Funky blue...

I'm not sure what it was about this layout, that, like they do sometimes, just created itself. I kept on wanting to change, to add, but it just said DONE. Leave me be. And so I did.

Papers and elements from Ashley Olson's Technicolour Playground at TheDigiShoppe. Silver clip alphas by Ashley at SBB. Font used is Vaguely repulsive. Created in Cs2.

Now, onto other exciting news, I am happy to say that I've got some new toys to play with!

Michelle Pearson picked me up for her new Photoshop Action CT. She's been making these really cool actions and we're going to test them and promote them for her. So I really should go and play with some photos, right? What a fun job!!!

Meanwhile, it's the last day of term today so the kiddies get out an hour earlier than usual. Hope I don't lose track of time and sit here all afternoon lol... nah, we've got things to do!

Don't hold me to this, especially not next week as I'm working extra shifts still, but maybe in week 2 we're gonna do some cool stuff. Maybe. If I stop sneezing.

And finally - the new Scrapbooking Memories magazine is out. Go read it *wink*.

Scrap and scrap and scrap!

Ok, so I'm sick. Doesn't stop me from scrapping though!

This first one is a few days old now, but uploaded into the store yesterday, so here it is!


Now do you want to know the REALLY exciting bit? This is MY kit from Ashley! I picked the colours and suggested some elements I wanted!!

Go buy Good Earth NOW!

Rest of the credits ;)

Inked action from AtomicCupcake, fonts used are Pushkin, Vaguely Repulsive and Arial. Created in Cs2.

OR you could always go HERE first and get a coupon for Ashley's new Creative Collection :)

And here's the other layout, one I created yesterday. Very rarely do I sit back and look at a layout like this and go, Yeah, that's great, but this was definitely one of the times. And isn't that why we do this?

Layout created with the gorgeous Wings of Change from Suzy Nunes and Robin Carlton from SweetShoppeDesigns. Stitching and staples from Gypsy Rose by Suzy Nunes. Rub-on action from AtomicCupcake. Fonts used are Saeculum, Times and Times again and Vaguely Repulsive. Created in Cs2.

This is one very yummy kit. And as an interesting side point, we caught ANOTHER butterfly today, but he's in a different house this time. I think this will just keep happening for the next month ;) but I'm glad my boys are interested in bugs and stuff like that. I caught SO many tadpoles, caterpillars, lizards and other creepy crawlies as a kid - I was beginning to think there was something wrong with them lol.

And as a side-SIDE note, not that it will mean much to anyone, but I printed my first film today. Totally nerve wracking, but I did 3 in the end. Learning curve at maximum, but it's all good ;)

Have a great night/day everyone!!

Kickin' it up

So, as part of another CT exercise, we have been scrapping our shoes!

Here's my layout :)


These are my sneakers, and yes they are very red!!

I created this layout for a CT challenge for Amy Knepper's team - Kick it up! and I really feel like I kicked it up with this layout. Very happy with it :)

Background and patterned paper from Amy's Young and Carefee kit, Chipboard heart from Darling Dreamer, Clay creations heart. All from TheDigiChick. Black paper from Style (retired). Paint Splatters by Dani B, Michelle Coleman stamped alpha. Fonts used are Typewriter and Pea Jenny Script. Created in Cs2.

I know I said I was sick, but hey, I can still scrap!! And funky scrap at that!!

Got the boys off to school today, so I can catch up on some rest and stuff at home. 2nd load of washing is about to finish which is always a good feeling. So I'll go hang that out, sniffle some more, and catch you all later! :)

Icky Sicky!

Ok, so Sam was home sick on Friday. Sunday night I had to call in the cavalry, Mum and Dad, to come and babysit while I worked all day. Thankfully the boss took pity on me and let me go home early. Nothing serious is wrong, just a nasty snotty cold.

This morning I woke up still feeling yuck, still with the conjunctivitis etc, so I let them stay home one more day. Which was probably a good thing as this afternoon I've just gotten sicker and sicker. I managed to lose my shift tomorrow, I really won't miss the money when I feel this ill. I have even managed to give myself a temperature which is quite an achievement for me. *skip* knows I'm ill if I have a temperature.

So I'm just blogging these fantastic layouts, and then I'm making a fresh pot of tea and going to bed. Hopefully to sleep it off.

