Crazy for Colours

September Scrap Jacked & DT Call

2011-09-27T11:53:00.000+10:00

There's only a few days left to get your Scrap Jacked entry in! As always, the girls have created a variety of layouts for you to take inspiration from. It's so easy to play along for a chance to win a great prize from one of our wonderful sponsors. Check it all out here.

While you're there, why not apply to join the Design Team :)! This is the best Design Team to be a part of ... the girls are gorgeous, friendly & oh so creative.

I have absolutely loved my time on the team but all good things must come to an end & this is my last month. Time & work constraints have killed my mojo so I've decided to step down. Thank you so much for asking me to be on your team Bec ... you are a beautiful friend who never once put any pressure on me & I appreciate it like you wouldn't believe. Good luck with the continued success of Scrap Jacked xx!

12WBT blogging challenge

2011-09-26T09:47:00.000+10:00

Oops, I'm a little late off the starting blocks but here goes with my introduction.

1. Describe yourself in 25 words or less.
Mum, wife, procrastinator, creative, determined, loyal, housework hater.

2. What brings you to 12wbt?
The time is right! I'm so ready to reclaim my health. I'm no longer battling PND & I want to keep it that way. This is my first round & my goal is to lose 15kgs by the end of the round (including preseason). More than anything else I love that this program addresses the mindset battles & gives us tools to tackle our demons.

3. Why do you blog?
I started this blog last year so that I could share my scrapping. One of Mish's preseason tasks is to "say it out loud" so I immediate thought that I should blog my 12wbt adventures as a way of keeping myself accountable. If I can inspire someone along the way then I'm paying it forward. Just like my friend Sarah!

4. Who is your biggest inspiration in life and why?
My amazing family keeps me inspired ... they had to deal with a lot over the past couple of years watching my battle with PND. I'm sure at times they wondered where the real me had disappeared to! I want to get the old me back & show my precious family that their faith in me is justified.

5. What things in life bring you the most joy?
My family ... we love camping, fishing, getting out in the sunshine. I love my job. I love my friends.

6. What do you think your greatest challenge is going to be this round?
Early mornings! I'm definitely not a morning person LOL but when Mish said that if you exercise first thing before life gets in the way, a lightbulb went off ... so true! So now I set the alarm & off I go before I have time to think about it.

7. What are you most excited about 12wbt?
All of it! The meal plans, the new recipes, the mindset lessons, the forum. ALL OF IT!

8. What scares the pants of you?
Hahaha, see above. Especially in the first week ... I felt so lost but concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

9. Tell me - right now - today - how you feel about exercise.
I love the feeling I get when it's done. Proud!

10. Complete this sentence - in 12 weeks time - on the last day of 12wbt I am going to be feeling ...
lighter, healthier, fitter, PROUD!

Don't Blink!

2011-09-04T17:33:00.001+10:00

The first Saturday of the month means it's time for a new Scrap that Tune challenge. Don't Blink is one of my favourite songs ... it doesn't hurt that Kenny Chesney is just ahhhhhhh!!! I thought it was about time that Kenny made an appearance for September's Scrap that Tune challenge at Global Scrappers.

As always it's so easy to play along ... simply find inspiration in the song, create a layout & upload it to Global Scrappers :).

Here's my example

I look forward to seeing your creations!

Saying it out loud!

2011-08-29T17:39:00.001+10:00

My biggest addiction is Coke! Add to that a love of food, a definite lack of exercise & we have a bad situation. I'm mortified to say that I haven't been within my healthy weight range since my wedding back in 1997. I've come close once or twice but I've never reached my goal weight & I always put the weight back on (plus more) when I go off the "diet" I'm on.

This year, I've been so inspired by my friend Sarah's success with Michelle Bridge's 12WBT program. Apart from losing weight & gaining fitness, you can hear the pride & zest for life that Sarah has found through this program. So I made the decision that I want this for myself!

So what makes this time different? Well, 12WBT is as much about changing your mindset as it is about changing your health. And if there's one thing I know, my mindset needs the most work!

Why am I telling you this LOL?!! Hmmmm, if it was up to me, I probably wouldn't but Task 5 is all about saying it out loud, telling everyone who'll listen, putting it out there in the universe & making myself accountable. So, with a very deep breath, here goes ...

I commit to:

be aware of my excuses & use my solutions
not just talk the talk, but walk the walk
focus on each day/hour/minute ... whatever it takes
work hard on each task I'm given & revisit them regularly
trust Michelle & her program. I too can be one of her many success stories!
prepare healthy & nutritious meals for the benefit of not only me, but my family
train hard six days a week
spend time in the forum both encouraging & being encouraged
not give up or hide from any mistakes. I will admit it, own it, move on.
understanding that only I can make this change.

So there you have it! Pre-season is still happening for anyone who's interested in coming along for the ride. Round 3 kicks off officially on September 12th so watch this space for a healthier, fitter me :).

Scrap that Tune!

2011-08-06T13:06:00.001+10:00

It's time to reveal the August Week One challenges at Global Scrappers ... there's four challenges to get that mojo moving! Week One is all about the Sketch, Card/Stamping, Manufacturer & Scrap that Tune challenges.

This month, I chose Rascal Flatts' "My Wish". Maaaannnnn I love this song ... guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye every time I hear it! Actually, anything Rascall Flatts sings I love :).

I scrapped this song years ago when my daughter was born but I love it so much I couldn't wait to do another version for my little boy's album too.

To play along, all you need to do is find inspiration in the title, lyrics or message from the song & start scrapping. Check it out here :).

I can't wait to see what you create!

August Scrap Jack

2011-08-05T13:10:00.001+10:00

OMGoodness, once again you all gave us such a hard time trying to choose a winner LOL!!! Well, July's Winner & Grinners have been announced so now it's time for the August reveal :).

