Hi there friends! 

I hope you are all happy and healthy and living life well.

I must confess that things have been a little 'off'' around here lately, health-wise and other wise just trying to settle in and get organised in our new place and town. Plus starting a new venture as agents for a business is something new therefore adding to our 'settling in' phase. 

But...

It's all good. We are enjoying our new house and are fitting in ok around this new little community.

Anyway, I have dropped in to let you all know about a special challenge I came across yesterday via Facebook. I saw a link to THIS blog post about blogging everyday in May - and felt I just had to join in.

Now, I know my blog is rather neglected - there has only been a speckling of posts done each month but it has always been my aim to blog more regularly SO I'm thinking this challenge is just what I need to give me that kick in the butt!

Ok, so even though I endeavour to get a post up everyday, I will be realistic and say right up front that there is a very high chance I might miss some here and there but I'm going to give it a red hot go!!

I figure that even if I get 3-5 done a week, that's more than what I'm doing now so it's an improvement and that's what I want to see :-)

The blog post includes prompts - I am liking the sound of most of these but I'm not sure I will follow it for every post...we'll see :-) 

If there is anything that YOU, as a reader of my blog here, would like to see me write about - PLEASE let me know by leaving a comment on this post or following One Big Sunshine Spritzer on Facebook and leaving a comment there. I would love to hear from you and know what you like reading about!

So, if you're a blogger, feel free to join in on this challenge. Or starting from tomorrow, please feel welcome to pop back here and see what I post everyday! I would LOVE your company!

See ya tomorrow!

Take care!

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna

She loves to paint...

She loves the outdoors...

She loves to dress up - would prefer to wear dresses and get 'pretty' (typical girl really!! LOL!)...

She adores animals...

She loves seeing herself and taking photos with the reverse camera on the phone and then demands to see each shot you take...

She also loves getting crazy and then just laughing at herself...

She loves to play with water, especially in the kitchen sink - she'll play there for an hour or more!!...

She loves snuggles - especially Mummy ones ;-)...

And that's my girl right now.

The good stuff anyway, cos we all know that kids (especially 2 year olds) can be naughty, boundary-pushing, headstrong, exasperating little HUMoNsters - well this one can be anyhow ;-) hehe

BUT

we wouldn't trade her for anything!! Really!!

She's ours.

She is unique, special and important.

We love her.

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna

Jeepers!

I can't believe it's April already!!

But anyway...

With a new month, comes a brand spankin' new mood board over at Jot.

And this one is sooooo pretty.

Designed by fellow Jot member Lauren, it is filled with lovely soft pink, grey and white!

 

I knew exactly what photos I wanted to scrap with this lovely girly colour palette...

My two little gems all dressed up in their flower girl dresses for my sister's wedding.

I have used products from Glitz Design, Heidi Swapp, A Piece of Cake Designs, and other bits and pieces from my stash.

Here is the layout in full...

If you would like to see what the other Jot Creative Team members have come up with and/or would like to join in the fun, pop over to the Jot blog and check it out! 

AND....

Issue 5 of Jot is now LIVE...

Pop over and have a look-see HERE!

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna

Hi!

Yeah, I know it's been a while...sorry about that!

I have been super busy though - moving house (yet AGAIN!!), new business opportunity, a trip to Tassie for my sisters wedding, then I headed off to South Australia for the Escape 2 Create retreat in Port Lincoln. Ultra amazing and fun that was but more on that later!

I'd like to show you all the new mood board out NOW for March over on the Jot blog...

This was put together by fellow Jot member Kim Jeffress - it's so bright and colourful. Makes you feel all happy and smiley hey!?!

I definitely had to have a go at it...

*sorry about the wonkiness of the shot :-/ *

I used a light blue cardstock for the base of my layout. I used a couple of strips of patterned paper in the colour theme and then I also incorporated some 3x4" journal cards - one from a Project Life girls kit and the other from a Kaisercraft pack.

I used a couple of Amy Tangerine products - rub-ons and an embroidery kit (LOVE word).

I can't help but use a flair badge and some wood veneer somewhere on most of my layouts so you see some of those on this page as well.

I think the colours are really fun so I chose a fun, playful shot of my girls with static hair :-)

And feel free to join in on the fun!

Hopefully I will be back a lot sooner than last time to tell you some more exciting stuff and what I have been up to lately!!

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna

Just popping by with the latest mood board challenge that is currently running over on the Jot blog...

Sweet peachy pinks with some splashes of orange, brown and sage green.

I had lots of fun, as usual, creating a layout for this. I used a gorgeous sepia toned photo of my little girl capturing her from behind. You can see the gorgeous bouncy curls in her hair - I've been waiting to find the perfect time to get this photo scrapbooked. And this was the time.

