I now have my own class pack produced by Buzz and Bloom!!!

I was excited when I had the idea, excited when Karen said go for it and thrilled when Helene of Buzz and Bloom said it was do-able, but nothing could have predicted the mounting excitement when I saw the box at my door this morning.

They look fantastic don't you think??

I think they do, I love this class so much, I love that it worked. You know how it can be, you HAVE to do something and nothing is coming, you can't even match a bit of paper with another let alone find a photo.

This time though I think I found a winner, you see the diversity of using chipboard is that you can make it suit any colour scheme you want and that is the glory of this class, the kit will go with anything. You can see the page my double page layout is based on HERE I did this page as one of my projects for Buzz and Bloom and have expanded it to a double, I used white flowers, the lace trim and the journal card for this because they can go with anything, so whatever the colour scheme is picked the chipboard can be painted to match and the other embellishments are neutral so really adaptable.

You can really tell I am feeling pretty pleased with myself today can't you.

This is the class I am doing for all the gorgeous ladies in Hyden at the Wave Rock Scrapbooking Retreat 28th – 30th March 2008. If you are a local or even in Perth and would like to know more contact Karen Smith on 98751021 or 0427977672 for booking, details and prices.

So I like to think I do an okay job at maintaining the house, maintain being the operative word here, it is never sparkling, you wont find me scrubbing the dunny at 7am or vacuuming before I take the kids to school, infact it is almost 10am and I am yet to start any household chore at all.

Infact when I swept the floor yesterday (oh my god was it yesterday or the day before???) I still haven't picked up the sweepings. Don't get me wrong I would love to be a cleaning whirlwind, but I just don't seem to have it in me, which brings me to today's mystery photo... can you identify this grunge? it is something I have talked about this week.
I really have no shame do I!

I'm going to miss this canvas, it is finally off to its new home this weekend, it is going up on display at a cafe in Perth, because you know it is all about coffee .

Michael being the coffee enthusiast/snob he is takes many many great photos of coffee, coffee cups, beans, coffee events so being the dutiful scrapper I can't go past an excellent photo, I really like how this turned out.

In these times of rather high petrol prices I am loathe to drive more than 10km for groceries or general necessities of life unless I truly have to.

So a month or 2 back I went to remove the lint stuff catcher thingy from my washing machine, I popped out the little filter and..oops, big gaping holes in the bottom. I'm not sure how long it had been like this but I pulled it out and set about searching the internet for a replacement. I gave up.. and I'm pretty good at this internet thing.

Fast forward to today and I remembered my friend Ali had had to replace a coffee machine jug, called her, got their name called them and talked to a delightful man named Paul, Paul my new best friend is posting out my catcher thingies today! The $5.50 for postage is half of what it would cost me in petrol to drive there to pick it up.

I am happy!

Today my baby turns 6. Yesterday we entertained 34 children in the park for his birthday party, while it was hectic they all had fun and it was pretty easy, ok I condensed that a little, Michael and I ran around for 2 hours going from games to cooking sausages to cake and giving out party bags, the park really was ideal though. When we got home and finally finished tidying up and opening presents I sat down with his very first album and read every page.

You know what stuck me first, I didn't care what papers or embellishments I had used, all I cared about was the stories I had written. Looking at it made me smile.

This is Alec's quarry cake, mum found the little candle holders, the rocks are crushed up chocolate

and many many games were had, even now I can hear the star wars walker thingies ambling across the lounge and an army helicopter taking off, so wonderful all these toys have sounds LOL.

Alec's dad and I both blogged about our very special boy today

Happy 6 th Birthday Alec, you amaze me.. love mummy

31 children will attend Alec's birthday party tomorrow, I'm a little bit shell shocked, it just took me an hour to do the lolly bags!!

