New Catalogue is here & so are the school holidays......yippee to both!!!!

Been a bit slow in updating the old blog with new catalogue links & the like, actually haven't really even been too much in a scrapping mood at all lately & as this blog is sort of an extension of my scrapping I guess that's why I've let it fall by the wayside.

All the new links are up & running now though so go & check out the Stampin' Up! 2008-2009 Idea Book & Catalogue, the "In Colour" range is devine & there are some awesome new stamp sets & beautiful accessories just begging to be bought & used.

{Contact me to place an order or to book a workshop or demonstration}

Scrapping-wise I don't have anything new to share, although I did have a page published in For Keeps Vol 65 which was lovely- Lily's "Nippers" page in the Girls Gallery. That was my last acceptance so I've been madly subbing away to all the mags in the hope that one of them will pick up some of my L/Os again. Also trying to crack SC, haven't been published by them yet. Here's to hoping....lol!

Heike at 3AS is running daily challenges in April, so far as of today I am 14 challenges behind but have set myself the goal to create a mini album of random memories & photos for the L/Os using the BG Two Scoops paper pad I bought a while back & one of my Stampin' Up! On Board 5" X 5" Art Journals. Got a few photos picked out & ready to go.

Also got to mention how proud I am of Lily, her & I rode our bikes something like 10kms from West Gosford to Woy Woy along the Brisbane Waters waterfront & mostly against the wind. Lily wanted to ride all the way home to Umina (another 4 or so kms) as well but luckily Craig was meeting us near Fisherman's Wharf at Woy Woy as the weather turned nasty & we would have ridden into a thunder storm, torrential rain & even a bit of hail. It was teaming down by the time we drove home, thank goodness for automatic garage doors!

Just to finish off today I'll leave with a few recent photographs I have taken about the place & one of my published L/O.



My most recent publication


The gorgeous Umina Beach as seen from Mt Ettalong lookout.




The Koolewong foreshore along Brisbane Water Drive. I could never get sick of this view.

Year 1 recently had a special presentation for parents to display their dancing skills, it was great to watch & the kids all had a great time performing for everyone. I even got to dance the "Heel Toe Polka" with Lily at the end (holding onto Mackenzie too which made it a bit awkward)- a serious blast from the past but very fun!

Thanks for stopping by & please leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you. Have a great day!

Some new creations

Just popping in to share some of my latest creations. I'm feeling very creative & inspired to create at the moment. Really enjoying going through my older stash as well as using some of gorgeous new products around at the moment.

I'm really loving October Afternoon & those cute little bunny & owl fabric die cuts, well I couldn't wait to use them, all the way from the USA. I ordered them from Regina Easter's Etsy store. Go check it out!


Mackenzie enjoying her first chocolate easter bunny for 2008, I just loved the shape she had bitten into the chocolate, a perfect nose rest......too funny!


This is Lily & Mackenzie running around & playing @ Soldiers Beach. We had a fabulous afternoon enjoying the very summery autumn weather.


Craig took this photo of sunset @ Soldiers Beach, I just had to scrap it & the October Afternoon range was just perfect for it.


Another pop up card, I'll definitely be incorporating these into my Stampin' Up! workshops, they are so fun & surprisingly easy to make.

Thanks for stopping by, I'll be back a little later with some sneak peaks from the Stampin' Up!2008-2009 Ideas Book & Catalogue, received my shipment today & WOW it's awesome.

Check out this cool card!

It's a pop up card which folds down completely flat for postage. I made for one of the challenges for my first Cyberstamp at Jayne Mercer's forum last night. I really love how it's turned out.

To make it I used: French Flair & Small Sayings stamp sets, Enchante PP (oh how I love these, from the Summer Mini Catalogue) Spiral & large oval punches, Hodgepodge Hardware, white Organdy ribbon, Basic Black, Mellow Moss & Perfect Plum inks & Mellow Moss & Pefect Plum cardstock.

