HOUSEWORK VS SCRAPPING???

Sunday I got up with the good intention to get stuck into my housework...get all tidy and later on get a LO done - or maybe two even - if time allowed..........

Nup...  didnt happen...... 

I got my cup of tea and wandered into my study - started fiddling with a few things.....and that was that...didnt even finish my cup of tea.  I scrapped all day and truly.......it was about time everything else went on the backburner!  

So worth it - even if I'm playing catch-up now!  (rolling eyes)

Today I got a parcel delivered (yipee!) from SCRAP THERAPY - they are having a sale!!!  I love stocking up on my background papers etc...some bargains to be had with lots of fab products!

You need to check this out here!

This is one place you get your goodies super quick! 

SCRAP IT LAH

The criteria was white - with a little of one other colour. Loved this challenge!

Here's Paige in the snow!  Its so chilly here at the moment!!  I think this is the coldest Winter we've had in quite a long time.

XOXO CHALLENGE

This is a scraplifting challenge blog - a lot of good fun and diverse LO's to choose from to lift!

This time I've chosen two.....  This first one is Andrea's.

And the second one is a lift of Jeanette's

SCRAPJACKED USA

What a great jack!

Look at little Hannah and Paige practicing their ballet on the front veranda!

At that very moment they were saying 'Hands on hips'!  Too cute

You can find the challenge here

Got to love PURPLE ONION DESIGNS!!

I fell in love with these alpha stamps (which I've used on the above and below LO's) the moment I set eyes on them on their website... AND so glad I got them!!  They are called Broken15 Alphabet There is a smaller size to this font.... thats on my 'must' list!!!

ITs a really expressive alphabet... how do I explain that?? 

Weeeeeell, to me with all its little side-lines and dots, crockedness etc...its child-like..

or even teenager graffetti like - if that makes sense- almost like the the way the children would actually say the words.  Hmmmn....not sure if I do make sense...but I know what I mean LOL!

In the 'Hand's on Hip's' LO, I used paint on the stamps, below pink ink.

(Click on the pics to enlarge.  Stamping with paint made it a bit more splodgy-er and just how I like it!)

This is my studio....

There are some other gorgeous alpha stamps I love there as well!!

I'm finding I use more and more alpha stamps these days (especially with paint!) because they are sooo versatile with the freedom of colour choices....and in the end.... a whole lot cheaper - using them over and over!!

I'm sooooooo not finished with this new set....Its gonna turn up a lot in my LO's me thinks!!

And speaking of

PURPLE ONION DESIGNS...

dont forget they are sponsoring a wonderful prize for 

'Let's Get Shabby's'

Birthday Celebration Challenge

GO CHECK IT OUT!!!

Fun fun fun!!!

LET'S GET SHABBY CHALLENGE #13 - IT'S OUR 1ST BIRTHDAY!!

Wow have we ever got a great challenge coming up and the prize for the Winner is amazing!!!

COME AND CELEBRATE WITH US

and find the criteria

here here here!

PURPLE ONION
HAS A CREDIT WAITING FOR THE WINNER

TO THE VALUE OF :

US$100.00!!!

  I've made a birthday postcard from scratch!

This is the front of the postcard...

Used some scrummy bits and pieces from 'ClarabowsTeaParty' that I've had for a little while

And  our very generous sponsor, Purple Onion sent us stamps to use on our creations!!

I fell in love with the scroll one (Ribbon Label) which is a stamp that is going to very worked a lot, a little number set and journaling box (Small Number Block Set)...this I knew would be perfect for the numeral no '1' and the box became the frame of the little birthday cake..  THEN on the reverse side of the postcard,  I've used Purple Onion Postcard stamps(Vintage Postcard Set)...it has a lot in this little set...all the little raised stamps I've mounted....all the wording you can see....and the journaling box.  Perfect!

and here's some detail of my tiny stitched stems with seedbeads as flowers.

Go check out the other amazing DT examples too!

Hope to see you play along with us!!!

GOSH, FINALLY HOME!

Thanks so much for all your lovely comments left about the passing of my Nana. 

I think life will settle down now as one thing seemed to tumble into the next (as it does at times)

We looked forward to going to Cairns and I got ill there, but we still managed to enjoy lovely beach walks, rainforest and the warmth nonetheless, then hours after stepping off the plane at home, it was into the theatre for rehearsals and performances for the ensuing days.  With only two days off after that, Nana passed away and it was another trip away, and arriving home three days later, I had to pack my bag again to board another plane to work in Melbourne for another four days.  

ANYWAY... all I wanted to do is get home and scrap!!!

