* Living Statues *

I entered the color challenge over at the DSO forum. Lovely color pallette and there were already so many lovely kits made with the given colors. I used several of those to make this layout.

* new look for the next year *

Since Christmas is over, I thought it was time to change the look of my blog again. Since we are having real winter weather over here, I thought it was nice to give it that look as well.
I love the photo of the little dog in my banner. I took the photo today in the woods. (Dog isn't mine unfortunately) Seh was running back and forth in the snow and having such a fun time. It was so cute to see and watch.

* new blog layout *

Since the Christmas Season is upon us, I decided to change the look of my blog to be more into the season. I love the new header, but I am not so content yet about the blogposts divider. I am not sure if I will keep it.

It has been snowing in Holland for some days now. In some parts of the country the snow was so heavy (we are talking about 30 to 40 cm high!!) but were I live it is thankfully not so bad. I will go outside later today to get some nice winter shots.

* A layout & some reading *

It has been a while since last finished and put up a layout. However, this morning I did some surfing on the net because I really wanted to make a layout and ended over @ Creative Scrappers with sketch 65. It's last weeks sketch and I just saw they put up sketch 66 - also very nice, so maybe I will use that one too.
Anyway, I used Jillibean soup papers here, almost the last scraps from Ministrone soup (Ok and one totally new staples on white orange). All that is left now, are scraps to make some cards and I already saved this weeks sketches of the challenges blogs I follow :) Supplies: Kraft cardstock, Jillibean soup papers, staples on white orange, Basic Grey Ambrosia paper, rope, ribbon, buttons, American Craft thickers.

Also last Friday evening I went to the library to pick up Simone van der Vlugt's Blauw Water. I loved the book, I finished it in one day! (have to say it only has appr. 215 pages, but still) It is a suspensefull story well written considering no real action etc takes place, it kept me turning pages until I finished it :)

* the scrappiest sketch 24*

Yesterday evening I finished a layout based on sketch 24 over @ the scrappiest. I just found about this blog and plan to do more of their sketches.
This is the sketch. And this is my take on it. Since I used a photo of someone who doesn't want his picture on on the internet, I blended it out.

Supplies: Kraft cardstock, Bo Bunny patterned papers, Jillibean soup sprout, Americal craft thickers, ribbon, pins, Fiskars borderpunch, puffy paint white, buttons.

Thank god the heat is gone since last Saturday, but until now we have had 2 rainy days, so I hope the weather will be dry at least the rest of this week, so I can go out and take more photo's to scrap them later on :)

* Movies * Reading * Layouts *

I have been vusy lately but not with scrapbooking and or cardmaking. I have been going out and enjoying the good weather, but also watches some movies, did a lot of reading as well.
One of my new favorite movies will be Australia with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Such a beautiful breathtaking story. Only the part when the World War II is brought in, I like less, but the rest is worth well.

Just yesterday I saw Yours, Mine & Ours; a very funny family movie. Not much depth and of course the stories quite familair. Mom and Dad are single and with 10 and 8 kids. They get married but the kids don't like each other and don't get a long. After a while they decide to work together to drive mom and dad apart. Surprise, surprise, the kids really start liking each other and when the succeede that mom and dad seperate they will do anything to get them back together again. But still a feel good movie and certainly good for some laughs. I like Dennis Quaid, think he's a good actor.
And then there is Girl with a Pearl Earring; nice but not worth recommanding. The acting is very good thought because there is not much usage of words only mimick and body language and that was good. The story line for me, was weak though.

About a week ago I finished the first book I ever read of Loes den Hollander, I can hardly wait to read more from her. A good story, you think you know it all, but the outcome is totally different than I expected.

Currently I am re-reading Het Achterhuis by Anne Frank again. I cannot remember how old I was when I first read it, must have been 12 or 13 years. I think everybody knows it and has seen movies made from it, but reading the book it totally different. You really get to know Anne and how she thinks and feels about what is going on around here.

I will leave you with some layouts, this one is finished already some time ago. Not too happy about it; think it's too basic and the ribbons take up too much attention.

