Your Story Matters Bloghop

Welcome welcome welcome to my little corner of cyberspace in beautiful sunny Singapore!!!!  Im thrilled to take part in this bloghop to celebrate the creation of Your Story Matters - which is now available for purchase and immediate download - there is even an introductory discount and I'll tell you how to make sure to get that, when you pick up your copy of the e-book before Monday 21st January 2013. So please read on and dont miss out!!!!

As a scrapbooker and genealogist I know that everybody's story matters to somebody, so I was thrilled to take part in this scrapbooking inspiration project recently, with some incredibly talented ladies in the ScrapHappy community (http://www.scraphappy.org/). The end result of this collaborative project is a fabulous book Your Story Matters with 55 amazing pages of scrapping inspiration brought together by Danielle Taylor and Lain Ehman.

I truly believe that everybody has a book inside of them, or at least one scrapbook album! I'm sad when I hear people say that there is nothing about their lives that people would find interesting or nothing they feel future generations would like to know about them! I would love to know what things I have inherited from my ancestors and would love to know more about them and their lives, and how different their lives were from mine - as a scrapbooker who wouldn't?

Although I scrapbook all the time and I love recording details of the places we visit and the things we do, like most scrappers, I sometimes I get scrappers block, and that's when I'll be looking at Your Story Matters because there is a ton of inspiration in there to wake up my scrapping mojo and get my scrapbooking back on track over and over again!

There are a whole host of themes and ideas beautifully and thoughtfully put together, and a fair number of pages that you might never have thought to scrap! My page was about a guilty pleasure - and it could so easily have been a page about chocolate, lie in's, or watching trashy TV, having a pedicure or buying shoes or handbags and I could probably fill an album or three with those guilty pleasures alone, but my greatest guilty pleasure is time out with my husband! We don't get a lot of time when we can slip away, take off somewhere lovely and just relax together - like many people life is hectic and busy - our family and three children live on the other side of the world - they come here or we visit as often as we can, my husband works long hours, there is always  something we feel we should be doing, and its rare that we get chance to have a couple of days away just the two of us - but just occasionally we do manage it and when we do its magic and we feel totally indulgent and spoilt - the ultimate guilty pleasure for us - so that's what I scrapped! I'm sure in time I'll get to the chocolate and handbag stories too! 

As well as the themes of the pages, I love the different styles the other contributors have used - Im going to be scraplifting page layouts and turning them into sketches for sure - there's plenty to keep my creative juices flowing, and of course throughout Lain challenges you to create your own take on the theme - in the way that only she can - dont miss your chance to  pick up a copy of Your Story Matters for only $5.00 USD before midnight on Monday!

Getting your copy of Your Story Matters couldnt be simpler - just head to http://www.layoutaday.com/ysmebook/ Go to the bottom of the page and add the book to your cart! The introductory price is $7.00 USD but if you hurry and purchase by 21 January you can pick up an extra special $2.00 USD discount by using the discount code HOP and updating your cart before checking out! 

Better still - leave a comment for your chance to pick up a copy ABSOLUTELY FREE!!! Three lucky people will be chosen from comments posted across the blogs taking part in the bloghop. All you have to do to have a chance of winning is to leave a comment to tell us which story you feel  its essential for every scrapbooker to document by 19th January. The winners will be announced on the layoutaday blog on Monday 21st January and must be claimed by Wednesday 23rd January? Oh and if you win the prize and you have already purchased - not a problem, Lain will simply refund your payment!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog - please feel free to come back anytime - or subscribe - you're always welcome here if you feel the need a little sunshine or inspiration! Dont forget to leave that comment to be in with a chance of your FREE copy of Your Story Matters - you can do it now in the comments section below, before you head off to see Heather!!! Good luck and thanks for stopping by!!!!

Just so you know where you've been, where you are and where you are going next..........

Lain Ehmann: http://layoutaday.com

Leslie Smith: http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com/

Alison Charlton: http://scrappinginsingapore.blogspot.com/  You are here now!

Heather Dubarry:  noexcusescrapbooking.com  You are going to Heathers blog next!

Danielle Hunter: http://ecoscrapbook.blogspot.com

Cathy Holiday: http://pikespeakscrapper.blogspot.com/

Monica Bradford: http://scrapinspired.com/

Alison Day:  http://adayinthelifeor5.blogspot.ca/

Paivi Eerola: www.peonyandparakeet.com

Lynnette Nagle: sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com

Kelli Panique: http://scrapbookgirl71.com/

Danielle Taylor: http://scrapperonthestreet.com

JYC 2012 - Remaining Pages!

