Rachel Greig

Remember...

The photo above is the beginnings of a mini book that I started last September. My intention was to create a book about the things I remembered about my paternal grandparents while growing up near them. Things like: making apple pies with Grandma, watching Grandpop in his carpentry shed, drinking hot milk and honey before bedtime, Grandma scratching my back while watching TV, Grandpop knitting his own vests,  Orange Juice Concentrate that was always in the fridge, the big soft spare bed that I'd sleep in when I stayed over, playing them tunes on the organ... and many more.

But the book is still empty. I have wanted this book to be so complete, that my fear was I would forget to include an important memory. (That  just sounds so contradictory, right? If I didn't remember it to include it, then how could I wish to remember it!?) Yes well, this is the art of thinking too much, trying to make every book matter and perhaps putting a little too much pressure on the whole exercise. Anyone else do the same?

My Grandpop died in Nov 2006, my Grandma is still around, and I'm sure she would love for me to read her the book when I have completed it. (Her sight isn't the best anymore.) So that is incentive enough to stop *thinking* about the book, and start doing. So today I've started to write down the memories, and will give myself a couple of days to add to the list. Then I'll start putting the book together. Whatever I have remembered by then will go in the book.

By the way - the book is created from 2 of the 6x6 Making Memories mini book inserts. They're quite an old product, and I stocked up on them before they were discontinued. Unfortunately I have more inserts than I do covers, so for this one I created my own cover by stitching the cream cardstock onto the cover and binding the two inserts together with 7gypsies gaffer tape and Making Memories book binding tape. The paper is from Scenic Route, and the Remember sticker is from 7gypsies. The pebbles are from my backyard ;)

So today, take some time out to remember some things about your grandparents. If you like, share a couple of things here that you remember...

Guessing Competition

CHA is in full swing now, and I can share with you a canvas that I did for the Ranger booth. 24 artists were given one Distress Ink colour palette and a canvas, and we all had to create whatever we wanted - but only with the one Distress Ink colour (and black & white). Mine was Brushed Corduroy. I was really pleased with how it turned out, and I've seen photos of some of the other canvases and they were awesome! I'll try and source a photo of the booth to show you ALL of the colours together in one display. I bet it looks amazing.

And... time for a little guessing competition! I updated my Macro 366 album last night and left off the descriptions because some of them look a little obscure... so I wondered if any of you can guess what they are or where/why they were taken? Have a look from 26th Jan - 8th Feb (images #26 - #39) and leave comment with your guesses. Some of them are obvious, but others may get you thinking. The person who gets the most correct will win this goodie pack! So start guessing!

Thanks also for the birthday wishes from my last post! I had a wonderful day :)

Mr Dick-sticker has left the building...

Thanks to all of you who were interested in playing with Mr Dick-sticker, also known as Mr Budgie Smuggler, or Mr Banana Hammock! The names just keep rolling in!

He is now headed on his journey. Here is where he'll be stopping:

1. Sarah S
2. Jayne
3. Evonne
4. Sarah G
5. Bec
6. Michelle (via Kelsey's blog)

So keep an eye out on those blogs for his whereabouts and what little artworks are created with him. I'd like to see how dirty (and I mean inky!) he will be when he returns. :) So his journey begins...

And we have some winners!!!! The stash of stamps have been won by 2 people! I had put everyone's name into the little bags on our advent calendar and asked my children to pull out a name each - hence why there's 2 winners. I'll split the stamps up, but will also add a mixture of other goodies like Filmstrips and all sorts of fun things that I can find here in the studio! So congrats to Robyn Wood and Jane Norrish! I hope you enjoy your goodies!

This yummy parcel arrived in my mailbox today. It was a RAK from Gina who had won a RAK from Ginny - included in Ginny's rak was this book The 1000 Journals Project. Gina already had a copy, so she then passed it onto me! I am thrilled beyond measure, as I have heard about this book and the whole project but had never seen this book in real life. I've read a few pages already, and the artwork is so fun to look at. Thankyou Gina and Ginny for gifting me this book! Don't you also love the tag Gina created with my initials? It's all in the details...

