Another freaking scrappy challenge Launch!!

I love being involved in the start of something new so was very excited to be accepted as a guest designer at Anne's new challenge blog - 'another freaking scrappy challenge' - very cool name by the way. And looking at the other guest designers, I am a bit overwhelmed to be in their company! Just stunning work.

And the debut challenge is one I loved -

The challenge is to make a layout that tells us about your dream! In your layout incorporate any two of:

• cloud
• rainbow
• kite, or
• symbols of your dream – you can use a photo or drawing that is representative of your dream.

Journal about your dream and share it with us if you wish to in the narrative on your blog. And check out the prize - love cosmo cricket stuff.



Please also include a link to a scrapbooking technique or tool video in your blog posting for this challenge.This video does not have to be made by you - unless you want to make one. We are asking only that you share a link to a cool video that you have appreciated on someone's blog, on YouTube or wherever you find inspiration so that we can appreciate it too!!

At the moment I have two big dreams, both of which are a bit pricey so shall remain dreams for a while longer - a new house and to travel a lot more. But I will settle for a few chooks and to lose some weight! I have also included less tangible dreams in hand writing around the photo - happy, healthy children, to give help to those who need it, to generally appreciate the life I have, etc.

And here is a close up of my big cloud dreams...



Now I was supposed to put a video link in but due to very little internet speed (tomorrow can't come soon enough) I can't view any videos (thwack Matt AGAIN!!) . But I have found a site that has many numerous tutorials with some stuff I can't wait to try. The name of the blog is Cathy Can't Help Herself and I love her ribbon scrunching tips but I really like her ideas of using chipboard which is something I struggle with. So go check that out here and leave some love as well.

So thank you Anne for the chance to be involved and go check it out and come and join in the fun!!

Oh and the magazine I was reading had a terrific economical tip for those who renovate or move house. One lady in there was saying that she splurged on her newly renovated house by putting in a pool and a pond and a few other things but she saved money by keeping her old dining table - Is this implying that everything else in the house is new?? Wow is all I can say but maybe I am out of step with the real world by keeping older furniture...

Singapore Zoo

I have scrapped about this zoo, in fact this water park before, when Geoff got unexpectedly soaked while Henry was playing here (see this post). Here is Henry in all his glowing white glory. We hadn't known that the zoo had this water park in it, but as soon as we saw it, Henry was in love. He first waded around but it was so hot that soon enough, his top was off and he was having a ball. He would have stayed all day but unfortunately our time in Singapore was limited and we had other places the big kids wanted to see before the day was out.

But we will return. Luckily Singapore is one of the 3 big stop over cities (along with KL and Hong Kong) from Australia to Europe and the rest of Asia so promising we would be back soon was not a hard promise to make. And we really loved Singapore.

This is using this sketch from Get Creative.


My lovely friend Irini has just lost her beloved Father-in-law. Please go over to her site, read about his amazing life and leave some love and hugs for Irini and her family, They are mourning a man who will be missed greatly.

Another sunny day here after another frosty start (-8 C this morning). Matt is booking his tickets for his European adventure this afternoon, flying into Moscow to start with in the first week of September, and I am quietly fretting already...

have a great day xx

PS - I am still struggling with internet speed (thwack Matt ever time we walk past!). Counting the hours until Monday and it goes back to normal. So it is fairly random with where it will and won't let me leave comments and the Southern Girls Links list won't even appear on my screen so I will be back to blog stalking properly next week. xx

Photo Inspiration

at Southern Girls this week. And it is a lovely counter balance to all those Northern Hemisphere challenges about summer (my cold toes are green eyed with jealousy...). Isn't it a wonderful photo, and we have had some big frosts here in the past couple of days - but this is the third straight day that we have seen the sun, so good!

I have gone for the whites and blues from this as well as a winter theme and delved back in time to when Matt saw his first snow. Meaghan was only three months old and we went for a walk half way up Mt Kosciusko (Australia's highest mountain - would barely register on most other continents..) . It was boxing day and there was still this little patch of snow left. Just enough to have a play in without getting cold.



So come on over and play, we have some very cool sponsors again this week - Meljen's Designs (very sweet digi stamps) and NZ Scrap Box - lots of cool new scrapping and card making supplies.

And finally I am getting around to accepting and passing on a irresistibly sweet blogger award

passed on to me by the completely gorgeous Kat , and the beautiful Claudia. I am so glad I had my giveaway as I have met so many new friends, such an unexpected bonus!

Ok 7 things about me
1. I have a degree in Environmental Science

2. Despite said degree, I have never had a 9-5 job. Part time/shift work/bizarre bits and pieces jobs - ie furniture removalist at uni but never 9-5.

3. I used to have severe panic attacks and all but passed out at my own wedding - leading to shortest Catholic service ever... Friends and family were grateful.

4. Have three brothers and have never missed having a sister.

5. my nickname at uni was Mum - and still is to many of my friends.

6. I am currently addicted to Wii Fit - so much fun.

7. I love watching sports, with my first and oldest love being Aussie rules. I have stayed up late the past 8 or so years to watch the Tour De France and finally paid off last week when an Australian, Cadel Evans, won. So excited.