Did you SEE Ashley's fantastic new collection? She's debuting at TheDigiShoppe, and to celebrate has been working her b*tt off on this new collection. 5 kits uploaded, 5 still to come. And yours truly is on her ad! Yay!! How exciting. Even more exciting is that they were all "custom" kits - we picked a swatch and decided on what sort of style/elements we wanted. My collection, named Good Earth, will be up soon, so keep checking.

Go HERE to see these and drool a bit.

And here's layout number one from the collection :)

Papers and elements from Prepschool Fashion. "our" word from Ashley's Baby Girl Big Kit. I also used Pharmacy, Texas Hero, Arial and Snowshoe fonts. Created in Cs2.

Now I know I told you on the weekend about Emily's Wish - Jessica Bolton and Carrie Stephens' new kit. I'm finally uploading the layout I created using this awesome kit, so prepare to be inspired!

Layout created with Emily's Wish kit collaboration between Jessica Bolton and Carrie Stephens. Fonts used are LoveMeAvenue, Book Antiqua and Pea Superamy. Distressed Action and Med Tear Action from AtomicCupcake. Created in Cs2.

Isn't that the cutest photo of Sammy? Walking up that enormous hill all by himself? I love that shot.

I'm still overdue on some scrapping, so please be patient with me everyone. I feel so absolutely rotten right now, I couldn't scrap an original idea if it bit me. But I will return, I promise!! :)

And meanwhile, I also forgot my HUGE shout-out to Sandi, whose gorgeous daughter Charli Rose decided not to make mummy wait any longer. {{hugs}} to you both!!

Blech.....

If it doesn't rain, it pours. Literally AND metaphorically.

It's been raining here quite a bit this weekend, real drenching spring rain, which the garden will love. And I don't mind, because we're not really in any position to go out anyway.

*skip* was home sick with this yucky cold on Wednesday, I kept Sammy home on Friday from school because he's got green stuff coming out of his nose. That is still going. Since before Wednesday I've been battling sinusitis and earaches, spent most of last evening looking for the phone - quite literally, that was ringing. And then to top it all off, I woke up this morning with a dose of conjunctivitis in my right eye that is so sore. AND to make anything a thousand times worse, I'm supposed to be working from 10 until 5.30 (code for 6pm) tomorrow. *sigh*

So, to take my mind off it, I did some scrapping, and a lot of downloading.

Ash has a new collection in the works that you're going to love!

Jess Bolton and Carrie Stephens have released their AWESOME collaboration kit, and Jess is running a competition to win it - go HERE to find out more, and buy it if you can't wait that long lol.... Trust me, you'll love it!

Suzy has released not 1 but 2 new kits with different designers at SweetShoppeDesigns, Wings of Change and 2 cool for Grade School.

Amy Knepper has just released a new paper pack (with bonus) at TDC - HERE, called Darling Dreamer, and just to whet your appetite, here's the layout I created with it, the only one I can share for now! And look out for the matching element pack hopefully next week!

Fantastic papers and the star/heart chipboard elements from Amy Kneppers new Darling Dreamer at TheDigiChick. Stitching from her Vintage Vashon kit. Chipboard Alpha from Dani Mogstad. Star brush is my own. Fonts used are Jane Austen and Pea Steph. Created in Cs2.

So now at the grand ole' time of 4 in the afternoon, I'm going to have a nap and concentrate on getting better for tomorrow. I think I'm going to need it.

Later everyone! :)

Lifting ME!

I'm actually quite excited to be scrap-lift of the week for Suzy's fantastic team - to see what these awesome scrappers are up to with my layouts is pretty cool.

I can't actually POST all the layouts here, but I'm putting the links in, for future reference, so to speak. Feel free to go and praise them all, (including me lol) if you so wish!

Jodie's layout - Just us two girls

My original - Baby Bump


Nisha's layout - Horse Crazy

My original - {M}


Missy's layout - 3 sweet boys

My original - Sweet Madison


Lauren's layout - Family

My original - The end


They are all such amazing layouts and I'm so excited to see them, so keep 'em coming ladies!

Busy as a bee....

Well, it IS spring, and I've been catching up with some long neglected stuff around the house and garden! I have, however, found time to scrap a bit, and take more photos.

It's been so long since I blogged properly, I have no idea what I've been up to. Today is the first "quiet" day I've had for a while, and it's the last one I'll have until next week.... working Tues, Wed, Thur and Saturday this week, and on Friday I'm making a long neglected client visit for a photo shoot I did in July. sigh. I'm a naughty girl.

