NZ Dare LO

Well, I actually managed to get this one done on time. I had no idea when the deadline actually was - all the days seem to blend in together at the moment. But the idea of a black and white layout with one colour was haunting my imagination. And also the idea of adding colour to an already printed black and white photo was simmering away there too.



So - I have no black and white patterned paper, but I found these yummy ribbons I've been hoarding for some time now. I had to drag out and dust off my water colour pencils to find just the right shade of blue to add to the photo - I mixed the 'paint' on a scrap first then painted it on the photo with a dryish brush. Quite pleased with the results - will have to do it again sometime.

And I'm back to beads and dimensional magic again - love playing with beads but I think it's time to stock up the bead supply again!

Well, anyway - I had fun, thanks for the dare!

Wow - have I just had fun!

Over at Scrapbook Outlet we've just been cyber cropping with Elsie Flannigan!!!! So very fun.

She set us a challenge to doodle on a photo, then stick it on a layout - in 30mins. Well, I don't think I've scrapped so fast ever!

I had a photo of Jessi, which I've been pulling out and then putting back in the too hard basket for ages. Tonight I grabbed it and started doodling. Slapped it on a layout with a flower that somebody rakked me once and time was up!

I'll go back and finish doodling at some point and take a better photo of it in daylight. You should see some of the layouts that people did - amazing with such a short deadline.

A short post, I know, - just wanted to brag about chatting with Elsie!

And the real thing...

Our work is up at SE so that means I can share the real thing here.



I love this photo of Amanda singing/dancing/acting. Most of the photos turned out real bad cause of the stage lights in behind her. There is an amazing one of her off the ground doing some kind of graceful dancing leap - but of course it's blurry.

I've just been at Michelle TW's blog and I'm thinking I've really gotta improve my photography. So I'm gonna put the time into composing shots properly and editing them better before getting them printed. No more doing photos in a rush!

What I'm really sad about is the lack of stunning photos of Jessi's birthday. They were all very average. Oh and the camping photos - they prove we went camping but they're not stunning.



Anyway, back to the layouts. This is Alexander starting school. I thought it was an appropriate topic given the recent going back to school thing happening. That bling cardstock doesn't photograph well but I love the shiny look.

And the gift bag - not used for valentines day, but there's a few March birthday's coming up. Just gotta find a present just the right size.


And a card - this one isn't actually in the SE gallery, I wasn't happy with the one that I did put in so made this one today - the fabric techniques are the same, this one just works better.

I have sooo much stuff left over - lots more layouts I could still create with the kit. I even have a whole red scalloped edge heart, which I kinda forgot about, until I saw the other dt layouts! So now I'm working on a heart layout!

Well, I'm in for an early night tonight. I've been meaning to get up at 6.30am and go for a run/walk, but it just doesn't seem like a good idea when 6.30 comes around so soon after I go to bed!

Sneak Peek Time Again

So I'm a bit slow this month.

A combination of being busy and I think my mojo went on holiday... but anyway, I had an awesome kit to work with from Scrapbook Essentials.

Lots of yummy papers again and fabric - I haven't used fabric in ages, and buttons, lots of buttons.

But my favourite ... bling bazzill cardstock. Love the shiny stuff - but it's kinda hard to take a pic of the finished product.


Full layouts will be up on site tomorrow so not too long to wait.

In other news apparently Up 2 Scrap is out ... and the design team is in it. A nice big ad about Scrapbook Essentials and the design team. Might just have to get a copy ... just so I can show my Mum.

She's Three

My baby is three.

The hair cut doesn't look too bad, it wasn't much. She really just gave herself a fringe in the front there. I guess it is about time she had her first hair cut - but I'd kinda wanted a hairdresser to do it!

We've been at the zoo today. I figured there really wasn't much point in having a party cause she only has one friend. So we took that one friend to the zoo and had a really neat day out.
I made them little zebra purses and filled them with plastic animals and lots of animal themed snacks and a drink. It was so cute watching them walking round the zoo together. Each time we stopped at an enclosure they'd get out their little plastic animal and match them up. We saw the baby sun bear and fed the giraffes and got fairly close to the tiger even.

I'd so love to take her to Auckland Zoo!

Then tonight we had our 'adult' friends and family over for a BBQ, ate lollies and chippies and did the cake thing. She's had a big day!

Look what I just found:

Two days before she turns three and she gives herself her very first hair cut.

Stuff I learnt about camping

1. Tents are heavy and take up lots of room but our new car is big enough to handle it!
2. Setting up a tent takes organisation, co-operation and referring to the instructions is also helpful.
3. It pays to check out the neighbours before putting the tent up - 6mth old babies do not sleep quietly through the night and wake at 6am!
4. When it rains - stuff gets wet. (O.K. that one is obvious!)
5. When you sleep against the side of the tent and it's raining outside - you'll wake up wet.
6. Plastic knives do not slice fresh bread easily.
7. Showers are not reliably warm, reliably pressured or reliably even available.
8. It pays to pack a mirror if you want to know what you look like while camping.
9. Kids can play for hours on the playground, only coming back to be fed or apply a sticking plaster.
10. Taking the tent down and putting it back into it's little bag also requires a special talent.
11. When faced with no scrapping supplies and no computer one can still be accused of 'scrapbooking' just by taking a few (hundred) photos.