So I have! LOL! 

SCRAPxSCRAP

I think I've made the deadline!!  Blue sky photos, white title and circles!!

This was total fun!  Just what was needed!

I'm so looking forward to catching up with everyone soon!!

xx

MEMORIES AND STORIES

This is my Nana, aged 14, London England. 

 I scrapped this layout of her in February 2009.

On Monday Nana had a little bit of breakfast and at the age of 96, fell asleep and passed away peacefully.

Her life was one big history lesson.  Her father was a soldier in the first expeditionary force to leave the English Shores to France to fight against Germany. 

At the age of 24yrs he lost his life, and my 10mth old grandmother lost her father. 

His wife faced WWI alone. She worked in the munition factory at

Arsenal then became one of the very first Police Women in London to support herself and her young daughter.   

 By WW2 Nana lost her very loved Army step-father, and younger brother and her Mother again faced another war by herself bringing up children. 

Eventually when my Nana married, had four boys, they migrated to Tasmania where a new life began. 

Yesterday Hannah and Paige and I have travelled to be with the family and to go to Nana's funeral tomorrow where my children will hear priceless details of the rich history surrounding Nana's extaordinary if not at times, hard, life.  

So here I sit and have some time so thought I'd update some of the DT LO's that have come up while away.

SCRAP THAT POETRY #18

I'm guesting for this challenge.  You can find it here.  I love this poem.

This is Hannah on a beach in far north Queensland.

TWISTED SISTER #54

You can find the sketch here

Hannah fishing across the road from our house.  Grandpa had it all set up for her and what a fabulous time she had!

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LITTLE BIRDS

Remember Scrappy?

Here's a link to a post  called 'Saving Scrappy' back in Sept 2008 for her story

And sometime after, I scrapped this layout of her in her new 'nest' which she claimed immediately snuggled in and slept for ages!!

Scrappy got lonely so Hannah and I went to the pet shop and got her a friend.  There wasnt any grey zebra finch males only fawn female ones, so we got her 'Booky'.

Back then also -I scrapped this with a dt pack of MME I had to scrap with - so not me!!! But nevertheless, with grimmace I did my 'job'!! lol  (got to giggle...look at the tiny bit of lace I've stuck down the bottom must have been almost in protest!! he he!)

 

 

Then lately Booky has been very crabby and picky, they have laid dozens of eggs over the past year or so and poor old Scrappy have been the brunt of Booky's outbursts.  DH said - she needs a mate!!  A MALE mate

So Hannah and I went to the pet shop again....and sure enough there was one male grey and one male fawn in amongst all lot of female finches. 

SO introducing Croppy (grey) and Inky (fawn)

Inky and Booky pretty much hopped in the nest together amost straight away!

Look at the smug look on Inky's face, the innocent look on Booky's face....

ANd the shocked look on Croppy's face!!!

Then Inky thought he's have a go at Scrappy and Croppy wasnt havent any of that!!!

He had quite a bit to say!

Oh and Croppy just loves to be in all the photos!!

They are complete time wasters!!  Its easy to sit there, lose track of time and keep taking photos!

Booky has settled down quite a bit and didnt end up picking the Fawn Finch 'Inky' as her mate as we'd planned - nope... she ended up with the Grey Finch 'Croppy'!  He must have been 'prettier' to her, and sadly, Inky showed now interest in 'Scrappy'  whatsoever  and that was that.

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And one last lovely surprise I got this morning!!

My layout was picked as a fave over at Prima

xx

BACK IN PLOD-LAND!

It sure doesnt feel like its only  been a few days home and it doesnt take long to go back to plodding away like the holiday is just a distant memory!  I got off the plane and virtually straight into rehearsal at the theatre with performances that night and everyday since. But today is a day off  and I have to keep looking at photos to remind me we actually had been away!!

Here are a couple of my favourites- and will probably end up being scrapped!

Hannah fell in love with this little koala called 'Freddy'.  Poor me...I was really sick but who couldnt smile with such a wonderful little furry creature amongst us!!! It just settled right into Hannah's arms.

Again amongst the animals.  These kangaroos let her sit with them like she belong.

Aussie Scrapjacked

Check out the challenge HERE

Here's an interpretation of the photo jack (Paige)

COLOUR COMBO GALORE#145

Here's a tiny Hannah and Paige!!  The challenge is here

MY FAVORITE THINGS

Its all about shoes.  And I love these ones! 

 I dread the day they wear out for good (frown)

Check out the challenge here

And dont forget to check out

'Let's Get Shabby'

Yumiko has a fabulous tutorial to show you!

