.

I have many, many more shares to show you but I will call it here for now.  I have a holiday dance workshop to get Girlfriend to.

Au Revoir!!! Pipp Pip and toodles.  See ya Ron. Ciao. Haera Ra and Boi!

HUUUUGE catch up!!!

Sighhhhhh... I'm watching Pretty Woman at the moment.  I LOVE the fantasy, Cinderella storyline of this movie. Edward Lewis... hmmmm...

So I've been taking lots of photos.  Learning, absorbing, planning the next shoot.  The ideas and creativity are flowing.  It would seem the creative outlet has taken a shift...

Here are some of many I have taken recently.  

That is her brother in the background.

Aren't they gorgeous? Such perfect models!

And my gorgeous nephews.  Every good pic that I took this day was purely accidental.  It seemed that just when I had it right they would MOVE!  So I would chase them with the camera and keep my finger on the button.  Most of the time not even looking through the viewfinder but hoping for the best.  Hardly developing my technical skills but I did get a few good ones.

Although scrapbooking has taken a back seat to photography, I did manage to put out a couple for classes.  I just need to find them...

Peeth out seethters!!!!

I've been having a little bit of fun...

I'm all inspired and snapping pictures of anyone who is willing to be a model.  Of course, my kids aren't because I'm the 'mother' but other children have an enthusiasm that is defunct in mine unless of course there is money or culinary gain.

These are our friends' and neighbour's little lovelies.  New meat. haaah!  Fabulously co-operative little sprouts that will do anything to see their photos  in print or on the web.  So I'm doing this for them, you know.  And their mother because she gets a bit towey.  Isn't that right, Kerry?

Here's the blue one...

These are just a couple of my faves from the shoot.

 
He saw them and said he was a "chick magnet".  His father quickly piped up from the cheap seats and said "more like a fridge magnet".  haah!  Nice one, Jason.

Anyway, here is the pink one.  Same location, different days.

And this would have to be my favourite...

 
On the craft front, I went to my Uncle's 70th birthday party a couple of weeks ago and Mum thought it would be nice to personalise a card for him.  I was in a 7Gypsie's kind of mood so I slapped this one together...

And this here would be a snippet.  Yep...

This woman needs her beauty sleep. Gone.

Warning!

Photo-heavy post!

I've been taking some photos lately thanks to finally meeting the lovely Janine Kaye.  My home girl, Sherryn and jaunted to Newcastle for the weekend to join a lovely group of ladies for a photography workshop. 

I know I will probably look back on these and see all sorts of mistakes but a girl's gotta start somewhere!  The colours here are all wrong because I am working from a pissy little laptop and the colours are fubar!  I'll have the puter doctor out here tomorrow to fix up my iMac. 

Here is the lovely Janine.  I liked this photo more than the ones of her smiling at me.  Gorgeous.

UPDATED: Revamped the pics now that I have a healthy puter back... More natural...

Revamp:

 I met a few lovely ladies and we took turns taking photos of each other.  I am the first to admit that I am terrible with names but I did remember Sarah Gladman.

Revamp:

And many apologies!  I was introduced to this lovely lady but I'm old and dotty and my steel trap has rusty holes!

Revamp:

Sherryn...

Replaced with:

 

 

Actually, I don't know why I've posted this photo of the rings...

I met this lovely lady too.  Yep!  I'm old and dotty and rusty and well, you know... forgot your name, sweetie!  Many apologies!

A bunch of us went to Morpeth and commandeered a horse drawn carriage and I took photos like the tourist I was... and I've dickied these up for a layout I have lined up.

 

And my contribution for this month's Aussie Scrapjack.  It's a jack of the gorgeous layout created by Kim Arnold. 

 

Over and out!  Time for bed!

And it's about time!

Ok!!!! Update-o-va-shun!!!!

Lots has been going on.  Puter is still sick but I'm in the process of finding a good tech to un-sick it.  Luckily, all photos are on external hard drives!!!! Never underestimate the advice given from those who've been there, done that!

A couple of sneaks to begin with for classes at Scrapbooks etc.

This is the layout we'll be doing for Dimensional Pop for September.

You'll need:

• Jumbo Java
• Needle and tools for hand stitching
• Tools for covering chipboard
• Fine nibbed black pen
• 3 x 3"x4" colour photographs with a summer/beach theme

And this for Sketched! August...

And then there's this sneak peak...

And this layout appeared in Scrapbooking Memories for the Month of August...

And then there's this...

I'm sure there are others that I could share but you'll have to wait for another photo heavy post next time.

I'll be taking some foe tows on the weekend!!! Eeeek!!

so productive yet so slack!

Oh my oh my!!!! There is really no excuse for the slack blog updates except of course life in general and an abnormal amount of Facebooking!  Come on over to the party!!!  Click on my profile. 

Well I have been productive and Christmas is the flavour of the day in my little corner of the world!  I have had a blast!  Unfortunately I can't show you any of it and you'll have to wait for the publication!  I can however, show you this... made for this month's  Product Pick classes at Scrapbooks etc. 

On another note, my iMac is in a coma and I can't access my bookmarks and blogs.   I am using hubby's Macbook at the moment and trying to set it all up with my software and bookmarks.  This is one of those times when I thank my stars that I have backed up photos and PS actions and Plugins to external hard drives as well as use a free email service such as Yahoo!  So many times my email addresses were stored on my computer and so many times I've had to reload them due to a crash!  It's also one of those times that I discovered that all of my documents were NOT backed up, NOR were my downloads or fonts!!! I hope there is some smart Mac man out there who can get me on my puter again with all my files like ROOOL soon.

All righty then... back to creating Christmas cheer...