I'm still here

... honest!!!


What a mad couple of weeks - time stands still for no one and it has definitely whizzed by for us ...

Mom and Dad and my big sis Terry and hubby Daryl [my BIL] arrived from the States a couple of weeks ago ... and they arrived with this ...



Look at it ... this much luggage

and wait for it ... they were minus one suitcase ... which decided to go tiki touring all on its lonesome to places unknown. That's right, Mom lost a suitcase for a couple of days which needless to say put Mom in a tizz for a couple of days. But it was okay, it arrived in little old Invers just as we were heading out of town. We were just about to leave the town boundary and Air New Zealand rung to say that that one errant suitcase had turned up ... which I had delivered to Mum's house while we were away. I was rapt that it actually turned up. We had to go shopping for more clothes tho for Mom before we went away. I don't think that the shopping itself was a 'hardship' as such - lol ... cos Mom loves to shop [said in the nicest possible way Mom, honest] ... but I can understand how she was feeling, arriving here in a foreign country without some of her familiar belongings ... nobody wants something like that to happen.

I had good intentions when I started this post, but I've just had visitors arrive ... must go ... talk to you all later.

At least you know I'm still around ... take care.

More of the same ...

Photos of Christmas decorations ...



This wee cutie snowman ... is just that ... a cutie. You push his foot and the lid of his hat lifts up and another wee snowman pops out.



Green and white snowmen sitting in our hallway ... love these wee guys ... I still remember when I got them ... they cost me a small fortune ... but I had to snap them up.



Fibre optic teddy - I purchased another one of these last year as well [I think it was] and gave it as a Christmas gift to my Aunty and Uncle.



I've got a few of these fibre optic snowmen - two of the smaller variety, one medium size and unfortunately I missed out on the big one ... they sold out, just like that around town. They came out with the snowmen wearing either blue or red jackets and scarves.

One of my cousins was lucky enough to buy the large snowman and I was green with envy when I found out ... huh I thought to myself. It still gets mentioned at Christmas time - lol.

Right then, while I am blogging I AM NOT tidying my scrap room and as my son will be sleeping in my scrap from this weekend, I'm thinking I had better get my A into G and get in there ... it's not going to happen by itself. DH has already been in there and shunted some of my papers on the floor ... not a happy camper.

So for now ... CYA.

A few more ...

pics of my Christmas decorations ... show and tell time again ...




I had my big sis order this wee family for me the year before last and I love them - I collect snowmen and Santa's ...





We were in Christchurch on holiday a few years ago and visited Ogilvies, a beautiful shop up there. In fact we visited more than once and ended up having decorations shipped back home, we just didn't have the room in the truck to bring them all home - lol.




I made this wee canvas following a demo at SENZ back in October ... now admittedly I had a little help with some of the others that have been made recently. My friend Julie, is a dab hand at making these ... far more successful than I ...





And this wall hanging ... loved the way that this came together. I ordered Battenburg lace from the States many years ago when I had a wee fad of making these ... at the time the exchange rate was horrendous, something like 40 cents in the dollar ... but I don't normally do things in halves and had to order them in bulk.

Well short and sweet tonight, expecting visitors very shortly. We have had a muggy day in the deep south today - think we hit something like 28 degrees ... but so muggy, and muggy doesn't happen to us too often, which is just as well ... lol.


Have a good night. CYA.

Christmas is just around the corner

... just in case you didn't know.

It's all go in our household at the moment, trying to wrap pressies, label pressies, put out Christmas decorations.

Some of you are more than a little geographically challenged and Invers really is not far from the bottom of the world, so I thought that I would share just a few of my Christmas decorations.

Over the years, you could say that I have collected a few Christmas decorations, just like I collect gold jewellery and scrapping supplies ... ROFLMAO ...







I loved the wee boots when I first saw them and as you do ... I bought them ... lol.





We have gold balls in various sizes hanging - love these balls. Can be a bit of a pain though when both sliding doors are open in the lounge with a breeze, but we won't say any more on that ...



We have a Queenstown schist feature fireplace / wall and I love sitting greenery out, throw in a little, red and gold and voila ... just gorgeous ...

And one more ...



More greenery sitting on our mantlepiece in the lounge - [a battery operated] fibre optic Santa sitting in amongst the greenery to boot ... let's say that we go through a few batteries at this time of the year ... lol.

Next time I blog, I will try and remember to add a few more pics of decorations ... I've got a wee few.

Before I go ... another couple of pics ... of the creative variety.

A wee sneak peek ... this layout I put together and will be heading away to ??? not telling ... ROFLMAO ...

This is part of my gift heading away to my SS recipient on the Scrapbook Essentials forum ... I can only hope that it travels safely and my SS recipient likes it ...

Merry Christmas to my SS recipient ... for those of you who might read my blog and aren't in the know and up with the lingo ... SS is short for Secret Santa ...




And another layout to share ... week 5 challenge of my 52 pieces of me is a layout on my childhood home ... I spent the majority of my childhood years living in this house ... some happy memories, many memories that I have chosen to keep in the past and that's all I will say on the matter.




