Curiosity Killed The Cat...

Harry Potter or BUST!!! ;)

2012-01-31T12:35:00.000+08:00

... Just can't hardly wait! ;)

2012-01-30T00:34:00.000+08:00

Perth Extravaganza 2012 with Finnabair and Gerry van Gent... I can't actually believe its for real!!!!

AND THE WINNER IS...

2011-11-14T09:58:00.000+08:00

I am so sorry for the delay in drawing the winner of my little give away... as usual life has been getting in the way!

Without any further adieu... drum roll please... the RANDOM GENERATOR SAYS... THE WINNER IS... ok so that was maybe a little further adieu ;)

Comment NUMBER 10.... which was...

Baggles said...

I am loving you r work, If i stuff up a LO I usually pull it apart and start again it usually ends up better than the one I stuffed up lol

6 November 2011 11:06 AM

Congratulations Baggles!!! ;)

If you let me know your address I will pop this package in the post for you chick! You can email me at abcdcox@e-wire.net.au or Facebook Message me (see right hand column).

Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by, said nice things and left comments... I really appreciate the support and the sharing... it was a bit of a giggle to read what becomes of all your "stuff ups"! ;)

Thanks also to the amazing Sandra Wallace for organising us all and making this blog hop happen. Thanks too to all the amazing Twiddleybitz Design Team... you are a constant source of inspiraton and amusement!

Finally... a HUGE and heartfelt thank you to Mr and Mrs Twiddleybitz who create THE VERY BEST CHIPBOARD and give us the opportunity to play with it. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be allowed the opportunity.

Until next time... keep on Twiddlin' chickies! ;)

Welcome to my blog on the Twiddleybitz hop...

2011-11-06T10:00:00.004+08:00

Hi there... thanks for stopping by... so glad you have made it this far. Our apologies for all the delays. Blogger hasn't been playing nice. :/ There's a nice blogger... please publish my post. ;)

How are you enjoying the hop apart from the hassles? I for one am totally blown away by all the amazing talent that we have seen so far... in fact... so much so I think I am having a bit of a confidence crises... especially having to follow Karen McLauchlan. ;)

Just to get us started... and not to be outdone by the other DT girls who think those pretty boys are "eye candy"... What about THESE lookers??? I give to you your TWIDDLEY ANGELS (well some of them plus a retired one at least!) ;)

Now, just as I promised, I am going to share my not so proudest of moments first (surely it can only get better from here right?). Have you ever started a LO that looked just fabulous in your head but that just would NOT co-operate and translate onto the page. I think I have my ambitions mixed up with my abilities and reality of late!!! I have always been a bit of a "more is more" type of girl... but this next LO was definitely one I should have left well enough alone on!!!! I am still going to show it to you... because I am also a "wear your heart on your sleeve and air your dirty laundry in public" sort of girl too! LOL ;) Anyway, it does have a few techniques on it that I wanted to share... and I hope you will give them a try and post you creations in the gallery at the ning.

You may or may not know by now what a cheap skate Twiddler I am... I used my Twiddleybitz pieces as a mask with Crafty Notions Black Tulip spray on this piece of white cardstock BEFORE I used them on another project (if you scroll right down to the bottom of THIS POST you can see the other project I used the actual Twiddleybitz pieces on) . I just had a think about what else they could be used for and positioned them on my background for another project when I sprayed them.

I also used TWO Tweeny Bitz Cogs as a temporary stamp. I just used double sided tape and attached them to a small acrylic block and dipped them in paint... here's where I got a bit carried away... and wrecked it... but I digress... it's all about the technique... "EMBRACE IMPERFECTION," Tim Holtz says... "excuse my crap," I whisper. LOL ;) I tried the stamping technique using the word Baby too.

The Twiddleybitz had become rather soggy at this point... so in true stingey fashion I also peeled the pieces (very carefully) apart so as to make two for the price of one... you have to be VERY gentle and patient. I used an awl to prise the layers apart. So there is actually only three Tweeny Bitz Cogs used on this whole page plus three word titles.

By this stage I hated the LO so much anyway that I thought, "why not go for broke" and I added more watered down paint (the turquoise) by flicking with a toothbrush (way messy... note to self: don't be wearing a white singlet at this point)... and even more Crafty Notions "Jaffalicious" Colour Spray. The background would probably be ok for another project... just not this photo... too many different things going on (trying to be whimsical / cutesy with the twine and hearts and grungy all on one LO just isn't doing it for me!) and it's too all over the place. I think it looks TOTALLY crap and to be totally honest I will probably pull it all apart and redo it... but yeah, the thought was there and it is SUPPOSED to be the thought that counts isn't it? ;)

Anyway, I hope you had a laugh and learned something from my ~~mistakes~~ experimentation!!! ;) Why not have a go using your Twiddleybitz in some new ways... masking, stamping and then splitting into layers... now THERE'S some bang for your Twiddley buck... but ssssssssssssshhhhh don't tell Mr Twiddley... he already thinks I am a scrooge! ;)

Here's another one I did using the new Birds on Tree Trunk (November release). I love this photo of my biggest boy. It's hard to believe he is fast becoming a man. I also adore this piece of Twiddleybitz.. my latest favourite... but again it just didn't turn out quite like I had hoped. It's ok... just not as spectacular as I had imagined in my head! My imagination knows no bounds... shame my fingers can't keep up the pace. Oh and just for the record I KNOW I won't be able to leave this one alone either... I have a couple of ideas to "fix it" already!!!! ;) I used Tim Holtz Black Soot Distress Embossing Powder for this piece. I used some Twiddley Alpha Square letters and stickers to complete the title.

OK here is one I really DO love... I adore this photo of my darling husband and our girls... and I really like how it turned out. Simple is my new look I think. I am still in love with everything Steampunk. ;)

Another really simple and quick one of my biggest girl... I can't get enough of these Nero Wrought Iron Filligree pieces and I have used them on LOTS of LOs as that little finishing touch. There are also some $2 shop, cheap arse, contraband letters on this one... sssssssssssssssshhhhhhh don't tell on me ok!!! ;) I need MORE alphas pretty please Mrs Twiddley!!! ;)

The big girl again... she has been giving Mumma's camera better smiles lately... take them while you can get them I say! ;) I love the new My Mind's Eye Lost and Found 2 range of papers... I had to have them all... and they co-ordinate with so many Twiddleybitz pieces that I think it's a match made in heaven! Just a few touches of Twiddleybitz here to finish it off... Nero Wrought Iron Mantle and just a small Flourish in the bottom left corner under the flowers.

I just had to add this one in... even Miss 9 loves to Twiddle... she chose all these products and put it together completely and all by herself with NO interruptions or suggestions from Mum! ;) She simply inked the Fantasy Butterfly with a black Versa Color cube. Those are some more contraband alphas there... did I mention I needed more alphas? ;) I personally love the lead pencil ruled line under the title to keep it "straight"... too cute. ;)

OK... last project for me. I completed this mini album for Tomorrow's Memories as a shop sample for the Webster's Pages Let's Celebrate Range. I have included a double page for each of her birthdays up to age 18. It started out as a quick "just throw something together" project but it ended up bigger than Ben Hur and I used heaps of Twiddleybitz to complete it. You could adapt this project to suit any theme but it would make a great GIFT (I am nothing if not subtle!) for a first birthday present for someone special. ;)

I heat embossed the title word...

I also painted the back of the title word white so it looked nicer seen through the transparent cover. I heat embossed the baby basics.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm... no Twiddleybitz here??? Will have to fix that when I get it back! ;)

I must have missed taking a photo of the 2nd Birthday page. :'(

Just a painted heart on this page.

These mushrooms and the fairy have all been heat embossed. It was a bit fiddly doing different colours (you just need to mask off each section with a piece of paper as you do each colour) but they turned out really well I think. Click on the photo for a larger image to see the details.

I covered this banner with left over scraps... a bit fiddly to sand the edges... but I think it looks cute. ;)

More heat embossing on the cupcakes... they almost look good enough to eat IRL! ;)

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Twiddleybitz-less again... I think I am out of hearts too Mrs Twiddley! ;)

Heat embossing on the musical notes. ;)

I painted this section of banner and added some doodling with a black pen. Don't be afraid to cut your Twiddleybitz down to the size you need.

More pages yet to be Twiddley-fied for extra birthdays yet to come. ;)

Most of my recent projects / LOs on this blog have Twiddleybitz on them so please feel free to have a look around... I have a page devoted to Twiddleybitz here and of course my ning gallery too.

Thank you so much for stopping by... I also have a prize pack to giveaway... to be in the running please follow my blog and leave me a comment... I'd LOVE to hear what you do when you ruin a LO / project... Do you chuck a tantie? Throw the lot in the bin? Pull all the "good stuff" off and start again? Or just keep throwing good product / time after bad like me????!!!!! ;) I have heard there have been a few issues with not being able to comment on some of the blogs... if you are having trouble with mine please copy and paste this link below directly into your browser and see if that helps...

http://satisfactionbroughtitback.blogspot.com/

if not... let me know on Facebook. ;)

Also... if you are heading off to the Paper Crafts Festival in Penrith today we also have more prizes on offer... check out the ning (scroll down on the Home Page under the picture of Lucile Ball) to see how you can win Twiddleybitz just for stopping by the Twiddleybitz booth and saying hello. ;)

Keep checking back on the Twiddleybitz (Chipboard & Craft) Facebook page too... tag yourself in the picture of Lucille Ball for another chance to win. ;)

NEXT STOP ON THE HOP IS... drum roll please... LISA KAMPHUIS' BLOG at 3pm AEDST...

Sandra has listed it as AEST but they are on Daylight Savings Time at the moment... if you get lost along the way... check the schedule here. ;)

Happy hopping... hope you are all having fun and thanks again for stopping by and don't forget to ask your local stores to get Twiddleybitz in stock... it really is a fabulous product! ;)

IT'S TONIGHT!!! The Twiddleybitz RAKamania Bloghop!!

2011-11-04T10:00:00.001+08:00

Welcome to the

Twiddleybitz

RAKamania Bloghop!!

it starts today!!

Each of the DT members has a RAK waiting for you to win when you

visit their blog during the hop.

THAT'S FIFTEEN RAKS!!
We hope you find lots of inspiration and ideas,

have a bit of fun and maybe pick up a prize or two along the way. ;-)

The schedule for the hop is below, but make sure to keep popping back into the ning and on our

Facebook page for more inspiration, fun and even more chances of winning!

Going to the Australian Papercraft Festival this SUNDAY??
Be the first of 20 to go to the Twiddleybitz Booth and say these Secret words..

**TWIDDLEYBITZ ROCKS SYDNEY!!**

and we will give you a piece of Twiddleybitz! Too Easy!
BUT

(of course there is a but, lol)

you must be a member of the Twiddleybitz Ning and it is only on the Sunday.

So....Ready to start the Bloghop??
The schedule is below with the times that each DT members Blog goes live. The DT Angels can’t wait to show what they have created for you.

and PSSSTTT!!

Be on the look out for secret words!!

These will be highlighted somehow in each of the posts along the way. Don’t worry, they will be easy to find. ;-) They are the words of a quote and will be in order. All you have to do is collect them along the way and then send me, Sandra Wallace, a personal message telling me what you think the quote is. All correct entries will be placed into a prize draw.

The RAKamania bloghop starts with the VERY talented

and super gorgeous Mel Forbes.

For the rest of the schedule please click the following link

Bloghop Schedule

Now let's get this party started... the first blog to visit tonight... Friday 4th November... will be the amazing

MEL FORBES

7pm AEST

9pm NZ

6:30pm SA

6pm QLD

5:30pm NT

4pm WA

FINAL WORD OF THE SECRET QUOTE WILL BE

GIVEN ON SUNDAY, 8PM AEST

ON THE NING

SEE YOU ON THE HOP!!

:-)

There's life in the old scrapper yet...

2011-10-25T19:17:00.002+08:00

I have not played along in a cyber crop for I don't know how long... so when I saw the post on Facebook that Scrapbook Savvy was having their's last weekend I thought I might just have a go at a challenge or two.

This is my take on Sara's Sketch Challenge... the only other requirement was the background had to be patterned paper. I am a hoarder of ridiculous proportions when it comes to patterned paper... so this is a "vintage" My Mind's Eye piece from the Tres Jolie Bonjour Memories range... it is so old it's been archived on their website! LOL ;)

It's not too late to play along if you want to check it out... I think you have until Thursday 27th October... I assume she means midnight???

Not much else to share at the moment... but at least I have been scrapping... I am getting it all ready for our Twiddleybitz RAKamania starting on the 4th Novemeber... watch this space as they say! ;)

Thanks for popping in... best wishes and Happy Halloween to you and yours. ;)

Just sharin' some "stuff"...

2011-09-22T15:09:00.001+08:00

These two LOs are samples I did for Tomorrow's Memories. You can buy them as a kit in store.

I did this LO using some old Basic Grey Boxer papers that Melissa Heather gave me eons ago... this LO was about 4 years in the making and I finally got it completed at Camp Mojo... with just a tiny bit of Twiddleybitz to finish it off. It's my darling husband and his dad at his18th birthday.

I used to be cute... in 1979!!!! ;) My Mum used to make these dresses for me and my two sisters... I hated them... and used to wear shorts underneath to get changed when I got to school... for which I am SURE one of them dobbed me in!!! ;) Mum was mad that the school photographer didn't make me take the green cardigan off... man WHO sends their kid to school in a red dress and green cardy???? Anyway, now I wish I could sew and make my girls dresses like this... but I bet my bottom dollar THEY WOULD wear shorts underneath to get changed too! ;)

FASTEST LO EVER! 15 minutes to make a challenge (vintage pack) deadline at Camp Mojo... I didn't muck around with tape or glue... I STAPLED it all down to make it in time!!! ;) With just a tad of Twiddleybitz and a little butterfly form Chelley Bean Designs to finish it off! ;)

This one of my littlest man, Albert was another Mojo challenge... brown and teal and thread and calico if I remember rightly... or something like that. More from A Lil' Somethin' {well they WERE sitting right behind me!!! ;) } and the new "little" words and an adorable pram from Twiddleybitz.