Here's mine ...

My little boy was so proud of the Valentine he'd made for me at Daycare ... he's such a poser LOL!

It's so easy to play along with us at Scrap Jacked. Pop on over & see just how easy it is to win one of the three prizes up for grabs.

Some Global Scrappers' challenges ...

2011-07-31T18:48:00.000+10:00

sheesh, another month has been & gone! Midnight tonight is the deadline to get your Global Scrappers' challenge entries in ... so you still have a bit of time LOL.

I had the best day last Saturday, scrapping the day away with great friends at Andrea's house. I didn't get home until after 2am but, as always, chatted waayyyyyy more than I scrapped & only managed to get two layouts done.

My first layout is a Sketch/Journalling combo in that it started out for the sketch challenge but I got sidetracked & the sketch ended up a bit lost. Added some journalling strips & wa-la, all good for Milie's Journalling challenge LOL!

And it would have been just plain WRONG not to do Bec's Manufacturer challenge LOL! After all, MME is my favourite manufacturer for sure.

My girl "borrowed" my camera one day & this is one of the photos I found on it when I uploaded the photos :).

So that's July done & dusted ... the Global Scrappers' Week One challenges go up on Saturday so fingers crossed that August will be the month I get them all done.

Purple Pumpkin sale & giveaway ...

2011-07-22T10:30:00.000+10:00

I'm loving all these handmade embellies that are appearing on everyone's layouts! If you're like me you have an endless supply of beautiful papers but never the right embellishments. Well, that is SO going to change tonight LOL!

Everywhere I look there seems to be a Purple Pumpkin touch ... such gorgeous little creations!

Purple Pumpkin are celebrating their first birthday with a HUGE giveaway before their sale tonight at 7.30pm. Pop on over here to check out all the details :)! Me thinks you won't regret it LOL.

Eye Candy Magic!

2011-07-14T13:35:00.000+10:00

The fabulous Samiam & her gorgeous Eye Candy Magic creations are on sale this Sunday, 17th July ... this girl has the BEST scrappy style. I {heart} her stuff!

We're so lucky that she is sponsoring us this month at Global Scrappers & as an added bonus she has a surprise for the first four Global Scrappers' that purchase a kit this Sunday! To find out more you'll have to pop on over to Global Scrappers *wink*.

July Scrap Jacked!

2011-07-07T19:43:00.000+10:00

Is it just me or is the year flying by? A new month means a new Scrap Jacked layout ...

The lack of mojo has lead me to trying 8 1/2 x 11 layouts ... and I think I like the smaller size better.

If you haven't had a chance to play along with us at Scrap Jacked ... what's going on LOL?!! It's soooooo easy to win great prizes. I can't wait to see what you all create!

Scrap that Tune!

2011-07-04T21:19:00.002+10:00

Well, July 1st has been & gone & that means that the Week One challenges have gone up at Global Scrappers. The Week One challenges are a Sketch, Manufacturer, Card/Stamping & Scrap that Tune. Check it all out here!

I chose Lonestar's "Let Them Be Little" ...

lots of scrappy inspiration to be found in their amazing lyrics. It's so easy to play along ... simply find inspiration in the title, lyrics or the feel of the song & scrap a layout. Upload it to Global Scrappers to be in the running for some gorgeous prizes.

I hope you get a chance to join us :).

Global Scrappers

2011-06-26T13:01:00.003+10:00

Have you checked out my friend Andrea's brand new forum?

Global Scrappers was created after the sad closure of Ch{all}enge Masters as a way to keep everyone inspired & using that stash.

Andrea was also silly enough to ask me to be the Scrap that Tune designer LOL! My challenge will be in Week One of every month & I can't wait to hopefully inspire you with a new song every month. There's guaranteed to be plenty to keep you scrapping ... 12 challenges a month! A place where scrappers & cardies from around the globe can chat & make great friends.

It all officially kicks off on 1st July but there are already some warm-up challenges & lots of chatting. Why not come on over, say hi & get set for lots of fun!

Oops, so long between posts!

2011-06-23T12:30:00.007+10:00

Mr Mojo has been missing for so long now ... not even a scrappy day out with the fabulous Mandy & my wonderful friends in Scrap Therapy's crop room helped. We had a fantastic day ... it's just that I chatted whilst everyone else scrapped. It seems the harder I look the more my mojo hides. So frustrating!

Anyway, this month's challenge at Scrap the Girls is a colour challenge ... black, white, light pink & dark pink.

When I first saw Echo Park's Be Mine range I thought it was waaayyyyyy too pink but it's just perfect for this challenge & my girly-girl daughter!

There's still a few days left to get your Scrap Jacked layouts in. The DT all have such different styles so there's sure to be one that inspires you. Here's mine ...

I can't wait to see what you create!

Only one more day of school then it's school holidays ... yippee for the lack of routine :).

Yippee for long weekends!

2011-05-05T13:25:00.002+10:00

First there was five days for Easter & Anzac Day, then three days for Labor Day ... aahhh bliss! We managed to get lots of work done, our yard is no longer looking like a jungle & we spent tonnes of fun time with the kids. I even found some time for scrapping :)!

BUT can anyone tell me how it's possible that's it's May already?!!! As usual a new month means a new challenge at Scrap Jacked. Here's my layout for May ...

We'd love you to pop on over to Scrap Jacked & play along with us. We have so much fun checking out your "jacks" ... the creations you all come up with each month are so inspiring!

Yay, I scrapped!

2011-04-26T08:38:00.004+10:00

Apart from Scrap Jacked, it's been so long that I'd pretty much forgotten how LOL! Lucky for me, Mellie & her boys came for a visit. The boys love hanging out with my hooligans & they all keep each other so busy that we found some time to play with paper.

