Take a look at this blog, www.juliestone.typepad.com and I dare you not to want to get involved and help ;)

If you can't get online ... here's a basic run-down. Southern Cross Kids Camp run (charity/donation funded) week long camps for abused and at-risk kids across Australia. The kids 'Buddies' create memory books that focus on their holiday week , that sadly might be the only happy childhood memories recorded for them . A fellow scrapper helped out at two of the SCKC camps held early this year and helped create gorgeous “Scrapped” memory books……they were the best ones yet, easier for the tired buddies and treasured beyond imagination by the children. The books were so successful, the Australian Directors contacted her and asked if all Nine of the camps in Australia and NZ could get the same albums! 325 kids memory albums!!! As you could imagine, to achieve that they need your help!

What can we do to help?

We can take the pressure off the Buddies by creating as many 6x6 layouts we possibly can. Then all they need to do is add photos & journaling then get a good night's sleep :)

How many?

They need about 6300 pages ... surely we as scrappers or crafters can help make these children's albums a reality!!! Make 2, make 6, make 12 ... make as many as you can. These pages are for camps for the entire year, not just the 2 that Julie is attending. Exciting stuff!

What can I do?
You can dig into your stash (I know you've got a big stash of papers & cardstock ;) LOL) ... and start creating. Here's what you need to make:

Pages are 6" x 6".
One photo per page (approx 5" x 3.5"), add a photo mat (I cut mine 14cm x 10cm).
Make a space for a bit of journaling.
No need to punch holes ... they're being put into 6x6 page protectors in a 6x6 album.
Colours - try for neutral, brights, muted, multi coloured, they need boys and girls pages but usually need more boy pages… bold colours are great as they suit both Girls & Boys.
Make the page so that it will suit a portrait or landscape photo (can be turned on it's side).

Where can I see an example?
On Julie's blog. Real fancy designs aren’t necessary, simple is best
Try making the same layout using different papers or
a few designs with co-ordinating!

How long have we got?
The camps will run through 09 But to be repackaged and sorted they will need to reach Julie anywhere between Mid to late March 09.

Where do I send them?

Julie Stone
C/- SCKC memory Books
PO Box 290
Unanderra
NSW 2526

No time?
Simply don't have time to create, but really want to contribute. Your old stash need a good home? Some left over odds and ends taking up space? You can contact Julie via her blog or email juliest35@optusnet.com.au as they desperately need ink pads (stazon or other permanent) acrylic stamp bocks, embellishments and alphabets etc for the buddies to decorate the front covers. Anything would be greatly appreciated.

Are you keen? Are you excited? I know I am. I challenge everyone who is able to donate to this worthy cause to rise to the occasion and create for these kids in need. You might be thinking ... I can only do 2 layouts ... well ... that's 2 more than they had before :)

Do you get together with friends to scrap or do craft? Why not challenge your group to create a couple of pages each? Been looking for an excuse to hook up with other Scrappers in your area? Kids enjoy scrapbooking? Get them involved making a couple of pages, a brilliant way of sharing some meaningful time and teaching them about helping out those in need..

SCKC need our help, we can make a real difference and all with our left over scraps!!

Come on! Lets try put a smile on a Childs Face!

Storage of Ribbons

Just like shoes, clothes and handbags you can never have enough ribbons. But I felt recently I needed to address my fetish of ribbons as I was stuggling to keep my stash from taking over my already overflowing working space which was once called the dinning room table. So I came up with this solution - empty film cannisters so now they fit neatly in drawers and safely out of sight (we will overlook the scraps thrown into my 20cm x 15cm tin which is starting to overflow).

I am now ,having to be a secret scrapbooking shopper as my Angels keep asking to sit at the dinning room table to eat dinner - poof as if, just because the table is in the dinning room doesn't mean to say we have to eat at it, honestly those kids do they think oh look there is the vacumn cleaner, lets clean our room!!! No I didn't think so!
Back to important things, the cannisters can take up to 2-3 metres of ribbon depending on the side and shape. I just cut a square out of the lid with a stanley knife. I got all of mine from the local photoshops who usually throw them out so I can also say I am being environmentally friendly by recycling - there thats good jusfication to my every increasing need to buy more ribbon! Oh and get the clear cannisters so you can see at a glance how much you have left.
Tracy
PS However it still doesn't stop the fact that I never have the right colour, shape or size when I am working on a project!

