Back for 2009!

Copycatcards is back! Actually, it has been for a week or so now (gulp)...I am just a bit behind.

The first challenge is to create a card with a heart and the colour green.


It would seem that I may be a bit colourblind, as my son assures me that the card is blue. I am going with "mint green" LOL. The outside edge is stitched with red thread. I just love these bling shapes from Kaisercraft...they are quite easy to apply, and look so stunning! The paper is Sassafras Lass Serendipity Scrumptious...where do they come up with these names? They sound so delicious.

This card was made by Lydia...she loves to make cards! Made entirely from her own 'stash'...gotta love that :)

And since the Sassafras paper was too yummy to be relegated to the scraps box, I made another card...

The stamp is by Basic Grey, and I have inked the edges rather than stitching. I may have to make a couple more!

I had better get onto the current Copycatcard challenge...make a humorous card. Any ideas?

TTFN xxx

Food for thought...

I have shamelessly copied this directly from Tracey's blog today (http://www.aluciousjourney.blogspot.com/) ...hope you don't mind too much Tracey :)

Life really is too short to be anything but happy...don't you think?

Who would've thought...

...I could be incredibly and unbelievably freezing in the middle of a West Australian summer? Chilled to the bone. My hands were frozen, and my toes were numb. Thank goodness I took a jumper.

Today I took my girl and her friends to an ice skating birthday party, and boy, was it cold!

Even with gloves and scarf, the ice was freezing. Look at her chilled little face...she even looks cold in the photos.

Having never been ice skating before, we really didn't know what to expect, but it was so much fun! My only regret (obviously besides not taking another 2 jumpers) was wearing a skirt...because I wasn't expecting that I would have the opportunity to skate.

So I passed this time. Next time I will wear pants, and definitely some extra layers of clothing!

TTFN xxx

Not Allowed!

Just a LO today...

Another one about the boy ;)

We have a little joke about how he's not allowed to grow up...that I will miss him way too much! When I look at photos like this, all of a sudden it's not so funny anymore.

I've used some papers from October Afternoon's Night Light range, which is very boyish and bright. Lots of black machine stitching on this one, and even a Twiddleybitz swirl (there you go Sonya!) A little unusual for me, but I like it!

I'm getting into the swing with these boy LOs...I have another couple laid out on my desk ready to go. Such a nice change from pink and Christmas, don't you think?

TTFN xxx

Happy Australia Day!

Having a very quiet Australia Day here, but hope you are doing what makes you happy!

I've had a couple of exciting things happen today :) I have had a LO accepted into the Basic Grey gallery. Check it out at www.basicgrey.com, and while you're there have a look at all the gorgeous creations that have been uploaded recently...there is SO MUCH inspiration there!

I've also won a prize! Yes...me! So excited...I put my name into the draw for a beauitiful new table runner pattern by the talented Janelle Wind (www.thejanellewindcollection.typepad.com) , and I WON! I have been looking for a Christmas table runner to make for my dining table for a while now, and just love Janelle's new design. I will be watching out for the postie in the next little while :)

TTFN xxx

Sneaky peeks :)

I have been working on a couple of special little projects for a customer at Tomorrows Memories...


...a special request, if you like...

...for some special people in her life. Just so you know that my hands haven't been idle :)

I also managed to get my hands on a little bit of the Making Memories Paperie collection today... I have been trying really hard to not buy so much paper this year, but had to give in to temptation when I saw it in real life. Ho hum. My husband just laughed at me :)

Have a great long weekend!

TTFN xxx

My boy...

...who loves to climb trees :)

I am painfully aware of how slow my boy's scrapbook album is growing compared to his two sisters'. I struggle a bit with boy pages, but in my defence, my boy is also not so keen on having his photo taken. Nor does he say many cute "scrappable" things these days. And let's face it...with his busy sporting/social life, he just isn't around as much as he used to be.

This year I am planning to 'scrap' my boy a little more often, and I hope by writing that down, I just may do it :)

So here is my first boy LO of 2009...