I found inspiration at Scrap the Boys! Their challenge is to create a layout using a piece of clothing for inspiration. Well, this shirt could have been made especially for my boy ... it suits his mischievous personality to a "t"!

This month's challenge at Kraft It Up! is a 1,2,3,4,5 challenge ... 1 piece of Kraft, 2 photos, 3 alphas, 4 patterned papers & 5 embellies. Hope you like what I came up with!

Oh & have I mentioned that I bought some Copics?!! OMG, I should have stayed well away ... why are these things so addictive LOL. Yes, I blame you & your stunning cards Julie! Anyway, I've only just started using them & need heaps more practice so be kind about my colouring *wink*.

This one is based on this week's sketch at Cardabilities.

And this one is for the latest amazing sketch at Card Patterns.

One thing I've worked out very quickly is that Copics are very beautiful but hard to get the hang of! Or maybe it's just ME LOL!!! Luckily, I found an online Copic Beginner's class at Simply Scrapping Crafts. Gosh, so much to learn & I can't wait to get started.

Lastly, don't forget there is still a few days left to enter this month's challenge at Scrap Jacked! Lots of great prizes & the winner gets to guest design the following month. Can't wait to see who you jack! And don't forget that our hugely talented Mandy is holding a blind scrap over at Scrap Therapy Tuesday night ... check it all out here.

Phew, so if you made it all the way to the end ... yay for you :)! Enjoy the rest of the Easter/Anzac long weekend & only four more sleeps until us lucky Queenslanders get another long weekend.

April Scrap Jacked & lots of changes at Scrap Therapy

2011-04-13T11:15:00.000+10:00

Have you checked out the new challenge at Scrap Jacked yet? Bec has revealed a few surprises which I'm sure you'll love.

Here's what I created for April ... hope that you'll get to play along with us!

There's been lots of changes at Scrap Therapy too! A brand new forum & design team has brought with it lots of excited chat & fantastic challenges ... not to mention lots of new goodies in the shop. Be sure to check it out here.

Other than that, I know that I've been a terrible blogger :(! The last few months have been SOOOO hard ... both hubby & I work for the same insurance company & we've been inundated with claims resulting from TC Yasi. It's easy for people to say that we need to take time out, but when you have so many people relying on you to get their lives back in order, it's much harder to do. So until it's all sorted, life will continue to be busy days, late nights & weekend work ... with not much time left over for scrapping. So looking forward to finding more time to catch up with my scrappy friends (both online & in real life)!

A new month & new challenge at Scrap Jacked!

2011-03-05T10:00:00.006+10:00

I have absolutely no idea where that last month went ... it very much passed in a blur of work & cyclone Yasi claims & I'm hoping that this month will be a lot easier!

So, the 5th means that our new Scrap Jacked challenge is revealed & this is mine ... I hope you like it!

It has been so wonderful to see all the gorgeous entries at Scrap Jacked. For some reason, I have trouble leaving comments on some blogs so please don't think that I haven't visited if I haven't left you a comment. I absolutely have & love checking out all the "jacks". Can't wait to see what you all create again this month :).

Cyclone Yasi & a new challenge at Scrap Jacked

2011-02-10T19:13:00.000+10:00

Where to begin? It's been a HUGE week ...

This time last week we watched as Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi was making a beeline for Far North Queensland. On Wednesday morning, my birthday, we woke to the news that Yasi was now a Category 5 with warnings of huge risk to lives & property. Needless to say, we quickly made the decision to pack the kids & the cat into our car & drive away. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make ... leaving behind our loved ones & our home. I was so incredibly relieved to get a phone call from my Dad to say that they were all safe & sound.

We left our car behind & managed to catch a plane on Friday getting home after midnight. Whilst my town has suffered damage, it is the towns only 40kms south of us that have been truly devastated.

As I type this, we have our power back on & the phones are working again. My daughter's school reopened today, even though they have no power, tarps on the roof & water damaged classrooms ... but it feels good to be home. Thank you to everyone for your messages & prayers ... let's just hope that Queensland & the rest of Australia gets a break for a long time!

On a much happier note, our February challenge is now up at Scrap Jacked. We had such an amazing response to the first challenge & a huge congratulations to all the winners. I can't tell you how hard it was to pick the winners!

Here's my February layout

Why not pop on over & check out our creations ... we would love to have you play along with us!

Scrap the Girls!

2011-01-29T15:31:00.001+10:00

I've been a long time stalker of all the creative girls over at Scrap the Girls but this is the first time I've actually entered a challenge. The January challenge is Summer Loving & all you have to do is scrap your favourite summer photos. Here's mine ...

The girls at Scrap Therapy have been keeping us busy using up our stash to make way for the goodies that Lee-Anne & Danny are sure to bring back from CHA. We are into week two of four weeks of challenges so still plenty of time left to join in. Why not check it out here! This layout I did for Allie's week one sketch challenge.

Don't forget that there's only a few days left to enter our first challenge at Scrap Jacked. We've had the most amazing response so far ... will we hit the 50 entries :)?

While the cat's away ...

2011-01-22T15:01:00.001+10:00

the mice are playing over at Scrap Therapy! Lee-Anne & Danny are away at CHA so the girls thought it would be a good idea to create some challenges to keep us busy & make some room in our stash for the yummy new products that they are sure to bring home. Check it all out here!

Here's my card based on Helen's sketch ...

This week High Hopes is celebrating their 100th challenge with the theme "anything goes" ...

so I decided to make a card using my favourite baby stamp "Cuddle Cloud Baby" & Card Patterns sketch 98. I was so excited to win the last High Hope's challenge "Party Animal" & I've already started stalking the Post Office for my three new stamps :)!