This one is using the new Twiddleybitz rusting powders... if you can get your hands on some of this stuff then DO! BUT you have to be a bit patient with it. To be honest I tried it and almost threw the whole thing out! It DOES take a bit of time for the effect to show... even overnight if you can stand it. I applied Gesso then the powder then sprayed with vinegar... then WAIT. It is worth it I promise! ;)

This is my Kindergarten photo... told ya I WAS cute! ;) I absolutely love the My Minds Eye Lost & Found papers... teamed with a bit of texture paste and colour spray... and LOTS of Twiddleybitz of course! ;)

Just for fun... and another Mojo challenge. I think it was orange, lace and a die cut??? Maybe? ;) I think my brain is fried... when I did this LO I actually put 3&4 on it... lucky I WAS sitting behind Wendy Smith because she pointed out my error so I fixed it! ;)

Anyway, as I said before you may have seen these posted on my Facebook page before... but I am just putting them here for my own record.

Thanks for stopping by... happy day to you and yours. ;)

... and again!

2011-09-15T11:35:00.000+08:00

You might have seen these on the Twiddleybitz Facebook page already... just posting these here for my own record... more Twiddleybitz stuff. ;)

An ATC for our DT display...

Some Christmas Cards... eeekkkk... is it really almost THAT time of year again?

Using a technique I learned at Camp Mojo from Jane Clark. It is basically Tim Holtz Distress Stains, Inks and heat embossing. I also used my Cuttlebug to dry emboss.

Denim is cool for something a little different through the Cuttlebug too.

Again with the Tim Holtz Distress Inks... this time a technique I learned at Camp Mojo from Rachel Greig of Darkroom Door fame.

Loving the Tim Holtz Distress Inks... a little Christmas Tag Book... with room for a wish list on the back.

Again with the off the page stuff... what's with THAT? This Twiddleybitz Small Shadow Box measures about 6x4... I have used it here with the Miniature Houses and a few other Twiddleybitz pieces. Austin loved this little frame so much he wanted to run off and play with it. I am thinking they would look super cute as a set of three... or maybe even more.

Anyway, as I said... just posting fo rmy record.

Hope you and yours are well.

Twiddling again! ;)

2011-07-28T23:37:00.001+08:00

I don't as a general rule do OTPs... but I made this set of Twiddleybitz Shadow Box Frames... and I was really pleased with how they turned out in the end. If you have a few moments to spare drop by the Twiddleybitz ning site and check out my tutorial for a basic step-by-step on how I did them.

I need to do two more for the two little boys... I was going to use LEARN for one title... as in Live, Laugh, Love, Learn... but what is another "L" word I can use for the last one? Any suggestions anyone?

I wanted to add a HUGE thank you to the irrepressable Sherry Mendoza just because she ROCKS... and she gave me two sheets of this Pink Paislee House of Three Parisian Anthology paper which I need to complete the two extra frames and that I could not find anywhere. Thanks heaps Sherry you really are just the best... now you sure you won't organise another Camp Mojo??? ;)

Anyway, I hope you will check out my little tutorial... enjoy. ;)

2 days, 7 hours and 55 minutes since Camp Mojo...

2011-07-26T23:56:00.002+08:00

What can I say about Mojo? Words just don't seem enough.

Well, I am totally and utterly exhausted... glad to be home but missing the whole experience already.

It was everything I expected and so much more. I had the most amazing weekend. I chatted and laughed and ate and drank... and even got into a few deep and meaningful conversations... Lisa Oxley, my darling, my desert is looking just that bit more welcoming with an oasis at its centre... my cube has it's old spark back... my ladder grew about 80 rungs... that horse is looking a damn sight better and even those poor, little, wilted flowers are blooming a little brighter today. ;) Now lots of these photos are shared ones... so I will credit where I think I know... but please forgive (and feel free to correct me) if I have it wrong.

Finally I meet Lisa Witch Oxley... thanks for sharing this great shot of us chick. ;)

I have been chatting to these girls online for about 6 years. The fabulous Lauren Condon came for a drive to visit especially... Finally, we met face to face and and I think it was her camera that Peta MacBeth (yet ANOTHER awesome chick that I hope to meet again one day soon) took this gorgeous photo with. Lisa Oxley, Ali McDonald, Lauren and Sarah Ward and Me... that's my scrapping history right there...

... and Alyssa Vollmann too!

I got to meet some of the most amazing women in the scrapbooking / crafting / arting world... I caught up with lots of old "online" friends in real life FINALLY and got to make some unexpected and just plain awesome new friends too.

Two of my most favouritest people in the whole wide world... Loolabelle and Lucy "crazymumm" O'Malley-Powter (I think this is a Lisa Oxley photo).

That is LOUISE NELSON!!! Taking MY PHOTO!!!!!

WA was well represented with Mel Forbes, Lyn and Tahlia Marafioti, Bev Lemm, Rachel Walsh, Mel Connell, Jenny Burns, Megan Black and me all making the trek. The trip over was good and the taxi ride up to the Hunter Valley Retreat was an experience to say the least! ;) Thanks so much to Lauren Bell for organising us from Sydney Airport to the actual retreat... and back to the airport on Sunday afternoon.

I did Jane Clark's card class and learned a very clever faux rust technique using Tim Holtz Distress Stains and Inks and clear embossing.

I got to do Sarah Gladman's canvas class... I have been chatting to this amazing creative genius for 6 years online and it was fabulous to finally meet her in real life... and of course I have not yet finished the project!!! ;)

On Friday, after lunch, I had the AMAZING opportunity to have a mini photo shoot with Lynette Van Barrelo of My Lens and Me Photography. Lynette and I were Scrapbooking Memories Masters together back in 2009... and I have been chatting online to her since. It was a pleasure and a privilege meeting you chick... and HOLY CRAP, YOU MADE ME LOOK HOT (even if I do say so myself)! ;) hahahahaha

I also did Sherry's canvas class... again NOT YET FINISHED... perhaps those teachers back in primary school had it right... if Anne-Marie didn't talk so much and focussed on the task at hand she would complete more work on time. ;)

Finally, I also did Rachel Grieg's card class which was really cool. I am so not a cards person... but after this class and seeing how simple it really is to get a cool look using Tim Holtz and Darkroom Door... I think I've changed my mind! ;) These I did finish... BUT they are being posted home... I will share when they get here.

I met Jodi Dolbel, a top chick, who had us all in stitches with her Glee performance... which certainly falls under the "What happens at Mojo stays at Mojo" clause!!! ;)

I met my most recent favourite scrapper... Crystal Goulding, the dark horse and my newest Facebook friend... and current Master Bridgette Hatton who is just the most lovely chick you could ever hope to know. ;)

I met Kat Hall (meow) who sat to my left while we talked to much and scrapped not enough!!! ;) I will cherish those heartfelt memories and treasure the moments FOREVER chick! bwahahahahahha ;)

I wanna be Sharryn Thomson when I grow up! This chick made the whole weekend an absolute blast. :)

along with Sandra Staples... with whom I enjoyed my respite care!!! ;)

I also met and LOVED Lisa Warren and Ebony van der Starre and Marelle Jackman and Angela Connolly and Libby Morris and Andrea North and Deb Godley and Maree Warren and Katherine Fletcher and Carol Mead and Kim Jeffress and Kris Pace and Tarrah McLean and Michelle Winston and Sherie Goodrich and Ellen Woodbridge and Tatum Woodroffe and her sister Lauren Boase and Lisa Pate and Peg Hewitt and Penny Lees and Alita Pereira and Melanie Jefferson and Teresa Crouch and Vickie Deans and Wirg Hampson... man it really WAS a who's who of the scrapping world! ;)

Tracey Henly and Judie Willoughby and Helen Jolly were especially fabulous, generous and fun chicks too...

I met sister act Wendy Smith and Susan Longman of A Lil' Somethin' fame... LOVE their "stuff", LOVE their work, LOVE their sense of humour. These chicks rocked Mojo for sure! ;)

Sadly it seems Camp Mojo is to be a one off... though I reckon if we keep harrassing Sherry Mendoza and Jane Clark for long enough they might just concede and do it all again next year... well, a girl can dream can't she?? ;)

I created stuff all... started LOTS but didn't finish much. I did do a few LOs but they are still in transit because I had to jettison some luggage!!! The wonderful Jo "Twiddleybitz" Kinder is kindly posting them back for me... that's if she doesn't ransack my stash! I will share soon. She was the BESTEST roomie and scrappy neighbour EVER!! Jo thank you so much for a fabulous weekend... We SO have to do it again one day in the not too distant future!!!

I got to meet LOTS of the Twiddley Angels too... what an AWESOME bunch of chicks... and Tracy Lamoon came for a visit and a photo too! ;)

Look at us getting our Angel poses on! ;)

Jo and I (well I was the ideas man... Jo did the actual creating!) made Sherry a floppy, fabric chicken with a sign around his neck saying "Knock, knock Motherfucker!" I think she liked it... so if you see a whole lot of chickens popping up on Facebook you will know why! ;)

Actually, I think I was having a bit of a crises of confidence surrounded by all that talent... star struck and stage fright... but man the inspiration was flowing and now that I am home I have finally got my Mojo happening!

Here's my LO from the last pre-Mojo challenge... lots of Twiddleybitz... if you pop over to the Twiddleybitz ning site I am going to do a little give away for whoever is the first to tell me how many different pieces (excluding duplicates and the alphas count as one). You have to add your comment to my photo in the gallery there though, not here ok. Can you see that little pink and green button... near the rope yellow one? That's one of Michelle Jamieson's little ChelleBean Designs creations that she asked me to make something with, oh I don't know... about 3 years ago!!!! Slow scrapper much? Sorry Chelle... it's on a page now!!! ;)

This is one I started at Camp Mojo and just finished this morning... it's the first LO that I have really loved in a while. I have decided I am an ideas man... my ability just cannot keep up with my creativity and imagination is all! LOL ;)

Well... that was my Camp Mojo round up... if we can't do Mojo again I hope at the very least I get to meet some of these amazing women again soon. Seriously, it was just THAT damn good! ;)

Thanks for stopping by... happiness to you and yours.

Check this out...

2011-07-09T17:50:00.001+08:00

Check out Angie Delarie's Blog

Please DO NOT keep reading if you are easily offended...

2011-06-22T18:10:00.002+08:00

Please Do NOT keep reading if you don't like swear words.

Please DO NOT keep reading if you are sensitive.

BUT MOST OF ALL PLEASE DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE WHAT I SAY THE WRONG WAY...

I can handle constructive criticism.. welcome it even... I can use all the help I can get.

BUT PLEASE DO NOT TAKE WHAT I AM ABOUT TO SAY THE WRONG WAY... and please believe me when I say this is NOT a personal attack on ANYONE... just my thoughts, musings, views and beliefs at THIS precise moment in time...

Please do not keep reading if you are already bored... and don't like whingeing... 'cos THIS is going to get MESSY... deep, dark and meaningful... and rude even. ;)

I am using CAPS in the hope that you will GET what I mean... YES! When I use caps I AM shouting or emphasising at the very least. When I use "!!!!" it means I really, really mean it... and when I do this ";)" it means I am "winking"... trying to make a bit of a joke... but I still mean it... but you know, in a tongue in cheek sort of way, giving you a nudge in the ribs, punch on the shoulder in a fun way to say hey, you get me right?

Anyway, look away now for those who are feint of heart. Bare with me those of you whose curiosity I have piqued. ;)

Lately I have become disillusioned and disheartened... the world around us seems not such a great place to me to be raising five children in... and I feel like I haven't done all the things I wanted to... I haven't achieved all the plans and goals and dreams and hopes I had.

I do believe there are more good people than bad out there but I am a cynic... or rather cynical... especially of the #3. variety about almost everything we are told to believe in and how to live our lives. This woman is about the only one who gives me any hope that things can in fact be natural for our children's sake. ;)

–adjective

like or characteristic of a cynic; distrusting or disparagingthe motives of others.

showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty ormorality by one's actions, especially by actions that exploitthe scruples of others.

bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic.

I try not to be, but sadly for me, I am discovering that I really AM my father's daughter. He is the quintessential pessimist. He would call himself a realist. Now, growing up I never considered myself pessimistic. In fact, quite the opposite. I was one of these lucky kids who had a wonderful, care free, mostly footloose and fancy free childhoods. You know, just like the Facebook status quote:

"If you played in the dirt, got smacked when you misbehaved, had 4 TV channels (& no remote) [actually we had 2], school days started with assembly, shops were closed Sunday, recorded the top 40 from the radio by blocking the holes in the cassette, drank water from the tap, when street lights came on it was time to go home, and you turned out ok, please repost".

Yep, that was ME. Couldn't have asked for a better childhood. Full of promise for a wonderful future. I only wish I could provide one just like it for my own children to enjoy (another bone of contention but I will save that for another post).

You know the thing about good mums?

My Mum was one of those... well to me at least. I can't speak for the other four of them... I suspect a couple of them at least have "issues". ;) Anyway, her house was never spotless... there was always kids coming and going and crap everywhere... there was quite often fights and screaming matches... there was most definitely room for improvement in the scheduling department... but we ALWAYS had a good meal on the table, clean clothes to wear and a warm bed to sleep in. I think I had a fabulous childhood. I mean, hey, look how great I turned out! ;)

Guess what? I have THE dirtiest oven you ever saw and this morning I was wearing socks and no shoes and I SWEAR I stuck to the floor so bad that it pulled my sock clean off! This afternoon no homework is getting done, my kitchen looks like a bomb went off and I am typing this instead of organising dinner... but my kids had a ball making cupcakes... all by themselves... I just helped eat them! ;) Yep, my kids ARE happy... when I am not bitching at them. Surely that gives me some points on the board? Shouldn't we be measuring our success in terms of happiness, fulfilment and contentment? Not $$$ and material things????