...I was totally inspired by the simplicity of a LO by Angie Hagist, so used it as a starting point.

I thought I had completed the journaling... "My boy, who loves to climb trees, and explore new places, and go really fast on roller blades", but as soon as Riley saw the LO, he added "and tear brand new t-shirts", because that is exactly what happened on the day the photo was taken...so I added it to the journal card.

I've used Making Memories Passport, a touch of Basic Grey Granola, October Afternoon journal card, Jenni Bowlin Bingo cards (the packaging of them, actually, because the actual cards were too big!) and some stamps. The Collections owl was put through the Cuttlebug with an embossing folder, then covered with metallic rubons (the creamy kind)...love how he turned out!

Have a great Friday!

TTFN xxx

Scrapbooking can be a bit like...

...pulling teeth sometimes. Painful, long, but with some relief at the end! LMAO.

It's been a bit like that for me lately...layouts sitting on my desk for days at a time, when usually I finish them up fairly quickly once I get a roll happening. Take this one for example..


I've had these Basic Grey Bittersweet papers for quite a while now, and started this LO a few days ago...but it just wasn't happening. I cut, and cut, and fiddled and rearranged, and cut some more...

...but couldn't do anything I was happy with.
Until I decided to use some fabric from my daughters old bedroom curtains...that did the trick! So I sat up until the wee hours of this morning, stitching and distressing, journaling and sticking, and am finally happy with the result.

Thank goodness for that :)

TTFN xxx

Stitch? Scrap? Sew? What?

I have to admit, there has been very little happening in the way of stitching or scrapping or sewing going on around here lately. My days have been FULL of kids stuff...can you relate?
Why, just keeping them fed is almost a full time occupation, let alone keeping them happy and productively occupied :)

We have had trips to the park, trips to the movies, catching up with friends, shopping for school shoes....and the dreaded grocery shopping today ($459 later, thankyouverymuch!)...by the end of the day, I am happy just to tumble into bed so that I have enough energy to face another day of kid-friendly activity! I haven't sewn a single stitch this year (shock horror) and as for scrapping....well, my scrap room is about the tidiest room in the house right now, so I don't want to jeopardise that by pulling papers out! LOL.

HOWEVER...

Since my darling son insists on turning the computer on every day so that he can download cheat codes for his Pokemon DS game (yawn yawn) I have done a little net surfing myself, and look what I found..


Is this not the cutest little wooden playset you have ever seen?

And the breakfast set....awwwww....love it! I found these online the other day, and am thinking Merryn might need to add these to her kitchen. She has her own little oven, and loves playing tea sets and baking and serving snacks from her "cafe", so I can only imagine how much she would love these.

I am so glad I have little girls. At least I can pretend that all the cute things I buy are for them!

TTFN xxx

The Jury's Out

Can't quite decide if I like this LO or not....or if, in fact, it's actually finished :)

It has been sitting on my desk for a few days now, and that is never a good thing....too much time for me to change things around, and waste time on it. I am so much better when I make quick decisions. Is it done? (you can be honest...I won't be offended).

I've used some Basic Grey Urban Prairie papers and chipboard, My Mind's Eye Just Dreamy 2, various stamp sets and a few other bits and pieces. I wanted to record how much Merryn loves the pink princess dress she received from my sister and family for Christmas...she would wear it everywhere if I let her! (and yes, Aunty Leisa, it held up just fine in the washing machine LOL)

Not much else happening here...we spent the day at our local pool, trying to escape the heat. Hope you are keeping cool, wherever you are!

TTFN xxx

Happiness in a box :)

That is my definition of IKEA. For a girl who has a slight obsession with storage and organisation, IKEA is like a little piece of heaven. I have never been known to leave the place without a new addition to my storage collection...which, for a girl equally obsessed with scrapbook shopping, is not a bad thing :)

While hubby was still on holidays (which sadly ended yesterday) I "treated" him and the kids to a little expedition to IKEA, complete with Swedish meatballs for lunch! I had browsed the latest catalogue, and knew exactly what I needed for my scraproom...


