Art Journaling # 1 - Just Getting Started

It has been a little while since I have posted here and now that my little boy is a little older I seem to have a little more time on my hands, although not all that much.

After stumbling across Tangie Baxter's Blog and seeing all the fantastic work she has created, I decided to purchase a few of her Art Journaling Workshops from Scrapbook Graphics. I admit I have gone a little overboard on the purchases, but as I am currently a SAHM (well at least until January) I figured what the hey!

I have a seemingly endless supply of scrapbooking and art supplies, and feel as if it is about time I start using them. So after watching a video on you tube that was created by Tangie Baxter about using Composition books as Junque Journals I decided that I will have to start using my supply of Composition books for just that. So far I have created a few pages and glued them into the first of many books.

I have also started to explore the world of digital art journaling and using one of the many digital kits that I purchased from Deviant Scrap I came up with the following A5 size page:

Created using Digital Kits from Deviant Scrap

The kits that were used were titled Diary Declassified and Junque Journal made by Beth Rimmer. I also used a Gesso Overlay made by Tangie Baxter, and some Photoshop Brushes from various sources (if you are the creator of them please let me know so I can credit you accordingly).

Well I best be getting on now, got alot of creating to do. Until next time!

Finally Getting Creative........

Now that I have so much free time on my hands (I mean apart from my "Motherly Duties" I have decided to finally actually create something. My mother-in-law's birthday is coming up and since hallmark is starting to become a little pricy and considering I have what seems to be an endless supply of scrapbook and card making supplies, I figured that I would start by making her a birthday card.

I used papers and embellishments from the Kaisercraft Sweet Nothing's range, as well as some crocheted ribbon, and a Martha Stewart lace doily punch. I am really happy with the outcome. So without further ado here is how it turned out.......

I have also been playing around with some of the photo apps that I have installed on my iPad. Of course the photos I have used are of my beautiful little man. So here is what I have come up with:

He really loves his Tigger toy, and I think that this is one of the more creative photos I have taken. I am going to start reading books on how to take decent creative photos, especially now that I have a decent camera.

Guess Who Finally Made An Appearence.............

Sebastian Davis

Born: 1st July 2012

Time: 10:10 pm

Weight: 6lb 6oz

Length: 49cm

I have never felt more proud and happy than over the last week. I never thought that being a mother could be the most fullfilling thing in my life. I would never give my little man up for the world, and just to show how proud of him I am here are more photos.......

Sebastian and Cousin Chloe

I was induced with gel on Saturday 30th of June, after 2 doses of gel I was finally dialated enough for the dr's to break my water. This happened at 1pm on Sunday 1st July, from there it all seemed to happen so quickly. After an hour or so I was started on synthetic hormone to get my contractions started. And, boy did then come hard and fast........ I was given gas to cope with the painfulness of the contractions (apparently the synthetic hormone make contractions worse then natural labor) but the gas could only do so much.

I had previously deceded with my dr that I would have an epidural, not just for the pain but also because of the injury in my spine it would make things easier for me. After a few hours of contractions and a dialations check (I was at 5cm in 2 hours) I finally met my saviour........ the anethiest. I was given the epidural, then things got better rather quickly......

At 9pm I was checked for dialation again and to the surprise of the dr's I was 9cm dialated and well the baby was well on his way out. Basically when the dr opened my vagina she could see my little man's head. At 9:30pm I started pushing. As there were a few complications (my temperature was going way up and baby's heart rate was going down), not to mention baby was getting distressed, the dr decided to assist with the delivery by using forceps. It was at this point Iwas glad that I had the epidural. 

After 40 minutes of pushing and with the assistance of the dr's intervention, my little man was finally here. Then nothing else seemed to matter anymore, nothing but him.

This was the best night of my life.     





Index Cards and Daisy Yellow

Now that I have plenty of spare time (until my little boy arives anyway) I have decided to start being creative on an almost daily basis, just as the title of my blog says........