Will have to think about my next layout and then I will get behind and have to play catch up ... don't think that there is going to be a whole lot of scrapping going on from next weekend ... wonder why that would be???

Cos my visitors arrive from Yankee-land ... not many more sleeps to go and before I go today, I have a very special birthday greeting going through Cyberland.

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to a very special man in my life ... my Dad!!!! [said all in one breath] ...
Happy birthday to you!!!

Happy birthday Dad ... well if you were in New Zealand it would be your birthday today, but you're over there, so you have another sleep to go ...

May you have a wonderful birthday ... see y'all later ... well I will, next weekend.

Love you,
Your youngest daughter at the bottom of the world
Me
x


So on that note, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope you are enjoying yourselves.

DS is currently in the middle of playing in a Southland rep cricket match and I sincerely hope that he has put more sun block on ... cos it's stinking hot out there ...

I'm away to wrap more Christmas pressies.

CYA.

Boo ...

And yep, I'm still here ... sometimes, well lots of times actually, life just gets in the way and we can't do all the things that we want to do. I've been on a bit of a roller coaster ride the last month and I know that I've got to slow down - yeah right, like that's going to happen any time soon - NOT!!!

So I put the blogging bit on hold temporarily, but will try and blog a couple of quick blog posts over the next week and then the blogging will be on a go slow again for a while, cos my family will be here ... it's come around really quickly from the the bombshell conversation a few months back saying that they were coming. And now, it's just about here ... we are going to be putting in some miles, well kilometres actually. Mom and Dad travel miles over in Yankee land and we do the kilometres over here.

We have had some absolutely super duper cracker weather of late, I keep thinking that Mother Nature is being so kind to us, a couple of weeks early, so I can only hope that she has got some more of the same to share with us when my family arrives ... hope she is listening ... lol.

Mind you in saying that, it has been more than a little on the warm side. But Terry if you are reading this, you still need to pack enough clothes to keep you warm. Our temperatures aren't the stinking hot, humid temperatures that you guys will be used to. We have been known to require additional warmth on Christmas Day, and I'm not putting a hex on anything, so will say no more on the subject.

Creativity, well bursts of it from time to time ... not enough hours in the day to do everything that I have wanted to do, but hey, I will get there ... I hope!!!!


Don't think that I got round to sharing week 4 of my 52 pieces of me [subject for this one was friends] ... so here it is.



I've got hidden journalling all about a very special friend of mine now in her 70's Marg, she gave me the friendship tile as a gift and it means a great deal to me.

Week 5 is also done, waiting to be photographed, which will be done at some stage today and uploaded where it it needs to be ... so you will have to wait just a little longer.


Russell and I decorated The Southland Times christmas tree for the business house annual Christmas Tree Festival last weekend and it looks like this ...



It was hard yakka actually, I had my work Christmas party last Saturday night and will admit to over indulging in a wine or two [read bottles here people], so I was a little sluggish shall we say on Sunday afternoon ... have yet to go back and have a look at everyone else's trees, will do that when Mom and Dad arrive, time permitting.


Secret Santa time of the year for some of my scrapping buddies and here's a wee sneak peek of something that is currently winging its way over the ditch ...





I really like how this turned out ... it wasn't and isn't what I originally had in mind for my SS recipient - I started my Australian SS gift quite some time ago and it turned out disastrously and was put in the bin ... so I had to start again, so came up with this during the week ... hopefully my SS recipient will enjoy it when it finally arrives on her doorstep.

Working on another SS gift for my 'Kiwi' recipient ... just about ready to post, well it will be on Monday which is deadline day ... those deadlines just sneak up on us don't they??? We think we are working merrily away doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that and before we know it ... the bell is dinging and it's time's up. Such is life.

Must take a little sneak peek of that as well - so that's two layouts I have to photograph today and upload ... on my 'to do list'.

Another quick one before I go. Received a letter in the mail from Nathan's school earlier in the week. My 'wee' man is on the prize giving list for next week's school prize giving ceremony ... and wait for it ... he will be recognised with an 'academic' prize of some description. Congratulations young man, we're so proud of you and your achievements, whether they be sporting or academic. Keep it up!!!

Dad, it's a shame that your arrival wasn't just a couple of days earlier - LOL.

Right then, on that note people, I had better be Houdini, and do a disappearing act, I've still got Christmas decorations sitting in boxes [and lots of them], layouts to be photographed, a scrap room to undergo a major something or other, and I mean 'major' tidy ... not thinking too much about that one atm ... lol.

To all of you, enjoy your weekend ... I'll be back!!!!!

Quick update

The mail man has been and left me this ...



OMG ... how spoilt am I ????

I was gobsmacked. I don't know what to say really, but a bleedin' HUGE thank you to my scrapping buddy Tanya ... awesome ... in her favourite trademark colour ... that would be ... you guessed it - P I N K ... yep, Tanya is a pink lady.

Thank you so very much.

I get to spend some time playing next weekend when Tanya is down ... so I'm looking forward to some true scrapping and creativity time, a few laughs, well probably a whole lot of laughs really, great comraderie and a little creativity, which time-wise should really be a whole of creativity. But it's all fun!!!

