My Creative Sketches Challenge

Morning my scrappy friends =) Hope everyone has had a fabulous weekend. I have a couple of layouts to share that I created over the weekend. The first is for My Creative Sketches. It is a photo taken on Saturday of Hubbie & I on a bush walk. I really wanted to do a bright and fun layout to kind of lift the mood a little! DH has just been made redundant after working for a company for over 10 years along with 300+ other people. He has gone off to work this morning as just one of two remaining employees. I can't imagine two people just rattling around in a huge building. So life for us is in limbo at the moment. He works in a fairly specialized finance field so how easy it will be to get another job, we don't know yet. Or if we will have to move interstate, if we will have to downsize our house + all my business plans for the next 6 months are hanging on what will happen with his work. So basically, I just wanted to do a layout about 'no matter what happens we still have each other'!

Some hidden journalling

And this is one I did for the sketch challenge at Handmade By Suzanne. It kind of a took off in another direction for the sketch though. Has happened a lot lately lol. My hidden journalling for this one reads..'From the time you were first able to talk I have been able to have whole conversation with you when you sleep. This week...

G -"Mitch, time to get up"

M - "I Can't!"

G - "Why?"

M - "I am making a new colony"

G - "Really.."

M - "We are called the Rubber Duckies"

G - "I see"

M - "Quack!"

And no I won't let him live this down anytime soon lol!

Have an awesome week girls! TFL xox

Sassy Scrapper Page Kit

Morning girls! Just dropping in for a quick share of my new page kit that just went up last night at Sassy Scrapper. Last time I looked just one left so you will need to get in quick! This is a two page kit using the new 'No Limits' range from Heidi Swapp which just arrived this week at Sassy's...

I also have another, I guess you could say, reluctant share. Every now and then I purchase a range that is completely out of my comfort zone just to test myself to see if I can create with different things. In most cases it works out well. Well this month I chose Jenni Bowlin which I have never used before. And well, this range is weird, I am sorry but it's weird! It almost got binned 3-4 times but I persisted and this is what it came out like. It was for a challenge which  I decided I won't embarrass myself and enter it...as well, I don't really like it lol. Why am I sharing then? Well I don't know, I guess it's good to show the failures as well as the successes I suppose lol

Hope everyone has an awesome weekend. I am hoping some scrappy mojo returns after a pretty lack luster week xox

Simple Things

Afternoon ladies. I've had a nice break from scrapping for a week and now with the delivery of some new goodies, my mojo has returned and I am itching to get back into it. I created this layout last night for a sketch challenge at an American ning site. However it kind of got away from me though and ended up looking nothing like the sketch lol. 

The layout is about the things in life that make me the happiest are always the most simplest of things. I have some hidden journalling on a tag behind my photo which reads "Hearing 'I Love You' from those that mean the most to me. Good coffee. Sunday sleep-ins. Having a laugh over something silly. Getting goodies in the mail. A genuine compliment from a friend".

Thanks for dropping by. Hope everyone is having a fabulous week. G xox

New London Market Page Kit

Evening ladies! Just dropping in to share my new page kit I have created for Sassy Scrapper. It is has been created using the gorgeous new London Market range by Pink Paislee and latest release Prima flower. These kits make a fantastic gift idea if you have friends or family interested in starting to scrapbook as they come with everything you need including embellishments and full color instructions. My last page kit sold out in 8 hours so you will have to get in quick! To check it out, click here.

Scrap Africa April Challenge

Back again with another share =) I have promised myself that I need to pack up my craft desk and do something other than scrap for the rest of the week. This layout is for the current sketch challenge at Scrap Africa. My first time playing along at this site, lots of gorgeous DT examples and a great sketch so how could I resist. This LO is of hubby taken a few years ago on a holiday in Paris. He doesn't get scrapped very often, mainly as by the time he gets home from work it is too dark for photos and on weekends he tends to be walking around the house in his daggy clothes ready to mow lawns and do boy stuff in his shed. 

He has a desk in my craft room now where he sits and does his thing ( usually online gaming and watching star trek re-runs on his laptop - yes he's a geek!), while I scrap. Mid way through this layout I had an attack of the giggles. When I looked at the page it sounded like I was calling him Old & Curious and an unusual odditie. I couldn't stop laughing and I think he thought I must have been sniffing my glue instead of creating with it =)

Thanks for looking and for all your lovely comments. G xxx

Kraft It Up April Challenge

Second post for the day and another challenge ticked off my looonnnnnggg list this month, this one is for Kraft It Up. The challenge this month is to use Kraft + 3 Kraft items. This layout is of our family cat ( aka 4th child), Oscar. He has this habit of needing to sleep smack bang in the centre of a room, flat on his back, limbs in the air and even occasionally has his tongue poking out. It is the weirdest thing ever and always makes us laugh how he looks like something dragged in from the side of the road.

And as I sit here now writing this, he has decided to join me at my desk and I have had to take a picture to share. Guess where he has decided to have a snooze....(Just to make a liar out of me lol)....I am guessing he must like it =)  I seriously couldn't have set this up if I tried, how cool is my cat lol!

