The Dilemma...

Look what turned up this morning! My Noel Mignon Sonoma County kit. (-: (-: (-: But I have a dilemma. Do I jump in and play with it, or do I save it for one of the two retreats I have coming up in May and June? This would be the perfect kit to take on a retreat because it has everything in it (and I mean everything!!!). Definitely brilliant value for money. I know what I'll do. I will play with this one and order the next couple of monthly kits for the retreats. See, problem solved!!! (-:

Pencil Lines Sketch #180

Another week has rolled around, and we are up to sketch #180 over at Pencil Lines. Our guest designer is Jodi Butler, and all the DT have been busy creating inpiration for you. Please drop by and say hello. Don't forget to leave some loving too!!! (-:

Here's my take on the sketch. Titled: Being You. I've used lots of new and old Prima goodies, including a new stamp (mesh/wire) that I just LOVE!!! I'm sure you will be seeing that stamped image on plenty more layouts in the near future. (-: Did I mention that this layout came together very quickly and easily? No struggles with this one.

Yes, sometimes I still struggle - like the one I am working on at the moment. Sigh!!! It's been sitting on my desk for a couple of days and it's just not moving. Now, what's that saying? Yes, that's it - chocolate fixes everything!!! Can someone please pass the chocolate!!! (-:

Did You Guess?

Did you mange to guess what Keana was up to in this photo? I bet you didn't!!! Because it was a surprise to me too - she was actually whizzing past me (quite fast) on her roller skates. (-: I only just managed to capture this photo in time.

This is what I woke up to, and found my two doing yesterday morning - practising their roller skating. Keana is much more confident than Malayla, so she helps her big sister out as needed.

Malayla's still quite wary of the skates, but she is slowly getting the hang of it. She did fall over once yesterday, but there was no blood (thank goodness!!!).

Where as Keana just has no fear...at all...which scares me even more. Go baby, go!!!

How To Train Your Dragon...

My girls and I went to see "How To Train Your Dragon" this afternoon. WOW!!!!!!! Absolutely LOVED this movie. It had something for everyone in it. Lots of comedy, lots of scary bits to scare the children, lots of action, and even an underlying theme about learning to be yourself, rather than being what others want you to be. Seriously, if you want to see a great film with the kids - this is it. I'm seriously thinking about going again with DH when he gets back - he would get a kick out of this film. And yes, I am definitely purchasing this when it comes out on DVD. This one's a classic worth keeping.

Can You Guess?

Can you guess what my little one is up to? I'll post the rest of the photos and story later this weekend.

Facebook Layout!!!

Woo-hoo! I have a layout up on the Making Memories Facebook page. So if your a Facebook or Making Memories fan, please feel free to check it out. The layout is titled: Who's A Little Cutie? and is my current layout for Pencil Lines. You can also find the layout on the Making Memories blog site here.

Disco Babes...

Tonight was the school disco. Here's my two princesses all glammed up for the ball (so to speak!). (-: They both turned back into "pumpkins" at 7:30pm when it was all over. Yes, there were tears and mini tantrums. Poor babies were SO TIRED!!!

Seriously, how darn cute is this photo? I was lucky to capture it as it was not a posed photo - very spur of the moment. But I love it. This photo definitely makes me smile, and I can't wait to scrap it.

My happy, groovy little princesses. They did have the best time tonight. They danced for the whole two hours, so I expect that they will sleep in tomorrow. (Or at least I hope they will!!!). (-:

UPDATES: Keana has 3 best friends - Grace, Veronica and Jessica. And yes, I have become quite good friends with all of their mother's, over the last couple of years. So let me tell you a story that is NOT FUNNY!!! Veronica's mum (Deanne) had her third baby late last year (some of you may remember the photos I blogged of my very clucky DH and baby Christian). Jessica's mum (Jane) is due for her third baby in September. It was a surprise pregnancy. And you guessed it - I found out tonight that Grace's mum (Mareena), is due early October with her third child. Now, why do I feel like the odd one out? Hmmmm...it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that I am the only one in this group of friends that has stopped at two children, now would it? I've told them all to stay away from me - I don't want to catch this pregnancy thing, thank-you very much!!! (-: Seriously, let's not even go there...

I'm booked and paid for the Heidi Swapp and Tattered Angels Mistified Brisbane event on 8th May 2010. If there is anyone else out there going to this event, please feel free to leave a comment so I can keep an eye out for you on the big day. I'm so excited, even though it is going to be such a long day: 9:00am - 6:00pm and non-stop scrapping all day.

Finally...

Here is Prima's March Build-A-Page (BAP) sketch.