Last week I collected some photo printouts from the store. It included some Easter photo's. This one layout about the Easter Hightea, I like much better. You will recognize the October Afternoon Ducks in a row papers, from some posts ago. The paper is really beautiful and nice to work with. I like the yellows, so fitting for Easter. I hope I have enough left to make 2 more layouts because that's how many photo's I still have left; one about the brunch and one about the flowerdecorations.I was planning to go to Sandsculptures in our neighbourhood, but it was really bad weather. In the morning I first when to the city to buy a blouse, and got in rainshowers. I thought I would be lucky on the way back but no, I went home in the rain. The afternoon it also continued raining, so I decided not to go. Also this sunday is not very good weather. Then it's raining and then the sun is shining again. Next week thought, the weatherforecast says, the summer will start with high temperatures. Not that I am looking forward to that...

Coming Friday they will come deliver the new bedroom furniture. I can hardly wait. Of course I will put some photo's up to show how it looks. It will be nice to have everything in the closets again and the bedroom will be neat and tidy again. Hopefully I will find my Tokina 12-24 mm F4 lens again. I cannot seem to find it anywhere.....

* new layout for my blog *

It was about time to update my blog with a new look. Before I still had the easter theme and that is almost a month ago, so this evening I made a new one. I tried to give it a spring feeling and I think I succeeded it. I like my new background with flowers. I am not too happy with the header though. It doesn't really come together with the background, I think. Maybe I will try to make a new one later, but for now it will do.

Currently I am reading a Douglas Preston novel, The monster of Florence. Its a true crime story and even though it doesn't quite read like a normal novel, the suspense holds me tight and I want to continue reading even when I can hardly keep my eyes open and I *reall* need to go to sleep.

* Scrapdelight goodies * layout * JO09 * macro lens *

Yesterday it was as warm as it can get in summer; around 22 degrees. So already really hot for me. @ morning I went to the city; bought a new pair of summer shoes @ scapino and a new aqua blouse @ H&M. Love it and am soooo happy wiht the summer shoes, till now I wore the boots from winter, but it was really getting too warm for me.

In the afternoon I went also shopping with mom. We both bought a pair of summer shoes (so my second pair :D) white "wolky like shoes" and again @ Scapino. We went into the better shoe stores as well (Schuurmans Schoenen, Tiptoe) but found nothing to our liking so happy we found at least one pair (leather and at a decent price) shoes. And I also bought a new jeans. I gave up loosing my 3 kilo's after X Mas. I cannot seem to get ride of it and I found a new series of Jeans at my favorite store which fits quite well. (With the previous line Sabrine, I fell between 2 sizes, one to small and one to big. With this new line Sanne, I buy a larger size but the cutting is some what smaller so it fits ok.)

Late in the afternoon I sat in the sun for about an hour or so. Not long and it was after 16.00 but still I had to pay with serious headache afterwards. The night was a hell and this morning I woke with even more headache than yesterday evening. I took 2 paracetamols and it's over 3 hours later and finally I am feeling better. So no more sun tanning for me. I am completely over that. the nice brown tan isn't worth getting headaches everytime, so i will simply stay pale. (Mayby try some bodylotion with self tanning creme)

On to more, nicer stuff :)
Friday last, my parcel from ScrapDelight arrived with the latest goodies I ordered. Unfortunately they forgot my Doily lace punch and the hotfix stones were still unpacked after a fair , so that will be send later.
First some puffy thickers, they are thick and shiny, so more bling to add to a layout. There was no black so I went for white and brown. My Mind's Eye; Maggie May from the Penny Lane line.

My Mind's Eye; Tiny Dancer as well from the Penny Lane line.

And finally the yummy minestrone papers from Jillibean Soup. Wonderful new manufacturer. These papers are great for fall photo's which lacked inspiration because I had so many layouts made already with Basic Grey Ambrosia papers. Now I can continue with the photo's and use the puffy brown thickers with them. :)

Next I want to show a layout I made with some left overs from the Bittersweet papers from Basic Grey. I only bought 4 papers from that line; made 4 layouts with it, many, many cards, made some altered items with them and still not all is gone. I still have some scraps for a card or 2. Will try to use it today for a "new baby Girl" card.

And as well the latest card I made this week after work for the Jaaroverzicht 2009. I used another freebie "Friends" from Designs by Krista. Just simply adore all her work.

Recently I have been doing research for a new lens for my camera. Specially now with all the blooms and nice weather, I want to buy a macro lens; i have been looking into 3 lenses but still cannot made op my mind which one to choose:

* tamron 90 mm F2.8

* tamron 180mm F3.5

* tokina 100 mm F2.8

Also not all internet shops have all the lenses on stock and I really don't want to wait too long with ordering, because I want to use it this spring & summer. Also I don't want to spend too much on the lens since I am not sure if Marco photography is something I am really getting into.

