I'm still here ...

sorry ... bit of blog neglect going on ... but truly, where have the last few weeks gone? Actually for that matter where have the last 6 months raced away to? As the saying goes 'time flies when you are having fun' and I would have to agree!

Now for ScrapbookOutlet news - have you seen that the kits are back? July one was sent last week ...
I was lucky enough to have a sneak play with the kit before it was officially released. Gorgeous product in there from October Afternoon, Crate Paper, Webster Pages, Pink Paislee and Prima.

My layouts ...

and a couple of cards ...

Have a few more projects completed which will be revealed at the end of next week.

Now if you prefer a brighter palette of colours then I recommend jumping in quick and grabbing August's kit - OMG it's gorgeous! I might even have to get myself a second kit because I can see endless possibilities for layout/card and minibooks!!!

Hope those of you with kids home for school holidays are surviving! My lounge yesterday resembled a HotWheels mini town with cars and trainsets all over - now it is a cafe with mini oven and plastic food all around. Not to mention the dining table has stickers, scraps of paper and paint daubers on it - none of which are mine. But at least they are happy - not fighting too much (yet). I have spent a couple of days working but have the rest of the week to relax with them and cram in a few activities in town, but then again I might just stoke up the fire and stay home and scrapbook with the goodies from SBO that landed on the doorstep this morning ;)

Sketch Night!

My turn to post the sketch over at SBO ... so here goes ...

and my take ...

a 'twist' on the banner, and a few smaller photos instead of the one big one ...

Looking forward to a big weekend - the boys in black (aka All Blacks) are playing a test match against Wales at Carisbrook tomorrow night. It is also the final test at Carisbrook, with the new stadium taking shape in time for the Rugby World Cup next year. Have just been in town to get a few signatures from the boys - for Finn of course!!! Looking forward to the big game!!! ;)

SBO sketch challenge ...

... has been posted! Sharon has done a fantastic layout sketch for this week ...
And here is my take on it ...

Papers are by October Afternoon and Prima flower.

From memory you have til next Thursday to get your layout into the gallery folder, and there will be a RAK drawn from those who enter.

Now who is going to give this a go?

First reveal at SBO ...

My first ScrapBookOutlet Design Team goodies for me to work with has been the Paper Kit by Fancy Pants from the range About a Girl. An amazing value pack with 12 patterned papers (double sided!!), 1 sheet of Element stickers, 1 sheet of Alpha stickers, 1 printed transparency, 1 flocked transparency, 1 sheet of coloured rub ons and a sheet with 10 glitter cuts.
I have created two layouts and two cards so far and still have oodles of product still left to create a lot more.
Here are my creations from the Fancy Pants About a Girl range featuring my girl ...

Have added a bit of extra Prima goodness along with some stamped greetings ...

Head on over to the SBO forum to see more creations from the new Design Team. Today there is a new section 'Check it out Tuesday' - Jane shows us how to create a gorgeous pleated flower. More challenges to follow over the next week ...

A scraplift of a scraplift ...

... in the pages of my newest most fav magazine (Scrapbook Trends) I found this bright, fun layout by Kelly Goree ... isn't it cool!


So at scrap camp I came across these photo in my pile naturally the above layout came to mind. So here is my scraplift of Kelly's layout ...

I love the way it turned out! So last week when it came time to scrap some of my photos from Kelly Tarltons in Auckland, I decided to use the same idea for a layout, just changed abit so I could add more photos on the one page ...

Another Auckland trip layout below, the Zoo. Found a cool layout by Jana Eubank (in TwoPeas gallery) and loved the idea of all the photos together in a band across the middle of the layout. Am on the look out for some chipboard animals as think this would finish the layout off, but in the meantime I am happy with how it came together.

And to finish off another layout I did last week of my Emma, scraplifted my own layout for this one (the 'Fly' layout from an earlier post). Love the funny things she comes out with, this day it was "Look Mum, I'm a flower growing in the sandpit" ...

I have my first DT box of goodies from SBO and am working on some layouts for the big reveal next week. Keep your eyes on the SBO forum and blog from the 1st June as there are looks of challenges, techniques and other fun stuff happening with the new huge DT on board!

NEW and news ...

I took me a while to come to a decision about my word for the year ... but after reflecting on this post I decided the most appropriate word was 'NEW'. 2010 is of course the start of a new decade, it was a new stage for us as a family with both children now at school and I was ready for some new challenges ...

So this is where the 'news' comes ... I decided to push myself and submit for the ScrapbookOutlet design team ... and WAHOO I made it!!!!!! I am one of 8 fantastic ladies who will be part of the DT over the next 6 or so months - can you tell I am just a bit excited - LOL!
I am the first to admit my style is just that - mine, not everyone will like it (probably too plain for some) but it has taken me the last few years to get to a place with my scrapping that I love. Once I stopped trying to hard and just focused on capturing the stories I wanted to tell it all fell into place. I love clean lines, bright colours, stitching, buttons and white space.

I look forward to the next six months, I know that I will be pushed out of my comfort zone but that is part of embracing new challenges!

So now I am off to scrap ...

Whew ...

... just been out for a big walk with my dog - trying to walk off all the beautiful baking, fudge and liquorice, not to mention the beautiful meals that I ate over the weekend at ScrapCamp - LOL! Wow - talk about being looked after well! Firstly a big thanks to Carol & Naomi for another fantastic weekend - amazing organisation, fantastic goodie packs ...


Above is the main hall where we scrapped up a storm over the weekend ...


My table (this is Mrs Frizz's spot - I sat opposite her) - other ones there are Andrea, Lara, Meg and Nik. Lots of laughs and a bit of crying as well as we were laughing so hard!

