cathy is one of the very best blog-friends one could ever hope for. she comments every time! thanks cathy, you are very special. i hope you have a wonderful day.
pop over to cathy's beautiful blog, and wish her a happy birthday. tell her i sent ya.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
so butterflies have accidentally become my 'thing'. my unintentional 'trademark'. all as a result of this post, that was unexpectedly linked to from all sorts of blogs from all over the world.
last week i found a link to me here. and she had a link that suddenly gave the butterflies a meaning.
In an effort to remember them, Holocaust Museum Houston is collecting
1.5 million handmade butterflies.
The butterflies will eventually comprise a breath-taking exhibition, currently scheduled for Spring 2012, for all to remember.
you can read more about it here. as a shop, we are going to participate, and make and send some butterflies.
i'm busy scrapping and catching up with my email and reading all your blogs.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
these cards were featured yesterday on scrapscene as day 11 on their 'handmade christmas card a day' feature.
I always use 3 sheets of 12'x12' (30cmx30cm) cardstock that mix and match to make cards. In the case of the Christmas cards, i used a pale gold, red and green. I cut 2 cards from each cardstock, each measuring 8'x6' (20cmx15cm), and folded them in half, making a total of 6 cards.
The remaining 6 pieces of cardstock, each measuring 4'x6' (10cmx15cm) I cut a little smaller, so they fit on the front of the cards with a little edge of the card showing as a border. These pieces I use to decorate the cards with. These steps I use for all my card-making.
For these Christmas cards I got my inspiration from card sketch #85, by Tami Mayberry (http://tamimayberry.blogspot.com/) on http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/.
I cut scraps of Christmas paper into little rectangles so they fit 3x3 on each of the loose pieces, in a grid of 9 blocks, and stuck them with a little tape. Then i used my sewing machine, and using green cotton, i stitched with a zig-zag stitch around the edges of the loose pieces, and between each of the paper blocks, creating a quilt effect.
Then using foam tape, I stuck a block with some decorations on it, in the middle of the card, raising it a little. I cut little Christmas trees from paper, or used a little inspirational quote, or used a cuttlebug to cut and emboss a Christmas wreath.
Finally i stuck the loose pieces on the cards.
i made more cards using this style, and showed them here.
these cards were linked to on scrappin' mojo.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
visit this cute doggy, type in a command under her, and see what happens. tell her to sit, roll over, down, stand, sing, dance, shake, fetch, play dead, beg, etc. you can also type in 'kiss', but do it last. it's like having your own puppy, without dealing with the fleas...
when i formatted my computer, i also lost all the fonts i had collected over the years. so today i went in search of new ones. i found this website that had wonderful fonts, all free, and no pop-ups. i downloaded tons of great ones!
and great news for all typepad bloggers: i'm on typepad's beta team, which means i get to test all the improvements and upgrades before they are rolled out to you. and coming soon to a computer near you is an auto-save feature. that means no typing and editing and uploading just to lose it all. that is so great! if i think of all the swearwords i have uttered this last year or so...
did i hear you say yaaaay!?
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
i'm tired today. it has been one of those weeks, where it feels like i have been working very hard, and accomplishing nothing. you know?
so, today i thought i would chill a little. catch up on those blogposts that i got so behind on. and not much else. the theory is that if i'm kind to myself today, i will feel energetic and revived again tomorrow. or not.
my sister-in-law told me that the other day she heard someone saying 'that's the girl from the blog'. they were referring to her daughter marni, who stars here and here and here and especially here. how cool is that? maybe not so much for her, but uber-cool for me!
if you are a south african blogger, why don't you participate in this survey here? you could even win a prize.
i'm off to do some photo editing. and to spend some quality time on facebook.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
i was tagged by sophia, cathy and lara, to tell you 7 random facts about me. i think those of you who read my blog regularly already know more about me than so many people i see every day. why would you want to know more? can i not keep any secrets?
ok, you asked for it. here goes:
i can read, write and speak dutch. in fact, my parents and siblings and i still jabber away in dutch whenever we see each other. we even sms each other in dutch. but we were all born in africa... i also speak afrikaans and english.
the man and i are not married. we have lived in sin for more than 5 years now. we never meant to not get married, there just has never been enough time, money, energy. i know.
ronnie died 6.5 years ago, and his estate still has not been wound up. it's a process... ok, so this fact is not really about me, so it does not count.
i was married at 19, a mother a 20, and a widow at 35. i'm in a hurry. it was meant to be graduated at 19, millionaire at 20 and nobel prize at 35. somewhere someone got the order wrong.
i am a computer and internet junkie. and i can fix a lot on my computer myself. i even formatted my computer myself last week. it is a pleasure to work on now.
today is my birthday. i'm 42.
i love ice-cream and pasta. i don't like litchies and mangos. i drink almost no alcohol - it is not good for me.
i still have a grandmother. she is 92. she came to visit me today.
Here are the rules:
Link to your Tagger and list these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself - some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post and link their blogs.
Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.
as usual, i'm last to do this, so everyone i know has been tagged already. so, i have to go wider:
these are some of my wedding photos.
i used some of the buttons and flowers we got from making memories at the convention, as used on this layout here. and the stamped circles i also learned at the convention, it was done by rachael scholz, as you can see here.
love, jacki
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
after my puppy snowy was featured on this internationally known blogger's blog in this post and here and here, she has been thanking me by bringing me breakfast in bed.
because she is still small, she gets small-doggie chunks twice a day, that i soften with warm water. but during the day she loves to steal the bigger chunks from the big dogs. then she runs into the house, jumps on my bed, and starts digging. she 'buries' the big dog chunks in my bed. between the blankets, under the pillows, anywhere.
after that post, i have had a few people scoffing at my claim to be an 'internationally known' blogger and photographer. so, here is my defence:
my sister carla lives in melbourne, australia. my friend elsa lives in dharhan, saudia arabia. i mentioned them last time.
i have a client of the shop, janine, who lives in seattle, USA. and another client, cheryl, is in ghana. also, annette scholz has met me, and she lives in perth, australia now.
i met wilna furstenburg from canada, rachael scholz from melbourne, donna downey from the usa, celine navarro from france, and others, at the south african scrapbook convention. they may want to deny it, but i have photographic evidence.
i have far-off family and friends of the family in holland, who would admit to knowing me. if i forced them.
all these international people know me, and would gladly tell you that i am not nearly as attractive and interesting in real life as my photoshopped photo on facebook and on my blog would lead you to believe.
so: internationally known! undisputable!
if a few of you would please leave some evidence in the comments, i would appreciate it... thanks!
i opened my google reader this morning, and i had 262 unread posts! and i have to read them all, heaven forbid i miss a thing. stacy julian and stefanie semple had 9 posts each, and cathy had 12! slow down girls. give me a chance to catch up! i got tagged a couple of times, i'll get to that soon.
i'm off to do some speed reading...
love, jacki
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
i have been making some more cards. i used sketch #85 from card positioning systems as inspiration:
i like to use scraps from my layouts so my cards 'match' my layouts, and these cards go with the butterfly layout i showed before. so, i scrapped the butterflies, then blogged about the butterflies, then scrapped the blogpost, then blogged about scrapping the blogpost. then i also made cards that 'match' the layout, and then blogged about the cards...
sorry. this just amuses me no end. just skip to the next bit while i sit and giggle here...
i would have used butterflies on the cards, but my cuttlebug butterfly template is worn out! it is so blunt, it won't cut through anymore. look, it did cut way over 1000 butterflies in 6 weeks, so i suppose it is ready to retire. i'll have to get a new one soon.
that is real sewing you see. i 'quilted' little blocks of scrap paper. i have even been so inspired by this sketch, that i'm using the 'quilting' effect on a layout too. it is not finished, but here is a sneak peek:
i also made some christmas cards using that sketch, but that is another post for another time.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
remember the fun little butterfly post i did recently? well, it was unexpectedly popular, so i printed the photos and the text, and scrapped the blogpost.
i put some of the butterflies i made that day on the layout. i just had fun with it.