Get Creative & Punky Scraps April Challenge

Morning ladies =) I can't remember if I mentioned it or not, but I had a wee bit of a prang in my car a few weeks back. No one hurt ( thankfully) but my car is not so hot! Unable to drive it until it gets repaired ( 21st of May sheez!). I have figured out however there are certain advantages to no having transport. With just one teen left in the house who is pretty low maintenance, I have two options to fill in my days. Housework and scrapbooking. And with only so much housework to do, I think I have managed to enter a record number of challenges so far this month with no slowing down! The way it is looking I may have something new to show every day for the next fortnight lol. This layout I have done for the Get Creative sketch challenge along with the inspiration challenge at Punky Scraps.

In other news, I have had one of my layouts featured by one of the editors at ScrapbookUpdate.com which I was thrilled about! It is a business and industry site which has just launched a new weekly series called Gallery Highlights. If you want to have a sticky beak, click here.

Will be back again tomorrow =) TFL xox

Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge GDT

Hey girls =) Time for a new challenge over at Another Freaking Scrapping Challenge and this month I am lucky enough to be a Guest Designer, YAY! So the challenge this month along with a sketch is to scrap about.....Seeing that April's showers bring May flowers - scrap about a rainfall, or storm. Perhaps the weather ruined your plans, or perhaps you were experiencing a drought and were relieved to see the heavens open"

I've chosen to scrap with the theme of spring using 'Spring Jubilee' by Pink Paislee and also play along with this months challenge at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog.

Hot NEW Heidi Swapp..YAY!

Ok girls, just dropping in to tell you that Olga at Sassy Scrappers has just uploaded to the store pre-orders of the entire new Heidi Swapp range which is on it's way from the US as we speak. Including the new Memory Files, Neons, No Limits & Sugar Chic range (which I have just brought all of it as I just love it!) You can't find these ranges ANYWHERE in Australia and they are selling out super quick. Check it out here. 

Daring You To Scrap April Challenge

YAY! I finally have a boy layout done. It feels like it has been aggggeeeessss. Master 14 now flat out refuses to have his photo taken (despite the promise of photoshopping any pimples). He has also developed this innate sixth sense for when a camera is about to be produced and vanishes no where to be found which has also ruled out any 'on the sly' impromptu shots too. However, throw his dad's dog Rolly into the the frame and magic, forgotten all about the camera! So this layout is for the April sketch challenge at Daring You To Scrap. Bit of a fun sketch that is a little bit out of the box which I loved!

Paper: MME Miss Caroline & On The Bright Side, Echo Park This & That. Other: Twine, Upholstery Tacks, Mini Pegs, Acrylic Paint, Background Stamp, Washi Tape, Carol-Lee Alphas, Echo Park Stickers, Paper & Bulldog Clips, Tim Holtz Mini Staples. Rivets.

Hope everyone has an awesome weekend! TFL xox

A Sassy Scrapper Layout...........

Evening all =) Just popping in for a quick share of a layout I have created this month using the new Bo Bunny Ambrosia range from my designer kit for Sassy Scrapper. Love the beautiful colors and embellishments in this range, stunning! A great range for any mother's day projects you may have planned too!

Products:

Paper: Bo Bunny Ambrosia - Cutouts; Stripe; Marigold; Ambrosia, Primrose; Dot. AC White Cardstock.

Other: Bo Bunny Ambrosia Trinkets, Cardstock stickers, Combo Stickers, Noteworthy & Jewels. Kaisercraft Blooms. Kaisercraft Mini Blooms Buttercream & Sunset. Prima Taneisha Teal Blooms. MFT Open Scallop Dainty Doily Duo Die. Sizzix Sizzlit Decorative Strip Die. Ranger Perfect Pearls in Buttercup, Ocean Blue & Peacock. A2Z Scraplet Chipboard - Paisley 28.

Just a reminder about the Sassy Scrapper April Sketch challenge. A $20 store voucher is up for grabs. Feel free to rotate, flip, interpret the sketch anyway you like to make it yours! Check it out at the Sassy Blog and just link up your entry from your blog in the comments section. Can't wait to see what all you talented girls create for us this month!

Have an awesome night everyone! TFL xox

Weird & Random Facts

Hey girls! It's been ages since I have had the time to write something fun on my blog (apart from just scrappy stuff) and after spotting a questionnaire on a friends blog. I thought... I should do that! Occasionally I will share little bits of myself away from the scrap desk but not as much as I should so here you can get to know me a bit better....I found these questions here