Now as you can see my birthday present has been put to very good use already ... didn't take long ... my 52 pieces of me album has two layouts in it already ... here's one that you have already seen ...





Now today, I have done and dusted - my third week challenge ... had to use a monochromatic layout and have your latest family photo. Well I don't have a latest family photo ... so that in itself was a challenge and I quite often think outside the square ... so this is what I have come up with.




This didn't quite turn out the way I envisaged it in my head, but so be it, these things happen. I still quite like it and it is now proudly going into my brand new birthday album from Tanya ... which will now make it 3 layouts stored away.


and ... another layout that I have completed recently.






I think this pic was taken very early 1968, going on the size of my little sister in another pic. That would make me just over 3 ... love the pic and I adore the layout that I put together with this one ... don't know why ... this is a, just because I do one.


Scrapping layouts these passed few weeks have been few and far between really. I've been more than a little busy at work and that's okay, as I enjoy my job ... but I must admit that I have been more than a little shattered lately.

Tomorrow I plan on having a 'me' day ... if that's possible ... time will tell.

On that note, better disappear and do a few things [read housework here people] around the house ... lol.

Take care.
M

It's been a while ...

Life sometimes just gets in the way ... this last week has just disappeared really, just like that ... think ... click the fingers and yep, it has vanished, kaput, gone ... disappeared ...

The term 'not enough hours in the day' is more than true.

Did very little creative-wise this week in my scrap room, but that's okay ...these things happen.

Yesterday tho I whipped up two 8x8 layouts for a new competition/challenge with the girls over at CPC - click on my links on the side and it will take you there ...

So I'm about to undertake 52 weeks of me ... now, just for the record, that is a WHOLE lot of me about to happen ... probably has its good and bad points but that's okay. Sometimes, I guess too much information. But as a scrapper we focus on others and I'm okay with that. I love being behind the camera and not in front of it ... and with this challenge, not all of our layouts will have pics, and I'm definitely okay with that ... so here we go.





I've started putting bits and pieces in a big box that I plan on using to complete this album - all 52 pieces of me and I'm hoping to stay with the greens, pinks, burgundy and white colour combo throughout ... may not happen, but hopefully it will. I've chosen an 8x8 size to scrap.

Now as we know, life sometimes gets in the way [sometimes a whole lot - lol] and it may be that I won't always complete my weekly challenge in the timeframe allotted, but it will happen ... I plan on having 52 layouts at the end of the challenge and I'm thinking that this is going to be way toooooo much information for future generations - but it sounds like fun and I love a challenge.

So I now have two under my belt ... I'm a happy camper, thus far.

Week 1 and week 2 - check - bring it on ... as we move through the weeks and I complete the challenges, I'm thinking that I might have to set up a slide show - something else to put on my to do list.

Talking about 'to do lists' ... on my 'to do list' is a hangi drop off this afternoon. Nathan's cricket team are still fundraising for their cricket trip to attend the South Island tournament in January. A hangi is being cooked today as a fundraiser and later on when it is all cooked, I will be able and about delivering meals from one end of the town to the other ... may have to get the map out ... can't have me getting lost now ... would never live it down.

So ladies ... another scratchie board will be underway again this week or next ... being cheeky here, but hey, you have to be in to win [or something] ... so if parting with $2 interests you and the chance of winning a scratchie board and the possibility of making it rich appeals, you know where to find me. All monetary donations gratefully received, but unfortunately there can only be one winner.

On that note. Have a wonderful, lazy Sunday afternoon.
Take care,
Me

Creativity ...

Well then, another weekend has disappeared and so has Monday come to think about it ... I don't know where the days go, but they seem to be flying at the moment and there are truly NOT enough hours in the day.

I was more than a little creative in the weekend and here's a layout that I am going to share ... still playing with the circle idea and I so love circles ...





Journalling reads : photo opportunity - all dressed up, before being dropped off at school social [dance] - year 8 - SBHS / SGHS - spunky young man. Cool duds dude. October 2007.

I adore the BG Periphery range and I have been using quite a few of these papers lately. Add a little ribbon [and this particular ribbon was in the blue ribbons swap with the girls over at CPC - thank you], throw in some glitzy brads and there are quite a few of them and wait for it ... plenty of zig zag handsewing, a few rub-ons and of course my hand journalling, which I seem to be doing more of lately ... and there you have it ...

Nathan - smooth operator.

Love the way this layout has come together and I have been saying that quite a bit lately after I have created a page and that's good ... going through a patch, where I am enjoying the layouts that I have been creating.

I opened one of my albums in the weekend and liked everyone of the layouts in it ... rapt with my scrapping of late.

I also played with a layout on Saturday night which I had sitting on the 'to be completed pile' as I wasn't happy with where it was heading ... well I finished that particular layout yesterday as well, but unfortunately, not going to share that with you all atm ... we will see ... possible submission material - who knows - lol.

