Take the long way home...

...believe me I did!

Late on Wednesday night I decided to go to Brisbane to spend a few days with my sister. With Rob's blessing I booked some flights and on Friday morning off I went for three days.

I had a fabulous time - Anne and I did some very successful clothes shopping, ate out, went to the craft fair, walked over the new foot bridge, ate prawns, supped champagne, talked and laughed and laughed some more. I also got to visit Andrew's classroom and watch both boys play a great game of touch football.

BUT my flight home took six hours instead of the usual one and a half. Storms in Canberra caused the pilot to pull out of the landing at the last minute (we were about a metre off the runway when he suddenly pulled the nose up and flew out of there!). We ended up being diverted to Melbourne, put on another plane (one with superior technology that could land in poor visibility) and then we flew back to Canberra. Home safe and sound at last :) Rob was the one I felt really sorry for. He was waiting at the airport for me and it took an hour for Qantas to tell him what was what - gorgeous man that he is, he then came back again to collect me at 10pm.

And now for some scrapping shares :)

This one is for Moi's challenge over at SOUL but I used fabulous products available from the CIS store. I love the ribbon! The pics are of Angus and his cousin Rory being a tad naughty at Granma's house.


The next two I did as part of the Wicked Princesses CC - this one was based on the Krissy's sketch. NZ grandma took these photos while the kids were visiting her in April.


I had to use bling for this next one - I think I got a bit carrried away lol. Not sure the cluster is exactly what I was hoping for! Never mind I did to get to use two of Krissy's fabulous poppies :) These photos of Zoe first thing on her 13th Birthday make me laugh - look at those bleary eyes - luckily she thinks they're funny too!

I'm not expecting to have a lot of scrapping time during the rest of the week as my Mum had a knee replacement yesterday. The operation went well - she was up walking on a frame this morning but the drugs have really knocked her around - not surprising considering she's 74 next week. She'll be spending her Birthday in rehab. I'm hoping she'll be a bit perkier tomorrow :)

TFSB but one last thing before you go - have you checked out the latest Lime Tart challenge? I do like a good recipe! Oh and the prize I was boasting about arrived - it was awesome!!

Scrapping Sunday

So, I've got loads of scrappy shares today. But before I start I've got a photo to show you - Zoe learning life skills!

Crazy, I know, but she asked if she could do some ironing - who am I to deny a girl her entertainment? She did three items and decided she'd learnt enough about ironing - now that's more like it ;-)

First up a couple of LOs using some photos I posted recently. Here's Angus and his burger - based on Krissy's CIS sketch. Don't forget you'll be in the running for a lovely scrappy prize if you do a LO based one of the October sketches and post it in the forum before the end of the month.


This next one features the kids in their new bike helmets :) I did it for the Challenge Heaven numbers challenge. Every time I look at that expression on Angus' face it cracks me up!


Next is my creation from the virtual CIS Girls' Night In speed scrap. It was based on a sketch by the very talented Karen - she has an amazing eye for layers of ribbon and trim.

Janina made the journalling block for me using a new stamp from the US. Unfortunately it didn't show up in the pic but it has a gorgeous flourish on it that I highlighted with some bling. :)

I did this LO while I was at an actual GNI. We had a fabulous time. I laughed so much that my stomach hurt. Thanks for a wonderful night girls :). We took some great photos too - I'm planning on scrapping them later today so I'll share them another day.

I really love how this LO turned out. Rob has finally decided to do his scooter course (he's there right now) so yesterday we went to buy him some gear. He was very chuffed to get a groovy orange helmet. I fear that I may never get near my scooter again once he has that Learners' Permit!

I used my latest Scarlet Lime kit and the die cut is from Creative Memories - they have five different and equally fabulous shapes to choose from!

And to the last one. I started it a couple of weeks ago and then couldn't find it anywhere. I finally found it again on Friday. It's a just-because LO featuring a just-because photo from 2003 - this time I look at the expression on Angus' face and smile rather than laugh! I'm a bit disappointed with how it photographed though. The colours are much stronger IRL and you probably can't see that I stamped on the numbers using paint and bubble wrap and the little circles are flocked. Oh well...
I'm midway through a challenge for the Wicked Princesses Birthday cc and I want to have a go at least one of the great monthly challenges over at SOUL so I'm going to be a busy little scrapper for the rest of the month. I got 70 photos printed yesterday and a pile of pics always makes me itchy to scrap.

