Tuesday 2 February 2010

Journaling Junkie Early January 2010 Layout {Challenge 72}



In my attempt to get all my design team layouts posted {plus any other stuff not yet posted or still to come...} I might not always have all the "correct" info to hand regarding manufacturers, etc, but better a post than none at all I say ;-D Life is busier than normal right now as we have bought a new home & have plenty to prepare there before we can move in! This is a hand-journaled layout all about my "word" for 2009 - looking back at it retrospectively - at the end of the year in question...quite an interesting exercise.

Most of what I used here came from the Cocoa Diasy November kit - I always receive my kit about a month after US subscribers - therefore I was using this during December, having received it earlier that month...The paper is 7 Gypsies I think...I know the text is now running vertically & not horizontally {on the backing paper} but I did this intentionally to benefit from the darker tones being at the bottom fading to lighter towards the top of the layout. Altogether a pretty simple layout with photos to record kids & DH during 2009.

Love the tags...can't remember which manufacturer...{T!m perhaps?! or G45 maybe...} & lettering is Pink Paislee I think...with the mini letters being from Carolee's creations {such a useful invention - use them soooooooo often...}. The li'l butterfly is a Cocoa Daisy addition I'm sure & I have plenty of "stick-on mobile phone bling" that I cut into strips & use for butterfly bodies ;-D {No Zva Creative or Prima bling here sadly!}

The bullrushes were cut from a tag supplied with the kit - I didn't like it much but once cut it goes surprisingly well I think! The velvet ribbon is iconic Maya Road & the brad is Making Memories. The pearls are Prima. I inked the edges of the scalloped cardstock with dark- brown cat's eye ink & used a black fineliner to journal. Underneath the oval brad is a very cool mock porcelain embossed frame from the kit too {Melissa Frances?} look out for it in the photo below...

A close-up of said bullrush lol...Go to challenge 72 on this blog to see the other "takes" on this challenge.

Title:- Yes! to 2009 - Not such a great choice of word (in retrospect)

Reads:- I had such high hopes for 2009 - determined that it was going to be our year! In many ways this wasn't "to be" - it was a tough, tough year & a lot of what we had in mind didn't go according to plan. Shane's business suffered a lot of setbacks due to the recession, the antiquated machinery he had been dumped with & a problematic workforce. Praise God! the additional finance he needed to "raise the Titanic" finally came through in November. Another great thing! Our factory in Zimbabwe finally sold in December & we found a suitable home here in Kwa-Zulu Natal - which we plan to make an offer on. Chelsea & Jack passed their year-end exams & Reilly & Cami both received "Academic Progress" badges. Here's hoping for a better 2010!

Well having re-read that journaling it turns out that the home I was referring to there turned out not to be the one for us - our offer wasn't accepted! We were unfazed because we believe in destiny & sure enough there was a better one waiting for us!! Of course I am delighted to have a place to call our own here at last & am enjoying "getting it all organised" - but it does mean that less scrapping is getting done & I am missing my scrappy desk!

Hope to get back to my scrappy desk soon, even if only for a fleeting visit! Cami is well again & now DH is down with the lurgy...and you know what that means...Florence Nightingale - that's me for now!




6 comments:

Jessy Christopher said...

Such gorgeous photos of ur children & family!! I love the journaling & all the best for everything in 2010. Cheers to a better year!!

Lynette Jacobs said...

Great layout...and I LOVE your journaling...it shows your love for your beautiful family.

topkatnz said...

Well done - I guess life never quite turns out how we expect. Interesting to look back on.

Pearl said...

Last year was indeed a tough year for soo many of us ! I am so glad to hear of your own anticipation & hopes for this new year ! ;)

& lucky you getting a scraproom together ! space is such a luxury for us over here - no such thing ! lol

Love your journaling too for this meaningful layout !

tania said...

i also like your journaling on the layout, the whole layout just too pretty:) again, i hope 2010 will be a great year for you and your family.

Ella Swan said...

Thanks everyone! 2010 is already sooooooo much better in so many ways but also terrible in other ways {ie:- my computer problems & my family catching the gastro bug!} but I think that's just life! At least with our own home here at last we can start making some real progress...Pearl my scraproom is tiny! It's about 2m x 5m I guess...haven't been able to get in to measure it yet because the previous owner is still in residence til mid March! I am trying to jiggle the budget though so that I can put in floor to ceiling fitted cupboards at each end - if I can do that with counter tops on either side then I will have a teeny space to call my own & hopefully it will look a lot neater than what I have now - a desk full of stuff with tons of boxes underneath lol! Space is a luxury for so many of us in the world - it seems only the ever spoilt Americans get huge loft scrap rooms kitted out with every conceivable gadget...we can still dream though ;-D