The Kim Archer Blog

Sketch Entries

A HUGE thank you to everyone who entered our sketch challenge from last week. I was so thrilled to see the entries pop into my inbox throughout the week. If  you scroll down a few posts you will see Kirsten's entries. Below I will share the rest of the entries that have come in...

First up we have Lee Mills. Lee says - Thanks Mardi for taking me out of my 'comfort zone' and allowing me to simply 'have a go'....I really enjoyed this challenge, not sure I have ever followed a sketch before it was heaps of fun and took the anxst out of scrapping...since your challenge I have scrapped more than I have in a long time...yay!

We are SO very thrilled Lee that our challenge helped spark some more scrapping too.

Next up we have Lorraine Vidler. Lorraine has also created a gorgeous version of Mardi's sketch. She loved how easily it all come together by using the sketch as well. Thanks Lorraine for entering our challenge and for sharing your gorgeous layout as well.

Our next entry is from Natalie Bright. Here are Natalie's thoughts on scrapping our challenge -  I have not done many pages that involve a sketch, but I had such a great time with this one. Everything on my page came from my “stash”, both new and old!  Looking forward to seeing what else the Support Team have up there sleeves!

And here is Natalie's entry...

Thank you Natalie for sharing your gorgeous layout with us.

Next up is Alison Abernethy. Alison says - Here’s my entry for the sketch challenge – I had fun with it  It’s the story of how my son got a pen lid stuck in his arm cast and the only way to get it out was to remove the cast.

And here is Alison's fun layout. I love that scrapbooking can help us capture such great memories too. Thank you Alison.

And last but definitely not least is Sophie Koschmann. Sophie had a lot of fun scrapping this challenge layout and you can tell from the bright, happy and fun layout she has created too. Thank you Sophie for sharing your great layout with us.

A VERY VERY big thank you for everyone who entered our challenge. We are just so very thrilled to be able to share your gorgeous layouts here too. I will be back soon to share a new challenge for this week and will announce the winner of Mardi's Sketch challenge tonight at 6pm, here on Kim's blog.

Stay tuned, there is LOTS more fun in store. x Janelle and the ST girls

Support Team Sample - Lisa Pate

Whoops, I am popping in a little late today to share our next Support Team sample of Mardi's sketch, this time by the clever Lisa Pate. Lisa has scrapped a beautiful version of the sketch - I love Lisa's photo too, just gorgeous!!

Here is Lisa's gorgeous layout...

I am excited to see your samples popping into my inbox and to read that so many of you are being inspired to scrap again after a break as well. I will be back to share some of the entries with you soon.

Don't forget entries to this challenge end midnight Saturday, so keep those entries coming... x Janelle

Support Team Sample - Yvette Adams

I am super excited to share another gorgeous Support Team sample of our sketch challenge, this time by the beautiful Yvette Adams. I adore the colours in Yvette's layout and love how clever and resourceful she is too. This is what Yvette has to say...

Thank you Mardi for the great sketch!  I've only done a handful of sketch-based layouts and this was great fun!  I went with a sunny colour scheme for these photos of our trip to the beach last week.  I dug into my scraps folder which is organised by colour so it was easy to find the supplies I needed!  See my title?  Only three of the letters are in their original form - the remaining four I cut from other letters!  I love to get the most out of my alphabet packs and foam letters lend themselves really well to altering!  I also used a journalling stamp from the first time in YEARS!  I'm so stoked with that!

Here are some close up shots of Yvette's layout.

Thanks so much Yvette for sharing your beautiful layout with us all...

Pop back tomorrow morning to see another stunning Support Team sample - this time by the talented Lisa Pate.

I am just loving seeing all of these samples, all scrapped using the same sketch. I hope you are having fun too! x Janelle

Sharing some entries

The entries for our sketch challenge are starting to arrive in my inbox. This morning I will share not one but TWO beautiful layouts by Kirsten Northfield. Kirsten has created two wonderful layouts!

Here is Kirsten's second layout...

A HUGE thank you to Kirsten for entering our sketch challenge, your layouts are wonderful!

So if you have scrapped a layout using our challenge, make sure you email it to me at nell2@westnet.com.au to be in the running to win a $10 voucher to the @home site. Back soon to share a gorgeous sample by Support Team member Yvette Adams. x Janelle

Support Team Sample - Mardi Winen

I am back today to share another of the Support Team samples, this time by the ever talented Mardi Winen. I adore Mardi's layout and think it matches her photo and teenage theme perfectly too. Gorgeous work Mardi. This is what Mardi had to say...

It has been quite a while since I've scrapped using a sketch....and I loved the challenge ... it was nice to have a 'blueprint' to follow for a change.
Looking forward to seeing some more layouts arrive in for the challenge.

Thank you Mardi for sharing your gorgeous layout...

Speaking of gorgeous layouts, I will be back later to share some gorgeous samples that popped into my inbox today. Can't wait to share. Have you scrapped a layout using Mardi's sketch yet? If so, make sure you email it to me, I would LOVE to share it too. x Janelle

Support Team Sample - Sheree Forcier

Time to share another sample by one of Kim's Support Team girls, Sheree Forcier. Sheree has created a stunning layout. I love all of the fine details that she has added, they are just stunning! Here is what Sheree has to say...

This was such a great sketch to work with!  (Thanks Mardi!)


