trimmingthesails

Bits, Bobs and Birds ...

 ... this end of the month up here. Here's ...

The bit ...
of news I have for you and sorry to keep you in suspense while it  matured for another few weeks: according to Himself, the home brew has been a great success and there is another round of beer-making in the pipeline. We may need to build another bathroom.

The bob ...
into Elinjanne's lovely work on her LOAD project shows a scrapbooker who has Clean and Simple off to a T. Do pop over and have a look.

And the (black) bird ...
bobbing in and out of the clematis above the front door as she builds a nest, has been a bit of an anxiety - squawks and panicky flapping of wings (that's ours as well as hers) every time someone arrives or leaves. Might there be eggs already? Might she just go and not come back? As it turns out, it was no to the former and yes to the latter, alas. But it has given me pause for thought ...

If you'd like a copy of the blank index card, suitable for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, the zipped psd file is just below, so please do help yourself. I think it might just turn up on one of my scrapbook pages soon :).
Download TabbedIndexCard.zip

And now I must rush, for a very interesting looking little package has just plopped through the door. I think may have something to do with Sian's splendid Great Big Idea.:). Back soon to show you!

A bit of a comic touch ...

 "Comics and bars" -  that's what it was known as in our house. On a Sunday evening, once school bags were packed, shoes polished, and kit sorted for the next day, my brothers and I would settle down round the fire as Dad brought us that week's edition of the comic or magazine we'd each chosen as a regular order, along with a chocoate bar. There'd be the rustling of pages, the scrunching of wrappers and - mostly - silence for an hour ...

I realised later, of course, that it was a resourceful way for my parents to ensure some peace and quiet for themselves, but we loved it. At some point, we'd all swap. My brothers weren't so keen on Bunty or Judy, but the Dandy or the Beano was always good for some rumbustious entertainment ...

I've always loved the look of those comics; and what fun to experiment with making a page with one's own photos! A caption across the top of the frame, some sound and visual effects, the mottled and dotted effect of the background, plus some photos of Himself ...

... hello HalfTone App! Sixty-nine pence well spent. "If I'm going to star in a scrapbook comic", said Himself, peering over my shoulder, "I think I'm going to want some rhyming couplets too". I duly obliged. So for those of you who remember the opening sequence to this story, here is the sequel ...

And it printed out beautifully too. Now, cardmaking does not come easy to me, but I'm seeing possibilities!

And thank-you so much to all of you who popped in for a cup of tea  last week, and to Abi for the inspiration; it was just lovely to see you! And it was especially nice that so many of you shared what you might want to talk about too - it really felt as if we were having a conversation :).

Up here, the glorious weather for a day or two has broken, but I am singing in the driving rain - for this weekend will be sparkling with the sunshine of time with our dearest daughter. There'll be photos! Looking forward to seeing you soon ...

Happy Birthday!

Yes, it's someone's birthday - Julie has been Letting The Days Roll By for two years old today! Welcome to Pass The Page Blog Hop (the scrapbookers' version of Chinese Whispers) which Julie has wonderfully organised by way of celebration. I'm delighted to wish her well, hope for many more happy years of posting, and am enjoying taking part :).

Have you arrived here via the talented Mel? Mel very kindly let me have a sneak preview of her page as inspiration for mine. You'll see that her clever clustering of hexagons caught my eye, and acted as a focus for my own photos; and I've placed my journalling and title lettering in the same area of the page as Mel did. I loved Mel's subtle checked background which blends so well with the photo, and the vertical strip of blue which neatly echoes the arm of the windmill; I choose a pale distressed look to tie in with the documents in my photos. And although I couldn't match those three artfully constructed paper windmills of Mel's, I made sure there were three whole hexagons of the same size to the right of the main picture. We also both have little black and white drawings/stamps of modes of transport on our layouts, appropriate to our themes - have you spotted them?

Well done! Now, I am not wanting to be discourteous (I really, really am not) and you are most welcome to stay for as long as you wish (and I hope you will), but - whispering very quietly in your ear - haven't you got somewhere else to go? Like Jo's? I think she'll be waiting for you ... :) And I will be hot on your heels, looking forward to seeing what has caught Jo's eye from here. Catch you there!

And thank-you so much, Julie - it has been a lot of fun :).

Julie        jsquaredscrapspot.wordpress.com
Alison       alisonslife-in-the-slow-lane.blogspot.com
Fay          beautifullilysramblings.blogspot.com
Ruth         chattycraftyartypig.blogspot.com
Jemma        just-jimjams.blogspot.co.uk
Miss Smith   journalofcuriousthings.co.uk
K            kscraftycorner.blogspot.com
Mrs Wookie   mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.co.uk
Mel          ispeakmelsh.co.uk
Alexa        simplyalexa.typepad.com/trimmingthesails
Jo           curlyscrapbooker.blogspot.co.uk
Jacky        scrappyjackylive.blogspot.com

 

An ad, a page, and a reminder ...

