Reflections

'Masculine' Birthday Cards - K & Company

Remember a few days ago I said that I was still finishing off a couple of 'masculine' cards using the second sheet of pattern paper in the 'Outer Space' Scrappitpack . . . well here they are!

I've included photos of them as single cards too so that you can see a little more of the layering I've created. Some sections of the pattern paper have an extra piece of covered chipboard (that I also inked around the edges of) added over some images and then some of these have the single image also cut out from the pattern paper and 'pop' mounted over the top of that as well!

Here's a close-up of one of them that shows the layering in a little more detail too!

Until next time . . .

'Blogging Friends Forever' Award

Today I learnt that my fellow blogging friend Allison, had bestowed the 'BFF Gold Card' Award on me! Thanks so much!

 

Allison has the most wonderful resource of papercrafting links that I have ever seen! If you haven't been to her blog before, you'll be amazed at all the links that she shares there!

 

The rules of this one are:

 

1. Only five people allowed

2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog

3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog or live in another part of the world.

4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.

 

OK - here's my list . . . and I know I only tagged some of them the other day BUT I'm sure they won't mind me doing it again - *grin*

1. Sharon 
2. Suzanne
3. Toni
4. Linda
5. AND someone from another country (although a couple of others I've listed are anyway) - Jill

Until next time . . .

August Scrappitpacks - K & Company

August Scrappitpacks have been released a little early this time around and I was very fortunate to be asked to work with the 'Outer Space' Scrappitpack which features the very lovely K & Company pattern paper.

As soon as I saw this pack, I new it would be perfect to create one of the pages I'd been wanting to do about a bedtime game that the boys and I share. I decided to do Adam's page first, as I felt the paper lended itself to his age group a little more.

It's a relatively simple page BUT one that I have had the journaling written for, for quite some time . . . here's what it says:

What was a little bedtime game that James and I shared, quickly became a bedtime favourite of yours too!

Adam: “Goodnight Mummy” (Kisses & Cuddles)

Mummy: “Goodnight Adam” (Kisses & Cuddles)

Adam: “Mummy, I love you to the moon and back”

Mummy: “I love you to the moon and back too”

Well, this is how it started anyway and then you changed it to:

“Mummy, I love you past the moon and all the stars and the planets”

And then you changed it again to:

“Mummy, I love you around the whole universe”

Just this past week though, you’ve made another change that really touches my heart:

“Mummy . . . I love you infinity”

ALWAYS remember Adam, that Mummy will love you infinity too!

I'm still working on a couple of cards using the second sheet of paper in the 'Outer Space' Scrappitpack and I promise to share them soon! It will be nice to have some 'masculine' cards made and ready to use - all the ones I have in my card stash at the moment are very flowery and 'feminine'.

Next . . . well . . . I can't wait to get my hands on the 'Georgette' Scrappitpack - I just love the colours of those Anna Griffin papers . . . I can see a 'Me' page coming on!

Until next time . . .

  

A BIG Sunday - AusKick & Go Karts

Well – it certainly was a big SUNDAY in our household today . . .

AusKick ended for Adam and as is tradition, after warm-up activities, the children divided up and played a game against the parents – YES – the parents! As Stuart was at the Go Kart track with James for his July Club Day, it was yours truly that got to play the game! We all had a great time and in the end the kids team won with a kick through goals just before the siren . . . mmm, I’m sure the parents were further in front than that BUT Adam assured me that we weren't - *grin*

 

After the game the kids were presented with their participation certificates and then everyone got to enjoy a BBQ lunch. Unfortunately though, we couldn’t stay for long because Adam and I wanted to get on up to the Go Kart track (about 45 minutes away) to watch James race . . . boy – are we glad we did go!

 

Over the 3 heats and 1 final race, James finished 4^th, 3^rd, 3^rd and 3^rd once again AND this gave him enough points for the day to pick up his first Go Kart trophy for the year! As you can imagine, when his name was called to receive the 3^rd place trophy, he was so happy . . . and he gave the most wonderful ‘thank-you’ speech too - *grin*

 

 

Here's hoping you had a wonderful Sunday too!

 

Until next time . . .

'Brilliante Weblog Award' & Beaded Bracelet

I discovered today that I have been awarded the 'Brillante Weblog Award' from a regular visitor to my blog and fellow Sky Watch participant - Suzanne!

Thanks so much Suzanne!

The rules for this award are:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.

2. Link to the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links to those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you have nominated.

So, in no particular order, I am passing this award onto:

1. Sharon 
2. Trina
3. Sarah
4. Mandy
5. Allison 
6. Tina
7. Toni

On the creative front, I had a little play with my beads again last night and made another bracelet with a blue, black and silver theme!

Today I got stuck into the vegetable garden - did a little weeding, fertillising and planting AND then I moved the last of the old chicken manure onto the garden beds that I'm not using yet. I figure by Spring, each of these beds will have had plenty of time to sit and soak in lots of the goodness from the old manure and they will then be perfect for my tomatoes, lettuce, etc.

Until next time . . .

'Get Well' Card - Basic Grey 'Euphoria'

Today, after a delicious lunch with my dear friend Donna - AND lots of chatting of course - I went to visit someone in hospital who had undergone surgery yesterday on a hernia . . . I thought you might like to see the card that I made for her!

