It's not so much a chore as a challenge...and a godsend

I am now over half way through my JYC album. It is under my skin now...challenging me to get it finished!

One of my friends suggested that it should be enjoyable rather than a chore. She is so right, but I do actually find that the more i sit and go through the pages of journalling the more I enjoy it. I'm not stressing about making it a photo album anymore. The whole point was to journal Christmas afterall!

Also, I am remembering to enjoy my pregnancy, regardless of the worry. When i was journalling in December we didnt know the problems that the baby was going to face, and my notes are so much more positive than i have felt in so long. So, for the next day or two I might try to finish off the project because it is such a positive influence. Who knew a WIP could be so inspiring after being left for so long!

WOYWW 98

It's Wednesday again so let's have a look at Julia's blog to see what everyone has been working on this week.

This is my last WOYWW Turkish desk for a while. I'm heading home to UK for a few months so i have been trying desperately to finish some of my WIPs. The main one is my JYC album, others include some of the heritage photos and baby photos for my mum's albums.

Here is my desk, and a peek at one of the pages on it.  It is a little tidier (honest) than normal because in true Turkish fashion, when time is at a premium we start a project. I have 3 days left here, so DH decided that the time was right to paint the ENTIRE HOUSE. I know....but honestly, I've kind of given up arguing. Like putting a fireplace in 5 days before christmas, it will work out somehow. Some things might go undone, but hey it's only a house. (DH doesnt include my sanity as something that should be effected by such things lol).

Next week my desk will be a kitchen table at Mums, and in a few months it will be my normal desk just in a room with different coloured paint.

So join in the fun, and let us have a peek at your desk.

JYC back on track

Well, after dropping by a few of the participants that managed to finish their JYC album - Pauline and Mel

I was motivated to give my album another go. Mel's words hit the mark when she said that she might not love every page but she loved the project. I think that might have been what was holding me back. Kind of like the photo intimidation that i spoke about on this page .

So here are a few more of my JYC pages:

taking time to look at these pages, it reminds me that the project was to journal, not just make pretty pages.

Hopefully there will still be more to come, and one day i might get to let everyone know that i have indeed finished the project. 

Big hello to my new followers - pauline and mel.

I'm trying to keep posting as much craft related stuff as i can on the blog, but a few everyday stories might pop up now and then.

what happened to JYC 2010?

Well.......i think my mojo deserted it. I did my journalling every day of the Journal Your Christmas course, but somehow the layouts never seemed to appear. Infact, to date I have still only achieved about 20% of the project.

Woeful, isnt it! As i have just finished the re-run of Shimelle's Blogging For Scrapbookers course it has got me thinking that i should maybe revisit my work in progress from her JYC course.

Ofcourse next year, I might not commit to doing a layout for everyday, but only do a layout for those days that i feel has something worthy of a layout. Or i might decide that i want to have a christmas day photo every year for my big album. Who knows...

For now, It's back to the craft room to try to salvage my mini album. Wish me luck (and inspiration).

baby layout - mine all mine

Well, I took the bull by the horns last night. I pulled together some of the papers & cardstock that i thought worked together and started the layout.

I used this weekly sketch by Shimelle to produce this layout. I'm normally a lot more clean & simple in my layouts, but i love the cluttered/embellished look that some layouts have. It's just that i normally need a bit of a push in the right direction to achieve that look for one of my layouts.

There is a bit of reflection on the photo because the sun is shining through the window at the moment, but you get the general idea.

This was the photo that i wanted to do justice, I'm relatively happy with the layout and I'm even happier that it is actually going to stay in one of my very own albums (as opposed to being snaffled by mum). Most of the paper that i finally used all came out of my offcuts box, apart from the strip of flying storks. The main sheet, I think is about 5 years old, but it reminded me of the swirls on the blue blanket that Thomas is sleeping in.

Hope everyone is having a stressfree saturday.

have you ever been intimidated by a photo?

I am struggling at the moment to complete this weeks challenge on UKS. WHY?????? Because I'm a bit scared that I don't do the photo justice.

Sounds crazy doesn't it, but it happens to me quite often. Although, I have to admit mostly with heritage photos. Yesterday I scoured my stash looking for that perfect paper to use with the baby photo.  I have some lovely baby sheets too! However, they either make the blanket look dirty, or the pages look dirty against the photo, or they are not babyish enough..... OR.....OR.....OR.....

Does that even make sense?? I'm reading as a type, thinking 'What on earth are you blethering about????' .... but the fact remains....I have lost my MOJO. Maybe i should offer some blog candy of my own as a reward if anyone finds it and sends it back to me.

