ON MY MIND | What's the plan for 2014?

Hope you all had a lovely festive season! 

Our Christmas morning was a flurry of excitement with wrapping paper flying everywhere and a lot of woah's, cool and awesome's thrown around by two very happy little boys.

And then lunch and swim at my brother in law's place where hubby and his brothers competed to see who could fire the quickest and best sibling insult, and the boys and their cousins played and laughed. It made me realise how lucky I am to have such beautiful people in my life -- quick witted as well.

So there are only 5 more days until we see in 2014! 

I do not set goals specifically for a new year as I like the option to start them at anytime I am motivated to do so. (less pressure!)

Having said that, the closing of one year and the beginning of another always inspires me to assess where I am at, and where I would like to be heading.

Right now, my aim is quite simple. It is about making IMPROVEMENTS to the way I am currently doing things. 

This is what it comes down to:

1. Eat more regularly and stop skipping meals

2. Drink more water

3. Go to bed earlier

4. Be more present and patient with my little boys

5. Have more family time together

5. Visit my mum more often

6. Be more organised so that the boys are fed and get into bed earlier

There is nothing about work, money, holidays, Project Life or digital designing. That’s because the most important thing for now is to build good foundations and hopefully the rest will fall into place.

I most definitely have creative projects I have on the go, namely getting my boys’ photos into albums. But these are ongoing and I continue to chip away at it. And it’s something I love doing so I don’t need a reminder to get onto them!

I found this awesome quote on pinterest yesterday that I have added to a photo I took  last year at the Mt Cootha Botanical Gardens. This quote resonates with me so much that I will be pinning it on my PHYSCIAL WALL in my craft room.

What is on your radar at the moment for change or improvement? Do you make New Year's resolutions?

My Christmas cards for 2013

I'm here with a quick post tonight to share the Christmas cards I made today.

I used the Christmas Tradition and Christmas 2013 stamp sets from Kellie Stamps.

My initial thought was to use Christmas patterned papers and a few stamps. Maybe even some embossing. Well...that didn't really happen. 

When I looked at Kellie's stamps, there were so many phrase stamps that I loved, and it was very hard to just use ONE greeting.

So this is what I came up with.

Here's a close up.

I am really happy with how quickly I could make these. I made these in under an hour which for me is fast in terms of my card making.

Don't you just love the JOY stamp? I love it so much. It makes me happy looking at it :-)

Hope your preparations for the festive season are coming together nicely and according to plan. 

As for my preparations... let's just say we are desperately trying to break the "tradition" of being up until 3am wrapping presents!

Christmas 2013 Photo Overlays

Ahhh....here they are!

From the moment I released my Summer Christmas Collections, I had been planning to design some photo overlays to complement them.

It has taken me this long to get them done! 

My excuse? Well...I went and found myself a job so it was a matter of juggling work, children, home and still finding time for the basic eating and sleeping. Unfortunately, the sleeping component has suffered somewhat, lol.   

These are available from my online shoppe as PNG files. 

These photo overlays have been designed for 4x6 photos, but I'm sure you could use them on 3x4s as well.

I am considering choosing a few photos and using them as Christmas cards this year too.

Anyways, I hope you like them because I have really enjoyed making them.

Enjoy the rest of your week xx

ON MY MIND | Our amazing school teachers

There are only two weeks of school left for the boys. Where has the year gone!?!

Little Jake has almost finished his Prep year. As I walked him to his classroom this morning, I held his little hand and could not believe that he is going into Grade 1 next year.   

I have huge respect for the teachers who are passionate about encouraging, teaching and nurturing our children to reach their fullest potential.

My big boy Isaac is going into Grade 4 next year. Yup, Grade 4. 

I had a chat to Isaac's teacher last week and I felt very grateful he was placed into her class this year. 

I am also a little bit sad Mrs C won't be teaching Isaac next year. She has been the most amazing teacher who was committed to giving him the push he needed to grow in confidence, yet being gentle enough to not overwhelm him. 

His marks have improved from last year, and I am 99.99% certain Mrs C was the catalyst.  

Check out this drawing that is currently pinned up on the whiteboard in Isaac's classroom. 

To put it into perspective, the RHS of the vase was blank. The LHS of the vase had the pattern outlined in black. His task was to copy the pattern onto the RHS, and then colour everything in. 

