from the heart

Maryanne, Sandra and I made a very special gift each for our very dear friend.

With Janice's permission (thank you so much) I can give you a glimpse of what I made. Click on the girls names above for their posts on their blogs.

love you dearly Janice.

t

lots of gold rub (actually gave myself a blister lol) heat embossing the tabs, sewing coffee ring stains and thanks to Mel for the Twiddleybitz tab book.

Lots of love poured into this one.

THE BOOTS

Little Sean tried on his first pair of footy boots today.

ooooooh so cute.
They'll never be this clean again. Guaranteed.

thanks heaps Maryanne for letting me borrow your camera at home today. so appreciate it. Made my shutter finger very twitchy lol.

spring clean

Thanks Amy for the teddy. He's perfect!!
Off to Shabby Chic Shack for their International Scrap Week Scrap nite tonight. Cant wait.

sly sultanas

I found the transparency overlay in my stash (Little Yellow Bicycle) and so I based my colour scheme on that and on the Color Room Summer Room Palette (#3). Whilst I'm not a fan of banners I did find one that Kerryn Lawson had done that appealed to me. Thanks Kerryn for giving me the go ahead to 'lift' that idea and congrats on the pick up of this particular LO. She used the paper lace doily's as her banner and I included a little bit of that in mine. The colours on this LO are soft, pastel, and muted. Not quite as bright as Color Rooms but the hues are there.

can now reveal after publication in Scrapbooking Memories Vol 12. No. 10 -  Banners gallery

card shark

While I am not overly thrilled with this LO its the story of the photos that's important.

journaling says:

we have found a great way for you to recognise numbers and how to count them. I just hope this doesn't lead you into being a bit of a card shark later on in your life. 2nd September 2008

those little playing cards I found so long ago in a second hand shop. I just knew I would be using them at some stage down the track.

Avoidance

I had the most stimulating evening at the Lincoln Camera Club. L.S. came down with me to find out what it's all about. And man oh man, am I motivated now!!! For the next 18 months there are categories for photography of which I'll be shooting for. Some things I would have never tried before. IE-graffiti, grave headstones, lead light. Lots of other things too. And the best bit is LS is as motivated as I am so we both can drive each other to better ourselves (that's the idea anyway lol)

Cant wait to get the camera back to get stuck in it. Hopefully this week with fingers and eyes crossed. Just feel so lost without it. I have missed a few events that I would have had the camera at. Some I can recreate, some I can't. Not really that much in the overall scheme of things.

Had a wonderful lazy lunch today with friends. Kym lit up the garden prunings so we had a bushie as well this arvo before it started to rain in earnest. Roll on the season break. Any time now will be good please Mr Rain Man.

loosely based on Jody Wenke's Besties

the rocket.

There's a bit of a story with this vehicle so I've taken a bit of courage in my handwriting and wrote the story around the edge of the LO.
It reads: The Daihatsu was @ least 20 years old when Dad bought it from your Great Poppa Watkin's Estate in 1995. It was Dad's first farm ute. About 1999 the 'Rocket' went to Maitland for Uncle Giles to teach his kids how to drive and use on his other farm @ Warooka. After 9 years and sporting a new paint job, the 'Rocket' came home. Dad is very keen to teach you and Sean, when he's big enough, how to drive. Welcome home Rocket.

lest we forget

Image from http://www.ballinarsl.com.au/anzac-day/images/anzac-07.jpg

Annie and I have been talking about the significance and meaning of Anzac Day over the last few days. This culminated into my taking her to the dawn service in town this morning. It was a beautiful crisp dawn that has warmed up to a gorgeous day. Although she would have no idea on the total meaning of the spirit of the Anzacs, she does understand that men and women died when at war to keep Australia free. We have so much to be thankful for.

When the Last Post was played tears dripped off my chin. It is so haunting and so full of memories for the Diggers.

Lest we forget.

statement of fact

This is my answer to Colour Room Palette 3 challenge which is Summer Room.

Journaling says
Purple is my signature colour.
Photography by Annie Firth.

This photo was my blog header a while ago and it pretty much sums me up. Bold, colourful and definitely not shy. lol. Well I hope that's how I come across!???

oh dear, sean's on the sauce

found those little sauce bottles on Google Images. Printed on photo paper and raised them on foam squares.

colour room-pallette 3

ooo la la. sunroom challenge this week.

hug

I so enjoyed the process of fussy cutting that I gave it another go. The blooms are from Dear Lizzy's spring range. I just about gave myself a blister cutting all these out. Lots and lots and lots of foam squares with this one. Just love the contrasting hair colours of my two favourite girls.

mwah. love ya Paige.

latest

Sean and I went up to Lock to Shabby Chic Shack today. I need a resupply of papers with some bits and pieces. I picked up some Dear Lizzy from American Crafts for a couple of LO's that I intend on starting shortly. I wasn't overly enthralled with Dear Lizzy. Her stuff doesn't match the rave to me. Some of it is overly cutesy and some of it was just plain boring. I didn't go for her banner paper as I just don't do fads and to be honest, banners just dont do it for me. But some of her papers are fabo for fussy cutting. Found some Tim Holtz film ribbon. lots of ideas with this product.

