Friday 15 February 2013

'The Enlightenment of Bali' Layout - Scrapmatts Chipboard





So I've managed to blog every day this week - wow!  Making up for last 
week I guess...{when I was away settling Chelsea into her university 
apartment}.  I've got a little routine going & now my niece has arrived
 to visit indefinitely so I hope I can keep it up :)  I like routine. 
 I'd hate to think that I was boring but I do like doing the same
 things at the same time so I guess I am! Darn!!  

Anyway, here's my share...My 2nd project for Scrapmatts, which
 you can see on their blog HERE.  I've copied and pasted from there
 too so I have a record of it on my blog.

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Hi Everyone! Helen here with my first post for Scrapmatts - so exciting!!
Just a little about me before I begin.  I'm 45, married with 4 kids - 3 of 
them teenagers - and live in Durban, South Africa with my family, including
3 cats.  Life in Africa has it's challenges but it's also good in many ways.
We have a maid called Mercy, who saves me from the dreadful chore of
laundry, thus providing me with scrappy time - yeah!  This year is all about
new beginnings for me - going back to full-time employment & having to
juggle my all-consuming papercrafting hobby with a very busy life.
With that in mind, I decided to scrap a photo collage I made recently.
It's made up of several significant images of our holiday in Bali in
January.  Bali was our last destination of our month long holiday,
where we travelled around 4 different continents, with only a few
days in each place.  We were SO HAPPY to arrive in Bali to just
'chill' in the pool, walk on the beach, eat delicious food & enjoy the
wonderful tranquillity of the remote resort where we were staying.
For 5 days we rested & became rejuvenated.  During that time I did
a lot of thinking & came up with many ideas & resolutions for 2013.
That's why I called my layout 'The Enlightenment of Bali' - thanks to
the peacefulness of our setting I was able to see everything so clearly
& make some life-changing decisions about my future.  I'm hoping the
changes I make will be really beneficial to  myself & my family.
I used the CB5089 ferns 02 {3 of the 5 pieces so I still have a couple
left), the  CB1036 Dragonflies  (plenty still left in the pack) & CB6043
Card Border 05 (one of the four pieces).  I simply gessoed them all
then painted lightly with a lime green paint dabber.
I used my chipboard embellishments to create the visual triangle on my 
page - this design principle ensures a pleasing balance & leads the
eye of the viewer comfortably around the page.  
The dragonflies I used are significant of the freedom I found in Bali, where
I was able to make some tough decisions that I found very liberating.  
I utilized my trusty dymo for my journaling, which sums up some of what
was going through my mind when I was deciding on my course for 2013.
Luckily I had these narrow Heidi Swapp alphas, as my title was very long
& I trialled several other alphas first, that simply wouldn't fit!  


I added some hand-dyed gauze to the bottom of my page to represent the

sea, which I find very relaxing.  I live by the ocean here too actually but
my day-to-day life here means I have to go away on holiday to get to
enjoy the serenity of the ocean as my nearby beaches are overcrowded!
Well I hope you enjoyed looking at and learning the story behind my layout
& that I've inspired you to scrap the beginning of your year too!!

32 comments:

yyam said...

Beautiful colours Helen. Love the amazing textures and the fabulous mix of patterns.

P/s: W00t on blogging daily. I love having a routine!

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

You just amaze me Helen!! I love love love love the colors, the photos, the dragonflies and loveeeeeeeeeee the leaves!! GORGEOUS!

Chantal Vandenberg said...

This is gorgeous. I love the title and your journalling. The muslin looks incredible and I love those branches too! :D

Chantal Vandenberg said...

This is gorgeous. I love the title and your journalling. The muslin looks incredible and I love those branches too! :D

ANUPAMA CHOUDARY said...

This is such a thought-provoking page, Helen! Love the way you used your travel to Bali as a metaphor for your journey through life.
p.s. I thrive on routine. I see it as a sign of maturity not boredom ;)

Adriana B said...

wonderful page, love all the journalling :) have a great weekend :)

Svetlana Austin said...

you project looks nice, Helen! a bit different from your usual style but very cool! the color combo is very striking! love it!