You will have to excuse my proud mummy moment. I just love the striking colour combination he has chosen, and his attention to detail.  

Teachers can have such a massive influence on our children. And the good ones, well...I feel forever in their debt for nurturing and guiding my boys.

Speaking of gratitude for awesome teachers, I made this mini album for Jake's kindy teachers last year as an end of year gift. 

I've shared this mini album before, so here's the link to to the original post (only requires one sheet of 12" x 12" card stock).

Maybe you might like to make a mini album for your children's teachers. Check out the tutorial, the possibilities are endless. 

Thanks for dropping by. Hope you have a fantastic week! xx

ON MY MIND | Proud Moment

When Kellie from Kellie Stamps ran a giveaway to win her Proud Moment wooden stamp, she asked entrants to share their proud moments. 

My recent proud moment was watching my eldest (9) talk to his mate who had come over to hang out. Isaac even made a joke. 

No big deal you might think. Well, it's not. Unless you are a 9 year old with Social Anxiety.

I didn't win the giveaway (darn it! lol), so I ordered my own (and the Love this Moment stamp as well...couldn't help myself)! 

I started thinking about our little journey with Isaac's "shyness".

He is very quiet, reserved, and to find out how he is feeling is not always easy. I often joke that he is one of those moody and mysterious types.

Isaac would speak normally to people he was comfortable with, such as immediate family and other close family members. The minute he was put in a situation with people he was not comfortable with, he would not speak. That's when the sweaty palms and fidgeting started. That was the anxiety kicking in.

When I asked him why he didn't talk to his friends, he simply said "Because I don't want people to hear me." I understood completely because I was EXACTLY the same when I was in primary school. Thankfully, I grew out of it and it looks like Isaac is too.

These past 4 and a bit years has seen tears and frustration from him. Frustration, guilt and helplessness for us parents. 

Isaac completed the BRAVE program run by the University of Qld and Griffith University last year which taught him practical strategies to assist in overcoming his anxiety. 

We have seen amazing changes, such as:

- he uses his words when mates come over; 
- he responds to adults who speak to him without pausing; 
- he participates in conversations with children his own age even if he doesn't know them;
- he talks to his friends at school;
- he is relaxed and can be himself with his mates;
- he openly tells us what is happening at school.

He is never going to be the loudest kid in the class, but hearing him use his words, even if it's quietly is a massive achievement.

I started to wonder if his quietness was affecting his written expression abilities. It's not that he doesn't write well, he's just not that big on detail or adjectives.

I bought him a journal, and at least once a week, I give him a topic to write about. Anything from Skylanders, to Halloween, to why he hates being late for school (happens most mornings).

Although he whinges and complains that it's boring and he would rather be playing games, once he gets into it, he does really well.

I absolutely LOVE reading his journal and most of the time, we read it together. 

My favourite part of reading his entries is the amazing insight into what is going on in his head. It allows me to understand him even more. I love that.

Being aware of his thoughts and feelings, and having the ability to express them in words will be an invaluable life skill for him. Train them young, I say!

This journal is going to be such a treasure. For him and for me.

ON MY MIND | Gratitude Rocks

GRATITUDE (noun) The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation and to return kindness.

I am a big fan of gratitude. I think that if there was more gratitude in today's busy and often impatient society, there would be less road rage and less people would be clipped in the heels by shopping trolleys.

Finding small blessings in our everyday lives can help slowly pull us out of the depths of sadness and reignite our zest for life.

Have a look at this video about a book called 365 Gratefuls and be inspired!

365grateful.com from hailey bartholomew on Vimeo.


BRINGING GRATITUDE INTO OUR EVERYDAY:

Gratitude eventually becomes second nature. Like anything else, it takes practice. And like I tell my boys, the more you practice, the easier it gets.

I still get overwhelmed, but I am learning to see everyday moments for what it is, and with a positive spin. This can be very liberating and for want of a better word, a relief as we learn to simply LET GO and appreciate. 

Here are some examples of what I mean:

EXAMPLE 1: You get stuck in a traffic jam, bumper to bumper driving home from work. 
OPTION A: Get cranky and frustrated that you are wasting time sitting in traffic.
OPTION B: Make the most of the situation, crank up your radio and sing your heart out (maybe wind up the windows first if you are shy). Or just sit and BREATHE. Appreciate your little bit of down time. 