Gosh Happy New Year - where did the last month go? On a bright note - not only did I manage to do JYC but it was finished on 7 January and covers the period up to 6th January - so Im feeling quite pleased with myself!!!! I also achieved my goal of using more photographs this year too!

My last post on the blog was the LO for 15th December, and the biggest lesson learned for JYC 2012 is not to head back to the UK so late - I left myself too much to do and ran out of time - I threw out our old and tatty tree last January in a fit of decluttering and by the time I got back to the UK this year - there were only the bald and puny ones left in the real tree department and the artificial trees that were left were of the tacky variety so we did without!!! On the bright side we did catch up with all of the family - but very few friends - again largely due to the fact that we didnt have enough time!

So here are the remaining pages from JYC 2012


As a child I used to always go to the local Panto with my Auntie - it gave me a lifelong love of live theatre! Im not sure who enjoyed it most me or her - but its a very happy childhood memory and I journalled about the excitement of going to the theatre and the thrill of a live performance!!!!

This year was not my most organised Christmas - somehow I really never caught up with myself - so my note to self for next year reads - GET ORGANISED EARLIER! You might need to remind me of that nearer the time - OK?

Food does feature pretty large in our Christmases! I have gained 3 kg somehow! Im hoping most of it is fluid retention after a long flight back from the UK to Singapore - then again, it could be three weeks of bacon croissants for breakfast and a ton of chocolate I ate on the basis that I needed the extra calories to keep warm - which clearly I didnt!!!!

On the 19th I talked about Santa and the thrill my son had when he was sure he saw a flash of red disappearing as he carefully descended the stairs as a three year old too many years ago! Oh the joy of having a child around who believes!!!!

My DH and I had our Christmas on 20th as we were apart for Christmas Day itself, he collects stamps and this year I bought him a penny black - he was thrilled with it - unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of it in the excitement of seeing him open it!!!

A special treat - I flew back to the UK and did my first trip on the A380 in Business Class - which was a very pleasant experience!!!!

I have had much kindness shown to me this Christmas - but my son's decision to spend Christmas with me and my Aunt as my husband wasnt going to be there was simply the best news I could have had as I headed back to the UK!

After Singapore the UK in the middle of winter was positively arctic! I headed up North on 23rd to pick up my Aunt, drop off presents and then drove back home and got warm as quickly as possible! Its always good to see family though and although I love living in a warmer place its my family I miss most!!!

Having my son and my Aunt with me on Christmas Eve was lovely, although the jet lag saw me head to bed at 18:00 on 23rd, my son stayed up and woke me at 01:00 so we could go and do the food shopping in the early hours before most people were about! We timed it perfectly and missed the rush - arriving home at 03:30!

Christmas Day lunch - a small but lovely gathering and dinner was delicious! We have had a few Christmases where there was just my Aunt, my son and me - I missed my husband and the rest of our family but we still had a lovely day together!!!

My son left us to visit his Dad, and we had a quieter day - it was freezing cold but we enjoyed having a bit of a duvet day at home!!!!

We did the sales today! I was carrying too many bags to take a photo, so this is the only other gap in my album!

At last my DH was back in the UK too, he was shattered but we were both really happy when I met him at the airport!!!!

My DH and DSS went to the football - it was Leeds at home and they won 2 - 0 In our house that makes it a very good day indeed!!!! If you don't follow Hull City it wont mean much but since the whole family do - and Leeds are our local rivals - it couldn't have been much better!!!!

We went up north again together and I collected my stepdaughter - the boys followed after the game!!!


Another Christmas Day - our third! Everybody loved their presents felt a bit like groundhog day doing it three times in a little over a week!!! Maybe because we had three Christmas Day's was the reason I wasn't organised, or maybe I just wasn't organised - cant be sure though!!!!

New Year's Eve - we spent with our neighbours - my DH was jetlagged and tired, we did manage to stay up to see the New Year in - but we were pleased to go to bed afterwards - or it might be that we are just getting old!!!!

January 1 is always another football day and no words are needed to say how cold my DSS was in this photo - Blackpool in January - freezing - we went shopping to the Sales again and DSD spent her birthday money, Auntie got a new coat and amazingly - for me - I didnt find anything I wanted to buy!!!!

My best memories of Christmas are all about having the family with us, and spending time with them and our neighbours! We didnt spend as much time as we would have liked with our friends sadly, but we simply ran out of time!!!!

We have a few traditions worth a mention! They include football on Boxing Day and New Years Day, Baking with the neighbours kids, my brothers Mississippi Mud Pie - always deelish! The German Christmas Market, the British Association Christmas lunch and a Terry's Chocolate Orange in my stocking! This  year we managed everything except the German Christmas Market!!!!