...and here it is in all it's glory! It has taken me a couple of days to achieve this (and the rest of the house is still a bit of a shambles hee hee) but I now feel like I am in heaven. Look at the little details...

I had so much fun with this.

Look at the little village on top. And the ribbon and brad jars...just a bit like a candy shop, don't you think?

Guess I had better keep working on the rest of the house...sigh. I had to move quite a bit of furniture to make room for my new addition, so it is sitting around, just waiting to find a new home. It doesn't help that, once I get the spring-cleaning bug, I don't seem to know when to stop LOL!

Have a great day!

TTFN xxx

Goodbye Big Girl

We'll miss you.... :(

My DH sold his beautiful black baby yesterday...affectionately known as "the Big Girl".

I am sad...I loved the big girl, but with three kids, never really got the chance to go for a nice long ride on the back of her (I don't have a licence LOL). Unfortunately, DH didn't ride her much either since when he's home, he usually has at least one child who wants to go wherever he's going! So we decided to sell her, and maybe pick up a little car for us to zip around town in.

Still a bit sad when I look at her empty spot in the garage :(

TTFN xxx

Round One...

These summer days are rolling by so fast! So great not to wake to an alarm clock every morning, and not have to iron school clothes, but I fear it will all end way too soon :( (especially since trampoline training for Riley starts again today!)

We have been spending our days at home doing jigsaw puzzles, playing board games and playing Wii...and I have been doing some scrapping too.

I sorted through all my Christmas scrapping supplies yesterday, just having a little tidy up, and got all inspired to create another LO.

"Round One" is all about how, somehow, we have allowed the children to open a Christmas present from under the tree on the morning of Christmas Eve...hmmm, it seems to be getting earlier every year! I really like the way this one came together, nice and simple. All my LOs from Christmas this year seem to have turquoise in them, since it has become Lydia's favourite colour and she wears it almost daily...I guess it is a nice twist to the usual red and green :)

Have a great Monday!

TTFN xxx

Volcanoes and earthquakes!

A bit of excitement happening in our household today...a volcanic eruption, no less!

Riley is a bit of a budding scientist, and was very excited when Santa delivered a Volcano Kit. He spent yesterday afternoon painting the shell in readiness for the big eruption...today was all about chemical mixing (don't you just love the goggles?) The whole family was gathered to witness the first eruption...

and even though I haven't captured it well in photos, it was quite spectacular!

And the earthquake? Well, the photo really speaks for itself, don't you think?

Yep, that would be me "working out" on the Wii fit! LOL. I have to say, I am really enjoying (or should that be embracing?) this new type of exercise, and the kids love it more than me! I have to stand in line for my turn, and then they do more exercises alongside me. Loving "step plus" the most so far, followed closely by the ski jump exercise...oh, and hula hooping too. Hopefully I will be saying goodbye to the oversized butt fairly soon :)

I've also been giving some thought to how embrace is going to affect my scrapbooking, and I have come up with a few strategies.

First of all, I am planning to embrace scraplifting! I read so many magazines, online sites etc and see so many ideas that I love, and yet when I sit down to create, I get stumped for a LO idea. I have no problem with the photos and story and colour combos, but really struggle sometimes with how I'm going to lay it all out. So instead of that pulling me up (or making me waste hours on end) I am planning to start with a scraplift, and let my LO evolve from there!

So last night, I challenged myself to totally scraplift a LO from my new issue of Scrapbook Trends... and this is what I ended up with...

The original LO is by Paula Gilarde. I changed the tree (hers is strips of paper with buttons) and used some MM chipboard buttons instead. I've also changed colours, number of photos, and added some extra embellishments etc, but the LO is very similar...and it wasn't so hard! (Paper by Basic Grey, thickers alphas, and other embellishments cut with the Slice)

I also want to embrace the supplies that I already own. Far too often, I reach for the newest papers, or the latest embellishments, without even thinking of the masses of scrapping stuff I have in the cupboard(s)...

