Counterfeit Kits...

 Paige wearing Meaghan's Australia Day Hat (for Meaghan who lives in London)

It's an overcast day here - but nevertheless, we will be barbequeing for dinner tonight!

(removed from 26th Jan to here post due to unwanted google traffic for this picture (yep...bit uncomfortable)

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Here's another LO completed from my January Counterfeit Kit, and I'm their Guest Designer for February (big smile)

xx

Aussie Day

(image removed)

due to excess google traffic

 

 

Let's Get Shabby

Let's Get Shabby  - first challenge for 2013

and its a Shabby Sketch

 

Let's Get Shabby is also doing a Design Team Call...

You'll find it in the same post as the Sketch Challenge

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AND its my birthday today.... we've been out to lunch and had a lovely time which also included my sister-in-law who shares the same birthdate as me!

We've had a lovely day!

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Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog - Ombre

Summer holidays here are drawing to a close and soon school will be back.

I'm always sad when its over - I love having no routine and the kids home.  We've just got home from a few days away at Stanley, NW Tasmania - climbing, swimming, playing beach cricket, barbeques and generally relaxing.   Ah, just what we needed. 

So now I need to scrap!  I managed to get this done-

 Counterfeit Kits Challenge Blog - Ombre Challenge

using more of my kit up...

This was a bit of fun and Ombre always appeals - so jumped in with my Pan Pastels to create colour fading down the page...

I created down one side of the page and then the other side looked really unbalanced and sparse, so stamped different sized butterflies to even it out a bit.   I dont use the PanPastels enough... shouldnt put them out of sight - then I'd think to use them more!

Hannah

xx

Happy 18th Birthday Hannah!!

What a fabulous 18th Birthday Hannah had today!

 

It first started with a call from  Grandma and Grandpa (at 9.15am so had to wake Hannah up) who live four hours drive away.... wishing her happy birthday, Grandpa singing her a silly song, and Grandma asking her what her day was going to be like......

 

Then, first present for the day....

(she loves dragons)

 Then we headed down town to meet her dad in his lunch hour to eat at Hannah's favourite cafe

and Paige pinched a couple of table numbers to make up the '18'!

Then we hit the shops....
first was to buy the trilogy of the Matrix - done...

then off to Hannah's favourite bookshop.... done..

Next on the list was 'dress' shopping for a dress to wear out tonight, she tried on a pink/orangey one and a pretty blue one.  She decided on the blue (its her fave colour) and while she was finishing dressing, Paige and I paid for the pinky/orangey one too and the shop girl put it down the bottom of the bag and covered it with the blue one.....

What a surprise she got when she unpacked it in her bedroom!

The biggest surprise of all came after  I announced I needed a new cake stand and had to quickly go back to the shops and buy one, (no lie - so did have to and did!) but ALSO to pick up Grandma from the bus stop... she'd been travelling all day after her early morning phone call to Hannah...... to get to our end of the state!

Hannah could NOT believe it when we said there was a 'parcel' at the door!

And out to dinner.....

Hannah wanted to go somewhere she hadnt been before...

The choice we made was a hit!
Paige made her a  gluten/dairyfree birthday cake

 

Photos with Paige and me..(dad is camera-shy)

With her older cousins

Nan and Pop with one crazy cousin (lol) and little cousin

Oh and her first alcholic drink....(truly!)
Vodka and orangejuice...
She's not sure about it!

And home with her cousin in the beetle..

And to top it off - her big sister in London rang very late- it put a big smile on Hannah 's face!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNAH!

xx

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PS... and its also dh and mine anniversary!
Yes, Hannah was born on our anni which is always overshadowed by her birthday...
sometimes we remember by the end of the day! LOL>

ScrapFit Step Class#12

Scrapfit's challenge
 was to create a layered embellishment to use on a project...

 (at least four layers)

 Hannah

So here are my 'bits' ready to be glued to one another

 There's some machine-sewing to extend  the tree and giving it some definition plus use of watercolour pencils in it as well as extend out some horizontal lines and shadowing


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Bush Fires and Earthquake

 

This morning with coffee in hand, looking at my computer,  I was jolted to my feet by an earthquake probably more the noise that was the shock.. It sounded like a clap of thunder and a train at my feet at the same time - it was loud!  We've had tremors before - but never the sound.

