Believe

I try not to double up on challenges but this layout fits two.

Over at Salt the challenge was to create something to do with believe or had the verse Jeremiah 29:11-13. And as I was creating this layout I read Hannah's Friday Night Challenge at Scrapbook Essentials.

I'd already picked the colours - they kinda fit, I was already using 1 journalling spot - just had to add a couple more and already had the paint around the edge of the photo. Done.

Ok - off to create some more.

Take one Canvas...

... and some paint.

This morning I visited Donna Downey's blog and was inspired to get creative.

I had a friends birthday present to make. The 'She' layout I mentioned yesterday - just wasn't making me happy. So I started over, with a fresh canvas and some blue paint. I was kinda pushed for time and wished I could work as fast as Donna Downey did in her video.



This friend is my personal weight watchers coach - well, I like to think so seeing as that's what she does for a job. But she's struggling with her weight too - she was at goal, then had a baby and well, the wobbly bits just took over... as they do.

So I wanted to used a photo of her at goal weight with some inspiring words so she could look at it every day and be reminded of her goal and what she is working towards.



The photo isn't a particularly stunning one but I think it says a lot about how happy she was, enjoying life with friends and looking good. (She's the one in blue on the right.) I know how much she wants to lose this weight. As a weight watchers leader it's kinda important that she does. But I also know how hard it is, to continually be careful about what you eat and to keep up the exercise when life is busy. I'm hoping that we will both get there this year.

Look what arrived today.

The Rak I won from Maya Rd. Seriously cool stuff! Sheer albums, office sheers, clear stamp, rubons, seriously pretty flowers, chipboard, ribbons - those cool see through ones too... This lot will keep me busy for a long time!



This is the Rally craft for the next two Rally nights. We split the group into boys and girls. The boys were banging nails into wood. The girls are designing and stitching their own felt toy. Last night we cut them out and sewed on buttons. Next time they get to stitch and stuff. I had to keep my example nice and simple - I'm dying to embellish it some more - but will wait otherwise I'll have the girls all wanting theirs to be dressed up more too.



And I finally caught Jessi in a good mood and colour coordinated clothes so I snapped the 'four' photo for her album like Nic Howards ones.

We had a wee discussion about her favourite body parts and so far all she's come up with is the soft parts on her ears - I think she'd like earings...

And while I'm recording Jessi likes - her favourite song of the moment is Hot Hot Hot - you know the one that goes olay olay olay olay ...

And I did a 'She' layout today for my friend's birthday present it doesn't have a photo on it yet though - so I haven't got a pic to show you yet.

Yay it's Friday already - short weeks are great once you figure out what day of the week it is! Happy weekend everyone.

Colour Me Happy

Well, here it is - my Colour Me Happy circle journal made by my friends at Scrapbook Essentials.



Cover - the front bit of chipboard and the binding ring things were from a bought album and I made my own pages out of bazzill - each colour cut slightly bigger than the one before.



Intro and instructions - I planned to take out this little instructions flap once the album was completed.



The rest of the instructions - hoping madly that people wouldn't be freaked out by having to go monochromatic!



White - my own pages which I really wasn't happy with and planned to re-do once it came back to me - I don't think I will now.



Brown - Louise. Gotta love that face!



Red - Janine. I want some Dorothy shoes too!



Orange - Vicki. Check out that stunning photo.



Yellow - Debbie. Lemons and Sunflowers - definitely happy things for me too.



Green - Julie. That pic of Fiona really makes me smile!



Teal - Donna. This was the only colour left when the journal got to Donna. I'm glad she had lots of teal inspiration around her. Even her kids wear teal - how cool is that!



Blue - Kelly. Yep that blue sky does it for me too.



Purple - Alice. Love the purple facts included.



Pink - Tanya. Check out the collection of pink stuff Tanya has! (And is that big furry flower a prima one? Alice used a purple one on her page. I need some flowers like that!)



Black - Michele. Classic, timeless, simple - and it makes you look slimmer!



The sign in pages.



And the tags they created.



The end!

Thank you to everyone who completed a page. I love how it turned out!

I'm on the Team!

Great News - I've joined the Scrap of Faith Head Quarters Team.

It's a little different from other design team positions. There's a blog, a forum, a gallery, cyber crops but no shop or business trying to earn a living from scrapbooking. Just a bunch of talented individuals who love scrapbooking and want to share the love ... and the faith.

And while I was busy putting my design team application together and doing Easter stuff time has passed by and I find myself out of time to do the latest NZ Dares challenge.

I really wanted to do this one - I love the list of 'She' things by Kobi Yamada. It really captured my imagination. I was having trouble choosing which one to use of course. Maybe I'll take the list and create a whole album, that would be fun.