Remember for next year................. Go back to the UK a bit earlier - I ran out of time this  year!!!!

 The 5th is my birthday and my son was down again for a few days - It was a lovely day shared with all the family except my DSS who had to work!!!!

My Aunt and DS left on the 6th - it would have been her 62nd Wedding Anniversary! We had a few more days in the UK - catching up with more family and seeing our closest family again before departing! This year will see many changes for us and as we prepare to move away from Singapore for pastures new in Texas - I know that whatever life throws my way - Im blessed to have such a lovely family and husband - who made this Christmas special! Even if we didnt get everything done we did spend time together and enjoyed the time we shared! I just have to loose the 3 kg I gained whilst we were having that good time!!! Happy New Year one and all - May 2013 bring all you wish for!!!!

JYC Day 15

Im so proud of myself today because not only have I done my page but its the first one posted in Shimelle.com's Journal Your Christmas Forum - my entries usually appear on page 12 but today Im on the front page, which means Im scrapping faster and I like it! OK I have an 8 hour advantage over the English girls and a whopping 14 hours head start on the American girls - by virtue of the geography - but even that doesnt usually help me to get my entries completed and posted early! No today is a first and a happy one - keeping the theme simple and done rather than complex and never finished is working - I hope I can keep it up until the end of the class!!!!! Im just off to do a little happy dance down to the nearest mall - if it has stopped raining yet outside

JYC Day 14

I have always enjoyed large family gatherings and as a child Christmas was the time it happened most! I still love having a family Christmas - a houseful of my nearest and dearest make my Christmas dreams come true every year!!!! Im so pleased to be keeping up so well with my JYC at the moment - I think its because we have had really dreadful weather this week! Not the snow and ice I remember as a child - but tropical monsoon rain which you really dont want to get caught in either!!!!

 

Journal Your Christmas Days 10 - 13

I have to admit Im feeling quite pleased with myself, not only am I keeping up with JYC this year, but Im actually liking a lot of what I am doing, and Im doing it faster than usual! As Ive said before the key to completion is simplicity, so a limited number of supplies that co-ordinate are a good start and a common theme to link the pages together is all it takes - for me thats my knockouts notebook punch (which I love) and a bag full of lovely stash from Papermarket in Vivo City Singapore! The staff in there are soooo friendly, they carry a good range of stock and they have great offers too - if you happen to be here - its worth popping in - just saying!

So here are my most recent four pages

My lists at the moment are very high level because I really havent thought enough about anything! I have started packing my case ready for the off, but I still have a ton of stuff to do to be ready - please can we put it back a week or two?

 

 

 You have to see the Christmas decorations here to believe how truly amazing they are, however when it comes to wrapping paper we have a problem! Singapore is not primarily a Christian nation, although all cultures celebrate parts of each others festivals! So present giving is not as widespread in most of the population as it would be in the UK for example. The only place you can buy Christmas wrapping paper is in chemists shops and even then not easily!

Pictured here is my Christmas role model - my Aunt who has shared every Christmas I have ever had with me in one form or another! She helped me to develop a love of the holiday and has often worked tirelessly too, to make our Christmas magical - she is baking for me this week as I wont have time when I return to the UK! She really is the best!

Christmas weather in the UK and Singapore - my mind sees Christmas as snowy and white, just like the photo of our garden here! However, in Singapore the only snowmen are made of concrete and they generate fake snow for the kids to run around in, wearing shorts, t-shirts and flip flops - how different would they need to dress if that was real snow?

JYC The Story So Far!

Life has once again got in the way of my blogging - but Im hoping to get back on track - OK its nearly Christmas (I cant believe I just typed that) Its still 30' outside and boiling hot! It cant really be Christmas can it?

I guess since I am 9 days into JYC it certainly is Christmas and I still have a ton of stuff to do!  I started my JYC album on 27th November as this was the British Association Ladies Christmas Lunch - but have decided only to post the entries that were initiated with one of Shimelle's prompts!

So to draw the line between that which went before and that which is true JYC I did the dividing page below - which I quite like!

The Christmas lights are stunning every year in Singapore, and on 1 December we walked the entire length of Orchard Road - in fact we walked from Little India - which is a very long way - but the lights were fabulous and it felt like all of Singapore had the same idea as us!  Once I get some prints - this page will be complete!

As a child I couldnt understand how the weather could be freezing in Yorkshire, England and boiling hot in places like Australia! Even having lived in the tropics for almost 4 years it still feels strange to have Christmas in the sunshine - although when I get back to England I will miss the warmth!

