~ LIVING LIFE, NOT JUST SURVIVING IT ~
••• tiff firth photography •••

Monday, May 31, 2010

seeding 2010

The things I do to keep my man sweet.

I skinned my shin bone will lying down on the box of the air seeder to catch this shot. I try to take some pics every season (seeding and harvest) from a different perspective.

Seeding 2010 -  tick.


suspense

I received an absolutely wonderful parcel in the mail today. Thanks very much Sandra for hand delivering (I was at home with a sick little chick today). And also a shout out to Sandra too for her Tearing and Sanding technique article on pg 74 of this months Scrapbooking Memories. Now your a scrappy household name chick.

I am duty bound to keep it a secret but all will be revealed later in the year. So if you don't see any LO's here for a bit, its because I'm keeping 'mum' on a few.

Tee heeee. Got ya wondering now!!!!!

cloudscape

I like a bit of drama.

And looking North the other day I happened to see some pretty cool cloud formations. I also was lucky enough to have the camera with me. The clouds looked like a fuming mass about to boil into a twister. (A very rare occurrence here). I was lucky to get it as it all had melded and lost definition 5 mins later.

I've darkened the foreground a bit to give the clouds more edge and mood. I might have a play with textures yet.


sean in a box

I'm mucking around tonight editing some photos so you may see several posts. The reason why I post separately is I give each photo its own title in the title box when uploading into blogger. I have always done this and it makes it so easy to search for it and the story at a later date. Makes journaling for scrap booking a cinch as I have all the details on hand.



We replaced our sad and sorry fax machine on Friday (some of it was held together by packaging tape). Sean commandeered the box and its has been his 'throne' since then. I couldn't resist the impulse to take this shot with that little relaxed pout on his lips.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

pigeon pair

I've done that richly coloured palette #8 at The Color Room. And I used their sketch to get it all happening. Its a bit different using the HS overlay but the guts of it is there.


I used the paper mache technique for the coloured background with modge podge, let it dry and then just went for it with the blooms and pearls. There's even a couple of cherubs in the details.



Just a tip, if printing onto Prima packaging (something that I seem to be doing a lot of lately, dry it with your heat gun otherwise it takes ages for it to set.)

I actually dreamt how this one would look and its nearly the same as I had imagined. Nice to know that some dreams to come true
;o)
t

three

For those that know me, know that I don't make cards.

Tonight I broke that mould.

There's a dear little boy turning three tomorrow and we are heading over to his place for Sunday lunch.

From now on, I don't 'do' cards very often

;o)


Friday, May 28, 2010

no doubt

lots of links with this post.

Inspired by a number of sources.

color room palette 6 sketch and colour scheme.
Sandra (for the use of her chip fence and the flowers poking out thru the slats.
E2C blog for a back to front scrap lift (pick a product and then finding inspiration to use it)
Twiddleybitz (May nude chip challenge) (yeah I hear ya, I only just made this one as its very near the end of May. lol

Oh and mostly by the love between Paige and Annie. Its tangible





And just a heads up in case you were really keen on the Scrapbooking Masters 2010 criteria. It was announced today. Details here

colour room palette 8

the color Room - Family Room.


oh so rich and inviting.

can't wait to to fossick thru my stash of papers and I have a Heidi Swapp overlay that works with the sketch perfectly.

with one thing and another happening, I've been struggling to scrap this week. I get one LO together that I'm really happy with, and the next one I struggle with and it ends up like crap. Just so I can get it done and move on, it stays as crap. Sooo frustrating.

It might be something to do with me running a bit flat this week. I've felt a bit like a deflated tyre. I have just enough in me to get thru the day but I'm totally sapped in the evening. I've been sleeping much more than I normally do. Last night I was asleep by 9pm and up this morning at 7a. I normally hit the sack somewhere around 1ish most nights, so 9pm is so out of character. Sean has had one of those full of snot bugs that's getting around, and that usually leads into an asthma episode. If we hit it hard enough, early enough, we can usually knock it off reasonably quick, which was the case this time thank goodness. But while he was really not well, we stayed home. I missed going to a number of things that I usually commit to each week, so we've had a bit of a hermit week. This in turn has lead me to feeling a bit flat.

I've been out of the house taking photos for a number of photo comps that are coming up, as well as for the Camera Club. I probably got a strange look or two when I was standing outside the council office shooting their gorgeously autumn coloured glory vine yesterday. I was also on the back of the box of the air seeder taking a few pics of the machinery to keep Kym sweet.   ;o)

Any RFC mini minis or minis parents reading this, please have your boys dressed in the club gurneys for training next Wednesday night. I'm setting up a shoot of  the kids doing the Toyota Jump for a comp. If we are lucky enough, and if the boys jump really well, we'll have a training session run by Andrew McLeod and Kurt Tippett.
Annie has a couple of friends staying here tonight, so no doubt that will cheer me up. I reckon I'm on my way up now as yesterday was just blah. Today was brighter, so tomorrow will be fantastic. You know me, I'm a glass half full type of girl.