BUT... Lately it seems everything I touch, try to do or see is either too hard, too expensive, too difficult or just plain old too much! I feel like everything is a fight, every single, little step of the way... and it wears you down. Deep down to the bones. Most people at this point will say... "Oh, but you have 5 children. OF COURSE you are going to find it difficult."

AND YES! I agree... 5 children IS crazy.... seriously, I mean it... you'd have to be a fucking nutter to have 5 kids... BUT when you KNOW you can "do better" it is little consolation. It's bullshit. For the most part I like to think I am that chick who seems to have it all together... a little nutty maybe... a little out there... a little (ok, A LOT) too opinionated and verbal about it... but the one who holds her shit together and just gets on with it. I cannot STAND being "pitied". Mostly I think I pull it off...MOST of the time... just get on with it... just fucking do it... just make it happen... and it really isn't always that tough when I just go with the flow and let things be... well, organic... but you know sometimes I just hit the wall... and well, things get FUCKED UP!

So what's prompted this? Lately I have been really questioning a lot of "stuff" in my life... You know the BIG STUFF... the "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?" stuff. Can anyone say "mid-life crises"????
THINGS LIKE:

Life choices... the good, the bad and the ugly
Where I am "at"?
Where have I been?
Where the hell did these 5 kids come from?
WHERE the FUCK am I going?
How am I going to get there?
FUCK ME there is just too much in my way to ever get there!
What the FUCK was I thinking?
Have I in fact woken up in a parallel universe and / or someone else's body?
Arrrrrrrrrhhh FUCK IT, I think I'll just stay in bed.

Now the thing is all this has led me to start seeing things differently... opening my mind and heart to alternative points of view. I have been talking to people... gathering opinions and information... reading blogs... (this chick is a crack up if you are requiring a little comic relief by now) and getting my head around stuff... LOTS of stuff.

There have been a few things of late that have been signs as far as I am concerned... pointing me in a particular direction. These were a few of the more obvious ones:

A while ago now Nicole Pomeroy hit the nail on the head for me with this post. Did I tell you lately that I love you Nicole? ;)

Then a few weeks ago I had a really good conversation on Facebook with Kirsty Campbell. This chick rocks and inspires... and most importantly of all she shares... her experiences and feelings and beliefs. It [SHE] got me really motivated to change the direction (or lack there of) I was heading in... I have procrastinated on this... but I think Kirsty is completely right... when the time is right it I WILL do it and make it happen.

Then last night I had a really interesting conversation on Facebook with a REAL and gutsy chick called Crystal Goulding who I have the utmost respect for... because she has the balls to talk about her depression and share... real, down to earth honesty.

While talking to her I started thinking about times when I felt my lowest and really struggled to make myself just barely function. I don't think I suffer depression... no, I don't think I am in denial... but I do think I have glimpses of it... I just refuse to succumb to it for fear I may never pull myself out of the abyss. Post natal depression was just not an option for me... there was no-one to fall in a heap upon. Practical to a fault.. my husband had to work, he couldn't stay home one minute longer. The mantra "just get up and get on with it" has been running through my head since I was a small child... my mother was ever the pragmatist. The stupid thing is that I can sympathise and support other people but never myself. My saving grace I believe has been my ability to recognise those feelings when they overcome me and positive self talk... I just kept telling myself.. you CAN do this, you WILL do this... and most importantly of all, "this too will pass". (Thank you Joanne, fellow twin mumma, for that little pearl of wisdom that I think on more than one occasion has saved both me and my children much anguish)... PLUS I think I am just so insanely tired that I feel like a cannot take one more step... the irony is I suffer insomnia... so yeah, things get FUCKED UP.

The stupid thing is right, the thing that set me off on this tirade was this blog post... now this is the bit where I beg of you please DO NOT take this the wrong way... I am NOT attacking the Super Organised Mum... I think she is rather clever and I am sure she is a lovely lady... apparently she lives not far from me... and in another life I probably would have liked to have been her friend. I have never been a huge fan of her blog or anything but I admit I would like to get my shit together a bit more and be a little more on top of things so I have on occasion read her posts and thought, "oh yeah, that's a good idea"... but I don't think I have ever really gotten past the actual thinking it was a good idea and putting it into practice stage... preferring to live vicariously through her efforts (this is a recurring theme for me... Biggest Loser, Masterchef, The Amazing Race, Survivor, The Block... love 'em all... means I don't have to actually get off my fat arse and do it though)...

BUT anyway I got to thinking... maybe I should worry about giving my poor neglected husband more HEAD JOBS first... then cleaning / tidying / ironing / organising second. I MEAN WHAT THE FUCK! Being organised is NOT more important to me than my actual life. The last 3 or 4 years I have spent my life feeling overwhelmed and out of control... like I don't do enough... trying to get my shit together, schedule better, be more organised, menu plan, pack healthy lunch boxes blah, blah fucking blah. All the while my darling husband has said, "Don't stress, it will be ok. Why do you do this to yourself (us)? Just come to bed babe... and give me a head job!" ;) By the way, that *wink* means he did not say that literally... but he sure as hell meant it... simple man my husband, dinner on the table, clean work clothes, a cuddle and some lovin' every now and then and he will move the earth for me... I don't know why I constantly demand more... our relationship is just fine when I let it be... and stop worrying about everything being perfect and clean and prim and proper and organised!

I have therefore come to the conclusion that this whole super organised thing is just another load of crap they (as in the corporate "they") are trying to sell us... just like being thin, driving the right car, having a spotless home, being green, making sure our children eat the right thing, do enough homework, get straight As, wear a hat, put on sunscreen, don't let your kid out of your sight for a nanosecond, be involved in enough STUFF!!! blah, blah, MORE fucking blah... do you think OUR parents worried about half the shit we do? Do you think YOU grew up ok? What I am getting at is all this "stuff" we have taken on board... all this stress and extra (stupid and unnecessary) worry... do you really think it makes us better parents? Do you think it makes our children grown into better people? Do you think our world is a better place for it? I sure as shit do NOT. If it's not working then why, oh why do we persist in pursuing these unrealistic and just plain fucking stupid goals? Seriously, it's just insane.

So... here is a heads up... you wanna be "more organised"? Then NEVER FUCKING SIT DOWN! Seriously, if I spend ALL day... and I mean ALL day... from 6am until 2am the NEXT day (and often beyond)... folding, sorting, washing, cooking, feeding, changing nappies, paying bills, going shopping, cleaning etc etc etc... then the house stays ok. Not perfect, but ok... acceptable... just! How the hell I ever did all that AND held down a full time job beats the shit outta me! Well, I did only have 1 child back then granted but still... fucked if I know how everything still managed to get done. Ah but there's the thing... not EVERYTHING did get done... not every day in any case... but it got done enough. No child starved, no husband missed out on a head job and I even felt good about myself most of the time.

Don't get me wrong... if being organised is your thing... and it works for you... and it makes you (and your husband and kids if you have them) happy then go for it... but if it is just another source of discontentment and frustration... if you are working harder at staying organised than you are enjoying your life... then it just ain't worth it! LET IT GO I say. I am. ;)

Obviously I mean within reason... I'm not suggesting you send you kids to school in dirty clothes... I'm not suggesting they NEVER do homework... I'm not suggesting you never mop your floor or clean your toilet... I'm not suggesting you eat cupcakes for dinner every night (but once in a while is fun!)... but you know what I mean... just let the reins loose once in a while... and don't beat yourself up about it.

So here's my advice... More head jobs less "organising".

Go ask your husband... I BET my bottom dollar he will agree. ;)

Just sharin'...

2011-06-14T18:14:00.001+08:00

http://ourbrightstarsandus.typepad.com/charmscreations/2011/06/sale-another-giveaway.html

Tomorrow's Memories

2011-06-12T23:53:00.000+08:00

Mel Connell and Evana Willis have some simply gorgeous classes coming up at Tomorrow's Memories. If you are looking for some inspiration give the store a call and book your place.

I have also just finished putting together a take home kit that is available for purchase from the store. It's a quick, simple way to just get those photos scrapped without too much effort.

Not much else to report... the snot train has well and truly arrived at my house and doesn't look like it will be departing any time soon. We have been in the wars a bit around here... coughs and colds and no voices... trips to the doctor and antibiotics for me and Miss D who stepped on a hot ember and burned in between her toes... then ran and jumped on my bed and hit her face and grazed and bruised her cheek really badly on the foot of my bed... slow down dear child, your poor mother cannot take much more of this. Then Albert decided to take a swan dive off the chair at Miss C's class assembly... and screamed the entire place down (he was fine, thank god)... BUT then came home, promptly fell over and split his bottom lip open... poor little man. :(

Other than that not much happening really. I am counting down the days until Camp Mojo... I am so looking forward to this break. It is really the first time I have ever been anywhere on my own... the first time away from my kids and husband... DH and I DID go to Adelaide without the (then 3) kids for four days back in 2006... but this is the first time I have ever been anywhere without any of them... it is the first scrapbooking retreat I have ever been on... the first time I will get to meet in real life a whole heap of amazingly talented chickies that I have been chatting online to for the past 5 or so years... it is going to be fabulous and I cannot wait! ;)

Some more {old} LOs

2011-06-07T13:22:00.000+08:00

Going RETRO! ;)

I don't think I have ever actually posted these here... I did them ages ago for Embellished before it changed hands. They are still some of my favourite LOs (and products). These first two are back to back on a single sheet of (old) Sassafras Lass patterned paper.

This one was using the (very old!) love elsie (Elsie Flannigan) Forrest range from KI Memories.

More love elsie from the Betty range (I told you they were OLD!) and Hambly Screen Prints... HSP are still one of my favourite products EVER! ;) This photo was taken just after I fell pregnant with Austin and Albert... and I was yet to find out I was in fact pregnant! ;)

I hope I have inspired you to pull some REALLY old stuff out of your stash and get scrapping! ;)

Thanks for stopping by... ;)

a {BIG} Lil' Somethin' in my mail box

2011-06-05T12:39:00.000+08:00

... finally has me creating again!

Thank you so much for such a wonderful and VERY generous {SUR}prize chickie babes! ;)

A Lil' Somethin' is AWESOME!

I haven't been this excited about a product for ages and I am not just saying that because I won either! ;)
I REALLY love them... and I NEVER buy yellow. Never really liked it... but these gorgeous embellies have me changing my view on that! ;)

Look out for the girls' next release... I for one will be camping out on their door (blog) step! ;)

Thanks for stopping by.
Scrappy goodness to you! ;)

a {BIG} Lil' Somethin'

2011-05-25T14:14:00.000+08:00

They're at it again... these chicks are rockin' it hey?

Next Sale is this Saturday... check it out at A Lil' Somethin'! PLUS there are prizes to be won. ;)

I keep forgetting...

2011-05-24T14:42:00.002+08:00

what LOs I have and haven't posted... so forgive me if any are ones you have seen before.

Apart from my Project Life / 365Project I haven't been scrapping much of late... life seems to have gotten very busy in the last few months. I guess it is no coincidence and having 5 kids... including two, two year olds... in the house will do that! ;)

I am loving the cooler weather... but it looks like the snot train has arrived at my house this week. :( After the crap we went through last year I was hoping this year we might have built up a bit of immunity but alas no... and last night poor Aus was up half the night vomiting... delightful. Everything crossed the rest of us don't get it... but I won't hold my breath. Looks like poor Alb is not himself today and has taken himself off for a nap in my bed... that very rarely happens unless I put them into their own beds. So we will see I suppose.

Other than that life is pretty much same old, same old around here. Which is a good thing... I need some time to slow down and smell the roses! ;) The girls have started netball though so that will be our main weekend activity for the coming months... followed by just good, old lazin' about, chillin' out and enjoying each other's company with the odd family outing thrown in for good measure.

We went the The Maze a few weeks back which was great fun... the girls loved it and the little boys were so funny (and surprisingly capable) on the mini golf (you can click on the collage to make it bigger). Next time we will get there earlier and make a whole day of it.

Check this out... the colours of the rope maze, Tayla's Tangle, were an exact match to the clothes I put on Aus & Alb... complete coincidence I swear! LOL ;)

My smart arsed husband! ;)

Anyway, these are the latest LOs I have done... this one is using a Bo Bunny kit which is available at Tomorrow's Memories. Still loving everything Steampunk from Twiddleybitz and I can't get enough of these new Itty Bitty alphas from Twiddleybitz too.

These two are from ages ago... and I am pretty sure I have never posted them here before... they were also kits you could buy at Tomorrow's Memories... not sure if any are still available but they do have heaps of other great page kits available for purchase here if you are looking for some quick and easy, no-brainer projects to get those photos scrapped. They also have the gorgeous new Create @ Home kits too if you were after something extra to sink your creative talent into.

Here is a shop sample I did for Tomorrow's Memories... this one is using the Pink Paislee House of Three Parisian Anthology Darling Doilies paper and just a few pretties.