I'll add that to the list of albums I plan to complete. Also on that list is a beautiful people one as suggested by Haylee. And a four year old one about Jessi that Nic Howard is working through on her blog.

The lack of pretty pictures on this post can only mean two things.
1. I took lots of photos over the weekend and my camera batteries are now having a much needed charge.
2. I haven't done enough scrapping lately and have nothing to show.

Tonight I will stay away from the computer and scrap something!

More Blue Skies...

...and family fun.

Easter Sunday

The chocolate.

The bunny thing.


Mmmmmm!



He is not here. He has Risen! Luke 24:6

Good Friday

When you think King, do you think...

or

They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. Matthew 27:28-30


I've borrowed those crowns from here. I'd encourage you to take the time to read Missy's post if you are interested in these things, she makes some good points.


Easter cake:

Is there such a thing as Easter cake? Probably not, but I had some banana's that needed cooking and one little passionfruit that made yummy icing and then I thought I'd try out the glitter icing we recently got from England. It looks kinda pretty and Eastery to me!

We also decorated eggs today.

Jessi kept asking when she could eat hers - it was all she was interesting in doing!

She also got up this morning and wanted to know when we were going. She'd picked up that today was an Easter holiday and so had assumed we would be going away somewhere ... specifically to Invercargill Grandma's so she could play with that cousin who is her friend... I think she meant Luka.

Unfortunately getting 5 people to Invercargill doesn't come cheap and can't be done just any old time we please.

Easter Time

I just noticed that my counter thingy says I've had visitors from 50 different countries. How cool is that. Another reminder that there are more people out there reading this than just you faithful few who comment.

Today has been a bitsy day. I've done bits of this, bits of that and have not much to show for it. I finished a layout. Wrote up a couple of supplies lists and sent off a layout and a card to Up2Scrap. Got some other paperwork done and posted. Got some photos printed of yesterdays school trip with Alexander. Stocked up on easter eggs for the weekend. And of course a bunch of Mum/housewifey stuff too.

Nobody could be bothered cooking tonight so we picked up KFC and ate it with this view:



The kids wanted a picnic, they asked to go to a big park - not a playground, but a big open green space - is how they put it. This place is actually not far from our house, (as in, just around the corner) we should come here more often. Unfortunately the sun was going down behind the hills and the air had a definite autumn feel to it.



Love how they lined up to get their photo taken - in height order. It reminds me of photos of me as a kid, lined up with my brother and sister and often cousins too.



And some Jessi photography - just to prove I was there too.

And the good things keep on coming!

Today it was the arrival of my Stampin' Up order. Two big background stamps and a corner rounder... and some other stuff ...

And a mag acceptance - wahoo!

And a RAK win from Maya Rd - yippeee!

And an ipod nano - cause my husband's cool. Help - what songs are essential to have on it? I don't know what I like, so tell me what you like and that'll be a good start.

And I remembered I like taking photos - almost as much as scrapping them. Even if it means we are a little bit late for kindy because I stopped to capture the moment.



It's 10:50pm and this little girl is still up and talking non stop. I have no idea why she's not asleep or where this energy has come from. I'm trying very hard not to laugh and encourage her chattering but she's saying some cute stuff.

More cool stuff:

This time a whole etsy shop of cool stuff. I'm looking at woollen jumpers with new eyes! The kids don't actually need woollen jumpers for winter do they?

Good Things

Lots of good things to be thankful for today.

1. The kids happy to get themselves dressed this morning (in green clothes for St Pat's day)
2. Having no food in the house - meant the kids got to buy their lunches and I didn't have to make sandwiches.
3. Fun easter basket crafts at playgroup with glitter and shredded paper and fluffy yellow chickens and chocolate eggs.
4. The smell of hotcross buns.
5. Coffee with Janine and Kelly (without Jessi), good conversation and yummy coffee and cake.
6. Sending Jessi off to kindy with a plate of green biscuits to share.
7. Eating lunch in peace while browsing my bloglines list.
8. Eating an entire chocolate easter egg for lunch!
9. Full cupboards - I got the grocery shopping done.
10. Replacing the soggy cucumber with a fresh new one.
11. Filling the fruit bowl.
12. Sweet, clean, smelling kids fresh from the shower.
13. Escaping the chaos of dinner/bedtime and taking a walk before sunset. (The consequence of numbers 5 and 8!)
14. Finding a new, very cool blog to add to bloglines.

Life is good!

Where did the week go?

Lots of extra stuff happened this week. The Spotlight demonstrations went well. It was a Rally week so I spent a bit of time preparing an Easter themed craft and sewing up their bags from the week before. Jessi and I visited morning kindy and found lots of friends we don't get to see anymore. I'm sure I did more stuff but I can't think of what that was right now!

Check out this ribbon storage idea.