so, i scrapped the butterflies, then i blogged about the butterflies, and then i scrapped the blogpost about the butterflies, and now i'm blogging about the scrapping of the blogging of the butterflies. (en die groen gras groei daar om) do you know what i mean? because i have confused myself! this circle could go on forever...
aren't you just so relieved that i managed to sort out my blogging issues? 'cause now i can write insightful blogposts like this for another year...
and more butterflies here.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
i explained in the previous post what my blogging problem was. i could not get my payment through. if my payment had gone through in august, when i started trying, it would have cost me about R100 less than it cost me when it did eventually went through, as our Rand had gone into a bit of a free-fall against the US$. in august it was about R7,50 for a dollar, and now it is about R9,20! uggg! this added to my annoyance, as R100 extra is quite a lot of money.
i never expected any credits or financial compensation, but i yesterday i got an email telling me that typepad would give me a $25 credit towards my next payment. do appreciate it! the $25 more than covers the increase in fees due to the exchange rate. thank you so much!
i am in the service industry myself, and this has just proved to me once again that there will always be complaints and unhappy customers. but, the way you deal with them makes the difference in how they perceive you. often a previously unhappy customer treated well, will be a more loyal customer in the future. at least a complaining customer gives you the opportunity to do something about the problem, a customer that just goes away unhappy is one lost forever...
thanks to typepad for your support! i am happy again!
i also have to mention that when i started blogging, i tried blogger. i actually had a blogger blog, and had it running for about 2 weeks. and i could not get it to work. i had all sorts of problems, on my shop's computer, and at home. and i asked them for help quite a few times, but never got any response. so, i moved to typepad, and have been happy ever since, bar this issue. whenever i have asked for any help on any issue, typepad has responded, mostly on the same day, and they have always tried to resolve my problems, even with the billing issue.
so, i'm all paid up for another year, and oil has been poured on stormy waters. besides, moving a blog is almost impossible. so, back to full-steam blogging! it will take more than this issue to get me to shut up...
i made this watch more than 2 years ago, from instructions in the creative reflections magazine. i still love it, but i don't wear it as all the ribbons get scratchy. so it hangs in the shop.
i'm off to conquer my inbox, and hopefully do some scrapping.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
christina, this post is especially for you...
this layout was done by one of my clients, loren, in a workshop i presented recently. this layout was originally designed by liza. her version and mine can be seen here.
the couple in the photo are loren's grandparents. this layout is hauntingly beautiful, simple and soft and romantic. as usual, the photo does not do it justice.
i have to thank you for your sweet comments on my post yesterday. it's so nice to have you all popping in, and to know that if something were to happen to me, someone would notice. even if it took a whole week before anybody missed me... :-) thanks ineke, tracy, stefanie, cathy, loraine, jacqui, hayley and sophia. you are so sweet!
from end august i have been trying repeatedly, constantly, to pay my blog subscription fee. there was a problem with it, and my card details would not go through. it was the same account i used last year, just a new card with a new expiry date and security code. my bank told me that they saw the transaction, and approved it, they even gave me an authorization code so typepad could try to put it through manually. during a 6 week long constant conversation with them about it in my help ticket, typepad admitted that the problem was on their side, and they promised that they would not suspend my blog. but on tuesday they did. my blog was suspended as though i was a tardy payer!
eventually, in desperation and frustration, i borrowed someone's credit card, and paid using that. so, now my blog is re-instated. my happy relationship with typepad has not been re-instated though, i'm still soooo annoyed and grumpy!
if my payment had gone through the first time i tried, it would have cost me about R100 less, as the rand has weakened considerably in the last 2 months against the dollar. so, all in all, this experience has cost me a lot of money, even more time and aggravation, and has tainted my blogging experience. uggg!
enough ranting. i spent time investigating blogger and moving my blog to them, so i know more about that. and i used all this extra time to do lots of scrapping, and i made cool cards. i have photographed them, and have lots of material for new posts to come.
love, jacki
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
this looks great! i'm in...
you can find more info here.
love, jacki
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
remember when jodi won the RAK that i had on the post about my first blog-birthday? you can see what i did with her photos here.
i got cathy's photos from the RAK she won, and will have some fun with hers too in the next few days.
here are some photos of the convention that were a little more about ME. the others were all about the teachers, and the classes, and the projects. it was so great to meet lots of my blog-friends, most of them for the first time. it felt like i had known them for ages! now when i read their blogs, it means so much more, because i know who these girls are.
this is stefanie, one of my bloggy-friends. she blogs here, and on journalingjunkie.
and this is sophia allison, blog-mate from durban.
here is rachael scholz, my new australian cyber-friend.
cathy and i. she was a fellow volunteer.
these are some of the girls from my shop who went:
ineke, rachael scholz, diana, rose, and behind deneile and cheryl.
one totally exhausted volunteer leaning on her friend and roommate diana.
i made my little mini-book from kelly white's class yesterday.
the great thing about the shop is that although i am open on public holidays (yesterday was heritage day in south africa), i have to 'work' very hard by scrapping all day with friends...
i know that all the posts on my blog are always very serious, but i am working on a very deep one for later this week. i'm hoping it will land me a recipe book deal.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
for the RAK i announced on this post, my random number generator picked number 5, so that means comment no 5 wins. that is cathy!
cathy, email me 3-5 nice, close-up photos of you, preferably alone.
edited to add: to see what cathy said about this, look here. and to see what i did with her photos, see here.
we don't scrap single pages often, but we need them for the front and back of our albums. i did a total scraplift of this layout, and nicky and cheryl were inspired by mine. (when i am back in the shop, i will edit this post, and credit the person i scraplifted from.)
please note that the bottom left corner was left open for journaling. that is why it looks a little unbalanced.
here is cheryl's page. this is a photo of her. what a babe!..
the one below was made by nicky, as a front page of an album of her son.
and this one is mine. the journaling says: i finished school in 1984. this photo was taken in january 1985, just before i went to university. i was 18 years old and standing on the edge of my life...
as i was scrapping this page, i kept wondering what i would tell this young girl. (would she even listen?) that may be a nice theme for a LO one day - a letter of advice to the 'young' me. what would you say to the young you?
love, jacki
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
she will probably kill me for this, because i didn't ask her permission. but since she posted the 'before' pic on her blog herself, and since she is probably shopping up a storm in dubai as this very moment, i thought she would never find out. so all of you, please shhh....
this is rachael scholz. she is one of the teachers for the convention this weekend. i used this photo of her (top, left) that she had on her blog, to show you what the 'makeover' looks like that you can win by leaving a comment in the post labelled 'blogging' before monday.
is this 'makeover' something you would like me to do for you? would you pay me for it? if so, how much do you think it's worth? i'm asking, because i am thinking of offering this service. the beauty of it is that you could be anywhere in the world, with email and a paypal account, it can all be done. tell me what you think. i will also use the photos of one volunteer, and make a tutorial that you could follow for free, if you have photoshop. please tell me your thoughts on the subject. also tell me if you agree/disagree with photoshopping photos.
one of my clients said that if i could make her look like a 21 year old again, she would pay me thousands...
it is very hot here in johannesburg at the moment. we are having a heatwave, and temperatures are over 31' C. not unusual in january, but it is still spring!