Sean's first full day of Kindy tomorrow. I think I'll follow the bus in and watch from over the road to make sure Annie takes him to the spot where the Kindy kids congregate before being escorted to the Kindy.

Wednesday is my second day of Fitness Classes. Because of my back, shoulder, knee and hip issues (just shoot me now!!) I started with low impact on Mondays and Pilate's on Wednesdays. I'm on the bike in earnest and back on the Slimm Replacement meals. Since I've stopped horse riding (officially retired, -sold the horse, sold the horse float) my bum has grown. And I have 'puter belly. (you know that extra roll in the tummy area, well that grew while I did a lot of photo processing photo shoots last year when I was crazy busy with it.)

After Fitness I'm heading over to Tumby to clean house. Our tenants over there have left and its a pig sty. I spent Sunday from 11 to 5 there and all I got done was the toilet and the kitchen. It's that bad. I had a bucket next to me in the loo so I could dry retch into it while scrubbing the floor with a big bristle brush. We have been doing 3 monthly inspections there and all was fine until they gave notice and within 2 weeks it all went to shit. It is soooo disappointing.

The camera is still away being cleaned. I was very surprised by the quote. I thought it be alot more for the body and 2 lenes. When it gets back I'll do a test shoot before referring on to you who I sent it to.

Just submitted my 11th assignment for my Photography course. One more to go. Its been the most awesomest learning experience and I can thoroughly recommend this one. It pushed me to be so much better than I thought I could be. Visit The Photography Institute and have a look at the prospectus to see if it tickles you. Its a Diploma course and its well worth the $$.

that it for the last couple of days.

restoring vintage snapshots

just signed up for this

go to Jessica Sprague to sign up. The class is discounted atm so is very very affordable.

If your looking at doing family history, restoring some of those precious damaged photos, or wanting to digitize those sentimental snaps then this is for you.

get on it NOW or you'll kick yourself in the butt that you missed it.

dew and web

I had a photo challenge txt'd to me this morning from Sandra. Take advantage of the dewy morning, find a spider web laden with dew jewels and shoot it.

Well unfortunately I was on my way to Lincoln when I got the txt but fortunately I happened to have one in my photo archive that I took as part of my photography course. Still pretty happy with this shot.

Thanks heaps Sandra. Always love spontaneous challenges.

the inspection

I've been spotting a bit of fussing cutting happening lately around the place. Its been in the digi world for a fair while and now I'm seeing it on paper LOs too. At first I didn't know really what it was called but I've heard Sandra mention it a couple of times so I thought I'd investigate.

Its a quilting term:

•When you find a particular design, picture or print in your fabric and then cut around it so it fits into a patch or block on your quilt.    www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/glossary-of-quilting-terms.shtml

Imagine the quilt as your LO and the fussy cutting is the particular design, picture or print of PP that you embellish your LO with.

So with this in mind I came up with this LO.  Lots of foam squares too.

ps. thanks Judy for letting me know of the typo. Inspection now spelt the right way on the LO.

duh -smacking head with hand.

I wasn't going to be home at this time of day today. We have a first day of Netball and Football for the 2010 season. Annie is still playing Netta which means she doesn't have competition games on Saturdays, just coaching during the week. But we still go to watch the matches when its our home game. Today it's Ramblers home game and its raining atm. So while we are not committed to going EVERY Saturday this year I can pick and choose depending on location, weather, kids, colds and stuff. So we are still home until the rain lifts. Shouldn't be long as it looks like a passing scud according to BOM radar

fingers crossed.

my falmy

Just found this on my pillow.

Gosh, she just knows how to melt me.

bless her cotton pickin' socks.

Janice

I would like to give a big big shout out to Jancie who has her first ever published LO in this month's Scrapbook Creations.

Awesome stuff chick.

Feels good doesnt it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.


And we are all so happy for you.

happy dance happy dance happy dance.

2wd

Another bingo LO from sketchesby{tamara}. (scroll down the page a bit and you'll see the bingo grid).

I did this one last night at Scrapworkz scrap night.
I took the line that had bling, chipboard, 3 or more papers, blue and tearing.

That little bee I found in clipart. I printed it twice and used foam squares in between the two layers to lift it from the page.