I have gone with a layered look for this layout using a variety of Project Life cards, some patterned papers, and backing my photo with some brown paper bag packaging.

To embellish, I have used A Piece of Cake Designs flair, raffia, puffy sticker, ribbon, enamel dew drops, a feather, and brown chipboard Thickers, just to name the main ones.

I have hidden some journalling on one of the 3x4" cards that slides behind the photo.

And here is the layout in full...

If you would like to join in, the details are HERE.

And there are plenty of other samples from the other Jot girls for you to enjoy as well.

Thanks for popping by.

Sorry I have been absent around here lately. We have moved house - AGAIN! This was due to a job opportunity that we decided to take even though it meant we would have to move - which we really detest doing. Anyway, we are also off to Tassie this weekend as my little sister is getting married in a couple of weeks.

I have just been up all night with our little one sick so I am hoping it is not a serious bug that hits all of us or the trip over home will be quite blerk!!

Anyway, I will pop by again when I can get into a better routine as things are just all over the show at the moment.

Take care :-)

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna

HELLO!!!

Today I am here to show you the beginnings of my 2014 Project Life album. I am hoping this will become a weekly segment as I keep up with documenting our life each week.

I am very pleased to say that I had my cover page and week 1 spread completed a week ago but I have had some trouble photographing it - something I hope to work on and improve over the course of the year! 

However, for now, please excuse the quality of these images - at least it is captured ;-)

My aim this year with my album is to keep with a double page spread per week. I think, or rather I KNOW, that my problem last year was that I tried to fit in too many photos therefore I got behind with journalling - and in the end, it still sits there with half the year undone and the first half partly completed! I have every intention of completing last years album but it will be done in dribs and drabs when I have some spare time.

Anyway...

Onto THIS years album!

Here is my coverpage...

Okay, so what I have done here is that on Jan 1, I went around each member of the family and took a photo of them, deliberately positioning them to one side of the shot so I could add text to the image. I took these on my iPhone, edited in the app Camera+ (which is what I use for taking ALL my phone photos - love this app!) - and then I uploaded each image into another app called Phonto to add the text! For the Mr and me, I used the phrase 'I want 2014 to be a year of...' and we added our word. I'm quite certain that no matter what year it is, my man will always say something about being awesome or awesomeness!! Hahaha!

The girls I started with 'In 2014, I WILL...' - Miss J came up with her own goals, and I wrote Miss K's. The biggest goal being to potty train!! Aaaarrrgggh - that is a WHOLE other story!!! ;-) 

I have used the pocket page type A for this, and added the photos into the 6x4" pockets.

For the 3x4" pockets, I have used a scripted word card from a past Project Life kit by Studio Calico. I subscribed to this kit at the beginning of 2013. I was going to cancel my subscription for this year BUT at this stage I am going to continue - for a little while anyhow. I do love them.

The other cards are from the Sunshine Core Kit which I am using throughout this album. I never really stick to just one kit. I always mix and match abit but I will keep coming back to this kit. It was designed by Elsie and Emma of A Beautiful Mess and it's ultra funky. Love it.

As you can see, I used some chipboard letters to create the year title on one card. The next card, I used an overlay with 'ADVENTURE' written on it (again from a previous SC PL kit) and stuck some mini black letters over it spelling our surname and popped it over the card. The third card, I cut down a gold paint swatch from Bunnings (yep, again. Love these.) and printed off our names from the computer, trimmed them up and stapled on to the gold swatch. I used a title tag from the Maggie Holmes 'Flea Market' ephemera pack (purchased from Polka Dot Creative) and wrote 'This is OUR story...' on it.

Pretty simple really but says all I wanna say to take us into the year.

Okay! Onto Week 1!

Here it is in as the double spread (again I ask, please excuse the quality of this image!)...

I always like to start the first pocket off with the week title. And this year, I would also like to be able to add a fave quote or phrase one of us has said throughout the week to feature on this intro card to the week. Week 1 was from Miss J - 'Mum means LOVE'. Awwww :-)

So just a little close-up and explanation about the first page.

I used some photo overlays (purchased from Craft House) on the beach and figs photos. I used stickers to create the text for the images ON the actual overlay. On the beach photo, I used a Precision pen from American Crafts to write the word 'wonder' and popped the overlay with the stickers writing 'Wide Open' on it and put them all together  - love the effect. Will be using these again. I have just learnt that there is a film that can be removed from the back of the overlay which aids in higher clarity - haven't done this as yet in these photos but will be doing that in future :-)

I included all photos I wanted but didn't have much space for journalling a few thoughts from the week so I stuck on a journal card with washi tape to the page protector over a photo that didn't really suit the colouring of all the rest of the page images. You lift up the card and can see the image of a lentil dish I made up one night for dinner. 