This book has also gotten me thinking on starting a few traveling journals. I have a couple of journals here that I am working in, but none of them are traveling. One is titled 'Self Portraits' and I have anyone who comes to my house draw their self portrait in the journal. It will take a while to fill (there's so many pages!), but is a fun ongoing project. I've participated in a number of other peoples traveling journals, & circle journal groups with friends, plus friendship books & SLAMS (when I was in my teens, anyone know those?), but I'd love to send a few random blank journals out there into the world to see what happens to them. Do you create journals? Do you collaborate in them? I'd love to hear your experiences... please share if you have any stories to tell... or maybe you'd like to participate in one of my journals?

Only 5 more sleeps here until the man in red arrives!

November Calendar

Another month gone, and this one went really really quickly! Did you think that too? This month's photo is a crazy one of the kids licking sand... honestly, small things amuse... but this photo makes me laugh. My kids are such clowns.

Also, here is a shot of the complete Ornate Star collection from the past 12 days!  I am so pleased that you've enjoyed watching what I came up with, both Christmas themed or not. I do hope it has given you some ideas for those who already own the Ornate Star stamp, and I hope it may have inspired you to look at your current stamp stash in new ways.

We're going to do a shoot this arvo to send with our Christmas cards, so it'll be interesting to see how that goes! I have a rough 'plan' but it's certainly not the 'sit and smile at the camera' type of shot. I wish I had a helicopter, it would have been awesome to shoot this from the air looking down. Anyway... if all goes well, I may share one or two shots tomorrow.

The Grand Finale - Ornate Star #12

Here we are - the 12th day! Hurrah! (I'm amazed I managed to come up with 12 cards & projects!) So the grand finale... since we decorated our house today for Christmas, I added a bit of Ornate Star and made a small garland! I embossed the star with Red Xmas Embossing Powder (by Artee Supplies) and then sponged over it with some Frayed Burlap Distress Ink to give it a more vintage look. The EP is very glittery, and somewhat holographic, so when the little stars flap in the breeze, they shimmer red and green depending on the angle of light. Very funky. Keeps the kids amused for ages - and I like THAT!!

Thank you so much for all of your comments and encouragement throughout the challenge! It has been a lot of fun, and has gotten me into a creative groove to create something simple every day. I hope I can continue it! Also - remember there are loads of other ideas on my gallery for the other Christmas stamps too!

So.... the winner of the stamps.... drum roll.... is Suzanne, commentor #29 from my Challenge Post! Congrats Suzanne! Email me, and I'll get these stamps out to you!!

Happy Friday!

Ornate Star #10

I thought it was time for a feminine touch! This time I have created a lace border using the Ornate Star. I stamped onto vellum and embossed it with Weathered White EP. I stamped two rows of the star, and trimmed both rows, then placed one underneath the other to give a variation in star size. Then I added some paper by Daisy D's, stamped the Birthday Wishes with Archival Cobalt ink, and added a metal charm by Nunn Designs.  I've always thought this stamp would make a nice lace pattern, so I'm pleased I've finally  tried it.

Over the past few weeks I have been receiving some wonderful gifts and parcels in the mail. It's always so nice to hear from a friend rather than receive a bill!! My friend Sylvie Baschung in France has been busy working on a book this year - and it was released a few weeks ago. I was so honoured when she used some of my stamp designs in her artwork. And then she surprised me by sending me a copy of the book!! Thank you so much Sylvie!  I was thrilled when I opened the first page to see that she had written a note and signed in the book. I so love having books signed by their authors!

Here's a link to find out more about this book! It is written in French, and although I cannot read French, there are quite a lot of images to help along the way (and I use an online translator if I really can't understand completely). It is full of ideas for cards, tags, ornaments, gift wrap, boxes (love the matchbox Advent Calendar!), table settings, candles, wreaths.... honestly she has the whole of Christmas covered!  Congratulations Sylvie on such a wonderful body of work :)

Happy Wednesday!

Ornate Star #9

Another simple one! In case you were thinking that I'd run out of ideas... no, just ran out of time today!! I am quite snowed under (not literally like Wendy!) with work, and I actually forgot about todays card! But alas, I have my list of ideas next to me, and this one seemed the quickest. So here we are in all it's simplistic glory...

For this one I embossed the Ornate Star with Ranger Weathered White embossing powder, then I sprayed the background with Butterscotch, Lettuce and Raisin Color Wash. Blotted it dry, and made the card! Simple!

Happy Tuesday!