The journaling is much easier to read on the LO.
It says
Look after those feet mate.
Cut your toenails straight across the top.
Wear good fitting shoes.
Beware of bunions.
Give them a good ol’ rub now and then.
They have a long way to carry you in your lifetime.

the colour room

palette 2 as just been released for this week.

his room

you can use white, black or Kraft card along with these colours.]

yummy.

yum yabbie

From last night at Scrapworkz Thursday scrap night.
Plain and simple.

Journaling says 'buckalow station yabbies. nothing better'

birthday girl

My answer to 'Her Room' colour swatch challenge over at 'the colour room'

this is the colour swatch. Aren't the colours gorgeous. And I am looking at the sketch for something down the track.

Thanks to the kids Mums for allowing me to post the LO on my blog.
:-)

t

milk mo

Have you ever had a photo that sits on your table and taunts 'na na na naaa na'. This one did. The first LO sucked so I started again. It wasnt till I saw an idea in Scrapbooks ETC that the juices really got going. My stumbling block it seems it that I wanted a really deep navy colour to go with the navy stripes in his top and I didnt have a thing. Until I spotted my denim fabric. So I made my own tittle on the 'puter, flipped it, printed it, roughly cut it out, sprayed adhesive on it, stuck it on the reverse side of the fabric and cut it out. Viola. Perfect.

put another log....

...on the fire.

I cleaned out the flu today and lit our first fire for the season. Man it feels good.

                                                                                         premierchimneys.com.au

So I opened up a packet of marshmallows and we toasted them for our dessert after tea.
Yum.
Winter.
Flannie PJ's, bedsocks, wood fire, bushies, drizabones, pumpkin soup.

Might even Google for a S'mores recipie and give it a go.

                                                                                                  cae2k.com

Bring it on!!

have you noticed...

... how many LO's are using pop dots or foam squares for dimension lately.


HEAPS.



love it.



 I use them a lot. I'll probably be using them more now after flicking thru Scrapbooks Etc Feb 2010 issue. 

PS. great free photo collages to download too. I think I have them all and are a snap to use. How to instructions for PSE or CS3 and 4 here

blossom

Good morning Mrs Wallace.

Does that sound like what the students say to their teacher each morning.

Mrs Wallace aka Sandra set a few of us girls homework last week. The cheek of her. pmsl. She knows me so bloody well. I never back down from a challenge.

We had to use a line of elements from this sketch bingo...

...that came from Sketches! {by tamara}. The line could be up, down or diagonal and just to give it an extra twist, the LO's had to include one Louise element.

I've gone with the bottom row being Brads, Green, Flowers, Rubons, Tearing. My Louise element includes actually 3 things. She recently used what looked like coloured Pussy Cat Tail flowers (Prima) on a LO that caught my eye, so I coloured my own using food dye first then a good coat of gold glimmermist. Louise's basic element with very nearly all her pages is Kraft Card.

The last thing we had to do as part of our homework is to link all the blogs that the ideas came from. I think I got all them right.

So Mrs Wallace, I respectfully hand up my homework.

:-p

so proud of you 2

I miss my camera. A LOT. I took a pic of this LO with my very old Powershot which has nearly zero ability to manipulate and with the help of Photoshop managed to salvage a not too bad a pic. But it's absolutely shit with anything moving or in poor light. Ahh 50D, come home soon.

Basic Grey...

...in digi...


...ohh the possiblities


http://www.basicgrey.com/digital

september 8th 2008 - sean's

I have my menfolk home tonight. 2 weeks without them was long but invigorating. I got so much dreaded paperwork done and out of the way (annual tax which I always seem to put off til last minute) and lots of other business stuff. Annie and I had such a great bonding time on our own and I am sure Nan (Kym's Mum) really enjoyed her time with Sean. We see precious little of her as she's in Broken Hill so any time the kids spend with her is quality time.

The first thing I did when I saw Sean was pick him up and nuzzle my nose into the sweet spot on his neck and took a great big snuff. I so missed his smell. Everyone has their own signature aroma (Annie's is hair conditioner) and Sean's is.... well its just Sean. And I missed it so.

So after lots of cuddles and snuffing to get my fix I let him go to bed.

Its so good to have a full house again.

september 8th 2008

A very pretty girly LO completed at the Retreat.

The very kind Sandra Crowther showed me her fabric flowers she had done after reading Sherry Mendoza's tutorial in Scrapbooking Memories. Sandra was so organised at the retreat. She had pieces of satiny fabric already cut in shape and a tea light to do the tricks on. So my heartfelt thanks to Sandra as the material flower was exactly the finishing touch this LO needed. And amazing timing as I was just thinking what else this LO needed when Sandra came over.

Sandra, do you have a blog or www so I can link you please??

