More Scrapping...

I popped into the Hub last night to do Vicki's Step by Step Challenge! Was lots of fun and the tables were turned with her and I. She used to have the panic attacks about not knowing what comes next, and this time it was payback!! So this is what I've created... bit of a mess, but a fun mess and I quite like it!!

I also made a card for Kellan's friend... I'm making an effort at making cards now. Why they scare me is beyond me. So yeah, it's pretty simple and plain - but practice makes perfect. When Peta comes over she'll bring her card portfolio and give me some pointers, phew coz I obviously need all the help I can get!!

And check these out... now how cool are these!! Just popped them into MaDscraps this morning along with some DeJaView Rub-On Titles, HS Designer Photo Corners, XL Ghost Shapes and Writers Blocks, Arctic Frog and some new WRM Coppered Out Pattern Papers!!


Hehehe... ok so shameless plug, But hey, my shop, my blog... guess I can plug to my hearts content can't I! But are they cute or what... !!

Oh oh... and if you're into kits... check this out. I love this and have had to grab one for myself {so naughty I know... but I had to have one!!}

They're in the shop under What's New as well... am I bad or am I bad! Ok... so we all know I'm bad!!

It was my birthday yesterday and I had the best day! Was so full of love and lots of warm sentiments... I'm so blessed to have such special friends. Darren even spoilt me with some books and a gorgeous card that somehow said the perfect thing and made me cry {did a lot of that today}. Work got me this huge bunch of flowers, Peta and Nes each sent me gorgeous cards filled with scrap yummies, Andrea made me a stunning little mini album and Lynn from work gave me a little candle that has a scent that packs a punch, and it even came with a matching matchbook... how cool!!


Mum and Dad gave me this gorgeous lamp... now is that stunning or what, I love it! The inlaws gave me a voucher and my sister gave me a tote bag filled with goodies like a shawl, lip gloss, body lotion etc... I've been so spoiled with all these gifts and all the phone calls and emails.


So... that's been my last couple of days. Oh, see in the photo with the lamp - the window slot thing in the wall... that's the couch in front and that's where Kel sits... and the lamp is on my desk. So while I'm rabbling away on here - he's sitting there usually rabbling away at me. Love those slots in the wall!!

Oh oh... I forgot to share this!!

I can't go to the Hub Retreat in Adelaide, mainly for financial reasons {while the retreat and accomodation are a great bargain, I know myself well enough that it would cost me a heap load more than that and with Darren not working - ouchy!!}. But I already had the airline tickets that of course were non-refundable!

Well there was another sale on so I was able to simply transfer the tickets and am going to spend 3 days in Melbourne with Jac since she can't go to the retreat either, we'll have our own little retreat!

I'm so excited. I've been chatting via msn with her for over a year and it will be wonderful to meet her IRL - share a real GJ coffee together - run amock with her boys - meet some other Melbournite's we know - talk scrap - see the "duh's" - just experience her everday life for real and be able to give her a real hug!!

It feels a bit decadent going to Melbourne while we are watching our pennies, but it would be silly wasting the tickets and won't cost me much more on top of that - Jac's a great budgeter, she'll keep me in line!!

More LO's.. forgot I did these ones!!

Me being terribly cruel to my usually photogenic sister! She keeps pulling faces so we get unscrappable photos... so I've scrapped it anyway... that'll teach her!!



And the boys on Good Friday down Scarbs... a lovely afternoon!!

Doing fine...

Yep... all's good. Nothing exciting to report on the Hoolahan front. Darren turned 40 today and it didn't hurt him like he thought it would!! We took the family and his best mate out for lunch, has lots of chatter and laughs... came home where the boys had lots of chatter and laughs and I scrapped!!

Here's this weekends work, fuelled by Jill's challenges at ScrapWitch!

Yep... the cat yet again... the child won't sit still long enough, the cat does!!



I have NO idea how Kellan can watch TV upside down and twisted around... this is a typical TV watching position for my warped child!!



Us today.. Dag's 40th... don't ya just love that goatee... NOT!!


And that's the simple truth!