EXAMPLE 2: You are bursting to finish a crafting project Saturday afternoon but the kiddies want to watch a movie with you.
OPTION A: Tell them you have a project to finish and to watch it on their own.
OPTION B: Be thankful your kiddies love spending time with you and enjoy the moment of togetherness with them. Snuggle up and enjoy.

EXAMPLE 3: It's Saturday morning and you have the entire week's washing to hang out on the line.
OPTION A: Grumble to yourself that the washing is never ending and what a nuisance it is to do this every weekend.
OPTION B: As you take your washing outside, enjoy the sunshine and admire what a beautiful day it is. And how awesome is it that sunshine is nature's best sanitiser so your clothes will be extra clean, not to mention doing the environment a huge favour by avoiding the dryer.



GRATITUDE AND PROJECT LIFE:

I was inspired by the video clip and considered doing a photo gratitude journal for 365 days.

So I started to plan how this project would fit into what I am currently doing in terms of Project Life. Then it hit me. Project Life is my take on 365 Gratefuls!

I am already recording everyday moments with photos and journalling. I may not take a photo every day, but the things I do photograph and record helps me celebrate all the things that I am blessed with.

Project Life also offers us the the opportunity to reflect, find the positives, and give thanks for things such as:

- the life of a loved one;
- a precious moment shared;
- an obstacle overcome;
- a personal achievement succeeded;
- the beauty of the natural world around us; or 
- a life lesson learnt. 

I am sure there are more we can add to the list. What's on your gratitude list?

If you have read this far, THANK YOU! I hope you have been inspired to continue finding more blessings in your life every day xx

  

SUMMER CHRISTMAS collection

I cannot believe it's almost October, which means Christmas is not far away. I love Christmas time, don't you?

I am excited to share my SUMMER CHRISTMAS COLLECTION of digital pocket page cards.

I decided on a Summer Christmas theme because we don't see any snow here in Australia during Christmas - quite the opposite. I used bright happy colours, summer fruits and beach fun, but still including festive fairy lights and incorporating traditional red and green colours as well.

All the images have been hand illustrated by me, and the cursive writing is also my handwriting. I hope you enjoy using them as much as I have enjoyed creating them. A very special thank you to my amazing friend Tanyalee for her invaluable input and saintly patience when I was sending her images at some ungodly hour, lol.

So..here they are!

These are now available for purchase via my online shoppe. 

Here's a look at the brainstorming stage. Can you recognise some of the scribbles coming to life?

I created two sample spreads using our Christmas 2012 photos, and the new range of Summer Christmas digital cards. I plan to print these digital cards and create a paper spread so I can add some embellishments. 

Here's the first spread.

And because we are on the topic of Christmas, and as they say, t'is the season for giving, I am giving away these bonus cards when you purchase the SUMMER CHRISTMAS collection. Here's what they look like. 

I would love to see what you create with these cards! You are welcome to post them on The Making Table Facebook page.

Thanks for visiting! xx

Hello, Superstar Collection

I am very excited about my HELLO, SUPERSTAR COLLECTION of digital cards that are now available for purchase in my shoppe. 

They can be used for paper or digital pocket pages, or traditional scrapbook layouts.

WHY THE SUPER THEME?

Since 2012, my boys have been superhero obsessed. Jake, who was 4 at the time, would say "Mummy, would you like to be a super hero?" I told him, "But I am a superhero. Well, sort of."

I believe we're all a little bit super. We have all faced adversities, whether it be health, relationships, family, finances, career, or the loss of a loved one. It all makes us stronger, and shapes who we are today.  

Through Project Life, I have "met" women who have inspired me with their very personal stories. They are stay-at-home-mums, working mums, single mums, career women, grandmothers, business owners, entrepeneurs...all of them dedicated to documenting their everyday.

These amazing women and their stories were in my thoughts when I designed these cards -- this collection is dedicated to them, because i truly believe they are all superstars.

I also have a freebie to share. Grid cards with faint lines so your journalling will be the focus. You can download them here.

Hope you have a super week xx

Guest Post on Betwixt & Between

Well, we are that much closer to the weekend. That has to be a good thing!

I am very excited to be guest posting today on the very talented Aimee Dow's blog Betwixt & Between! 

