New York Project - The process

K and I have sat and planned a very special album today.... I hope to post more information about the process as i will be completing this album over the next 2 weeks.We spent all morning sorting and reminiscing over K's trip to new york, with a mutual friend and her two boys, 'the trip of a lifetime' it was and we are creating an album to give as a birthday gift mid November.The album is predominantly made up of tickets, programmes and maps with photographs mounted on the ecclectic mix of memories....i don't know New York and already feel as if i'm getting to now my way around!I'm hoping my posting about this project will share with you the process of what goes into one of my bespoke album.

Step 1.We have given each page a theme around a 'moment or place' and cut up and sorted all the memorabilia relating to the moment or place into little bags of 'stuff' labelled for each page.






Step 2. We have sat and browsed all my sentiment stamps choosing heartfelt sentiments that reflect the emotins evoked by the memories.






Step 3 We have chosen geometric shapes and steely blue's greys and some greens to reflect the streets/avenues of new york and the buildings,statues, parks and water.













Step 4. I've sketched out each page layout and given a key to which photo's go on which page alongside where on that map of new york those moments relate to ....its a real who, what and where.


Watch out for more about this project it's going to be such a pleasure sharing this.

Sweet pea toppers

I'm hoping to create a journal and small album from 2 of these lovely embellishments i put together last week ........

Ching Chou Sweet Pea images

Mmmmmm this stamp is so lovely to colour in I'm mounting the images but am not sure whether to create some notebook covers with them or cards............watch this space.....

Halloween Treat

Sooooo Cute.. i've 2 more ...i am just binding them See my side bar of slideshows to see all albums.

I am creating some albums to order at the moment but am up to speed so am going to treat myself to creating two little Halloween paper bag albums today with my cute Magnolia Halloween Tilda's! so watch this space, photo's to post later.

The Journey Shared Blogspot

I am trying something new...... a sister blogspot http://thejourneyshared-cazamataz.blogspot.com/
This new blogspot aims to create a space on line for journalling and self development wheras this one will be more focused on sharing my scrapbooking creations.x

Album Template

From back to front a template to personalise

wishcasting wednesday

http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/wishcasting-wednesday-fly-free/comment-page-1#comment-8931

What do you wish to fly free from?
I love so much of my simple life and am sooooooo grateful for it i like being grounded by those i love and being totally absorbed in anything creative ...........there is never enough time to be as creative as i would like.Recently my plans to work less hours have gone on hold until i know more about how the government cuts on public sector and the nhs will effect my little family... However flying free from fear and indecision is something i would like to do.
I am going to waffle on a little now and indulge myself in a reminiscent ramble of my journey around fear and indecision.
Again i'm conscious there has to be a balance here as i'm no adrenaline junky! I seem to have done a full circle as regards fear! As a young child i was pretty fearful and a lot of my emotion around fear, from what i can remember, originates from there... my decisions were never mine to make everything was decided for me ....however i was completely 'fearless as a teenager....phewww....the risks i took... i cringe with fear sometimes just thinking about them but i remind myself that my guardian angel must have been looking out for me as i'm still here. I was pretty decisive but those decisions were hastly made and the consquences not fully understood! Becoming a mum saw fear rise to the frontline of my life...making the right decisions for someone so precious in those early years, for all sorts of reasons,was sooo difficult and my greatest fear was the fear of losing the most precious of all things to a mother....and of losing my mind! (i've a much earlier entry on my blogspot around the creation of a little album about 'motherhood' this came about as a result of my releasing some of these feelings!) I struggled 'to do the right thing' being so aware and pondering the many 'potential' consequences of my actions and decisions as a mum ...
So here i am a 45 year old woman with all these life experiences to aid me make sound decisions in life i'm in the best place ever to make 'good decisions' so can release any fears i have about it!

I wish to fly free of the feeling of 'fear' and be more decisive about the actions i need to take to have more of what i love in my life.

wishcasting wednesday

http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/

Where do you wish to grow in your confidence? is Jamie Ridlers inspiration for Wishcasting today..............
I would love to have an inner confidence to forgive myself for making mistakes....the confidence that allows me to let go of being hard on myself .Although being passionate and striving for the ideal can be a real motivator and driving force the sided effect is that there is a tendancy to be hard on myself and this can soooo undermine my confidence .... a good balance of inner confidence and self awareness is what i wish for.