On Saturday we did a huge bushwalk with some friends - photos to follow. Sometime.

Yesterday late afternoon, I did a whole family photoshoot of the twins, their Mum and Dad, her Mum and Dad and brother, and visiting cousin. Lots of combinations etc. Have finished editing the best of the photos for the most part... I shot heaps but with that many people, so many of them had to be tossed because someone always blinks lol...

So my Creative Team with Suzy have decided that we need some challenges - a scraplift one to be precise... and first up was Suzy!

This is the layout I created

Suzy's layout is here..

I used papers and stitching from Suzy Nunes Grandma's Kitchen Mini at SweetShoppeDesigns, the tag is from Winterberry Wood and the stamped alpha from Carnaval, also at SSD. Fonts used are Typewriter and Kookalicious by Meredith Fenwick. Created in CS2.

And we have a personal challenge against Sandra's team for their new 2 scoops kit, Family Ties.



And this is the layout that I created with it yesterday, in between sessions and editing... the photo is from the dry run I had on Saturday, scoping out their garden and lighting...

Paper, elements and alpha from the beautiful Family Ties from Suzy Nunes and Sandra Boddington at Sweetshoppedesigns. Fonts used are Kookalicious by Meredith Fenwick and Typewriter. Rub-on action from AtomicCupcake. Created in Cs2.

Isn't that Alpha just the cutest!

And here's one more, just because... Um, because I only upload in the morning because otherwise they get lost in the gallery and they're queueing up on my desktop and *skip* is starting to give me that look. He gets grumpy when I have lots of icons on my desktop.

And because it's a cool layout!

I used a template by Corina Nielsen - too fun! Papers, ribbon, stitching and pin, mainly from Gina Millers DST Sept Kit, Fall Flower. Cardboard by Trish Jones (Soft Moments). 4 is Shmootzy Alpha 2 from Scrapartist. Fonts used are Junkos Typewriter and Charyn.

So yeah, the verdict is in. I really like using templates! Just enough of a foundation to make me feel like I can achieve something, but I can still make it my own!! As Marty says, don't love it till you try it! I've tried it, and I'm converted!

Meanwhile stay tuned because I'm next on the scraplift pile and I'm going to try to at least link up to everyone's layouts! Catch you later all :)

The gr-EAT templ-ATE deb-ATE....

Love them or hate them, it appears that templates, particularly the layered styles that have burst onto the digi-scrapping scene in the last couple of months, are here to stay. There seems to be full saturation of the market for designers and people are drawing lines in the sand and making stands on using them.

I suppose one of the strongest reasons to use, or not use, is why you scrap? and your style etc... If you have a mountain of photos or memories, and all you really care about is getting the layouts made and in an album, templates will save you HOURS. And that means you get more done. And the point has been made that your DH, MIL or anyone else for that matter will neither know, nor care if it was "original" or not... HOWEVER if you scrap for an artistic outlet, then you may find templates harder to swallow.

I come into the later category... I wasn't at all interested in them before, and as usual, I'm slow to catch on. I doubt very much that I'll ever be a full-on, every layout, template user, but once in a while for a bit of a break, hey, why not?

Which brings us to the LAYOUT... you know that's the reason why you're all here :)

I used a template from ShelleyRae at SBB, and all papers and elements are from Jomi{Designs} Delight from TheDigiShoppe. Lace is by Suzy Nunes, Crisp Cotton Hideaway from SweetShoppeDesigns. Fonts used are Jane Austen and Times. Created in Cs2.

I still feel that this layout, although a template, is still unique. No-one but me has put those papers, photos, text etc together. And, as a sort of a "busman's" holiday, I had a heap of fun making it. And isn't is a gorgeous photo!

The jury is still out on templates in my house....

Meanwhile, have any of my blogger buddies considered changing over to the new BETA? It looks pretty cool, I'm just not sure of the whole - you can't go back part - what if I can't get my head around it? Any opinions?

Backing UP!!

Hey everyone in blog-land... have you backed up your kits, layouts, photographs yet? I was way behind but now I've stolen a stack of *skips* dvd's and am slowly catching up. Hope you're all up to date soon :)

Meanwhile, I've been scrapping a bit lately...

This layout was made with Suzy's awesome new kit, Gypsy Rose, at SSD right now!

Papers and elements Gypsy Rose from Suzy Nunes, font used is snowshoe, Journalling brush from Danielle Catalano-Titus at ACOT. Created in Cs2.