Yesterday afternoon I spent quite a lot of time cleaning my scrapping table and I do seriously mean just that - cleaning my scrapping table. Doesn't happen very often, but there comes a point in time and things just have to go ...

Wonder if I can apply that to all the scrapping supplies that have since landed on the floor ... lol.

On that note, time to be a little creative tonight and head into my scrap room for a play for an hour or two. Heater is going in there and it's probably the warmest part of the house tonight.

Mother Nature has thrown a wobbly, big time in the deep south today ... cold and miserable, blowing a gale. We have had sleet and hail, sunshine, wind, rain ... horrible. Truly!!!!

Bye for now.
Me


P.S. oops before I go ...

Sung in my bestest voice to my special little friend ...

Miss Paige ...

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to my wee friend Miss Paige
Happy birthday to you

Big hugs to a very special little girl ... she is a real wee cutie patootie - truly!!!

See ya

T.G.I.F.

And that's about all I will say on the subject. It's been a very long week and I'm absolutely stoked that it is now the weekend - lol.

This week we had a sketch challenge released with the girls at Scrapbook Essentials -click on my sidebar for the link. This is what the sketch looks like ...





And this is what I came up with ...



Love it ... this photo of Nathan is a wee cutie ... love the pic ... he's grown so much in the last 18 months or so. He's now taller than me, but I think that I've already told you that ... his body has changed big time and he now looks so totally different - all grown up - IYKWIM.

I've used Daisy Bucket papers, rub-ons, chipboard stars painted with a denim blue dauber and then I have painted opal dust on the top. I've also used the new self adhesive felt, that is absolutely G O R G E O U S and I seem to have a wee few packets of them in my collection now ... an old HS file tab, a few gemstones and hand journalling to boot.

Love the way it has come together.


Another layout is in the early planning stages using this sketch as well ... love the circle and give me a sketch and I can normally work with it - funny that!!!!


I actually did work with the first sketch - it was from the BG newsletter and was a 6x12 layout ... I had a play with that one with my mystery photo swap with the girls over at CPC - click on my sidebar to head over the ditch to visit the girls there ... but unfortunately I can't share that layout until the pigeon carrier makes his way over the ditch and lands on my scrapping buddies doorstep ... lol.

Let's hope the pigeon carrier has a tail wind ... lol.


Anyway, while I'm blogging I'm not scrapping as such ... so will finish this and this will be a short and sweet post.

But ... before I go ... I just want to say ...

Happy birthday to YOU
Happy birthday to YOU
Happy birthday to my scrapping buddy Miss Meg ...
Happy birthday to YOU !!!

Happy birthday my friend, and I hope that you have had a super duper day today ... catch ya!

See ya.

O ... M ... G ..

I got home from work last, made a cuppa, heated up a couple of panini's for dinner and headed up to the computer to check my emails [as you do] - but not necessarily in that order most nights ... lol ...

and I had an email sitting in my inbox that quite literally made me go holy ska-moley ...

"Hi Michelle,

Thank you for submitting your page to Scrapbooking Memories. Your layout is lovely and we would be thrilled to consider " ... [I have removed details here - sorry guys - lol]

How cool is that ... now I know that this doesn't mean that my layout is definitely going to be published ... but OMG ... I think the poor old heart fluttered ... I was on the phone to Meg and telling her while I was still reading ... I truly was, I was dialling her telephone number before I even got to the end of the first sentence - but hey, that's excitement for you ...

I've only ever submitted a handful of layouts ... so as you can imagine, I was so totally stoked. Still am - ROFLMAO ...

So I need to package it up carefully and sent it away over the ditch ASAP for them to have a closer look ... so NZ Post and Aussie Post please be gentle ... PLEASE!!!

I guess it would be more than a little bit gutting if they decided no, when it got there ... we so won't go there ... but for now, I'm still absolutely stoked that I received their email ...

This layout was put together as a result of a challenge with the girls over at CPC and a couple of them suggested that I submit it ... so that's what I did ... OMG, still can't believe it ...

Just thought that I would share that with you ...

Take care.

Scrapbook Essentials blinkie

Just for you Meg ...

Another challenge

done and dusted ...

The challenge over at CPC, to use a black, blue and orange combination and that's exactly what I have done.




The flourish is a purchase from SENZ - is it 4 kids and a dog [something like that] they have some amazing titles and flourishes and now I just wish that I had grabbed a few more of these flourishes - they are gorgeous ... a few rub-ons, a Prima or two [funny that] and I have finally opened my HS precious acrylic stamp which I truly have had sitting on my scrap desk for ever ... see these things to get used ... eventually - sometimes it takes a while, but it does happen ... lol.

Today I have decided that I am going into my scrap room and I am going to tidy. Now I did tidy a couple of weeks ago, cos I knew that Meg was coming to visit ... but even Meg would be disgusted if she was to see my scrap room today ... it's a bleedin' shambles ... I had to navigate, yep ... navigate my way over to the window to open the curtains this morning. Jules you would be disgusted to ... something has got to happen in there.

