MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY!!

Just a very quick post to say Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you have a great day, and thanks so much for reading my blog. I will leave you with a pic of our Christmas tree - and of course, my lovely daughter...

WHOO HOOT WEDNESDAY - AND WHAT A WHOO HOOT I HAVE!!!

Just a quick post before bed, but for those of you that don't know, I have some fantastic news!! I have been accepted onto the Scrappin' Patch Design Team!!! I am so excited! I truly cannot believe it. Huge congrats go to the others who made it as well; Annelie, Kate and Delys, and to the 2 Guest Designers, Heidi and Beverley. I feel so honoured that I am among such amazing talent. Our DT entries have been put up on the Scrappin' Patch gallery, so I will just put up a few sneak peeks for you; if you want to see the full items, you have to go there.

A few more Whoo Hoots for today:

It's nearly Christmas - another great Whoo Hoot!!

My sister and her family coming up for Christmas on Christmas Eve - can't wait, even if we don't get any sleep...

My other sister coming from London in January!!!

Cuddles and hugs from my darling daughter, and being told that I am the 'best mummy in the whole world'.

Getting on the Scrappin' Patch Design Team!!

A quiet weekend ahead in order to prepare for the whole Christmas thing.

A catch-up with Liz to look forward to on Friday ... and playing with some scrapping stuff while the kids play.

My DH is actually home for Christmas, which is fab!

Oh, and did I mention, getting on the Scrappin' Patch Design Team??!!

Ok, that's all for tonight, have a great weekend! Oh, I also just wanted to say thanks so much to everyone for all the lovely comments you have been leaving on my posts - I really do appreciate it, and when I am feeling totally inadequate and like a fraud as a scrapbooker, I love to read all the nice comments and it really makes my day, so thanks again.

Dear Loyal Readers...

My most humble apologies for not blogging for... oh, it's been a month!! I can't believe it. I have been so busy with Christmas stuff and scrapbooking competitions. My household has been totally neglected, and I didn't get our Christmas tree up until yesterday!! I am slowly catching up on housework, and am very pleased that I have done most of my Christmas shopping and even wrapping, so getting there. Oh, and I plan on catching up on all my blog-reading and commenting over the next couple of weeks, as well. I only have about 100 posts or so to read, lol...

I have two exciting pieces of news today; first, I am an Aunty again - my sister, Leanne, has had her third child, a little girl called Georgia-Rose, born this morning around 5am. I am anxiously awaiting a photo...

Secondly, I found out that I won the competition over at Scrapbox - I am so excited, my first competition win!! A huge thanks to Julia and the team; Brenda, Lynne and Dallas. My good friend, Liz, and I actually came first equal, so then we had to have a 'scrapoff' - basically, a layout based on a 6 x 12 sketch. I don't know how the judges chose a winner, really; my style is so different to Liz's; and I liked both our pages equally. This is a link to Liz's pic in the gallery. Liz and I have talked about it over the last week, and decided that we like being first equal, no matter who won in the end; we both love each other's work and are happy with our own, so that is what counts. This was my entry:

For the second week of the comp, we had to scrap a Christmas page in non-traditional Christmas colours.
At first I found this difficult, but once I found a Christmas photo that wasn't in Christmas colours, the hard part was really done. This entry came third place.

For the next challenge, we had to make a Christmas table centrepiece. Now, I have not done a lot of OTP, and found this very difficult, but luckily, I ended up coming first!! Yay!! Here is my funky take on a Christmas tree:

I decorated a pencil box, then wrapped ribbon around a tree branch, and decorated it with flocked birds, glittered stars, and flowers with bling.

For the 4th and last challenge, we had to make a set of cards and matching box. I chose to make an acrylic card, mostly see-through. I am really happy with it, but it didn't make the top 3.

I'm loving my new Fiskars lace border punch, used on the bottom of the cards. I stamped a bird twice, then gave it dimension with foam dots, kindyglitzed and added bling. I cut a frame on my new MM Slice, then embossed it on my cuttlebug. The title was AC thickers, inked in green, and the Christmas word was stamped and kindyglitzed. A Christmas message can be written on the inside on the white border.

Next up, I made a Christmas tree ornament for the Christmas comp at Scrapbook Outlet. I kept mine pretty simple, a photo of my Mum in a silver frame:

This is currently hanging on my tree. Unfortunately, I just didn't have time to keep up with this competition, and haven't done any of the challenges since, but there is lots of inspiration happening over there, so go visit the gallery for lots of fun ideas.

I also entered the Stars in Their Eyes competition currently running over at Scrappin' Patch. I came second in the first challenge; which was to do a layout in the style of the famous NZ scrapbooker, Nic Howard.

