sometimes they will play nicely

With each other. With me.
It is important to make the most of those times!













but all too soon it turns to this....


and this...


and this....


at which point you might as well stop and photograph the onlookers

Have chair, will travel....

I'm having fun taking my furniture to the beach.
There is something oddly amusing about a grandfather chair taken totally out of context.





Apparently you do get to a point where it is no longer amusing however.


And as long as I have my VALS (voice activated light stand) that doubles as a furniture removalist, I'm sweet!



(I'm not even going tell you what he said to the tourists in the background, but it went along the lines of ...."when we were first married, she only made me carry a banana lounge to the beach, now she insists on this...."

Inspire me

You know how every now and then you just get to do something really cool? Not because you really deserve it....or even that you meet the required skill level......but you just manage to bluff your way in to play with the big kids?

That was me last week. I managed to scam my way into a photography course on the Gold Coast with 4 big name photographers -
1. Nichole Van - an amazing child and family photographer
2. Zach Arias - of 'one light' fame
3. Joey L - who shot the pics for the Twilight movie posters and does shoots for people like the Jonas Brothers (this had far more impact on my daughter than me - but I understand the importance LOL)
4. Andrea Joki - who provided one on one mentoring.

We spent a day being moulded by each and getting to do all sorts of cool stuff that I just never would have had a go at before.
So. Onward and upward. I CAN do this!

and some quick shots from the various days :)

Nichole Van's daughter....


with the bribery.....


for her to put up with this....














and Joey L being very casual with his $30K camera.....not even a strap because they are for sissies LOL

featured designer

guess who!

this week at Faith Sisters blog.....

Here at Faith Sisters, we are very blessed to have so many wonderful digital scrapbooking designers who help us in our shop. Every other Sunday, we will feature some our outstanding designers!

Rowena, (AKA Wilro&co Designs) has been with our shop from the very beginning. She helped shape our shop into what it is today! Recently Ro has been working on her photography business and has created some wonderful photography story board templates and many more resources for photographers. Check out Ro's store for these resources currently on sale and many of her one of a kind hand drawn items for digital scrapbooking. You will love what she has!

Ro, please tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Ro and I've been married for 16 years and have 3 beautiful (and at times challenging!) daughters. I am a Christian, and we are blessed to now live at the beach on NSW South Coast Australia. I am a physiotherapist, and ran my own private practice for about 15 years in the NSW outback before hubby getting a transfer to the coast. I now work as a rehabilitation consultant....and a digiscrap designer and photographer when I can fit it in! I was introduced to paper scrapbooking by some good friends whilst we lived way out west!

What are some of the life lessons that scrapbooking has taught you?

I realized early on in scrapping that children are vain little things....and will spend hours looking at anything that contains a picture of themselves. I would repeatedly try and 'tell' my girls something that I wanted them to learn - often to no avail. BUT if I wrote it down in an amusing way and slapped a big photo of them on it, it was guaranteed reading. They would spend hours on the lounge pouring over their scrapbook. They could quote it back to me word for word. I figured I needed to harness this phenomenon to my advantage.

One of the most important things to me as a mother is to see my children grow to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and a personal relationship with him. Again this is something you can 'tell' a child about, but it is something that they have to internalise for themselves. I use my scrapping (along with that big photo of them slapped on the page) to help them develop an understanding of what is really important in their lives, and decisions they have to make about where they will spend eternity. My motto for digiscrapping is "scrap the bigger picture".

When did you start digital scrapbooking, designing and what made you get into it?

I've been digital scrapbooking for 3-4 years now, and selling designs for about 2. When I started I didn't really realise how much digiscrap product was out there so kept trying to make the things that I wanted to use on my own personal layouts. After going to all that trouble, I figured I might as well sell it!

What inspires you to create your designs?

I get inspiration from lots of places - but a lot of the colours I use together come from kids clothing!

Can you share your favorite scrapbooking or design tip with our Faith Sisters?

Hmmmm....like the really super secret stuff? LOL!