Found this blog today

sia2010.blogspot.com/

for all the instructors, the exhibitors and classes for the upcoming Scrapbooking Industry Australia in Sydney in May.  Damn it, its seeding time here, and there is zero chance of my going....... and I would dearly like to.

In other things in my neck of the woods, I have sent my camera away to be serviced. Its basic sense to maintain your expensive camera in tip top condition and getting it professionally cleaned is very wise. So I sent the lenses to be done too. So for a couple of weeks I am without it. I might as well as cut my arm off. I use it every day for one thing or another so it's just about permanently attached to my face. So if you see me  wandering around looking a bit lost and if my shutter finger is twitchy I hope you'll understand. Fingers crossed the batteries of my stuffed old Powershot will still hold charge to tie me over. I certainly will notice the difference in technology tho and will appreciate my 50D when it comes back home.

kids + mud = caught on camera

After the storm the other night Annie and Mr R found an awesome puddle in the middle of a clay pan. Yep, you guessed it, muddy butts. Mind you, I did encourage them a bit. tee he.

Mr R actually stayed quite tidy, but Annie on the other hand.....

Fortunately they had the foresight to come home first and put on really really old clothes before they went for it.

tumby bay summer jetty walk

This is my LO from Mel's class at the e2c retreat. I've had these photos here before on my blog and they suited the colour scheme perfectly. The Tim Holtz Dabber Paints have certainly rushed out of the door at Scrapworkz since the Retreat. Thanks Mel. Its good to get out of your comfort zone and get one's hands dirty. Couldn't help but not too with this one!!

la hat.

A bit of Twiddleybitz altered to suit the LO and spray painted black. It really set the tone of the whole shebang. This was one of the LOs I did at the e2c retreat.

lightning shots

We had a bit of lightning last night so I took Annie and Mr R (who's here on a sleep over) out in the middle of the paddock to watch the show. It turn out to be a bit of a science lesson for the kids and I thought that worked out pretty cool

I took this one from the back pergola after the kids had gone to bed. It didn't take long to catch it. This one gave an almighty big crack and I must admit I was a bit jittery after it. I went inside as soon as I could. Just as well, as it then dumped down followed by small hail. I reckon this strike must have touched down somewhere around Treloar's house.

These shots are nothing flash but I'm glad to have captured them as I been having a go with lightning for a while and these are the best of the lot so far. I need much more practise tho.

me & mine

This has been a passionate project in this last week. Its a gift so I cant show the inside of the book. Sorry.

The idea for it stemmed from a few inspos.
1-A tabbed chip book from Mel made by Twiddleybitz.
2-An old book I found in a second hand shop that would fit the tabbed Twiddleybitz book nicely.
3-Material I found @ Patches on the Bay in Tumby that suited the vintage/shabby theme perfectly.

Everything else just came together.

easter twenty10

Friday. Dutton Bay. lovely.

Saturday. Annie and I are batcheloretting atm so we headed over to Tumby Bay to see Granny (my Mum)

and then onto Pt Neil to catch up with my brother and his family and a mob of mates camping in the caravan park. We stayed there over night so Annie could be with lots of other kids for Easter Sunday. That turned out to be a top idea as I think I may have been last one in the swag (surprise surprise-not).

With daylight savings finishing on Saturday night, the clocks were wound back an hour so all the kids were awake disgustingly early on Easter Sunday morning. The caravan park had an Easter egg hunt for all the kids (and there were so many of them) and a bacon and egg breakfast all cooked for you. What a treat. And all compliments of the Park. What wonderful P.R.

Easter Bunny found Annie's basket that she made for him (and the one at home too!!)

On our way home from Pt Neil late this afternoon, coming back along the Dog Fence Road via Brayfield I came across this sight.

We always come home this way from the main highway and seeing the Marble Ranges as you come over the final crest means we are nearly home. I have always wanted to stop and take a pic so today was the day.

Annie and I had a Easter Egg hunt once I had unpacked.

Top weekend. Always good to catch up with family.

Monday. Photo Shoot in Lincoln depending on weather.

meeting lisa

My thanks to every lady in this LO. I contacted them all before I blogged this one and luckily for me they were all happy for me to post it. mwah.

Journaling says

5 September 2008

I used to organise the 5 Loaves Bakery Scrap nights each month. I met Lisa thru the E2C blog and she drove all the way down from Wudinna to meet up with fellow Retreat bloggers. What a wonderful night.

every day is fathers day-annie's

every day is fathers day

I think I have fallen in love with Twiddleybitz. Nearly every LO I completed at the e2c Retreat had Twiddley on it. Esp these school days chip people. I cut up the border strips to the individual people and used them to symbolise Dad and his two kids.

Happy and Safe Easter to you all.
tiff