I'm keeping it pretty simple, sausage in a bun, tiny teddies and cheezels and cake, I've baked it now I have to go and create a construction site from icing... wish me luck!

ok.. off to do a pass the parcel with 30 layers!

oh and I suppose I should mention my famous husband...LOL last year as a writing exercise he started a blog called scrapbook widower, well now he has been included in an article all about scrapbooking, you can find it HERE He really is very clever and witty.

26 children to Alec's birthday party on Sunday that is!!! a tiny bit mind boggling, I get a tad overwhelmed but we will manage, whimper whimper. I swear I have enough bags of lollies to keep these kids on a sugar high for 3 or 4 days. My only task left is to buy the tomato sauce and sausages and order the mini hot dog buns, the local baker does me 1/2 sized ones, so better suited to the kids.

Alec is still terribly excited which is great, this will be his last big party for another 1/2 a dozen years or so!

Oh and I have to make the cake! a construction theme this year to go with the truck candle holders mum bought for him.

Alec is enjoying his birthday week, last night we went to mum and dad's as they can't make it on the weekend and mum made him a birthday dinner which he loved the idea of and these wonderful cupcakes.

I met Lis and baby Morganne this morning and we had a lovely 3 hour wander around Ikea and some nice lunch in the middle somewhere. The new Perth Ikea is huge, I felt a little overwhelmed by the time we made it to the check out. It was great to catch up with Lis, I haven't seen her since school went back, already the weeks are flying by!


No scrapping at all today, off tonight to mum and dad's for an early birthday dinner for Alec as they can't make to the party on Sunday.

Oh yeah I had to come back and add.. today out of the 2 or 3 thousand people that got on amazingly well at Ikea two totally rude women we encountered stood out.. I suppose it is one way to be remembered for being sour and rude, I still don't get it you know, how much does it hurt to be pleasant.

I so love the "live out loud" layout I did!!! So much so I have done a double version of it for one of my workshops in Hyden, head over to Buzz and Bloom to see my layouts, you can have the sketch for it too!!

We are having a nice quiet day today, I have done some scrapping, I finished my layouts due up on Buzz and Bloom tomorrow. Alec played soldiers of fortune, Michael did Michael relaxing stuff and was even allowed a little turn on soldiers of fortune, Riley took over the lounge and had all the knights and any other characters he could find organised on the lounge room floor.

For the rest of the day I'm going to do washing in between writing up workshop directions for the Scrappin' Outback retreat ( Wave Rock Scrapbooking Retreat 28th - 30th March 2008 in Hyden) if anyone from Perth would like details contact Karen, as Sharon Manning is taking a bus and a trailer to Hyden and she would love some company.

this can't be called a good photo of me but it was a good time. While we were on holiday on of the little girls had a birthday party and her parents spent 2 hours filling water balloons. I have never had so much fun, Michael and I tried to bombard each other I laughed and laughed.

I love the way this page turned out!!

To see the whole thing you will have to wait until Monday when it goes up on Buzz and Bloom and you will be able to download the sketch for it, but in the mean time don't forget to check out all the other gorgeous things the other design team members have been making this month.

today is Riley is my valentine.

On Tuesday when he was at mums they stopped at the newsagent and he told mum he neeeeeeeeeeeeeded to get that card for me, is that so sweet, I mean he has no idea it is valentines day but then again he may, they might have spoken about it at school. Mum helped him write in it and she drew pictures of Alec, Riley and the cats, I love it!! and what is really great is Riley was really happy I liked it too. One of those 'made my day' moments

edited to add... I asked Riley why he wanted to get the card and he said because I thought you would like it, and apparently I can have more cuddles but I'm not allowed to kiss him anymore today, he has had enough kisses.

check your child has underwear on before going to kindy..

So I am tidying the lounge and what do I find, the dinosaur undies I put out for Riley to wear today, this isn't the first time he has not worn undies, but no undies at school.. I don't think so.

these being on all parts of my life..

• Mother nature gave me an instant bond with Riley so I wouldn't smother him at a later date, now on our days together Riley has just jammed the days whining he isn't with me into the days he is and he wont accept no as an answer for anything!
  
