Be Happy...

Well, the school holidays are over, and I have to say, I did NOT enjoy the school rush this morning. The blissful peace and quiet afterwards more than made up for it though, lol!

I've been scrapping heaps, here and there over the holidays, and have got about 10 layouts done and ready to photograph. Here's one I did for Creative Scrappers sketch #203...


Love this photo of my boy, and love those papers too! Mostly Echo Park, with a bit of Bella thrown in too.



And here's the sketch...


Ok, I know, my page is not quite the same as the sketch. They hardly ever are! I but it's mostly the same, a bit of a mirror image, and I changed the banner at the bottom for a strip of ribbon.

Well, it's almost time to pick up those kidlets! I'm planning a big blog surf tonight, to catch up on all the blogs I love to read. Make sure you leave me a comment if you'd like me to swing by yours :)

Best Friends

These girls are just inseparable! Em absolutely adores her cousin Natasha, and Tash feels the same way about Em. Because they live an hour and a half drive apart, it's really only school holidays that they get to spend a lot of time together, with lots of sleepovers. All that's about to change soon though, because my brother's family are moving up here next month, and then they'll only be 5 minutes away. We can't wait!!

This was another layout from my circles feature in the Australian Scrapbook Ideas magazine. This issue is out now, and you'll find my layouts on pages 57, 58 and 59, with full instructions on how to complete all 3 pages :)


My sweet little niece was so excited to see her photo in the mag. Especially because they were photos of her and her favourite cousin :)

Twisty Felt Flowers - Step by Step

I haven't shared a tutorial on the blog for a while, but if you saw the latest Australian Scrapbooking Ideas magazine, you might have seen my tutorial for Twisty Felt Flowers. These are so easy to make, and cute too, so I thought I'd share the tutorial here as well.






And here's the layout that I used it on...


This was part of the circles feature that I did. I loved that I got so many photos on the one layout! I really do love to do the single photo pages, but really, so many events have multiple photos, and it's just not practical to do so many single photo pages, or I'm going to need a bigger house just to store all my finished layouts, lol!

Hope you liked my little tutorial. Oh, and I use Helmar 450 glue, I find it's really good for that sort of thing, and dries really quick :)

I'm child free tonight, so I'd better get my butt off this computer and make the most of my scrapping time. Hope you had a great day!

Just Because...

You should see my house at the moment, there is scrapping stuff out EVERYWHERE! I think I might need to have a bit of a tidy up before doing any more, I can't even see my desk at the moment, it's just covered! But before I do that, I have a couple of layouts to share. This first one here is a 'just because' page'....


Love that paper range! It's called 'Paper Boy' by Bella, and it's so cute. Think I might have to get some more of it!

This next page is for the Purple Pumpkin April sketch...


And a close up of the PP satin flower...


Well, I've got some cleaning up to do, and then hopefully some more scrapping later. Hope you're having a great day!

Creative Scrappers Sketch

Good morning! Well, it is just. It's just gone past midnight here and I thought I'd post on my blog before heading to bed :)

I did this layout for the Creative Scrappers Sketch 202, (you can see the sketch HERE)


I loved this sketch, especially those strips of paper in the background. This is a good one for using up those scraps! I've had this pic of the kids sitting around for ages waiting to be scrapped, so it was good to get this one done. I still laugh when I look at this photo. Those kids are crazy!


Well, I think it's time for me to head to bed. Hope you have a great day!

Strike a Pose!

Well, I hope everyone is recovering from their chocolate induced sugar overloads today! I couldn't even look at all the Easter eggs this morning, lol.

I thought I'd pop on here and share this layout that is featured in the latest Australian Scrapbook Ideas magazine. A while back I was asked to do some layouts featuring circles, as well as write an article about using circles on your pages. Well, I love using circles, so that suited me just fine! I had to do 3 layouts, and this one was my fave...


Love this photo of Em! What a poser!! She was putting on a fashion show for me, complete with the 'bored' model look. Here are a few close ups...



And here's how it looked in the mag...


Well, we've got some visitors here today, so we're off to the beach for a bbq this afternoon. So glad we've got such beautiful weather at the moment. Hope you're enjoying the long weekend!

Happy Easter!

Well we sure had an early start to our Easter Sunday! The bunny had just hidden the last egg, when the kids decided to start their day at 5am. The sun was only just starting to come up, and the grass was still wet, but they were ready to hunt!