Perhaps the fairy scrapbooker should present herself and clean up in there for me ... but then after the cleaning we have a problem - truly - you can never find anything in a hurry and then you start making a shambles finding things ... a vicious circle my friends ... and you can NOT create in a sterile environment ... but after scrapping last night, I've decided that you can't really be overly creative in a bloody mess either ...

On that note ... CYA ...
M

Just about to say ...

third post in one day ... if blogger decides to play fair ...

and wouldn't you know it ...

So we will continue where we left off from this morning.

Thursday I was another year old and I had this lovely bouquet of orchids delivered to me at work ... thought to myself ... not expecting flowers and I truly wasn't - low and behold if they weren't from my daughter ... thank you young lady - they were absolutely gorgeous. In fact this pic doesn't really do them justice to be honest. They were wrapped beautifully and after I had put them into the vase, obviously most of the wrapping had been removed.

My birthday orchids are beautiful. Thank you ... love you ... Mum.





Birthday treats have been heading my way for the last few days and I'm just going to share a few things with you ...

Have a look at this ...



This little Christmas book is absolutely awesome and I hope that Trace doesn't mind me sharing with you ... it's awesome Trace - thank you so very much ... I have also flicked pics through to NanJules as well - Julie visited yesterday and I'm thinking that she might be having a wee play and coming up with something very similar - hope you don't mind. By the way - choccie treats are now long gone ... yummy!!!!! They were absolutely divine.

Not even thinking about the calories that I have consumed over the last few days ... we so won't go there ... lol.

Now have a look at these wee treats that have landed on my doorstep as well ... Beverley [Bubbles] has created the little box with some of this month's kit from Scrapbook Essentials [click on the link in my sidebar] and it is gorgeous ... full of lace and felt butterflies - b e a u t i f u l ... thank you so very much.

Also in this pic is a round box - I guess that really should be a round cylinder box from my very dear friend Julie ... aka NanJules aka nztreasure and it was full of wee treasures too ... had my vanilla candle burning in the lounge last night and the smell drifted through the house ... very nice indeed.

Now also in this pic is a very special hair clip and a beautiful wee hair clip it is too ... thank you to my little friend Miss J.J. - NanJules daughter ... it's even got bling on it ... too cute.




And me ... who does not like having her pic taken, someone who would rather be found behind the camera than in front of it ... took this special wee pic for little Miss J.J. - so here modelling my new 'a la pink' hairclip ... eat your heart out Tanya ... lol




Thank you to everyone who has sent me birthday RAK's - I have a wonderful collection of ribbons, buttons, chipboard, rub-ons, Primas, brads ... absolutely awesome - and sometime soon, they are bound to pop up on a layout ... keep your eyes peeled.

Thank you to you all ... truly.


Well this post was a long enough post in itself ... so it's probably just as well that I had to break the posts up, otherwise you would have all been sitting there nodding off ... lol.

That's it from me for tonight ... I'm heading away into my scrap room via the laundry - should put another load in the dryer, cos it's not going to dry by itself.

Look after yourselves, keep dry and warm.
Later,
M

Warning ... warning .... warning

The robot in 'Lost in Space' used to say that ... lol ...

But a warning, lots of pics ahead.

Time to share ...


Nope, not this time - keep receiving error messages from blogger ... will have to try again later ...

The suspense ... lol

This time ...

First class at SENZ - Rockin' Roxie ... love the way that this turned out ... nice and bright - using Elsie papers ... and a new product I absolutely love ... that would be opal dust ... hmmmmm .... hmmmmmm.




Next class that I took ... a class all about stitching and after I signed up for it I thought to myself, Michelle you hate sewing - hate perhaps a bit strong [but pretty close - lol] ... but you would normally do anything else, but sew if you could get away with it ... well it's all about learning new techniques and I was way outside my comfort zone and guess what ... I loved it ...





I found a new way of using all those Crafters templates that I spent a small fortune buying and didn't like using ... so look out world ... I'm thinking more than little sewing is going to be appearing on a layout or two in the next wee while.

Now when it comes to making something, I can be given all the directions in the world, but at the end of the day, I like to make things my own and yes, I did change just a little bit of this and a little bit of that ... but that's okay ... I like what I have come up with ... and my layouts will be just a tad different, not too much from what the kit instructions looked like.

My Rocking Roxie [the pink layout] that should have had the stitching all around the layout, but I decided that I only wanted it to go so far around each edge ... like the effect as well.

My stitching layout wasn't quite set out according to the kit instructions and I even handstitched doodled at the bottom of the layout and popped on another sequin or two ... sequins and a tiny little bead glued to the top. Love this layout ...

I called this one photogenic ... and should have put in hand journalling on the front - 'when it suits and when the kids want to play up to the camera' - ROFLMAO. Normally on a layout somewhere even if it is on the back of a layout ... I hand journal when the pics were taken and when the layout was scrapped as well - for future reference.


What's next ...





How adorable is this ... poppy canvas ... love it ... love it ... love it ... my rub-ons on this one will be to reflect pics of a very special man in my life - my darling husband ... and guess what ... the idea of the ribbon, the poppy is sitting on a bull dog clip and you can keep changing the pic that you have displayed on the canvas ... it's even got the string on the back already to attach it to the wall ... now I've just got to rummage around and find just the pic ... it will happen ... promise.