I converted mine to a 12 x 12 layout, rounding both left side corners.  I added a paper doily behind my photos, a bit of pink bakers twine, button and a ticket, then layered some butterflies to embellish.  It all came together so easily!

Thanks Sheree for creating such a beautiful layout. Back soon to share more from the ST girls. Have you scrapped your layout using Mardi's sketch yet? If so, make sure you email it to me to be in the running to win a $10 voucher to the @home site... x Janelle

Support Team Sample - Janelle Wind

As promised, I am back to share my sample with you, scrapped using Mardi's sketch. I have a little confession to make first though, I have been in a major scrapping low and haven't scrapped one layout this year and was beginning to worry that my scrapping mojo had left the building.

I have to say a HUGE thank you to Mardi for designing such a wonderful and achievable sketch. My scrapping mojo was still there and I have had a WONDERFUL afternoon scrapping my first layout for 2011. I used some photos that I have had printed for months, taken at my daughter Emily's 12th birthday party last year. Here is my layout...

Here is a little close up of the title - I  mixed together a few different fonts and stitched it all in place with my scrapping sewing machine. For those who know me, know that I LOVE to stitch!

I hope my layout inspires you a little to join in our scrapping fun this week. Don't forget, I will be back often to share samples scrapped by the rest of our Support Team girls and we want to see YOUR layouts too.

Can't wait to see your layouts... x Janelle

Are you ready for some fun?

While our dear Kim takes a MUCH needed rest, we ST girls decided we would have some fun, and we want you to play along too. To start things off the beautiful Mardi has designed a sketch for us. Each of us ST girls will be scrapping a layout using this sketch and I will be uploading them to share with you throughout this week.

Here is Mardi's sketch. Isn't it perfect! I can't wait to scrap my layout using it...

Now, here is where you come in. We want to see YOUR layouts scrapped using Mardi's layout. You can scrap any theme, any size, any colours - anything you like. BUT we want to see it, and share it.

And as a thank you for sharing your layout with us, we have something for you too. For each person who scraps a layout using this sketch and emails a scan or photo of their layout to me by midnight Saturday Feb 12, your name will go into a draw to win a $10 voucher to Kim's site. So not only do you get to scrap a great layout, you could win a voucher to come to class with us too - how fun!!

So let's get scrapping!! I will be back later to share my layout using this sketch and will upload the ST girls layouts throughout the week, so make sure you pop back regularly.

Email your layouts to me at - nell2@westnet.com.au

AND sending lots of get well wishes to our wonderful Kim. Pop your feet up and rest. xx Janelle and the ST girls

Two Weeks Off

So. Starting today, I will be taking a two week break from the @Home site. Read my post below for the reasons why:)

You can still book into any of our classes. That side of things will keep ticking along without any disruptions. But I may not answer your emails as promptly as usual. And there won't be any new content uploaded for now.

In the meantime, I am thrilled to hand the blog reins over to my Support Team girls - Janelle, Mardi, Lisa, Yvette, Sheree and Mel who have a ton of ideas and things up their sleeves to share with you all over the next two weeks.

So keep on checking back to see what's going on.

I'll still be here but not online as much as usual and not actively working full time each day like usual. In fact, taking a break will feel a little weird - I'm not so good at doing nothing.

Handing over to Janelle now..oh and keep an eye on our facebook page for updates and to be kept in the loop:)

 

A weekend to remember

I spent more time in hospital over the weekend.

I wasn't expecting to. I had been feeling ok. Tired I guess but then it was back to school and work and BUSY and the heat had been unbearable. But I didn't feel all that bad. And I knew I wasn't quite back to normal after being so sick between Christmas and New Year. But I thought I was ok.

But then a migraine hit on Friday night and while I stemmed the brunt of it by taking Nurofen in time, I still ended up with dreadful nausea, vomiting and feeling revolting in such a short space of time. I went downhill so quickly. Too quickly.

So back up to the hospital we went as I didn't feel I was getting any better..

I have been to hospital 6 times now since Christmas. I didn't even get back here to talk about my first round of hospital trips which happened between Christmas and New Year. Basically, then,  I had a succession of stuff happen starting with a plain old cough after having an everyday cold... that turned into a worse cough that turned into me coughing so badly I pulled all the ligaments and tendons in my rib muscles!!! The rib pain was so intense I was in agony. I then had asthma, a violent reaction to some pain meds (note to self - I am allergic to panadeine forte but it did take away the rib pain so that was one plus), a combination of asthma drugs that caused anxiety (not good when you are anxiety prone anyway!!), blood tests, xrays on my ribs (nothing broken - phew), reflux from the asthma and coughing, vomiting and dehydration. 

Eventually my GP reopened after Christmas so i could finally go and see him and by that time it was early January and I had then developed Bronchitis. So after three courses of antibiotics and reflux meds, I felt I was healing - albeit slowly, but at least I could feel I was improving. But still I wasn't really improving as quickly as I should have been.

Anyway, I don't want to make this a looong story but the weekend hospital trip revealed I was severely rundown and dehydrated and I hadn't recovered properly from my earlier sickness... I was given anti nausea meds and three bags of fluids, electrolytes and other stuff, more blood tests and told to take two weeks off from work, exercise and netball etc. I'm not even supposed to go for a walk but I negotiated that one and they said as long as its gentle walking that is fine.

TWO WEEKS OFF! From work. That will be interesting!