Log your memory ...

.. during the course of some blog hopping yesterday, you know the kind where you start at one blog, follows some links to another and so on, I came across Log Your Memory, which essentially is a year planner for scrapbookers. It has the usually daily and monthly planning pages, but also has:

-spaces to jot down ideas and daily happenings
-a personal story list
-space to sketch page layouts
-weekly challenges
-a monthly questionnaire
-monthly photo ideas
-an annual questionnaire
-worksheets for capturing information on family holidays and celebrations.

This is combined with a website for further tips and a community forum at Log My Memory . Being an impatient kind of girl I decided to buy the ebook with the intention of printing it out at A5, however it really needs to be printed A4 (it's set up in the American size of 8.5x11) to make the most of the blank spaces to write in. I think I'll print the pages out monthly and plan to decorate a pretty binder.

I think the idea is fantastic and can't wait til 1st Jan 2010 to start using it! I love having a fresh planner to start the year and that fact that this combines lots of ideas and tools to help me be a more productive scrapbooker is invaluable.

Circles ...

... is not something I normally do on my LOs. I'm generally a straight cutter! However the latest sketch on 52 sketches .. 52 weeks called for a circle and I was inspired by May Flaum's LO in the Scarlet Lime gallery where she had made a hem with the reversed side of some pp. This I had a little trouble with! The first hem I made looked too thin and the balance of the LO wasn't right, so I unpicked it and restitched it. You can still see the previous stitch holes and it's a bit messy, but I think the balance is better so I'm willing to live with it!!

This is also for Butterfly Crafts challenge 21 to scrap a life changing moment. I had just given birth 30mins earlier, hence the tired looking photo. I plan to write up DD1s birth story and attach it to the back of the LO.

I'd forgotten to share this LO with you that I did a few weeks ago aftering getting back from my Scarlet Lime retreat. I've used another 52 sketches..52 weeks sketch for it.

Blogging for scrapbookers ...

... unless I'm crafting I never really know what to put on my blog. I'd like to include more without getting in the detail of my daily life (not particularly exciting!)

So I was really intrigued to see this class advertised by Shimelle - Blogging for Scrapbookers.

The first part of the class covers setting up a blog, making posts and 'promoting' your blog, but it's the second part I'm really interested in - 'A Year of Blogging' - a downloadable resource with a full year of blogging topics just for scrapbookers. Class starts 2nd Novemeber, so hopefully my blog will become a more interesting place for you and me!

Woo Hoo ....

... I don't tend to share much personal stuff here, but need to tell the world my news! I weighed in on Monday night to find out that I had reached my goal target.

This means I have lost 43 pounds (just over 3 stone) in 5 months!!!!!!!!

I'm so pleased. I want to lose a few more pounds before I move onto maintaining this weight, so hopefully just another month before I'm really happy. On a downside, I've just come back from an M&S bra fitting to find I've gone from a C cup to an A/B - I've never been an A in my life (except for early teens I imagine)! We settled on a B cup - just a shame I'm not as pert as my bra makes me look!!

I have had so much support and encouragement through this process and I would urge anyone to consider Weight Watchers if they are thinking of losing weight - I can't sing their praises high enough.

Back to school ...

... the Report Card line from October Afternoon is perfect for the school photos I have, and with DD2 having just started there's plenty of them! This is DD1 on her first day back. Have used the latest Stuck? Sketch.

How much is too much...

... I love blogs and gain so much inspiration from them. Discovering Google Reader was a revelation - I could see all my favourite blogs in one place and quickly read through them. I am forever adding to Google Reader which has meant that I have returned to nearly 100 blog posts after being away for just one night. Is that a lot? I don't know, but I do feel that maybe I should edit a few out and actually get on with crafting rather than just reading about it!

I've had 2 lovely parcels this week to encourage me to get cutting today - October's Scarlet Lime and some October Afternoon paper to do the girls' back to school photos.

I also need to do my first DT assignment - speaking of which the new team of '15th of the Month girls' have gone live on Butterfly Crafts - go check it out. Mine will go live on 1st November.

I made a DT ...

... so thrilled that Karen has asked me to join the Butterfly Crafts DT for the Winter term. Looking forward to my first assignment.

Weekend Offerings ...

... I was really pleased with what I did on the weekend away - plenty of LOs intermingled with plenty of chat. I used various challenges and sketches along the way to keep me going.

Firstly the latest Butterfly Crafts challenge to scrap a summer holiday tradition. Next a page for my Majorca album.

Stuck? Sketches

A past Sketchy Thursday sketch

One of my own!

Lisa gave us each a little lucky dip package and challenged us to make use of them on a LO - in my brown paper package tied with string I had turquoise crepe ribbon, embroidery thread, pom pom ribbon, a metal clip, journalling spot and a flower (which I broke so used another.) Really enjoyed this challenge!

Next Audrey did a mini book class. I made use of my Quirky Hot Date Kit and have made an album that I'll used next year to document each month. A great little project.

Very productive wouldn't you say??!! Sadly we left the cottage at noon on Sunday - could have happily carried on all day.

The perfect weekend...

... had such a lovely weekend away here
with these ladies - Audrey, Claire, Emma, Lisa and Steph. We all get the Scarlet Lime kit and as we get along so well chatting on UKS we thought we'd have a do-it-yourself craft weekend away together.

I was definitely ready to have some uninterrupted crafting time, having done so little recently, and it was great to be in the company of such talented scrappers.

More to follow ...