I'm sharing yet another faux pocket page layout. I have created a 2-page spread using Becky Higgins' Kraft edition and some Amy Tangerine Yes, Please patterned paper. 

I also used Dear Lizzy's gold alpha stickers that I picked up during Polka Dot Creative's recent sale. Have been hanging out to use them on something...anything.

I would love for you to pop over to the Betwixt & Between blog and have a sticky beak at my layout. 

I will leave you with a sneak peak xx

This week's crafty learnings.

Whenever I scrap, I always learn something new. It could be about my own scrapping "style", or I tweak my memory-keeping approach. Or maybe I find a new way to do something, or I find a new technique to try. 

Today I'm sharing my learnings from this week.

1. Finish one event/month for both boys before starting pages for a new event/month.

Because I am scrapping photos from many years ago, I like to gather the prints from the one event/month and then divide them into a pile for Isaac's album, and one for Jacob's album.

I will then complete the layout for one child before moving on to the other child's album. This way, I feel less overwhelmed and have a sense of completion after each spread.


2. Make your own patterned paper with stamps

This was a fun one. Choose a couple of stamps you like, arrange them on a clear block and away you go. 

Here, I have used the cutlery stamps from Amy Tangerine's Ready Set Go stamp set.

Here, I used the Currently mini stamp set from Give a Girl a... the cutest colon stamp I've ever seen!

3. Better alignment with DIY pull-tabs when using double-sided tape

This may not be news for many of you, but I only discovered it a few days ago. I'm a shocker for sticking things down crooked, but this little trick helped me heaps.

I adhered the double sided tape onto my photo/tag. I then peeled back approx 2cm of the backing, and folded it back to create a pull-tab for when I flipped the photo/tag over.

The pull-tabs acted as a "spring" so the photo didn't stick unless i applied pressure. This allowed me to position the photo/tag until it was to my liking.

Then I held the the photo in place with one hand, pulled one of the tabs to fully remove the adhesive backing to stick it down, and did the same to the rest of the tabs. This really helped minimise crooked photos etc. (those pudgy little hands are Jake's)

I'm so happy to have completed the Christmas pages for the boys. Now I can move onto another month!

Why not try making your own stamped background -- the possibilities are endless! 

Have a great weekend everyone, and thanks for visiting xx

What documenting life means to me?

What does memory keeping and documenting life mean to me? A quote from the movie Shall We Dance (2004) sums up why I do, what I do. 

"Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. 

Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness." 

By taking the time to document my children's day-to-day, I am showing them they are important and loved, and I am a witness to their lives. And in turn, by also documenting my own life, my children become a witness to mine.

I was recently compelled to share with a fellow memory keeper whom I admire and respect, the story of the first time I heard this quote. I wanted to tell how I had a moment of profound clarity, joy, and gratitude for my husband who was most certainly a witness to my life, during a time of adversity. This quote resonates with me on many levels.

I believe we are giving our children and our loved ones a priceless gift when we document their lives - for them to know they are loved, important and that they really matter.

I have created some 3x4 filler cards with the quote, which you are welcome to download for your own personal use. Maybe you will come to love this quote as much as I do. xx

Daydreaming

I admit it. I'm a daydreamer. 

As a mother of two young boys, I spend much of my weekdays chauffeuring the little cherubs to and from school, after school activities, and running errands. All in all, I spend a significant amount of time in the car. 

Lately, I have been beeped at regularly by the cars behind me because mid-daydream, the lights had turned green. Sometimes i get to my destination and have no idea how i got there. It's almost like I was daydreaming the whole time.

Note to self, must focus more when operating a moving vehicle.

Anyhow, my in-car daydreaming has inspired this little 3x4 filler card. Feel free to download here for personal use. And please share on Pinterest so others can download as well.

Hope you all have a dreamy weekend! xx 

Mother's Day printable freebies!

To celebrate Mother's Day, here are some freebies!

Download the 3x4 Mother's Day filler cards in seafoam, midnight or honey. 

And here are some 3x4 journalling cards to document your Mother's Day.

Download the 3x4 journalling cards (pictured below) in seafoam, midnight or honey.

There are also 6x4 journalling cards which provides the option to add a photo to your journalling about your Mother's Day.

Download the 6x4 journalling cards (pictured below) in seafoam, midnight or honey.