Their baskets were so heavy by the time all the eggs were found. Hopefully all that chocolate will last them for quite a while. (so long as I can stay away from their chocolate stash that is!)





As soon as all the eggs had been found, the kids were keen to do some Easter craft, and they made a nice big mess with all my paints. Later on we got together with mum and dad, and my brother's family for a walk down to the beach, and then a big roast dinner at our house. We made some YUMMY cupcakes (definately the yummiest ones I have ever made!), and I even made some little cupcake toppers for some of them with paper and felt. Pretty cute, huh?


Well, I'm feeling kind of sick from eating way too much chocolate, so I think it's time for a cup of tea and bed for me. I've got plenty of scrapping to share, but I think that's going to have to wait until tomorrow! Hope you had a wonderful Easter :)

She's 9!

Well, she actually turned 9 on April 1st, yep, she's my little April Fool. The birthday festivities started on Friday, and Em was so happy it was free dress day at school. She was pretty excited to wear her "Birthday Girl" badge too, just to let everyone know it was (almost) her special day ;)


Because her birthday is so close to Easter this year, Em wanted EVERYTHING to be "Eastery". So the birthday cupcakes for school HAD to be topped with little chocolate bunnies :)

Luckily we woke up to perfect party weather on Saturday, and even though the party wasn't til 2, it was still a mad rush to get everything ready in time. I spent the morning making party yummys, and cutting up cardstock to make Easter bunny baskets (because my cricut mat decided to become unsticky, and I couldn't cut ANYTHING on it!) Before we knew it our little guests were knocking on the door, and it was on!


I only took about 10 photos during the whole party, it was just so full on. So glad I got a quick group shot in before we started playing games. The whole theme of the party was 'An egg hunt with a twist', and the twist was, that they had to follow a heap of clues and challenges. After following a clue out to the letterbox, the girls found 2 spoons, and 2 plastic eggs...yep, you guessed it...an egg and spoon race! Look how far we made them go, lol!...


Almost down to the end of our street. Unfortunately Em's team didn't win, and she sulked for the next half hour or so while I entertained her friends. I couldn't believe it! But that's just kids, I guess. She did get over it eventually though, thank goodness! So, that was the last photo I took until it was cake time, as I was too busy keeping track of kids racing around for more clues, and stopping for 'challenges' like musical chairs and musical squares, and even a hopping race. One of the last 'challenges' was to make Easter bunny baskets. Well...I certainly overestimated their crafting abilities! It took forever for these to get put together, and everyone needed some one on one help. I guess I'm so used to Em crafting with me, that I just assumed they'd all know what to do. But we got them all made in the end, and then the hunt was on! By this time the parents were arriving to collect their kids, so while they hunted for their goodies, mum and I finally got the party food out, and quickly sang "Happy Birthday". This is the cake Em requested - chocolate cake with speckled eggs on top, thank goodness it was an easy one!



There are so many things I'd like to go back and photgraph! Em with each of her friends, the cute cupcakes and chocolate bunny pops that mum made...the list goes on. I think I'll have to get someone to come and just take photos next time, but hey, at least I got a few :) :)

Sunday was Emma's actual birthday, so she wanted a breakfast tea party with pancakes up in her playgym for brekky, with her cousin Natasha who was staying with us for the weekend. Then it was off to the movies to see Mirror, Mirror, which she absolutely LOVED. Later on it was off to dinner, where she was pretty happy to find a balloon and a birthday muffin waiting for her on our table. The perfect end to a fun birthday weekend.


Phew! So glad I got all that in writing! Now I'm all set to scrap about it :) Em has 'requested' a mini album to keep in her room about it, lol. She's been raiding my scrap room to decorate her bedroom lately, and has some things I've made stuck on her wall with blu tak (eek!), and I found this little tin...


in her room, with some of her eraser collection in it!! I love that she loves the things I make, just wish she wouldn't love it all so much!

Well, I am in the scrapping mood, so it's time for me to start this Easter long weekend by digging into my stash. Hope you have a great long weekend!

We've Been Busy!!

Just like everyone else these days, I guess. I'm finding it so hard to believe that the 1st term of school is nearly over. Next week is the last week of school before the holidays!! Em is especially excited because her birthday party is going to be on the first day of the holidays. She literally cannot wait! She so badly wanted an Easter themed party, and even though I tried to talk her out of it, she wouldn't change her mind. So an Easter party it will be. Here's one of the invitations we made...