I totally love this page, and was so proud to come second to another famous NZ scrapbooker, Louise Williams. For the second challenge, we had to do a layout in the style of Mou Saha, which I found very, very difficult. Mou's style is very arty and very different to mine; she even uses different colours to me. This was my take:

I do not like it!! I think it is totally ugly. I don't mind some parts, like the journalling and photo and colours, but I don't like the yellow paint, the title or the buttons. Never mind, this was as close to Mou's style as I can get! I tried to incorporate her spicy colours, handwritten journalling and handmade titles, her use of tags and buttons and lots of paint.

Luckily, the only competition/scrapping thing I am currently doing is this Scrappin' Patch one; with Christmas nearly here I don't have any more time for scrapping at the moment. And the next challenge is to do a project in Emily Falconbridge's style - I am quite looking forward to it; I have some ideas floating round in my head already, and am deciding between 2 themes. But, the deadline is not until early next year, so I have plenty of time, and will probably not start it until after Christmas.

Well, that is everything creative I have to show you at the mo - I have been working on some other stuff, but can't show you just yet. I promise to get better with my blogging!! I will write again soon.

It's Been A Long Time...

indeed it has, but this 'decreasing my computer time' has really resulted in more creative time, so it is definitely working. And I actually have a few things to share with you. So, this is a Whoo Hoot Wednesday and a blog catch-up all in one. And I hope you are comfy, 'cos it might be a bit long!

First off, I have my girlfriend, Leanne, over from Aussie all this week. And we are having a lovely time, movies, lunching in Devonport, and enjoying this gorgeous weather NZ is putting on for her.








On Sunday, Aurelia, Robin and I went to Glenbrook Railway Station for the day with the lovely Liz and her family, where they were having a special 'Thomas the Train' day - Aurelia seems to have a new boyfriend; Liz's 4-year-old son Oliver (pic with the Fat Controller - note the hand holding!! She kept wanting to hold his hand all day!!). Another pic of Thomas with the kids in front at right. Aurelia just loved it, and couldn't wait to ride Thomas and Diana. We had a lovely day, followed by a very relaxing (read: a couple of wines with fish 'n' chips!!) dinner at Liz's place. Liz and I talked scrapbooking, Robin and Justin talked cars, and the kids played nicely. A lovely time all round; thanks Liz!! Oh, and I really enjoyed looking at all of Liz's scrapbook pages; so stunning IRL.

Christmas is rapidly approaching, but I have Aurelia's gifts all sorted - and mine; the Slice and cartridges pretty much cover my birthday, Christmas and Wedding anniversary presents over the next couple of months. Oh, my Slice from overseas completely fell through, so I have ordered one from here in NZ, and hopefully it arrives soon - can't wait!!!

Ok, time for some photos. Here are a couple of cards; the baby one was for my friend, Serena, who just gave birth to the lovely Jacob, and the Christmas ones are for the second week of the Christmas Competition over at Scrapbook Outlet - we had to do a set of 3 cards. The competition is not being judged; but every week you enter you get a ticket into a raffle for a, get this, MM Slice machine!!






The Christmas cards have a window in the front with a picture printed on a transparency, then some kindyglitz added for shimmer.

Below is an advent calendar I also made for the Scrapbook Outlet Christmas comp, Week 1 Challenge. I based it on 'The 12 Days of Christmas', except I made mine for Aurelia and called it 'The 12 Sleeps 'til Christmas'. It also doubles as a counting book - I made the whole thing from scratch, and it took me a while!

A big Whoo Hoot for my first time ever being published; this page was in the most recent copy of Up2Scrap, the NZ scrapbooking magazine - what a buzz to see my page in a magazine!! The photo wasn't great, so here is a better one:

The journalling reads "I just love that you look like such a cross between your Daddy and my Mum when you pull these funny faces. Aurelia at 10 months." . And thanks so much to everyone for all the lovely congrats on Sketchbook and by email.

Another big Whoo Hoot for me winning the first Challenge in the ScrapboxNZ competition with the following entry. We had to do a page for under $10, which was definitely a challenge - this is not a cheap hobby!! (don't tell my DH).

This has to be one of my fave photos of Aurelia; she was such a baldy as a baby, but here she looks beautiful despite it. This photo was taken at my sister's wedding, sitting on her Daddy's lap, and she was such an angel all day. The song just really describes how I feel when I look at it. So I was pretty chuffed to win, and very surprised as it is a pretty simple page.

Ok, better get to bed as it is late. Thanks to you for reading my blog and see you soon!

Whoo Hoot Wednesday Again

Well, hello out there. Here we are and it is Wednesday again already. I can't believe how fast the weeks keep flying by, and it is only going to get worse the closer we get to Christmas. My November and December calendar pages are filling up so fast!