These were just for fun... and something a little different. I have laminated (hot sealed) the photo and some scraps of patterned paper inside the pouch then added some assorted embellies such as flowers, buttons, stickers, alphas and rubons to the outside. See the Twiddleybitz butterflies? They are DELISH! I have split one into three layers... Mr TBZ thinks I am a cheap skate. He's right! ;) LOL ;)

They are a bit difficult to photograph (excuse all the finger smudges!) but I really love how this turned out. Dylan was (still is) such a little bit of a thing most of her pants (and the hand-me-downs from her sister) would always be too big around the waist and she'd be forever running around like this. The title is something my mother always said when we were little...actually I think she stills says it. It was a turn of phrase that meant't you'd stuffed something up, not lived up to expectations or let the side down. If you'd done something wrong... you were a "bum show"... or if something not so great had happened that was a "bum show"... or "what a bum show". Somehow it just fitted this photo... I guess running around with your bum crack showing is the ultimate "bum show" and by doing it you are being a "bum show" LITERALLY! LOL ;)

The title for this one is cut out of a Baker's Delight plastic bread bag and attatched with good old Sellotape... and here are the other three butterflies. See I AM a cheap skate! LOL ;) I just adore this photo of my darling girl... 9 years old already... and going on 19! Little hag... love you baby girl. ;)

The boys wrestle and cuddle all the time and I finally got some cute photos of them in action... 15 minutes after I took these of them playing in the rain a mini tornado hit our back yard and tore our back fence down! Eeeekk!

I am STILL in love with the Twiddleybitz cogs and sprockets and I have used the Bo Bunny Cambridge paper again here plus some Ali Edwards word art and Tim Holtz; 7 Gypsies; Stampin' Up and Baisc Grey embellishments to finish it off.

Here's a couple more from eons ago... I can't see them posted anywhere previously so I thought I'd just add them here too. This one is with the My Mind's Eye Jack & Jill range. My Mind's Eye was from the beginning and still is one of my all-time, favourite ever manufacturers.

This is an old photo of my husband and his little brother... no, they are not twins... born 14 months apart... but they look even more like twins now they are grown! ;)

Well I had best get to school to pick up the little darlings. Thanks for stopping by... much happiness to you and yours.

Yeah, I know long time, no blog...

2011-05-15T13:09:00.005+08:00

I just don't know where the time has gone. I know I say it every year... but seriously the last few months have flown by in a rush...

Back to school...
The little darlings all had birthdays... I am now the mother of a 19 year old, a 9 year old, a 6 year old and the boys are two already...
New job for husband dearest...
We have already had one dose of the coughs and snots...
We added a puppy to the equation... now we really are the whole circus catastrophe! ;)
AND the cat is still around.
I did The Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation (I only lost 4kg but I am on the right track at least) and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone wanting to get back in control...
Easter was pretty quiet but we had some nice down time together as a family... hence I only lost 4kg! ;)

Scrap wise I have done stuff all! Although I DID take part on a auction to help raise money for Relay for Life with Julie Heard... I PROMISE to post photos of that piece VERY soon... ssssssssshhhhh don't tell Heardy but it's not 100% finished yet... eeeeeepppp. :/

Other than that I do have SOME news to share which was a little bit exciting... now bear in mind that I am just a digi wanna be...

A few weeks ago I was browsing the upcoming Scrapbook & Papercraft Expo & Convention website and came across the Express Yourself and WIN competition. Of course it was too late to enter a traditional "real" paper LO...

So, using mostly the Choc Mint pack, a freebie (from some time back) from the lovely Louise Williams, my own "one little word" stamp in the background and a date stamp from Katie Pertiet, I set about creating a LO with the theme being "scrap yourself". If you click on the image it will open up big enough for you to read the journaling.

I liked it... so I sent it in... and I got picked in the Top 9. Visitors to the expo will vote for their favourite layout and, at the end of the event, there will be one winner and one runner-up in each category. If you are going along to the show please stop by and vote for your favourite LO in each category... hopefully it's mine! ;)

Anyway, I have to go... afore mentioned husband dearest is doing a lamb roast... his NEW family tradition is doing Sunday Roasts when he is home... and it smells gooooooooooood! ;)

Thanks for stopping by my sorely neglected blog. I will try not to leave it so long between posts from now on... and I will do some scrapping to share soon.

Happiness to you and yours.

IT'S TOMORROW'S MEMORIES' 7TH BIRTHDAY!

2011-05-08T00:43:00.006+08:00

COME CELEBRATE WITH US...

WE HAVE SOME EXCITING EVENTS PLANNED!!!

So it’s that time of the year again – time to celebrate with you all.

We have exciting events planned for the month of May: 12 hour birthday scrap, Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea, prizes and wonderful ‘Super Specials’!!

BIRTHDAY MONTH MAJOR PRIZE!!!

We are extremely excited to announce that this year our major prize for May is a…
TIM HOLTZ VAGABOND MACHINE PACKAGE (Approx. rrp $399.00)
For every $70.00 that you spend in one transaction, you will receive an entry into the draw for this amazing prize!

This competition runs from Saturday 7th May to Sunday 29th May. The winner will be drawn on Monday 30th May at 9am.

BIRTHDAY MONTH WEEKLY PRIZE

For every $20.00 you spend in the store in one transaction, you will receive one ticket to be in the running for the weekly prize. This prize will be drawn at the end of each week and the winner will be notified by phone. Tickets do not carry over from week to week.
The prize for the 1st week, from Saturday 7th May to Saturday 14th May is...

Tim Holtz Prize Pack rrp $62.60! (Selection of Crackle Paint, Distress Stains & Inks)

WEEKLY SPECIALS

Every week we will be having a sale on a selected range of items in the store. Our first week’s special is....

From Saturday 7th May to Friday 13th May
20% OFF ALL 12x12 & A4 PATTERNED PAPER

Check your emails each weekend to find out the next weekly special – You won’t want to miss them!

MONTHLY SUPER SPECIAL

From Saturday 7th May, we will be offering a super special deal on a wonderful selection of American Crafts Albums. We have stunning albums in all colours, shapes and sizes. These amazing prices are available from Saturday 7th May to Sunday 29th May and stocks are limited.

Be sure to come and check these albums out as we are sure the price would be hard to beat!

BIRTHDAY PARTY CELEBRATION 12 HOUR SCRAP

Our birthday party and Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea will be held on Saturday 14th May from 10am-10pm.

The 12 Hour Scrap has a super fun “Willy Wonka” theme!!
The cost is $20.00 and the price includes a yummy home-made dinner, prizes and lots of fun!

Those wishing to attend the Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea will need to make a donation of $10.00 which goes directly to the Cancer Council. Your $10.00 donation includes your morning tea, a ticket into the door prize and an auction “Paddle” so you can join in the Cancer Council Auction.

AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST MORNING TEA

On SATURDAY 14th MAY we are hosting a morning tea as part of “Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea” to raise funds for the Cancer Council.

Saturday 14th May, 11am – 12.30pm

Cost: $10.00 (Includes a ticket into the door prize and a paddle for the auction)

15% discount on store purchases.

Last year was a huge success and we have some truly amazing auction pieces again this year! (Stay tuned for details of our participating artists!!)

Auctions – No reserves!! All proceeds go to the Cancer Council.

I am sure Jo, Vicki & Clori would love to see you in the store and thank you in person for your loyalty and support over the past 7 years.

So please come along and join in the celebrations. See you there! ;)

2011-01-17T14:18:00.003+08:00

OK... I have been looking at other people's blogs and I have decided I want to organise MY blog into separate sections. I am going to have individual pages for each [see tabs at top of page]. So far I have come up with the following:

Just {US} will be all about my life and my family... and the occasional brag and/or vent! ;)
Creativity {Cured} the Cat will have all my latest scrapping projects... with commentary. ;)
Binxcat1 Begins explains my scrapping history.
Tomorrow's Memories will have details and samples of my upcoming classes at the store.
Twiddleybitz will have all my DT work.
Scrap the Boys will have my monthly Challenge samples.
That {Cheshire} Grin is where I will post my published and competition winning creations.

OK, so from now on, here I will post about my life, my husband, my kids, my home.

I will share my highs and lows, my happiness and woes, my trials and tribulations, my failures and successes. My {dysfunctional} family life can be boring and chaotic.. challenging and fun... full and frustrating... blissful and maddening... hopefully in at least equal measures!

In 2011 I am going to embrace and treasure every aspect, every moment... they are too precious to take for granted and too fleeting to ignore. Spontaneity is my wish... patience is my objective... real, deep down in your bones happiness is the goal.

I will also share my opinions (you know I have plenty of those!) on things that matter to me and you are welcome to have yours... I encourage it... nothing like a lively debate I say and I really do honestly enjoy hearing other sides of the story... how else are we to learn and grow? BUT please be a {wo}man about it and leave you name... if you feel strongly enough to leave a comment regarding something you disagree with then please be brave about it! I'll respect you more for it. ;)

bye, bye {2010}... hello {2011}

2011-01-17T03:02:00.011+08:00

Well we are already half way through January and I have not done a bloody thing; crafty or otherwise! I am blogging today for me, for my history's record... so if you aren't into reading me blab on... thanks for stopping by... please come back soon... I can feel some scrapping coming on... just give me a few weeks ok? ;)

I completed my 365Project photos... but I am yet to get all the photos and journaling into my Becky Higgins Project Life Album.

2010 was nothing spectacular or wildly out of the ordinary for us... just wonderful everyday-ness. Dare I say it? Contentment even. I have always avoided that word and that sentiment. It is just a little close to "settling for" and "acceptance" for my liking... and that has always seemed synonymous with giving in and giving up to me. I guess I am too stubborn and pig headed for my own good sometimes. Always wanting more, striving for better, trying to achieve higher, feeling disappointed when I didn't achieve what I wanted. Well, dear reader, I have had a re-think. A shift of consciousness, if you will. Content means satisfied... and that I am... it doesn't mean I won't want for more or try my best... but for now I am happy with where I am at... I accept that this is my life for now... equally wonderful and frustrating with all its blessing and limitations... and I am going to treasure every little moment... because that almost 19 year old man child sitting down in his room playing WoW is all the proof I need that I haven't got time to waste on wanting more.

The current situation in eastern Australia, with these unbelievable floods (and fires in WA), certainly brings a reality check. Seeing the images and hearing the stories of those families who have lost their homes, their livelihoods and worst of all their loved ones just brings me to my knees... (put into words by Skye better than I could ever hope to HERE). I have aunts and uncles and cousins in Queensland who are thankfully safe but it brings it all into very sharp focus. Growing up I lived very near a river that flooded twice in my memory (and before my time REALLY BAD in 1888). Anyway, my parents' house sits high on the river's bank so it remained relatively unaffected (just shy of the back steps) while the town became inundated... but we were cut off for several days. My brother saved the town from the latest threat and received a Local Hero Award for his efforts (the photo is him... but you need to scroll down a bit to see his part of the story... he didn't win a Nobel Prize!). I can relate... but I know what we experienced was NOTHING compared to what my fellow Australians are going through.

Now, I have told you before that I am not a deeply religious person... but I did go to a Catholic school [did you count those FIVE kids?! ;)] and we used to have weekly Religious Education classes. I have to hand it to the nuns you know, they did encourage us to question our faith.. and that I did... LOUDLY and OFTEN! When I was 17 (in Year 12) I can remember saying, "If God is so great and wonderful and loving then why does he make humans endure such horrific events?" I can remember a girl in my class, Melissa, responding, "Well, I think maybe it's God's way of bringing us together... people are always at their best when things are worst." I thought then she was the most mature and cleverest person I knew... now I KNOW she [still] is... the clean up effort is all the proof I need. I just so wish it didn't have to come at such a high price for those families who have lost their loved ones... they have paid for us all and my heart just breaks for them.

... and so I have come to the conclusion that I need to show my gratitude more often and more loudly in respect for those families. This life may not be all fireworks and splendour... but I like it that way. We are happy, we are safe, we have five (yes, I KEEP counting them!) wonderful and thankfully healthy children, we have each other, we have love in our hearts, food on our table, a roof over our heads and joy in our everyday lives. We are blessed and I am grateful. I need to live in the here and now and savour every tiny bit of it. So I am going to do just that.

Now having said all that... I also turned 39 this month... and you know I think it kind of fits me. Oh and I got my nose pierced. My niece, Chloe, is a BAD influence on me! ;) I took her to get her navel pierced and ended up with my nose done. Just spur of the moment (I have wanted one for ages but then went off the idea when it became so popular). It felt good to do something spontaneous for a change, felt like I was 16 again! ;) New Year, new me! ACTUALLY, New Year, OLD me... this is the sort of thing I used to do all the time, that girl got lost somewhere along the way (maybe 5 kids will do that to you). So while I am happily enjoying my family and my reasonably non-eventful life I am still going to work on getting her back... starting NOW! ;)

I know I have said something similar every year since I started blogging but this time I realised I only have one more year to get my shit together once and for all. I said about 5 or 6 years ago now that I didn't want to wake up one morning and be fat and forty... well my dear that morning is rolling around MIGHTY fast... THIS IS IT! Last chance... get off your arse and do something about it. Well, I decided the first thing I was going to do was be realistic! There is no use me stressing about it for January. Sounds like a cop out right? I choose to look at it this way... January is always a bit of a write off for me. School holidays... lots of lazing about... no routine... late nights... sleeping in... indulgent chaos! So that's pretty much where I go wrong. I DON'T go the gym or get organised or look after myself better then (inevitably) I feel guilty and by February I have fallen off the proverbial band wagon and given up YET AGAIN!

So... not this year. This year, come February 2 when the little darlings go back to school I am going to spend the day planning... planning on how I am going to do this... planning how I am going to lose weight, get fit, get my act together, get organised, be a better mumma, wife and person in general. Until then... I AM ON HOLIDAY! ;)

So I have also decided that my word (for One Little Word ) will be RE. Yeah, OK so its a prefix, not a word, but it works for me ok?! ;)

I hope 2011 has gotten off to a wonderful start for you and yours... blessings of health, wealth and happiness to you.

Welcome to the blog hop...