Onwards and upwards, are you all still with me people ... hopefully you aren't bored silly, cos guess what ... I've still got more to show and tell ...



This is a gorgeous wee tin and the idea is that when you open it up you will have small index size prints of pics attached to the ribbons - looks a bit like a carousel when you are holding the tin from the lid. Perhaps I should have taken a pic with it open ... go and check out Tanya's blog - Tanya has a pic of her tin in all its glory ...


What next ... I celebrated being another year old this week and have a look at what arrived on my desk at work ...


Okay blogger is doing its thing again and not letting me upload, probably figures that this woman is blogging far too long a post ... lol ...


Will come back again later and add or blog a new post [or something].


Just thought that I would say before I sign off, it was a wild and windy night in the deep south overnight ... Mother Nature wasn't too happy for some reason.

Talk later.

Growing up ...

Nathan had a school social on Wednesday night and naturally as a mum you want photos taken of your children when they are all dressed up ... so here's one of those pics that I am going to share with you. This is my wee man ... well okay, so he's not quite so wee anymore - he's taller than me and I'm not what anyone would call short ... true!!!! and he doesn't look like slowing down any time soon.

I took some brilliant pics so sometime soon, I'm thinking we are might just be seeing the latest pics of him appearing on a layout, somewhere along the line.

Short and sweet tonight, it's been a short week, but a long week if you know what I mean. With having had a few days off work for SENZ, I've been cramming so much into the last week, both work-wise and socially. But that's okay, I can cope - just.

This weekend, being a long weekend I'm hoping to finish off a few layouts and create a few more as well. I'm thinking it's going to be more than a little productive creativity-wise ... well here's to hoping.

On that note ... I'm outta here, but before I sign off for the night - to one and all signed up for scrap camp in March ...

I'm going to be seeing you all there ... and that would be how many weeks away - not many ... woo hoo, roll on March. Never been to a scrap camp before, should be fun!!!!

Honey I'm home ...

cute saying really ... and I'm home girls ...


Been there, done that ... SENZ that is. What a weekend. I haven't said this for a long, long time, but I think that I am all scrapped out. Truly.

Talk about a hive of creativity. Loved it. Would I do it again ... yep siree, that I would.

Thursday was a busy day really, a little last minute shopping trip at Meg's, a trip to the hairdresser, for a colour to camouflage those greys, I even got bronze highlights, crikey ... and a major chop [had trouble coping on Friday morning with all my hair gone, but that's okay], back home and I truly packed my bags in an hour and was away to the airport ... don't quite know where the day went to, but it did ... just like that!!!

Flew into Christchurch on Thursday night. Up bright and early on Friday and away to SENZ for my first class which was scheduled for 9.00 am ... Rocking Roxie and yep my layout rocked. Talk about giving a pair of scissors a work-out. Major understatement really. Found a new favourite product - opal dust ... awesome, absolutely awesome. Puts a real shine on your layout that's for real. If you like kiddiglitz [something like that], you will really like opal dust. Gorgeous!!!!!

Have yet to complete the hand sewing on this layout and add my sequins ... but it will happen, trust me on this one. This layout was primarily in pinks!!!! Yummy.

Second class was a class incorporating hand sewing ... now sewing and I is not something that normally happens, but it's all about learning new skills and I tell you what, throw in a crafters template, a little hand sewing and I'm now a happy camper. Loved it and I now might find a use for all those other crafter templates that I bought when they first came out. Didn't like doing the doodling thing with them, cos a doodler, I am not ... but can cope with doing the sewing thing with them - piece of cake. Add a little felt and well - hello ... I'm thinking that there is going to be a few layouts around the countryside with a lot more hand sewing and perhaps a little felt on them as well.

Friday night crop - won't say too much about this one ... enjoyed the comraderie - you girls were awesome.

Saturday, back at SENZ bright and early again ... Tracy was helping out as a pink lady and I just browsed and shopped and browsed and shopped. I found a new craft - I'm in love with plaster of paris, canvasses and serviettes, throw in a little modge podge and there you have it ... I purchased the kit as I just 'had to have it' and I even bought two of the canvasses myself, as they were Christmassy ones ... which once again comes under the 'had to have it' as well.

My class on Saturday afternoon was a canvas class using Urban Lily poppies, blue paint, ribbons, rub-ons, a small bull dog clip and other bits and pieces and I love this one ... too cute ... definitely on the make again list. Wasn't overly happy with my workmanship - a case of papers not drying flat - IYKWIM ... but love the whole concept. You can change your photo as often as you like - hence the idea of the clip - it's not a permanent pic on a layout. G O R G E O U S.

Are you all still awake - perhaps I should have put a warning post, about this one being a long post ... sorry ...