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
word art: shabby princess, ronna penner, aperfetday, part of the express yourself kit when she wrote her first blogpost on 14 september 2007, she was excited and nervous at the same time. wow, now she was a 'blogger'. to the long list of titles behind her name, like cleaner, nagger, moaner, spender, she could now also add blogger. nobody took any notice. at first, she had to drag each reader to the blog individually. she had to grab unsuspecting family members and clients, sit them down in front of the computer, and only give them coffee after they read the blog. if they would leave a comment, they could have a biscuit. nobody took any notice. she told herself: *sniff* fine! if nobody reads this blog, it's their loss... *sniff*.... and i don't need any comments... *sniff*... nobody took any notice. she kept at it. she kept reading blogs, and commenting, and blogging herself. one day she saw that someone had commented! it was wilna furstenburg, no less! she almost fainted from hyperventilating... nobody took any notice. but slowly the hits came. she was excited when 10 people read her blog on one day. she was thrilled when she got 1000 hits in total, even though it took a whole 6 months to get there. she blogged about the six-month mark. she was happy when people she knew would say to her "i read your blog". she was in awe when she got 17 comments on one post. she was elated when she was typepad's featured blog. she was shocked that one of her photoshop tutorials got 575 hits from photoshop-pack alone. someone was noticing... and now this blog is celebrating it's first birthday. and she cannot believe how it has grown. her mind still boggles to think that so many people pop in on a daily basis, to see what she is doing. she really isn't that interesting, after all.. she doesn't have a life... she loves that every one of her posts gets comments now. she loves that people that she admires, and who's blogs and work and writing she loves, also pop in, and leave comments. she is surprised when strangers tell her they read her blog. i mean, where do they come from? she is happy that she has made so many good new friends from all over the world, who visit her, even if she blogs in bed with unbrushed teeth and unshaved legs.. she knows that this blog is still a tiny little baby, and demands more time and attention than a 'real' baby - but stinks less. but she hopes that it will grow. she knows that her readers hope it will mature, but she doubts it. she knows that her son hopes that she will start using capital letters, but she doubts it. someone was noticing. and she was oh, so very grateful! Chipboard word: gift, Ronna Penner, Refresh kit, ScrapGirls
obviously, if you are naturally gorgeous, or can photoshop yourself, you may still comment, but you could tell me you don't need the prize.
also, if you are very brave, you can still email me some pics of yourself. i need some to use on my blog for a tutorial. but, remember, lots of people will be seeing your 'before' photos. (and don't send me photos of your husband's ex...)
you can read more about this blog's highlights and statistics here.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
or - name that photo...
last week i asked you to name this photo. you can go to this post, and have a giggle at the suggestions. thanks for the smiles you gave me. and also have a look at the very funny comments on the butterfly post.
i also got 2 more blog awards. thanks cathy. you can read about this reward here. the other one i will get to some other time.
i got a little behind with my emails and my blog reading. i'm trying to catch up. bear with me. i am reading all your blogs, just commenting a little less than normal. i had a medical problem - the man had a dislocated shoulder, and spent an evening in the emergency room before being admitted in hospital, and being 'fixed' in theatre the next morning. and i'm having home computer problems. it seems that my little laptop is reaching the end of it's life, and a new one is not really an option...
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
i got this award from both tracy and michelle:
tracy said:
thanks for your inspiration and honest blogging ... and also: Then to Jacki JVR - I always find something to giggle about on your blog and I love that you are so open and honest, thanks ...
my problem is that they nominated some of my favorite blogs! now, who do i chose? i would have loved to award it to all those blogs i regularly read, but most of them have already got one...
the scrapbooking girls who's blogs i read, especially the south african ones, are so generous and friendly. they are not afraid to share and to comment and to praise. they challenge, and take part in challenges. it is an honor to be a part of such a wonderful group. and, i'm finding new south african blogger-scrappers every week. i will update my blogroll with my new friends soon.
so, what do i do now? i thought i would look a little wider. and i thought i would nominate some blogs that are new to me. some of them are new, and some are established, but i have just found them.
so i nominate:
eilandkind, for a beautiful, yummy, afrikaans blog
brenda, for a delightful scrapbooking blog from australia
melani, who is so amazingly creative, and for whom scrapbooking is easy and blogging is a challenge
sam ellis, who is rather new at blogging but not new at scrapbooking, and she takes interesting photos
nicky, who is really is a new blogger and a great friend
hayley, who lives in cape town, but is from benoni, although she never mentions it on her blog
simply-mel, who keeps it real, and who writes about her everyday life
francois, who will scoff at this award, and probably die before he mentions it on his blog, but who writes so incredibly well (he takes after his brilliant mother...)
and last, but not least, kwebbel, who's posts i don't always understand as she writes mainly in german, but the photos of her projects are understandable and inspiring, and who nominated me for a blog award a few months ago
i have been getting lots of comments lately, and most make me smile. i thought i would answer some of them here today. there are many others, i cannot mention them all. but, please note that i read every comment, i love and appreciate each one, and i reply to almost every one..
Hi Jacki - you have been soooooo industrious you're putting us to shame! Next you'll tell us you're gymming every day. What will you do when you're all caught up with your box of "to be completeds". I know - go to another convention and refill the box! Have a great day
Ciao
Cheryl
yes cheryl, i gym every day, and floss too - NOT! my hobby is collecting uncompleted projects. my box will never be empty. and yes, i am adding to my collection at the next convention...
Dearest Jacki ~
Does EVERYONE there have beautiful eyes, skin and teeth? Just wondering! :) Great stuff from you as always. I haven't been up to par with my blogging. My daughter just went away on holiday and I hope to have a chance to get back to it real soon.
Hugs
Lori Ann
no, lori ann, i am the only beautiful one in south africa. i just photoshop the other people i feature on my blog, to make them seem more beautiful...
One day when I am BIG I want to visit all the countries featuring on your Neo counter! Love your blog. elsa
me too!
I don't even know what Google Reader does except that it sounds as though I could be even more addicted and attached to my PC - heaven forbid that I find another thing to keep me busy - sounds great, but I reckon you will be a Zombie soon due to lack of sleep AND having to clean the shop ... (tee hee)
Love,
Tracy
hi tracy. i don't need that much sleep. but, the cleaning part may just turn me into something ugly. the cleaning lady had still not turned up, she had missed friday and monday so far.
Thanks for the tutorial! I'm going to try to do this! Beautiful family you have on your blog!
Laura Fiore
hi laura. i only feature my beautiful family members on my blog. the rest i never mention. ok, just kidding, my family is beautiful, thanks. and i love them all!
Oh, what sweet memories this brings to me. I grew up on a farm in the Eastern Cape and we had a huge flock of sheep. Now and then I would adopt a little lamb which became my sidekick for quite a few months, until it was taken back to the flock for their daily grazing outings to the mountains. My favourite lamb adoptee was named Snoekie, but I am sure she also landed up on the dinner table some time.
oh desire, what a lovely story! it reminds me of heidi..
oi meiks,
the photos that you put up look so amazing! i have to admit that indeed a bit of moss has begun to grow on this madam. there are always different times in one's life for different things and different priorities, right now i am enjoying having a bit of stuff. i enjoy opening up the kitchen cupboards and there are pots and pans, my pots and pans. i even enjoy having a bit of a routine!
there are many aspects i long for from a nomadic life but i carry those with me and every now and then i slip something like that into my routine, like catching the train with just a ticket to the end of the line and no plan, discovering something i had not known before...
always remember how much i love you though, no matter where or how far i am.
x
carla
oh, sis! you are so unique. and i love you too. and miss you soooo much!
thanks girls! i love, love, love hearing your feedback. please keep it up!
word art: shabby princess, ronna penner, ajoytome, part of the express yourself kit
love, jacki
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, south africa
*edited to add: i just found out that you can read blogs on your cellphone through google reader. and i don't have a very fancy phone. from your phone, in the web browser function, you type in www.reader.google.com, and surf away! *
being the amazing and internationally acclaimed consumer journalist i am - in my dreams - i will tell you today about something new i've just found. you see sophia, i'm blogging about it, like you asked...
as you all know, i read quite a few blogs. and in the process, i have noticed that people encourage you to 'subscribe to this blog'. now i have never known what this means, and i have never paid it much attention. but last week i decided that it was something i would like to know more about.
i read all about RSS feeds, and let me tell you, it still makes very little sense. then i visited my go-to guy, tibi at lost art of blogging. he claims he is not really an expert, but i have always found his posts well written, and he uses capital letters!, and i have learned a lot about the technicalities of blogging from him. his blog is not nearly as intimidating as some of the expert's are.
