Hi Everyone,

This post is a bit of fun and a chance to share the Project Life love! I would like to thank Jill Conyers for organising this Blog Hop – it is the first time I have participated in one.

My enthusiasm for PL is high – I am not a scrapbooker and I am finding that by trying some scrapbook techniques and digital techniques I am keeping my interest up. My project is not a POTD – I am hoping to do a double page layout each week that gives an overall ‘flavour’ of the week.

Originally I was handwriting my journal cards but now I am mainly doing digital in Photoshop Elements which I am teaching myself by using ‘trial & error’ and online tutes. So here are some of my favourite bits from January.

I think the title page is cute but it is missing something – I will know what it is when I see it and then I will add it – any suggestions? I think I will be adding the missing something to the envelope card. The 2012 is a photo I found online. The photo of my daughter is one that I will be getting each year of her standing at the front door – it will be good to see her changing in the pictures over the years

This journal card is one of the first that I did in PSE. It tested me and it was worth the effort to try something new – ignore the spelling mistake – I have reprinted 🙂

I want to add the ephemera of our daily lives – this is something I don’t do very well. My daughter’s daycare teachers are collecting artworks etc for me to include into the album –  they got this handprint on her 3rd birthday.

I roughly plan what I am going to add to the album mid-way through the week. This helps me keep focussed on getting an extra photo or story if I have gaps. My system – haha! – is just looking at my photos and putting a few sticky-notes on the pages – VERY technical, I know.

I want to make sure that PL does not become a baby-book or tribute to Paige – I try to add some of my stories and least one photo of me each week. This can be hard but I am hoping that I will look back in years to come and think – “gosh, look how young and cute I was!” –  or something like that (right now I think I look old and tired, I am tired). Maybe my future grandkids will be amazed that I wasn’t always an old lady?

Although some handwriting is fine – mine is not nice – I prefer to do my journaling in PSE now that I have figured out how to do it. Love the ‘clean’ look of this page. I am also using Ali Edward’s photo overlays on some of the pics.

When it comes to embellishing I am mainly using stickers and washi tape – will probably do more as I pick up a few techniques.

My project is done using the Clementine core-kit and the Clementine digital elements.  I have accumulated a basket of stickers, alphas and other bits and pieces – I am sure that I will be adding to this as the year goes on.

I get most of my photos from my dSLR or my iPhone – totally love the Instagram app. Sometimes I check out my Mother’s photos for the week and see if she got something good that I can use.

Inserts are a regular feature each week with my layouts – so far I have used extra photos, artworks, letters etc. This week I will be featuring the Instagram photos that I have taken for a Photo365/POTD app that I am using on the iPhone. I read a fabulous post at Simple Scrapper that featured 2x2pics in a coin-collector’s page protector. I will be including this in the last week of each month.

I am blogging my layouts each week. I link-up to The Mom Creative on Project Life Tuesdays and this also keeps me keen and the deadline pushes me to stay up to date.

So that is the overview of my Project Life for January. Please let me know what you think, any suggestions or questions are very much welcomed.

                                               http://jillconyers.com/

I have had to post a few hours early due to the time differences.  -The bloghop goes live at 8:00 EST (US) on 5 February. The next blog to hop on over to is:

Noelia at  www.noeliaevangelista.typepad.com – please pop over and share the PL love.

Here are the links to the other participants in the bloghop