Thankyou to all the wishcasters i realy liked this quote found on Keishua's The Curious World Blogspot
http://keishuathoughts.blogspot.com/2010/10/wishcasting-wednesday.html
Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.- Peter McIntyre

Albums to go

Thankyou Linzi and Bailey for your help at the weekend with cards for cherished.....The first 10 albums were posted today and the cards with them.


For the first time ever i've copyrighted the album design as they are a special item for 'Cherished'.
Here is a link to 'Magical Memory Albums' the website where my bespoke albums can be purchased.Another big thankyou to Linzi for her help with this.http://www.magicalmemoryalbums.co.uk/

Wishcasting Wednesday

(this is the art work of Lisa OMalley i love it... and am waiting on a couple of prints to arrive...i think this one reminds me of my wish for this week)

I am up early before i scoot of to work.... I am inspired by Jamie Ridler's wishcasting prompt for this week is 'What do you wish to step into?'
It so amazing what can be achieved with a little focus and intention...... the universe has an amazing way of creating opportunities and guiding us on our journey.I wish to step into 'this space'.....the space of experiencing the moment, the here and now and acknowledging it as being a part of that journey.Allowing myself to release fear,anxiety and frustrations and just be in that moment moving forward with the pace that the universe allows....

Anyone for Anya

I've tried to use the elements of the sketch but they are jiggled around to fit onto my easel card.

Sentimental easel cards

here are the little easel cards made using last weeks posting link.

commissioned albums

I was so pleased to be approached by Emma to make some albums for the charity 'cherished' and i am up early cutting an sticking, before a constitutional run with my buddy K.I'm hoping to send 10 of these albums to emma next week...here's the progress so far...

Creating them is a very special thing for me as
i have been thinking of some of the amazing children i have loved and been close to over the years and how they touched my life and made me the person I am today.I've also reflected on my own very personal losses...not in a sad way (..although a tear has and is often shed) but in a warm acknowledging way...Thankyou for this privilige ...and now i must get sticking!

Wishcasting Wednesday

http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/wishcasting-wednesday-how-do-you-wish-to-come-out-of-your-shell



I'm late with my wishcasting ...................
I quite like my shell...... however if i were to come out of it i think a big wish would be to find the courage and words to have a voice.
I wish alongside this to be able to accept the responsibility and let go of the fear that comes with my having a voice........
I'd like to peep out of my shell and break into a run and find i had wings and fly.....

kayleighs album

Free photo slideshow generated with Smilebox

Squirrel Way Gala

Kirsty and I met some super folks at the Squirrel way gala.So many people wanting to get into the scrapbooking process, thankyou for being so enthusiastic and don't hesitate in getting in touch if you have any questions.Thankyou to Kate for chatting to us about her love of cardmaking keep up the good work and continue with your creativity.Also anyone wanting to get in touch about special orders please do so... there were some super uses for the albums in keepsaking children's rights of passage/transitions and it was lovely hearing how ndividuals were going to share celebrating the joys their loved ones bring..........love to all.

Our day in Whitby

This free digital scrapbooking design made with Smilebox

I collected some great tiny shells to make mermaid tails out of ....here comes the first page of my seashore album.We had a super day pottering around love spending time with you mum, what a lovely birthday week i had.

Such meaningful work

Emma and her daughter Mia are involved in such meaningful work running their charity Cherished.I'm so very privileged to have been approached by them to create some special albums for their memory boxes.Thankyou girls i will create these lovely little albums from my heart.

http://cherishediom.weebly.com/index.html

Shaped easel cards...

A new discovery to try.... using the images coloured yesterday..may only get one done today as am scooting off to see my lovely mum
http://in2crafting.blogspot.com/2010/05/tutorials-nestabitlies-shaped-easel.html

http://www.mousepotatodesigns.com/?p=1926

Lazy Saturday...by mistake

My Saturday did a full circle from being a day of scooting around to my spending the whole day painting up some stamps with my twinkling h2o's...as often happens when there is a lot of change going on in my life i'd got my dates and times muddled for various appointments...it doesn't matter whether i put them in my diary, mobile phone or what i have a short ciruit in my brain that seems overlook the real world and if i don't stand still then it makes me ..i'm quite grateful for it however...the real world maybe a little frustrated with me! .... i believe i was probably just meant to craft 24 hours a day !because rather than worrying about it that's what i do and i adored colouring in and experimenting with copics and sparking paints...Sweet Pea stamps are absolutely gorgeous here's a link http://http//sweetpearubberstamps.blogspot.com/search/label/Soft%20Goth%20Night

A lovely lady sent me some coronado mermaid images with a recent purchase...they are gorgeous tooooo.. http://cidesignstamps.com/bloomers.shtml

Where do you wish to make a fresh start?