i left a bewildered comment there, and he emailed me back! i was very impressed. he explained RSS in more detail. it is very technical. he also said "I follow about 150-200 blogs daily. Imagine me having to open all of these blogs in my browser each day, just imagine the time I'd waste. With my Google reader it's really easy for me to see if there's a new post, and eventually if there's an update I can read it from there, without having to deal with the hassle of opening the respective blog in my browser. It's all about time management and productivity. Of course there's a lot more reasons for using RSS, but for me 'time' is the most evident one."
what tibi does not even touch on, is the data bundle. most south africans have a data bundle, that should last for the month. data is expensive. so, every time i visit a blog, i download data on my computer, and it all adds up. not having to visit a blog unnecessarily, saves some data too. on dial-up it makes even more sense!
so, i looked at google reader. i had read about it a few times, and when tibi recommended it, i gave it a try. i added some of the blogs i read to it. and i am so impressed! you can add all your blogs in google reader. it keeps them all together. the other advantage of this is that i have all my favorites online, so i can find them on my computer at home, and my computer at the shop. over the next few weeks, i will be transferring all the blogs i like to read there.
i found the easiest way to add a new subscriber is to open the blog in the usual way, get up-to-date with the posts, then copy and paste the blog's URL (address) into the 'add subscription' block. it can find a blog itself if you fill in some keywords, but it is quicker to fill in the URL yourself.
the first time you add a blog, it will show you the last 10 posts. i check that i have read all of them, and then click on 'mark all as read'. then i add another, and mark as read. and so on. i have set it that it only shows the updated blogs. it gives you the amount of posts you have not yet read in brackets. when you click on that, it opens the blog for you.
now, i like to read a blog in context. i like to see the banner, the side bars, and the previous posts. so, i click on the name of the blog, and it takes me to the blog itself. then, when i'm finished, i just go back to the google reader, i click on 'mark all as read' for that blog, and move on to the next.
if you read the blogpost directly in google reader, it does apparently not count as a hit on the blog you are reading. but, if you click on the name of the blog, and it takes you straight to the blog, and then it does count as a hit. in the stats of the blog it will show as a hit from 'www.google.com/reader'.
tibi is right. it saves me tons of time, and that time i could use to read other blogs, that i never had time for. his reading 150-200 blogs probably takes up less time that my 10-30 blogs did. so, much more efficient! during the time i am online, i keep the google reader open, and when someone loads a new blogpost, i see it come up. i find it especially useful to keep track of those blogs that don't update regularly. now i don't have to keep checking in, just to find there is nothing new.
i know that there are other ways to subscribe. there are many places where you can keep track of your blogs. if you use another way, let me know in the comments. i am quite new at this, so there is still lots to learn.
wow, this post has turned out to be one huge infomercial. google, you can send me the cheque now...
you can read follow-up comments about google reader here.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
almost every day people email me or tell me that they read my blog, and they would have liked to leave a comment, but they did not know how. south africans are not so familiar with all things blogging, and there are many people who are unsure about how things work around here. so, here is a little tutorial on how to leave a comment.
most bloggers love comments. it is an interaction with their readers. it is wonderful to get feedback on what we say. on some blogs the commenters have big debates with each other. often the comments are more interesting than the blogpost in the first place!
at the end of each 'post' or blog entry, there is a word that says 'comment'. there are probably many other words there too, so you might have to look a little to find it.
when you click on 'comment' a little form will appear, where you can type your comment.
just fill it in and click on 'post'. you will then get this:
this is just to prove you are not a robot... if you comment on other blogs, it may look a little different, but the principle stays the same.
i read every comment and email, and i try to reply to every one.
so, now you have no more excuse! please leave a comment...
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
today is the big day. today is the day we take our relationship to the next level...
he asked me weeks ago. i was surprised, stunned, excited, flattered, i had not seen it coming. and i said 'yes'! breathlessly.
he set the date for 24 july. 'but that is still weeks from now', i sighed. 'don't worry', he smiled. 'time goes by so fast, the day will be here before you know it'. besides, he knew he still had lots of work to do. he had to visit me often, reading me, getting to know me. so when he introduced me to his friends on the big day, he would have beautiful, flattering and intimate things to say about me.
in the weeks after this, i felt the doubts creeping in. 'why me?', i asked. there are so very many others so much more worthy. so many better, bigger and more beautiful than i. so many funnier, more intelligent, better company. so many that earn money and that are leaders in their fields, and that are famous, well liked and very popular. 'why me?' i am still not sure why, but i am very happy! and so i started to work on improving myself. i made some changes. some were dramatic, a whole new look. because first impressions are very important. some were more subtle. i tried to make myself more worthy, so i would make him proud. and his friends would (hopefully) see that he had made a good choice.
as is often the case with long distance relationships, i did not hear from him often. but, i did notice that he came to visit, he left his address in my visitor's log. as he had promised, time was flying by. and now, today is the big day. today is the day we take our relationship to the next level...
there will be no flowers, no music, no candles. but there will be witnesses - you. and there will be a shiny, pretty symbol of this day, a rare and coveted jewel that i would wear forever with pride, to remind myself of this very special occasion.
i cannot promise that we will be together till death do us part. i know it is not forever. but it is good for now. it works. it is fun. it make me happy. and so...
today is the big day. today is the day we take our relationship to the next level. today is the day i become a TYPEPAD FEATURED BLOG. today is a happy day...
love, jacki
ps. you are welcome to send large gifts, and money... and as with all great occasions, you are kindly requested to sign the visitors book. please? thank you!
and here is what he said:
scraps of jacki's life
scraps of jacki's life is actually three sites in one: it’s the name of a Scrapbooking Supplies Shop in Benoni, South Africa, the online life of owner Jacki Janse van Rensburg, and the name of her blog. As Jacki puts it, “scrapbooking is my hobby, my passion…and blogging is my compulsive obsession.” She melds all those interests in the pages of her site, and readers can follow her life, learn new skills, and applaud her talents in posts such as an online origami tutorial (with more tutorials to be found here), scrapbooking samples, and thoughts on life. And scrapbookers, you can get a look at your craft from a world away. Jacki’s site illustrates the capacity of blogs to connect a worldwide audience through interests and hobbies; links to South African bloggers and scappers, Arts and Crafts sites, and a peek at Jacki’s shop enliven this special online corner of the world.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa
i made this layout last week, after being inspired by a layout by the amazing, the talented, the nicest melani. i used those boring school photos. i love the way the 2 pattern papers (queen of hearts and 7 gypsies) go together! this is the kind of layout that the shop-owner in me does not approve of. it has very little 'product' on it. only paper, mainly. not a big sales booster. also, notice that although it is a school layout, it has no school embellishments/paper etc. but i am enjoying it, it makes my eyes happy.. edited to add: i taught this layout in our workshop today (saturday), and although everyone's layout was different, they were all beautiful! that is what makes scrapbooking so rewarding!
blogging in bed again. thought i'd have a linky day, to keep you from your work, and so avoiding those work-day blues. it sure beats solitaire... remember to open an excel spreadsheet in another window, so you can switch to it quickly when the boss walks by... just my contribution to the productivity in your office. remember when tetris came out? it seems like a million years ago. at the time, it was said that it was invented in russia, to decrease productivity in the west. i think it worked, too...
i have found 2 new blogs that i would like to kick of my 'blog of the moment' feature with. i enjoyed visiting them: my marrakesh is about a woman who is living in morocco. also, i enjoyed 37 days, that asks the question, what if you had 37 days left to live? the third blog that i'd like to highlight, is one i have been visiting often, for quite a few months, and is in my blogroll. yet, christine middlekamp is always worth a visit. there is so much scrapbooking inspiration there, and real life, too. tell me what you think of these blogs, i'd love to know!
next, go to jessica sprague. she is an awesome source of photoshop-inspiration. see her tutorial for making your photos 'pop'. also, i found a link on her blog to a photography article on 5 ways to hold your veiwer's attention. in fact, the website that the article is on, beyond megapixels, is a good site to visit if you are a photography fan.