:o)

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

lush

mwah.
Roses and butterfly from Cheap As Chips


My answer to the Color Room's #7 Palette. Extremely loosely based on the sketch from that palette too. And Louise's way of using a border punch.  (Hi Lou!!  xx)

XX


Another LO that gave me the shits. It just wasn't happening for days. I very nearly filed it away to move on to another. It wasn't until I found those 'people' that it came together for me. I think its the vine that threw me. It just looked very stick like, not soft and lovely on the page. While I'm still not overly thrilled with the page, it is done.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

mud

rain
=
puddles
=
mud
+
add a little boy and throw in a bit of sunshine
=
fun
+
a change of clothes after.


having a play with Jerry Jones textures.

(that IS mud by the way)

PL gym comp

Just a couple of pics of Annie at her gym comp on the weekend. The light in the gym hall was so bloody awful. They have yellow skylights which gave everyone's skin a juandice look. I've managed to recover most of the pics with corrective post production work. It took a fair while tho.


the day's efforts. Gotta love that winning smile.


Reward. Whatever they wanted from Wendy's. Thanks to their Mum's for letting me post this pic on here.

Monday, May 24, 2010

mini minis

Our footy club has a number of Dad volunteers who take on the junior juniors, I call them the mini minis, to give them a kick, tackle and most of all, fun while the bigger brothers and sisters train at their footy or netball.

Sean LOVES it. I took the camera along last week to catch his enthusiasm. Every shot had his tongue sticking out, which is what he does when he is concentrating. I had a go doing a photo of the boys doing a 'toyota jump' for a photographic competition. I'll have another go this week.





funny how nearly every boy hugged the goal post.

Miss R

This is what I've been busy at..... oh and another 350 odd photos of Annie's gym comp. The lighting in the gym hall was very tricky.... I'll post and explain that tomorrow.

Until then I can show a sneak peek of Miss R. This little poppet has the most expressive eyebrows and the most gorgeous Christening Gown. Thanks Mum and enjoy your sneak peek.

t










Sunday, May 23, 2010

circus royale

we went to the circus on Friday night. They announced just before the show started that no photography be allowed so I put my camera away. But I did get this one outside of the big top before we went in. Hand held camera. So loving no flash photography, it adds so much more mood in the photos.


We went with Kathy and her boys (on left) and it was so good sharing the experience with them, as well as an extra set of trusting hands for both of us.

Great night and thoroughly recommend the show.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

keeping it real


This is the LO that has had me absolutely bogged for a number of days. I really don't know why. I had the photo printed, I had the journaling done, but I just couldn't seem to get it together. I had actually started walking past my scrap desk with my eyes averted so it wouldn't taunt me. sigh. So this morning I just did it. No thought process at all, just get the thing done, and out of the way.

The idea behind this LO came from me challenging Maryanne, Sandra and Janice to do a 'wedding' something. What ever they wanted just as long it related back to wedding. Sandra's is an absolute giggle.

I had a photo shoot this morning. It was lovely to be 'back in the saddle again. I'm out scrapping tonight at Scrapworkz, processing the photo shoot tomorrow, at the circus tomorrow night, staying in Lincoln for Annie's gym comp on Saturday. Sunday will be a day of rest. (fingers crossed). Monday sees fitness class and Camera Club that night.

Hopefully it will rain sometime bloody soon so the men can get back out in the tractors to keep going with seeding. We have stopped now for a number of days as its just too dry. sigh.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

free as the wind

I've been messing around with the camera the last few days getting my eye back in the game. With some very helpful advice from Maryanne on the use of Jerry Jones Textures I finished up with this little beauty. It's also going to be one of my entries in the Camera Club Comp on Monday night.




I am so pleased with DigiCam on Halifax St in Adelaide. (in the white pages). That's who I sent the camera to for service and a clean. And the issue of some spotting on the top part of the images is gone. Yahoo. So I can recommend them for servicing your camera. I must mention tho I was a tad disappointed how they packed it to be sent back to me. I had the body and the two lenses packed in their original boxes, well padded inside a Postpak box. I had the parcel hand delivered via a friend and it was picked up to be brought back by another friend. Instead of returning it well padded in a Postpak the three original boxes were put in a green grocery bag. So please insist that it be boxed well if someone is picking it for you on your behalf.