Lastly, here's one for CPS-Card Sketches' current sketch 201 ...

Don't forget that you still have a few days left to enter the January challenge over at Scrap Jacked! Lots of yummy prizes up for grabs.

Stampin' Stuff!

2011-01-20T20:59:00.000+10:00

If you've been reading my blog for awhile then you know how hugely addicted I am to High Hopes stamps ... well my "enabler" is the wonderful Amy from Stampin' Stuff & now she's released her very own limited edition Stampin' Stuff collection called "Very Punny". There are six to choose from & they are just gorgeous ... check them out here. Amy's also released five background stamps ... these stamps are huge ... perfect for cards!

So would you like a chance to win some of these stamps? Duh, silly question LOL!!! Head to Stampin' Stuff's blog to find out how.

So have you ...

2011-01-09T14:23:00.001+10:00

played along with Scrap Jacked yet? We've all been so excited with the response so far & it's only been five days since our first challenge went up :).

It's so easy to be in the running to win a fabulous prize ... simply find some inspiration in one of the DT's creations & scraplift it in the form of a card/layout/OTP ... easy peasy, right? Just check out the fabulous jack Deb did of my card ...

Deb's used the basis of my card as a sketch for her layout & was inspired by the sentiment "may your day be filled with sparkles & sunshine". Check out the challenge comments for the links to all the other amazing entries. Beautiful work girls!

Housework ... what housework?!!

2011-01-09T10:25:00.002+10:00

I've been making the most of these last few weeks without routine, before I go back to work & my princess starts school. We've been having tonnes of fun taking photos for my photo a day project ... you've got to check out ShutterCal! It's not too late to start :).

So here's what I've been doing with my time ...

The current challenge at High Hopes is "party animal" so I made a card using "Gift Givin' Gavin" ... he look like he's off to a birthday party with his pile of presents :).

The excitement is building ... this Tuesday High Hopes are celebrating the release of their 100th challenge with a blog hop, mega prizes & guest Divas. I've posted the link in my side bar ... just click on it to check it all out!

I've also been finding inspiration over at Challenge Masters ...

This challenge was all about altering a "container" using fabric & ribbon.

I've altered a recipe box ... the top has been covered with fabric & the rest of it is patterned paper that I've had in my stash forever. I've also altered the dividers inside so that I can write down the details of challenges ... now I'll never be stuck for ideas again.

The Scrap that Tune challenge was to use any of the lyrics of "Fame" as your title so here's what I came up with ...

There's been lots of chatter at Scrap Therapy recently about our "word" for the new year. I've never had a word before, but as soon as Kristy said that her's was CONNECT, I just got it!!! Sometimes it feels like PND has stolen parts of the last two years so this word is exactly what I want out of this year ... to connect with my family & friends, my life & work, with all the everyday moments! So here it is ... a canvas that now holds pride of place where I can see it all the time. Thanks Kristy for inspiring me xx

So if you made it to the very end, congratulations LOL! See what I mean about housework, what housework?!!

Scrap Jacked reveal - Our first challenge is UP!

2011-01-05T08:31:00.000+10:00

Yay, the time has finally arrived & the January challenge has been revealed! It's SOOOOO easy to join in ... just pop on over to Scrap Jacked & find some inspiration in the projects we've created. Link back to the blog & let us know who you Scrap Jacked & you will be in the running to win a $25 Scrap Therapy voucher or one of the other gorgeous prizes up for grabs this month. Can't wait to see your creations!

Not too long to go now ...

2010-12-29T11:29:00.001+10:00

until the new challenge goes up at Scrap Jacked! Bec has now introduced the entire Scrap Jacked team and will soon start showing off the prizes you can win by entering our January challenge. We'd love you to become a follower so you don't miss any news! First challenge goes up on January 5th ... so keep your eyes peeled here.

I've been having some fun playing along with a few challenges ...

Whilst I was feeling the Christmas spirit, I decided to do this month's challenge at Kraft It Up! The challenge is to scrap a Christmas photo using non-traditional colours & knots ... so I knotted the thread through my buttons & I'm sure that pink, orange, green & blue are pretty non-traditional :).

I'm still on a mission to find my boy mojo so I went looking for some inspiration at Scrap the Boys. This month the question is ... is your boy a Dancer or a Prancer? Well, mine is BOTH! He's the biggest show-off & loves nothing more than letting his big sister dress him up & dancing around. My daughter's dance teacher says that he gallops better than some of her girls LOL!

Only one more sleep to go ...

2010-12-24T08:53:00.001+10:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope that you have a wonderful day filled with lots of love & here's hoping for a fantastic 2011 filled with lots of paper fun xx

This is what has taken over our lives ...

2010-12-17T13:04:00.001+10:00

Everyone says that it's a kitchen that sells a house ... let's just say that wasn't true in our case LOL. We bought our house about eight years ago & instantly hated the red kitchen ... surprisingly, for the size that it was, it had minimal bench space ... but it's taken us until this year, and the appliances falling apart, to finally get it done.

There was tonnes of storage but the height of the overhead cupboards meant that when we needed a new fridge it wouldn't fit, so that space became a parking spot for the high chair.

The flooring (lino & masonite underlay) was a nightmare to remove & took us FOREVER! If we ever see another floor staple we won't be responsible for our actions LOL. The floor's not finished yet ... our poor floor man has fourteen jobs currently on the go so he just fits everyone in as needed, but it's going to look amazing.

We still have the plasterer & electrician to come in finish off their jobs (LOL will be so happy to have our fridge back where it belongs) but OMGoodness what a difference! It looks so much lighter & brighter & we have tonnes more usable space.

