Back in business!

I know I have been quiet lately and that this blog hasn't been updatet in close to two weeks. And I was a slacker even before that. But sometimes life happens and blogging isn't on top of my priority list. Do you have those periods too?

This spring has been so hectic: Hubby has worked a lot and let me stuck with the kids and running this place called home all by myself (at least it has felt like that). Then, during the Easter Break, my FIL -who lives with us - was involved in a really ugly car crash wich set him back a lot and I got even more on my hands. But we clung to the hope that June would bring easier days: hubby would have a new employee in is shop and FIL should have recovered. Both happened and there were happy days.

Then life hit again - bad. I know some of you already know, but two weeks ago I lost my only brother. It came so sudden, not expected at all, and this just sucked all the energy out of me. So I haven't created much for the last weeks, and therefor not blogged either.


But I wanted to go back to some routines quickly, so when I saw this great sketch, made by fellow DT member Nicole Nowosad for MyScrapbookNook's June Member Sketch challenge, I knew I wanted to play along.

 I picked up a photo I had laying on my desk, the June Kit and created this layout. The title is "So Close to Losing Him" and the journaling tells about what it was like getting a telehone call about his accident when we were stock on a ship just between Germany and Norway, doing a mini cruise.




Patterned papers: Simple Stories Fresh Summer



Please head over to the Nook Forum to see more of the DT examples for this challenge and to play with us! Do we see you there?

Rainy Days - Domestic Budgie Style

Are you ready for summer?

I am! The kids have a week and a half left before School's out, I need to work another two weeks but then I'm six weeks off! I got the opportunity to take some extras off and I didn't say no. And I admit I'm looking forward to it - six lazy weeks ahead :-)

But I know I'm going to scrap too. And to get those summer photos scrapped, I'm going to do a lots of the challenges at the Celebrate Summer Crop at MyScrapbookNook.

This summer we have chosen a different approach to the summer crop: we release all the challenges today at the forum, so you have the entire summer to work on them. At the forum you will also find a complete list of challenges to download as well as the super easy rules/fine print.

Several times a week we will  focus on a few of the challenges on the Nook Blog and give you examples by the DT. So make sure to be a follower so you don't miss the fun!


My challenge for the Celebrate Summer Crop is RAIN and it goes like this:

I wish my holidays were all about sunshine, but there are always some rainy days, too :-(

The theme for this challenge is RAIN.


-How do you prepare for those rainy days?
-How do you spend them?
-What do they look like?
-Have you bought a fun umbrella or wellingtons lately?

We challenge you to show us a layout with the theme rain. You don't have to use the word Rain in your title an feel free to interpret this challenge.



My example shows the closests our budgies come to rainy days :-)

All meterials, except clay birds, from MyScrapbookNook June Kit + June Grab Bag

Details.

Clay Birds: Mylittlebitofwhimsy



Scalloped border: Packaging from Jillibean Soup corrugated Shapes

All patterned papers: Simple stories

 
Please visit the MyScrapbookNook Forum to see all the challenges and play along!

Are you ready to Celebrate Summer (and a tiny Toot)?

This will be a low pressure series of challenges and ideas on how to scrap your summer memories.

Keep an eye on the Nook Blog or forum to learn more!

And off course I post more about it, when all the details are released :-)

Happy Summer Scrapping!

---------------------------------



Next I want to blow my own horn for a moment:

I have added this badge to my left hand bar:

 Because I found this post on the Get Creative blog, telling I was the winner of the

May Card Challenges with this card:

 I admit it - I still feel happy and proud if I ever win anything or am featured *blush*

And big congrats to all the other winners and featured - you deserve it!

Two Pager Layout Made In A Minute

Is it possible to put together a two pager layout in a minute?

Yes! It's just a matter of having the right stuff - and your photos edited and printed. Do you, like me, find that often the photo editing part is the most time consuming part (or just boring *lol*) of the creative process? I don't have any fancy photo editing programs - not even PhotoShop (!), so all I do is some cropping and brightening - but still!


OK, here is how I did:

I gathered my stuff, spread out my photos, inserted cut outs and corrugated houses (Click on images for the full screen version):

All materials from My ScrapbookNook June Kit

added twine, title, some stickers and did some very simple journaling

Patterned papers & stickers: Simple Stories Fresh Summer
Corrugated shapes, twine & butterflies: Jillibean Soup

and voila! A complete two pager layout made in a minute!

Green Alpha: American Craft. other alphas: Simple Stories

Need further instructions or detail images from the process to be convinced this two pager is as easy to make as I said? You are welcome to visit this month's multiphoto class at MyScrapbook Nook.

As usual I'm curious and have a question for you: what do you prefer to make: one photo layouts, or multiphoto layouts?

I Have A New Badge To Show

I am so proud, I admit it.
I want to shout it from the roof top:

I'm a part of the new

  Once Upon A..Sketch Design Team!

Wow, look at this list. So much talent gathered in one place!

The team will be split into 2 groups who will show
their work on the 1st and the 15th of each month.

Nadia Cannizzo 
Jeni O'Connor -Administrator (Australia /Canada)
Georgia Heald - Guest Designer coordinator (Australia)
Patti Hamil - Sponsorship Administrator(USA)
Eila Sandberg (Sweden)
Efi Stamatelli (Greece)
Erin Blegen ( USA)
Kelly Foster (USA)
Romy Veul (The Netherlands)
Jolaine Frias (USA)
Vicky Alberto (Canada)
Luzma Bruna (Chile)
Mona Pendleton (USA)
Solange Marques (Brazil)
Anna Zaprzelska/Brises (Poland)
Evgenia Petzer (South Africa) 
Renata Moni (Brazil)
Elena Stefanidou (Greece) 
Melenia Agapides (Greece) 
Cathy Cafun (Australia) 
Tina Walker (USA)
Kim Jeffress (Australia)
Florence Teixeira - France
Helena Virpi (Italy)
Hilde Aaslund (Norway) 
Kay Fatula (USA)
Camilla Ekman (Sweden)
Svetlana Austin (South Africa)


I had planned to show you how to make a two pager layout in a minute, featuring MyScrapbookNook June kit and Simple Stories Fresh Summer collection, but it had to go on hold until tomorrow *lol*

So please come back then to see how to do it!

DIY - at the glass blowers

A few weekends ago I took DS9 to the glss blowers at Hadeland Glassverk: DS12 was playing a squash tournament in Gotenbourg, hubby was working, and me and our youngest needed some quality time.

The place is awesome, so much to see and do, and DS9 was tickled pink when he could blow his own glass. I have some photos of the blowing process, which I will scrap later, but I started scrapping this photo where he's studying one of the glasses he made:

All materials from MyScrapbookNook June Kit



Papers: Simple Stories Fresh Summer


Some times it's great to have just one kid to take care of - it's about to getting to know them better, too, right?