And my nominated bloggers are

Mitralee - so glad I found this blog, love new friends
Francine - love old friends too (even though I am currently envious of her current trip inland)
Libeeti - great work and some very cool tutorials
Karen B - hard working and produces some very scrummy lo's and cards
Alicia - a nicer person I have yet to come across
Wendi - fellow Dollie, always interesting blog
Laura - one of my first interwebby friends

Will be back tomorrow with -hopefully a couple of Lo's for some end of month challenges and keep an eye out on Sat/Sun - depending on which side of the world you live on - for something that I am a bit excited about!
xxxx

A new haircut

It's the end of the school holidays and I finally dragged Henry (ok, possibly failed to mention prior to walking into the barbers..) to get his haircut. I wish I had my camera there to witness the complete misery - I think he is happier going to the doctors or the dentist. At the end the hairdresser asked what he thought of his new hair cut and Henry refused point blank to answer. After we were outside I asked him to rate his haircut and he gave it 1/10 which is slightly up from the all time low of 0/10 for his last do. He does love his curls...


And this is his hair from a few weeks ago, very long and pretty wild.

This is Henry and his friend Hugh who has been overseas for the past 18 months and came for a quick visit. The boys get along so well and it will be good when he is home (for a while at least) at the end of the year. Of course it leads to conversations after school of -

H - "I miss Hugh Mum"
M- "I miss you too when your at school.."
H - Accompanied by a look of sympathy mixed with incredulity - "I don't miss you Mum, I miss HUGH!!"

thanks....

The Lo is was done for the July sketch challenge at Cocoa daisy - such fine work is done here, always inspiring.

We're off to the coast tonight for a couple of nights, it is blowing an absolute gale there at the moment but to be honest I prefer that to normal hot weather as there are no people around and I don't have to get into the water - I really don't like swimming in the sea.

have good weekend xx

PS got a mention in the favs at Sketchy Thursdays for my last Lo - so pleased - love that site.

Frustrations

We are back in the land of computers after a very nice visit down to Mum and Dad's. After a long 6 hour drive back, I logged on to catch up on all the news only to find that the Internet was slower than when we had dial up (ahh, the sound of the modem...). Turns out our lovely nearly 19yo had decided to upgrade all his Internet games while we were away and used up our months supply of internet thingy (ok technical term, can't remember right phrase, you know what I mean!). So we had been dialled back to the speed of somewhere near a trickle for the rest of the month - aarggghhhh. Thank you Matt!!

Uploading images for this post is taking approximately forever but I am persisting...

Firstly a Lo I did before we went away for Little Shop of Sketches - #88 a sketch by the very talented Anne Pennington. Anne is starting a new challenge blog, with the first challenge going up on the 30th of this month, go check it out here. looks like it will be fun.

This is the first time I had played with the little shop and had a bit of fun with some old photos of Henry reading while we at a nearby park - he is so like Matt. The latest sketch has just gone up, lots of little photos that I can't wait to try.


And today being a nice Canberran wintry overcast day, a perfect day to get stuck into my latest Cocoa Daisy kit which was waiting on my door when we arrived back - yay for yummyness and kit companies! I used the latest Sketchy Thursday sketch -



and a photo of my littlest niece. She was still a bit sleepy when we arrived and was quite happy to watch all the action from her swing. She is a bit of a cutie.


Ok, off to drop Meaghan at her friends house for another movie night and another sleepover - I'm sure she doesn't technically live here anymore...

and then Henry and I will spend the afternoon together, a bit of park time and maybe some geocaching. Will take camera this time.

Have a great day xx

Winners - finally

I am using the excuse that I am sick and not completely lazy for the fact that I am not quite a week late in drawing the names. I have loved finding new blogs to follow and I hope you have too!


I roped Henry in to do the drawing (the others were offered this exciting job and not so graciously declined). I did have to interrupt a Wii playing session and the excitement soon wore off. After all drawing THREE whole names out of a bag is exhausting...

Hooray, I get an important job

still excited

mildly happy

and completely over it!

So the winners are, Li-bee-ti, Sandi and Mitralee.

drop me a line and let me know your address and I will attempt to send some cardstock your way!
kwray01(at)gmail(dot)com

see you all tomorrow. xx

A bit Grungy

The day is completely grungy, I am definitely feeling grungy (head cold - yuk and up at 6:30 AM - who knew such a hour existed!! to take Geoff to the airport) and so a grungy Lo was the order of the day. And as I now have a little ripsticking dude in the house, grunge was perfect!


We gave Henry a ripstick for his 8th birthday back in February. We had been told it was easier than skateboarding (I suspect this to be a lie of sorts) and Henry was rapt. First attempts were less than successful, ie clinging on to Mum and Dad and not even looking like balancing. I will admit I thought it would get put away for a while but to his credit he persisted. Mostly indoors, slowly making his way from one piece of furniture to the next. Slowly he built his confidence and now he is incapable of walking from one end of the house to the other, he has to ripstick. It is so very cool.


This particular June day did end in a bit of a disaster when a very helpful dad said "let's see if you can go a bit faster..." and gave him a bit of a push. Home in tears is all I will say...


I have used half of this weeks Sketchy Thursday's sketch.
Off to do the school run now - via one of Meaghan's friends house, they get an extra weeks holiday in winter so Meaghan is mostly home at the moment.

The wind is hideous so shall be blown all over the place. Have a great day wherever you are - and happy 4th of July for my American friends xx