Oh... I'm also pleased to say that I used nothing but scraps to create all these... Crissy would be pleased!!

Have a great week everyone!! Will update on my life when I get one!!

Don't you just love...

long weekends!?

Especially Easter Long Weekends. It's always such a wonderful time of year... family, friends and the time to do what you want for a change!

We've so far had a lovely weekend, stayed up late, spent much time together, shopped, lunched with family, had dinner on the beach together, held hands, laughed... I love our life!!

I've done a couple of LO's for some alpha challenges Jill at ScrapWitch is running. Each week we do a LO based on a letter. We try to use products and techniques based on that letter - I also have chosen to have the title matching the letter. It's fun...

1st one - R
Ribbon, RubOns, Round Frame, R Title, Red and the photo is taken from a Reflection in the mirror.

2nd one - E
Eyelets, Enamel Charm, E Title {yeah, ran out of ideas}

3rd one - P
Pattern Papers, Paint, Paint Pen, Pink, P Title

I did R the other week, E on Friday night and P tonight.

I'm off scrapping with the girls on Monday and get to meet Cath, am really looking forward to meeting her, and spending time with my buddies again! Don't have anything to scrap yet though... but hey - I have all tomorrow to get Kel to pose for me. Plus I have to get photos of Shadow and Darren playing fetch together... it's hilarious as Shadow is our cat!! And they play fetch with cotton buds of all things... crazy cat!!

What a weekend!!

I've had the best weekend... have been scrapping like a wild thing, fuelled by Chelle and her DT's challenges. These girls know how to run a Cyber Crop!!

We've also done shopping, the usual household chores, had a few wines, friends over, watched a few DVD's.. all this in one little weekend... I'm exhausted, but happily so!! It has truly been a wonderful weekend.

Darren is now officially a house hubby, I know we'll have some adjustments, some teething problems as he learns the ropes... but things will run smooth in a week I think!

Anyway... here is what I've created this weekend:

Based on a PageMaps sketch {loving these circle pages}... this was for a curve challenge, although not too many curves, swirls or curls happening!! This is my mum.



Lisa's progressive challenge.. oh what fun to be the tellee instead of the teller on this... had a ball and created this one... double stamp image and all {I dropped the stamp!!}



This is a monthly challenge I did of Jill's... been dying to do it all month and since I was hyped from my scrapfest finished it tonight in 30 minutes!!


Oh this one I did at work on Friday, Lisa challenged me to do a LO with only the office supplies at my desk at work... so I cut up the calendar, grabbed a to do list, paper clips and some post-it notes!! {Photos from the calendar were taken by Christian Fletcher}


We were meant to use up our scraps after each LO... so far all I've created is this bookmark!


I so love this one... a 4 or more Photo Challenge. My LO's have been so simple this weekend, but I love them!!



Chelle's Challenge to use 3 flowers, 2 or 4 ribbons, doodling and hand written journalling plus a photo of yourself or yourself with someone who wasn't a kid... biggest challenge here was finding the photo!! {And I cheated on the doodling and used a stamp... I can't doodle to save my life!}


A Sketch Challenge based on using a PageMaps circle page... after doing this I have fallen in love with circles!!


Make 'n' Take... aren't these the cutest! Glad I did these as OTP usually don't get along too well... but I had fun making these!

And this is me being a smart-arse for the song inspiration challenge. It was early and the only song I could think of was Sugar... you kow the one... so I went with my silly idea and had some fun!


And that's it... pretty good for a weekend I think!

EDM 20% Off Sale

I don't usually use my blog to advertise promotions at MaD's... but this time I am!

rom 17th March {St Pat's Day} until 15th April you can get 20% Off of all EDM Stock in store!! This is a great chance to stock up on gorgeous new supplies from Basic Grey, Heidi Swapp, Scenic Route, Carolee's Creations, Li'l Davis, Michael Millar Memories, Strano Ribbons, Sassafrass Lass, SEI & Junkitz. After the 15th April normal prices will apply, so be quick before it all sells out!