Monday, May 17, 2010

calibration

I've long lamented on the fact of colour control on PCs. Be they laptops or desktops. It came to a head when I noticed the laptop colours were so different to my desktop colours. The same issue with brightness and contrast too.

So I researched, and researched some more and I've just calibrated both my computers with this.



The difference from before to after the calibration is remarkable. Amazing actually.

Now I know when I am processing a photo shoot that I can pretty much guarantee correct colour control on my end. Whilst I can't say the same for the Photo Labs, their printers, the customers computer and any other device that displays/prints photos, at least I can eliminate one possibility of error that may have been mine.

Wouldn't it be a wonderful world where all monitors that display colour were calibrated exactly the same. Alas, that would be far too easy wouldn't it.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

softly softly


My answer to the Color Room Palette 6-His Room for this week. Very loosely based on a Ann-Chirstin LO.

Thanks Sandra. ;o)

Those curly thingies are twisty ties. Also inspired by Ann-Chirstin. And Louise Nelson has used florist twisty things too. I found a really long one in my toolbox (one that Kym is banned from otherwise my tools go for a walk and are never to be seen again). I twisted it around a rubon stick, trimmed it to size and viola, instant 'twisty thingies' lol.

The ruffled border idea came from the Scrapbook Trends blog. I see it Amanda spotted it too and has used it on her latest LO as well. I changed it a bit and looking at it now I wished I had run a line of straight stitch in green from left to right. oh well, 'tis done now.

Have a great weekend.

Friday, May 14, 2010

the color room palette #6 - His Room


have a look at what their design team came up with using these colours.
The Color Room
There's 3 SA girls on this team. Isnt it wonderful. Go Girls.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

she will always be there for the both of you


labor of love with this one. Paige has a very special place in my heart and the kids' in hers. I'm damn sure the kids think she's pretty good too.

I re-purposed some Prima packaging which lead me to the colour scheme. Based on a Becky Higgins sketch which Leonie from Scrapworkz has challenged her Thursday night girls with. The sketch came home with Leonie from SIA last week.

And a very big thank you to the lovely wishes on publications lately. I seemed to have found a sweet spot at the moment. Just to clarify, I don't scrap for submission calls. I scrap for me. If a mag likes it, great!! If a mag doesn't want it, well that's great too. After all, its not for them that I scrap for in the first instance. So I'll enjoy the ride while it lasts and its been a wonderful trip so far. (I've probably jinxed myself now lol)

Oh, and the baby's back home. (Camera). Clean and Pristine. Now I can get onto and confirm those session bookings, take pics for the camera club comp sections, finish my last assignment of my photography course and but most important of all, take pics of my family. I missed my baby.
cheers
t

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

unaware



Another palette colour scheme from Colour Room. This is #2 - His Room, and based the sketch that came from Palette #4 - Family Room. Also using the Etsy bag from the E2C Retreat which fulfills a challenge on their blog.

Monday, May 10, 2010

unguarded

Photography by Paige.


My answer to the Color Room's Palette 5- Her Room and my take on their sketch which I turned onto its side.




Sunday, May 9, 2010

happy mothers day...

.... to every Mum out there. Wishing you the most cherished day.

image from here

Saturday, May 8, 2010

daisy chain

This is a pic from a photo shoot of Annie in the daises last year. I've used the same daisy idea as the You LO, (embossed the daises with the cuttlebug first) and a long gold chain that belonged to Annie's Great Grandmother. I have since curled the petals of the daises a bit.


Thanks Gina for the lend of that divine new Martha Stewart around the corner punch. I don't know the name of it tho.

last few days

Wow. Where did this week go????!!!

I did a fitness class on Monday morning which left me really sore for the rest of the week. I quivered when I walked lol. Monday also saw me over in Tumby cleaning house, photographing the carpet that I pulled up for an insurance claim, cleaning windows and hating every moment there in that house. I am sure that with the new carpet and a paint job is will be so much nicer. As it was we planned to renovate the bathroom so that will get done as soon as poss as well. Monday night saw me asleep by 8.30pm. I was absolutely, completely stuffed. Kym could see just how sore I was and he even offered a massage. Jumped all over that suggestion. Bliss.

Tuesday. Bloody sore. My quads had the biggest workout the day before and they were in definite protest. To go to the loo, I had fall onto it and climb up the vanity to get off. It would have been funny to be a fly on the wall. Hair cut for Sean, Dr for me, Annie had Gym after going to the dentist in the arvo.