Stamping with Clear Acrylic Stamps

Clear Acrylic Stamps, I have discovered the versatility of these stamps and it has become one of my favourite tools for scrapbooking, especially as you can use them over and over. I keep most of mine of stamps in CD covers, which also double ups as an acrylic block. You can see exactly where you are stamping because you can see through the case. And if some of the pattern doesn’t come out the first time, you can re-ink that part of the stamp, which hasn’t appeared and carefully restamp over the top of the first image.
There are so many creative ideas to add interest to your scrapbook page by just using a stamp.

Once you have stamped with your ink, for example, you can then apply some kindy glitz or rhinestones to sections. Your stamps don’t have to be ink, I have also used paint.

Try inking your stamp, then lightly spray water onto your stamp then apply to paper – this gives a watercolour effect.

You can stamp on different mediums such as chipboard, transparencies, buttons etc. There are so many possibilities, it is only your imagination that limits you.
To keep them clean, depending on what type of medium you have used, either baby wipes or wash them in some mild soapy water and pat dry. Don’t leave them to soak in water though, as they could loose their shape abit.

Also check out “you tube” there are lots of different stamping technique videos on there.

My examples, nothing spectular, that I quickly made up this morning are: L is on a wooden letter, O on actuate with StazOn Cherry Pink, V is inked chipboard and used Brilliance StarLite Silver for the stars and the E was lightly sprayed with water.

Women CAN read maps and men DON"T listen

This thought for the day doesn't involve scrapbooking but it came to me while trying to think of some rambling for a retail page to be submitted into a scrapbooking directory / newsletter.

Women CAN read maps and men DON'T listen

We can read maps and also ask for directions, however directions are not neccessary because we can read the bloody map in the first place. It should be compulsory that boys join the boy scouts to learn the skills of map reading to prevent the use of half a tank of petrol while driving around and around trying to locate the destination. Now it is not neccesary for girls to join the Brownies and Girl Guides - I was one and I don't remember being shown how to read a map, why, because it isn't that bloody hard!!!!

But on a final note, as men don't listen, it will be pointless sending them to Boy Scouts. So really, us multi talented species called females, will continue to take on the role of driver, co driver, map reader, referee of kids fighting in back seat, all while driving, drinking a coffee, speaking on hands free mobile organising car pools for kids weekly activities and thowing in an occasional outburst of tourettes syndrome of yelling at useless bloody drivers on the road!

Am I right?

Tracy :)

PS I hope to not offend anyone who is a victim of Tourettes syndrome, it certainly is not my intention. The recent episode of Domestic Blitz brought an awareness to our society of how extreme this condition can be, and I am sure many families are greatful for this. I was crying my eyes out watching this, but mainly in happiness for such a positive result for Bianca and her family.

How to tie ribbon

Too easy you think! Well I can tie a shoe lace so how hard can it be to tie a ribbon for your scrapbooking creations! Well honestly I use to produce some very pathetic bows and always using some dimensional magic to keep it in place. Now I have no excuse as I found this great video on you tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yojsEtR4uZI

Just click on the back arrow to return to blog when finished watching.

PS Finally found the sketch competition for my catching malteaser page see further down - its from Scrapbooking Savvy. Yah I have finally posted my first competition.

Sketches

Too often I sit armed with photos and a blank piece of cardstock just waiting for a miracle. You know when you have intentions of creating a work of art but then when its time to start - nothing! Well I discovered my miracle YEAH HA sketches - oh man how much easier is it when someone who is very clever creates a sketch and you just just go from there. As long as you have the photos, some of the hard work is taken off you. See below the following sketch, it took me under an hour to create the page and in all my excitment of completing the page so quickly, I can't remember where I got the sketch from and I know its a November Sketch Challenge for a competition. Oh well at least I have 25 days to track down the location.

As always all the products used, except the pattern paper and black & white ribbon used to tie our pendant, can be found on our website http://www.my2angels.net/

There are so many sites with sketches, just searched for scrapbooking sketches on the net to get a huge list.

Another miracle may happen and I might create some sketches and upload them to the blog. But first I gotta find that sketch comp.

Angel Son Approves of Velvet Silicon Ribbon

Just wanted to share with you the page I finished over the weekend. You see I started it about 2 weeks ago but when I am complete a page for my 12 year old boy he has specific requests - limited buttons & using blue, no girl colours and most definitely no flowers. I am also a card stock girl, some days it is just too hard to deal with patterns / extra colours for a layout, how lazy do I sound!!!

Anyway I got the seal of approval with the velvet silicon ribbon and also got away with using yellow!