This second layout is for the challenge I previously mentioned at Journalers Junction.

Papers, tag, clip elements from Uplift by Trish Jones, date stamp also by Trish. Fonts used were Excellentia in Excelsis, DSP Old general store, and Highland Perk. Used rub-on and tear actions from Atomic Cupcake. Created in Cs2.

If you want to read the journalling of either of these two layouts, it's copied out at DST here :)


So that's about it for me for today... still fighting this sinus/earache thing... happy to spend some lazy time on the computer etc... pottering around in the files, preparing some photos for printing at work etc. Catch you all later :)

More layouts :)

I've finally got some time to share some more of my latest layouts with you...

Background paper (recoloured), clips, flower and brad from Ashley Olson's school days kit, alpha from her Freestylin alpha, both in store at SBB. Notepaper by Gina Miller, doodles by Meredith Fenwick. Fonts used are Linenstroke, 2peas blissful, CBX - Labelmaker, Digs my hart, Confidential and vaguely repulsive. Created in Cs2.

Papers all from Bohemian Autumn by Jomi{Designs} up at TheDigiShoppe. Clip and sticky tape also from Jomi, BeBlessed kit. Michelle Coleman stamped alpha, Jen Wilson notecard. Fonts used are VTPortable Remington and Saeculum. Created in Cs2.

Isn't that new paper from Jomi just gorgeous? So textured and beautifully coloured. Love scrapping with it.

Ok, what else is new. I have heaps of layout ideas floating around in my head, but I lack kits... so you bosses out there, get creating cos otherwise I'm going to have to *gasp* go shopping!

Ok, September's ezine at Scrapbook-bytes is on sale right now. Did I remember to tell you I had a layout in August's? Along with the lovely Ms. Sharon... Well, we're together in this issue too - how cool is that! Apparently, I'm trendy, but I humbly apologise and will try to make sure it never happens again.

Ok, have you all been marking Wednesday in your calendar? Jen Wilson has been having One-derful Wednesday with an item marked down to $1.... so go check it out next week. And Trish Jones has got some great stuff on sale in her new store this week too, I had to get the date stamps. Couldn't pass those up!

And last but not least... for all you "story-tellers" out there, you know who you are *wink* have you checked out the latest challenge blog? You HAVE to see it... I've got a photo in my head to take and scrap for the first challenge, so who else is going to play?? The random draw prize is definitely worth the effort lol...

So I'm having the Twins for a visit while their mum does some work this afternoon, so I'd better go and get myself psyched. They're one now, nearly walking (one or two steps) and into EVERYTHING and hey, my baby skills are just a little rusty. Better go warm up the dvd player rofl..... Later y'all :)

Thar' she blows!!

There be whales 'ere, Cap'n....





The boys had a day off school today, and as I was called in to work, *skip* had the day off too. After I knocked off at 2 we decided that this year we were not going to miss whale watching season AGAIN and even though there were no reported sightings, take the risk on the hour drive down to the coast...

The first lookout was a washout - we could see a couple of backs out past the break and we were moving on to another lookout. During the drive I spotted 2 sets of Blows so I told *skip* to just pull into the next road and see where it went. We trekked along a little dirt track for a while on foot, and just as we came into sight of the ocean proper, we had a whale just jump straight out of the ocean. He moved further off shore, I was very grateful for my telephoto lens, but it was still hard to catch them. You had to be quick, as well as lucky.

The 2 photos above are just a couple that sort of turned out. A mother and calf side by side, and another whale "spy-hopping". For more information, check out this site HERE.

Apart from that, not a lot to report. Have a layout done, another on the way that I want to post in the morning, and I'm off to do the ironing and have an early night. All that salt and sea air wore us out lol...

Vintage and Vabulous, Dah-lings.....

Sorry, my sense of humour is out of whack this afternoon!

This gorgeous new kit, Vintage Vashon is from the mouse of Amy Knepper, on SALE right now at TheDigiChick.


And here is the layout I made earlier this week :)

All papers and elements from Vintage Vashon by Amy Knepper. Font used is Pharmacy. Created in Cs2.

Otherwise, I'm waiting on all the grand September 1st openings and sales.... it's already Sept 1 here, but have to wait for the day to work it's way around the globe :)

Meanwhile, it's a pupil free day, so the boys are home. Just waiting on a friend to arrive to play with them for a bit, and his big sister will play with me lol... Catch you later! :)