Wednesday. Sore. Pilates class. And finally it clicked. This was my third session and to be honest I was getting a tad frustrated in myself. All I was giving myself was a sore back and no core workout at all. This week was different. I don't know what happened, it just clicked. I had the most wonderful time with Janice, Sandra, and June. We had a Cuttlebug day. Janice was the hostess with the mostess and served up scrummy pumpkin soup for lunch. Lots of embossing, die cutting and Sandra sanding like a demon!! Plenty of laughs too.

Janice made these gorgeous hearts full of chocs (sxuse the out of focus photo. I really don't do well with my 10 year old digi dinosaur. I've heard about my camera and it will be here shortly. BIG YAY)



and Sandra surprised us with Mojo Sticks. (This woman is so full of ideas!!!)


I think we are heading to Maryanne's next for a punch up. ;oD    After School and Kindy we had Netta training for Annie and Mini Minis for Sean. I fell asleep that night in Annie's bed while she was reading her reader to me. Little bloss, tucked me in and let me sleep until I woke up later.

Thursday. Kindergym for Sean. I stretched out those quads again. By now I didn't quiver quite so much unless I over strided lol. I headed down to Lincoln for the Thursday scrap nite @ Scrapworkz (hi Leonie). This is probably my last one there for a month or so while we are seeding.

Friday. Lincoln with Sean. Exchanged laptop on the rental contract, data transfer, shopped and stuff. Back in Cummins to pick up Annie from X Roads and trot around to Gym for her extra training for her comp in a couple of weeks. Booked in for the circus. Roared back home, and scoffed down the yummy calamari that Kym had cooked up. Then out for a Tupperware party with a glass of wine or two.

Saturday. Panadol. lol. Today was the first hunt of the season. Did I go??? Nup. Did I go to Footy?? Nup. It was a beautiful day that I spent mostly indoors going thru the mountain of bills, reconciling the working account, scrapping paperwork, and getting this blog up to date. All the while cooking 4 litres of pumpkin soup and a yummy corned beef for tea. Oh and being Mum.

Now I can scrap with abandon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the color room palette #5 - Her Room


@ the color room. isnt it lovely. the sketch challenges are really inspiring too.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

you


LO loosely based on a digi template from PagesMaps May 2010 release. (click on their review button)

can now reveal after publication in Scrapbook Memories Vol 12. No 10. Spring Gallery.


Monday, May 3, 2010

tick tock

My LO in response to Sue's sketch LO challenge over @ E2C. The sketch was based on Maryanne's LO Wrestle that currently featured in 'what's cooking' in this months Scrapbooking Memories magazine.


That watch face in the top right corner is the actual watch in the photos. I didn't keep it just for this LO, but happened to find it today in a drawer. What amazing timing (pun intended)

Annie's currently doing 2 extra trainings a week at Gym for a competition in 3 short weeks time. Last year Port Pirie, Mount Gambier, Port Lincoln and our club all competed in Port Lincoln. I would like to show Annie that Gym is a bigger thing than just going thru the motions in our club and that there are other clubs out there. I hope it will open her eyes a bit and motivate her to fly. Especially when we watch the older kids in the afternoon of the comp. I'm told those competitors really can fly. So we are at Gym training at least 9 times over the next 3 weeks. Thank goodness we live only 10 mins out of town. It wouldn't matter if we lived half an hour away, she enjoys it that much. She has another young lass from her group that is going for it too which is great company for each other. Thank goodness the camera will be back by then. I'll need to charge up the video camera batteries and have Kym drive that so I can shoot the stills.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

mini debutante

The idea for this one has been bubbling in my head for a while and I managed to get a good start on it up at Shabby Chick Shack last Friday night.


I'm really pleased with it. It's pretty much how I had imagined it except the font is a bit small. It says:

You felt so very special when you tried on Mum's Debutante dress. Mum wore it in 1986 when she was sixteen years old. It was also the bicentennial year for South Australia (150 years of settlement). Anyway there you were in an adults size 8 and you being a child size 6. It took quite a few pins to hold it all together. And you did look beautiful.

The lace work was very carefully cut from a delicate doily and adhered with spray adhesive.

;o)
t

Saturday, May 1, 2010

their connection

My answer to The Color Room palette 4 challenge 'family room'. (see post below). I had started this one last night up at Shabby Chick Shack International Scrapbook Day celebration. Unbeknowns to me I had the bones of the colour challenge in place which was only posted today. (ironic).

I had to put this one away till I came home to print on the card stock and put it all together today. The orange touch are the diamond brads on either side of the page.


photo taken by Paige. mwah xxx

color room #4

family room.
isnt it rich. just right for our autumn season, not that gum trees leaves change colour at all.