And thanks to that sketch, I finally have a layout that I can share with you. I have 4-6 other layouts completed, but I am not allowed to show them to you yet. This is my interpretation of the sketch, and it is titled: Be Happy. Now, this layout looks nothing like what I had pictured in my head. Not even close. Even the colours are totally different (I originally had planned on pale blue, green and raspberry). Instead I end up with raspberry, white, and a dash of black. Go figure!!! But I can honestly say, I am really happy with the end result. (-:

Tic Tac Toe!!!

Yay! I've finally finished my Tic Tac Toe game box (Kaisercraft). I've kept it simple because both my girls can be rough at times - I didn't want any pieces sticking off the box that could be torn, bent or broken. I've even managed to give it my trade mark dash of bling with the rhinestones (Kaisercraft) on the front. (-:

Here's a close up of the noughts and crosses. I've added doodling around the border of the cross to give it definition, and doodling and rub on's (Artsy Doodles) to the noughts. I've coated each playing piece with Dimensional Magic on both sides to protect from damage and greasy, grubby little fingers. There are six of each type, and they are all kept in the box which opens up for storage.

I'm really happy with the Sassafrass papers that I used. It has given this project a happy, bright, fun feeling, without being overly girly. Suitbale for any age or gender! (-:

Pencil Lines Sketch 179.

This week over at Pencil Lines we have sketch 179, and we are joined by guest designer Tara Orr. The design team have been hard at work, and have created some lovely sketches to help inspire you. Please feel free to drop by and have a look.

Here's my take on the sketch. I've kept to the main design and principles of the sketch, but I have flipped it so that I could put the photo on the opposite side. I've used lots of Making Memories papers, and a few Prima flowers to finish it off. Do you like my ladybugs? I think they are just the cutest thing ever!!! (-:

Hear Me Roar!!!

Here's Pandora, the bad kitty (see this post) pretending she is a lion. "I am a bad kitty - hear me ROAR!!!" (Hee! Hee! Hee!). (-: I love this photo, but I sure wouldn't want those teeth piercing any part of my body!!! Ouch!!! Not bad for a little kitty cat. I can definitely see the relationship these cats have to the big cats. (-:

Busted!!! Sliding down my wind screen and leaving fur and paw prints everywhere.

Mmmm...here's my crazy one, again.

Yesterday, Malayla found this in our yard and promptly captured it in her bug and insect container. I'm not sure if it's a frog or a toad, but I am leaning more towards a frog. Is there anyone out there who can confirm which amphibian this is? This little frog/toad is lucky Malayla found him first, otherwise he may have ended up being Pandora's dinner. She is a hunter.

Freedom!!! I refused to let the girls keep him for more than a couple of hours. Once I had Pandora locked up for the evening he was free to go.

Noel Mignon Kits...

I've heard a lot about these kits and I have been wanting to have a play with one for quite a while. Well, today I ordered my first Noel Mignon kit. (-: So now I have to be patient for a couple of weeks while I wait for it to arrive. I'll give you a review once that happens. And I have my eyes on the Studio Calico kits as well. I think I may just have to splurge on one of those too, in the near future. If there is anybody out there who has played with either of these kit brands, would love to hear your feedback on them.

Sneak Peek...

Just a little something I am working on between layouts. This is a noughts and crosses games that I got from Kaisercraft. I will upload the finished product once it is all done. The papers I have used are Sassafras - I wanted something bright and colourful, but not overly girly. I wanted something suitable for all ages.

I've finished a couple of layouts but I can't share them with you yet. (-:

Sketches at Pencil Lines...

Wow! Another week has already flown past. It will be Easter before we know it (and then comes the big "C" word at the end of the year - ha! Ha! Ha!). This week we have sketch 178 up over at Pencil Lines. And we have Cari Fennel from Prima Marketing Inc. joining us for some fun layouts. Make sure you pop on over for a whole lot of inspiration.

Here's my take on the sketch. Titled: You Are Exquisite. Lots of Prima goodies on this one. I tried to go for the "Shabby Chic" look. Not sure that it worked though. Never mind - I had fun creating this layout and I am happy with the end result. (-:

Just A Few Photos...

We went to Dreamword and White Water World yesterday, and I managed to catch a few good photos. Here's my girls with Spongebob Squarepants and his buddy Patrick. My girls LOVE these two characters, but personally, I can't stand them. I think they are rude, nasty and mean.

Loving the next two photos. Managed to score this one of Malayla looking very natural and pretty. I just adore hre freckles. They are so cute. (-:

And this one of my youngest, Keana. Yes, I know I am going to be in trouble as they get older. Please don't remind me. It freaks me out every time I think about it.