So after month or so of having furniture piled into the lounge room, no kitchen & using the laundry to cook our toast, I'm SOOOO ready to get creating again. I think I've been having withdrawals LOL!

The secret is out ... some exciting news to share :)

2010-12-12T19:59:00.000+10:00

I'm so ridiculously excited that Bec has asked me to be part of the new ScrapJacked team! Keep an eye out for lots of changes, challenges and introductions to the new Design Team (we are a varied bunch with lots of different styles).

Each month, we will show you our creations & your objective is simply to get inspired. More than anything, we just want you to have fun & we're hoping that we can help keep those creative juices flowing & use that stash that always seems to grow ... not sure how that happens *wink*.

Over the next couple of weeks, Bec will be introducing the Design Team as well as details about the great prizes for our very first challenge ... a big welcome to kick off the start of a new era. Check it all out at ScrapJacked! We'd love you to become a follower so that you don't miss out on any of our exciting news or challenges.

Kraft It Up's November Challenge & the trouble with boys {layouts, that is}!

2010-11-30T10:05:00.004+10:00

There's been a lot of chatter lately at Scrap Therapy about the things we find hard to scrap. For me, that would be boy layouts. My gorgeous boy's album is bare when compared to my daughter's & sheesh, do I feel guilty LOL!!! He's the funniest little boy & I have so many hilarious details to record but, for some reason my boy mojo is sadly lacking. So I made a deal with myself ... no stamping, no card challenges & definitely no girly layouts until I do some layouts for my little man.

Luckily, I found heaps of inspiration at both Kraft It Up & Scrap The Boys!

Kraft It Up's November challenges was to use kraft of course & decorative edges. Think diecut papers, border punches, decorative strips, pompom trims etc. So here's what I came up with :)!

Unfortunately, our kitchen renovation has taken over our lives so that's it as far as creating goes! My Scrap the Boys layout is sitting half-completed but will have to stay that way for another week or so :(. We've had a huge couple of weeks ripping up masonite underlay stapled to our timber floors ... OMGoodness I NEVER want to see another floor staple in my life & it's going to be hectic for a little while yet! The good news is that this time next week life should return to normal & we'll have our new kitchen ... yay :).

Woohoo, the addiction continues ...

2010-11-28T17:50:00.003+10:00

It's time for another release of High Hopes stamps :)! Sneak peeks begin on Monday with more peeks during the release of their latest challenge on Tuesday.

Then the Blog Hop and release is Wednesday, December 1st. Fingers crossed that Santa brings me some for Christmas *wink*!

High Hopes Challenge 95

2010-11-07T14:03:00.000+10:00

This week's challenge at High Hope's is to create a Stair Step card ... something I've never done before. I was so inspired by what the High Hope's team had created that I couldn't resist giving it a go myself :)!

Now I have huge plans to do the same with my High Hope's Christmas stamps so watch this space *wink*.

Happy Sunday!

Ahhh ... it's quiet ...

2010-10-31T09:52:00.000+10:00

and, surprisingly, a little hard to get used to!

Thursdays are now "my day" ... both my hooligans are out of the house on Thursdays so I have about six hours to myself. So far, I'm having some trouble getting used to the absence of kid noise & I'm definitely not making the most of my spare time. LOL Don't worry though, I'm sure I'll get used to it *wink*!

This week I played along with the sketch challenge at CPS-Card Sketches. It's a nice, easy one that has lots of possibilities. I'm on a bit of a stash-busting exercise ... I mean how much paper do I really need *rolling eyes* ... so for this card I used scraps from Basic Grey's Wisteria range.

And a boy card inspired by Card Patterns sketch 87 using Basic Grey's Oliver range.

I also used this week's Mojo Monday sketch & "Juggles" to create a card for High Hope's birthday card challenge. If you are in Australia & are looking for High Hopes stamps, be sure to check out Amy's story ... Stampin' Stuff. Just don't blame me when the addiction starts LOL!

This week's challenges ...

2010-10-25T12:00:00.003+10:00

... and there have been a few this week, that's for sure! My car broke down so I was without it for a week, then my daughter & I got sick & we had the "whooping cough that wasn't whooping cough" dramas. SOOOOO glad that week is now over & may the next be easier LOL. Anyway, even though we're having to climb over Mt Washmore to get past ... housework or create? Duh, like it's even a question LOL!!!

You still have time to enter this month's cybercrop challenges at Scrap Therapy. But not that long ... your creations need to be uploaded by midnight tonight. There are some gorgeous creations in the gallery already :)!

Here's my take on Allie's sketch challenge.

The photo doesn't show it that well but I had heaps of fun painting, inking & glimmermisting. Apologies to Mellie for glimmermisting her hair LOL! Nah, not really THAT sorry ...

And extra points should be given for dimensional magic-ing (if that's even a word ?!) the challenger, Miss Jolly's, surname onto my entry :). My version of Helen's card sketch ...

Also, for Lisa's hidden journalling challenge, I decided to write a letter to myself. After battling PND since the birth of my son, I finally feel like I've kicked its butt for good & I'm SO ready to make some changes. I wanted to create a layout to remind me of the important things & where I want to be in a year's time. So stay tuned & I WILL add that photo ...

And whilst the mojo was around, I joined in the sketch challenge at Cardabilities. Yep, I know, but it's not like the housework is going anywhere, is it LOL?!!

How gorgeous is this sketch?! I've used a combo of My Mind's Eye & Webster's papers.

High Hopes Challenge 92

2010-10-19T12:58:00.001+10:00

Gosh, it's been one of those weeks already & it's only just started!

This is a very quick post to upload the card I created for this week's High Hopes challenge. It was an easy, peasy one ... simply use red & green with a High Hopes stamp! I hope you get some time to play along too :).