then, if you have taken the digital photo, and photoshopped it, then you can digitally scrap it by using the free digital scrapbook kit you can find on that great site shutterfly.
if you have not done so, visit the south african scrapbook convention's website, and book. on the booking form, where they say 'group' tell glenda you are with scrappin times, and she will put you in our group. it really is a great event. and glenda is great too...
tomorrow is madiba - nelson mandela's 90th birthday.
i have not forgotton about the brillante weblog award. i will pass it on soon, i promise! in the meantime, please nominate any blog you read and love. i would like to make it democratic.
if you follow any of these links, leave a comment to tell me what you liked. also, on those blogs, leave a comment and tell them jacki sent you. comments are good. comments are what bloggers blog for. bloggers loooove comments. i know i do. don't know how to comment? just look directly below this post. there you will find the word 'comment'. just click on the word, and it will take you to a comment form. easy! even blondes from benoni can do it...
anyway, i'd better get out of bed, and get ready to go to work. i finished another scrapbook layout last night. seems i got my mojo back!
love, jacki
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, south africa
this post is to keep record of all sorts of blog statistics and highlights. it is easy for me to find them if i keep them all in one place. it is to remind me of how far i have come, and where i'm going. i will be adding to this post as new statistics become available.
it is also to thank all of you who read this blog, for your inspiration, and patience, and persistence, and friendship, and your comments. so many suckers for punishment in one place...
14 september 2007 - first post ever
18 september 2007 - my first comment, and from wilna furstenburg, no less!
september 2007 - sitemeter records 72 hits for the month of september
17 october 2008 - donna downey leaves a comment on this post
october 2007 - sitemeter records 186 hits for the month of october
november 2007 - sitemeter records 214 hits for the month of november
december 2007 - sitemeter records 107 hits for the month of december
14 september 2007 to 31 december 2007 - 579 hits for 2007
january 2008 - sitemeter records 24 hits for the month of january
2 february 2008 - card posistioning systems links to this card
february 2008 - sitemeter records 72 hits for the month of february
14 september 2007 to end february 2008 - 675 total hits
march 2008 - time and about magazine issue#7 features a layout of mine. read about it here
2 march 2008 - card posistioning systems links to this card
5 march 2008 - kwebbel links to me after i posted on having a computer font made from your own handwriting
13 march 2008 - launch neocounter on my blog, starts with 0 visitors from 0 countries. neocounter only counts the first time a person visits the blog, return visits are not included. (hence 'neo'counter)
15 march 2008 - card posistioning systems links to this card
21 march 2008 - scrapscene features my post about the easter egg hunt
21 march 2008 - most hits on one day - 103 hits
28 march 2008 - card posistioning systems featured this card
march 2008 - sitemeter records 667 hits for the month of march, and also passes the 1000 total hits some time in the middle of the month.
12 april 2008 - scrapscene features my post about theresa mariuzzi's travel mini-book
12 april 2008 - neocounter records 540 visitors from 23 countries
13 april 2008 - most hits on one day - 183 hits. followed by 166 hits on 14 april.
13 april 2008 - scrapscene features my post on making a shakerbox and my inking tutorial
15 april 2008 - the inking tutorial was featured on scraprio
16 april 2008 - stampin when i can links me on her newly discovered bloggers feature
april 2008 - sitemeter records 967 hits for the month of april
4 may 2008 - scrapscene features my post on how to edit photos without photoshop
24 may 2008 - scrapscene features my post on how to download and use a frame with photoshop
may 2008 - sitemeter records 739 hits for the month of may
13 june 2008 - photoshop-pack features my posts how to download and use a frame with photoshop, and how to create a softened photo in photoshop
19 june 2008 - technorati gives my blog an authority of 7, ranking it 797 172. not very high, i know!
19 june 2008 - 133 posts and 179 comments
19 june 2008 - the post with the most comments is wow, what an honor! 7 comments
20 june 2008 - neocounter records 2357 visitors from 60 countries. i cannot even name 60 countries...
22 june 2008 - scrapscene features my post on how to create a softened photo in photoshop
24 june 2008 - kwebbel from germany awarded me a brillante webblog award
28 june 2008 - no 301 of the top 500 blogs on amatomu, a south african blog directory. i have been lower (higher? better!), but this site keeps no records of this, which shows how keeping record here makes sense
june 2008 - sitemeter records 861 hits for the month of june
1 july - francois's birthday
2 july - sean's birthday
3 july 2008 - sitemeter passes 4000 hits since the beginning of this blog!
3 july 2008 - my mentor, wilna furstenburg, links to me on her blog, saying "love that girl"
july 2008 - time and about magazine issue #8 featured a layout i made for a challenge. read about it here
10 july 2008 - community walk featured scrappintimes shop on their world map, their first in africa
15 july 2008 - technorati gives my blog an authority of 10, ranking it 658509. it's improving!
24 july 2008 - sitemeter records a total of 4570 hits, neocounter records 3385 hits from 66 countries
24 july 2008 - photoshop-pack features my post photoshop tutorial - how to make eyes 'pop'
24 july 2008 - typepad features my blog on their featured blogs list on their home page. supposedly it is their second featured blog from south africa, and the second scrapbooking blog, after donna downey was featured here
24 july 2008 - my photoshop tutorial - how to put a twinkle in their eyes gets linked at paxton prints, bild och foto and at imaging insider, del.icio.us
25 july 2008 - most hits ever on one day according to typepad's stats - 252
27 july 2008 - my tutorial - fold a origami box from one sheet of scrapbook paper gets featured on scrapscene. sitemeter passes 5000 hits
30 july 2008 - neocounter measures 4128 visitors from 76 countries, sitemeter is at 5331 and amatomu gets to no 167 of the top 500 SA blogs. technorati authority is 13, ranking 533 657
july 2008 - sitemeter records 1559 hits for the month of july
14 august 2008 - my tutorial how to make eyes pop was featured on scrapscene
15 august 2008 - the tutorial on creative cropping was featured on paxton prints and photoshop-pack
24 august 2008 - card positioning systems linked to these cards
25 august 2008 - i posted about celine navarro and the convention, and celine posted about me
25 august 2008 - tracy and michelle and cathy nominated me for the 'i love your blog' award
28 august 2008 - i posted about rachael scholtz and the convention, and rach posted about me
28 august 2008 - scrapscene featured the post about creative cropping
august 2008 - sitemeter records 2660 hits for the month of august
3 september 2008 - neocounter measures 7268 visitors from 99 countries, sitemeter is at 8366, technorati authority is 16, ranking 429 900
8 september 2008 - scrapscene featured my butterflies post
8 september 2008 - most hits on one day according to typepad's stats: 363
9 september 2008 - blog post about this blog's first birthday, and a RAK
10 september 2008 - i did a guest post for scrapscene about the convention
19 september 2008 - passed the 10 000 visitors mark, and celebrated with a RAK
26 september 2008 - i did another guest post on scrapscene about the convention
27 september 2008 - card positioning systems linked to these cards, and scrapscene did a thank-you recap of all the guest posts here
28 september 2008 - a mention of the butterfly post on the messageboard at two peas got me an unexpected and huge spike in traffic
september 2008 - sitemeter records 3206 hits for the month of september
1 october 2008 - neocounter measures 10 387 visitors from 104 countries, sitemeter is at 11 380, technorati authority is 17, ranking 409 737
31 october 2008 - neocounter measures 13 065 visitors from 109 countries, sitemeter is at 13 901, technorati authority is 16, ranking 408 010, amotomu ranking is 266 today
october 2008 - sitemeter records 2597 hits for the month of october
11 november 2008 - my christmas cards were featured on scrapscene. they also got a link from scrappin' mojo
november 08 - sitemeter records 2681 hits for november
24 december 2008 - SCRAPPIN TIMES shop was featured on scrapscene here
31 december 2008 - neocounter measures 18 704 hits from 123 countries, sitemeter is at 19 182, amatomu ranking is at 232, having dipped to below 200 around christmas. 18 603 total hits for 2008. 774 comments and 253 posts
december 2008 - sitemeter records 2590 hits for december
13 january 2008 - sitemeter passes 20 000 hits!
january 2009 - sitemeter records 2169 hits for january
february 2009 - sitemeter records 2264 hits for february
6 march 2009 - sitemeter is at 24 119, neocounter measures 24 106 hits from 132 countries. amatomu ranking is 309. 962 comments, and 281 posts
12 march 2009 - 1000 comments!