Don't forget to check out the Retiring List......it's updated by 6am daily Mon- Sat & remember stamp sets & accessories on the list are only available strictly until 31st March or until sold out if prior.

Stampin' Up! Retiring List

Click on the link in side bar for a complete list of retiring Stampin' Up! stamp sets & accessories. These products will not be returning for sale in the 2008-2009 Catalogue & Ideas Book & will be for sale strictly until 31st March 2008 or until stocks run out.

Don't forget to check out the gorgeous Summer Mini Catalogue too, as it is in it's final month of sale.

Just a couple of my recent L/Os & cards to share.

The cards below were created using the gorgeous "French Flair" stamp, the "Small Sayings" stamp set & some papers from the exquisite "Enchante" range all available for purchase from the Summer Mini Catalogue. I've also used cardstock & inks from the "Soft Subtles" colour family.

I'm really loving scrapping in 6" X 12" size, seems to be working well for me & great for using up the scraps too. I created both of these pages for challenges at 3AS.

Thanks for stopping by.

Alison's tagged me

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.

C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 Years Ago:
I was still single (Craig & I began dating), living on my own at the first place I bought (was very proud of my unit), working lots & lots of overtime & night shift, was finishing up as my studies at TAFE (signwriting) & was lovin' life. I was also a bridesmaid for a friend's wedding & still really actively involved with judo.

Things on my to-do list today:
Take Mackenzie to have her speech assessed, we've had the appointment for a few months now, but feeling a bit nervous, really don't think I'm going to be told she has a problem but we know she needs a little bit of extra help with her pronounciation, she's just so different to Lily in that respect & we want to make sure we're guiding her along the right path.

Take Mackenzie to the first session of the musical playgroup we just joined down at the Beachside Centre at Lily's school......very excited about that one, we had her name down on the waiting list for such a long time!

A bit of rearranging of toys etc in the girls toyroom as we have Craig's mate from QLD staying with us for a week from tomorrow & that'll be his bedroom.......could've give up my scrapspace but with my Stampin' Up! stuff & chatting on 3AS (especially to my gorgeous & very special friend Gail who incidently I spoke to on the phone for the very first time the other night & for over 3hrs!!!!), well that was never going to happpen....lol!

What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
Pay off our mortgage.
Go down to Tassie & meet Gail IRL & then travel around the world with my family
Make very large donations to Westmead Kid's Hospital & the Jane McGrath foundation........I'd have to share my good fortune.

3 of my bad habits:
I can be stubborn.
I never say "No" when people ask for help so I'm always running around doing something for someone else.
I never ask for help.

3 places I have lived:
Colyton, in & around the Blue Mountains & Umina Beach

5 jobs that I have had:
Pharmacy Assistant, Receptionist/ Data Entry, Painter/Decorator/ Signwriter, Stampin' Up! Demonstrator & the best job of all.......Mum.

5 Things people don't know about me:
I hate horror movies, can't watch them, I get nightmares.
I straighten up things around the house before I go to bed, can't sleep unless I know I've checked everything.
I have a black belt in judo.
I can juggle 3 balls.
Gosh......thinking, thinking.........I remember my tax file number but have no idea what some of my closet friends phone numbers are especially mobiles, they're all stored in my mobile......lol!

I'm tagging Melleny, Melanie and Col.

I'll finish up today with a couple of cards I made for a card class I taught earlier in the week at the Beachside Centre down at Lily's school. We were making birthday cards for boys & girls. They were made using Stampin' Up! stamp sets (Ahoy Matey! & Cool Cat-which is a retired set).
Then also I have my little chipboard owl that I've made & covered in Stampin' Up! Enchante Designer Series PP. Was inspired by Melanie to have a go at one of these, her's was on a L/O & just so gorgeous.