It's time to get arty ...

2010-10-15T20:51:00.001+10:00

Get ready to paint, ink, mist & generally make one big scrappy, arty mess because it's cybercrop time again at Scrap Therapy & our theme is ART ATTACK! The fabulous DT have created four fantastic challenges to inspire us. Check it all out here!

Load your entries into the gallery by midnight Monday 25th October to be in the running for a $15 plus $1 for every entry in store voucher.

Looking for Webster's Pages?

2010-10-10T12:09:00.012+10:00

It has landed & can be found at Scrap Therapy! I couldn't wait to have a play with the "Waiting for Santa" & "Sweet Season" petite collection pack. As always, Webster's have outdone themselves with every beautiful, tiny detail. How can you not make gorgeous Christmas cards with papers like these?!!

Sassy L'il Sketches have gone card sketch crazy in celebration of World Cardmaking Day. Each Monday, in the month of October, they are releasing a brand new card sketch. This one was made using sketch #1.

I was also inspired by the current CPS-Card Sketches sketch for this one. You made need to squint a bit to find the original sketch but I promise it is in there ... somewhere LOL!

And finally, one created using another fabulous Mojo Monday sketch.

It's nearly the end of another weekend here *boohoo* ... I hope you've had a great weekend too :)!

World Card Making Day :)

2010-10-02T12:10:00.005+10:00

Well today is World Card Making Day so I happily sat down to join in some card challenges. Like I need any excuse right LOL?!!

Firstly, my favourite stamp blog is celebrating their birthday so they're hosting a sketch challenge this week & giving away some wonderful stamps in celebration. Check it all out at highhopesstamps.blogspot.com.

I think I may have mentioned it once or twice how much I love these stamps LOL!

Next I had fun playing along with this week's sketch at Cardabilities. Karan always posts great sketches ... it's so easy to create beautiful cards using her sketches.

Last, but not least, is this week's super simple and fantastic sketch at Card Patterns.

Hey Mellie, if you're reading this, I created them all using Cosmo's gorgeous DeLovely papers just for you ... ;) mwah xxx

We're cybercropping at Therapy!

2010-09-21T12:11:00.009+10:00

yep, it's that time again :)! The DT have set four great challenges, there are FABULOUS prizes & we always have a heap of fun. Check it all out here ...

The fun started on Friday night when Helen hosted a blind card & layout scrap. I LOVE the result I ended up with!

Best of all, Lee-Anne has extended the deadline to midnight Sunday of the following weekend! So that means no more excuses ... we now have 10 whole days to complete & upload our entries.

Here's my take on Bec's Bower Bird challenge. These challenges are so cool!

Helen's card sketch challenge. I loved it so much I had to make two!

Also, the CC prizes have been increased to a voucher for $15+$1 for each person who enters the challenge :). Who wouldn't LOVE to win that?!! Especially as a little birdie mentioned that there maya be a shipment of yummy goodies arriving this week *wink*.

Ok, I'm off now to do the other two challenges ...

Yay! Cosmo has landed ...

2010-09-12T17:40:00.008+10:00

at Scrap Therapy! My favourite of their new ranges is Pixie-Licious & I couldn't wait to play with it. As luck would have it, Helen issued a surprise challenge & all we needed to do was take out our newest goodies & start creating ... I didn't need to be asked twice LOL!

These cards have been inspired by the following sketch challenges.

How cute is that mouse stamp?! It's called "Loves Ya This Much" from High Hopes latest release.

High Hopes Challenge 86

2010-09-05T10:05:00.003+10:00

The latest challenge at High Hopes was to create anything but a card so I decided to make a name plate for my daughter's bedroom!

We prettied up Rachel's room a few weeks ago so this challenge came along at the perfect time ... it's now VERY girlie with lots of pink & sparkles, fairies & butterflies so I wanted the name plate to be the same :). The High Hopes stamp I used is Tutu Sweet ... isn't she pretty?!

Just a reminder ...

2010-09-02T12:55:00.005+10:00

that today is the last day to upload your Scrap Therapy challenges to the gallery! You have until midnight tonight.

I managed to get three challenges done. Lisa set the sketch challenge this month & what a fantastic sketch it was too! We had to include a handmade element so I made some VERY dodgy flowers LOL.

Allie's challenge was to include journalling on a photo as well as add something handmade to the layout. One of my favourite songs is "Let Them Be Little" by Lonestar & I've been wanting to add those lyrics to a layout for such a long time ... this challenge was PERFECT! My handmade element is the clouds that I cut out of some October Afternoon patterned paper as well as including my favourite High Hopes stamp "Cuddle Cloud Baby" that I coloured with watercolour crayons.

Lastly, Helen's card challenge was to include a handmade frame so I made one out of beads.

The challenges for September will be revealed on Friday night so why not pop on over & check them out.

I {heart} My Mind's Eye!

2010-08-31T14:39:00.003+10:00

The weather here has been so dreary lately ... lots of wind & rain. Perfect weather for staying inside & playing with paper!

Lee-Anne at Scrap Therapy has been busy loading lots of new My Mind's Eye goodness (not to mention Prima, Webster's ... need I say more) so I've been having some fun making cards with the "I Believe" range. I apologise for the quality of my photos. The colours are much nicer in real life but my camera didn't want to play nice & neither did my photo software ... grrrr. LOL Maybe it was the operator & not the equipment?

Anyway, as soon as I saw this Sassy Lil' Sketch I knew I wanted to use it for a card!

This one is my take on last week's Mojo Monday sketch.

And last, but not least, this one is for Card Patterns latest sketch. Have I mentioned before that I LOVE card sketches LOL?!!

So that's my start on Christmas cards. I have plans of actually being organised this year!