Now I can't take credit for the idea, I saw a pic somewhere that had an invite with ears and a fluffy tail, and I just had to make some for Emma's party! Pretty cute, huh? And I got the little poem at the top from some website that had Easter party ideas, it was just perfect. We haven't decided on exactly what sort of cake she'll be having just yet, but I have been checking out pinterest, and there are just so many cute Eastery things to make. I want to make them all!!!

So, we're planning to have an egg hunt at Em's party, and an egg and spoon race. And we'll be making little Easter baskets. Just need to think of a few more Easter themed games to play. Do you know of any fun Easter games that would suit 9 year olds? If you do I would LOVE to hear them!

The Dolphins...

I've done it again...I've neglected my poor little blog. I so badly want to keep this updated, to record all our memories so we don't forget them! I've got so many photos to post, but for now I'll just share a couple of favourites that were taken last week, when the kids got to pat some gorgeous dolphins at seaworld...




They were just so precious and beautiful, I really wish I had taken more photos. I can't wait to scrap them! I haven't scrapped for AGES, but I've got plans to start a Project Life type of album, and I can't wait to get started. Just need to find some time...

Back to School

It was the kids first day back at school today, and boy oh boy, did I enjoy those peaceful hours between 9 and 3! They actually ended up being very excited to start back at school, partly because we had some special little pressies for the kids to give their new teachers. We decorated some empty coffee jars with some Imaginisce Geek is Chic papers and die cuts, and then filled them with things like notebooks, pens, paperclips, 'good work' stamps and stickers (that hopefully will sometimes grace the kids homework books!), and some lollies and choccies.


This is Em's little note that she wrote for her teacher. She's such a sweetie :) I didn't get a chance to take a pic of the note Jack wrote for his teacher, but it said something like he was looking forward to working hard in grade 6. The kids were pretty excited to give them to their teachers, and the teachers seemed pretty happy to receive them. I guess they don't get first day pressies from students all that often!


Em was up quite early (around 7am), and wanted me to do her hair before anything else. Then she was more than happy to pose for a few photos.


Dunno what's going on with her standing like that with her hands behind her back. I think she was trying to look smart or something!


And I got a shot of the new school shoes, which will be scuffed and gross by the end of the week, I'm sure...


My big grade 6 boy wasn't too keen on having his photo taken. In fact, he didn't even have his shoes on here. He was running late as usual and had to put them on in the car!


But they got to school on time, and they were both so happy when I picked them up this afternoon, so it was a great day for them. And those 6 hours of peace and quiet? I'm looking forward to some more of that tomorrow :) :)

It's Almost Over...

On the last school day of the year, it always feels like there is so much holiday time ahead of us. Nearly two months of doing whatever the heck we want, without the horrible morning rush, and daily homework dramas. And every year, the summer holidays seem to race by in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, there are only 5 days before the new school year starts.

I wish we could go back to that last day of school and start all over again. I don't want it to end!

But on the other hand, I am looking forward to some peace and quiet during the day, so I guess there are some good points to the kids heading back to school :) I am looking forward to not hearing Em watching a dvd, while Jack is playing the Wii. During school terms, the tv doesn't get switched on at all during the week, so that will be nice!

At the moment, Jack is hooked on this game...


If you recognise this little critter, then I'm guessing there's a Skylanders junkie at your house too! Jack is desperate for more of these characters, but they seem to be sold out everywhere. It seems like you need to buy a heap of different characters in order to complete it, which is a pretty clever idea of whoever made the game!

Em has been enjoying lots of pj days. She LOVES days when we don't have to go anywhere, so she can stay in her pjs all day. She got loads of art supplies for Christmas, and has been drawing non stop.


And playing with her barbies...


We've had lots of trips to the beach too, and had friends come to stay. And I think we've seen every kids movie at the cinema these holidays too!



I have to admit, the kids have been really well behaved these holidays, with hardly any fighting, although they do have their moments.


I guess that's why I don't want it to end! Of course, the kids don't either. But they are a bit excited I think. They keep nagging me to cover their school books with the new contact they chose, so they can pack their bags! I've been following Becci's Domestic Bliss, which is full of lots of back to school organisation ideas, and I have to admit that I'm a bit excited to get everything super organised for the kids for this year too.

And I am definately looking forward to finding a bit more time for scrapping!! I think I might have to spend one of my child free days doing that next week :)