2010-12-10T16:40:00.005+08:00

Hey Twiddlers, thanks for hopping along with us. Can you believe it's only two weeks until Christmas??? I know this year has gone by in a blur for me... how has your year been? I just want to start by saying a few THANK YOUS... I have had a wonderful time so far being a member of the Twiddleybitz design team and want to say a HUGE thank you to Nic and Andrew for giving me the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful team and making me feel so appreciated... and thank you to Mel Forbes for thinking of me... and Tiff Sawyer for doing such an amazing job of running this awesome team... and thank you to all the other DT girls for making me feel so welcome... and to all of YOU for the support and lovely comments you leave in the gallery... but most of all for all the inspiring work YOU share in return. I just love the generosity of spirit and sharing that goes on in the ning site... it's like Christmas all year round really! ;)

The first little project I want to share is the gifts I made for Dylan's Pre-Primary Teacher and Class Assistant... a little memory book with a photo and a small note or picture from each child... and just a few bits of Twiddleybitz to finish them off. Again, very simple and last minute-ish but I love how they turned out! ;) IF YOU WANT A CLOSER LOOK AT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING JUST CLICK ON THE IMAGES.

Next up are a few not-so-Christmasey LOs using some of the latest and greatest Twiddleybitz wonderfulness...

The new tea party stuff is gorgeous... and suits the Graphic45 Hallowe'en in Wonderland papers... well, to a T! Sorry, couldn't resist that one. ;) I have used Tim Holtz Crackle Paint in Old Paper on these and then lightly inked for a bit of definition. I played with the photos in Picasa (a free download) which is a VERY basic photo organisation and editing programme... perfect for beginners and I highly recommend it for anyone just starting out in digital photography.

The new Twiddleybitz mushrooms and faeries are just delightful. I have heat embossed the mushrooms (ZING Rouge and Brown Sugar) and also inked and misted the "gills" to give a softer texture. Then I have also inked and misted the faeries and alphas. The picket fence is done with Tim Holtz Crackle Paint and the fern leaf is done with Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder. I have to say I was never a HUGE fan of the Twiddleybitz mirror shapes BUT I have changed my tune! Now I LOVE them and cannot get enough... they look fabulous with rub ons applied, or stamped with StazOn Ink and now I want some alcohol inks to play with! AND I am so getting some of these Once Upon a Springtime papers to go with these new faeries, mushrooms and the Twiddleybitz butterflies too! ;)

These pirate themed pieces (the new stuff is not up here yet) were also in the "not really my cup of tea" range when I very first saw them... only because I didn't really have any photos that were suitable... but look at me now... borrowing other peoples kids' photos and just like Oliver begging Nic for "more please"! ;) I have 3 more unfinished pirate LOs on my desk as I type... so as they say, "Watch this space!" ;) I have heat embossed these using Crafty Notions Colourful Thoughts Jewel Enamels which Twiddleybitz (the enamels are not up on the website so this link takes you to the colour sprays) wholesale in Australia... this stuff is AWESOME. Really thick and lush... perfect for stamping into too. I love the smell of Twiddleybitz with melted embossing powders!!! Oh, but just for the record... if you are going to burn Kraft cardstock as I have done here... do it in a well ventilated area... NOT at your kitchen sink... or anywhere near a fire alarm!!!!! Firstly, it stinks to high heaven (I am sure the fumes gave me the subsequent headache I suffered) and yeah... the alarm monitoring company are definitely NOT scrapbookers... they just didn't understand! Nuff said! ;)

OK... so there is a taste of some of the newest releases... there are HEAPS more so keep an eye out and start asking your LSS if they have them in! ;)

Now, lets get Christmasey! I am sure by now you have all heard my delightful tale of how NOT to enhance your Swirly Christmas Tree... but here is the lesson in what NOT to do for anyone who hasn't. Go on, have a read and a laugh at my expense! ;)

Here are a few super quick Christmas cards too... misting and embossing + cardstock + patterned paper = too easy. ;)

... and some older, more rustic ones using corrugated cardboard, misting, stitching and fabric tags.

... the Merry Christmas ones are what I am talking about... I only have this photo from the Perth 2010 Craft Fair to share and I am sorry chicks I don't know whose these Happy Birthday ones are.

Here is my Christmas Wreath... LOTS of Creative Colour Spray, some embossing and crackle medium here. I hated this so much to start with that I refused to give it to Mrs Twiddleybitz... it just looked like a really tacky dust collector... and VERY amateur-ish to start with... so took it home again and tweaked it some more... I still wasn't entirely happy with it but gave it back anyway... looking at this photo... I think I have changed my mind... I sort of like it now! ;) Mmmmm... I am obviously NOT a "love at first sight" sorta girl hey?

You may have already seen this LO... but I am sharing again anyway just because it is Christmasey! Again embossing and inking and lots of distressing...

For all you West Australian chicks I am teaching a very similar LO (it is designed especially to add your photo later if you want) at our Twiddleybitz Christmas Day at Tomorrow's Memories on Sunday, the 19th December, 2010. It is also an Old Perth Road Market Day so come along and join in the fun and get all that last minute Christmas shopping done. Look at that, I am a poet and I didn't even know it! ;) I will be also doing some Twiddleybitz Christmas make and takes and demos (Nic has shown me how to make some super cute ear rings!) AND there is 25% off all Twiddleybitz products (and Crafty Notions embossing powders) on the day PLUS with every Twiddleybitz purchase your name goes into the draw to win a fabulous Twiddleybitz prize pack! Hope you will come along and play...

Now for the best part... if you have read this far you deserve a chance to win something!!!! ;) To be in the draw, leave a comment telling me what Christmas means to you and I will send one lucky hopper some Twiddley Christmas goodness to help put you in the festive mood! ;)

OK... I hope you are enjoying our blog hop and you are getting in the Christmas spirit... go pour yourself a drink, get that Father Christmas hat on and head on over to the AMAZINGLY TALENTED and UBER INSPIRATIONAL Jo Twiddley Kinder 's blog at 10pm AEDLST (that is Australian Eastern Day Light Savings Time and they are 3 hours ahead of us West Aussie, Wait Awhile people... for those of you who are time challenged like me!!!!!) for even more Twiddley fun!

May you all have a wonderful, creative, safe and magical festive season.... Merry Christmas to you all! ;)

twirling, twirling, twirling towards the end of 2010...

2010-12-10T15:06:00.001+08:00

So, how organised are you for the silly season? I have done a little bit of Christmas shopping... but this year we decided we were not going to spend a fortune. As a child I remember maybe 2 or 3 gifts that I got BUT I DO remember all the fun we used to get up to. I wanted to try give my children the same sorts of happy childhood memories I had, rather than another pile of plastic crap. So we are doing the whole "getting back to the REAL spirit of Christmas" thing.

We have already finished school. Early yes... but I am one of those parents that LOVES school holidays... and (or maybe because) I have kids that know how to sleep in! Bliss! ;) So we have lots of NOTHING planned... getting bored teaches children how to entertain themselves I say! ;) There will be swimming lessons and a few family outings and catching up with extended family of course... and we have a few unfinished projects around the house we want to get completed... but mostly just a lot of relaxing.

We had our very own Little Elves Workshop to make the girls' classmates' gifts... it was just a lolly pop and a computer printout... very quick, very simple... all done the morning before school started on their last day! Did I tell you what a last minute sort if person I am??? Still, they had fun attaching the lolly pops and passing them out at school. ;)

I can't quite believe my baby girl is going to be a big Grade 1 kid next year! I only hope she gets another teacher as wonderful as these two have been this year. Thanks Miss Comp and Mrs Fraser.

... and we have been to Carols by Candlelight.

... and had our twins playgroup Christmas party.

Even my darling husband played along and helped put up the tree! ;)

We are not devoutly religious but to me Christmas is about giving and being with family, spending time catching up with friends, taking time to enjoy each other's company and being aware of the blessings we have, home and hearth and all that mushy stuff that we don't really take time to indulge in enough. Christmas is a time to stop and take stock of all that we have and to focus on all that is good.

We believe in Father Christmas and the magic too... I was asked once how I had my (then 11 year old) son still "believing" in Santa... I was a bit puzzled by the question to be honest... and I said, "Don't YOU believe in Father Christmas?" She looked at me weird... so I explained... Father Christmas (my kids call him Santa... but I will stick with Father Christmas!)... doesn't have to be a fat guy in a red suit that comes down the chimney... it's the IDEA of Father Christmas... the spirit of giving... the MAGIC, the wonder and all that wonderful stuff that we believe in... Do YOU still believe in Father Christmas? I sure do and so does my (now almost 19 year old) son... even if I do get the "bah humbug" look when I am taking photos!!!! ;)

So this year I am taking each of my kids shopping on their own... just me and one of them at a time. So it serves several purposes... they get some precious and rare alone time with Mum (we will see a movie, have lunch and shop at our leisure), they get to do their own Christmas shopping for all their brothers and sisters and Dad (thereby getting into the whole spirit of giving thing) and all the shopping gets done bit by bit instead of one mad dash by me on Christmas Eve (I am a notorious leave it to the last possible moment person!). Their father then gets the dubious pleasure of taking them all shopping to get their mother one spectacular combined gift... yep, I've got it all figured out don't I????! hehehehe ;)

Pop back in an hour or so... we are having a Twiddleybitz blog hop this weekend. Starting at the ning site. Come along and join in the fun... you might even win a prize! ;)

18 years...

2010-12-05T15:51:00.000+08:00

of wedded bliss... plus 5 years before that (boy/girl next door, childhood sweethearts and all that jazz)... we have been together since we were 15. Well, maybe it isn't ALWAYS blissful... but then I always prefered the roller to the coaster merry-go-round. ;)

We have had plenty of trials and tribulations along the way but thankfully more than outweighed with success and happiness... and the best five kids anyone could ever ask for. Thank you for all that you are and all that you give... I love you. Even if you can be a gigantic PITA sometimes... I love you. Even when you drive me insane.... I love you. Really and truly and madly and deeply. I am so blessed to be sharing this journey of our lives with you, my life, my love, my forever and for always. I love you.

This is my favourite wedding photo... the reason I am laughing like that is Aaron is saying something rude about the wine we are drinking. Look at the look on his face. It was 40° that day, I was sick with the 'flu and an awful sinus infection, Aaron was hung over from his buck's night (the night before if you don't mind!) and that wine tasted disgusting! I will never forget it... but despite all that this photo captures the joy of our day perfectly. Thanks to my wonderful cousin George who took our wedding photos. It's kind of symbolic of our lives I reckon... no matter how bad things get and how crappy the wine tastes we still have each other and something to laugh about. Just perfect.

Joe Satriani's Always With Me Always With You was our song. We took ages to find just the right one. Then, sitting in our lounge room listen to the album (Surfing with the Alien) one day, Aaron said, "What about this one?" Then we checked the track title... yep, there's another sign. Perfect.

Bradley was 10 months old when we got married... he is a dead ringer for the two little boys in this photo. We did everything back to front. Moved in together and had a baby... then brought a house... then went on a honeymoon... then got married... he still owes me an engagement ring! BUT seriously he asked me to marry him when we were 15... on one knee and all... I told him to get up and stop being stupid! ;) He was obviously more in tune with his heart than I was at that age... but I am really glad it never put him off! ;)

Just look at us now... I love you more than ever my darling. Here's to the next 18.

I hope you and yours are feeling as happy and fulfilled as I am today.

Pssssssssssssssttttt...

2010-12-01T23:53:00.000+08:00

Hey you... you wanna win a prize????

The girls at Tomorrow's Memories are feeling VERY generous. They are getting in the Christmas spirit, putting on the red suit and playing Father Christmas with a FABULOUS give away... or THREE!!!!

Here's what you have to do... pretty simple really! ;)

“Like” our Tomorrow's Memories Papercraft Specialists Facebook page to go in the draw to win 1 of 3 prizes. The prizes consist of a class kit with instructions and product to complete the layout. These three gorgeous kits have been designed by members of the Tomorrow’s Memories Design Team.

There will be three separate draws and each person will receive 1 of the kits available PLUS a $20 voucher to spend at Tomorrow’s Memories on Wednesday 29^th December only when we will be open for the TM “Sale Day”... that means you have to be there on the day to use the voucher.

So “like” the page BEFORE the 22^nd of December and you are in the running... simple as that! The winners will be announced on Facebook on Thursday 23^rd December.

Here's a look at the prize kits... pretty spesh hey? ;)

Details of Prize Kits:

Class Kit No 1:

“Je T’ Adore”

Created by Evana Willis

Some Products Used: Collections, Bazzill, Dusty Attic, Green Tara, Liquid Pearls

Class Kit No 2:

“Mirror Mirror”

Created by Sonya Thair

Some Products Used: Girls Paperie, Dusty Attic Chipboard, Zva Bling, Carolees Creation Chipboard Alphas, Bazzill, Prima

Class Kit No 3:

“Something Beautiful”

Created by Mistra Hoolahan

Some Products Used: Shabby Green Door, American Craft, Dusty Attic, Prima, Petaloo

I hope you will join in... and please get in the spirit of giving and invite your friends along too!

Seasons Greetings to you and yours! ;)

Just a quick share...

2010-11-28T08:38:00.001+08:00

I have been losing track of which LOs I have posted and forgetting to take photos of others... so bear with me if you have seen these already... I am posting them for my own benefit... and adding more old ones here on my Creativity {Cured} the Cat page. ;)

These are for Tomorrow's Memories using the latest KaiserCraft Love Notes Papers... they will be available in the store soon.

This is just a sneak... I don't know what happened to the full sized photo! ;)

Feelin' a bit vampy... these are really versatile papers... although they are a "Valentine's" theme you can adapt them to heaps of other projects.

Cuttlebug + Core'dinations ColorCore cardstock + Twiddleybitz = mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

More news on the Twiddleybitz front... we have a Christmas Blog Hop planned. I hope you will come join in all the fun...

Please join us for our Christmas blog hop where our talented design team will be showcasing some wonderful designs to get you in the festive spirit.