Uh oh, the addiction continues ...

2010-08-27T14:52:00.003+10:00

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE High Hopes stamps! LOL I think I might have already mentioned that quite a few times before. Well, my collection is about to grow because High Hopes are getting ready for a new release :). Woohoo!!!

Sneaks peaks will take place at High Hopes and on the Design Team's blogs this coming Monday 30th August, continue Tuesday, then explode with a blog hop on release day! Be sure to join in to check out all the wonderful creations and get a chance at winning some of the new images for your own collection!

My cybercrop creations & some good news!

2010-08-23T20:41:00.005+10:00

This weekend was cybercrop time at Scrap Therapy. The DT promised some changes to the challenges & they certainly delivered! There was tonnes of inspiration to get the mojo flowing.

The gorgeous Helen set a card sketch challenge & as usual I think I got a little distracted LOL. I'm sure if you look closely you'll find the sketch in there somewhere!

It's been fantastic having Helen join the DT. Her cards are beautiful!

Bec gave us a sketch challenge which had to include a handmade element. Mine is the large flower that I made from My Mind's Eye patterned paper scraps.

I'm really happy with how the flower turned out (although I did swear a bit as I was making it :P)! Yay for youtube ... it's amazing the stuff you can find there.

And last but not least, I found time to do Allie's bower bird challenge. This is a brand new challenge & I LOVED it! Basically, she gave us a list of elements that must be included on our layout with ... this is mine.

I can't wait for the next one!

Now for the good news ... High Hopes stamps are my absolute favourite stamps to play with & I was so excited to see that I won last week's challenge... now I have a new High Hopes stamp heading my way. Woohoo!

Get ready ... it's Cybercrop time again at Therapy!

2010-08-19T17:41:00.005+10:00

and rumour has it that the DT have made some changes to the challenges. A new fun challenge is being added & they promise that we will LOVE the changes. All will be revealed tomorrow night here.

A little birdie also told me to keep my eyes open for all the yummy new stock Lee-Anne has ordered. The plane has landed & it will be in the Scrap Therapy shop very soon! Can't wait ...

OK, so not much housework got done around here this week LOL! Life's too short & I've been having waaaayyy too much fun making cards. I've based this card on the sketch at Sassy Lil' Sketches.

I'm completely in love with High Hopes stamps ... no, more than that ... I think I'm addicted! This week's challenge at High Hopes is "water" so I made a card using Bubble Bath Bradley. How cute is he?!

Have you seen ...

2010-08-18T18:09:00.000+10:00

the new limited edition stamp set by CC Designs from All That Scraps?

I've never played with digi stamps before so this is a first but I think I'm sold! I love that you can resize digi's to the size you want & flip them to suit. I'm having a tiny problem with the ink smearing when I add my colouring but I think that'll be easy to solve by heat sealing them a little longer. Check them out ... they're only available until 20th September. I've used them on the cards below ...

This card has been inspired by Card Positioning Systems current sketch.

The photo doesn't show it well but I've used two strips of mesh & a strip of ribbon behind my image.

And this one I've made for the sketch challenge at Card Patterns.

Do you like my little spiral flower? I'm not sure it was too successful ... maybe I tried to make it too small. Oh well ... will try again & make it a bit bigger ... practice makes perfect LOL!

Operation Makeover

2010-08-15T17:26:00.004+10:00

When God handed out daughters, he gave us the girliest one :)! At the age of 4, life is all about fairies, princesses, pretty dresses & dress-up shoes, pretend jewels & anything that sparkles. Even her baby brother can't escape it!

About a month ago, when we had a tradie here to do a quote, she asked him if he could please make her room pretty too. She had a point ... in a lot of ways it was still the "spare room" that she was moved into when her brother was born.

So this weekend, whilst she was sleeping over at Grandma & Grandad's, this is what we did!

She was speechless when she saw it, her big eyes trying to take it all in :)! I think she was a little overwhelmed. After about a half hour she came out & said to us "I LOVE it"! You can't ask for more than that ...

But wait ... there's more!

2010-08-10T15:02:00.005+10:00

hahaha ... I've always wanted to say that!

Well, my addiction to card challenges continues. I finally finished the Cardabilities sketch that I started on the weekend.

Then I found time to play with the new sketch from Card Patterns which is sponsored by Meljen Designs. I LOVE her stamps!

I've used Tutu Sweet from the June release of High Hope's stamps that I bought from Stampin' Stuff. Isn't she pretty! The High Hopes challenge this week is to include ribbon & bows so those boxes have been ticked too :).

A huge weekend of Therapy!

2010-08-08T14:43:00.013+10:00

It was the "Eclipse" weekend of scrapping at Scrap Therapy in Babinda & what a fantastic time we had! Tonnes of laughs, heaps of chatting, a little bit of scrapping *wink* & a night at the movies to see "Eclipse". Miss Mellie is still drooling LOL!

Anyway just to prove that I did actually achieve something this weekend & didn't just talk ALL day ... here's my take on some of this week's sketch challenges.

Another challenge I loved was this week's challenge at High Hopes. These are the most gorgeous stamps ... check them out at Stampin' Stuff. This week was a fantastic, easy challenge ... simply use your favourite embellie. Well, I'm sure it's no shock to find out the my favourite embellishment is BLING ... any kind of bling ... kindyglitz, ice stickles, rhinestones & pearls ... if it sparkles, I gotta have it LOL!!!

I hope you like them ...

I can't believe ...

2010-08-02T17:46:00.001+10:00

that it's August already! How did that happen LOL? So a new month means a new theme at Scrap Therapy & this month it's all about celebrating handmade.

crafting, cooking, fabrics, habby, knitting ...... anything really. So take your sewing machine out of it's case (hmmm I think I last saw it in 1997), brush off those knitting needles and join us for a month of handmade goodness. The new monthly challenges will all be uploaded this Friday at 7pm. Hope you can join us!