The second page included another two little flappy pockets as well. This just helps to include more photos and add more of the story. And it enables me to be able to use more of what I want to include without exceeding the double page spread ;-)

In one pocket, I used two shipping tags and tied together with twine and then added photos and journalling. I attached the bottom tag to a 3x4" grid card for stability in the pocket. The other card I cut some white cardstock to size (3x8") and scored along the 4" mark to create a 'lift-up' element to the pocket card.

JUST A LITTLE TIP: You can see that I've used some wood veneer and flair embellishments. These do add bulk to photos so what I have done is decorated the card first, popped it into the pocket and then attached the selected embellishment onto the actual page protector. This just stops the pocket from bulging and helps keep a flat look to the pocket when photographing too.

On the first page, I used an icecream flair from A Piece of Cake Designs. I also used some wood veneer from Think Spring on Etsy.

On the second page, I used a couple of mini flairs from an SC PL kit.

I have fallen in love with this style of memory-keeping all over again. I am determined to keep up with it.

I have my second week photos printed and ready to go. Must get into the studio to put it all together. 

I hope to be back within the next week with my Week 2.

Thanks for popping by.

Take care.

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna

I'm nearly there!!

I've got all the photos printed and the kit is sitting there ready for me to get the pages done - I've just got to find the precious moments of time to DO it. It comes together rather quickly once I'm in the studio and get started. Lately it has just been TOO HOT to venture out to the studio - it's like a sauna in there!!

Alas...

I do have days 10 through to 15 to show you!

Day 10

This page shows photos of the decorations in the boulevard shopping centre - Miss J was adamant that I take a photo of them, not that she needed to twist my arm or anything ;-)

and the other photo is of two lovely ladies that I met while at the park with my kids. They were rather a blessing actually and I came away feeling lighter and happier!

Creatively, I didn't really do much - some washi tape here and some washi tape there. And I used the stamp set by Kellie Stamps from the Polka Dot Creative kit I am using - yes, you can turn the HO HO HO stamp around and it becomes OH OH OH!

So I've gotta abit of OH OH OH and abit of HO HO HO in celebrating Christmas being everywhere we go ;-) LOL!!

Gotta love versatility hey!?!

Days 11 & 12

These two days were on one page. 

Day 11 was a photo of me reading a Christmas book to the girls before bed. I have a small pile (which is slowly growing) of books dedicated to Christmas and I pull them out every year. The girls were very keen to hear them! Love snuggling on the couch with my girls (if its not too hot being summer here in Australia and all) and spending this quality time with them!

Day 12 is a card I made using a 6x4" grid card. I used a gold paint dauber to create the strokes as a background, cut a triangle shape for a tree and stuck that on. Using the polka dot vellum in the kit, I laid that over the top and sewed around the edge. I used some hessian and a printed Christmas saying for a heading banner and stapled it on. The photo was of the big red bow on our front door that greets anyone who comes to our home.

Days 13, 14 & 15

Day 13 we had a bbq tea at hubby's work. And after that, we all hopped in the car after quickly packing it with our stuff, and started our journey over to my man's parents place. The kids slept (those dark little circles at the bottom of the page are them fast asleep in their carseats!) - we arrived there at 4:24am!!

Oh and I used some cherry flair from A Piece of Cake Designs (not the ones in the kit) - I bought from the November new release sale.

We managed a few hours sleep, had some breakfast, and the day was heating up so we headed for the beach!

I just LOVE beach photos - the light is always so great and they come out so fresh and fun!

The rest of the day was about family time and preparing for my mother in law's 60th birthday party!

The banner in the large cake photo was created using a strip of Kraft cardstock and cutting a wedge out of the bottom to create the banner shape. I punched a circle out of the top, stapled onto the page insert over the photo. I popped a birthday themed flair badge from The Greatest View on Etsy in the circle and that was that!

Over the page, I journalled onto the page insert I had used. I stuck on the end of a photo I had trimmed earlier of the beach and stamped the dates on it with Archival ink. I drew a border around it and arrows to each point I outlined for the days.

Day 15 was time to travel home. It was over 40 degrees celsius the whole way home. We stopped half way for a rest. The girls seemed to handle the heat and wanted to play but it was just too HOT - we ate lunch in the car!!.

Can you tell that I like writing onto my photos and creating borders with my AC Precision Pens!?! LOL!

When we rolled into town, we went straight to the beach and headed to the water to cool down - CLOTHES AND ALL!!

The air was starting to cool and it was just a lovely evening.

This time I've used Amy Tangerine stamps on my photos - 'oh YES' from a Studio Calico PL kit and 'so so good' from a roller phrase stamp I bought from my local scrapbook store.

My book is getting rather thick but I think it should all still fit once I'm done. I love bulging books, it just means there's heaps to enjoy!!! hehehe

Bye for now. 

Take care.

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna