BACK HOME! (but just for a week!)

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SCRAP JACKED USA

One of my fave monthly challenges is SCRAP JACKED USA

Here's Hannah who was actually sitting in an armchair at her Pop's 80th Birthday...had been away for the weekend and was exhausted - I caught her dozing in dreamland!

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24th AUG PHOTO This is where I examined last week, you can only just make out my desk in the middle of the front of the seats. .

. 25th AUG PHOTOs My parcel arrived from Kenner Road!!! Ooooh the lovelies I have to play with! The bingo words you can see inside the white paper bag is actually FABRIC!!! oooh! And the long thing in the box - I'm sooo excited - is an old piano roll!!! Yes - just think of the things that can be done with that!!! .

(I've popped in some of my mail that arrived throughout the week I was away)

. And thanks so much to Yvonne for this lovely card... Its made sooo meticulously and beautifully with the most heart=felt (and received) message inside!! ((((Yvonne))) . . 26th AUG PHOTO

Look at my goodies from SCRAPGAL!!! This is when I won ScrapJacked USA!

I ordered a few extra things and Scrapgal was soooo generous with postage etc!

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27th AUG 09 I received this from KellyR from ScrapTherapy - just out of the blue....how lovely!!!It was such a wonderful surprise ..... I'd forgotten to pop it up on my blog cos of my busy-ness, so now it is here!!!! The card is just sooo 3-D and stunning!!! . . 28th AUG PHOTO My last day in Melbourne and my brother took me to look around Port Melbourne where he works. THe colour in the buildings surrounding the water (in real life-hard to see in pic) is just extraordinary! And the shopping FABULOUS! . . 29th AUG PHOTO Back in my own studio this morning for Parent's Day, and look - pouring with rain, but it afforded a fantastic array of colour with the umbrellas drying off!!!! .

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AN AWARD FROM THE LOVELY TANYA!Thanks so much!!!

LET'S GET SHABBY #3

Check it all out here!!!

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White and/or Cream dominant creation

with only a hint of one other colour of your choice.

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There's a chance to win a Voucher from SCRAP THERAPY

and a fabulous RAK from DT JULIE!

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And also check out our gorgeous Guest Designer Bec Miller!

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SCRAPPING THE MUSIC & ADTHIS

TRY OUT THESE FAB CHALLENGES!!!

I'm a bit light on words this week being away with work....

but I promise I'll make up for it and visit blogs when I get home!!

SCRAPPING THE MUSIC #100

ADTHIS

WHERE TO START???

LET'S GET SHABBY

FIRSTLY - a wonderful Winner has been chosen along with some

awesome Honourable Mentions! You can check it out here

WHAT'S AD ABOUT!

I found this aussie Ad challenge blog....and you KNOW I love being inspired by ads!!! So I thought that since its right up my alley - I'd give it a go!!

Loved the ad! I found myself wanting to create a window-like setting. The ad's red horizontal bar below the main picture reminds me of a windowsill - and arms reaching out became my lace shutters for the window! The shutters are folded back (though look look they are stuck out from underneath each side of of the photo!! They do close giving the feeling of embracing the photo. 21ST AUGUST PHOTO Happy mail from Jenneke!!!! Ooooh its just gorgeous. I won Scrapping Across the Universe and Jenneke (being on the DT) sent me a RAK - but no ordinary RAK - no ........she thought of me....and sent things she knew I'd treasure and adore and jump up and down about!! (AND I DID!!) Then amongst all my gorgeous lovelies....there was this packet.....

Ooooooh I love the paper!! (I saved it!!!) And here was another surprise - an adorable dutch calendar... Ooooooh is just sooo beautiful each and every page and I have the perfect spot for it!!!!

Soooooo how lucky was I!!! AND I've even used some gorgeous bits in my LO above!!! What fun! Yesterday I flew to Melbourne (Victoria-Aust) for work. I'm examining a school here this week.......so I packed some kits to scrap (need some down time of a night in my hotel!) And in my kits I put some of Jennekes goodies!!! What fun!!