You probably know how much I love a good advert, especially one with plenty of 'white' space; and when this fell out of the middle of a magazine, how could I resist?

It was just perfect for the photo of our rather tatty rhubarb, the only plant we brought back from the allotment-which-is-ours-no-longer. (Though quite why we choose this specimen I am not sure - I remember my brothers and Dad and I lawnmowering over the rhubarb patch one spring in the hope it would take the hint. It didn't. Mum was pleased.) The ad inspiration made a great cover for a little page inside with some and rather sad photos, and a dollop of hand-journalling ... A similar technique gave extra journalling space for a photo of all the wonderful gluten-free products my lovely daughter-in-law sent back with Himself for me.

Combined with the Lemon Drizzle collage, the page now looks something like this ...

I confess to enjoying 'keeping up to date' - despite all the voices in my head about it not being necessary! Oh, and washi tape makes a wonderfully un-bulky hinge ...

On Monday, I'll be stopping for a mid-month moment again, and you are most welcome to join me again, or for the first time, for Simply A Moment.  It will probably be Tuesday before I am able to post, with the linky as usual, so please remember there is no rush - it'll be here for a fortnight!

Wishing you a lovely weekend, full of happy things ... :).

Creativity on the Move: Keynote 3 (Shapes)

Hello and welcome! Whether you're very, moderately or only slightly interested in using your iphone or ipad to scrapbook or record your memories, I hope there might be something in here which piques your curiosity just a little! Today's post and pdf is all about Shapes: where to find them, how to style and use them, and how to do things with them which the originators of Keynote never dreamed of - my favourite part! And, as always, the shots you see here and the pdfs were created totally in Keynote on the iPad and iPhone.

Some of the quick uses to which Shapes can be put include ...

• making tabbed journalling blocks by combining two rounded rectangles of different sizes
• popping a photo onto a coloured background in a jiffy without needing complex layering skills
• creating shaped journalling spaces, with or without borders or fills, where the text adjusts itself as you type
• turning photos into a mini-layouts by adding text- or colour-filled shapes
• devising striped, dotted or squared 'papers' or 'borders' to suit your page in just a few taps
• adding fast-and-easy shadows and reflections for a graphic design look

And, of course, stretching your own creativity enjoyably as you find new ways of using the tools provided! Please help yourself to the detailed pdf of instructions; the previous ones are also included below. As always, the pdfs can be downloaded to your computer, then emailed to your iPad or iPhone; or downloaded directly to your iPad. You can also upload them to a cloud facility like Dropbox, and then download them to the iPad later.

Previous posts and files:
Creativity on the Move: The Map

Creativity on the Move: Managing your Photos
Download COTMManagingYourPhotos (pdf)

Creativity on the Move: KN01Photos
Download KNAlexa01Photos (pdf)
Download AlexaShapedMasks (key)

Creativity on the Move: KN02Text
Download KNAlexa02Text (pdf)

Today's pdf:
Download KNAlexa03Shapes (pdf)

Hoping you enjoy them (and all feedback and comments welcome!) :). Next week, it's exploiting colour to maximum effect in Keynote. Might you pop back?

 

Monday Musings ...

Morning Monday! Or at least it was morning when I started - hoping I might just squeeze in this post before Monday shoots off into Tuesday. And it's ...

goodbye to ...

• agonising over how best to organise my scrapbooking (for now, at least)
• dustsheets, stepladders, and multiple coats of paint in the bathroom (is paint really as opaque as it used to be?)
• our one sixth of an allotment which, with some sadness. has been handed over to a new owner. I'd show you some photos but I wouldn't want you to feel burdened by its bedraggled neglect ...

hello, on a brighter note, to ...

• the return of Himself, complete with photos, marzipan and hugs
• falling over the piles of plant pots, green mesh tunnels and bags of compost which don't yet have a home
• quick mini-scrapping - an iphone photocard, a receipt and a café-advert popped together to form a layered pocket holding a journalling card and tag. Dad and I have, student-like with books and pens and paper, been indulging a rapidly-forming café-habit :).
  
  

And that is as good as it gets at this point in the week, my friends: it feels a triumph to be vertical and breathing. I might even have five minutes while the kettle boils to prop myself up against the kitchen work-top, thumb through cookery books and wonder just how they got that lemon drizzle cake to be so soft and crumbly ... Any helpful chefs or alchemists out there? All insights gratefully received!

 

Month In Numbers (March 13)

I nearly missed it, and am a week late :(, but my Month in Numbers are safely tucked up in my journal ...

 ... aided an abetted by a lovely little piece from a children's old book, happily purchased from Julie in one of the pretty packs from her Etsy shop, and whose wonderful inspiration is the Month In Numbers series.