TFSB and for all your lovely comments - it's always very exciting when people let me know they've been visiting :)

Winners are grinners

Woo hoo - I won the Tuesday Challenge over at Lime Tart - how cool :) Big thank you to lovely Lime Tarts! Now, if you'd like to be a grinning winner too, hop over to their blog and complete the new challenge - go on click on the blinkie on the left of my blog and you too could be sporting an ear-to-ear grin :)

No scrapping shares today - the only LO I've done this week is for the CIS sketch blog so make sure you check it out on Friday.

One of the reasons for my low output is that my scrapping space morphed into the TV studio for the Sunset program. Yes, the dynamic duo of chaos and mayhem combined creative forces to bring us Sunset - half an hour of news, current affairs and an audience quiz (Rob beat me by a whisker). This picture shows the whole set - the bits of paper spell out Sunset. Note they both have laptops and glasses of water.

Here they are in close-up, complete with ear pieces!


It was such a funny show - Zoe was the serious newsreader and Angus was the zany sports reporter. Apparently they'll be back with a whole new program on Sunday - I can't wait :)

TFSB xx

A bit of a tart...

Did I get your attention? Oops sorry if you were hoping for a bit a juicy gossip - this is my entry for the Lime Tart Challenge :) I've long been a lover of Lime Tart - they have fabulous kits, jam packed with scrappy goodness. This year I lashed out and subscribed to the Greedy Tart and so far I haven't met a kit I haven't fallen for ;) Anyway I digress, the real point I was meant to be making is that Lime Tart have a challenge over at their blog - create a something (doesn't have to be a LO) using at least two brands of pp (I used three but I have no idea what one of them is lol), a flower embellie and some chippie. It's a random prize but there is an extra incentive if you use some kit leftovers - so I did - some pp and the dragon fly :)


This LO was inspired (and lifted) from the fabulous Julie's puffing billy LO. I love her scrapping style! Julie and I met on online and then in person when we were roomies at the first Shop and Crop Escape. We were roomies again this year and now we're booked in for next year yay - I can't wait :) It's at a fancy new venue - looks very nice!

Recently, Mum was given a couple of photos by a friend of hers - they were taken at Government House at my Queen Scout ceremony in 1987. They are just so funny! Mum complained about the shirt Dad was wearing and told us that my brother was extremely hung-over (something I don't remember). I laughed myself silly at my hair - it was just so 1987 lol and my sisters were equally rude about themselves - oh well it's a moment frozen in time and that's why I love it - what do think?!

I won't put the other photo up - I'd taken my beret off and I had serious hat hair - a poodle could have mistaken me for its mate!

It's back to school tomorrow. So, my children are finally playing nicely together - grr typical!

Oh and a big hello to all the lovely girls who've left comments of late. It's so lovely to hear from you. TFSB :)

...feeling groovy!

That song has been been bopping through my brain for the past few days now. No idea why, I don't think I've heard it recently. Never mind I love the word groovy! I think it and cool and fab, are three of my favourite words - words that make you smile! Hope you're feeling groovy too :)

So, the school holidays are almost over - sadly it appears we did a whole lot of nothing in the past two weeks - oh well sometimes you've just got to chill.

However we did bow to Angus' desire to try the Grand Angus Burger - I think if someone named a burger after me I'd want to try it too!

Hmm, a little bit fancy?!

The review on Angus' shoulder wasn't quite as positive as we had hoped. While the strength in the joint has increased greatly, it's still not strong enough for any of the activities Angus wants to do. So, no cricket, no bike jumping, no tennis, no swimming - you name it, it's probably off limits. The only good news was that he is allowed to ride his rip stick again. He has another review scheduled in six weeks. We had planned to buy him a new bike, a mountain bike/ jump cross that he has been eyeing off but it seems cruel to buy a bike he can't use. Hmm.... at a bit of a loss as what to do really :(

Only one LO to share today - another one for Challenge Heaven. It's an 8.5x11 for my Birthday album - Roslyn and Kate singing Piano Man.


Well, whatever your plans are for the weekend, I hope you have a fab and groovy time :) TFSB.

Let's do the time warp again...

I have a reoccurring dream that causes me to wake with a start - it always has the same elements but not always in the same order. I had the dream again last night and this time I only got as far as the missing scrapping forum before I woke up! It's so real that I lie awake with my heart pounding trying to work out how I can locate the link to the forum when I can't even remember its name. I think perhaps that is the definition of obsession - logically I know the forum doesn't exist and even if it did and I'd failed to visit there would it really matter? Or maybe it's the definition of insanity...