Irini said...

Beautiful and inspiring blog post!
I wish you all the best Helen especially juggling work, family life and a demanding hobby....
your layout is lovely adore the colours remind me of summer...
thank you so much for the inspiration
hugz
irini

topkatnz said...

Love it. I am very impressed with your regular blogging. You're not boring hon. Think dependable and methodical instead:):)lol

Marelize said...

Wow! This is amazing Helen! Bali is just the perfect destination to recharge those batteries, hey? Love what you've done here. Makes my mouth water for all that delicious food. xx

Heather McMahon said...

Amazing layout Helen. Loved that it was about something that had significance for you.

Lizzy Hill said...

Love the thoughtfulness of this LO - & that gauze is AMAZING...also, I really like the 'collage' effect here...it's a bit different from your usual....makes it really stand out....& I'm glad you're getting a routine...makes it easier all round if you can do that:):):)

Mitralee said...

I can feel the calm in your page as I look at your post. Such lovely dyed gauze. And yes dragonflies are quite the symbol of freedom and enlightenment! Love the treatment you made to the chippies as well!

Linda Eggleton said...

Totally gorgeous, Helen...I love the effect on the fern leaves - they almost look real!!!

Keren Tamir said...

Fantastic LO Helen. That food looks sooooooooo yummy!!! Love the masking and the treatments on the chippies

Marjie Kemper said...

Oh, Helen, I'm working backwards from newest to oldest and this page with all it's gorgeous art and deep sentiment is making me sit back, drink my tea, and nod. You GO girl. I love following your process throughout all these life changes.

Lynette Jacobs said...

You are blogging everyday? That is amazing. Your layout is gorgeous and it is wonderful that Bali did you so much good. ♥♥

sandi said...

Fabulous lo Helen! And that pic is just beautiful!

Alison said...

Fab layout ..and love the pic!
Alison xx

Kerryn said...

The colours are divine! Gorgeous!

alexandra s.m. said...

I adore your page Helen!
Have a fabulous Sunday!!

Leonie said...

Great textures on this one Helen! I love the mix of colours and papers too. :)

Eila Sandberg said...

Hello my lovely dovely! I can understand that you have to go away to find the serenity of the waters even if it's lapping on your doorstep. I just go down to our waterfront and there it is for me without the crowds. How I love the greens and blues of this page Helen, the dyed gauze, the bright fresh green of the fern and the photos - oh my they really summon up the whole feel of your days in Bali! My goodness, how on earth can you blog every day when you have a full-time job?! I can hardly cope with two posts a week. Off I go to check out what you've been up to. xoxox

Jasmine S said...

Have had a lovely looksee catching up with your blog and creations. Always fabulous Helen.
Have a great week.

Sabrina Scrapbook said...

Gorgeous colors and photos, Helen!! Being able to blog everyday is a huge achievement! lol. Hope you are doing good there, Helen! xoxo.

Tracey said...

I just love this Helen!! Gorgeous!!

Unknown said...

Your page is beautiful and bright, I love the grid design of your photos!

Sandie said...

Bali can be a magical place, and I am so glad you found it a place of such beauty (many don't).... I do hope you find everything for 2013, that you hope for Helen and I so adore your layout, and the meaning behind it. x

Lynnda said...

Beautiful layout Helen.... hugs...xoxo

gracescraps@gmail.com said...

Gorgeous, Helen!! Love how you colored the cheese cloth!! Praying that the decisions made in Bali will be great ones for you and your family. ~ Blessings, Tracey

http://gracescraps.blogspot.com/

Denise van Deventer said...

This layout reminds me so much of "Eat, Pray, Love"!! Wonderful layout and such a great sentiment! Awesome!

Naddy said...

Beautiful LO, love the mixed pattern pp and great photos. Now i miss bali! :)