I have made a decision: I am only going to blog once a week, and I am only going to read and comment on blogs once a week. I have been wasting far too much time reading blogs every day, and procrastinating when I should be scrapping instead. So, if I do it all at once, once a week, I figure that will save me time and then I won't waste time on my computer on the other days. I have pretty much only been blogging once or twice a week anyway, and as I am not getting any scrapping done, I don't have anything interesting to show! I am hoping this will result in lots of pages to show when I do blog. So, excuse me if I don't comment on your posts straight away; I will get to them eventually!!

Now, Whoo Hoots for today:

Only 2 more sleeps until the Sketchbook Retreat!! Yay!!!!!!!!! That's a huge one. I have a few page kits organised, I have started packing, and the main thing I have left to do is to print off some more photos. Oh well, it's not like I am going to get heaps done anyway, let's be realistic!! I don't think there is a slower scrapper in existence...

Had a great time cropping with Liz on Friday night; and I couldn't get her to leave before 1am!!! lol!! She's a lot of fun, and no, I didn't get anything done, but I had a great time. And Liz was privileged to view my funky dance moves and lovely singing. Of course, she got a bit done. Not that much, but much more than me. Will definitely have to do that again soon.

My little sis, Nicky, from London, might be coming to visit us soon - haven't seen her in a long while, so can't wait. Not sure on the details yet...

My girlfriend, Leanne, is coming for a visit from Aussie, a week after I get back from the Retreat. Can't wait!

Oh, and who needs SENZ??!! I have been shopping, and got orders from quite a few different s/book shops, plus Debs and I are going to Scrapbooking By Design on our way to the Retreat, plus Crafty Tart have got a shop at the Retreat. So the credit card has taken a bashing, but I figure I saved money on flights and accommodation by not going to SENZ, right??!! Yeah, that's the way my logical mind works....

Finally got another appt with the Fertility Specialist; took a couple of months! But at least now we can talk about the next step.

Spending time lately with my sweet girl, who is growing up just way too fast. I found a cockroach in the house the other day, and she called it a 'crotch-croak', too funny!!!

Oh, and did I mention, only 2 more sleeps until the retreat???!!!

Off to bed shortly for an early night, so goodnight!

Whoo Hoot Wednesday

Just a quick note here to let you know that I have given up on bloglines as I found more and more blogs were not updating on there, and I am now with Google Reader. So far, they seem much better; the layout is not as good as bloglines, but at least it updates!

Well, another Whoo Hoot Wednesday actually on a Wednesday; I am really on a roll!! OK, let's get started:

Another nice day - well, a little cloudy at times, but still nice and warm

An almost-empty laundry basket - this weather is great for doing all my washing, love it!

Sketchbook Retreat only a week and a half away, can't wait!!

Getting some journalling written down and page kits organised for the retreat, and a couple of cards made

Newly cleaned and organised scrap room - feel so comfortable in here now

Christmas coming soon - I know that it is all a marketing ploy, but I personally love it when the shops start putting out all their Christmas decorations and playing Christmas music; it adds such a festive air to my shopping (I am aware I am probably alone in this and that most people think it is terrible that shops start sooner every year, but I don't care, I love it!)

Told my hubby that I will be doing some shopping for the retreat, so now I can place a few orders and not feel too guilty - just love scrapping shopping!

My sweet girl who always wants to give me snuggles and cuddles and a DH who, despite usually being not-so-great around the house and with childcare, is looking after DD for the whole weekend whilst I go to the Retreat - and he is not even complaining about it! (Thanks, Honey)

Skype, so I can see and talk to my sister, Nick, in London as often as I like (when we are online at the same time!)

Umm, that is all I can think of right now. I have no photos to post for you, as the only things I have started and completed are some cards, one of which I didn't get a photo, and the other which hasn't been sent yet, and as for scrapping, I am gettting layouts started but putting them in kits for the retreat, so nothing is finished. At least I am back doing some scrapping after a few weeks of not doing anything; that seems to be what I usually do, scrap for a while, then have a couple of weeks where I just can't seem to do anything but procrastinate - must need that break sometimes, I guess. OK, hope everyone has a great week, and maybe I will have something to show you on the weekend as looks like Liz is coming over Friday night for a scrapping session - yay!!

Welcome to a Newcomer...

Just a quick post to say CONGRATULATIONS to my good scrapping friend, Serena. Most of you will know Serena from SYTYCS over at Scrapbooking By Design, and/or the Olympics at The Sketchbook.

Serena, Hape and their daughter, Jordan, have welcomed into the world little Jacob Samuel, born last Saturday. Here are some photos of the adorable little boy.

Well done, guys, he is just beautiful!!