So, some scrapping shares. I've done a few LOs in the past couple of days - this dreary weather lends itself to scrapping :)

I made a LO to go with my fabric flowers - I added an extra flower using the CIS technique challenge. I got some awesome sass lass alphas on the weekend and they were perfect with my flowers - not sure the pic does them justice - they have a kind of hessian pattern in the centre of each letter.


I also tried my hand at a couple of the challenges at Shell's new forum Challenge Heaven. She has eight challenges to choose from. So far I've done the Scrap Yourself challenge (you had to use a photo of yourself with Australia as the theme). I finally got to use some photos I took when I went to Central Australia in 2004. I did a double because I didn't want to crop any of the photos.

This is my take on the Quote challenge - "a picture is worth a thousand words", the extra criterion was to include strip journalling, a button and a star. I took this photo of myself in the mirror so I could show my MIL how fabulous the cardigan she sent me for my Birthday was :)


In other news Angus is going back for his next shoulder review tomorrow. We're hoping for a good result as he's been doing all his stretches and his not being able to play sport is driving us all to distraction. A few crossed fingers and toes wouldn't go astray :)

TFSB!

A day in the rain...

So, the day dawned very wet and grey but that didn't stop my mountain bikers. They had a fantastic time. But I don't think they were really in the mood for a photo when they got home as they were a bit wet and cold and the high levels of excitement had worn off. This one was the best of a bad bunch ;)

And a close up of those muddy legs... the sign of a fabulous day out!


They were willing however, to strike funny poses to show off their new helmets.


And here's what I made this morning. I haven't decided how I'm going to use them yet but I'm sure they'll find a home on a LO in the not-too-distant future. The basic designs are courtesy of the @ Home girls.

Oops, I almost forgot. if you're a challenge junkie then you have to check out Shell's blog - she has some fab challenges for the month and there's an awesome prize pack on offer - it's a random draw so you've got to be in it to win it!

Visit Shell here

TFSB :)

Slice of life

So, the holidays are progressing nicely - not too many nasty words or temper tantrums as yet! I've booked the kids into a mountain biking clinic this weekend and they're really looking forward to it. Unfortunately it's meant to rain :( I have my fingers and toes crossed...

Meanwhile we've been out and about enjoying the currently fabulous weather, yesterday the kids and I climbed Mt Majura with some friends. It was a clear day so we could see right to edges of the city and beyond in all directions - magic :) When we reached the top the kids climbed up onto the trig point to get a better view. I had to hoist Angus up because of his shoulder - I hope we get the all clear soon - that kid is heavy!

When Rob called me into the kitchen today this is what I what I saw:

We'll never die of thirst in this family!

Zoe has been busy cooking up a storm the past few days. She made us all special biscuits - here's mine:

Cool huh?!

I haven't done too much scrapping of late but I do have one LO to share. I did it for Moi's challenge over SOUL - you had to use at least one bird on your LO. As you can see I used several and even scrapped about one called Parry. Angus loves his parrot finger puppet and thoroughly enjoys driving Zoe to distraction by only speaking through the parrot in a parrot-like voice. Naughty boy ;)

I particularly like this shot of him talking parrot!

You may remember I mentioned that Krissy is making beautiful vintage flowers. I bought some of her gorgeous poppies to use on my LOs. Well she a has a special blog to sell her flowers and now she's branched out into vines as well (oh yeah I love a bad pun lol). Here's a little taste of what she is up to:

Want to see more? You know you do so click here :)

So, what else have I been up to these holidays? Well, Rob and I have been watching the final season of Battlestar Galactica. We've watched all the series over the course of this year and I've found them really interesting and clever - even with the strong religious theme running through the storyline - I think one of the writers might be a tortured soul. Shame the final episode was a big disappointment. It went on about half an hour too long and instead of leaving us dangling we had to endure every single loose end being tied in a pretty bow. Both Rob and I agreed that if we, as viewers, had made it all the way to the end we were savy enough to imagine life in the brave new world on our own.

We also went and saw the movie District 9. Oh my! Apart from being a tad too graphic for my liking it was an awesome film - packed full of social commentary it presented a disturbing but accurate reflection of the banality that can be human interaction. Well worth a watch people ;)

I'm also reading a deeply disturbing but engrossing book - The 19th Wife. It's fiction but based on the stories about the Firsts (a breakaway sect of Mormons).

And I think that's about it from me! TFSB :)