Thanks for stopping by. xx

Hump day Wednesday

WOW the weeks are just flying by at this point, I really can't believe we are into week 4 of the school year already. Lily has settled in nicely into her new routine, there were quite a few changes to adjust to with how things are taught in Year 1 compared with Kindy. The way her school runs is very similar to how it is in high school where the kids change classrooms & teachers for various subjects, so she has 3 main teachers- a home room teacher, a numeracy teacher & a literacy teacher & then of course there's the librarian, music & sports teachers etc, etc. She seems to be loving it & is actually keen on doing her homework......wonder how long that will last!

Mackenzie is just plodding along & developing quite the sense of humour. Apart from her tantrums, she never ceases to make us laugh. This little conversation had us in stitches last night as we were sitting down to our bowls of homemade chicken/vegetable/noodle soup.

Mackenzie: "What's this type of sauce called?

Me: "It's soup"

Mackenzie (very excitedly): "OHHH SOUP SAUCE!"

She's so funny, if you don't give her the actual answer she wants she'll just invent her own.

To end I'll just pop in a couple of my recent creations (got to say I'm loving the 6"X 12" & LOs, so much fun & a great way to use up some scraps too) then must be off to get sorted for school.

This is the card I made for Nat, as you can see by the pretty pinks, she had a beautiful baby girl, it was also the first time I had used some of my BG Two Scoops papers.

Will be back later with some Stampin' Up! updates & creations and also as I have been tagged again by Alison & should really play along this time....lol!

A break in the rain & some sunshine

that's what we have weatherwise here today on the glorious Central Coast.

It's amazing how much brighter the day seems to be when you wake up to such a wonderful morning.

Well yesterday Craig & I celebrated our 8th Wedding Anniversary, WOW 8 years seems to have just flown by, I guess that is helped aong by the fact that we spend most of time watching in amazement & wonder at our 2 gorgeous girls as they grow up. Thgorgeous flowers are of course from Craig, he also got me this great new mobile phone with all the bells & whistles, have had heaps of fun trying to work it all out, taken photos & shot some video footage with it too! The aniversary card is the card I made for him.


The weather yesterday was nothing like our actual wedding day, back then Sydney was in the middle of a heatwave & it was a steamy 42C at Berambing in Blue Mountains (almost unheard of & still a very big discussion point amongst our family & friends when the our wedding day comes up in conversation) Quite significantly cooler & soooo much rain, apparently it's been the wettest February for like 12 years or something, great news for our ever receding dam levels.

Lily went back to school for Year 1 last week, she's been place in an enrichment class, a composite with Years 1 & 2, which is totally awesome. Just need to get a little bit more info to really settle in & get back into the swing of things at the school.

Mackenzie, what can I say about her, gorgeous one minute, temper tantrum the next! Her favourite thing to do at the moment is play with Playdoh & when she's not doing that she's using up all her wipes to clean the house, the walls, the furniture, the TV, you name it & she has the overwhelming need to try to clean it.........crazy!!!!


I've done a little bit of scrapping lately too & apart from that the "Word Inspiration" comp over at Scrapworld has come to an end with ReneeC being named the ultimate & very deserving winner. Congratulations Renee, I hope you enjoy your prizes, you work is awesome & very inspiring & thank you Mel for running another great competition.


I've got a little more work to do to get ready for another Stampin' Up! workshop I'll be travelling into Sydney on Friday night for & a few photos laying around waitng for me to scrap. I think when I get little bit more free time over the next few days that I might actually submit a few of my resent pages to the mags & see how I go.


Oh, a couple of weeks ago I received the most amazing RAK from the gorgeous SueB from over at 3AS. It was such an amazing, generous & kind gesture. She sent this absolute huge parcel filled with PPs, chipboard, buttons, flowers & so much more. Thank you once again Sue, I'm having a great time using the goodies. xxx

I made the Thank you card for Sue, just have to get to the post office & send it off.

Not much else to report on, although Nat if you read this best of luck with the impending birth of your new baby, very much looking forward to catching up with you, Noah & the little one sometime soon. Take care xxx

PS: Don't forget to the Stampin' Up! Sale-a-bration offer will finish at the end of February, so contact me to find how you can qualify for one or more of four free, bonus, limited edition stamps sets.