time to play...

It's almost that time again! The November kit will be available at Keep'n the Memories this weekend. It's really lovely. Kind of rustic and sort of vintagey but with a surprising colour palette and lots of playful elements! This time I got 4 layouts, an off the page item and 3 cards. Here's a couple of sneak peeks:

I got caught a bit off guard by all the trick or treaters this year! The doorbell hasn't stopped ringing for hours! Lucky there was chocolate in the house! The teenage boys on their bikes with no costume and a plastic shopping bag were very lucky to get anything from me though! Surely if you're going to do it, you can put in a LITTLE bit of effort!

Well I'm on parent helper duty at Kinder tomorrow (groan!) but on Friday it's off to meet up with some of the KTM girls for a cuppa. YAY! I'll be back with more sneaks tomorrow night.

on being your mum...

Another Keep'n the Memories challenge. Buttons, Journalling and no plain cardstock. The journalling reads:

"On being Mum. I never thought I would be a perfect Mother. But I did think I would do a better job than I am doing at the moment. I used to be calm. I used to be encouraging. I couldn't get enough of you. I'm not sure when it happened but at some point in the last two years I lost all patience. I am too quick to anger. I don't give you the time you need. I am not positive enough. I say things I regret every day but I am too stubborn to back down and apologise. You are so strong. We clash constantly. I cry with frustration all the time. And I cry with fear. I am so scared that you will grow up remembering only our conflicts. Remembering only these last years that we have struggled together for control. I hope you remember too the intense love I feel for you. I will show it more. I hope you remember how proud I am of everything you do. I will tell you all the time. I hope you remember all the fun we have together. I will make more time for you. Because I love you. With all my heart."

merry christmas...

Here's the front of the chrissie card I have been working on. There's also a 9 month old cutie on the back cover holding the company logo. And of course the requisite greeting inside.

CUTE little bunch of kidlets. Notice my chooby munchkin in there... It was such hard work trying to get them all to look at the camera, smile AND hold their letter up THE RIGHT WAY!!! We nearly had a merry CHRISTWAS for a while there!!! We had one wanderer, more than one limelight stealer, at least one 'don't understand what your telling me to do' and several little perfect models. It was stressful but fun. The client loves the card which has gone off to print now, yay another job down. Some of you reading this might just be receiving one in the mail next month oooh eeer!! Now I have a little downtime. Yay for me.

Scrapping anyone?

a challenge

Over at Keep'n the Memories we've been challenging each other to scrap out of our comfort zone. Just for fun. It's been very liberating! And we're all scrapping up a storm. It's been great.

The current challenge is a double layout with doodling and felt. A real challenge for me, I think I've only done about 4 doubles in my life, so it was fun!

Here's mine, and some close ups cause you can't see much in the whole pic.

The next one we are doing is buttons, journalling and no cardstock. Join in!

12 kids under 6

What a nightmare!

Today I had a photo shoot for a Corporate Christmas card. Wow, what a day!

I have been run off my feet all week trying to organise props, wardrobe, refreshments, transport and imagine - coordinating 12 children and their families to be in the same spot at the same time, wearing the same clothes!! Not to mention that 1/2 of them are new arrivals with limited English and no car.

Late yesterday I realised I had taken on too much and hired a photographer to take over the shooting. I can't believe I thought I would manage it all alone! I was so busy non-stop and I didn't even pick up a camera!

So glad that it is over! Actually it went pretty well. I'll check if I'm allowed to share...

Here's a LO I did for a mini-challenge at Keep'n the Memories to use at least 3 different ribbons, polka dots and a one-word title. I set a personal speed record with this one - I had 20 minutes to spare so I had to act fast. I am such a slow scrapper, LOL!

a quilt.. and oops, it's pink!

Well, a pile of fabric actually.

But I do plan to make it into a quilt. For Miss K. Very inspired by Mel Goodsell - I found a link to an easy peasy quilt tutorial on her blog.

I am quite sure that it will get started very very soon. I am super excited to give quilting a go - a very easy design but still, a challenge for me. However we shall see if I actually get around to finishing it though!

I tend to do that... get excited, spend money, get started and then fizzle out! I have 2 headless rag dolls in the cupboard I really should finish, poor things! LOL.

more beachy goodness

Another bargain kit from Keep'n the Memories. Love this one - not a skerrick of pink in sight but still totally suitable for pics of my girls. There are a couple of white blossoms in there!!! But I so desperately enjoyed working with these colours. Not long now...

scrummy scrap stuff

YUM! The Keep'n the Memories October kit is all summer beachy goodness and is packed full of gorgeous stuff. Heaps of vintagey lace trim, 6 double sided patterned papers and a pile of chipboard scrolls plus a tonne more stuff. Again, I have made 3 LOs, 3 cards and a mini album. So happy there is not a hint of pink in sight! It will be available for sale this weekend. Here's some peeks for you in the meantime... I'll post some more later in the week.

It feels like Summer!

time to breathe

Well what a mammoth week from hell! I have been working my (not so) little butt off and finally went to print this morning so YAY for me, it is all over! Except that now I have to get started on the next job! rather like the washing, it never ends! We have crammed so much into this last week it is not funny. Including the girls' baptism. How super sweet they looked. Here's a fave pic from the day... LOL we need to mow the lawn! We also had a trip to the beach and took a million photos - filled our 1gig card and somehow got it locked. I don't know what is going on but we can't access the pics. It is infuriating. I s'pose much like getting a roll of film back that is all overexposed! Hubby is taking the card to a computer place today and hopefully we can get them off... Kirra spent her first night away from home last night - stayed at her cousin's. Funny how she gives me so much grief but I could just cry about her not being here... (read: i DID cry about it!) Spoke to her on the phone last night and again this morning just for good measure. I think I was bothering her! She doesn't care nearly as much as I do! Again - she is growing up way too fast for me. Speaking of growing up Sharna is turning into such a little darling. She was so difficult early on, very different to her sister. She still doesn't sleep so well but she is otherwise so relaxed and chill. Nothing bothers her. She doesn't cry. And kissable to boot. I could smooch her all day. So anyway, I was talking about how I have time to breathe a bit now. Hopefully you see some scrapping here soon! I am definately feeling withdrawals! x

mean mummy!

I must be the cruellest Mummy ever. My Kirra is a very difficult child. She is super intelligent but she is such hard work. Apparently her thought processes are too complex for a nearly-5-year-old brain to process. It overwhelms her and makes her very intense. Full on. In everything she does. I won't go into the details of her behaviour, I could be here for hours! But I struggle with her. A lot. And this morning I reached my breaking point. I now have a mountain of toys and books all boxed up in the corner of the dining room (GREAT!) and Kirra's room contains a bed, a bedside and an empty bookshelf. NO TOYS AT ALL. It is ALL gone. I even took away any hair ties with pretty bits on them! She needs a wake up call. OMG - How mean am I?