Saturday night crop - a night at the scrapping shop with Tanya ... Tanya was a wonderful hostess ... we ordered Thai and had it delivered on plates, I might add, from the Thai restaurant in the arcade and it was yummy!!! Later on in the night we had a yummy black forrest gateaux cake and coffee - a few girls celebrating birthdays in the last week or two - so happy birthday to you all!!!! A little scrapping, a lot of talking and a few laughs thrown into the mix as well. A big thank you for the paper packs Tanya - will do a show and tell when I have done something creative and have something to show and tell ... promise!!!

Caught up with Michelle - kiwimich ... didn't have the opportunity to meet up with her at SENZ itself, so it was wonderful that she could come scrapping on Saturday night.

Here's a pic of the SE girls at the crop night on Saturday night ...



So we have
- back row : AustinPower, KiwiMich, Goldilocks, Mrs Frizz, LyndaM
- front row : NanJules, TanyaLeigh, Vicki

We had a few other ladies scrapping as well on the night that weren't SE ladies, so it was a wonderful bunch of ladies.

So girls, it was a great night, thoroughly enjoyed myself, finished one of my layouts from class on Friday with the exception of my journalling, so I was stoked with that. I enjoyed spending the night scrapping with you all ...

Sunday morning guess who was back at SENZ once again bright and early - none other than moi!!!! Another 9.00 am start and this time I was working on another OTP project - a tin with a twist ... well I looked at the tin and thought to myself, yeah right ... but I tell you what, had a ball with this one. Our tutor was the very talented Kerrin Quall [from Australia] and I can tell you ... she is one very talented lady ... amazing creativity.

Here's a pic of us ...



Left to right : Michele, Kerrin and Tanya and you know who ...


I know some of the other girls went to classes that had Kerrin tutoring them and they loved them. I saw a layout that quite literally popped that my sister put together and I love it and it WILL be scraplifted in the near future ... OMG it was stunning ... just gorgeous ...

Now I can't share any of my creativity with you, cos I still have bits and pieces to finish off - whether that be a little journalling, a little hand sewing, the odd sequin to be glued on or whatever, but when they are completely finished, they will be blogged, I promise ... this weekend I will be on a mission.


Now something else ... I have a new craft that I plan on playing around with ... think modge podge, think canvas, think plaster of paris, yep that's right, that stuff they use on broken limbs, and think serviettes ... there you have it ... mind boggling really - but the finished product in my book, bleeding awesome. Time will tell. I know that NanJules is in love with it all - she has already put two together - although I have yet to see the finished product.

Something else on my to do list this weekend ... I'm going to be a busy girl - lol.

I must say though on Sunday afternoon, I really did hit a brick wall ... I was absolutely shattered. I must have sat at a coffee table for about 3/4 of an hour and did nothing but sit and drink coffee ... I really wanted to have a little nana nap - some might call it a power nap - it would have done wonders ... but I didn't ... I just sat there and thought about all sorts of things really.

In hindsight, I should have thrown in another class and next time, if there is a next time, I will do, just that ... and perhaps next time, I might not have three early morning starts - ROFLMAO ... cos you can't scrap the night away and scrap all day, what am I saying, of course you can ... but holey ska-moley, it takes it out of you ...

Waited for Tracy to finish her make it pop class, we went and made a couple of Christmas cards and then we said goodbye to Tanya and headed away, via another scrapping shop in Christchurch - crikey.

Off home and back to Tracy's where I had to pack, shuffle, do whatever, to try and make it all fit ... like that was ever going to happen ... it was crazy.

I came home with my suitcase, scrapping box with a pizza box full of stuff - so the scrapping box and pizza box was put in one of those big plastic bags that Air NZ have ... let's just say that my luggage was overweight and leave it like that. On the plane with me was my BIG handbag, another BIG bag full of stuff and my over the shoulder scrapping bag - fits 12x12 ... so on the plane I was more than a little laden with stuff - but hey, what's a girl to do when she is presented with all these shopping opportunities??? Silly question - why shop - naturally!!!! It doesn't happen very often - probably just as well. Mr Visa and I are on very friendly terms - ROFLMAO ...

So all in all, a wonderful weekend. Would I do it all again ... yep!!!!!

Will finish off this post with this pic ...




Take care.

Warning ...

Long post ahead ... well at least I warned you all in advance ... lol.

So go and grab a coffee [or something] and relax.


I have been creative ... in fact I have been very creative this weekend and it's now time to share; so here goes ...






Both layouts have come together just nicely and they are gorgeous, even if I do say so myself. This wee photogenic young lady is Brianna and she is my cousin's Melissa's daughter ... I've just emailed these pics through to Lissie-Lou, so hope that you like them Lis ... well regardless, they are going in my scrap album and I like them and that's what counts - lol.

I love the pics, that's why they have been on my scrap pile to scrap - but wait for it ... love the papers as well. Meg has in stock a new line of Imaginisce candy cane lane papers - they are double-sided and absolutely bleedin' G O R G E O U S ... big time ... they have a glitzy something or other in them as well and wow, it does it for me ... add a little more kiddy-glitz and voila - there you have it ... not to mention the punched, scalloped cardstock to boot. It's been a while since I have used any Prima's on a layout, but I did today and throw in a string of pearls and a few fibres, add a couple of rub-ons and I was done.