I like realistic shadows. Sometimes the drop shadow functions just doesn't give you the depth that you want to make the element look real. I tend to add a blank layer under the element (particularly non-symmetrical / unusual shaped items like bows). If you ctrl+click on the bow to make it's shape active, you can fill the layer below with a dark grey bow shape. Then use the warp tool to pull the shadow out from the corners a bit - while thinking about which direction you have your light source coming from and thinking about what parts of the element are further away from the page and would cast more shadow. Then add some guassian blur, set the layer mode to 'multiply', and wind down the opacity a bit if it is too strong :)

How do you find the time to do so many wonderful designs?

Yes - that's the trick isn't it? I'm not sure I am so good at that bit. I'll do some designing - and then work gets busy so I don't do much for a while. I find designing relaxing though...I've been known to play in Photoshop instead of doing a functional capacity evaluation for work ;)

What is your favorite scripture verse?

1 Peter 3:15

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

and if you've managed to read through all than I will reward you with a new freebie in the store to celebrate!

Live Laugh Love

It's blog train time and Faith Sisters again!
Scoot around and pick up all the bits of the Live Laugh Love kit are available at the links listed below.Don't forget to check out the shop when you get to the end :)

4 Shades of Blue: http://4shadesofbluedesigns.blogspot.com/

Albums to Remember: http://albumstoremember.blogspot.com/

Audra's Little Scraps: http://audraslittlescraps.blogspot.com/

Benilda Scraps: http://benildascraps.blogspot.com/

Busy Mama Designs: http://somuchtoscrapbook.blogspot.com/

Camie Designs: http://camiedesigns.blogspot.com/

Chelly: http://chelsant.blogspot.com/

Claudi Designs : http://www.scrapnfun.de/

Designs by Angel : http://scrappingwithangel.blogspot.com/

Digital Compilations by Cinda: http://blog.digitalcompilations.com/

Digital Designs by Lisa: http://www.digitaldesignsbylisa.blogspot.com/

Dragonfly Beach Designs: http://alumnaanimi.blogspot.com/

Emma Moore: http://eyeletsscrapsdesigns.blogspot.com/

Eva Lindqvist Designs: http://everything-eva.blogspot.com/

Kreative Karma : http://thekreativekarma.blogspot.com/

Lifesong Kreations by Karla : http://lifesongkreations.blogspot.com/

Merchi makes it!: http://merchimakesit.blogspot.com/

Meredith Cardall: http://meredithcardall.blogspot.com/

Michelle Batton: http://blog.mellowbutterfly.com/

Michelle Boroni: http://biabellascrapdigital.blogspot.com/

Robin Willson: http://robin-giftsyoucanfeelgoodabout.blogspot.com/

Simply Susan Godfrey: http://www.simplysusangodfrey.com/

Scrap Quest: http://www.scrapquest.com/blog

Sweet Tomato Designs: http://sweettomatodesigns.blogspot.com/

TMA Designs: http://themathematiciansassistant.com/

and me!!

Willro&co: http://willrownco.blogspot.com/

LAST STOPFaith Sisters: http://faith-sisters.blogspot.com/


you can download my portion of the blogtrain **ETA the kit is now only available in the Faith Sisters shop**

and if you get around the whole blog train, there is an album of QP's at the end
(here's mine)

Also there is the big birthday bash happening!

drum roll please.....

I am very excited to show you my latest project.

With just a little bit of fiddling around, I now have Willro&co Photography Website all set up and ready for business!! I have managed to convince my accountant that I am legitimate (which is just as well as I am off to a photography course with the incredible Zack Arias, Andrea Joki, Nichole Van and Joey L in a little over a week.....hoping that they dont notice that 'very green newbie look' about me) and am looking forward to taking wonderful photos of beautiful people around our little spot here on the south coast!

If you live nearby....drop me a line, I just might do you a deal ;)

Chairs pt2

It all worked out OK......An early birthday present.

The chair not the girl....she was Bill's birthday present one other year.
and no, despite a circulating rumour...I will not be forty....not even close :)