F is for FAIL...

When hardly anyone can correctly identify what a crafty object is, for me...that's a big ol' FAIL.
...and this is what my poor old cocoa pod appears to be.

 My hubby got it right, and that should count for something, but he lives with me...so I'm thinking he had an unfair advantage (and added incentive to get it right IYKWIM ;-).

I do want to say thank you to everyone who gave me feedback though. I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you thought. My poll here, and of some local friends (who got to pick the card up and play with it) has resulted in a variety of answers, ranging from "Acorn" to "Coconut" and even "Brown Bug"!!

In addition, the local friends couldn't work out how the easel card even opened. Apparently non-crafty types don't do easel cards! I KNOW...'non-crafty types'...I don't get it either ;-)

So I am hanging my head in shame, and going back to the drawing board with this one. How embarrassment. Maybe a block of chocolate would be easier to identify?

For now, I'll leave you with a little happy pic...thanks for stopping by.

Lucey Blue's Windswept Herb Garden, Whitehaven Beach - Queensland, Australia

Blogged to: Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson, Nutbush City Limits - Tina Turner and From The Music - The Potbelleez.

Somewhere where it isn't cold and raining...

Lady Musgrave Island - Queensland, Australia

Blogged to: Hold On - Wilson Phillips, Rhythm Of the Night - Valeria and Dreams - Van Halen.

Dreaming...

Tin Can Bay - Queensland, Australia

Blogged to: I Caught Myself - Paramore, Why Can't This Be Love - Van Halen,  Another One Bites The Dust - Queen and Burn For You - INXS.

Dreaming...

The Great Sandy Strait - Queensland, Australia

Blogged to: Great Southern Land - Icehouse, Sounds of Then - GANGgajang and Solid Rock - Goanna.

JAI #103 Just Add Red and White

I managed to grab a few quiet minutes earlier this morning to make a card for the latest Just Add Ink challenge, JAI #103 - Just Add Red and White...

Let me tell you, it was no easy thing using just red and white. I have several false-start focal 'bits' scattered across my desk, and I almost binned the whole lot in frustration at one point, but after fiddling for so long, I wasn't going to let it beat me.

You may have noticed that I have not been putting up recipes for my projects of late. I have got to the stage where I don't remember what most of the SU products are called anymore, and can't be bothered looking them all up, especially when it is not apparent to me that anyone actually read that stuff! If anyone ever does want to know what I've used, please feel free to leave a comment or send an email and as long as I have some way of contacting you back (and can work out what it was that I used etc)...I'll reply asap.

I also have another of Thumper's birthday photos that I was playing with recently. I have run a whole bunch of Pioneerwoman actions over this shot, and I liked the end result.

See ya!

Christmas Knick Knacks and Chocolates...

I have a few pictures to show you of things that I guess can best be classed as Christmas knick knacks, or maybe stocking stuffers. Some of them I bought for others, some I bought for myself ;-). Some were given to me at Christmas. Some are cute, some are yummy, some can be used for crafting, some can not. What ever their purpose...they made me smile!

Cute, shaped paperclips. Which I got from Pepe's Paperie, a lovely little shop that sells stationery and other papery goodies here in Canberra.

Groovy-doovey Valentine-themed masking tape...from Pepe's.

Pretty-coloured Jute Twine...also from Pepe's. I love Pepe's a lot!

Eco-friendly, easy stow-away shopping bags by Envirosax. I got these up in a little shop in Balgowlah in Sydney, but I have seen similar ones in several kitchen-type shops too. I love the pretty oriental designs on these ones.

Haigh's Chocolate Frogs. A lovely gift from my sister in-law. They even come in their own beautiful cardboard bookish-box! Drool....I have been very good, and haven't touched these yet at all.

...and last, but certainly not least...one of my all time favourites the Darrell Lea Christmas Nougat Pudding! They make these at Easter-time too....same delicious taste, just a different design.

Thanks for sitting through my little fest of pretties and yummies. I hope you got some lovely pretties and yummies under your tree this year too!

More Christmas Cards...

...at least I should be ready when this year's Christmas cards season begins...this is the theory, at any rate ;-).

As you can probably tell, I haven't cleaned up the detritus from last week's Christmas card-making session...soooooo, these ones are in very much the same vein....the stuff was all there, ready to go!