The pattern papers and the flower rubons are Basic Grey and the 'Happy Thoughts' stamped image is from a Stampin' Up Stamp set I recently invested in! It's a little hard to tel lin these pics BUT I've done a little hand stitching in 'hot pink' embroidery thread, around the outside of the purple mat that the white cardstock is adhered to.

The butterfly is simply an 'outline' sticker that I adhered to a clear transparency sheet, cut out and then bent the wings to make it look like it was flying AND then only adhered the 'body' to the card itself - thanks for sharing that idea with me Jan . . . I love how simple these butterflies are to create, but how effective they look too!

I finished off with a few KaiserCraft pearls added here and there AND the 'Happy Thoughts' scalloped accent was 'pop' mounted for a little more visual dimension too!

Until next time . . .

 

Sky Watch - Windmill

Here's my contribution for this week's Sky Watch - a photo that was taken at a local park featuring a windmill and a young gum tree growing by it's side.  This windmill is sure to be dwarfed in later years as this gum continues to grow and it finds itself somewhat sheltered by overhead branches!

I must admit that I am somewhat partial to windmills - they are such a unique Australian icon and are scattered in various shapes, sizes and stages of repair across our vast continent. I'm always on the lookout for both them and old farm sheds to photograph whenever we go for a drive somewhere - they just 'something' about our Australian heritage. I've seen some stunning photos of windmills taken at sunset, where they create a beautiful silhouette against a firery coloured sky. I'm yet to capture one of those for myself BUT one day I hope I will!

Until next time . . .

Basic Grey 'Euphoria' - Scrapbooking Page

Remember this *sneak peak* from a couple of days ago?

Well - with the July CLUB Scrappit Newsletter has been released, so I thought I would share a couple of my projects that features in it - the scan is slightly askew in this one and the colour is a little 'off' - the pink/red is more like the colours in the *sneak peak* photo above than what has scanned below, but I'm sure you get the general idea!

I decided to use the smaller brads from the July CLUB Scrappit, to form a semi circle around the collage photo and the gorgeous flourish rubon as well. The larger brads from the set have been used as blossom centres too - I just love the silver around the outside!

Here's the second project that I'll share - there's actually a 'step-by'step' AND a 'sketch' in the July CLUB Scrappit Newsletter for these two projects if you are interested. Once again the scanner played up with this one and has chopped off the bottom of the page, but I'm sure you get the general idea!

I've actually done a couple of other projects that didn't end up making it into the newsletter (due to the already extensive size of it), but they will be featured on the Scrappit Blog in the near future and then I'll share them here!

Oh - and I thought I would let you know how the 'traditional' Pea and Ham Soup went in the slow cooker - it tasted absolutely divine BUT - I think it would be best to cook it in future using a bacon hock rather than bacon bones . . . you see, it cooked so well, that the bacon bones completely fell apart and I spent a LONG time picking them all out of the soup prior to blending it all - *grin* - at least it is delicious though - it makes all that time I spent removing the bones, that much more worthwhile!

Until next time . . .

Elise Flannigan's '52 Scrapbooking Challenges' - Week 30

Yay! I managed to get another of Elise Flannigan's '52 Scrapbooking Challenges' - that are being featured in the weekly Scrappit newsletter - done AND this week we are up to Week 30.

In this week, Elise challenges her readers to digitally alter a photo AND since I already had this one altered AND printed AND already sitting with my supplies, I decided it was time I got this one scrapped!

I'd actually taken this photo one day as we cruised on up our local river in our boat. I'd been snapping away at different birds who were going about their business when all of a sudden this 'craggy old tree' (thanks for the description Penny) really took my eye - it's weathered old branches were so picturesque against the blueness of the sky on that day and it stood there - alone - naked - solitary - a piece of Mother Nature that appeared to have been deserted by all.

Whilst the photo itself was indeed quite striking, I decided to decrease the colour saturation so that the surrounding bushland faded away into the background and the tree really then did 'pop' from the photo. By decreasing the saturation of the photo of course, it also altered the sky colour and really made those old turned and twisted branches more visually striking. To finish off the digital manipulation, I just did a little sharpening prior to printing and that was it!

I love the results I achieved on this photo and as such I really wanted to keep this page VERY simple - I wanted the viewer to really look at the photo - to examine the beauty of this once living tree and admire it's form now that leaves no longer hang from it's branches and all life seems to have deserted it!

I used some old 'Basic Grey' for this one, a little ribbon, mini brads and some plain chipboard letters - like I said, very simple but I think it does draw the viewers eye to the photo!

Until next time . . .

 

More *sneak peaks* - Basic Grey 'Euphoria'

I thought I would share a couple more *sneak peaks* using the July CLUB Scrappit - the newsletter of which will be released in a few days, after which I will be able to share my projects in full!

Aren't the colours in these Basic Grey papers so soft and subtle? Everything in this collection is just so perfectly toned and co-ordinates with one another so easy! This month, fellow Design Team member Sharon has been working with the July CLUB Scrappit as well, and having just seen her stunning contributions, I'd say she's thoroughly enjoyed working with this pack as well!

In the kitchen, I've been trying out my slow cooker with a few recipes from the book that came with it. Actually, I have my 'traditional' Pea and Ham Soup cooking in it at the moment . . . I'm so looking forward to seeing how much different it tastes - being cooked in the slow cooker vs cooking it on the stove!

Until next time . . .