Once upon a Sketch - finally...

Although I have followed and marvelled at the creations from this site, I have never entered one of their challenges. The details and the wonderful work of the guest Dt are here.

And on the last possible day I have pulled together an entry. yay.


I think it's quite a bit different to my usual style, quite subdued but I love this photo and the memories that go with it.

We had been travelling in a van from Vietienne to Vietnam, with much of the first day along the Mekong. We stopped in a small town for lunch and this was the view, looking across to Thailand. We then turned east and headed 'inland' towards the mountains, the roads got rougher and the traffic busier (a bit scary at times to be honest) but that first day was just wonderful.

Just about all the elements in this Lo are from a collab kit {worn} from One little bird and Sahlin Studio and is available here.


and it's your last day to enter Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge Valentines Day blog hop, check out details here and my give away here.

And it is now a bit over two weeks to go until I start my week long walking for charity (well not all day, everyday - just a lot more than I'm use to..) so if you would like to donate check out the details here. And updated prize list here. All to help women help themselves out of poverty.

Lots of yummy prizes up for grabs!!

Apparently we are about to get a lot of rain but the big fall hasn't arrived yet, may miss us this time (for once we have had enough rain over summer!).

have good one. xx

Scrap the girls

Just a quick post today, with Geoff away I am able to get some scrapping done on a weekend, which is a bit like a holiday. He will be back tonight and his Mum is a bit better.

I was a whingy, whiny thing last post about everything breaking down, I apologise. But the upside arrived yesterday, a new printer and a new washing machine - so all is good.

Now onto important scrappy things. This was my very cute niece indulging in some chocolate cake that Nan and Meaghan had made for her Dad's birthday. Meaghan took the photos.This is for Scrap the Girls, criteria being being Turquiose is the main colour, love in the title and chipboard.

Have a good sunday x

Missing

My scrapbooking/blogging world has definitely been taking a back step to the real world lately.

Just when we are trying to save some money for the new house, all our old things are reaching the end of their lives. The headlights on the car both blew (again - third pair in 18 months!!), the printer died (eeep) and the washing machine man just left with the bad news that our lovely machine needs a new gearbox and is cheaper to get a new one... I hate the fact that it was considered old at 15 - what happened to the machines of our youth that went on and on (sometimes to my mothers despair when she really would have liked some new stuff I think..).

I am just hoping the hot water service holds out til we move, I think I can go without most other things but a washing machine and hot water are two necessities.


Geoff's Mum is also quite ill at the moment, so Geoff is going to go visit her tonight for a few days - hopefully that will cheer her up. We are all a bit worried to be honest.

And although the printer is out of action, I have been stocking up on digi supplies from The Lilypad, loved the Making Lemonade kit. All within in my current budget as well.

And I have (vaguely) used the current sketch over at Get Creative. Greece is going through some terrible times at the moment so hopefully the scrapping girls get some enjoyment from their craft.

Just a reminder of two things, first my charity giveaway, I've raised just over $200 so far which I'm really pleased with, if you can give a couple of dollars I would really appreciate it and you get to go into the prize draw for a couple of big scrapbooking prizes.

And secondly, the Valentines blog hop for Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge is still on - lots of giveaways along the hop - check out the details here. Easy to enter that one.

Off to but a printer now and check out new washing machines, sigh - I loved my old printer and my old washing machine...

Have a good one. xx

My Brownie experience

Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge has it's latest sketch challenge up and it is all about Brownies and guides.

February 22nd is Baden Powell Day – Baden Powell was the founder of Boy Scouts, and his sister Agnes was the founder of Girl Guides. Scrap a memory of you in Scouting or Girl Guides (brownies, Sparks, Guides, etc.) or a memory of a group you belonged to when you were a child or teen. You may include a momento or journal a memory of what belonging meant to you.

I lasted approximately 2hours in brownies - I even held out longer at Gymnastics than that!