17 march 2009 - sitemeter measures 25 000 hits!
march 2009 - sitemeter measures 2339 hits for march, total 25 972, neocounter 26 169 hits from 134 countries
july 2009 - sitemeter measures 1706 hits for july
august 2009 - sitemeter measures 1651 hits for august
september 2009 - sitemeter measures 1680 hits for september
october 2009 - sitemeter measures 1681 hits for october
november 2009 - sitemeter measures 1903 hits for november
december 2009 - sitemeter measures 1461 hits for december
january 2010 - sitemeter measures 1248 hits for january
february 2010 - sitemeter measures 1441 hits for february
march 2010 - sitemeter measures 1646 hits for march
april 2010 - sitemeter measures 1419 hits for april
may 2010 - sitemeter measures 1204 hits for may
june 2010 - sitemeter measures 976 hits for june
july 2010 - sitemeter gets 50 000 total hits!
what i used for the banner: paper: greek manuscript, grunge frame from jessica sprague, stitches from anna aspnes 'something springy' from shutterfly, flower and tag label from shappy princess promise collection.
i had a makeover! do you like my new look? i wish i could custom-make my own banner - i would use my newly aquired digital scrapbooking skills, as i have been practising on the banners i made for the statistics and highlights and tutorials posts. and i would make a new look every month or so. but the difference in price for the blog package that allows me to do that is quite big, and the rand/dollar exchange rate is very steep! this little blog does not make any money, so it will just have to wait... in the meantime, i will look out for nice new blog templates to use.
of course, if you have been thinking of setting up a blog, and don't have time to learn everything that i already know, i could help you by setting up your blog for you, for a fee. then i could use that to upgrade to the better package. you don't need to be near me, you could be on the other side of the world, it can all be done by email. is that a good idea?
i saw this free kit somewhere last week, and then couldn't remember where. fortunately, annette featured it on her blog. thanks for the reminder, doll!
you can find this gorgeous free 'wonderful' digital kit on creating keepsakes site.
it is really worth downloading. you will see many of it's elements popping up on my blog soon!
a previous free kit from michelle, 'renewal', is still one of my favourites. i found it on shutterfly, along with many other digital freebies.
for those of you who were asking about the man, who was in hospital for a few hours for some tests earlier this week. the doctor says he has ulcerative colitis, an inflammation of the intestine. we are thankful to GOD that it is a treatable condition, and not something more serious. he is fine.
some days i cannot think of anything to write on this blog. i open it, check my stats, read comments, then open the 'compose new post' screen and stare at it blankly, waiting for inspiration that does not come. the little voices in my head (yeah, those..) tell me that nobody cares about what i have to say, and what is so interesting about my little life anyway? i had that last week. then, this week, i have so much to say. i have about 4/5 posts ready to upload, in addition to the ones i have posted already. i have been busy! making the summary of this blog for the statistics and highlights post was good for me, it really reminded me of how far i have come, and how much i have learned. i guess it is like scrapbooking, sometimes you just cannot seem to be able to do anything, and other times you produce those masterpieces like you are a factory worker. don't you just love it when that layout almost scraps itself? well sometimes this blog almost writes itself too, and that feels sooo good!
anyway, i feel another post coming up, but that one you will only see next week. and rene, um, i am getting tired of staring at your deserted little corner of the www. how about a little update? i miss you girl, and come over to visit you, and you not there...
love, jacki
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, south africa
i got this award from kwebbel in gemany. thanks kwebbel! it is an honor! i visit your blog often, and it is about time i placed a link to you on my blog...
Who gets the award "Brillante Webblog" ?
Websites and blogs, which by their actuality, the issues of choice and for their designs are especially noteworthy.
Here are the award rules:
The winner can take the logo.
Link to the site that gave you the award.
Link to at least 7 blogs and give them the award. (Best blog in design, content and timeliness)
Write a comment on their blogs - 'You have won an award on my blog'
i thought i would do it a little different - i want you to help me choose. so, please leave a comment telling me who's blog you nominate. i will give you till end of june. then i will edit this post, and make a list of the 7 blogs we give this award to.
time and about magazine is hosting a few events. scrapbooking train trips and a roadshow. look here for more info.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, south africa
i have been wanting to scrap with 'white space' for quite a while now, but before i know it, i have filled the whole page. so, i used this sketch to 'force' me to leave some areas open. i really enjoyed this page, and i think i will use this sketch again soon.
i got this email from the scrapbooking convention:
We are so excited! We have just received the Heidi Swapp kits ... you are going to blown away with the projects they have lined up for you. Heidi will be debuting her mirror album which is packed with chandeliers, mirrors, ribbon and loads of bits and pieces. Janet's class is a 12x12 album and you will complete 4 pages and decorate the outside of the album with the world traveler line. Log onto the website, www.scrapbookex.co.za for more information and class requirements.
This is a day of spoiling, pampering and enjoyment!
See you at either Summer Place on 1 May or at Spier on 3 May!
Take care,
The SA Scrapbook Convention Team
also on the 12th is twelve-of-twelve day.
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES
jip, i'm scrapbooking! yaay! i have not scrapped for weeks, only made cards. this is the first time i have scrapped 'on consignment', where i was given specific parameters, and i have to do it for someone else. i will tell all later. just let me say that it was difficult scrapping this way, it puts a lot of pressure on me to make something 'good'. watch this space, all will be revealed in a few weeks time...
after last weeks inking mini-tutorial, i found some other tutorials in cyberspace. melani at paper crazy always has little tutorials on her blog. if you click on 'tec-mieks' in her right hand column, you will find some nice tricks. also, check out this clever trick on cathy zielske's blog. i tried it, and it works!
and, if you have not yet watched the video of man made cards yet, then pleeease do so. it is brilliant!
i have had a very difficult week. tuesday our home was without power for 22.5 hours, and of course the load shedding hit south africa in full force again this week. we were off tuesday, wednesday and thursday in the shop. and tuesday/wednesday, thursday and friday at home. fortunately, it seems that there is now a schedule, and it seems that they are trying to stick to it, so at least we can try to plan around the powercuts.
also, our gate motor was stolen, my son's cars CV joint broke because of all the potholes, i fired my domestic worker on monday because money, easter eggs, sugar, toilet paper, and all sorts of other things were dissappearing, and the worker i had before her, laid a complaint against me for 'unfair dismissal' at the complaints commissioner. this after she absconded from work. and after not having a telephone in the shop for almost 9 weeks now, my home phone was also off for a few days. as this is now the only way i have of processing credit card payments, i was so overwhelmed and frustrated, that i just felt like everything was a battle. however, i am feeling a lot better today! and thanks rene, for being a shoulder to cry on - literally!
as a result, the short times that the power was on, and i had a little time, i tried to blog, and with this i was also having problems this week. the uploading of photos and the embedding of links is just not working right at the moment. SORRY!
anyway, i am off tomorrow and sunday, and i'm sure that by monday i'll be ready to battle on again...
so, today's frustrated post is really just to let you know that i am still around, and i have not forgotton this little blog, and that everything will be back to normal soon. i hope...
love, jacki
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES
When you have to put up with mean people, think of them as sandpaper. They may scratch you and rub you the wrong way. but eventually... YOU end up smooth & polished, and the sandpaper....? It'd be worn out and ugly! Makes you think, doesn't it?
we got a new addition to our family this morning:
it's name is jannie, after our next-door neighbour, who is the father owner of the ram who is the father. we do not yet know if this lamb it is a ewe or ram. the mother has rejected her 2 previous lambs, so we are leaving her alone for now. she does seem to be taking some interest in this one, so it seems like she will accept it.