A pic of my completed print tray at scrapcamp ... very pleased with the way it turned out! This is going to be hung on the wall in our dining room. Photo is a bit fuzzy, will take a better shot when it's up on the wall.

And here is one of the button necklaces I also created over the weekend. Found a pack of BG buttons in amongst the SBO shop goodies - and 30 min later I had this funky bright necklace! I also made one with some pastel/vintage type buttons as well (see top right of above photo).

I also completed 9 layouts for the kids albums which I really love. Haven't taken any photos yet, but thinking about maybe submitting some to magazines - been awhile since I did this. (Actually only submitted once before with a mini-album which ended up being published)

Thanks again to everyone involved for a great weekend - roll on the next one! ;)

Still busy ...

... for this the month of 'me' LOL! Yes the old birthday is here this coming week, another year older ...
It has been a very different month ... lots of travel and fun with the kids, and will finish with a weekend of fun and laughs next week with Scrap Camp on here in Dunedin (starting Thursday night). But has also been a very thought provoking month with the sudden passing of a beautiful lady - makes you really sit back and think about all that you have to be grateful for, and to push yourself and give everything that life has to offer a go.

So to my creative side ... I had been trying to get my scrap gear sorted for camp but couldn't resist creating a couple of projects ...

This layout uses one of the photos I took at Emma's early 5th birthday party last year, when all the girls were dressed up in their fairy skirts and wings. The pp is Crate Paper 'Paper Doll' Collection that I recently got from SBO - couldn't resist it especially when one of the papers was called 'Emma'!!! Add a bit of tulle, some machine stitching and a handmade layered flower and I have a layout I really love!!


Also whipped up this framed butterfly for Emma's room. Yes this is the same Crate Paper as I used above and this is actually both sides of the 'Emma' paper in the Paper Doll Collection - very appropriate I think! ;) The butterfly was cut out by hand, add a bit of a Prima swirl, a few buttons and it's perfect for my girl. (The frame was just a cheapy from the Big Red Shed)


Next is a minibook that I have been meaning to put together for a while. I think I got these Cosmo Cricket 'Girl Friday' papers a couple of months ago - so with a few chipboard pages and my trusty Zutter binder here is a cool book to remind Emma of her days at Kindy ...

(yes another handmade layered flower)

After next weekend I should have a pile of creations to share ... until then I have some recent photos to print off, journalling to type and print out, and a bit of planning to do with regard to my large old printers tray that I want to alter.

A busy month so far ...

Whew ... life has been very busy so far, have only had 3 nights at home since it started!
We headed to Central for Easter, a great relaxing time although not many photos as last year as the orchards were still all covered in green leaves not those golden leaves yet. But I did manage to snap these pics of this gorgeous sunset.

The kids and I then headed south to Invers for a couple of nights with my folks. Home for a quick rest, washing and repacking then off on the next adventure ...

Last Friday the kids and I flew to Auckland to spend some time with my Grandma (the kids Great Grandma). We had an action packed few days, here are a few pics ...

The Macs Ale bar in the City - such a great way to use old lamps in a trendy way (now all I need is a house with high ceilings - LOL!)

A visit to Viaduct Basin ...

Giraffe feeding at the Zoo ...

my monkey Emma ...

The underground viewing window for the seal enclosure ...

cute little Tamrin monkeys ...

lunchtime for the Tiger ...

a gorgeous wee Meerkat ...

a great day out ...

Kelly Tarltons ...

the King Penguins ...

after our picnic lunch at Mission Bay ...

the city from Tamaki Bay ...

stopped in traffic at Spaghetti junction ...

The kids had a fantastic time but were very tired by the time we got home late last night. Both slept in very late this morning and Emma even disappeared to her room for a nap this arvo as well.

Have been hiding under a pile of washing today, emptying suitcases, and trying to catch up on all the news online. Over the next few days I will be sorting out the rest of the photos to print, and make a few collages - all ready to take to ScrapCamp which is only 2 weeks away now!

Gone too soon ...

I have been meaning to get on here for the past few days and write a post about the month of April. I celebrate my birthday at the end of the month and like to extend the celebrations - come on who doesn't like to draw these things out a bit! ;)
So I had decided that April was 'All about me' - getting out and enjoying myself and life in general.
The events of yesterday help put this very much into perspective ... life is for living to the full, don't put off til later what you can enjoy today ...

I was on my way home from Auckland yesterday afternoon when I learned some very sad news.
Gayle Hall, mother of paralympian gold medal winner Adam Hall, had been killed in a car accident.
I had the privilege of first meeting Gayle just over 7 years ago when she was my student midwife when I had Finn. She was an 'older' student - she has been a nurse/midwife at Queen Mary for a few years I guess, but was still working and completeing study to gain her Bachelor of Midwifery. She gained her degree in time to be my lead midwife when I had Emma 5 years ago. And since then I would often bump into her at the supermarket and she was always interested in how the kids were doing, the last time only a few weeks ago.
She was such a larger than life character, a great sense of humour and alway smiling. She was also one very proud Mum, even more so last month when she was on hand in Canada to see Adam win his gold medal. Gayle, Adam and the family only returned from overseas last Tuesday ... and now so suddenly her family are greiving her loss.

Now even more so I am reminded that we should not sit back and let life pass us by, life is definitely for living, grabbing opportunities when they present themselves and telling those that you care about that they are loved.

*Gayle - Thank you for the amazing care you gave me when I had my wonderful children, you will always be remembered by me. My thoughts are with your family at this sad time.*


Will post an update on my holiday tomorrow - once I have edited some of the 300+ photos.