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Travelling, portrtait photography and digital scrapbooking from templates


I am combining both my WFMW along with a Travel Tips carnival going on at Antique Mommy.

Here are several tips that have worked for me.

  • Clingy Make-a-scene sticker books – these re-useable make-a-scene “clingy” stickers are great for traveling, as not only can they be used on the scene they come with, but also cling to airplane windows! This was wonderful when we were on a transatlantic flight to Florida, flying with 3 kids, including my son who was 18 months.

They can be found for a couple of pounds in all the major Disney characters, as well as Thomas the Tank Engine, Barbie and most kids tv characters. I always keep a few in the car, and they are also useful distractions while waiting in restaurants.

  • My second tip is also for long-haul flights.

I gather up small “pocket money” toys and puzzles, pencils and mini-notebooks, stickers key-rings, and indiviually wrap them. Then on the flight, at hourly intervals, the kids get to choose a present to open, and hopefully this will entertain and distract them for a little while longer. For older kids these presents can be numbered, and include clues towards the final treat.

For more Travelling Tips visit Antique Mommy and for more WFMW visit Rocks in My Dryer.

My Portrait Portfolio

Well my photography course People Imagery is complete. At the end of the 4 modules we had the option of submitting a portfolio with 4 new images illustrating what we have learnt.

This is the second course I have taken with CJ, and I feel I know so much more that I ever would have from a book. It is not just the lessons by CJ, but also the great active forum, where we share our results.

To illustrate the wonders of Photoshop Elements, I have included the same photos below, straight from the camera, before any cropping or tweaking.

Hopefully you can see the difference!

Digital Scrapbooking

On the Weeds and Wildflowers Blog this week there is a great sketch challenge. Check it out for this free template.

When using a template it is not necessary to follow it to the last detail, but as you can see from my interpretation, although I started with this template, my final layout ended up quite different.

Often when creating a layout, I start with the photo and a template, and maybe a specific kit in mind, but often the layout evolves through the process. So if you are new to digital scrapbooking, don’t feel that templates are “set in stone”. The joy of digital scrapbooking is the personal creativity – no two people will end up with the same layouts, despite using the identical kit and starting from the same template. For more examples using this template, visit The Meadow blog.

If you use 80% of Weeds and Wildflower products, you can link up your layout in the comments section, and have the chance of winning a gift certificate for the Weeds & Wildflower store.

My Giveaway

Remember you can still enter my giveaway to win a digital scrapbooking gift or card created by ME using YOUR photos by visiting jm digital designs, or click on the graphic below.

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19 Comments

  1. Jan!
    Those photos are simply gorgeous! What camera are you using? And the layout is wonderful; the freebie is awesome. Thanks for the tips. Trust me, they’re much needed and definitely appreciated

  2. I love your photos. I came over from Antique Mommy’s. Ireland is on my list of places I NEED to travel to!

  3. Wow, your photography is outstanding!!! Thanks for your well wishes you left on my blog. Hope you have a great day!!

  4. hey sweets, stunning photos and Yes I can see the difference, awsome job! How fun to take a class and off to have a better looksy at that site!

    Also love your take on the challenge here!

    Have a great day, hugs!

  5. You take the sweetest pictures. Thanks for joining in my little ole’ carnival!

  6. Oooh fabulous travel tips – I like the reusable sticker idea 🙂 And the photos – brilliant! great composition to begin with but they way you have photoshoped them is awesome!! Donna

  7. You really have a talent for portraits. Half the battle is getting a good picture to begin with, but the other half is knowing how to take it from the camera and turn it into the best it can be. You clearly have talent in both areas.

  8. I like your travel idea of wrapping the gifts! I’ve bought little items and put them all in a small travel bag for the trip, but wrapping and stretching them out should add to the fun!

    And I REALLY need to figure out Photoshop! Your photos are great…

  9. Your tips are sure to be of great value to some Moms – and to us NOT moms too. Like, if I should have a ‘little person’ come visit, wouldn’t it be nice, rather than just haul the old toybox out, to have a basket of wrapped ‘treasures’?

    A lady told me once that she picks up all sorts of that ‘junk jewellery’ from different places and keeps a ‘treasure chest’ for little girls – they get to pick a piece to KEEP when they visit.

    Your photography is wonderful JM – your course was well worth it.

    I think that any time one takes a course, invests time into a thing, you always come away richer. Does not matter if its only one tiny thing, it will be with you for life.

    But… the biggest thing to becoming a good photographer, I’ve found…

    TAKE YOUR CAMERA WITH YOU – EVERYWHERE.

    You could have all the equipment in the world, know all the techniques, but often, its being there at the right time, with your camera, right? My purse always has to be big enough to fit my camera in.

    Thanks for another wonderful post.

  10. I’m almost sure I remember seeing those two outside Great Plains, but I was running to Dunnes at the time.

    It’s a tiny little world.

    I love the photographs too.

  11. You always have such great tips here…thanks! And I love the sticker books! I used to have so much fun with those as a kid.

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