Merry christmas

Its hard to believe Christmas has been and gone and 2010 is just around the corner.
Christmas at our house had highs and lows, the high was that my sister and her family, from Auckland come to spend Christmas with us, the low was that our Dunedin nephew come down with pneumonia the week before Christmas, so him and his mum stayed in Dunedin for the day. We missed them both at the Christmas table.

My craft work , and blog,were both left behind in the week leading up to Christmas due to the fact that Christmas was to be at our house. I did manage to make place mats for the table though, using last years Chrissy photos. I made one for all of our diner guests as a small keepsake.
The digital elements mainly come from Louise's digital kits, some I downloaded from the internet, the Christmas hat come from HERE.

This is my finished place mat...

What a fine looking bunch we are! :-D

Christmas morning mayhem...opening the parcels...

(Above) My dad, Aimee and Camden.

We were lucky to have Dom,(below) Aimee's new best friend and Shenae, Cody's girlfriend join us latter in the day.
I have to say getting good Christmas photos is always a Battle!
...tring hard to be sensible...

Merry Christmas from Andrew and I. We hope you all had a wonderful christmas.

Flowers

Christmas is coming way too fast for me again this year! So much to do and so little time!
Action in my craft room has been pretty much null and void. Although I still have Christmas cards I need to make, gift tags for my parcels, a container to decorate for a swap at Glamour girls and there is my first assignment to be completed for Up2scrap. And life outside of my craft room is full on. Never mind I will do what I can and no doubt the world will not stop if I don't achieve everything!
Thought Id show you the wonderful handmade flowers I received from a swap I took part in over at Betterscrapbooking. Which reminds me, my time on the Design Team there is almost over. Its always sad when things come to an end, but I know Megan will have a talented team lined up for next year so watch this space ....... I sure will be!

(Click on the photos to see all of the wonderful detail close up)

Thanks to all the clever ladies who took part in this swap, I'm looking forward to creating pages using these gorgeous blooms in the new year.

Great Grandad's been scrapped

Earlier this year my uncle come for a visit and had some wonderful photos with him from yesteryear. I loved this one of my grandad, it brings back many happy childhood memories of summer days spent at our gran parents house in Lincoln (near Christchurch). My grandad grew the most scrumcious berries and fruits. Anyway, I have at last scrapped this wonderful memory, here it is...
I have created a digi/hybrid page, inspired by Louise's idea's in the Up2scrap blog, check these out HERE

I made my little watering can by stamping the image onto the back of a piece of an old coke can and cutting the image out. Next I lightly scored around the image out line, turned the image over and re scored so my image stood out and looked slightly 3D. I used alcohol inks to colour the tin and carefully painting on the daisies and heart.

The butterfly and black swirl design were printed out, the butterfly is from one of Louise's digital kits. Check out her Digi Fingers blog to find super cheap and super gorgeous digital kits.

Texture was created using all sorts of things from, tulle, string, ribbon, muslin cloth, and pretty much anything I could find on the day.
All of those bright green leaves were, once again,printed from one of Louise's digital kits, as was the journaling tag.(I have so many of her kits that I cannot recall which one these were from off hand!) These leaves are all the one same leaf, just printed out a gazillion times over! I spent quite some time cutting them all out.

My grandad was a man of the land, so I have attempted to portray this in my lay-out, right down to the seeds in the tiny glass bottle. As always I have created one extremely busy page!

I remember well my grandad often saying...Live by nature girl and you carn't go wrong.

I really don't quite know what he would make of the world today if he was still here!

Fly away Bruce

Look at Bruce now......hes grown into quite a character and I'm quite attached to him, but hes a wild bird and should be free so,on Saturday Bruce had his first taste of freedom.
Here he is, free ranging on the lawn close to the aviary that has become his home.


Bruce was out for a hour but would not fly away! He just wandered around the lawn exploring and picking up twigs and leaves.
Sunday morning I had a second attempt at setting Bruce free. After some time I decided that he was not going anywhere again. However on his way back to the aviary he found his wings! It was lovely to watch Bruce circle the house roof and land near the top of one of our big old gum trees.
Bruce was free, or so I thought! A short time latter I spotted Bruce sitting on the front fence, I approached him, thinking that he would head for the sky again, but no, Bruce looked at me, opened his mouth and began squawking for his lunch!
To cut along story short, Bruce ate and went on his way and I saw no more of him on Sunday.
Monday was a little bittersweet when Bruce did not show for breakfast, or lunch. Late afternoon I crossed the road to my mum and dads vege garden, to pinch a fresh lettuce. On passing their garage I stopped in my tracks when I thought I heard a squawk...could it possibly be Bruce I wondered?? Well it turned out Bruce had been locked in my dads garage since late Sunday afternoon! When I opened the door Bruce come flying at me, landed on my shoulder, beak wide open and pointing at my face, as much to say "wheres my diner!!'
Bruce is home again, he shows no interest in heading off into the blue sky's at the moment and he has been singing ever since his return to the aviary. Does anyone know if the male, or female magpie sings, I'm still not sure of his gender?
I guess Bruce will go free one day, but just now it seems he does not want to go anywhere.