Kick off will be 7pm AEST Friday 10th December and run thru to midnight Monday 13th to give those who are busy celebrating, time to hop around and enjoy.

There will be many prizes on offer, so be sure to stop buy and check it all out. And don't forget your Santa hat, glass of something and your Christmas cheer :):):)

How are YOUR Christmas preparations coming along? Better than mine I hope! ;)

Have YOU scrapped YOUR boy yet????

2010-11-26T12:11:00.001+08:00

Can you believe the end of November is upon us already? Have you done your pages for the latest challenge over at Scrap the Boys? Get them linked by the end of the month to be in the running for some fabulous prizes. Here's what I came up with... I keep saying I like simple (a la Leanne Stamatellos) but I just never seem to be able to actually do it (and actually like the result)... this time I think I succeeded for once.

I haven't been getting much scrapping done lately... I know I sound like a broken record but if I have one more dose of sick kids I swear I am booking myself into Graylands! Time and the lack thereof is ALWAYS an issue in our house but lately it seems even worse. Seriously, what the hell is going on? I feel like I am in a time warp... school is about to end; babies are getting to be, well, not such babies anymore; the girls seem to be turning into teenagers before my eyes; the house STILL looks like a bomb hit it; I STILL haven't lost any weight and I have brought all of 2, count them 2, Christmas presents!!! The proverbial chook with its head cut off has nothing on me I tell ya! ;)

I do have some secret Twiddleybitz business coming up VERY soon (actually, hoping it is waiting in the mailbox for me as I type)... some exciting new designs in the works... all to be revealed soon... so please come check back in the next few weeks.

We are also planning a Twiddleybitz Day at Tomorrow's Memories for the Old Perth Road Markets on the 19th December 2010. I will be there all day so please stop by to say hello (you know I hate being a Nigel No-Friends!) and stay to have a play.... we are doing Christmas decorations and gift tags demos and make and takes in the morning. Then I will also be teaching a Christmas Themed Lay Out (designed specifically so you can add your photo later if you wish) in the afternoon... please contact Tomorrow's Memories on (08) 9279 2183 to book your place for the LO. It's going to be a great day with discounted Twiddleybitz and a few other surprises (think prize draws!) planned... hope we see you there.

The Tomorrow's Memories ladies have also got the most FABULOUS Facebook giveaway planned too... so sssssssssssssssshhhhh don't tell them I told you... but watch this space in the next week or so for details of your chance to win something special.

Last week I played Parent Helper for Dylan's Pre-Primary class. We had an absolutely ball painting and decorating Christmas Angel and Reindeer Christmas Tree Decorations and finishing off Baubles. I was really impressed with their ability and designs and we didn't end up with THAT much paint on their uniforms! ;) The end results were heaps better than I thought... seems my little girl ain't so little anymore. The concept that she is in grade 1 next year still eludes me I'm afraid. All my babies are growing up way too fast!

At lunch time it was too hot to go outside to play so we all started watching Toy Story 3... there wasn't enough time to see the whole thing... but I had brought the DVD and it was supposed to be for the girls for Christmas... well, needless to say I couldn't wait to see the end. We watched it that same afternoon and I bawled! You see, you have to understand, I am NOT a crier (normally)... AND that when we saw the very first Toy Story my oldest boy was only 3 years old and has, just like Andy, grown up now. I think he had a bit of a tear in his eye too by the end... I told him he had to go play with his toys one last time... he said, "I can give them to the babies now Mum." That made me bawl some more. There was just so much meaning to this movie for me... being that I have one who is all grown up, two right in the middle and two little ones. Made me feel happy and sad and excited for the future and nostalgic for the past all at once... the time just flies by far too quickly doesn't it? I am so proud of the young man you have become mate... but jeez I miss that little boy you were... arggggggggggghhh there I go again with the tears... this time of year ALWAYS makes me emotional. Luckily I have kids who ALL let their mother cuddle them still and a young man who we taught how to say "I love you too" without feeling weirded out... even if he DOES hate having his photo taken!

Love you mate. ;)

Well, I just had a knock on the door and the Parcel Post man just brought me an amazing parcel of Twiddly fun so please come back soon and see what it was... thanks for stopping by... best wishes to you and yours.

... and again with the "time flies {supposedly} when you are having fun"!

2010-11-06T12:39:00.002+08:00

Been busy, been happy, been frustrated, been sad, been excited, been rocked by Metallica, been scrapping, been camping...

And on a totally different note... Here are my completed Camp Mojo Challenge LOs so far... I missed Challenge #3 and then I forgot to get the 2nd half of Challenge #4 (a card) completed!

I have a class coming up at Tomorrow's Memories using the latest Twiddleybitz "Steampunk" inspired designs altered with crackle paint, embossing and misting... with some masking and a few tips on how to make the most of your chipboard too.

Love Layout

Sorry I don't have a photo! But you can see it here in the Tomorrow's Memories Class Timetable ... incorrectly listed as Saturday 20th October... it should be November... ;)

Date: Saturday 20 November 2010

Time: 10am-12noon

Cost: $22.50

Technique: Altering Chipboard

Requirements: 6x4 photo portrait orientation; Glue Dots; Craft glue; Stapler; Magic Mount;

Double Sided Tape; Basic scrap tools

Please join Anne-Marie as you play with the very latest Twiddleybitz laser cut chipboard designs to create a very textured layout. You will experiment with chipboard with crackle paint, Glimmermists, embossing powder and even learn how to split and cut chipboard to get great value for money.

Please contact Tomorrow's Memories to book your place.

TELEPHONE:

(08) 9279 2183

EMAIL:

info@tomorrowsmemories.com.au

Only 4 and a half weeks of term left and 7 weeks until Christmas... and I am as disorganised as ever... but hey, what's Christmas without all the mad, last minute, dashing about??? ;)

Happy day to you and yours...

Time flies...

2010-10-19T12:40:00.004+08:00

Days and weeks just seem to be blurring into one another at the moment and I can't seem to get myself organised. I have created a list, so that's something at least... but I seem to be adding to it MUCH more quickly than I am crossing things off! ;)

I DID get a LO done in under an hour this morning though.. and I really like it... back to (reasonably) simple... back to basics... back to BasicGrey basics! ;) Thanks Vicki, Jo and Clori for getting this range in at Tomorrow's Memories and letting me play with it. I seriously think this is my absolute favourite scrapping range ever...

Have you had a look at the latest challenge at Scrap the Boys? I hope you will join in... heaps of inspiration, fabulous prizes to be won and swaps if you are interested.

I have also being playing with the new Twiddleybitz releases... but they are still under wraps until the Sydney Paper Crafts Festival... but I will post some pics soon I promise! ;)

In the meantime Tiff is running a fabulous giveaway over at the Twiddleybitz ning...

Scrap Space Bonanza

Show Your Space For A Chance To Win!

OK girls, here's what we are going to do. Once you have your photos, post them to your blog and leave the link here so we can go check out your wonderful spaces.

If you would like to be in the running for a package of Twiddleybitz, then you must leave a comment on each person's blog who leaves a link here. Then by the end of this month or maybe a little longer, depending how many have entered, I will draw a random winner of the Twiddleybitz, names being entered from the comments. How does that sound? Of course I will be showing my space but will not be in the draw.

So you can start posting whenever you are ready to. This going to be so much fun, you can do before and after or just a random shot you like, whatever you wish, there are no rules except for supporting each other and leaving comments to be in the draw.

Have fun now and I am so excited to see all those wonderful spaces........

Come and join in the fun... I don't know about you but I love sticky beaking at everyone's creative spaces. ;)

Hope you and yours are well...

More twiddling to share...

2010-10-02T17:57:00.003+08:00

I hated this LO when I first did it... HATED it! So much so in fact that I took it to the Twiddleybitz Trade Show recently and left it in my bag... and didn't give it to Mrs TBZ for the display.

I very nearly pulled it apart... but I left it a few days then sat down and worked out what was not working... it was the photo... I had the same print but in colour... so I changed it to a sepia version... and now I think I like it! ;)

Bit OCD I know... but some LOs do that to me... and I can't sleep until I get it right! ;)

This one of Austin was the Splatter Proof class I taught at Tomorrow's Memories recently... you splatter the paint (I used Making Memories Scrapbook Colors™ acrylic paints) onto the page with a drinking straw then heat it (gently at first then on high) with a heat gun just as if you were melting embossing powder and it POPS! It makes a cool sound and puffs up giving a very cool texture and appearance.

This is one I did for Tomorrow's Memories AGES ago (I took the photo just before the twins were born while I was getting everything organised for their arrival) but can't for the life of me remember if I shared it or not... so I am. Baby clothes on my line again... Who'd have thunk it? ;) Especially when you read this! ;)

We are having lots of lazy, pyjama days at the moment... I love the school holidays... BUT I have 101 unfinished projects on the go and not enough time or mojo to get them all done. Slowly but surely I will get there... luckily for me those that matter are patient! ;)

Happy holidays to you and yours... before you know it Christmas will be here... who is getting organised? Not me for one! ;)

I {heart} Steampunk!

2010-10-01T09:22:00.002+08:00

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the latest Steampunk inspired cogs, clocks, swirls and gorgeousness. I simply cannot get enough of it... teamed with Graphic45's Steampunk Debutante papers and diecuts it is even better!

This is me 13 and a bit years and 4 children ago. Actually, it was a bit of a turning point in my life... these papers and Twiddleybitz pieces really help convey the story I am telling too.

... and another wedding photo scrapped... that makes 3 all together now! ;)

I have had a bit if a horrid run the last few weeks... actually make that months! I have heaps of scrapping and sharing to catch up on but blogger is not playing nice and making uploading a chore... so just these for now.

Thanks for still stopping by... hopefully life will get back to normal some day in the not too distant future... though I am beginning to wonder what that entails... I think this might just be my normal! ;)

I hope you are enjoying the school holidays... I am... These are the days that I reap the rewards of my efforts of teaching my children the fine art of sleeping in! ;)

Love to you and yours...

KwwwwwwwwwwwwooooooooooooR!

2010-09-30T11:32:00.000+08:00

This looks all right hey????

Just helping to spread the word...

[Get Picky would] like to offer you a chance to win this amazing RAK for helping [them] spread the word about [their new challenge blog]!

Here is what is included (click on the image for a close up view)

CARDS Magazine August 2010 issue
4 x Basic Grey Cappella double-sided patterned papers
1 x Basic Grey Cappella Element Stickers
1 x Basic Grey Cappella Sparkling Rub-ons
1 x Basic Grey Ribbon Doilies (black and kraft)
1 x Making Memories 10"x10" Blank Calendar
1 x Kaisercraft Floral Tags Album
1 x Delish Designs Biscuit Board Filagree Monograms
1 x Heidi Swapp Damask Sticker
1 x Heidi Swapp Writers Block Paper Pad

All you have to do for a random drawing entry is...

1. Become a follower and
2. Post on your blog about this giveaway with a link back to us and
3. Add one of our blinkies (located in our right side bar - just right click, save as, then add photo/html script) to your blog's side bar and
4. Leave a comment on this post saying you've done so.

That's all! It's so simple! We will randomly choose a winner on October 14th.

Thank you so very much to all of you for waiting with us as we prepare Get Picky. And thank you also for all your lovely comments and to all our 'followers' and 'facebook likers' so far. We are soooo ready for our first challenge, it is going to be fantastic!

AND one of my all time favourite scrappy chicks, Nicole Pomeroy, is on the DT... so I will be checking this place out for shizz! ;)

FINALLY...

2010-08-17T13:50:00.000+08:00

She gets her a into g and chooses a winner... sorry Twiddleybitz Happy (blog) Hoppers... life has been flying by a the rate of knots lately.

I originally asked Miss 8 to pick a number between 1 and 59 (the number of comments on the giveaway / blog hop post below)... she predictably said "25" (her birth date)... I counted down to 25 and it was none other than Tiff THE TERRIFIC Sawyer herself! LOL ;)

Well, seeing as she has her own stash of Twiddley-deliciousness, I told her to pick another number... instead she scrolled through the comments with her eyes closed and stopped at aussiescrapper's lovely comment... so I have a little pack of goodies with your name on it chick... now it just needs your address and it is ALL YOURS! I hope you enjoy...

{hopping} along...

2010-08-06T20:04:00.001+08:00

Hey everyone... welcome to my blog! Hope you are having as much fun as me so far!!!! This is my first ever blog hop but more importantly my FIRST EVER BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!! So don't forget to leave a comment to be in the draw for some Twiddley mail!

Let me start by saying how excited I am to be on the Twiddleybitz Design Team. Just a few short months ago I was having a bit of a mojo-less crises of confidence as far as my scrapping was concerned and decided I needed some new scrapping goals. One of those goals was to try out for a manufacturer's design team... I kid you not... I put the thought out there and lo and behold I have a message on facebook from the Magnificent Mel THE VERY NEXT DAY!!! I gotta tell ya it was a wee bit weird... I started thinking she was some kind of super-hacker chick that had spied on me reading the Twiddleybitz DT call on the ning site the night before!!!!!! Then I get chatting to Tiff "THE TERRIFIC" Sawyer and found we have much in common... and Mel "LissyK" Connell (one of my VERY first favourite scrappers ever) joins the DT too... yep, it was just meant to be! ;) I am so glad to be part of such a wonderful team and I am always really inspired by the wonderful work all YOU chickies share in the gallery too. I found my new home adn it sure is warm and comfy! ;)

OK, OK, I know I bang on a bit... so here's a few of my most recent LOs...

watch ya THINKING 'bout? I really love this photo of my darling boy and...

the new cogs are MY FAVORITE EVER TBZ pack! I heat embossed them with Metallic Finish Pewter... LOVE LOVE LOVE 'em! I teamed them with the new BG Basics pp... which is my current ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE EVER patterned paper. The 2 "black holes" in the centre of the cogs are actually holes right through the background paper... just for added interest. I added a few alphas and a BG rub on... Spattered it with some of ssssssshhhhh... that "other" stuff (only because I don't have any Crafty Notions spray yet!). Plus some maniacal distressing... my favourite "technique" to hide crappy handwritten journalling that just doesn't look any good... oh and a few scraps of pp that were floating around on my desk.... and I got my sewing machine out again.