The meterological rumour up here earlier in the week that we are going to have above freezing temperatures at night this weekend is, sadly, untrue according to the latest forecast - but there is sunshine and birdsong in the air today, and the return of Himself tomorrow from a week with the Littlies and the Biggies to look forward to. I'm hoping for photos and marzipan in equal measure! See you the day after?

 

 

 

The Return of Colour, and Creativity on the Move (Keynote 02)

You've probably got one too, lurking quietly and well hidden from view. Rarely a thing of beauty or a joy forever, they're not usually by the front door where the visitors come in. My grandmother used to call hers The Glory Hole (which Grandad referred to, with a surreptitious wink behind her back, as The Gory Hole). But for us, bereft of attic, cellar or garage, ours is out of sight - and usually out of mind too. However, a hint of a thaw and a blink of sunlight this morning encouraged me to don my wellies and head off to peep round the ramshackle door into ours. Now, I do love a challenge, especially if it's one of Paula Gilarde's lovely graphic ideas over at live.scrap.repeat, and I wondered if I could interpret her Inspiration Challenge 89 on the iPad ...

I really like what you can do with taps, swipes and the occasional two-fingered twirl for rotating shapes! And the daffs have made it back up the garden path to a place of honour on the kitchen table :).

Having explored how to get photos onto the iPad or iPhone last week and use them in Keynote, this week's help is all about text and how to style it. The overview looks like this ...

... and the pdf is just below, so please do help yourself. It can be downloaded to your computer, or emailed to yourself on your iPad or iPhone. If you have GoodReader (free from the App Store), you can download it directly to your iPad, and peruse it there. I do hope you find it useful and fun! Next week, we'll look at at all the things you can do with Shapes in Keynote.

Previous posts and files:
Creativity on the Move: the Map

Creativity on the Move: Managing Your Photos
Download COTMManagingYourPhotos (pdf)

Creativity on the Move: KN01Photos
Download KNAlexa01Photos (pdf)
Download AlexaShapedMasks (key)

Today's pdf:
Download KNAlexa02Text (pdf)

Hoping you've enjoyed a bit of a break, if there were Easter celebrations your way, and are easing gently into a new and warmer (or cooler, if you need it!) week ahead. Having made an initial foray, I am determined to set off for More Exciting Adventures In The Lean-To. Well, possibly. If the temperature rises. And the sun shines again ... :).

(Pdf for strictly personal use only. No copying, adapting, extracting, re-distributing or selling allowed. All images, files and text are copyright and belong to Alexa, www.simplyalexa.typepad.com/trimmingthesails. All rights reserved.)

Seven joyful reminders ...

Hello and welcome :). I am always touched that you visit, and thank-you ...

Up here, we went for a walk this morning, Himself and me - and this is what we saw ...


That despite apparent obstacles, it is always possible to find a way forward ...

However iced and frozen the margins, water continues to flow ...

Survival is not always postcard pretty, but often sturdy, rough and shabby ...

The geese, returning to the valley pools from their sojourn far north, bring the promise of new life ...


With new eyes, we can find a vantage point and see afresh ...


However well camouflaged, there is always a bridge to take us from here to somewhere else ...

And that no winter lasts forever ...

With warmest good wishes for joy and peace this weekend, from us to you ... :).

 

New week and new baby ...

We have a new baby in our home. Oh, did I not mention it before? Actually, it's been quite a while now. Being long past the baby stage here, I'd forgotton all about the rearranging of furniture and rooms, and the endless discussions about the most suitable place: not too warm, not too cold, not in the spare room because we do have visitors coming and going, not in our bedroom because (at this point in my life) I did not relish the thought of little burps at night ... Not to mention the sheer quantity of kit! A washable floor to cope with the inevitable dribbles, a soft rug for warmth, a source of gentle light and heat - Himself has been most assiduous ...

It will not be much longer now, I am assured (though the nine inches of snow in the last two days and intermittent power has cooled progress somewhat) and the current levels of 27% alcohol should apparently diminish. Roll on beer-bottling day, that's all I can say, and the return of our shower to normal usage :).

So how's your week shaping up? Here, it's going to be snow, struggle and sighing!, I suspect, as we slide into the wonderfully optimistic Great British Summer Time (pardon?) on Saturday night. But on a brighter note ... The quick and easy page above was done in Keynote, and it printed out very nicely for my current scrapbook too:

On Mondays - and yes, that's today! - I'll be adding an additional post with downloads on using Keynote for print and digital scrapbooking and memory-keeping, so do pop back later if you're interested or just curious. I'm keeping them separate from my usual posts, as I realise that not all of you will be either of those :).

And I am more than a little behind with my blog reading, but hope the power situation will stabilise and I will be popping in soon. With warmest good wishes for your week, as I grumble off to find the shovel and scarf, gloves and grit!