Autumn in Australia

Few pictures from Australian countryside. It's getting cold at nights, but still we have some sunny days.

Open publication - Free publishing - More australia

Inspiring March

Design blog Poppytalk, one of my favourites, has published a lookbook for March (not just "March", but "Mad March"!). It's showcasing their favourite handmade articles from new emerging designers and artists. You can take a look at the lookbook here.

What did you like? I like these items:

Containers in Sendai

Tsunami's art. Devastating. Cruel. Indescribable.
Photo by: Itsuo Inouye/AP

What if...

I sometimes wake up at night and listen to the ocean, wondering will tsunami come or not. After Japan's earthquake and an issued warning regarding Australia's shores (that was cancelled though) I'm not too confident. What if  it happens. What if the worst appears to be true.

I had a lovely visitor today - a wonderful lady in her 60ies with whom I could share my thoughts and doubts. In fact, she was the one that started the conversation about tsunami threats and evacuation plans. We calculated and shared our ideas where to hide or go. Just in case.

I hope it will never happen. But the tsunami thoughts emerge from the deep when I walk on the beach near our house. Like today. What if... Is it just a women's trait - to think about the worst? Or is it a true wisdom - calculate and think about details and different possibilities. I wonder...

Weekend

Notes from previous Sunday. 

Grass in a rain. 

Curious fish in a pond. 

Couple of white horses. 

I love weekends...

Wedding album, here i come

Finally, finally with autumn knocking on my door I feel like working on our wedding album. Yes, it's true, I haven't done one yet. What a shame. Actually, not. I'm very happy and know that this is the perfect season for it. Having discovered wonderful digital kits and colourful papers for making a perfect album I can't wait. At the moment, take a peek at Crate Paper's new collections that will arrive in my local scrapbooking store in two weeks (I asked them to call me when the papers arrive, so exciting!).

Fundraiser for Madagascar

I have a lovely friend Angelina who wants to go to Madagascar this July to help the poor and teach them how to feed themselves and succeed in life. Because Angelina makes jewellery she decided to organise a fundraiser for her trip. I offered to make some stationary that also would be up for sales and help Angelina to raise more support. Other friend Jasmine offered her broches up for sale, too.

On a beautiful Saturday night we had lots of girls turn up for the fundraiser. We had nibblies, lots of girly conversations and ... a success! Angelina got some support for her trip.

Thanks to everybody who turned up and chipped in towards such a great cause!

December daily album 2010: 2nd update

Hello my friends. I'm working my way through the "December daily" album. I'm doing my best, but there's so much to do. Finally I think I have half of the album printed and slowly, slowly catching a monkey I hope to finish it.

There are few pictures from what I have accomplished:

To view the whole album in photobucket, click here.

I have a Latvian blog, too!

Hey my Latvian friends and those who can read in Latvian. I have created a Latvian version of my blog and you can find it here:

http://atminualbums.blogspot.com/

Follow me in Latvian! :)

CoffeeCup album

I have a lovely Canadian friend whom I met here, in Australia. While spending a half a year in a volunteer's school we both enjoyed our breaks - conversations in a park, coffee times and doing nothing.

I made this album for my friend using Starbucks cup layout, few pictures and embellishments. I was encouraged by Wilna Furstenberg who created the coffeecup kit and uploaded it for free on TwoPeasInABucket website. I'm sure I will make few more CoffeeCup albums - I love this layout so much :)

Who doesn't love Amelie?

"Parlez-vous français?"
I wish...
Even when I don't speak French I'm still amazed about the movie "Amelie". I love Amelie's spirit of adventure and romance throughout the movie. It's a perfect mix (at least that's what girls think :))...


I found a wonderful video today that was inspired by this movie. I love the colours, the music, the atmosphere and table setting.. Don't you? 


Take a look yourself about this 'happily ever after' episode in Amelie's life ;) (I mean a photoshoot by Meg Perroti for a wedding that was inspired by the movie):

Amelie inspired photo shoot  and the video by Lovespun.

I found this fabulous photoshoot in the Nonpareil magazine.

And yes, by the way, HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's here already and hope you are happy, too! :)

Little Christmas gift

This Christmas I prepared few personalized gifts to my aussie nieces and nephews. I found the best pictures I had of them and added to a calendar template from Paislee Press. I think it was a nice gift :)

Hope you have great holidays

I hope you have great holidays ... I hope that this Christmas season has brought restoration, love and peace into your homes. I hope that you have your hopes up for the New year... And I ask that God would bless us in all of this.

December daily album project

I'm in love with few bloggers, yes, that's true. Mostly they are women with children, home-stay moms and designers at the same time, but what is more characteristically - they all enjoy scrapbooking.

One of these wonderful and talented moms is Ali Edwards. I read her blog regularly. She inspired me to participate in December Daily album project - capturing bits and pieces of every day of December till Christmas.

I am proud of myself to have started this project. But I still have a long way to go. At the moment I'm struggling between finishing my layouts and starting other 1000 creative projects + enjoying the Christmas break.

This is a sneak peak! I started with the last days of December (the way one shouldn't do :). But the thing is that a week ago we came back from our trip to Victoria, and it would be sinful not to try to capture first impressions of the Great Ocean Road, Melbourne and Victoria straight away. Take a look at these digital layouts that will be completed with paper scrapbooking as well.

To create these layouts I used supplies from Paislee Press (from: www.oscraps.com )

Dis-appearance

You might be wondering what the heck I was doing from August till December. Yes, that's true - there are no posts on my blog from that time. Well, the fact is that I was lucky to get in a work experience program and was paid for 4 months to work in administration of a local court house.

That was such an interesting time! I got to see court proceedings (I spent time in the court more than ever in my life, and I was on the right side of the bench!), lots of tatoo-ed man, man who are scared for their safety and are being abused by their female partners. I also got flashed on the street in the middle of the day while I was walking to a post office, how bizarre...

Anyways, working 9 to 5 from Monday to Friday, reading lots of detective books (after work, of course! because working day had it's own action), policies, procedures (during working hours), watching CSI and other movies left me thinking about crime a lot. This time also made me long for scrapbooking hours.

All stories have a good ending, so did mine. Now I have lots of spare time (while I'm job hunting) and inspiration... because Christmas is coming, and during Christmas all dreams come true...!

Together a year

I have two dear friends who have been dating now for a year. Because they have seen my scrapbooking and on the spurr of the moment I once promised to make them something I thought: "Hmmm, an album for their first anniversary would be a very girly, but also a nice gift.."

So, I bought a cheap round circle album from local Target, attacked my computer, grabbed pictures from our hanging outs and dug myself in the trenches of scrapbooking (I mean in my study). It didn't take too long to come up with digital layouts, then print them in local Officeworks store (yes, i still don't have my own colour printer) and glue the layouts in the album.Then add lots of embellishments ...and the album is finished! Voila!

Photos: first the layouts, then the album

An album for mom

I couldn't decide what to give my mom for her birthday, what would be so timeless and worthy enough to send accross the whole world to remind her of my love. A scrapbooking album will do, I thought. I spent some sleepless nights and here is the result. Enjoy!