... and anothery just like the othery... told ya I love 'em! ;)

This boy-man of mine is well and truly in touch with his inner child...

I am loving my DYMO Labeller again lately (inspired by Tara Scobie)... but I had run out of black tape so this is a free font download from da font. Another excellent way to hide crappy handwriting... I really am struggling to just let things be on my LOs at the moment... but I like how this one turned out in the end.

Here is my DEAR son... a bit of Louise Nelson type distressing and grunging going on here. I want to give credit again to Tara Scobie for that title idea too... really loving her style at the moment.

Now, at the risk of looking like a tight @#$% scrooge [YES, ANDREW, I KNOW, I KNOW!!!! ;)] I split these scrolls into two and misted them. Cheap you [HE may] say? More bang for your buck I say! hehehehehe ;)

... and here is my Sugar Babe... My biggest {little} girl... sweet like sugar... but she also makes my teeth ache! ;) More Louinspiration here too.

... and again with the sewing machine... while it is out I will use it A LOT!!!!

I used some coffee stained sheet music (I chose this piece especially because of the title)... some scraps, a twig and some rusty wire... a Hambly Screen Prints rub on and a BG office tab (quite possibly my favourite BG embellishment EVER!)... and of course some TBZ Musical Notes (simply inked with black Versa Color Cube).

Sorry about this photo... I was so hell bent on getting these LOs to Mrs Twiddleybitz herself for the True Blue Craft Fair last weekend that I didn't get a chance to take photos before the show...

I just LOVE this new Fantasy Butterfly... I have heat embossed it with Black Glitter Finish... yummo!

This is why I got my sewing machine out in the first place... I really stuffed this LO up... it was coming along really nicely (it is a very close lift of my own FOREVER LO) then I had a brain fart (as I am prone to do on more than the odd occasion) and thought I could free hand drawn the butterfly's path with a black marker... it looked crap so I tried to sew over it... that looked even more crap... so, as I usually find more is so much more... I just kept sewing and sewing and sewing (hey, no use getting it out for one little stitch now is there???) until I think I kinda like it! ;)

Just click on these links if you'd like to read more of my Twiddleybitz-ing misadventures... you might get a laugh out of my lesson in what NOT to do... about my ill fated (but quite good looking in the end, even if I DO say so myself) Curly Christmas Tree...or my post about my Floating Frame.

I hope you are enjoying the blog hop so far... I KNOW I am!!!!

Don't forget to leave me a comment... I'd love to pick YOUR name for the pack of goodies I have sitting here! ;)

Enjoy the rest of the weekend... and get that mojo flowing... the next designer to be going live will be Jennifer Hodge at 10am AEST tomorrow morning, Saturday the 7th August. Please pop over and see what goodies she has for you...

AMC
Binxcat1
xxxooo

Getting ready for a BIG {scrappy and happy} weekend...

2010-08-03T11:15:00.001+08:00

I had a fabulous time meeting some of the wonderful Twiddleybitz chickies at the True Blue Craft Fair last weekend and I was more than just a little bit chuffed to see some of my work on display...

The stand was easily the best of the entire show... and I am not just saying that... I know, I know, I am biased but seriously it was simply stunning... TOP CLASS... a notch or three above the rest... we have an amazing design team and Nicole and Andrew obviously have very good taste! hehehehe ;) You guys did an amazing job of setting up... only next year we need a BIGGER SPACE... it was packed to the rafters! Some serious shopping going on and the classes by Janent Vincent, The Magnificent Mel and Rachel Walsh and the make and takes were obviously very popular... well dones chicks [oh and rooster, Mr TBZ! ;)]. WE ROCKED IT! DEFINITELY getting more organised (read: finding a babysitter!) so I can participate properly next year.

Now... the fun has only just begun...

A message to all members of Twiddleybitz...

Shouting out a big hello to all our valued Twiddleybitz members, you are all invited to join us this weekend for our first ever Twiddleybitz blog hop. There will be a weekend of inspiration from our talented designers, chatting and some fabulous RAK'S and prizes to be won.

So if your stash is low, join us for a chance to win some Twiddleybitz. And don't worry, if you have never done a blog hop before, all you need to do is check out the Ning forum at 6.30pm AEST this Friday, Aug 6th for all the details.

If you are not already registered just sign up on the ning site here... and please come play along... we would love to have you.

Hope to see you there for some fun and happy hopping :):):)

I am also teaching my Mini Flip Album at Tomorrow's Memories on Saturday...

Monday night I am starting my basic photography course with Sharon Manning. I am so excited. Really looking forward to it...

OKies... I gotta go clean my house and do some laundry (the bane of my life)... it seriously looks like a STY! Chat to you over the weekend I hope...

Take care of YOU first, then you can take care of YOURS even better... ;)

Looking for a challenge or 3 this weekend?

2010-07-23T22:41:00.000+08:00

Bon's Scraps is Cyber Cropping this week... you have until midnight Tuesday to put your entries in... got anything planned for the weekend?

Wanna come play?

2010-07-22T23:31:00.000+08:00

I was having a play with a Maya Road ATC Stand and (mostly because I have not yet endulged in ATCs) I decided it would make a perfect family mini-album for my darling husband to take to work with him. When Jo @ Tomorrow's Memories saw it she said I just had to do it as a class... so I am! ;)

I will be leading a workshop where I will show you how to make a great little flip album... I think these will make fabulous Father's Day gifts... for his desk or bedside table... or your album could be just as easily altered to suit any theme of your choice. I hope you will come join in on Saturday 7th August... please contact the shop for all the details... and then let me know what time it's on will you! ;)

Thanks for stopping by... I hope you and yours are safe and well.

as promised...

2010-07-19T15:43:00.003+08:00

... she scrapped with Bon's Scraps' July Boy Kit again! Please go have a look in the gallery... I still have a few more planned even... this kit is like a magic pudding... it just keeps going and going... :)

Now... have you checked out the second July challenge for Scrap the Boys yet?

There are some totally awe inspiring samples from the CT and oh my freakin' gawd father the entries for the first challenge have ROCKED IT!

Who is going to the True Blue Craft Show at Claremont Showgrounds JULY 30th, 31st and AUG 1st? I AM!!!! Wooo hooo I get to meet some of the Twiddleybitz chickies and tell everyone about this awesome product and show them all the new stuff that is coming out!!!! I can't wait!

Hope you are having a great day!

Just like a good DEMTEL ad...

2010-07-16T15:41:00.001+08:00

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE... please go have a look at these in the Gallery. Thanks for stopping by. ;)

BasicGrey has always been my favourite manufacturer then I went off them for a while... but the Basics range got me interested again and this OLIVER range definitely got me back on the BG bandwagon.

There is yet more to come... I am on a scrapping marathon!!! ;)

{sneak} peak...

2010-07-15T18:12:00.000+08:00

or I am quite partial to the term "exclusive viewing" myself... you can see this one in the gallery and there are more to come. Thanks for looking. ;)

I am LOVING this kit...

Guess what I am up to now...

2010-07-14T13:22:00.003+08:00

I was so excited to get a message on facebook from the gorgeous Bon, of the Bon's Scraps variety! She asked me to be their Guest DT Member for the month... and she sent me the July boy kit... just my cup of tea.

I just LOVE the papers... mostly double sided... and because I am such a stingey bitch when it comes to double sided papers and I can never decide which side to use... I just scrap them back to back! Yes, that's TWO LOs on the one piece of paper / cardstock. Tight @^$& hey??? LOL ;) Oh and one of the BG papers was called "Austin"... just perfect... and I have just the photo to match that particular piece.

I love the papers... but I simply ADORE the BG office tabs... they are double sided too so I have been cutting them in half too and getting twice the amount... yep, told ya... I'm stingey!!!!

I have uploaded a few LOs into the Gallery but there are heaps more on the way... please stay tuned...

The July Challenge is UP, UP & AWAY!

2010-07-02T09:46:00.001+08:00

I am so excited to be part of this awesome challenge blog and this fabulous CT...

Here's a sneaky peak of mine... click on it and you will pop straight over to the STB Challenge Blog...

Please check out our generous sponsors. I hope you will join in, just link your LOs by the end of the month (all the information on how to do this is on the blog... Susan has made it SUPER easy!) and you'll be in the running for the prize!

Look what I am up to now...

2010-06-27T08:17:00.001+08:00

Check this out...

Come and see all the awesome chickies I am on this creative team with...

SO EXCITED! Hope you will come join in our first challenge. ;)

Purple and green anyone?

2010-06-24T14:50:00.002+08:00

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... I would say it is not exactly my favourite colour combo in the spectrum... but I actually think I kinda like it now. I did this one for the Monthly Ribbon Club Pack at Tomorrow's Memories. I ran the ribbon through my Xyron Create-a-Sticker then stuck it to cardstock so I could draw the leaves on the carddstock side and cut them out more easily. I then inked the edges of each one! Time consuming but strangely therapeutic! ;)

The tree trunk is, of course, a Twiddlebitz Heart Tree... which I have heat embossed. OMG! Heat embossing is so cool! I have resisted having anything to do with it until now... so as not to create a new "must have" obsession... WEEEEEEEEEEEEEELL, TO HELL WITH THAT! I am totally addicted now... I am on an embossing rampage... look out kids, cat, husband... sit still long enough and I might just embosss YOU!

This was my 5" x 3" piece for the CANCER COUNCIL INSPIRATION COLLAGE that was completed as part of the Biggest Morning Tea held in conjunction with the 6th Birthday Celebrations at the store in May 2010.

There are some exciting new classes with Sonya and Kathy happening at Tomorrow's Memories... hope you will pop over and have a look. Personally, I am signing up for the Sharon Manning Photography course! ;) They are also running the "Kidz Kreate" Classes over the July school holidays... holy crap it's nearly school holidays again??? WTF! Where HAS this year gone?

Have a good one people...

A long, long time ago...

2010-06-23T14:19:00.000+08:00

I agreed to do a some Guest DT work for the lovely Michelle at Scrapbook Divas... now because my life has been full of snotty, shitty kids of late followed by a serious bout of mojoitis non comprendis I have taken weeks, nay MONTHS, to get this LO done. Michelle has the patience of a saint... thank you chick!

This is using the My Mind's Eye Hello World papers... I adore MME... always have. The patterns are delish, it has the most glorious texture and they even smell great! I love this photo of my growing-up-way-too-fast, not-so-little-anymore girl. This photo was taken on her 8th birthday... you'll be seeing more of it because I love it so much. ;)

At the same time Michelle also sent me a Maya Road Heart Binder Album and some Pink Paislee Cupid papers and embellies. I got a bit carried away with this little project and I really like how it turned out in the end but I wouldn't recommend putting quite so much in... it barely holds together when it's jammed this full!!!

I hope you are enjoying the rain... I know we need it... but seriously I wish it would just rain in the dams and on the paddocks! ;)

Happy, happy, happy CAMPER...

2010-06-19T21:06:00.000+08:00

Camp Mojo HERE I COME!!!!

OK... so I know it is 13 months away BUT I just cannot wait... is this shaping up to be THE scrappy event of 2011 or what???

Haven't told DH yet... but he's good like that... and he owes me a couple of days off.

I am sure he will have his next trip away organised BEFORE I go though!

This is one way to make the year go slow... the last few have flown past at the rate of knots so that has got to be a good thing! ;)

Happy , scrappy evening to you people.

It's a proud, PROUD day

2010-06-16T22:58:00.001+08:00

Just had to share (for family record keeping purposes)... I think most of you know my darling oldest boy is Autistic. He is high functioning but we still struggle with a lot of "stuff"... it's hard to explain without writing a novel (and I might do just that one day) so I am not going into it all here again but we have been (finally) getting some real and useful help from AIM, the Autism Association of WA's Employment Service.

I can't begin to explain what it feels like to finally be getting somewhere and seeing tangible results. It is like a hand has reached down and pulled our heads just ever so slightly above the waves. Not to be melodramatic but... and I know there are lots of you who will just "get it" when I say this... we have been slowly drowning and feeling totally overwhelmed with what the future would hold for this fantastic kid who just needs a little helping hand and an opportunity to show how much he CAN do rather than been constantly defeated and confused by the world. I have always said that it was when Brad left school that we were really going to need help but I have always feared we wouldn't get that help. Well we jumped through all the hoops and got a referral to AIM. They said they would help and they have... I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders.

Brad had his first day of work experience at a local(ish) pharmacy today. It was to be two weeks of work experience with the possibility of it turning into paid work... maybe... if it all turned out favourably and went well for both him and them.

One day in and they were so happy with him that they offered him a position already! He starts his first "real" job next week!

I am so very proud of you my son... but best of all YOU are proud of YOURSELF.

Best reward a mother could ask for... seeing your child succeed is like a dose of life's elixir! Feeling like I could walk on air. I needed that. ;)

Hang tough ASD parents... our kids only choose the best because they know you can stand up and go into bat for them when they need you. You are stronger than you think and smarter than you know. I know there will be more challenges along the way... but I am savouring this win for now. ;)

... and some more super exciting news

2010-06-16T02:12:00.015+08:00

I am so excited... OK, so here's the story. I have been feeling a bit out of the scrapping loop lately and started thinking what am I doing? Am I going to get my fat a into g, jump in boots and all and actually DO something with this scrapping gig or just plod along doing my own thing for me? So, in true "glutton for punishment" style, I decided this year my scrapping goals were going to be pull my finger out and really get this ball rolling. So I said YES to the teaching job at Tomorrow's Memories... and am really looking forward to making even more of that in the very near future.

