Do you want the good news, or.....

the good news....or the other good news???

*Warning - rather long post ahead*


After the crappy couple of weeks that I've had, I can't believe how things have turned around this past week :)

Firstly, about 4 weeks ago I discovered this lovely friendly online forum & scrap shop.....called Red Earth Scrapping that is run by a lovely lady named Helen.  They had announced that they were  having a DT competition for a new DT member, starting 16th January....so I thought I'd give it a go :) . 

Part 1 of the competition was to take inspiration from the Red Earth Scrapping banner.....

I took inspiration from the gorgeous earthy colours - the rusty red earth - the beige, greys & blues in the patchwork of corrugated iron - the colour of the wheat - and of course, the wheat itself.....and this is what I came up with...... 

"Captain Cook's Cottage" - pics taken from our weekend in Melbourne back in Sept last year.

I just LOVE how this turned out....and I LOVE the banner that I drew inspiration from :)

2nd part of the competition....was a sketch challenge with some extra criteria :-

To use red - as little or as much as you like

To use ribbon/lace/trim - as little or as much as you like

To have a handcut element/embellishment

And to journal - more than just the who, what, when & where

And this is what I created for part 2......

(but this part of the comp didn't end up counting - as poor Helen had forgot to post the criteria before going away for the weekend...LOL - so most of us just did part 2 anyway, just for fun)

$14,000 art piece - I covered all the criteria, including the journaling - telling the story about the art auction on board our cruise...and this piece of art that really caught my eye, just totally gobsmacked me when the opening price was $14,000!!!!  LOL - needless to say I sat there speechless & gobsmacked.

Apparently it's street value was $25,000 - I think I must have expensive tastes!  OMG I soooo would have loved to buy it!  If only it wasn't sooooo expensive....LOL

SOOOOOOOO

the first part of my "good news" is that Helen has chosen me to be the new DT member!!!

OMG....lil old ME?!?!?

When I first found out I was shocked....and excited!!! with my mind racing at a million miles per hour!  hahaha

I am really looking forward to working with Helen & the other RES DT members, Mistra & Susanne!

The amazing & coincidental thing is........it turns out that Helen only lives about 30 minutes from me....how amazing is that!!!  It really is such a small small world :)

I should be receiving my first RES kit some time this week....and can't wait to start playing with it - it really is a gorgeous looking kit!

Now for my 2nd lot of good news....

A few weeks ago I got an email from Kristy at Scrapbooking Memories - inviting me to be a part of a display - The Papercraft Showroom - that will travel around most of the Craft Expo's in Australia in 2011.

OMG I couldn't believe what I was reading....just so totally stoked!  Of course I said YES....and after much agonising over which LO to send in - I finally decided on the "Captain Cook's Cottage" layout as shown above!  I'm hoping to try to get to one of the Craft Expo's...so really looking forward to seeing the showcase of work that they will have on display :)

And because things, apparently, come in threes......

My third bit of good news is that I have won these gorgeous little beauties......

Sue has recently started up a new little venture called - Lovely Bug Bits & Bobs - where she makes these gorgeous little buttons!  She had a giveaway on her blog....and by some amazing miracle, I won!!!  hahaha

Thanks so much Sue!  I can't wait to receive them & I'm really looking forward to scrapping with them!

Okies......that's all from me for now - & if you're still with me on this super long post....thankyou, you deserve a medal! Thanks for dropping by :)

Hmmmm....I wonder if that "things come in threes" theory could be stretched any more???

You'll have to keep checking back to see......

Happy belated Australia day!!!

I'm only 2 (almost 3) days late....lol

We had a very unusual Australia Day.....at the local hospital :( 
DS was rushed off to hospital the week before (20th) with a very nasty appendicitis ....he got to come home on the 3rd day, and everything was going fine, until the early hours of Wednesday morning (Australia Day)...he just couldn't stop vomiting :(  so back to the hospital we went.  
After much frustration (without saying too much!) he eventually got put on the right medication that got him on track to getting better....and now he's finally home again :)

So not alot of scrapping has been happening here....I've spent all my normal days off work, sitting around worrying in hospitals :(  

But I do have 2 LO's that I can share.....

This one was for the January Sylists challenge over at Scrapboutique - to take inspiration from an image of numbers.  So, I've used numbers on the tape measure....the playing card & some AC thickers numbers to represent DS's racing number.

And this one is for Amanda's sketch challenge at last weekends "refreshing" cyber crop over at Scrapboutique....using white cardstock as the base & some refreshing colours!

I am hoping things will start to get back to some kind of normality around here.....which hopefully means some more scrapping.....and soon, because I can feel myself getting a bit antsy because I haven't scrapped in what feels like forever!

Okies....that's all from me for now......Thanks for dropping by & for all the lovely comments you've been leaving - they really do put a smile on my face :)

Cheers!!!

Happy Scrappy New Year....

Can you believe that we are more than half way through January already?!? Anddddd over the weekend I seen hotcross buns in Woollies! Not sure if there was easter eggs, but I'm sure they were probably there somewhere, & if not, they'll be on their way real soon! unbelievable - they seem to be in the shops earlier & earlier each year!


Just a quick post tonight with a few layouts to share.....

I have been participating in the Happy Scrappy New Year competition over at Red Earth Scrapping - there were 7 challenges run over 15 days....and it has been fun!

Challenge 1 was to scrap a christmas layout using a christmas photo, a die cut or shaped paper & journalling (more than just the basics) - I have already shared the layout I did for this challenge a few posts ago - but I will share again....

