Had a great time

We had the Scrapbooking Expo on here last weekend and Ruth and I were lucky enough to be able to go on Sunday and Monday to do some of the fantastic classes on offer. We did 3 on Sunday and then spent Monday morning shopping and checking out the beautiful layouts on display followed by 2 more classes. I had a fab time, learnt lots and did some beautiful layouts (well they will be when I finish them, lol).
I did a photography/photoshop course with the very talented and lovely Rachel Richter and learnt heaps, so this week I have been playing with Photoshop Elements and realising that it really isn't that hard or scary. I just wish I had learnt some of these things 18 months ago when I got it, lol. Thanks Rachel!!!
We did the most gorgeous layout in class with the very talented Loretta Grayson which involved lots of layers, stitching and making a picture rather than a layout as such. I still need to finish off mine but you can check out what the finished layout should look like on Loretta's blog. I really love her work and loved doing this type of layout, something I would like to do more of.
Ruth and I also did a class with the new Making Memories Noteworthy range with Gail Pierce-Watne who works for Making Memories. I absolutely love Making Memories and the Noteworthy ranges are so, so divine so I loved all 3 of the layouts we did.
I will post photos of them all as soon as I have added photos to them and finished them off.
So this week I have spent just trying to catch up after such a busy weekend. Feeling pretty tired, which hasn't been helped by the kids having bad nights the last few nights. Ella woke up screaming last night and we finally figured out that the tiny little torch she insisted on taking to bed with her, she had rolled onto and turned it on giving herself a fright. So after comforting her (and Huddy who she woke up) and putting her in our bed she then woke up a few hours later screaming again from a nightmare, poor little thing she was really beside herself, which breaks your heart but isn't great in the middle of the night. I will catch up on sleep one day, lol.

Hope you're having a happy week :)

WoooHoooo!!!

I decided to challenge myself and do a layout for the blog 123 Challenge for last month. I checked on the blog this afternoon and lo and behold I won a prize!!!!! I can't really believe it, it's a huge surprise, particularly seeing it's the one and only challenge or competition I have entered before. I won a voucher to spend at the online store ScrapTherapy which will be fun trying to choose what I will get, not sure how much its for, $20 I think.

Here's the layout I did for the challenge. You had to use a CD as an embellishment, at least 3 different patterned papers and a 5x7" photo or something from the garden used as a stamp. I went with the 5x7 photo. I used the gorgeous Scenic Route papers from the Lynden range which was their Easter range, such beautiful spring like colours.

The butterfly is a Heidi Swapp Acrylic one that I covered the back with a butterfly from a serviette (thanks for that Ruth!!).

Also another one using a photo taken early last year, I just can't keep up, lol. Lots of machine stitching on this one which you can't see in the photo but which adds some texture to it, love these Dreamstreet papers. gorgeous colours. I think I have thing for green at the moment, lol.

Some flickr goodness!!!

1. enchanted castle in the clouds, 2. Colorful Seafood Sign Rockport, Massachusetts 2008, 3. Pink Sweet Hearts, 4. rose cupcakes, 5. Vacation Owl - nice texture, 6. Untitled, 7. Orange Chocolate Tart, 8. Untitled, 9. Untitled, 10. Untitled, 11. Sequin Jar, 12. Jar-o-Fluff, 13. WIP: Future Craft Room : 4/27, 14. My craft shop in the barn during the summer season., 15. Just hanging around, 16. Last scrapper standing - round3

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

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Just thought I would share my photos from Mothers Day, I don't have any of just me and the kids really so I asked Col to take a few when we were out for lunch. As you can see it is an impossibility to get one of me with both kids, they just wouldn't both look at the camera at the same time.

Ella just tried to strangle me with her cuddles and Huddy wouldn't stop kissing me long enough to look at the camera, lol. I still love these photos anyway, that's just them.

I saw this idea with the spiderwebs in the cut out spaces somewhere ages ago (sorry I can't give the credit properly) and then remembered it for this photo of Ella in her spiderman suit. The other bracket came off and I didn't realise until after I had taken the photo, hate the fact that supposedly sticky letters never stick! Otherwise I'm pretty happy with this layout, for a change lol.
This is made with the latest kit from Scrapbook Princess, you get the patterned papers, 2 cardstock, a chipboard frame, 3 flowers, 1/2 metre of brown ribbon and a sheet of grungeboard for you to play with. Pretty good value for $10 really. I used my new 2 inch square punch which I love (thanks Andrew for carting it all the way home from the States for me).

Some Scrapping to share....

Here's a few layouts I've done lately, two I did (one with the owl and the Christmas one) while I was down in Victoria and the others I did in the last few weeks. I love that little Collections owl, he's so cute and was lots of fun to make, I can't wait to do the other 2 that I got in the pack.

This Christmas one was done using some of the Christmas cards we received last year and my new 2 inch square punch that Andrew so kindly lugged back from the States for me.