i am by nature quite organised, and i function better when i am organised. i like neatness and things to be in place. but it seems like my life is always out of control. and i blame the kids, the man, my long working hours, not enough cupboards, the fact that i moved from a big house to a smaller one, to a tiny plot house with a man who had everything that i had. and i know i need to organise more, but i am overwhelmed because it is such a big task. then, yesterday i found Marcia, Organising Queen's website and blogs. i spent some time reading her blogs, and i found that while i was waiting for the pages to load, i was tidying my desk. i dug out my filofax, and started looking through it it, so i could start using it again. i found a notebook to make one list, and threw away all those post-its and little square notelets. even long after i switched off my computer, i was still organising little things. while i was brushing my teeth, i was rearranging the medicine closet. i am completely inspired! a lot of her tips i already do, but there were plenty new ones too.
i always tell the kids that it is more work to drop the laundry on the floor, then pick it up later to put in the basket, than to drop it in the basket in one go. but this principle applies to so many other aspects in life. i found that filing is something that i just can't keep up with, no matter how hard i try. so i invested in lots of those little 'buddi' system A4 size drawers that you get at waltons or macro. they cost me a small fortune at the time, but filing has never been an issue since! as i open statements, accounts, etc, i drop them straight in the right drawer, and they are filed! if you find a system that works for you, then stick to it. and then, adding a new system every now and then, makes life just a little easier. thank you mercia , for inspiring me. you will see me popping into your blogs often! she also does e-courses on organising and time-management.
next up, i am going to organise my inbox. being more organised will make me happier and more productive! i need to go now, i have to make a list of goals for the week. and maybe compile the menus for the week too!
tell me what you do to be more organised. we can learn from each other...
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES
after yesterday's frustrated ranting post, i thought we would have some fun today!
in the spirit of easter, i would like to send you on an easter 'egg' hunt. now, i cannot give you any real easter eggs. so, i thought i would make you look for e-eggs, or a virtual treasure hunt if you wish. you will find some very funny or useful or cute websites and blogs, that you can put in your 'favourites' basket. at least these eggs are totally calorie-free! if you do not have any time now, then come back later, you will not be sorry!
ready? here goes...
Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com
and please, remember that easter is REALLY about Christ's gift to us, so we can be saved!
We live and die; Christ died and lived! ~John Stott
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES
this post was linked to by: scrapscene
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
behind the scenes on blogs, or on the blog itself, as you see in my left column, toward the bottom, you have a place where you can check the 'stats' of the blog. this tells us how many people visited this blog, and where they came from. what i mean is that it tells me the 'referring address'. so, if you typed in www.scrappintimes.typepad.com, you came from there, and if you found me by clicking a link on another website or blog that has a link to me, it gives me that website's address. don't worry, it doesn't tell me who you are... so, quite often, it tells me the hit came from 'google'. if i click on where it says 'google', it takes me to that screen, and shows me what that person 'googled'. this can be very interesting.
of the 6 hits i got from google in the past 24 hours, there was 'scrappin times', 'artist trading cards', 'allie hoopes own handwriting', and here is the weirdest for today: 'modge podge'. i checked, my blog was the 121st mention, on page 13! wow, what are the odds of that person finding me? once, i got a hit from 'post-christmas blues'. as i am quite a 'googler' myself, i find this info fascinating. it was very important that you know this. why? sommer. cause it's interesting to me, that's why!
the layout below was done by antoinette. she is one of the workshop teachers in the shop. i apologize for the quality of the photo.
i have told you about the following people before, but today i want to remind you to visit the following websites and blogs:
wilna furstenburg, especially read about 'a card for lois'.
jody ferlaak is inspiring and easy to read.
clean your screen. trust me, you need this! i hope you can get this link to work, because when i checked it now, it doesn't work. it worked before, i promise!
if you are a south african scrapper, read about the south african scrapbook convention.
if you are, or want to be a card maker, visit card positioning systems.
the march sketch is out on page maps.
and, last but certainly not least for today, you just have to visit the incredibly entertaining pioneer woman. oh, i wish i could write like her!
how are you today? please tell me.
if you have never heard of grungeboard, remember the word, as you will hear a lot of it! it is similar to chipboard, but stronger.
i found this gorgeous tag on tim holtz's website.
step by step instructions on how to make it can be found here. take a look, it's inspiring!
and if your screen is dirty - click here. really, give it a try!
and if you neeed a new blog to read, like we have nothing better to do with our time, meet the funny, talented, entertaining (drum roll) pioneer woman. her blog is mainly about photography and life on a ranch. you see, we need to learn about that. she also has another blog, about cooking. now that is something we really need to know! just reading the recipes is enough to make you put on weight. and she takes photos of every step. so even idiots like me can do it! wow, you really, really have to take a look.
i guess you could say today's blog is very educational. yesterday i found something awesome, and i'll show you next week, and give you the links. i promise, it is cool. and i'm trying it out for you, like some kind of consumer journalist, so you will know if it works. the things i do for you...
and i found a place where i found lots of cool pictures, like the coffee and birthday cake, and the beach. i downloaded lots! i am going to use all mine first, and then, if you ask nicely, i'll tell you where i got them. but i want to be the cool one for now... i said 'found' and 'cool' and 'lots' twice each in this paragraph. i think there is some rule against this.
ok, if you loved todays links - you will love them, you will - let me know. i searched the web for you. i read and linked and surfed and looked high and low. just for you! so, the very least you can do in return, is leave a bloody comment. is that so much to ask.... oh my, i think i just channeled that pioneer woman...
love, jacki
SCRAPPIN TIMES / scrappintimes
The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~Elisabeth Foley
Anne is my very dear friend, and has been for years. our children grew up as friends. she has lots of kids, i have 2. jomien is one of her daughters, she is the same age as francois. she is a gorgeous 22 year old student, with beautiful red hair and sympathetic eyes and the soul of an artist. i love, love, love this child. this girl often visited me and spent hours in my home, and in my car. {and in my heart}. she is the daughter i don't have.
i found these photos of her, and decided to scrap them. she was about 12 years old here.
besides the white treasures for the background, and the pink cardstock that i mounted the photos with, i used only scraps. everything was stuff in my stash. i cut the squares of paper, folded them in quarters, and inked the folds. then opened them up again and stuck them down.
this layout is a total scraplift. i found it in this brilliant and inspiring book - 'scrapbooks to cards'.
also, wilna has thrown out a plea, that you can read about on her blog. she wants lots and lots and lots of people from all over the world to make and mail her friend, lois, a card.
she says: I have a friend, Lois. She is 40 years old and have cancer. She is in pain and needs positive, uplifting people to remind her continually to live and that life is worth living. She has an amazing husband and four beautiful kids. The doctors are not giving her long to live, but I believe that God is the author of life. And I know you believe that too. If you want to be entered into this awesome draw (and if anyone want to contribute prizes, big or small, please email me) then this is what you are going to do: take 10 minutes of your time and create a card for Lois. A card that speaks of life and laughter, of fun and flowers. A word of encouragement, maybe your favorite scripture. Take a picture of it and upload it for all to see. Then you post it to her. I visit her every day and I will make a list of all the cards she gets and I will let her draw names out of a hat for winners. The deadline for all the cards to reach her in Canada is March 20th. So, if you want to play (and I hope every single person that reads this will) make her a card, and post it. THAT's how simple it will be. visit wilna's blog for more info. annette and ineke, how about it? we can make a card for an actual person for a change, instead of just making them for the sake of making them...
love, jacki
SCRAPPIN TIMES / scrappintimes
A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be a friend. ~Author Unknown
We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. ~Author Unknown
these are the cards in my shop. most were made by my clients. thank you ineke, linda, liza, laetitia, deneile. this was so much fun, and a good challenge.
check out this website: sketch this. it is similar to card posistioning systems in that you get a sketch, and then you do the layout. also similar is pagemaps.
check out this idea at paper crazy. it is for painting chipboard letters.