LOTS OF PHOTOS, SOME SCRAPPY THINGS and SOME FAVES!

First some photos of our fabulous trip (except I managed to get myself unwell and we've had to do 'Plan B' stuff....none of which has taken away from our holiday)!  Looky here...Hannah with a real live snake around her neck - I CANNOT believe it!!!  She said it felt sooo cold!  I was at the scrappy retreat (more about that  further down) so dh took Hannah and Paige touring!!  Look what I missed!

Here she is with two little wallabies!   Hannah has a way with animals - its special.

After the retreat we headed to

Port Douglas - my beautiful girls - I'm so lucky.

Then onto

Cape Tribulation -Paige looking gorgeous.

And we were sooo incredibly lucky....on this remote beach all by ourselves a pod of dophins swam close to shore...we could not believe it.  Amazing!!!  Nobody for miles and yet at this moment in time...this happened.

Touring back a few days later to

Palm Cove -

Hannah and Paige in the resort pool

Lap pool behind - Hannah on her way to breakfast

(Julie T-W you noticed Hannah's haircut!!!!- no one at the retreat did!!)

An unwelcome visitor!!!  'Dont worry about it' says the resort...it will just crawl up a tree!!(A tree snake)

Sorry bout the blurry photo but was very nervous!! It had an orange-y yellow belly.

Packing to leave heading back to Cairns for a couple of nights there in our favourite place to stay

Our hire car.

Back in Cairns!

Hannah getting out of the lap pool

Looking down from our veranda of our apartment. Ooh love this place.  Hannah and Paige in one of the four pools.

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SCRAP THERAPY RETREAT

What fun and all the girls there were fabulous and I enjoyed each of their company!

What a wonderful time!!!

This was most of the girls...

Top from left to right - Margie, Melinda, Lisa, Sonya, Vicki, Helen, Mel, Julie, Mandy (on end)

Bottom from left to right - Leanne, Carol, Karen, Muriel (LeeAnne's Mum) Lee-Anne (owner Scrap Therapy) Sandra, Trisha, HelenP (I hope) Judi.

The Shabby class I took!

Carole's Class - this was amazing. I mandy-ised  it a bit lol!!

And Carole has a few more pics on her blog.

 (Lisa took a class too and I have yet to finish hers but will!!)

 Hannah twirling.

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TWISTED SISTER #52

Here's my DT sample. You can find the sketch here and the twist is 'chipboard'.

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Here's a new shop Scrap Matrix who has some wonderful eye candy to give away!

You can find it here!

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ETSYS

Just want to mention two of my most fave etsy places too!!!

Cant stop shopping here!!!

ClaraBowsTeaParty

PixiePetals

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LUCKY WINS

Ooooh and for May I won

Scrap it Lah with this

and

Scrap that Poetry

both fabulous sites to challenge yourself!!

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AUSSIE SCRAP JACKED
is back in blogger- land exiting ning
(I rather blogland anyhows!!)
You can now find it here....

and in the next day or so, there will be a new fabulous challenge
so check back!!

and lastly

GUESS WHO IS BACK....

123 CHALLENGE!

The 123 Challenge is BACK>>>> come and check out the 123 Challenge blog on the 1st of June for our COMEBACK!!!

The 123 Challenge for June is based on:

1. ONE WORD
2. ONE DOMINANT COLOUR
3. ONE MYSTERY CRITERIA

A combination of the 3 Criterias
The Rules:
The WORD can be used in the title, in the journalling or ANYWHERE on the page/project as long as it's VISIBLE and a feature - we don't want it HIDDEN it has to be seen!

The Dominant Colour MUST be dominant - you must use it so that it is the MOST NOTICEABLE of the colours you use on your page!

The Mystery Criteria will be given by either one of the Creative Team, Charmane or even maybe a Guest or Contributor - submit your ideas to challenge_123@hotmail.com

We have 3 Websites donating - so three chances to WIN! More details coming shortly!

Want to be on the Creative Team? Charmane will be keeping an eye out for the next few months or so, to see who regularly contributes AND is inspirational and most creative and will be limiting the number on the Creative Team  wanting to "keep it simple" this time around....
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I'm so thrilled.  Its always been a big favourite of mine because it was the first online Challenge Blog I had the courage to enter such a long time ago.

I found Scrap Therapy from there and the rest is history

So with this history...I said yes to continuing being on the CT for its once a month challenge.

So for June:

Its all about  white,
the word 'new'
and using paint this month

Hannah who always faces new days with courage

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So with all that said, hopefully in a few days I'll make it home in one piece and I'll catch up with you all as soon as I can

hugs

xxx