• glued paper/embellishment are like buttered bread, they always fall glue side down
• I still don't really like cleaning...at all
• my washing is under control, no more 5 foot high washing waiting to be folded
• I love being a helper at school, the kids are still all so sweet

Riley at the ripe old age of 4 has already worked out that school goes for a very long time, he said to me..

mum, do I go to school again and again and again forever?

I said.. yep, pretty much.. he was not at all impressed. They are supposed to sit on the spots on the floor, and when the teacher called them to the mat Riley bought over a chair, put it over the spot and sat on it!

A few of the girls dropped by and lightened my stash a little, it was hard seeing it go, as Danelle picked out papers I went oh no.. I love that paper, yes I know you love all of it, that is the problem, that is how we came to this position of having to sell some of it in the first place.

Then after school it was off to the doctors, my diabetes results were greatly improved so the doctor was happy but i thought I could have done better. Then I had to flash him, I have a lump under my nipple that is very owie right now, it appears to be a cyst so I will have to have an ultrasound and have it drained.. ewwwwwwwwwww nasty doctor stuff but best to get it out of the way and checked.

Then it was grocery shopping with two loud unruly children and then home and sitting on the phone trying to make appointments and wondering when I will fit in cooking dinner.

And then some sad news, a friend of mines mum passed away this morning, all my heart goes out to them, such a sad day for them all.

the thing that gives me the most grief when I do a layout is the title. Firstly I take an age to think one up and then when I select an alphabet to go with my layout said alphabet does not stick, you would think something that is advertised as a sticker, would actually stick to something.

This isn't anything new to you is it? I mean we went through Heidi Swapp and the non sticking letter but we loved them so we stuck them down ourselves, but lets face it they were totally devoid of any stickiness by the time we got our grubby little hands on them, ok so we got past that nothing much of Heidi's stuck, now I am faced with almost every pre-adhesived letter type thing to be a total disaster.

If you look to your right you will see my brand new pack of American Crafts chipboard thickers, that just happily flaked off the backing page, so far the only thickers I have found that stick are the foam and the felt, the vinyl ones have some strange concoction on the back, 1/2 stays on the sheet 1/2 comes off = a whole lot of mess.

They aren't alone though I gleefully opened a pack of Making Memories noteworthy letter and after trying to encourage them to stick I relented and glued those suckers down, surely they could put a little more effort into product testing and making sure the product does what is says, you know none of them say alphabet sheets, they all say stickers!!!!

Don't even get me started on the 10 packs of 7G rubons I got in the mail this week.. ALL OUT OF THEIR PACKETS!!! or the rubons you need a pile driver to apply.. I will leave rubons for another time.

ok.. firstly, Tim made me do, I did not want to tidy my desks, he was right though it made things a lot nicer.


It you take a look at my post - am I ever you will see I came a long way in 2 days and even managed to finish two layouts. My next goal is to work on my Busselton holiday mini album.

*update*

So at some time during the afternoon I decided to have a bit of a clean out and I am having a scrapbook garage sale, going through my wonderfully huge stash today I realised i still loved all my stuff but I knew I was just never going to use the amount I had. It felt rather good sorting it and working out what I really wanted, you see I love patterned paper, but 400 sheets is a little excessive, especially if you buy the same pattern in lots of 10, after using 2 or 3 I am usually over it. I think I finally have a candidate for my 'one little word' of the year...moderation!

ok that is how I should live, in moderation but it still doesn't strike a chord, hopefully I will stumble across my word soon.

hmm this makes it 3 posts for today, I finished my layout and did another one about Riley at kindy this morning.

I just love these!!! a few of you mentioned you loved them too so I thought I would give you a list of what I have and where i got them.

Firstly the freebies, I am the queen of freebie collecting. Check out digital scrap blogs, they have links to free kits, I also love brushes, now these are like big digital stamps, a word of advice if you are going to use them to print out on something only bother with high res brushes.

