a SMASHing good time

Here is my SMASH book (so far)

If you haven't got one of these babies yet -- OMG!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??

They're made by K&Co, and come with LOTS of accessories.

This is the TRAVEL album, with a rubber band around it, before I started decorating it...

and here it is finished. (I think)
I've used some G45 Le Circque paper, Tim's tissue tape, and Rusty Pickle/Kaiser alpha stickers. I inked the embossed cover and sanded the edges of the paper. I also made the label using dies and a black pen. (the pen that comes with the album is a nice writer at one end, and a glue stick at the other)

Inside, I've done a couple of pages...

These interactive pages are about my trip to Melbourne. I love interactive pages, they make a LO dynamic. I used a SMASH calendar pocket on this page, to hold some ephemera, and then used brads to attach other pieces to the front of the pocket, so that the whole process was one of discovery.

On this page, I used a cut-up ATC pocket page, to hold photos and other bits. It lifts up to reveal yet more pictures underneath.

The tape is another SMASH product, which I LOVE. Also I've attached 'flags' to the plane tickets (SMASH) and there are stickynotes as well (also SMASH accessories).

Here's another page I have done -- not sure if it's finished yet....

To make the tree, I glued paper strips down onto some white card, then laid the tree diecut (Tims) onto it, and free-hand drew the leaves shape around the trunk. Then it was just a matter of cutting and gluing them together.

The birds' nest is made by wrapping string round two fingers, then gluing it to a disc of card, and finishing with some stickybacked pearls. I jabbed a blue heart pin through it, too, but you'll have to squint to see it.

You can check out more SMASH here...

better than a rock god

Last week, (on the 22nd June actually) I got the opportunity to meet THE Man Himself, Tim Holtz, and to do a full-day workshop with him in Melbourne.
 It was a fantastic day! though it started WAY too early (in my head I was still on WA time, and I got up at 3 am. SOOOO tired)

Brekky in Melbourne at a cute little place called Cafe Baci's

and then to Oaks on Market for the workshop

Here we are getting settled in
 (and, of course, taking a million photos. For a while the clicking of cameras drowned out the chatter!)

I got to meet Mario and he hugged me twice! which Noriel completely failed to get pictures of, but oh well.

Then we got busy.
And I mean BUSY.
We completed 10 tags before lunch, and then another 10 after, and Tim is such a master of running classes that we kept up a great pace for the whole day -- not so fast that you get lost or flustered, and not so slow that you get bored.
Plus, the whole time he talks and drops really cool tips and techniques.
Let's face it, he's probably forgotten more about inks and paints than the rest of us will ever learn!

And then The Big Moment -- I actually got to speak to him, and get my picture taken with him (ugh) and get his autograph.

Truly, if you ever get the chance to do one of Tim's workshops? GO FOR IT!!
 He's a really good teacher -- even the techniques I didn't think I would like were enjoyable.
 And he is SUCH the nicest guy, it was a real pleasure to meet him.