Before I forget - Keana's commercial is now showing on tv. It is the reading and literacy commercial by the Queensland Department of Education. In the commercial she is wearing a purple top, and purple shorts, and is doing a semi-cartwheel. The narrator starts the add by saying, "once upon a time, on planet earth, there was a child who had..." and so on. It's showing on all channels as far as I am aware, but in QLD only.

Who's A Bad Kitty??? And Other Funny Stories...

It has taken several years of training for my girls to understand they are not allowed to touch anything on mummy's scrapping table. Nor are they allowed to help themselves to my supplies - they have to ask first. (They do have their own stash of supplies which they can use any time though). So imagine my complete horror (and subsequent reaction) when I came out to my scrapping room the other morning, to find the current layout I had been working on, scattered all over the floor. Bits and pieces everywhere. I was NOT HAPPY!!! I looked at my daughters (and my husband) and they all denied having anything to do with the disaster. So who was the culprit? The layout didn't just dump itself on the floor, did it!!! But the answer came to me as I picked up all the pieces from the floor - paw prints on the cardstock, and fur attached to the rhinestones. It couldn't be, could it? Yes, it could. Pandora (our youngest cat) had obviously been bored during the night and jumped up on my table to explore. Now what exciting things a cat can find in scrapping supplies is beyond me, but she definitely had a field day with my stuff. And I thought training the kids was a challenge. This should be interesting - cat versus scrapper. I'll let you know who wins. (-:

Yesterday, DH decided to wear a funny shirt to pick up the girls from school. It says "JUNK MALE" on the front, and is bright red. So you can't exactly miss it. I warned him it wasn't a good idea to wear that shirt to the school where all the other mothers would see it. But he wouldn't listen, and oh, didn't he pay the price (ha! ha! ha!). One comment by a passing mother included, "I've dated one of those!!!". And several wry smiles and snickers later, and he's ringing me to say that they are laughing at him. Didn't I warn him? My response - "suck it up!!!"

Then this morning, DH decided to clean out some of his drawers. Now this was an opportunity I couldn't miss. Free entertainment for me (snicker!) You see, my husband keeps EVERYTHING in his drawers, and they are a mess (think teenager!). There is no order. It is pure chaos (which drives me crazy). My solution - I no longer fold any of his clothes - I simply open them up and shove the clothes in where ever I can find room. I then close the drawer and try not to think about it. But I digress - he was cleaning out his drawers, so I sat on the bed to watch. (-: He found the following - packets of cookies, muesli bars, glitter on all his socks (from the girls art work), shampoo, conditioner, and something that he didn't know what it was (grey electronic thing with a cord). The conversation went like this:

Me: "Honey, what is this?"
DH: "I don't know."
Me: "What do you mean you don't know? What does it do?"
DH: "I don't know".
Me: "So why do you have it in your drawer?"
DH: "I don't know, but I am keeping it anyway".

Yep, you see - free entertainment for me!!! (-: Worth every minute of the torture that I put him through (hee! hee! hee!). Enough sharing - I'm off to do some scrapping. Have a great weekend!!! (-:

Pink Paislee Live Sketch...

I thought I would try my hand at the sketch competition that is running over at Pink Paislee Live Pink! Here's the sketch and my take on it. I used the Sweetcakes collection of papers. This layout is titled "My Little Cupcake Cutie". Honestly, I struggled with this sketch at first - it took me a few days to find a balance I liked and to complete the layout. But I am happy with the end result. (-:

Heidi's Coming Back!!!

I think May might end up being a busy month for me...I've just found out Heidi Swapp is coming back to Australia. Go here for all the details. Plus I have a retreat, and another in early June. Talk about being inundated. Oh well, time to start saving and making plans. Did I mention that I still haven't finished the projects I did at the last lot of Heidi Swapp classes (Dec 2008). Um...guess I'd better do something about that...sigh!!!

I've Been Published...

In Scrapbooking MemoriesVol 12 No 3. Layout is titled: Our Living Doll and is on Page 129 in the Final Encore Gallery. Woo-hoo! My first time in this magazine. (-: This was a layout I did for a Prima Bap sometime last year. Maybe October or November 2009.

Sketch Time!!!

It's sketch time again over at Pencil Lines. This week we have sketch #177 for you. Our sponsor this month is Prima, and our guest designer is the one and only, Sharon Laakkonen. Make sure you pop over for a visit, and check out all the amazing layouts that the DT have created with wonderful Prima goodies.