Quite a shock claiming the quiet and calmness of an early Sunday household when all family members were still fast asleep (except me)

Then suddenly, doors opened and bleary-eyed teenagers wandered out  mumbling  'What was that'?

Soon the phone rang from the other end of the state with my Mum asking if we were okay - saw it on the morning show news....
This is the printout... its a bit interesting Even a bit scrappable in a background kind of way!
We've had some aftershocks since but it all seems to have settled down

 Tasmania has had its fair share of destruction in the past week and a half with the dreadful bushfires..
Down south where my parents and extended family live have been the worst hit with over 170 properties lost, but luckily no loss of life.  The one good thing is the the sea, people could either get into boats or jump into the water.  It saved many lives.

We do have one large fire closeby (but no threat) to us, and is now downgraded to 'Watch and Act'.  It was uncontained for the best part of a week.

There are still fires burning in Tasmania and on mainland Australia.
This is a big contrast to the floods two years ago.

We cant help but feel for the wildlife with their helpers/carers and livestock with farmers and veterinarians.

 

I've just listened to the news on the tv and of this minute there are 9 fires still burning here in little Tasmania, 8 in Victoria and  134 fires in New South Wales.
I cant remember what it said for Queensland (was significant) or for South Australia,


On a lighter note....
Here's something at just makes me smile
These pictures where sent to me, so thought I'd share...
A little hot koala with its face in a water sprinkler!

Sigh, I hope things get better soon



*edited 14th Jan*
171 fires now burning in NSW, 50 uncontrolled.
And one loss of life of a Victorian fireman helping out in Tasmania
 Very sad

Challenge Me Happy and WWI

CHALLENGE ME HAPPY #37
 Recipe Challenge
Quote
Stamping - birds, leaves, part of the title
Bird/s
Arrows - hand drawn
 Brads

When the photo was placed on the paper - the top of it (barn and tree) looked really 'cut-off' so I drew the roof and the rest of the tree, stamping the leaves on and then outlining them with a fine-liner.

It just finished and balanced out the photo and LO in the end.

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JANUARY -WHITE WITH 1

Criteria - white, red, aqua - and summer photo
There are little sequins stuck under the tissue paper

 xx

Challenges!

 Scrapfit #35

Its the first time I've taken part with this Challenge Blog... and loved the criteria of using 

'Negative Punches'

Here I've used the border negatives of my 'Memory Box Distressed Tag Die' and it fit so well as borders for my photos!   I've also used some butterfly punch negatives too.

Paige's gorgeous hair in the breeze.  We spent a day snapping photos on a long walk.

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Frosted Designs  

January Recipe Challenge

I've used 

Punch - various sized hearts

Stamping-  criss-crossy background stamp

Mist/Mask-  misted over some of the hearts

Stickers -  Sticker Alpha and the green 'Notes' block under the photo is also a sticker.

Paige and Hannah sharing some sisterly love (and being silly!)

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Counterfeit Kits Challenge #1

I'm so happy to use my new kit for the first time.

The pinks work well with the black and white photo. Some of my papers are really OLD!

That daisy one - definitely one of them!

The criteria is

3 pattern papers, 3 embellies, 3 word title (other than cardstock and adhesives etc).

I've got a yellowy/cream cardstock base that kind of forms the border for the LO.

The pattern papers are the daisy paper, the border punched paper, and the pink background paper which is slightly patterned.

The embellies are the pink lace, butterfly and button.

And the three word title is 'beautiful and delicate'

Paige in ballet class

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Bird is the Word - 'Whisper'

This is the first time I've taken part here too.

I love the word and had a perfect photo of a pademelon (like a very small round wallaby)

we found in the bushes peeping over a log at us, so we were whispering.. 'get the camera'

It was very shy

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xx

Counterfeit Kit for January 1013

 

 

A new year has started and so has the counterfeit kits too!

I love making up a kit!

This time its from Paper Issues to copy...

 

 

I've picked out mainly the Pinks/Blues with a touch of yellow/green and white

Mine isn't a Christmas Kit as I've Christmassed myself right out over the last few months with Christmas scrappy committments, and December Daily-ing (giggle)

 

 

Here's my full kit

 

 

I usually make up a biggish kit so there is plenty of  options when creating (big smile)