These are free for you to download for personal use.

Be notified of new blog posts and freebies by subscribing to follow The Making Table blog :-) 

Happy Mother's Day and enjoy! xx

"This Week" AND "This Month" journalling cards

It all started this morning when one of the lovely ladies from the PLA group was looking for a "this week.." journalling card.   

This gave me the perfect excuse to spend some time playing in PhotoShop :-) 

I have made a few variations which you can download as individual jpegs. They are based on some of the Becky Higgins core kit colours. They may not be an exact match so please bear this in mind. 

These are free for you to download for private use. If I could please ask a teeny favour - i would love if you could leave me a comment below, and let me know which ones you like best. And of course, I would love to see them in use, so feel free to send me a link. 

You can download the above "THIS WEEK.." journalling cards here.

You can download the above blank "THIS WEEK.." journalling cards here.

You can download the above "THIS MONTH.." journalling cards here.

You can download the above blank "THIS MONTH.." journalling cards here.

I also did these 3x4 filler cards a little while ago for another one of the lovely ladies in the PLA Group. Thank you for inspiring me to create - you're all truly amazing.

You can download the above "A MOTHER'S LOVE" 3x4 filler cards here.

Our Story is Their Story.

It's been a little quiet here at The Making Table blog, but there's been some crazy crafting happening at my Making Table in real life!  

Last Friday, SJS and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary! I love that we still talk lots, and laugh lots. I feel very blessed.

Although I had been busy planning ways to document memories for the the boys, I hadn't given much thought to documenting the memories of SJS and I. After all, our memories are just as important because although we remember them, our boys do not. Our story is essentially, THEIR STORY. 

I had 4 weeks to gather what photos i had from our pre-children days and organise them into an album as an anniversary gift for SJS. The limited number of photos i had were taken on a compact film camera my grandfather gave me when i was 14. And the photos were previously thrown into an album that was literally falling apart. 

I have fully embraced the Project Life way of scrapbooking. It's truly awesome and I love it! I also like combining my traditional 12x12 layouts with my Project Life spreads from time to time. 

I think it fitting that this album I have started will continue on to be our family album. Today I will share mostly the Project Life spreads and leave the 12x12s for my next post. Warning: this post will be very image heavy :-)  

The 6x4 and 3x4 cards in the Airlie Beach spread were created in PhotoShop. Here's the link if you wish to download them. I am very much in love with the Amy Tangerine camera stamp from the Lovestruck set.

Again, the 6x4 and 3x4 cards were created in PhotoShop. Here's the link for you to download if you wish. The RHS will be a traditional 12x12 layout which i am yet to complete so i just inserted a sheet of 12x12 patterned paper (Amy Tangerine's Surrounded from Ready Set Go). I had been looking for this design EVERYWHERE and finally found it at Polka Dot Creative (thanks Jodie!) 

The very cute Studio Calico wood veneer alphabet I used for the title was another item i had been searching for EVERYWHERE and once again, found it at Polka Dot Creative - it's a little treasure trove of goodies over there. 

For the "2001", I used Amy Tangerine's Goodness Thickers which i inked up with Brilliance Granite Black Ink. Also loving Amy's Yes, Please range.  I've used the Commitment paper here in this spread - the cameras are fantastic.

I also bought a whole heap of Ali Edwards' stamps - so glad that I did. They stamp really clean and crisp and I have more on my wish list. I used the Just Awesome tabs, Life Circles and Kids are Cool. I have used Amy Tangerine's Draft and Lovestruck stamps here too. And incase you were wondering, yes, that's me with my crazy windswept hair as i run away from the camera into the ocean.

I'm really happy with how the Farm Trip spread turned out, and as you can see, i LOVE sunsets. I wasn't a big fan of green until now, and the Damask patterned paper from Echo Park (For the Record 2) seemed to highlight the greenery in these photos quite well. 

Using the Ali Edwards stamps again here. And washi tape.

I trimmed up some Simple Stories Sn@p! Yellow/Grid paper for my journalling. I also used a Jillibean Soup sticker on the 3x4 filler card.

Well, if you have stayed and read up to here, THANK YOU. I will be creating a few traditional 12x12 layouts to fill in the gaps in this album. I'll post them when they're done. Feel free to leave a comment - always love hearing from you!