This one of Col, Ella and Huddy walking along the beach was done using some of the very cool QTea kit I got at the Crop for Kids I went to with Sharon when I was in Victoria. Love her kits and think I will seriously need to subscribe to them.


I had a heap of fun doing this layout using the very talented Tim Holtz's fragments, they really are very cool and easy to use so, everyone should really have go at using them . Check out his video that shows you how to use them first. You could do so many thing with these. I'll definitely be doing some more layouts with them.




I used the gorgeous new Basic Grey range, Boxer for both of the layouts above and below, I LOVE it, so versatile and beautiful to use.
This layout is using a sketch that Lorna from the Scrapbook Princess is using for one of her classes. I love doing sketches and seeing all the different versions of it.

Love these girls too.

Love these girls!!!!
These last 2 layouts I did using the Scrapbook Princess's Royal Stash kit we organised. I love the American Crafts paper and haven't used it a lot at all so I was really happy to have them to use. Please excuse the photos, I forgot to take some before I took the layouts down to the shop so these are taken on the wall in the shop in the frames they are displayed in.

Unfortunately this kit is about to finish (I'm a little behind, lol) but there will be a new one released on the 1st of May, so get down to the store and check it out, it's going to be using some of my favourite brands papers and some other groovy things as well. Stay tuned for some sneak peeks.

So Cool!!!

I was lucky enough to go to the Matchbox 20 concert last night and they were FANTASTIC!!!! What a brilliant band they are, loved it all.

Enjoy.

Cool stuff.

I found this very cool site, Polyvore, where you can create pages of things that inspire you or that you just love, you can import your own favourites into the site too for others to use. I had a bit of fun playing around this morning - another great time waster, lol.

The things they say.

On the way to the shops today Ella asked "Who am I going to marry Muummy" apparently something she was talking about a few days ago with Col. After much deliberation she decided she wanted to marry Huddy to which I explained that it wasn't really a good idea as he was her brother. We were then going through all of their friends names with me explaining that it was a better idea to marry someone their own age when Huddy piped up that he wanted to marry................wait for it..................................Uncle Andrew!!!!

I was floored and in tears of laughter, no idea where he got the idea that he wanted to marry Andrew, and after our call to Uncle Andrew tonight and Huddy actually asking him and then Andrew telling him he was already married to Auntie Sharon so he couldn't marry him he has decided he will actually marry Esta (hope that's ok Ruth,) lol.

Oh and Ella finally decided that she wants to marry Jack.

Total Exhaustion!!

I had a very last minute but totally exciting opportunity to go to SIA (Scrapbooking Industry Association) inaugural expo on Tuesday and Wednesday in Sydney which was fantastic and which I thoroughly enjoyed. I did some great classes, met some fabulous people and had a great time soaking all the fabulous products and talent in. It was really exciting to be a part of the first expo and I'm sure it will be a fabulous event every year for people in the trade. I was lucky to be able to go with Sharon for the Scrapbook Scene where she works and to meet some really lovely ladies, Michelle from Sissey and Marianne who is on her DT , Julie, Robyn, Rachael and Kim from Scraptacular and Helene and Devorah from Buzz and Bloom to name a few. Thanks Sharon and Janet for letting me fill in at the last minute, loved it all!! I will add some photos when I get a chance.

I got home late Wednesday night totally exhausted and hanging for a good nights sleep only to spend half the night up with a little boy throwing up! Thankfully he's feeling better today after a very quiet day at home on the couch cuddling his Mum. Needless to say I am totally and utterly exhausted and had to have Nana nap this afternoon to get by.

Looking forward to a quiet weekend at home, hopefully getting some scrapping done after all the inspiration I've seen this week :)

I am alive!!

Alright, alright, I know I've been worse than slack with the old blog here but it's been a very busy last few weeks spent in Victoria with family and trying to recover from the horrible pneumonia and flu I had prior to that. So here I am finally blogging again with lots to fill you in on.

We went to Melbourne to help my Dad and his twin sister celebrate their 70th Birthday and to spend a week with all of my family in a gorgeous house we rented in Phillip Island.

We went out for dinner on Dad's birthday with all the kids and took a cake that they had decorated. They loved it. The next night we all (the adults) went to a fabulous restaurant, Libertine with the rest of my Dad's family. It was a great night and it was really lovely to be able to go out with my family to celebrate.

My sister, Nicole and her husband, Rob and my nephew, Jake, all came out from London which was so wonderful and we all had a fabulous time together down at Phillip Island. The weather was brilliant and we spent nearly every day at the beach which the kids loved. We ate extremely well, drank too much and had a lovely time just chilling out with each other.

I've included a just a few photos from our week away which was very difficult as there was a over 3000 taken for the whole week between us all!!!!!!

At the koala park where Ella was very taken by a stuffed koala (not this one) that she really thought was alive and Col being silly at the Maze and funhouse.

We took the opportunity to take some family photos while we were there together.