Here's my take on the sketch. Titled: Pretty. I've kept the layout simple this week, as I really wanted it to focus on the picture of my daughter. Plus I've used a busy paper background, so I didn't want to overwhelm the whole designn and layout. Do you see my pretty pink and white flowers? They were white so I coloured them with a little Shimmerz in light and dark pink. Haven't they turned out gorgeously!!! (-:

Fairies and Sleepovers...

Today we went to Grace's 6th Fairy Birthday Party. If you are wondering who Grace is, she is Keana's best friend. Grace is this little blonde beauty (who looks so much like her mummy) in the picture beside Keana. Don't they look gorgeous together? Just like chalk and cheese!!! But we did have a very bumpy start to the party. Keana WAS NOT HAPPY about having to share Grace with her other friends. Yes, there were tears. )-: But eventually, I convinced Keana that Grace was still her friend, and was not going to be taken away by the other girls at the party. (-:

Fairy whispers and fairy secrets...

Making magic fairy wands with crayons, stickers, feathers, ribbons, and glitter.

Blowing bubbles.

Lots and lots of bubbles, from lots and lots of fairies. (-:

After a short recovery from the party, we went to Deanne and Ricards place for dinner. Their daughter Veronica is Keana's other best friend (she has two best friends). And yes, Veronica was at Grace's party too. So Keana has had the best day today, playing with her friends all day long. And night. And now having a sleep over at Veronica's for the first time. With her big sister Malayla who refused to be left out of the sleepover deal. I have to go back about 8am in the morning to make sure Deanne and Ricard have survived. (-: Three little girls in one bedroom. Ha! Ha! Ha! I hope Deanne is a night owl because I am betting that there will be 3 little voices chattering away for hours to come. Maybe I should take coffee with me tomorrow morning? With croissants and danishes??? Yes, they might forgive me if I bring a peace offering. I'll go via the bakery in the morning. (-:

Colour Combinations and Sketches...

Here's the colour combination for this week over at Color Combos Galore. Khaki, Smoke Mist, Cheerful red, and Basic black.

And here's my take on the colour challenge. Please excuse the bad photography - the constant rain is making it near impossible to photograph anything. This layout is titled: Little Princess. I have used really old Sandylion paper for this challenge. It's been sitting in my stash forever. (-:

Look what turned up this week! My new Pencil Lines sketch book that my darling hubby ordered (for me) as a Christmas present (better late than never!!!). I'm really enjoying reading the book and seeing how one sketch can be interpreted in so many ways. It's definitely giving me new ideas about how to look at sketches. If you think you might like a copy of the book, or would like to check out a few pages, the details can be found on the Pencil Lines blog.

And The Prizes Keep On Coming...

That's right! Prima are giving away two more prize packages in conjunction with their BIG SECRET! Go here for the details on how to enter. But hurry, times nearly up...

Told You They Were Crazy...

Yep, just another usual weekend with my two girls. Nothing out of the ordinary here!!! (-:

We caught up with some friends on Sunday, and as you can see, my two girls were in fine form!!! Seriously, I sometimes wonder about these two... (-: And I would like to point out that the furry purple shawl that keana is wearing is not something that I purchased for her. It belongs to my friend's daughter. But Keana fell in love with it, and wore it, regardless of the fact that it was a hot, humid day. Told you they were crazy...

Advertisement for Aussie Company...

buyster.com recently contacted me and asked if I would consider advertising their company on my blog, and in exchange for this promotion, I could choose a free gift from their stock. I took a while to think this over, and did a little research, before making a decision. I decided on yes. Why, I hear you ask? For several reasons. Firstly, I believe what goes around comes around. Secondly, my husband and I owned our own business for five years, so I am open to helping other Australian companies in the business world. And thirdly, I was curious about some of their products. You can view all their products here, at bunk beds. So I am going to be very clear upfront about this - yes, I have received a gift in exchange for this promotion. There is no hidden agenda. So do you want to know what my gift was? It is a Wusthof Ceramic Pull-through Knife Sharpener - and I chose that because I desperately needed one!!! All my favourite knives are blunt...(-: I suppose once they are all sharpened, I no longer have an excuse not to cook. Sigh! Didn't think of that, did I???

Because She Asked Me Too...

I created this layout for my youngest daughter (Keana), because she asked me to. She requested that I scrap a page about her and tiger (who sleeps with her and goes everywhere with her). This layout is titled: The ABC's of Tiger Love, and is a mix of new and old Sassafrass. I asked her to tell me about tiger, then I journalled what she told me. I just love how this layout turned out - I am really happy with it, and it has become a favourite!!! Keana has even decided to take the page to school for show and tell (yes, I do allow my girls to do this, as long as the page is in a large 12 x 12 zip-lock plastic bag.