22ND AUG PHOTOOh dear....I went overweight in my luggage! Not surprising since I had all my work paperwork to lug along...... and I couldnt resist bringing a little bit of my scrap stuff - it just HAD to fit in. 23RD AUG PHOTO

My workspace for today! Paperwork will cover this table soon.........only AFTER I did a little bit of scrapping!! LOL!

OLW#58 PLAY

Click here to find the challenge! I know this is a pic of the kids and the challenge is to find what we do to play......weeeell, you may not see me......but I'm definitely playing! How joyful is this photograph?? I could see that as I watched them......THEN I ran, grabbed my camera and in front of that trampoline I frolicked with my camera and took dozens of shots. This is the result of my play!

19TH AUG 09 Look at this little delight......I just wish she didnt sway so much on that stem!! It was hard to get a sharper photo! 19th AUG PHOTO Practising. Paige is part of an orchestra assemble rehearsing to perform 'Gloria' (Vivaldi) on Oct 18th. She is so motivated and excited. There are some very quick movements in the music.... I've seen joy and frustration come from her!!! But its ALL good! 20TH AUG PHOTO We are grumpy today! Check out that furrowed brow!

A HEART WARMING STORY

Its not hard to love Prima products - goodness knows how much money I have spent on them....but when you get to know a little about the people who work there, then in my eyes, this company stands alone. When it would have been so easy to kick aside a lonely little creature.... my heart melted this morning when I read this..... MEET JENNY Prima: Behind the Scenes

BUSY, BUSY.......

Just love these challenge blogs! Hope you can play along with us:

SCRAPPING THE MUSIC #99

Check out the song challenge this week!! I loved the lyric and is open too all kinds of interpretation for your LO's!! This is my baby Paige - she was a constant happy baby!! ADTHIS You can check out the challenge here- its a colour delight!! For some reason not many if any play along yet it's probably my one of my fav challenges to do - it makes me really think as a scrapbooker - to interpret. Here's Hannah, my gardener! I just think she loves colour! SCRAPPING ACROSS THE UNIVERSE #20 This was a fun challenge, check it out here. Meaghan being silly travelling by train, her room-mate took this photo! Yep- its how she used to live with us too! LOL! . .

17TH AUGUST PHOTO

Are you sick of my little bird photos yet? LOL! Weeeeeeell here's another. I was so lucky to catch FIVE little gold finches in my lavender bush- boy they loved that. I started to photograph one, then another flew in, then another - until there was FIVE! What joy!

WHAT IS OLD IS NEW..

The Embellishment Kits at the 'new look 'WHAT'S OLD IS NEW KITS' have been selling like hotcakes! I think at last look there were only a couple of Vintage ones left! The vintage ones are my absoloute faves and Mel just always gets colours and bits just sooooo right! Here's my interpretation of the Vintage Embellishment Kit.. (I know when something is good cos it makes me spring to my feet and get working with it straight away at first sight!!!)

Then when I saw the sneak peak to the 'Girl Embellishment Kit' weeeeeell, I had to have that too! So this is what I did with it........I really struggled getting good light to photograph this, so the colours definitely do not do it justice at all! I had a little fun with this one! The only things I've added to these kits are the background paper and alpha. The only way you wont miss out is to do monthly Subscriptions

Also, if you place WIOIN's blinkie on your blog and link it back, you could win.......click here

13TH AUG PHOTO Still not 100% and lacks a bit of colour, watching tv and still sleeping a lot 14TH AUG PHOTO You may see a lot photos of little birds here. It's another joy of mine -in the garden. We have so many beautiful daily visitors and trees full of nests. Here are three little sparrows quenching their thirst.

15TH AUG PHOTO

Blacky not to be outdone by Cosmo.....sneaks into first place just to show he cares too!

16TH AUG 09

Ooooh this morning I caught a little Blue Fairy Wren with my lense!! I was so excited because they barely stay still enough to photograph!! It's blue colour is aluminating! Earlier the weather was calm and peaceful, a stark contrast to the high gusts and rain a few hours later. A LOVELY AWARD FROM LEAN

Thanks so much - your work is awe-inspiring too!!!

MY SHABBY WORK SPACE

This is where I create!! I try to keep it organised, but I am a clutterer! I see pictures of completely shut away minimalist scrapstudies and just wonder how they do it!! My mind needs to seeeeeeee all my 'bits' so I remember I have them!!

The bright door bursting with sunlight leads out onto my front veranda which overlooks the sea. My computer is relegated to a little desk to avoid 'piles'! The double doors on the righthand side of the photo leads into our formal loungeroom (where the open fire is) I leave these doors open at night to let the warm air through. The windows run the entire length of the scraproom, so wooden blinds help control the light.

The furniture is secondhand vintage/shabby finds (I love shopping shabby!) Another external door behind the 'create' sign leads down a flight of stairs (we are high up) into the garden, and the wooden door at the left of the photo leads into the dining room.

Its all windows and doors!! So there you see....this is my scrap space and if Im not careful, it gets messy really quickly!!! (big sigh!)

RUBY STREET LO

RUBY STREET

I just love playing with my bits and pieces from Ruby Street!

Ruby Street call it 'Ephemera and Adornments'

It's so true. There are so many gorgeous lovelies there to adorn your page. I used Basic Grey's new Lemonade Doilie laser cut paper as a background and some thickers for alpha, but the rest are Ruby Street. I bought the little tin of crowns and just keep using them! This time I threaded a little bling brad through the crown and it looks gorgeous! The laces and various other bits are what I've got left over from using 'Pockets Full of Whimsy' or the 'Limited Edition Kits'

My absolute favourites are 'Those Doris Days'

Most of the lines are sold out at the moment, but I can bet Kris is working hard behind the scenes ready to reveal some more fabulous lovelies soon!!

12 AUG PHOTO Hannah feeling a little better today sitting up on the couch with guess who hasnt left her! They are inseperable!

KENNER ROAD

I got a lovely email from Kenner Rd this morning.

Even with my parcel gone astray, they have gone above the call of duty to rectify it and I cant thank them enough! It was very heartening as their goodies are delightful!

You can find them here (USA)

And some beautiful creations on their blog!

ADTHIS

ADTHIS

Yes... a really cool challenge this week!!! Check it out here. This is the one challenge blog that really inspires me to become more 'arty' and trying art techniques. There's a DT call as well. Ooooh and Amy - I've used a couple of bits from my susse you sent a while back!! (the old 1953 book pictures and the feathered parrot (yes real feathers!!) on a playing card)

11TH AUG PHOTO Paige drawing in front of the fire.

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Who loves the thrill of getting THAT parcel!!

Who can put it to one side and wait till later?

NOT ME! (said with sheer glee!)

And online shops aside.....who is more than thrilled to get sent a little surprise package from a friend from the heart. This would have to be the most special of all! What a wonderful community blogland has created for us scrapbookers.

I'm so grateful for this.

Have a wonderful week

xx

SCRAPPING THE MUSIC #98 & WIOIN sneak-peaks

SCRAPPING THE MUSIC - More Beautiful You

This was a perfect song challenge for Hannah - the lyrics were about being 14 yrs old and accepting yourself just the way you are. I think she does a fabulous job!

WHAT IS OLD IS NEW Sneak Peeks!!

I had a wondeful time with this kit!! All will be revealed on the 15th!! Check it out here

10TH AUGUST PHOTOHere's my sick little flu-ey girl laying on the couch and at 14 still needs her bunny (who now has no arms)to help her feel better. (we were up all night with very high temps) She still loves her nightie that Grandma made her all those years ago and only JUST fits and in true form, Cosmo cuddled up on her knowing she is sick.

How close is this to this when Hannah was six - eight years ago.....