Then I decided my other goals were going to be get myself a Design Team position with a manufacturer... Weeeeeeeeeellll.... only a few weeks ago I was reading about a DT call on a manufacturer's ning site. I thought... mmmmmm... maybe I could do that... but didn't actually commit to applying. Then lo and behold and totally out of the blue just a few days later Miss Melanie (of the Forbes variety!) messaged me on Facebook. I started thinking, "Did I post something in the forum saying I was giving it a shot????" Or maybe she's hacked my computer and can see my web surfing history!!!! ;) Seriously, I mean, c'mon... that has got to be a sign right? Maybe a sign to be careful what you ask for, but a sign none the less! ;)

Soooooooooooo... I am going to be a DT member for Twiddleybitz!!!! Holy Crap how cool is that???? I am so over the moon... have you SEEN their stuff. Totally awesome... and I thought that BEFORE I got this amazing envelop of goodies to play with!!!! Thank you so much Mel for thinking of me! I am totally stoked. Thanks heaps Tiff and Jo for the warm welcome, very, VERY much appreciated. Finally, a HUGE thanks to Nic and Andrew for giving me this opportunity, I am so very, VERY grateful and excited, and inspired and revved up and ready to create!

Here are a few ~~sneak peaks~~, make that "exclusive previews" ;)

Please stop over for a look at the gallery where I have posted a few things I have done already... with more to come... much more... you really should see all this delicious stuff Nic sent me to play with! ;)

Happy scrappin' people... hope you are having a fabulous day. ;) Sorry for all the cliches and hyper active enthusiasm... but hey, I really am THAT excited! ;)

Soooooooooooooooooooooo... here's my BIG news

2010-06-04T12:46:00.004+08:00

I am so excited!!!

I have finally taken the big step of actually TEACHING a class!!!!

Here is a little sneak peak... though I am quite partial to the term "exclusive viewing" myself... even if it does sound pretentious! ;)

I'll be showing several simple but effective techniques to create a textured, weathered look in beautiful natural colour tones. We'll have a play with crackle paint, rub 'n' buff, crackle medium, distressing, inking, stamping, Glimmermist, masking... basically lots of mess and fun and a few unusual embellishments to finish it off with!

Here's all the details:
Simply Natural Layout

Date: Saturday 26 June
Time: 1pm-3pm
Cost: $21.50
Where: 31 Old Perth Road, Bassendean, WA, 6054

Telephone: (08) 9279 2183

You can see all the details here also at Tomorrow's Memories.

Vicki, Jo and Clori at Tomorrow's Memories asked me to join their amazing team and I AM!!! Can you see my head swelling from there? I'm not surprised, I have to tell you I am more than just a little thrilled at the whole prospect of being able to say, "I teach scrapping at Tomorrow's Memories". I mean have YOU SEEN the chicks they have on their teaching / design team... and they want ME to be a part of it??? Totally, completely thrilled! I have been doing DT stuff for them for a while now but actually teaching???? My dream job! Thanks so much chickies for the wonderful opportunity and for encouraging me to take this step.

Am I excited? Oh, just a little bit!!! ;) (read: EXTREMELY). Organised? Sure am. Nervous? HELL YEAH! BUT ABSOLUTELY CANNOT WAIT TO GET STARTED... So please, pretty please come book in and play with me so I don't look like a Nigel No-Friends!!!!

So it appears sticker charts DO work...

2010-05-04T12:11:00.002+08:00

... apparently. That is of course if you print them on the computer with very specific wording for each task to be completed (read: essay), hang them at a good (easily accessible) height and in a visible position (read: fridge), have "cool" stickers to put on them (shiny stars for the ill informed) but most importantly it is all about the reward (well obviously!). It has to be something decent... in this case new bed linen (this is where I have it over them; they needed new bed linen anyway, so I am in a win, win scenario here). Then I just have to “leave [them] alone to do it for [them]selves!” Jeez, my girls are fussy little hags. I guess it is like my husband always says, "high maintenance is fine... as long as she runs like a Ferrari not a clapped out old HQ." LOL ;) Anyway, I won’t complain / count my chickens too loudly just yet but this morning the beds got made, the kids got dressed, the hair got brushed, the bags got packed, the breakfast got eaten, we got to school early and the gold stars are on the chart to prove it... all without one single whinge! So feeling like a Ferrari this morning (even if I do look like a clapped out old HQ)!!! ;) Hey, I think I need a sticker chart of my own! LOL ;)

All is good at our house, just your run of the mill, every day, “stuff" going on. Austin and Albert are almost walking... I will try to work out how to put a video of that up. I have it on my phone. They have worked out how to push one of those plastic storage boxes around (the ones with a lid on top and wheels on the bottom). They both stand at one end and sort of use it as a walking frame like a wheel barrow. I was very impressed at the co-operation... a sign of things to come I suppose. I don’t expect I will be so impressed when they work out that together they can get up to all kinds of mischief. I suspect that the two of them will be driving me quite mad before long!

Bradley has started a paper run... small stuff to most I guess but it is a monumental task. He actually took on two runs so it is a huge pile of papers and brochures to sort, fold and deliver each week. He was quite over whelmed with it all the first week but he is doing really well with it now and has got himself much more organised (and with less help from me). That is a major accomplishment in itself. We have had a win with getting some support (I promise not to say bad things about Centrelink again) for after school transition and work choices for him too which is a huge relief for me. AIM is an advocacy group that assist autistic people in finding and keeping employment and accessing training. They came to us for the initial interview and I can’t tell you how strange it was talking to someone who actually “got it” without me having to spend hours re-telling and re-hashing Bradley’s entire life story (the guy we spoke to has an autistic son himself). It was like someone came and lifted the weight of the world off our shoulders and said, “We are here to help, don’t stress.” Yep, after 18 years of banging your head on walls... seriously weird! Thanks Mac, you are certainly on our Christmas card list this year! ;)

Callie started netball last weekend... she was a dead set legend. She did play the summer season at the end of last year but that was sort of just an introduction to the "real" game. I was so proud of her, she played GA & shot two goals and then had a go at C and GD and did a really great job stopping the other team's attempts at goal and intercepting quite a few passes. Her team won so she was stoked (last year they only won one game all season). I know it's all about how you play the game and having a go and trying your best and all that but this little win was just what she needed for a bit of a confidence boost and I know it will keep her coming back for more so I am really pleased that they had a success... despite the fact that we have to be there at 8am which means I have to get up earlier on a Saturday than a school day... there is something not quite right about that I say!

I have finally got some scrapping to share... I absolutely LOVE these Webster’s Pages papers. My life really IS beautiful (just as the bottom strip of the papers say) and it's nice to be reminded of that fact, even if the mundane crap gets on top of you sometimes... that's what scrapping is all about and I like telling both sides of the story. At the moment I am feeling very blessed that I do have two sides to tell.

The lovely Chelle... of Chelley Bean Designs gave me these gorgeous little, music paper butterflies (which I have crackle medium’d to within an inch of their fragile little lives) to have a play with and they were perfect for this piece of paper. This photo was one of those, “Oh dear, my baby girl is growing up!” moments. I really liked how it turned out despite the BG 100% Girl rubon going mental on me. I am on a mission to use up all my old rubons because I am convinced they have a use by date, a shelf life... a best before date at the very least... I think I saved it from disaster though.

This one is for the (ever patient) lovely ladies from Tomorrow’s Memories using the Webster’s Pages again and the Twiddleybitz Nero Wrought Iron Border. I covered it in DM and as always learned that my compulsion to just add a “little more” needs to be dealt with! Those flowers were white... then in my infinite, scrappy wisdom I decided they needed just a teensy spritz of Glimmer Mist... but of course there was only a tiny bit left in the bottom of the bottle and the sprayer couldn’t pick it up so I ended up with a few big blobs then nothing! Ever the optimist I tried pouring a little on... don’t try that, EVER! So then it was a paint brush to try to fix it up. Thankfully that was more successful and I actually really like how it turned out in the end. We’ll call that one a “happy” accident shall we? ;) {The colour isn't coming up all that well, the blue is really more of a pretty, minty-greenish, blue}.

Tomorrow’s Memories are celebrating their 6th birthday this month and they have some HUGE stuff planned... these girls really know how to party! Please go check it all out... I promise it will be worth your while. My big, scrappy news is that Clori, Jo and Vicki have asked me to teach so I am doing my very first ever class (it’s going to be something a bit difference and I guess you’d call it technique based) there at the end of June... I am super excited so please book in and come do my class with me so I don’t feel like a Nigel No Friends! Watch this space for more details and some sneak peeks.

This one was a just for fun and just because...

As you can see I really love this photo! I don’t usually do that (scrap a photo more than once) but I just really love this one, so I did.

See that tiny little bit of yellow pp at the bottom right hand corner? THAT started out as the background for this one! Again with the “more is more” attitude I’m afraid... I Glimmer Misted it to death so I was only able to salvage a few scraps in the end. Note to self: light weight paper and too many squirts of Glimmer Mist does not make for a good back ground. I was a bit bummed at it too... the paper looked really good with this photo and it was some K&Co pp I was given for a Master’s Challenge last year so I don’t think I will be able to replace it ... oh well, live and learn I guess. The “more is more” thing I have going on and my OCD tendencies do not sit well together! ;)

I am still plugging along with the 365Project. I have missed a few days here and there but I am really enjoying putting all these photos (plus a few extra favourite ones here and there) into my Becky Higgins Project Life album. I spent the weekend getting (almost) caught up with printing and organising them into the album. I really need to catch up on the journaling now but that is why I put such long descriptions when I upload my photos. That way it is all there, now to just get it into the actual album. I am also using the album as a record of all the photos I have on the computer. It’s a great reference to go back to when I am looking for photos for the kids’ albums.

Finally, I just wanted to say a HUGE and heartfelt thank you to Jen for the gorgeous (huge) bundle of Dusty Attic stuff that I won from her blog give away. I thought she was going to send me a piece of DA chippy, not a whole stash of the stuff! I promise I WILL get my a into g and use some Jen and post it in the DA gallery. MWAH chick, you made my year!

Best wishes to you and yours... can you believe it is May already!

Photo update...

2010-04-14T16:56:00.017+08:00

My {not so} little crew...

Callie's 8th Birthday (on the 17th because Dad was home... but officially the 25th of March)... you are growing up way too fast my darling girl!

We had a great Easter break in Walkaway and Geraldton. The girls had a ball building cubby houses, riding horses and motorbikes and just hanging out in general.

Austin is a confirmed chocoholic just like his mother. Meanwhile, Albert totally lost his shit over a Chocolate Easter Bunny. He chucked a complete mental when we took the foil off it and it took ages to convince him that the chocolate was in fact the edible part... metal tastes good it would seem!

We had Austin's & Albert's first birthday on the Easter Monday Holiday but their actual birthday is the 9th (again so Dad could be there). It is so hard to believe a year has whizzed by already. Just to add a bit of excitement to the day Austin tried to choke himself on his cake (greedy little bugger) but luckily we were quick and thank you Liz for helping! Poor little man... it didn't deter him though! ;) Thank you and The Pissys for the gorgeous gifts too... they are certainly being well loved!

They are both crawling on all fours properly now and both pulling themselves up to standing on anything they can reach. They have also both discovered the joys of climbing on things that are just a little too high to fall comfortably from. Bloody kids! ;)

My Gran... almost 96 and still working at the museum. Behind her is my Grandfather's Memorial Rose Garden.

Just us again (for my dear Aunty Weens)... last Christmas. It was quite the engineering feat I must say... all done with the camera on a tripod and the self timer! You should have seen me carrying on like a lunatic to get them all to look at the camera and then trying to get back into the shot myself! ;)

Curiosity Killed The Cat...

Harry Potter or BUST!!! ;)

... Just can't hardly wait! ;)

AND THE WINNER IS...

Welcome to my blog on the Twiddleybitz hop...

IT'S TONIGHT!!! The Twiddleybitz RAKamania Bloghop!!

There's life in the old scrapper yet...

Just sharin' some "stuff"...

... and again!

Twiddling again! ;)

2 days, 7 hours and 55 minutes since Camp Mojo...

Check this out...

Check out Angie Delarie's Blog

Leave a Comment and WIN the Stash!

Please DO NOT keep reading if you are easily offended...

cyn·i·cal

Just sharin'...

Tomorrow's Memories

Some more {old} LOs

a {BIG} Lil' Somethin' in my mail box

a {BIG} Lil' Somethin'

I keep forgetting...

Yeah, I know long time, no blog...

IT'S TOMORROW'S MEMORIES' 7TH BIRTHDAY!

COME CELEBRATE WITH US...

bye, bye {2010}... hello {2011}

Welcome to the blog hop...

twirling, twirling, twirling towards the end of 2010...

18 years...

Pssssssssssssssttttt...

Just a quick share...

Have YOU scrapped YOUR boy yet????

... and again with the "time flies {supposedly} when you are having fun"!

Time flies...

Scrap Space Bonanza

Show Your Space For A Chance To Win!

More twiddling to share...

I {heart} Steampunk!

KwwwwwwwwwwwwooooooooooooR!

FINALLY...

{hopping} along...

Getting ready for a BIG {scrappy and happy} weekend...

Looking for a challenge or 3 this weekend?

Wanna come play?

as promised...

Just like a good DEMTEL ad...

{sneak} peak...

Guess what I am up to now...

The July Challenge is UP, UP & AWAY!

Look what I am up to now...

Purple and green anyone?

A long, long time ago...

Happy, happy, happy CAMPER...

It's a proud, PROUD day

... and some more super exciting news

Soooooooooooooooooooooo... here's my BIG news

So it appears sticker charts DO work...

Photo update...