I can't even decide on usng a sketch because I need to find papers that I am happy with, as well as a sketch for inspiration. Well, back to the drawing board...wish me luck

Thursdays Thoughts

I am still hopping back and forth over to the Blogging for Scrapbooker forum, so i thought i would revisit one of the latter prompts from the course.

• Seeing much more craft stuff because i can view blogger again. Ofcourse, now i want to be spending more time making craft stuff because i have all this inspiration to hand.
• Hearing good news from other people, it helps lift the spirits. Joy is joyful whenever you hear of it, whoever it belongs to. Never be afraid to share happy thoughts with others, no matter what they are going through. You never  know, it might be the only piece of good news they get that day.
• Smelling my covent garden shower gel that i have just started using again. I dont know why i ever stop because i love it.
• Tasting mature scottish cheddar - one of our friends brought a 2k pack for us at the weekend. How fab was that!
• Thinking that we have met the nicest people, online and in real life. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people.

Those are my thoughts for today, and i hope you are having a Terrific Thursday where ever you are.

Also, a big hello to my new follower Lizzie.

WOYWW 97

I'm finally able to join in with the best blog hop in town! Join Julia to have a look at what all the fuss is about, and you too can share your craft space with the rest of us.

Today I am working on 2 layouts. Both were for UKS weekly challenge but I'm woefully behind on last weeks so it will just count as a page for mum as opposed to any points.

I have been raiding my stash since i got back to Turkey - cos I cant go out and buy new stock. It is amazing at what I have found in my cardstock boxes, sheets I had completely forgotten about. Some are as old as the hills, lol.

I read someone's blog the other day where she was making room for a new baby and throwing out all the unused & forgotten stash. I just couldnt do that! Partly because i cant replace it but also because whenever I look at the sheets I remember why i bought them. Now i just need a photo and a reason to use them.

what do you have lurking in your stash? Would you share with us and let us peek?

I'm back....and i'm addicted to craft blogs...

It's Monday and it's a wonderful day here. Not least because the very clever man at VPNUK managed to get me back and hopping all over blogger. I have no idea how he did it, and didn't ask incase he thought i might understand his answer. Ha!

I can't tell you how much i have missed being able to link in with my crafty buds. Now I have permission (literally) to spend all afternoon/evening and tomorrow hopping over to my favourite craft blogs.

Hello to my new followers: Dawn and Beverly. I would have said hello earlier but all i could see was dashboard saying i had extra followers, not who you were.

For those readers who have visited me from Shimelle's Blogging for Scrapbookers course, I am winging my way back through the forum to visit you all.

Hoping also to manage some time to do this week's UKS team challenge. I have just the photo in mind....

Ofcourse i am even more pleased because i took this photo of my gorgeous nephew when he was 2 weeks old. Hopefully i will be posting a Layout starring this photo later on in the week.

I hope everyone is having a marvellous Monday.

blogging vs scrapping ... why do i bother????

It is Day 15 of Shimelle's Blogging for Scrapbookers course. I have managed to keep up with most of the prompts, but this one really got me thinking.

I love comments, but that isn't why I blog. I love looking at scrapbook pages but that isn't why I scrapbook.

I think with both activities, it is the sense of creativity and recording of personal history. Both have pros and cons to how they achieve those goals, but never the less i get a kick out of both activities. I honestly never imagined that I would find such an addictive hobby/activity in my adult life. I never actually knew i had such an addictive personality, but i am truly hooked.

It has been a godsend whilst living abroad to be able to link in with other like minded crafters/bloggers. It has kept me occupied when the weather is bad and i've run out of craft mags to read. In the latter part it has kept me sane through a tough period in my life. Likewise, scrapping has kept me up to my ears in sticky, inky goodness which has given me a creative outlet on boring days and simply an 'out' when i needed to not be in my own head.

Hopefully I will look back at this post and nod my head in years to come, but even if I don't I will continue to blog and scrapbook for my own little piece of mind.

Monday and another UKS layout

It's Monday again. How did that happen? Not really sure where last week went, but i know what happened to last week's UKS challenge....I finished it by the skin of my teeth.

Just before taking mum out to a very nice restaurant for mothers day, i finished this layout for her

The only problem was after using the glimmer mist to make the background, and wiping it off the mask, both hands turned the corresponding shade of blue/green. No problem, I thought, wet wipe to the rescue. Eh...NO CHANCE....it took 3 wet wipes and washing my hand with liquid soap before i resorted to a scrubbing with good old fairy liquid and a scouring pad. Even now my nail beds are a lighter shade of green.

Note to self......wear rubber gloves next time.

Thankfully, mum liked her mothers day gift. Infact she tactfully asked if she was getting a corresponding page with the other 3 photos from that day. My reply...... yes but without the glimmer mist!