Inspiration

Dianne's Circle Journal theme was Inspirational Quotes or Sayings

I decided to do a collage using scrap pieces of paper
I popped my inspirational quote on a tag and made a pocket for it to slot into
Dianne's whole album followed this blue/fawn colour scheme, and like the others it looks scrumptious!

Butterflys

Butterfly's was the theme for Sue's Circle Journal. I found so many wonderful and inspiring butterfly quotes when I went hunting...this was the one that I used for inspiration for the two pages I completed in Sue's circle journal...

Happiness is as elusive as a fluttering butterfly

and as easily attainable as a crawling Caterpillar

Put aside the net and

let it happen.

(words to life by I think!)

Thanks to Debbie at Glamourgirls I had the perfect image to go with this quote

My page was the very last in Sues journal, which was a real plus, as it meant I got to see the whole journal finished...and it looked gorgeous.

Pop to Sues blog to see all of her journal pages, you will find it HEREI hope my journal finds its way home soon.

Not camping weather

Wouldn't you just know it...its pouring rain here tonight for the first time in ages! And do you know why???...Its because our Cam headed away on School camp this morning!! Like his mum he's unlucky with the weather.

Here is Cam, with two of his mates, Hamish and Dean, waiting patiently on the rest of the team to pick them up on their way through Duntroon this morning The boys are heading up the Ahuriri, tramping in with their packs ( about a four hour hike) and tenting for three days. My guess is it will rain until Friday!!

Cody's dog Bid is not part of the team, even though she has her lunch packed and looks ready to go!!

Better Scrapbooking want YOU!

My time on the Design team at Better Scrapbooking is fast coming to an end. Ends are always sad. Don't forget there is still time to try out for a place on next years Design Team... here is the latest note from Megan regarding this

....

Design Team 2010

By the way remember this week is your last week to try out for the Design team. Simply email four photos of your favourite layouts that depict your style of scrap booking, also write a paragraph about yourself, telling us what you love about scrap booking ans why you would like to be a member of our Design Team. Please include a photo of yourself.

As a design team member you will be asked to create layouts once a month or every other month (depending on home many DT members I decide on) and over the course of a year you could receive up to $400 worth of free scrap booking goodies to design layouts and projects with. How cool is that. So quick get those designs in.

Entries need to be emailed to megan@betterscrapbooking.co.nz before 5pm December 7th.
Winners will be announced December 18th in the G&T newsletter.

Good luck to those of you who are giving this a go. I have loved being a part of Megan's talented team.

Here are three pages I popped in the Better Scrapbooking Gallery way back in 2007!!

I'd like to think my scrapping has improved since way back then!!

Isn't it funny to look back and see how your style and tastes have changed.

Circle Journal

Almost...its almost back home! My circle journal that is. I am looking forward to it arriving home in the mail soon.
Carol has hers back, she has every page posted on her blog, and it looks amazing! Can you guess what her theme was.... check out the pages I completed in Carols journal, then pop over to her blog to see the whole thing, you can find it HERE

Love your theme Carol, it will be such a delightful keepsake

A gift for afar

Quite some time ago the lovely Renate and Wolfgang sent me this treasure trove of marvels, all the way from Erftstadt in Germany. Aren't I Lucky to have found such wonderful friends from so far away. Blogging is wonderful, but how I would love to be able to pop on over to Germany to meet these wonderful people face to face.

Here is the very special card Renate (pronounced Ren-art-a) made especially for me.

I believe my life is richer as well!

...so many lovely crafty goodies that I hardly know where to start!

Another of Renate's handmade wonders, a beautiful tag book fulled with the most beautiful quotes and words

...the back is as delightful as the front.

...and a very special key ring, which is far too precious to attach to my keys!

Thank you both Renate and Wolfgang.

Have you seen...

...the latest Up2scrap mag, I ask because I'm very proud to feature in it. What a thrilling way to end my year! I must say though that I have 'big boots' to full because the work in each issue of the Up2scrap magazine is wonderful...hmmm I'm beginning to feel a little nervous now.
My congratulations to the other three ladies who made the team, and to the design team members who have moved up the ranks and whom are staying on for 2010. I'm honored to be working along side of you all.


Now that was the bright spot in my week, and lucky it was a big bright spot because other than that, our van has broken down and had to be towed to town (cost of tow was $190 , the down side to living in the country I guess). The plumbing under the wash house and bathroom has run a muck, damage has yet to be assesed and Aimee had to go back to the doctor today for the second time in a week. Turns out that she has probable glandular fever. She feel sick and has bad headaches, seems to spend all of her time being tied even though she is sleeping almost all of the day and night. Tomorrow she has her last exam to sit, fingers crossed she can last the distance!