My Christmas plans this year are about travel in the main! We have about 40,000 miles of travelling to do before we have our family Christmas - so its probably time I started packing and making lists and checking them twice!!!!

The best bit of every Christmas for me is having all our family together and I still love having the kids over and watching them open their presents! Having everybody under one roof is the best Christmas present I could wish for!!!!

I bought this lovely baubles stamp in Houston, made my cards in Singapore and most of them are on their way to England - now that has to be a global effort surely?

 

 

I love having all the neighbours kids over to help me with the Christmas baking - funny how quickly they disappear though - when it comes to clearing up!!!! 

 



The lights and decorations down Orchard Road are amazing - I took these photos last year of the ION tree and this little boy outside Tanglin Mall who could hardly contain his excitement at seeing real concrete snowmen!!!!

Putting up our Christmas tree is something I used to love doing as a family. Although the decorations didnt match many of them had been passed through the generations and had memories attached to them - maybe I should put them on my tree again this year when I get back to England!

Then there are special things we only eat at Christmas - including sprouts stir fried with garlic and bacon and red cabbage with orange and honey, I love warm mulled wine after a cold bracing walk and no buffet would be complete without a chocolate log and Andrew's Mexican King Prawn thing....... you'll need to wait until Christmas itself for photos of that one! However here is a glimpse of Christmas Dinner last year - look away if you are feeling peckish!!!!

 

 

Journal Your Christmas 2012

OMG Where did 2012 go whilst I was scrapping and napping? Its that time of year again and this year its come around really fast - dont you think? In November I attended my first Christmas lunch - that feels a bit early even to a Christmas lover like me!

Our Christmas lights are on and they are (as always amazing) so I'll be out with my camera to capture the magic because we are (as the song says) going West! 12,000 miles west to Houston Texas - next year! And this time of year brings me to Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas class - being the Shimelle groupie that I am, it wont come as a big surprise to anybody that this is my fourth year doing the class and until today - I hadnt really given it much thought - Well maybe a little thought because I got one of Shimelle's kits delivered to a relation in the UK - kinda thinking I was going home early as my DH is away to the USA next week - he is now coming home early so I wont be in the UK until 22nd December! On that basis I headed into my Local Scrapbooking Store - and they were having a 50% off Chrismtas items if you bought a minimum of 5 items promotion - you just know what's coming dont you?

Ok so having had a look at all of the Christmas Collections - and most of the rest of their inventory! I have decided to go vintage this year! I have an American Crafts Modern Album 8 x 8 - Im doing some 8 x 8 pages and some 6 x 4 / 6 x 4 / 2 x 8 divided pages - because I have never done them before and I like to try something new each year!
So what did I buy .......... Well the Christmas stuff .......

 

Fancy Pants - Home for Christmas Collection Pack - its yummy!
I have Bo Bunny Noteworthy Christmas Numbers Tags and Embellies!
Websters Pages Calendar and Journalling Tags - These are gorgeous too - so I bought 2 packs of these!
And a Kaisercraft 6 1/2 " Paper Pad - Turtle Dove Collection which is also really lovely!
My page bases are going to be a pale Kraft dotted swiss cardstock ..............

and Ive finally got my hands on black and brown American Crafts Precision Pens for journalling!

There didnt look to be much in the basket in the craft shop - but it looks like a lot more than I thought I had bought now its sitting on my desk!!!! What do you reckon?



So this evening I turned up the aircon - and got into the Journal Your Christmas Mood by making my album cover and this is the finished article - I just have to fill it now - and that fun starts tomorrow!!!!!  - I used and American Crafts Modern 8 x 8 album, but the red was too bright for the vintage look I was after! I toned it down with some Pumice Stone Distress Stain - Love that stuff! Which I used on the red binding and on the red and white check adhesive fabric tape that I used to cover the join between the cover and the PP (or cardstock on the back and inside covers) which I have also done! The PP is from the Fancy Pants 'Home for Christmas Collection' - Merry Tree! The white painted wooden Snowflake was from the local Chinese Bead Shop and I'm still waiting (not very patiently for my stickles to dry)

For anybody who needs to get into the Christmas Scrapbooking mood - you can listen to May Flaum, Noel Hyman and our Very Own Scrapgoddess Shimelle on this weeks paperclipping round table podcast too - just sayin!
http://www.paperclipping.com/category/roundtable/

Finally - if you want to join the class and you havent yet done so (is there anybody who hasnt joined?) you can check it out by clicking on the blinkie