* Jaaroverzicht 2009 * CMF 36 * layout *

Yesterday it was about and around 20 degrees, quite lovely almost hot summer weather. (in our living it was already 23.3 degrees!) So I already had my first icecream of this year :)
But today when I woke the sun wasn't shining, it was dark and misty and.... raining....I wanted to try to take some photo's later today of flowers and blooms and spring thingies, which should go ok as long as I don't have to bend. But now... the weather is dark, let's hope it will be better this afternoon.
I really need to take some spring photo's, there is a challenge over at one of my fav's digishops Digital crea and I want to participate. Deadline is 18 April next.

Speaking of digi; remember I already put up the layout I made using a quickpage for celebrate spring. Even though the template is stunningly beautiful I wanted to create a page made by myself. So last weekend I sat down and re did this layout. See below.
I used a kit from Summertime Designs. She makes beautiful stuff.
Since I was on a roll, I did make some layouts more because I had to make up for some missing subject weeks.

Another subject was money; this is my take on it. I cannot remember from who I used this kit (sorry) the journaling tag is from Designs by Krista.
The final subject was Spring, again I used the latest freebie "Blooms" from Designs by Krista. I just love her digi kits and tend to use them over and over again. I like the fresh pastel colors of this kit it fits well with the photo's.

This weeks subject is long for.... Which I find a very difficult one to make, so I have to think a little about it before I know what to make.

Also on one of my walks I went into the Readshop in town because I spotted on the net that the new Creatief met Foto's nr. 36 already, was selling already and I think I wanted to spoil myself a little because I think I deserve (with the backache and all)

I like this issue very much. I don't always buy them anymore, because their new style isn't my style anymore and also the paper use is different from the ones I grap to know. I have changed my scrapping style and with it also comes a different kind of magazine to buy. I don't always like the layouts in Scrapbookmagazine, but the use of papers is more my style.
Also I wanted to share another layout I did using photo's of Within Temptations concert I went to last year. Photo's are not mine, but used with permission of Metal ways.com.
Supplies: Bazzill Basics white, green, pink; Basic Grey Eva papers; McGill flower punch; Mireille Butterfly punch; other: puffy paint white, ribbon pink, green, flower jewels green, pink, stamps, ink, paperclips, hotfix with stones, pins.

Look of my blog * Ice cold

Yep, it was time to make a change.... A change in the way my blog looks. I wanted a look that was more spring like. I used a great kit of Petit Monteaux. She creates wonderful kits. Don't you like the new look?

I also wanted to share a recent layout I made with the wonderful October Afternoon papers; good sheer. Photos are from the icing cold and winter period we had in the beginning of January this year.
It was so beautiful then....

Winter 2008

It's about time for a new layout. This one I created last sunday evening and used my new super papers from October Afternoon Good Cheer.
I just love the bright colors and the snow theme. These pictures were takeng during the first snow fall back in november last year.
Thankfully we had a period of real winter over a week ago and I took many photo's of the woods covered in snow and ice on the rivers. (Have to sort it out and print some of those) The snow is now completely gone and it's been raining already for some days. It's hard to believe we had such a wonderful winterworld when you look outside now. Monday last, was the last day with snow and ice skating. The winterperiode took about 2 to 3 weeks, which is quite long. But it's still winter, and who knows what is still to come.

New layout & Jaaroverzicht 2009

The year already started good for me. On the first day I already went out to shoot and today I did again. There was frost on the leaves on the ground but also frost on the trees. I went to do woods in hopes of getting some landscape scenery shots. I did get some shots, but they didn't turn out to be visable with frost a lot.... too bad. So again I went for close-ups:

And one of my personal favorites - even when it's not frosty:

Yesterday I also managed to finish the first layout of 2009!

Just now I was surfing a little on the I-net and found there is a new fun challenge for this year on one of the forums. It's called: Jaaroverzicht 2009. Every week there will be a challenge posted on Wednesday. Again I want to participate, just as I wanted last year with the paperadventure 2008. I was stuck after 19 weeks. This time I really want to keep up; so I am doing it digitally. Which makes it - for me - far more easier. I have always the photo I want to use handy. I have lots of digital kits to use and digital layouts are made quicker :) I already finished the first challenge, and I am sooo planning to keep it up - a good new resolution.

The Scrappersanonimous - forum can be found here.