So to start with I have decided to join the ICAD challenge over here at Daisy Yellow Blog. I have been a long time stalker I mean viewer of Tammy's blog and have at times found it extreamly informative and facinating, I just never really had the time to put any of her ideas into action. All that is about to change.

According to the rules of the ICAD challenge you can just start anywhere, you don't need to catch up. I have decided that I really want to catch up.  So I have decided to create 2-3 Index Cards a day and post them here on my blog.

ICAD day #4 - Stripes

ICAD # 1 - Pitt Pens on Index Card

Not my best work but I am happy with my first attempt (second actually I tore up the first). I shall update this post when I have finished the next 2 cards that I will create today.

Until then.......

Been on hiatus

Pregnancy Update: 30 Weeks, 70 days to go!

Ok so I have not been on here much over the last couple of weeks, actually it's been that long that the last time I posted I was 25 weeks pregnant, WOW! that was 5 weeks ago. I do however have some news on the baby front........

It looks as if my little man will be entering this world a little sooner than expected, 3 weeks sooner to be exact. Basically I had a car accident last year just before I found out that I had a "bun-in-the-oven" so to speak. I was injured quite badly to the point that I have what Dr's call "Pars Fractures" in my 4th & 5th lumbar, they will never heal up and probably not get worse but I will have to live with lower back pain for the rest of my life.

Becasue my dear little one is growing so well, he is putting more and more strain on my back (more so than a healthy pregnant woman would experience.) so the Dr's have thought it over carefully and have decided to induce me at approximatly 37 weeks. They don't want to risk making my back any worse than it has to be.

We still have so much stuff to do in the next 7 weeks, before the baby arrives. Hardly anything is done and we still don't have his furniture, car seat or bath. I am way behind it's not funny.

Printable Planner Pages & A New Look

I was going to create my own pages for my Day-Planner but because I am getting that much bigger with the pregnancy and all, I am finding it alot more uncomfortable no I mean PAINFUL to sit at the computer for long periods of time (I have even limited my WOW playing to one hour). So instead I did a Google search for Free Day-Planner Printables and low and behold I found the following.........

Click to go to Amanda's Website

There are some great free printable day-planner pages here, not to mention heaps of other things that are worth checking out. Here is a picture of some of the pages that I have used from Amanda's Blog:

Then again looking at these and seeing what Amanda has created makes me think that I could prolly do these myself without too much effort. So maybe I am a little inspired to create something so that I can say that this day-planner is all my own work. I mean the ideas come from someone else but I think that I could create something potentially good here. I am going to see how this turns out, then decide if they are good enough to share here on my blog.

I am also working on a new look for my blog, time to put all that graphic design training into practice. I have only done some basic graphic design courses and I do have a degree in computer programming that although is a little outdated maybe rather useful.........

So keep checking back for my new look, I may surprise some people!

Organising Chaos

Pregnancy Update: 25+1 Weeks 105 Days to Go!

I got home from work yesterday and realised that if I am going to become a mother then I need a little more organisation in my life. I am already a somewhat organised person on a day to day basis, to the point where I carry a week-to-a-page diary, but I don't actually use it all that often.

So I have decided that what I need is some sort of Day-Planner that can include everything, I am not really into electronic planners which is what I don't use my iPad. Basically it's easier to purchase a new pen if it runs out rather than charging a battery if it goes flat on-the-go. I want to create something that can organise:

• Work Schedule
• Daily/Weekly/Monthly Appointments
• Blog Posts
• Shopping Lists
• Phone & Address Lists
• Art Journaling Layouts

Just to name a few.........

Ok so I have this binder that will be great for this project, and I have also found some printable planner pages that would be perfect also. I will have to keep you posted on how it is comming along.

But before I go I will leave you with a photo of the binder that I am going to use, I have taken the original cover off of it and put it back together using strong card. I still need to decorate the cover, and I think that I am going to go for a vintage look or at least as clost as I can get to that.

I have also decided to use cream colored paper and dividers in the Binder also, just to give it that extra special something.