Ive been busy making my Christmas cards, which is nothing short of a miracle really!


Here's an up to date photo of Bruce Almighty ( I'm only guessing that Bruce is a boy!!?)
Hes almost full grown now, but still does not feed himself, so is still in the aviary with my budgies for that reason. Once he learns how to eat I will be very happy to set him free.
When hes hungry he just opens his mouth wide and squawks loudly,just like this....

I'm sure if you listen carefully you will just about hear him, no matter how far away you live!

Digging Deep

Cleaning out our garage turned up many boxes of 'stuff'' , most of which have been packed away over the years and alot of it forgotten about. One box I peeked in contained Andrews treasures, lovingly kept by his dear mum. As I shuffled through it I wondered why we mums keep such funny things...Andrews box contains old teeth..yuck,favorite story books, school reports, news paper clippings..the list goes on, and on and on! In this box I found Andrews first school books, and decided, for fun to scan one of the pages and scarp it...

I chose this one, a self portrait. The story says...The sun is shinning The sun is shining on Andrew. Andrew loves the sun these days and it shines on him far too much, I'm afraid that the skin cancer warnings have little effect on him.

I kept my page simple, with layers of basic shapes

and this cute little elephant.

Our weekend 21st-22nd November 09

What wonderful summer days, and nights we have been having here in Duntroon.
Friday night Aimee and I moved the barbecue from the back of the veranda to the front, so we could catch the lingering sunshine while I cooked a barbecue tea.
Camden practiced his pipes on the front lawn, it was lovely cooking in the fresh air to the sound of the pipes. I did attempt a jig...but Camden said any more of that carry on and he'd be putting his pipes away!!

Saturday morning we woke up to a 'heat wave', and a faster pace of day. We had to be in Oamaru by 10.30am for the Victorian Heritage parade. Poor Cam was super hot and sweaty in his uniform. The Victorian fete is an annual event in Oamaru, with the parade on Saturday and the fete on Sunday.

Just get a load of that pram... I was wondering if this lady was a scrapbooker???

An old tractor ...there were lots of old tractors, somewhat boring I thought, although Andrew seemed interested enough in ALL of them!

Camden headed back to town on Sunday to preform and do his share of 'gate duty'. Andrew and I stayed home and once again,(another annual event it would seem) I cleaned up the shed.

Cody was tailing lambs and Aimee was still in town from her Saturday night out.

You have brains in your head...

After such a long time I have managed to step out of the garden and back into my craft haven, if only just for a little while. I decided to scrap my photo shop efforts and added a favorite Dr Seuss quotation for Cody, who gets a little glum over life issues these days.

the quotes reads....

...You have brains in your head

You have feet in your shoes

You can steer yourself in any direction

you choose.

You'll get mixed up of course, as you already know

You'll get mixed up with many

strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step

step with care and great tact

and remember that life's a great

balancing act.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed)

Kid you'll move mountains.

Check out more Dr Seuss quotes HERE I'm pretty sure there is something there to suit almost everyone.

Happy scrapping

Fun with photos

Just for fun, and because I could , I had a play in Photo shop with two of my photos.I wanted to somehow join these photos together for a fun effect ...so after a lot of fiddling this is what I come up with....

It's not perfect, but I like it just the same, Cody quite liked it as well. Camden promptly told me that he could tell it wasn't real !! I had to have a wee chuckle about that, theres no fooling him!!


Its such a long time since Ive scrapped booked that I'm worried I may have forgotten how. So all going well I thought I just may do some scrapping tonight. First though I have lawn seed to plant, after I have filled in all of the holes the dogs have dug in my freshly raked soil!


Yesterday I was so lucky to have a visit from Sandra and Hugh. Over the past couple I years I have taken part in on-line swaps with Sandra, and we email mail, and write to each other now and then. It was wonderful to meet these lovely people face to face.

The end

The class of 2009...in their final hours.

Aimee and best buddy Jess.

Jess was telling me yesterday how she remembers her first day at the college. She didn't know anyone and remembers well going to sit by Aimee and asking her if she wanted to be friends. Well, that was lucky for Aimee, Jess is an awesome friend, and as the girls them selves say...They've come along way.

The girls again at Graduation dinner on Saturday night (14th November)

..now it gets kind of ugly!!!Schools out, but things at the girls hostel are heating up!!

Aimee is looking quite ill here, not sure if it because she has emptied out that bottle!!...or because of the flue she has at the moment. Amazing how her feeling unwell did not damper her festive spirit!

Good luck girls, may you all have bright, rosie futures ahead of you.