List of Ingredients:

Stamps: Merry and Bright (Papertrey Ink) and Believe (Papertrey Ink);
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip (plain and textured cardstock), Real Red, Kraft and Whisper White;
Ink: Chocolate Chip and Real Red Classic Inks;
Accessories: Crimper, Real Red Grosgrain ribbon, Real Red Polka Dot Grosgrain (I used the reverse side), Gold DMC Thread, Gold and Red Kindy Glitz, Dimensionals, Gold Brads, Mini Glue Dots, Sticky Strip and SNAIL adhesive.

Also, I wanted to show you some happy snaps taken with my birthday present - a Tamron 10 - 24 mm lens.....a lovely wide angle for landscapes etc:

...the view from my bean bag, underneath our blossom tree (I wish you could hear the bees)!

...Lake Tuggeranong on a beautiful sunny afternoon...

...Just chillin'!


Have a lovely day,

(Blogged to: I Drove All Night - Cyndi Lauper and Modern Love - David Bowie).

A Small Offering...

Well....it has been a long, long time between posts. No excuses...just haven't felt like crafting. Even this little project is cheating some...it was started about 2 months ago, and has spent the intervening period collecting a magnificent coat of dust. Grand plans eh?

But its here now, better late than never, and all that stuff ;-)

I am not even going to try and come up with a recipe for this one. It was made with some stuff I have here...somewhere. The colour combination pleases my eye...as does the pretty blue glitter.

We have so much going on here right now...I'll try and fill you in at some point. Enough to say that this weekend I have spent some time relaxing, and enjoying the newly opened blossoms (and the attendant bees) on my ornamental plum tree. It is definitely my favourite few weeks of the floral year!

I also spent a lovely week at the Murramarang Resort at South Durras with Master 4, an oceanside bungalow and a spa bath (hubby O/S and Miss 6 visiting with Grandma)...that was pure joy, and something I definitely hope to do again...we even saw whales breaching in the bay!

Hope you have had a great weekend,

(Blogged to: Eagle Rock - Daddy Cool and The Look - Roxette).

Buggy Beetle

Just a little bit more silliness from me. I really love the images in the Going Buggy set...they're so big and bold and cute:

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Real Red, Elegant Eggplant, Yoyo Yellow and Whisper White
Stamps: Going Buggy
Inks: Elegant Eggplant and Real Red Classic Ink
Accessories: Chit Chat Rub-ons, Crimper, Googly eyes, Dimensionals and SNAIL Adhesive.

It is a beautiful Autumn day here today....the clouds are picture perfect - well, almost...I did run Pioneer Woman's Boost action on them (several times in fact) to get some more of that lovely sky blue happening:

This last one looks cartoon-ish to me! What does the sky look like where you are?

Also....a swimming shot, because pretty soon it is going to be just too cold to swim until next Spring (boo hoo):

Have a lovely day,

(Blogged to: Born Slippy - Underworld).

Dragonfly birthday with cake...

As I went to photograph this card I was thinking...what was I thinking? Probably, at the time I made it, I wasn't thinking at all. If memory serves me...the kids were begging me for something and I remember just grabbing the first rub-on I saw...it was one of those annoying ones that end up sort of hanging off the end of the sheet and collecting all the dust...so I just grabbed and rubbed. Now I have a birthday card with a dragonfly on it and a break out the cake sentiment. Yeah Sam. They go together brilliantly! I guess I can always cover up the sentiment with some hodgepodge...

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant, Real Red, Yoyo Yellow and Whisper White
Stamps: Going Buggy - retired
Inks: Elegant Eggplant Classic Ink
Accessories: Chit Chat Rub-ons, Tiny Bubbles Cuttlebug Folder, 1/2 inch Circle Punch, Crystal Effects, Dimensionals, Kmart goggly eyes and SNAIL Adhesive.

It looks kinda kooky...but I guess that's permissable for a child's birthday card :-).

Also, here are a few pictures that I took yesterday...

....Icky fly! I just liked how clear he came out...plus his groovy coloured rear-end.

....Banksia. I LOVE Banksias

....Cheeky Mr 3, with Seventies action applied (thanks PioneerWoman)

....Batemans Bay

....McKenzie's Beach (yes it was flipping cold...you don't see me in there do you?).

....McKenzie's Beach

....sand

....sand

....sand

....and more sand!

I like sand!!

(Blogged to: Echo Beach - Martha and the Muffins).