Growing up on a farm, going to school in a small town, the only place my friends in primary school met out of school hours was at Brownies. So my best friend got me along one day convinced I would love it..

I just didn't get it.

I couldn't understand why Mrs Cooper became Brown Owl and would only answer to that. She took it very seriously. I giggled at the sing alongs and was just a bit disruptive, nothing too big, I was still a pretty quiet kid.

I wasn't invited back.

and I didn't really ask to go back either.

Meaghan joined guides and lasted for 3 terms. It didn't help that the only girl she knew was fond of the sound of her own voice and was very impressed with how clever she was compared to every one else. Not Meaghan's type at all.

Come and play and playing along also gives you a chance to win prizes from our on going Valentines blog hop. Lots of little prizes to be won on individual blogs as well (including mine). Well worth visiting all the girls.

And i am also currently the guest Designer at Use it Tuesday's, the theme this challenge is birthdays - and they have a blog hop going as well. Go check it out here.


Ok, that's all for now. xxx

Valentines day Blog hop At Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge

Hey everyone,

Nothing says happy Valentine's Day like pacman, except for a fun valentines day blog hop. Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge is hosting this one, and you have until the end of February to play. This one has some gold at the end of the hop as well as a few yummy bits and pieces here and there along the way.

To be in the major prize pool that Anne has organised, all you have to do is collect a different word from each of the lovely ladies on the hop. You should have arrived from Sandi's blog (isn't she completely talented, one of my fav places to visit) and next stop is Anne's blog (almost finished then). Grab all the words and then send Anne an email to let her know you have completed the list and your eligible for the prize! How simple is that? And you get extra entries for completing our challenges this month.

I am offering a small prize to those who leave a comment here and I will also double up on those who enter our challenges for this month. More a turquiosey valentine day than the traditional pink but loving some of the new stuff kaiser craft is coming out with now.


Ok my word is ...
Marriage

so hop along, if you have stumbled across me and want more details, go to our blog and while your there check out some of our work. The last challenge we all thoroughly enjoyed doing, give it a go!!

Have a great day!! lots of hugs and xxxx's

ps I am addicted to this kit (Way Rad) from The Lilypad which is where the pacman images came from.

A Valentines Day Blog Hop

Although it is technically Valentines day here, Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge is having a Blog hop tomorrow (our time) for Valentines Day - do you follow me?? Ok, check this out (it is so very cool, my name is in an animation, I am giggling like a little girl in my complete delight..)




So drop by tomorrow for full details of PRIZES!! and more on the blog hop - it will be good I promise...

And a Lo I have been wanting to do for a while but has been hard to get accompanying photo. Meaghan ended up finally catching Matt in the act. And although he looks passed out on the floor, this is his method of trying, unsuccessfully to get out of any chores we assign him. If we ask him to say mow the lawn, he immediately drops onto the ground and moans ' my lawn mowing muscles are broken..." (Henry did originally come up with the idea but Matt has run with it).



And he does do what he is asked pretty well straight away, so we tolerate his acting (although he usually regrets his collapse as one of two things usually happen either a)Henry jumps on him and he is very bony, or b) he hasn't looked at the ground before falling down and lands on something that causes him pain..)

Anyway have used this very cool sketch over at Punky Scraps, go check it out. I would have loved to include the moustache as well but it didn't quite go _ I did try!!
Have a good one, Will see you all tomorrow for the blog hop as well as a couple of LO's I have been working on. byeeee.

Updated Giveaway

OK, am updating my giveaway because it is only fair if I am asking for donations then you should have a decent parcel of prizes to go into the draw for. So welcome to my updated prize pool!!!

If you donate, any amount of money at all, to my very good cause (see here for explanation) then you have a chance to win either this -

close up #1

close up #2

or this -
I will send them anywhere, I hate asking for money but I really believe in this charity, supporting women and I would really appreciate your help. This will be opened until the 18th of March.