1. Were you considered popular in high school? Why or why not?
   No, not popular. I am not a social person and am a bit awkward around people and hate being the centre of attention. And think I was probably too much of a good girl to be considered 'cool'.
2. Did you have an enemy or bully when you were young?
   Yes but I don't remember their names.
3. How often do you go over the speed limit?
   Rarely/Sometimes/Maybe/Occasionally lol.
4. What was your worst dating experience?
   God too many to mention. Let's see, blind dates...one had blue hair, another a bad lisp, oh and missing teeth. Let's not forget the guy that thought he was just the hottest thing picking me up in a flash BMW until we got pulled over and it turned out it was 'mummies' car, sooo funny! Let's just say I appreciate my husband soo much more after my 'dating' experiences lol.
5. How old are you in your dreams?
   It varies, never older than I am now =)
6. Do you dance like crazy, when no one is looking?
   Depends how much alcohol is involved.
7. Do you like to sing in the shower?
   No, I sing so bad I can't even stand it myself.
8. What do sing in the shower, if you do sing?
   n/a
9. What do you do when (you think) no one is looking?
   Pull my undies out of my bum lol
10. If you were going to be stuck on a deserted island, which 5 books, movies, people and foods would you take along?
    I would replace books with scrapbooking mags which seems to be the most reading I do these days, movies - requiem for a dream, fight club, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, the king's speech and anything with a 6"3 buff black guy with a British accent. People  - hubbie, kids and cat ( he thinks he is a person anyway). Foods - hmm not really a foodie, in fact I forget to eat all the time, does coffee count as food? I do have a soft spot for cheesecake so I guess if I'm on a desert island it doesn't matter if I get fat lol.
11. When you were younger, did you ever drink too much and get sick?
    Oh yeah! 20 years on and the smell of bourbon still makes my stomach churn.
12. Did you ever run away from home? Why/ why not?
    Yes, many times, usually to the oval across the street from our house.
13. Have you ever been fired?
    No
14. What did you get in trouble for the most when you were a kid?
    Doing stupid things that other kids would ask me to do ( was very naive).
15. What really gives you the creeps?
    Spiders, men with hairy backs and Adam Sandler.
16. What were the three happiest moments in your life so far?
    Having my son, getting married and...um...
17. Did you have a nickname in middle school or high school?
    George and T-Bone ( all bones no meat - very skinny).
18. Which is your wish that is not yet fulfilled?
    Hmm wish? Maybe pipe dream would be to flip houses with hubbie until we could retire in Spain where I would design my own scrapbooking products lol.
19. What was your favorite toy when you were a kid?
    A stuffed leopard which I still have, it has a very unfortunate name though....big pussy lol
20. If you have to choose a movie title for your life story, what would that be?
    Live & Learn
    
    
    2am here so I best head off to bed. Hope you had fun reading this and if you decide to do one of your own, post the link for me. Night all xox

My Creative Sketches Challenge

Evening all! I hope everyone has had a fabulous easter! We had an egg hunt around the garden here for my DS ( he's almost 15 and still loves it), plus DH arranged one for me too! Apart from all the Easter festivities this weekend I have managed to squeeze in a few layouts. This one for the sketch challenge at My Creative Sketches.

This is the sketch which I decided to rotate on it's side for my layout.

Sketches With A Twist + A Lucky Winner!

First on the agenda today....I have a winner for my giveaway for the Once Upon A Sketch blog hop. The lucky winner is...SHELL CARMAN! Congrats Shell! If you can please send me your details, hericarusempire@bigpond.com,  and I'll get your parcel straight out to you! 

A big THANK YOU to everyone that participated in the OUAS blog hop, it was so much fun for all the Design Team members too, to met all of you who follow the site and also for all of your support and lovely comments!!

So while I am here I have a quick share of a layout I have done for the April challenge at Sketches With A Twist. As well as following a sketch, the twist is to use mesh on your layout. With no mesh at all even after scouring my house for about an hour, I decided to use both gauze and burlap as both of these have a similar woven texture/pattern to mesh! I'm not usually a big fan of super bright colors but of late have been dabbling and really loved working with this new range from Pink Paislee, Spring Jubilee

Sassy Scrapper April Sketch Challenge!

Heya girls =) Hope everyone is well and looking forward to a bit of a break and family time over Easter. So I am just dropping in to share the latest sketch challenge at Sassy Scrapper. We had a great response last month and we hope to have even better this month. A $20 store voucher up for grabs girls!!! So here is my take on the sketch using the stunning new Bo Bunny Ambrosia range now in store at Sassy Scrapper. Isn't my Mum gorgeous! Can you believe she is 72! I am hoping I age this well lol.

And the sketch....(which I rotated for my layout)

So while I am here I wanted to show you all something. Olga, the gorgeous owner of Sassy Scrappers & I, have been playing quite a bit of email tag the past few months talking about what lines and products to get in store. A few weeks back she sent me some photos of some Green Tara blooms. As a die hard Prima fan, every time I have purchased blooms that aren't Prima, I am always sadly dissapointed with the quality. So was thinking that these babies would just be another to add to that list. WELL, I was soooo wrong! Olga popped one in my last order and well.... they are GORGEOUS. And you know the best bit, $1.35 EACH. How cheap is that!!! They are a decent size, 2.5" and come in a range of gorgeous colors. To check them out, click here.

Thanks for looking & I hope you all have an awesome Easter!! G xox