Brushes for photoshop -

brusheezy this site is updated frequently and has 100's
getbrushes.com

Frames -

twopeas french laundry frames, these cost me $4
designerdigitals.com I bought 4 sets of frames from here by Katie Pertiet, have a browse they have every kind you could imagine, and you may have seen it on Donna Downey's blog but designerdigitals also have a cool date brush set by Kellie Mize called double dates #1.

Sign up for designerdigitals.com newsletter because they have specials all the time and I picked all my frames up when they had 30% off EVERYTHING.

Thanks for all the feedback yesterday, sometimes I just find it is good to know it isn't just me that feels this way!

So my plans are,

• tidy the studio today
• go to Ikea with Lis (on opening day no less, are you jealous??) and get some more storage boxes, I saw some ones for magazines!
• keep taking my 365 photos, I'm loving this I can't wait to print them out, I've decided to go with the 6x4 pocket 12x12 WeR Memory keepers page protectors so they fit into my albums

It rained here yesterday, 54mm in a day, fantastic for Perth in summer, anyway we needed to go to the uniform shop and then wait for Alec so we jumped back in the car and Riley sat in the front, just the look on his face and how special he felt was great, he liked putting his ear on the speakers.

Here are the rest of my 365 days


first job of the day though once the kids are off to school is a blood test and then home to clean the kitchen, both Michael and I felt under the weather last night so I left it, I hate waking up to a messy kitchen.

going to find a place for everything?

am I ever... going to finish this layout that I now hate, I had such a brilliant idea and it all went pear shaped the moment I stuck stuff down.

am I ever... going to stop worrying about it all and just go with the flow? I doubt it, I don't scrap well in summer you see so I feel as though my dry spell has been very long and drawn out. What has happened to those weekends where I could turn out 6 finished layouts. I just need to learn to pace myself.


this is all been sitting on the table for 5 days now, I don't know where to start.

the minute I heard the lock click I knew I didn't have the keys.. it was a very long hot afternoon, thankfully we have wonderful neighbours and I was able to borrow their car to collect Alec, then Alec and I hung out at their house all afternoon until it was time to pick up Michael and Riley and the keys!

that for the first time in two years on a Tuesday during a school term I do not have to go anywhere! No pick up, no trip to the city for a therapy session, no two hour wait and then the mad scramble to pick everyone up and get home before the traffic. This is hard because centre sessions were my security blanket, no matter what therapy I did with Alec I always had the therapists there to chat with and make sure we weren't missing anything.

It looks like Alec is liking school so far, I know we are only two days in, the great thing is if it all goes pear shaped I know I can call the girls at the centre and they have organised a get together for all the grade ones in a few weeks time, it will be so good to see them.

So far this morning I have straightened the lounge, swept the floor, folded 2 loads of washing, hung out two loads of washing, made an apple crumble and washed the dishes, this is more than I get done on most days and it is only 11:30am!!

what a day, a big shock to the system getting up at 6am instead of the usual 8... 8:30am we have done over the holidays, everything went smoothly, he even ate some breakfast then off we went to school, he looked so gorgeous in his uniform and to think in just 3 weeks he is 6.

He did really well today Helen said (his aide) he came home with a sheet of colouring in and tracing and he had done such a super job, all the pretend school he and Riley have been doing has really helped his fine motor. I'm a pretty proud mum right now.

Check out my monthly project at Buzz and Bloom this month -

Colour Combo: aqua, lime, pink, red: "Tabbed Recipe Card Holder" by Alli Paterson

And don't forget to check back as each day another great project will be loaded to the site.

I'm going to miss them, I've enjoyed the holidays and spending time with the boys, and seeing things like this. The boys have played all day.

this was supposed to be a candid shot but they were mesmerised by the light on the camera as the timer counted down.
And don't you love these, they had little groups scattered all over the floor along with a collection of dinosaurs pretending to be dragons.
Take a look at her, just sitting up there waiting for her knight in shining armour to come along and save her.