Thanks for your help. xx

Scrap Africa

Have found a brand new challenge site - always happy to give a new challenge a go especially if it involves a sketch. Scrap Africa highlights some of the amazing work coming out of that part of the world, well worth checking out!!

And boy do they have a talented team - love their work!

I have used some photos of Meaghan and Henry when they were much smaller (and still capable of holding hands!!) from 2006. The scan has cut a little off the top so it looks a little unbalanced. I think my favourite new product to come out last year have been the Amy Tangerine line by AC. The paper and the little figures along the bottom are both her work. Can't wait to see her new lines.

Here is the sketch for their first challenge - still a few days left to join in.



Their next challenge is to do with Africa - a bit trickier but may scrap my dream of visiting Botswana... have to think about that .

I will have an update on my charity walk hopefully tomorrow. Have increased the prize significantly but haven't uploaded the photos yet - and added a second draw gift as well. Go check out the details here. trust me, it will be worthwhile donating a couple of dollars to a good cause (am I sounding desperate enough yet??).

And don't forget to think about your first love and enter Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge latest fun ride!!

Have a great weekend xxx

first love...

A very fun challenge this week on Another freaking Scrappy Challenge. Anne has come up with this for us all -

Just in time for Valentine’s Day next month – your first love – a real boy or girl, try to include a momento from that time with them, or download an image or something from that era from the internet if you wish. A pop or movie star crush can be substituted for a real live crush if you are too shy to tell us how it really was!!!



My first crush ( I would have been about 6 or 7 I think) was on Jamie Redfern, one of the stars of Young Talent Time. I thought he was wonderful. I had a poster (from the middle of TV Week) on my wall - glued on, no blu tack back then. I ripped it down when I was teased about him, I did't take to teasing too well...

Anyway, Young jamie was shuffled off to America to be mentored by Liberace - I will say no more. He is now back in Australia and he and his wife run a talent agency and I notice they also sell Avon as well. Again I will say no more.

I was probably equally in love with Little Jimmy on HR Pufn'stuf but it was a scarier show the Young Talent Time.And possibly more drugs were invoved in creating that show (I did say possibly...).



Now I tend to favour the more mature man-

ok, just an excuse to post a picture of Johnny... I noticed Beverly has done her Lo on a younger Mr Depp, you really do have to go check out the DT's Lo's.

So come and play, I think I had more fun on this challenge than any other one I have done. so wonderful to wannder through old memeories and a bit disturbing at the same time...

Giveway (sort of...)

Ok, it's bribery. But it's for a most excellent cause. And it does involve me getting exercise as well.

So what is it?

Many years ago I was reading about a women who had given birth to healthy twin boys in Northern Africa somewhere. She didn't want to name them for a month because of the very high chance they wouldn't survive.. Broke my heart. So since then we have been giving regularly to Care Australia. I love it because they mostly aim at supporting Women in poorer communities with education and training which of course helps the entire community.

So where do you come in?

Millions of women and girls walk over six kilometres a day in search of food, water and firewood. This leaves little time for school, accessing health services and earning an income.

I’m walking 10,000 steps per day from Monday 12 March to Sunday 18 March 2012 as part of CARE’s Walk In Her Shoes challenge.

And I am asking for your help in raising money by sponsoring me. Pretty Please.

I have a nice pack of goodies to put into a draw for those who donates here. Any amount will make you eligible to be in the draw and I would appreciate every dollar. I hate asking for money but it is a cause that is close to my heart.

includes unopened stamp pads,a full roll of alphabet paper tape as well as lots of buttons, dictionary pages, tags and a few other things thrown in.

See updated prizes here

If you mention it on your blog then I will also add an extra entry. Just let me know in the comments.

Oh and the target of $1000 is not my idea. I'll be happy with any total at all...

I will put a picture up on my sidebar later to connect back to this post and of course you can donate money up until the walking is over (and my previously underworked legs are no longer taliking to me as they will be in shock!).

Thanks for getting this far into the post. My lecturing is now over and scrapbooking will resume soon. xxx