More cards!

2010-07-31T12:15:00.008+10:00

It's been another busy week ... don't you hate it when life gets in the way of creative time?! Sometimes, by the time I get to the end of the day and the hooligans are finally in bed, I'm just too tired to think let alone play with paper LOL. Anyway, luckily that didn't happen last night & I was finally able to use this week's fab sketch from CPS-Card Sketches.

I also made a card using one of Miss Mellie's stamps & this week's awesome sketch from Card Patterns.

I'm back to colouring with my markers. Sonya got me all inspired to get them back out after seeing her gorgeous colouring on her blog. I seem to go through phases ... sometimes my markers & sometimes my crayons. I wonder what it'll be next week?

I think I'm addicted ...

2010-07-24T10:57:00.006+10:00

to card sketches! There are some amazing card sketch blogs when you start looking ...

Sandra has just joined the team at Cardabilities and I found some time to play with this week's sketch.

And here's my version :) ... I hope you like it!

If you're anything like me, you love Webster's Pages but tend to keep them in the "precious" stash ... so they never actually get used *rolling eyes*. BUT how gorgeous is the 6x6 paper collections at Scrap Therapy! I couldn't resist & I can see I'll use it all the time.

Are you a ...

2010-07-22T21:35:00.003+10:00

procrastinator too? OMG, I had all the time in the world today to create ... my daughter was at kindy & my little boy had a three-hour day sleep ... but did I? Nope. All I achieved was to give my blog a make-over. Well it is nearly three weeks old LOL!!! Do you like it?

So have you booked your place at Scrap Therapy's 2011 retreat? Seats are filling fast so be sure to pay your deposit to secure your spot. We had the most amazing time at this year's retreat & 2011 will be even better ... a new venue = more seats = EVEN more fun!

This is my creation from Carol's mixed media canvas class. Carol is unbelievably creative & a huge inspiration ... and one of the nicest people I've met. Fingers crossed that Lee-Anne can talk Carol into hosting another class next year.

A weekend of Therapy

2010-07-19T19:58:00.007+10:00

This weekend was cybercrop time at Scrap Therapy with lots of fantastic challenges to keep us inspired. Even though I spent all day Saturday in the crop room at Babinda I still only managed to complete two challenges! I think Mel, Andrea & I spent more time laughing & chatting than scrapping (as usual) LOL.

It was Bec's turn to set the sketch challenge & an awesome one it was! Here's my take on it.

I'm just loving the colours in Basic Grey's Max & Whiskers range ... it looks so much better in real life.

Helen gave us a sketch for the card challenge & I enjoyed it so much I couldn't stop at just one card! I'll definitely be using this sketch again & again. Thanks Miss Jolly!

It's Cybercrop time at Therapy!

2010-07-14T22:52:00.003+10:00

Yay! So who's ready to cybercrop at Scrap Therapy this weekend? The design team always set such great challenges & this month's theme of dreams, hopes & wishes leaves lots of scope to play with. It's also the first time since joining the DT that the fabulous Helen will be setting a card challenge. I can't wait! See you in Therapy ...

Card Patterns Sketch 72

2010-07-12T09:52:00.008+10:00

Do you ever start off with a sketch & then find that the end result is not really anything like the original sketch ... oops? That's what happened here. I promise if you look really, really hard you'll find the sketch in there somewhere LOL. Can you see it?

The lovely Julie showed us how to make an easel card at Scrap Therapy's retreat & I LOVE them. They're so simple to make & so effective.

Yep, there's that stamp again LOL! I'm totally in love with High Hopes stamps & this one is just perfect for new baby cards. If you love stamps be sure to check out Amy's store, Stampin' Stuff. Just beware ... it's extremely addictive :)!

'til next time ...

Gorgeous stuff

2010-07-11T18:32:00.002+10:00

How clever is Becci! Check out these crocheted beauties ...

Becci's first passion, before she discovered scrapping, was crochet so she's decided to sell her lovely creations. But first she wants to give some away :). All you need to do is pop over to Becci's blog & become a follower to find out all the giveaway details. It's that easy! Good luck with your new venture Becci.

Mojo Monday sketch challenge 146

2010-07-06T15:28:00.012+10:00

I've been having so much fun lately playing with stamps & my watercolour crayons. The very first time I met the marvellous Mellie she was colouring ... her cards were so beautiful I just had to ask where to start so she lent me her stamps & watercolour pencils & so the addiction began :-)! I jokingly call her my enabler but I think it's gotten to the point that we're as bad as each other LOL. It's so wonderful to have found a kindred spirit & beautiful new friend.

Don't you just love the latest sketch at Mojo Monday! I've never entered a blog challenge before but I loved the sketch so much I decided that there's a first time for everything. For my card I've used some gorgeous October Afternoon papers, High Hopes Cuddle Cloud Baby stamp & Prima flowers & bling. How cute is that stamp?!

Welcome ...

2010-07-05T15:11:00.009+10:00

to my very first post! Yep, I've finally joined blog land ... It's taken me all day to set up *insert rolling eyes smilie here* & I'll probably make some changes, but I guess I'll learn as I go.

Friday night was spent scrapping & chatting (mostly chatting) with the gorgeous Mel & Helen at Scrap Therapy in Babinda. Actually, I don't think I created anything but I still didn't get home until 1am LOL! We always have such a wonderful time ... Lee-Anne & Danny are the best!

So because I didn't manage to achieve anything, I'll leave you with my layout I did for the Scrap Therapy June Cybercrop inspiration challenge that I was lucky enough to win. I hope you like it!