So with this in mind, I delved into the stash to make this LO about Merryn's Christmas dress. The green diecut paper is a sheet of K & Co my sister gave me in Brisbane in May (thanks Leisa...I finally used it!)and the present embellishment is cut from the dress fabric! I backed it with Jac paper, cut around it, and adhered with foam tape....and of course, it matches perfectly ;) There is lots of machine stitching which you can't see well on the photo, and I've threaded embroidery cotton through the edge of the diecut. Who says you need "new" stuff to create a LO that you love?

TTFN xxx

One little word for 2009

Anyone who follows Ali Edwards blog will know all about her one little word concept. Each year, you choose a word that has significance for you-what you want to achieve, how you want to live your life, or the path that you wish to follow in the year to come. Last year I chose a word, but didn't really act upon it as much as I would have liked.

I have given my one little word for 2009 a lot of thought while I was away, and after tossing around lots of different ones, I have decided upon the word "embrace". The dictionary definition of embrace goes something like this:

embrace: fold in the arms, usually as a sign of affection, clasp, enclose, accept, adopt, include, comprise, take in with eye or mind.

Embrace is something that I hope to incorporate into many facets of my life. Embrace new experiences, embrace my family, embrace opportunities, embrace our lifestyle and all it has to offer, embrace new foods, embrace a healthier me....and so the list goes on. I see it as a very positive thing, and have already started to incorporate it into my everyday. Heavy.LOL.

Onto the scrapping :)

This is another little project that I completed with my design team goodies from Tomorrows Memories...more very beautiful October Afternoon papers. I have a thing for polka dots (have you noticed?) and love those little flowers. They are cut from a seperate piece of paper called Sweater Weather, which is stunning. Only one flower has a stem, so I cut around a few of them and made some custom flowers. The cream cardstock was cut with my Fiskars scallop scissors (after I traced around a platter to get the curve). Letters are cut using the Noteworthy card for the MM Slice, then run through the Cuttlebug with a polkadot embossing folder.

Have a great day...it is SO hot in Perth today!

TTFN xxx

Refreshed. Relaxed. Home.

First of all....HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope that 2009 is all that you wish for, and holds lots of wonderful surprises too :)

We have spent the year so far on holidays (doesn't that sound fabulous LOL) at Monkey Mia, and exploring the Shark Bay World Heritage Area.

I can't even begin to describe the beauty and wonder that is Monkey Mia. Interacting with wild dolphins every day was nothing short of magical, and an experience that I will never forget. Watching them, learning about them, and being in the water with them was awesome.

Even though these dolphins visit Monkey Mia almost every day, you can't help but feel blessed that these wild animals have chosen to share a part of their day with you. Every morning we would walk to the beach, and every morning it was a thrill to see which dolphins had come to visit, and which had chosen to stay away. I think I could do it every morning of my life, and still be excited each and every day.

We went on a wildlife cruise, and were so lucky to see dugongs in the wild, feeding on the sea grasses and teaching their young to survive. We watched sharks and rays swimming just below us from a hilltop lookout, went on a tour of a black pearl farm, which I found absoulutely fascinating...

...walked amongst stromatolites which are thousands of years old, and snorkelled in clear, calm waters amongst dozens of fish.

Can you see the dolphin fin in the background? How cool.

We also spent plenty of time in the resort pool...the kids made lots of new friends (who they had a hard time leaving), we had dinner in the restaurant, drinks at the famous "Monkey Bar", and just many many hours of fun times together.

And now we're home :(

Home to a little more routine, and loads of washing, and bathroom scales that are not being AT ALL kind, and the start of New Years resolutions and life in general, which all seems so very far removed from our daily visits with the dolphins.

Spending so many hours travelling gives you lots of time to reflect on your life, and what you want to focus on in the new year, and what goals you want to achieve. I have also been giving lots of thought to my one little word for 2009. I think it's going to be a great year!

TTFN xxx