Some items are still in the What's New category, others will be in their relevant categories throughout the store so have a wander and pick up a huge bargain... www.madscraps.com.au

To claim use the special discount code 4C73QB2 in the comments section of your order. Do not make payment immediately, you will be contacted personally with a final total including your discount.

Please note: No further discounts, vouchers or loyalty discounts apply. Orders over $50.00 {after discount} will receive free standard delivery. While current stocks last only. Backorders will not be taken, during busy times some items may not be marked as out of stock immediately. EDM stocks are strictly limited to products from the following manufacturers: Basic Grey, Heidi Swapp, Scenic Route, Carolee's Creations, Li'l Davis, Michael Millar Memories, Strano Ribbons, Sassafrass Lass, SEI & Junkitz.

Boxx Retreat

Well I survived the retreat very well. We were all very well behaved girls. Goes to show how crazy our lives have become over the last year... we were in bed by 11:00 on Saturday night, we were all so tired!!

But I got the rest of my EDM LO's done... not much else though!

We stopped off at Cowaramup on the way down and got some yummy fudge from the Candy Cow, and some of the most beautiful pure natural moisturiser from Moon Haven {stopped on the way home as well to get the cleanser and toner - perfect stuff}, we also stopped off at the Watershed Winery and did some tastings and naturally a couple of bottles had to follow me home!

Arrived a bit early so went and said hello to the bar then when Maria arrived, grabbed our room keys, unpacked and went and settled in at the scrap room and started getting things done.

We did meet and greet. Still not comfortable with the set up of this, takes so long saying hello to 70 women - you have no throat left at the end of it. But there really is no other way to get to meet everyone so really it does work well... just very loud!!

Then Make and Take which was a book to hold all the cards we just swapped in the meet and greet. Great little book. Used a Cricut, Quickutz and Doodled {well I tried to Doodle... it's not what I'm good at!!}

Then we scrapped and ate and drank for the rest of the weekend!!

On the way home we got some shots of the lighthouse then booted it home... where I slept from 11:00 to just now!! Bit tired and have a cold {Kim likes to share... she so thoughtful!!} But Kel was happy because since I slept in, he didn't get to school!

Was great to see Maria, Erica, Nic and Ali again... and to meet Roz and Zina. Such talented lovely girls all of them.

Anyways... here's the rest of my EDM layouts! I have the title pages to do and then it's ready to go!

My Life / Then & Now:


This one is to have hidden journalling about depression... and darn it, just realised it's missing the HS Silhouette!! Best fix that!



And this is THAT photo yet again... but I love it!

Relaxation:






Creativity / Hobbies:

I am still yet to download all my pics {well the whole 10 of them}... LOL!! Will share when I get around to that bit!

Another LO...

Did another LO today. Been dying to scrap this pic for ages! Papers here are from the Dirty Laundry Range by Keeping Memories Alive, I have NO idea why I bought these, had had them forever... they're truly horrid to me now. But, cut them up and mix them around a bit and they work, I'm really happy with the outcome! The LO is based on a Becky Fleck Sketch from her March 07 PageMaps Go check them out.. her sketches are always inspiring. And be sure to look at the March Sketch examples, scroll on down and you'll see a LO by my gorgeous and talented friend Lisa!!


This photo is a classic. We had a big council cleanup and I walked out one morning to see a wall of small vacuum cleaners on the next door neighbours verge. I know she is always vacuuming, and at all hours of the day and night... but how she's gone through so many is beyond us! They don't speak English so we can't even ask them, but we were giggling all week over it!

Guess what... 5 Sleeps to go!! 5 more sleeps and we'll be on the way to the Retreat!! Wooohooo!!!

Had a busy weekend, loaded all the new yummies into the shop, worked out how to get the DT LO's on the front page of the shop, sent out the newsletter... then packed orders all yesterday and today! I sold out of the MaDscrappers Kits I make up within the hour! I was honestly gob-smacked... thrilled though!!

OK... that's all from me... take care of you!

This time...

next week... I'll be packing the car round about this exact moment and heading off for the BOXX Retreat!!!

Am I excited... nah... estatically excited... HELL YEAH!!! I've even packed all my stuff already!

I so can't wait!!