Challenge 2 was a recipe challenge & we had to gather the following ingredients -

* cardstock base (12x12 or 8.5x11)

* 3 x patterned paper circles - any size but plan this carefully ...

* 1 x patterned paper strip - max size 3x11

* ribbon/trim/lace etc - any type/quantity

* flowers - no more than 5 - any size/style

* alphas

* photo/s

Here are my ingredients....

Challenge 3 was to make 3 lollipop flowers & then put them aside for use later in the comp

Challenge 4 was to make a card.....using only scraps!

Challenge 5 was to create a layout using only the ingredients we had collected earlier....but we were also allowed to use 1 extra thing.....stickers

Challenge 6 was to create a layout or series of cards using our 3 previously made lollipops....

And challenge 7 was to create any papercrafting project inspired by the following quote

A new year is unfolding - like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within.

I decided to do a mini album for photos that I take in 2011 - probably a favourite or 2 for each month as it is a 12 page mini.  I have had this Kaiser album & the Kaiser papers for YEARS, just sitting there.....so this challenge was the perfect chance to put it to good use....

The whole competition has been  great fun with lots of fantastic challenges.....well done Helen!

Thanks for dropping by & thanks again to everyone for all your lovely comments :)))

Cheers & happy scrapping!

January White with 1.....

This months White with 1 challenge is to use White (of course), navy or royal blue.....with banners!

I haven't really cottoned on to the banner thing that's been the craze of late....so I guess this one was a bit more challenging for me....and I'm really not so sure that the banners suit what the LO is about?????  LOL

To be honest....I was orginally going to do another motocross LO, which the banners would have been more suited to....but somehow I've ended up in a totally different direction & was happily scrapping away, in my own little world....had almost finished my LO when I remembered that I needed to use a banner!!  LOL
So, I've added the banner in there....and as I said, I'm just not sure that it suits the style of the LO...and what the LO is about.

But anyways....here is my take on this months challenge.....

"The calm AFTER the storm"

There is hidden journaling in under the photo that pulls out with the piece of ribbon on the right hand side.....journalling is about how for the first 3 days of our cruise we had REALLY rough seas.....6 - 8 metre swells....and sometimes 10m swells :-0 ....it was so rough that even alot of the crew were sick!

But then....the water was as still as!  As you can see in the pic.....it was so still & calm that the water looked like glass.....just unbelievable!

Oh, and I have another TOOT!!!  yayy

I just read on the White with 1 blog that I have won a prize over there for last months challenge ...woohoooo!!!

And to think that not so long ago, I felt like I probably would never scrap again....so to win 3 prizes for my work last month is just a really HUGE boost to my confidence :)))

Thanks for dropping by & thanks to everyone for your wonderful comments....they really do mean alot & also help with the confidence....to know that there are people out there that enjoy looking at my work, and in some cases...are even inspired - can't get much better than that!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Stuck?!

I really enjoyed scrapping with the Stuck?! sketch I did last month ...so I couldn't wait to give the January 1st sketch a go too.....

Here is my take.....using brights that aren't my normal scrappy choice - but I really like how it turned out :)

Pics are from the "come and join the circus" show from our cruise

And here is the sketch.....

I have a few other scrappy shares as well.

This one is part of the Happy Scrappy New Year challenge over at

Red Earth Scrapping

There are more challenges to come over a total of 15 days....so stay tuned - there will be more :)

 Pics are of the DJ's christmas window displays down in Sydney - they were absolutely fantastic!

And this LO is for the January sketch challenge at Handmade by Suzanne

Well that's it for now.....it's late, I'm tired & should be in bed...and can't really think what else to say LOL

oh...I just remembered....I'm going to give myself a little TOOT TOOT!

After losing my mojo for a while there, and having no inclination/inspiration.....to scrap....naddda....NOTHING AT ALL

I was over the moon that I won 2 challenges last month!!!  :)

At Stuck?! sketches & Storyboard Kits

Wooohooooo!  Go me....LOL

So for those out there that feel their mojo has gone walkabout....my advice is to not worry & to not try to force yourself to scrap....it will all come flooding back to you when it's all good & ready....so don't give up!

Thanks for visiting & happy scrapping!

January Kraft it up challenge....

January's KIU challenge is now up on the Kraft it Up blog.....

Sadly, this will be my last month on the KIU CT :(((
The last 12 months have been totally awesome  & I have really enjoyed working with Mel & the other talented CT members!

I'd like to thank Mel for first offering me a position as a CT member when she first started such a fantastic challenge blog back in Feb 2010...it's been fun & a pleasure :) ....and I will definitely miss it - but I guess I can still play along each month with all the fantastic challenges.

Anyways....on with this months challenge -

~ Create a layout based on the theme SUMMER and you must also use a SUMMER word in your title, using Kraft cardstock as your base


And here is my sample layout.....

I love the colours in this.... pic is of the recent floods on the Lachlan River in early December.

TFL & thanks for visiting

I hope you will all be inspired & give this months challenge a go!

Go check out the KIU blog for heaps of inspiration from the rest of the CT

Plus to see who the newest CT members are.....

10 favourites for 2010...

Happy New Year to everyone out there in blogland!
It's good bye to 2010 & Helloooo to 2011 - lets hope 2011 is a good one!!!

Last year we all seemed to blog about 9 of our favourites for 2009, so I thought I'd do this again this year....10 for 2010.  In no particular order....here are my favourite 10 creations.....

Wow, that was harder than I thought!  There were so many LO's that are on my fav's list, that are awaiting publication, so unable to share!  And I used to think they always chose the LO's that I didn't particularly like - obviously not the case anymore :)

Thanks for visiting :)

& Happy scrapping......