{scraps of jacki's life}

goodbye linda...

today we say goodbye to linda.

we have been collegues and friends for about 3.5 years now. she and i worked together at the scrapyard, another scrapbook shop where i was the workshop teacher and she ran the shop. then they closed down, and she got a job at SCRAPPIN TIMES. she was the one who told me the shop was for sale. when i bought the shop, i got linda as part of the bargain, as though she was shop equipment. and in that spirit, i 'sold' her to one of my clients, last week.

so, from monday, linda is working elsewhere. diana, you will find linda to be positive, enthusiastic, cheerful, loyal and dependable. you have got yourself a gem. look after her.

linda, thank you for your contribution to this shop. you have reached a crossroads in your life, and you have chosen the difficult route. i pray that your new journey will take you to places that help you grow. we will miss you!

you can read more about the frame linda scrapped of herself here.

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

invitations, and a card

i made this card with sketch #56 on card positioning systems, a cardmaking website.  i love using their sketches for cards, as it gives me an idea, but leaves me free to make it my own.

linda made these invitations for a client:

this is what they look like inside. it is for a girl's party.

thanks for the positive response to my question yesterday, when i asked if you would like it if i did mini-tutorials. one of my clients, janine, who moved to USA in january, said she loved the idea of doing a scrap class in her pajamas! as long as you brush your teeth first, janine... that's what i love about the internet, i could be teaching the class in my pajamas too, if i wanted to!

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES

shoes, and happy anniversary!

linda made these cute little shoes from paper.

we found them on lovebugscrapbooking. there are templates there too, and detailed instructions. also look at melissa frances, she has more adorable examples. you can visit scrapbookinghohenlohe too, for more ideas of what you can do with them.

it has been 6 months since i've started blogging. i have written 91 posts in this time. when i started this blog, i thought that i would use it as a kind of shop 'newsletter' to my clients, informing them of upcoming events, what classes were coming up, new products, and news and photos of what we have been doing. but soon i realized that most of my clients were not visiting this blog, and in fact, less that 10% of the readers of this blog are even in south africa. this meant that i had to re-focus, and re-think what i had to do and say here.

gradually but steadily the number of hits/visits per day increased. this means that i must be doing something right, although it is mostly a trial and error thing. and it's one thing to get a visit, it is another to get that person to come back again... it has been a challenge, a learning curve, and a lot of fun! first i worked at getting more visits, then i got the little map, and i love to see the little red dots appearing as you read here from places i dream of visiting. now, i get a kick of seeing this blog climbing slowly but steadily up the ranks of amatomu, a south african blog directory.

most of all, i love getting your comments. those are what makes blogging so unique. i enjoy hearing from you, i appreciate that you took the time to say 'hello' to me. so, i want to say 'hi' to wilna furstenburg, cathy sanders, gloumarie, caro, linda koen, diana engelbrecht, carla - sis, kim lewthwaite, donna downey, gerty pieterse, liza le grange, retha van der watt, elsa niksch, annette scholtz, paula oosthuizen - other sis, kelly rae roberts, tami mayberry - she designed sketch #55 that i referred to in the previous post, jackie gallagher, rachael scholz, lara cousins, lea lawson, anabelle o'malley, and especially {{drum roll}} ineke van dijk, rené real, mathilda rudolph and janine verster. did you see some of the names of the girls who's blogs i read often? these are the people who have commented on this blog in the last 6 months, some of you regularly. thank you, thank you, thank you! and to you who read this blog often, but have never commented, please do so now. it is time to stop lurking, and to introduce yourself. i would love to meet you! jy ook, melani!

please, all of you, leave a comment and tell me what you like about this blog, and how you found me. tell me what you would like to see here in the next 6 months. help me to make this a happy place...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES

mini book - friends

this is a wonderful chipboard book from enmarc - a great south african company. they make a great veriety of products. linda made up this book called 'friends'.

later this week, i will give you a sneak peek of the beautiful 'family' book liza made for her classes coming up, also from enmarc.

melani from paper crazy made a stunning mini book from scratch. take a look, it's beautiful, and inspiring and easy.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES

linda's gift box

But it is a cold, lifeless business when you go to the shops to buy something, which does not represent your life and talent, but a goldsmith's.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Gifts," Essays, Second Series, 1844

linda has been very crafty lately. she has scrapped this box for her mother-in-law, as a treasure box. she has currently got an ice-cream tub on her dressing table, for all her treasures, so she desperately needs an upgrade... nice idea for a christmas gift!

A hug is a great gift - one size fits all, and it's easy to exchange.  ~Author Unknown

love, jacki

SCRAPPIN TIMES

Advent Calendar

To scrap or not to scrap, what a silly question!

hi

last week linda hattingh, linda koen and liza all made advent calendars. so amazing how similar they are, and yet they are all completely different.

the layout on the left is liza's advent calendar. she used a green chipboard frame. each number was cut on 3 sides so they flap open. under the little flaps she put photos of her son, and little bible verses. when she is finished teaching her class, she will take it home and add some little gifts and clues for her son.

layout 2 is by linda koen. she used the same pattern paper as liza, but she cut the little blocks out and spread them over 2 sheets of green treasures paper. she made little bags from felt to put little gifts in.  behind the other numbers she will put clues for her son to follow to other gifts. as he opens each day's flap, she will take a photo of him, which she will stick behind the flap. so after christmas, she can place the double page in her album as a layout. she put a ribbon through each page so she could hang them on the wall while they act as an advent calendar.

layout 3 is done by linda hattingh. she used different paper, and put the calendar in a blue chipboard frame. behind the flaps that can open, she put little silver chocolate coins.

this is a good example of how each one worked with the same idea, and almost the same products, and came up with something completely different! all three these girls are awesome and inventive scrappers.

hope you are making time to scrap. remember to post a comment, and to join our group on facebook.

love, jacki

Frames

This simple, blank, cardboard frame, can be transformed into something special with some imagination. The sides flap open, so you can cover it with paper. Inside it is the size of one page, 30cm x 30cm. We suggest you see it as a whole, and scrap it as such, rather that finish the page, and try to make the frame match.

We used modge Podge on ours, to protect it from dust, as it has no glass.

You can use anything on your frame, as long as it is not too heavy. Lots of ribbon, lace and flowers add dimension to it. You can use several photos, but we found that using one special photo that was enlarged, was the most effective.

You can visit the Scrap 'n Frame website for more ideas in their Gallery.

The frame on the right was done by Linda Hattingh.