i entered a layout in a contest, i'll show you later.
it has been a week since i posted a chatty post. i'm not sure if you are relieved or if you are missing it. tell me what you think.
i hope you had a romantic/fun valentine's day. the restaurant upstairs from the shop is packed tonight! and the fish and chippa sold 21kgs of take away prawns. tell me how you celebrated.
love, jacki
SCRAPPIN TIMES
let's try this again...
iv'e been finding a lot of gems online today, so i thought i would share some of the e-nspiration with you today.
on kelly rae roberts's blog i found this great quote: "The greatest gift you can give to somebody is your own personal development. I used to say, 'If you will take care of me, I will take care of you.' Now I say, "I will take care of me for you, if you will take care of you for me." (Jim Rohn). kelly rae is one of my favourite blogs to visit. she is an awesome artist, but she also writes so beautifully. she manages to share so much of herself, puts her heart in it, and makes me want to reach out and hug her when i read her posts. she is an inspiration to me, i strive to be the kind of soulful blogger she is. she constantly tries to grow and be a better person, and her art and her blog are a part of that journey. and, even if you visit her blog just to see her art, you have already made a trip worthwhile.
jody is such an inspiring person! as i get to know more about her and her life, by reading some of her older blogposts, i see that GOD has blessed her by giving her the ability to find meaning and growth in even the most painful and terrible situations. and He has given her the ability to inspire countless people through her difficult journey. i love the way that she can show that although they miss teagan, and they are sad for wyndham, they are also happy, and blessed, and fulfilled. she has lived one of probably every person's worst nightmares, and she shows us that ordinary families can survive this - sometimes barely - through the strength that GOD gives us every day. i pray for them.
i'm saving this after each paragraph's edits now. it's slow, but at least i'm starting to get somewhere...
as most of you know, i lost my husband, ronnie, almost 6 years ago. 6 years is a long time, and i have made a good life, with a very wonderful man, since then. sometimes people get upset when they see me having moved on. they want to see more grieving. but, one can grieve and be happy at the same time. and just because they don't see the pain all the time, it doesn't mean it is not there. it is, and it makes the happiness all the better, because i know now how special that happiness is. i have learned to appreciate the small things. i know i have to cherish the moments, and i do, all the time!
mostly these days, i find myself often missing the now-things. i wonder what he would have thought about our son's life, what he would have been doing today, what success he would have achieved in his career, what he would have thought about my business venture, etc. the 'if-he-was-here-now' things. especially with francois' milestones. as he is getting his degree soon, i will be facing that empty spot in my heart once again. i know he would have been so proud of what his son is achieving, and the beautiful, intelligent, witty, deep thinking young man he is becoming. i miss the conversations we would have been having about all this. {{sigh}}
save...
on a lighter note: on 8 march you can join the champagne roadshow in johannesburg. tickets cost R1100. this is for a full day, 4 scrapbooking classes. leah fung is one of the teachers. it is going to be a must-attend day. just the products you receive alone are worth R2050! check out the details here. come on, book now, and then let me know when you have booked. you will regret it if you don't!
then, on wilna's blog, i found a link to this layout. isn't it a great idea? i'm gonna do that one soon!
speaking of wilna: iv'e finished my first valentines project. i really enjoyed it, and thought it alone was worth the +/- R119 i spent on the class fee. and there are 3 more projects to do! thanks doll, for all the hard work you put into making it totally worthwhile!
now i have to upload the photos again... let's hope...
that took ages! save...
oops! operation timed out. have to try again. frustration levels spiking, but determined to get this finished, so it's done!
because this book will be on dispaly in my shop for a while, i am not writing on the tags yet. it is meant to be a love letter. i did find 2 beautiful love poems here.
phew! almost finished...
thank you for your comments and emails. i have been getting lots of hits on my blog lately, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and excited inside.
love, jacki
SCRAPPIN TIMES
If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers. ~Edgar W. Howe
so, it's all over again! all the planning, shopping, cooking, preparing, fighting, cleaning... now it's checking the kid's school kit, getting ready for back-to-school. sean is going to grade 6, and francois is starting his honors in economics.
i see on lots of the blogs i read, that many of the american girls like to have themes for the year. so, i'm not really a new year's resolution person, but i liked the idea of a theme. i gave it some thought. first i thought of 'create'. i know it's not really original, but i do want to make 2008 a year of creating more. i like wilna's idea of 'simplify/amplify', where she wants to simplify her life, and amplify what's important to her. i sure need more simplification. donna's theme for 2007 was 'inspire'. i think it is quite a honor if people were to see me as inspiring, so i'd like to make that a mission.
but, i have settled on 'grow!' it can be growth in so many ways:
i want to grow my creativity. i want to scrap more, and create more in other ways too.
i need to grow in simplicity. i need to de-clutter my life even more. this will go a long way in decreasing some of the stress in my life.
i wish to grow my inspiration. i will try to inspire others by sharing my passions, ideas and talents. i will also continue to seek out people who are positive, passionate and inspiring to me.
i have to to grow my shop. i need to get more customers, grow in turnover and in numbers of customers.
i will continue to grow spiritually. i know that GOD has a plan for my life, and for 2008, and i want to feel HIM at work in and through me.
i hope to grow the blog, both in the quality of the content, and in readership. i want to work on writing with the poetry and vulnerability of kelly rae roberts. i want to be as passionate as donna. i want to be as inspiring as wilna. i want to share ideas as freely as leah. i want to be as chatty as heidi. i want to be as disciplined as annette. and i want to be inspiring, and funny, and generous, as all the other blogs i visit regularly. and i hope more of my visitors will comment. hint, hint!
i strive to grow as a mother. i love francois and sean, and they need me to be the best mother i can be. they are the blessings in my life, and i need to show them this.
i love to grow as a supporting, happy, loving partner for mike, who is the most amazing man, and the best friend and supportive partner a girl could ever want, and who makes me happier than i ever thought possible.
i dream to grow as a friend. there are so many wonderful people in my life, who are the sunbeams that brighten my days, the supports that help me carry the load, the fertilizer that help me grow. i need to love them more, to hug them tighter, to phone/sms them often, compliment them every time, and thank them constantly for their unwavering love.
i try to grow in positivity. in south africa today there is sooo much negativity! i will try to have and spread more hope, more love, more passion, more friendliness.
well, this is some mouthful. for someone who thought she had no new year's resolutions, i did waffle on quite a bit... and see, no mention anywhere of any diet, exercise, cleaner house or harder work! what are your resolutions/themes/thoughts? i really want to know.
love, jacki
SCRAPPIN TIMES
'i may not have gone where i intended to go, but i think i have ended up where i intended to be'. Douglas Adams
hi
below every post, is a place that says 'comment'. if you click on that, you can type in a comment. this comment is sent to me in an email, but it also appears on the blog, and others can read it. this makes the blog much more interactive. i really love reading the comments. when you tell me you visited my blog and did not comment, or i get hits, but no comments, i am so disappointed. it is as though you came to visit me, but i was not home. please comment. if you don't, it feels a little like talking to myself out loud. and if you ever do that, you will know that it feels a little silly. 
thank you to rene, and carla, and ineke who have posted comments often. i love you! Also to elsa, diana, liza, laetitia, wilna, donna, who pop in to say hi, thank you!
The picture is of a sign that appeared on my son, sean's door recently. he thinks that is is hysterically funny! it says 'forget about the dog, beware of my stepmother!' . ahh, the humor of 11 year-olds..
i have been having some fun lately on facebook. it has been sweeping the world, and it is so popular that they say companies have experienced a drop in productivity as a result. it is like having a little corner of the internet for yourself. it is a lot of fun. of course, most users are younger than i am, in fact i have only found a handful of people over 40. if you want to try, go there, and look at my profile. you type in 'jackie janse van rensburg' where it says search. remember to say hi to me there too when you visit me. you can also search SCRAPPIN TIMES, you will find us there. join the group! when you are done, type in the names of some of your friends. or the name of your high school. you might find some old friends.
love, jacki