This is how Donna Downey stores her ribbon. I think it's a brilliant idea and might just solve my current messy nest of ribbon problem I currently have. Anyone know where I can find one of these wire thingys?

There was a cyber crop at Scrapbook Essentials last night. Lots of fun and a few challenges given out. This layout was done in 1 hour.

The photo's not the best cos it was taken at night but I couldn't be bothered taking a new pic today. We had to use three papers/cardstock, two photos and two embellishments. Yay for double-sided papers that give you more patterns to choose from!

The journalling reads:
"Will she be horse mad? Just one of the thoughts that went through my mind as I stood and watched you ride. I wondered how much riding lessons would cost - more that competition gym? It was priceless to see you this totally happy."

I actually have more horse riding photos I want to scrap. I came upon a sketch this week that would be perfect but I can't for the life of me find it again. It was for a double layout and had a large circle on the left and then a line of photos going off to the right. Does anyone out there know the one I mean?

Not sure if I will get the other challenges done for the cyber crop - they are due Sunday night but I have a couple of other layouts I wanted to work on this weekend.

Right now my kids need a bit of attention, but before I go ... I received this Totally Fabulous award from Kelly.

Thanks Kelly, I think you are fabulous too - specially since you came out to Spotlight to see my Fiskars demonstration!

And I'd like to pass it across the ditch to my friend Karen who takes time to comment on my blog. She has some pretty amazing layouts on her blog - go take a look!

Catch Up on Comments

As we all know, one of the limitations of blogger is the inability to reply to comments. Maybe one day I'll switch over but for now I'll comment on a few comments here.

First of all thanks Trina for suggesting I submit the handbag card to basic grey. Acting on your suggestion, I did, and it's now in their gallery.

Next Jenny - your comment about the Fiskars demonstrating being in the middle of a working week. As we discussed today I'm sure there are many people who would rather it be on a weekend so I'll keep that in mind for next time. Thanks for pointing it out.

And Trace, I'm glad you won't be at my Spotlight with all your helpful questions. Thank you very much!

And Debbie - the basic grey paper in the last post is Two Scoops - Spumoni and the pink is Strawberry Smoothie.

And yes, Caroline from Maya Road called into my blog - but that's cause I took part in a challenge on her blog and left her a message to come see what I did. How nice of her to take the time to leave a message though!

OK that's enough for now, it's getting late. I'll leave you with a close up of the layout I did for the Scrapbook Essentials Friday night challenge.



The papers are Cloud 9 - Chocolate Chalet and should be available at your LSS (I saw them at mine) and also maybe at Warehouse Stationery but I'll have to check that.

Edited to add: I've taken out the link to the full layout cos this one has been accepted for publication - yay!

Friday night play time.

I had fun last night playing with a Maya Rd chipboard keychain. Another one of those things I've been hoarding for a while now.

I dressed up the pieces using my current favourite basic grey paper of course and a little bit of older MR ribbon, some lace, buttons and bling.

I've made these for my sister who turns a year older next week.

And just so they're not completely pretty but pointless - I added some Bible verses on the back about beauty.


And if you're looking for inspiration, fun and maybe even free stuff this weekend pop over to the Fiskars blog. It's International Women's day and they are celebrating Fiskars style.

Speaking of Fiskars - I popped into Spotlight today and there at the door was a huge poster announcing that I would be demonstrating in store Thursday this week. My kids thought it was pretty neat seeing my name on a poster. So if you are in Porirua between 11am and 2pm next Thursday, pop in to Spotlight and say hi. Or otherwise you could come see me at the Wellington Spotlight on Wednesday.

My new favourite product.

This stuff:

Strano ribbon stiff. I know I'm a little behind the game plan on this one - there was lots of talk about it last year. But it's new to me. I ordered a bottle here and it arrived just yesterday.

It's designed to be used with ribbon to make the ends not fray when you cut it and can be used as an adhesive to add ribbon to your page. (No more fraying ribbons on the girls pretty dresses and hair accessories.)



I painted some on a piece of fabric (it's a bit like p.v.a. glue) and when it dried I was able to cut out these letters just like the fabric was paper - only easier cause it was still flexible and didn't rip. And I could even draw on them with my black ink pen without it bleeding into the fabric. Magic!!!



And cause the fabric was a bit like paper I could even fold it and the folds stayed in place - I couldn't even do that with the iron when I tried the night before. This was a really floppy, fine fabric before it was ribbon stiffed.

It says on the bottle that you can use punches on the ribbon too. I'm not sure if that would extend to cutting in a cricut - I don't have one to try. But I'm going to try using my Fiskars ShapeXpress that should be fun.


And a layout to share.

Because I bought a couple (lots) of new Making Memories papers yesterday and then discovered my stash of beautiful papers I already had. So I thought I'd better use some instead of collecting them like a magpie. ;o)