So I put the believe layout together last night and the second layout, moments that take our breath away, together today.

I was going to submit these layouts, but then thought to myself, nope, they are for me and as much as I like goo-ing and gaa-ing over layouts in mags [and I do], I scrap for myself and for my family and generations to come. Each and every layout is precious to me for various reasons.

But I keep going back to them and taking a wee peek - I so love Christmas, and I love these Christmas papers and the new rub-ons, the silvery glitzy snowflakes are G O R G E O U S ... mind you, it did take a little extra care with the rubbing - lol ... trust me on this one ... be careful!!!!


What else have I got ...

Last night we had a piece of beef which had been cooking in the slow cooker all day and I mean ALL day and it was quite literally falling apart when it was dished up ... but have a look at this little sachet ...




This my friends should be on everybody's shopping list, if you haven't already used it before, I recommend it ... I peeled and cubed some potatoes, carrots and parsnips last night, threw in a little oil, had a shake, rattle and roll and baked them in the oven ... they are absolutely bleedin' divine ... I will be buying more of these little sachets and we are going to become firm friends ... might get Russell to grab a kumara next time he is out and about grocery shopping as well.

Hope the team over at Maggi are happy with my little advertising stint ... lol.


What else ... oops Leonie, I forgot, I'm so sorry - but here it is ... will package up and send over the ditch at some stage this week, time permitting or maybe the following week.

Leonie [from over at CPC] had a wee baby boy recently and some of the girls secretly put together 9x9 layouts which one of the other girls bound and sent to Leonie last week. Leonie put a thank you post on the forum and I promptly thought to myself, shit ... I forgot ... oops ... well at least I am honest - so this afternoon, I whipped this little number up and when it finally arrives Leonie, you might like to add it to your precious wee album.

So here tis ...

Jack's first Christmas ...




You will see from my previous layouts I'm into scrapping different shaped pics at the moment, so that's why the gap is that shape ...

Hope it arrives safely.


And now a complete change of subject ... what's done is done ... but the bloody referee needs his eye sight checked.

One man with a whistle can be a very dangerous man!!! The hopes of a nation were shattered!!!

I haven't watched such a one-eyed game in a very long time and that's all I will say on the subject.



Well I'm back to work tomorrow and no, I'm not a 100% by any means of the imagination - but I'm getting there. A big few days ahead of me at work, before I head away to SENZ - woo hoo - not many more sleeps now ...

Take care.

On the mend ...

I've been home sick just about all week and I'm so over myself like you wouldn't believe, but today I'm feeling heaps better ... I truly am. I can't say that my voice is anywhere near 100% yet, but I'm working on it and when I cough, boy-oy-boy do I cough, same thing for blowing the poor ol' nose. But I'm getting there.


Give me another couple of days and I will be downright dangerous ... lol.

So look out!!!


Today I have been on and off the computer, more off than on. I have been surfing the net and found some brilliant ideas for layouts. There are some very talented people out there.

I saw a layout today and for the life of me I truly can not remember where it was or what site I was visiting. You click on something, then you click on something else, that leads you somewhere else. You all know how it is ... we get lead astray and off the beaten path.

Well one particular idea stuck in my head today for some reason - it was so effective looking and I thought to myself I'm going to play around with that. So I did.

I would normally give full credit to anyone that I scraplift, and I do apologise for not being able to just that ...


A very special scrapping buddy, who as yet, I have only spoken to on-line and on the telephone, not met in person yet ... but one day, it will happen ... [so look out my friend], well she sent me a RAK recently and in that very same envelope there were some pics.

Quite some time ago [think back to SENZ in the North Island] so that was back in May, well she was double dared to take pics as her scrapping namesake AngelGurl [aka Janine] along with one of her best buddy's Ann, aka ScrapGurl aka Witchy Woman - well those pics were photographic evidence of them in their get-up ...

So this afternoon I scrapped one of our scrapping buddy's and here she is ...





As I said I can not take full credit - I scraplifted the strip/photo idea and love it ... the colour in this particular 'Elsie' paper is so AngelGurl like you wouldn't believe ... Janine was wearing the same colour red and had a teal coloured necklace on ...

Woo hoo ... I love it ... I flicked this through to Janine and checked with her to see if it was okay for me to upload on my blog and she was okay with that.

So to another scrapping buddy ... this just HAS to be one half of a double layout - the other side will happen [at some stage].

To one and all, take care, enjoy your weekend and stay warm and dry.

Real tears

of joy and excitement.


Think of this ... one 13 year old ...






you then have one Dad holding one of these [well not in this pic] - it has just been handed over to one 13 year old ...







One young man who has been saving for quite some time to buy himself one of these - the latest and greatest Xbox 360 with Halo 3 ...


So now we have to sell one of these [the old Xbox] with whatever Xbox games that aren't used in the new Xbox 360. Sometime over the next week or two, Russell will be listing this on Trade Me I guess ...





Hope I have loaded them in the right order - lol ... so there you have it ... one excited young man, I kid you not!!!!!

He was absolutely stoked ... he truly was [and still is] ...

Later.