Jamie Ridler and all those participating in todays wishcasting have stimulated thought in me again..A fresh start.....

My fresh start will involve my taking care of myself and avoiding working the very long hours i often do..
It will involve me being a little more assertive about my needs and opinions when it really matters.
It will involve my continuing to let go of the small everyday irritations and frustrations.

It will involve me continuing to focus on the bigger picture and continue to feel that the universe will unfold as it is meant to.
I will also continue to hold onto the goal of working less and looking for the work life balance i strive to achieve..
Thankyou for my fresh start..

compendium quote of the week

How can compendium quotes aways come and seem so poignant this one is just what i need to hear at this point on my journey.................

''There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.''
-Douglas Everett

mini album giveaway

http://lifeandtimesofa12x12addict.blogspot.com/

Hope i've popped this link in successfuly as i'd like a chance to be in the draw for some mini book giveaways from life andtimes of a 12 x 12 addict...I loved the post about her son doing good in his exams it's made me reflect.

......third time lucky i think i've managed the link now...i've wanted to know how to do this for ages...

Minis that remind me i'm a mum

I browsed through these two minis , i've lots of them i tend to create them from paper bags and there are quite a few in my blog entries ...I created these some time ago and they remind me 'i am still a mum'...my son is so grown up know it great for him and part of my journey to 'let him go' but right now i do miss that little boy who was so eager to have me as his play pal and depended on me...This 4 x 4 mini i made this time last year when he'd done his exams and was moving into sixth form ...the other is an a5 project over quite a few years where i followed one of Shimelle's classes it is crammed with thoughts and reflections on things that evoked emotion in my son over the years... i sooo love looking at it..it shows him loving his chocolate Lebinz biscuits..him actually looking relaxed..i snapped him multi tasking once with the phone cocked under his chin whilst he tried to get his socks on still wrapped in his duvet but arranging to go out with his friends (he spends more time wrapped in the duvet than clothed!) and him walking away but keeping his temper when i made him walk with me! There's such a lot of journalling in here from me and i hope it'll be in his keepsake box forever and give him a few laughs when he is forty!
I have one i must finish for him.. a football one ...he loves his football and i've some great piccies i must put in the album i created a couple of months ago ...i thnk this bank holiday i may just take a break and do that one...I love being a mum..

I need my rose tinted spectacles

My son turns 18 next birthday...i feel a little reflective as he has been on my mind a lot recently.... there is some hard work ahead regarding him applying himself to his A level courses ...My hubby and i are so lucky to be able to be in some sort of position to support him he is our only one... i feel a little sad when i analyse the present job market, the expense of living and the inequity there is regarding those that are financially and socially advantaged and those that are less advantaged...i see it every day at work ...I tend to see the world through rose tinted spectacles.. it has always been my saviour and allowed me to avoid cynicism and burnout... there are some amazing examples of those who do so well regardless of some awful situations but it is soooo hard for them.... if i could have my wishcasting wednesday again i would wish to fill them with optimisim and aspirations for the future... to be all they want to be or do all what they want to do or simply see what a great job they are doing regardless of the terrible time they might be having...I wish the government could see what they are doing though i am trying not to slide in negativeness but the present climate is going to cause a lot of problems for a lot of very vulnerable sections of society and i'm seeing it start now.

Wishcasting Wednesday

http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/wishcasting






Thankyou to Tara Joyce for the encouragement she gives and all those connections through Tara and the I am proud to be an innerpreneur' website....Jamie Ridlers website is a truly wonderful inspiring way to feel positive and progress with your dreams thankyou soooo much i'm making my first wish....

My Wish for Wishcasting Wednesday is to sleeeep i wish for some nights of sweet healing sleep to prepare me for the changes ahead......

Julia's albums

Some after piccies of an album i created for my lovely friend Julia.

before i personalise i create a basic book shape and dsign with the colours and themes requested: