Yikes!!! Nearly November already???!!!

I seriously am having a hard time dealing with how fast time is ripping by!  I cannot believe it almost November already and as of yesterday (25th) there are two months until Christmas.

I thought I'd take a few minutes this morning to upload the LO's I have made this month before October is gone!

Using Ooh La Lollipop, the gorgeous Team Collab by the amazing gals at Digiridoo (this can still be yours free with any purchase from the shop until the end of the month, so hurry!!!  I also used the fabulous template by Color with Caryn for the October Template Challenge at Digiridoo.

I have used Boys in my Backyard by Stacy's Backdoor Designs, and also one of Stacy's Triple Threat Templates.

My lift for the October Scraplift Challenge, based on Tine's LO Fall.
My 3 year old daughter has more shoes than I do and these are the latest and favourite in her collection!
Digital supplies from the Messy Girl Collab by Designs by Sweet Mesquite and Berry Sweet Designs.

I used the stunning Happiness by Designs by Angie and the Creative Juice No.23 Template by Biograffiti.

My LO for the October Font Challenge.
Digital supplies from Blessed by Color with Caryn.
Template by Color with Caryn (October Template Challenge).
Fonts used were Film Cryptic, Be Safe and Jazz LET, all from DaFont.
Lyrics from Before You Came Along by Kasey Chambers, Poppa Bill And The Little Hillbillies.

Using the gorgeous new Fall at the Farm by Color with Caryn.

I'll get back sometime this week with some hybrid goodies as well!!

Dusting off the cobwebs...

My poor neglected blog....I promise to do better! (I recall saying that last post too, but today is a new day!!)

To the exciting news first! I am now officially a Stampin' Up demonstrator! I have been using Stampin' Up products for so long, thanks to Yvonne (if you need inspiration, check out her blog here), and decided to become a demonstrator myself. So if you want to host a party, order any products (view the amazing Idea Book & Catalogue here), drop me a line and I'd be happy to help!

I've also had some major mojo loss the last month and decided that it was time to work without it! Which was a little scary, but I'm happy with what I've made in the last few days. Here they are:

Rachel when she was 3 days old.... all supplies from Enjoy Spring by Felicia Staulters, available in the Digiridoo Scraps Shop.

From the family photo shot we had done in July, aren't they gorgeous? All supplies from Basic Instincts by Brianna Cox of Scrap'it Designs, available at Digiridoo Scraps.

Rachel at the Wild Action Show, not too sure about the turtle! I used this for the August Font Challenge at Digiridoo Scraps, using a fabulous font called Scrubble (find it here at DaFont). All other supplies are from A Little Bit Punk by Keira of Northern Lights Designs, as well as Keira's Template Set 1, all available at Digiridoo Scraps.

This LO was my entry for Becky's August Journaling Challenge. We had to journal about a truth, so I did a LO about my Twilight Obsession! I so love those books, and this explains why I am so obsessed. All supplies from Twilight by Sarah of Sarah Barber Design (another Twilight fan LOL), available at Digiridoo Scraps.

Also from our family photos, our wedding almost 10 years ago was the last time we had professional photos together! All supplies from Creating a Dream by Tiffany of Inspired by Dominic Designs, available at Digiridoo Scraps.

Thanks for looking and take care!

My first attempt at designing!

Woo hoo! Today I spent some time on my first ever attempt at designing.  Bree runs a Design Me This monthly challenge at Digiridoo Scraps, with fabulous, easy to understand tutorials and some great resources to use.  I've been meaning to do it, but today I made the time to give it a go before I got any further behind.  This is what I came up with, using a swatch from Kuler called Coffee and a Paper by Webchitect.

May's challenge

June's challenge

So I need LOADS more practice, but I really enjoyed it!

Not sure that anyone would want them, but you can download them here:

May Papers

June Paper

And check this out:

Here are a few of my LO's for the various challenges:

Tuesday Template Challenge - using Colors of Spring by KD Designs (Available here at Digiridoo Scraps) and template by Mychl's Flights of Fancy.

Journaling Challenge - using Moments by Cintia Tavares (available here at Digiridoo Scraps)

And here is a LO I did for Rachel's 21st LMAO!!! I used Tropical Daiquiri by Brianna Cox of Scrap'it Designs (available here at Digiridoo Scraps)

I also picked up the childcare photos of Ben and Rachel and our family photos this week, plus we've had Christopher's 6th birthday, so plenty to scrap coming soon!!!!

And just to tease you, Color with Caryn will be releasing a new kit this week called New Day, and it is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! Watch this space.....

The end of an era and a new beginning...

Ahhhhhh, it's been a busy few days. On Sunday, Mum looked after the kids while Laban and I went and finished our Christmas shopping. We came home and I wrapped it all, so apart from a few little bits and pieces to pick up through the week, we're all prepared! Monday was the last swimming lesson for the year for Ben and for a while for Christopher. I haven't enrolled him to continue next year, we'll see how school and little athletics goes before taking it up again. At 5, he doesn't need too much on his schedule! Ben is enrolled and Rachel is on the waiting list, both for 10.30am on Tuesdays next year.
Monday was also the last playgroup for Christopher - sad in a way as most of the members of our playgroup were our original mother's group when our babies were pretty new! 5 years down the track, most have had at least one more and Narelle is the only one to have a third like me. There's not many coming back next year, so it's sad that we'll inevitably lose touch with some as life moves on. There's a few I know I'II be able to keep in touch with, and a few coming back next year.
But all these endings make way for a new beginning - SCHOOL!!
We've also decided to take our house off the market. There are 8 houses in our court, 3 of which are now for sale! Ours has been up for about 2 months, several inspections in that time, but no offers. The house on the corner was bought by a couple about 18 months ago who gutted it and renovated it all and are now selling to move onto their next project. The other house was bought about 10 months ago by a lady who moved down from Queensland. Her daughter has just been diagnosed with cancer and she needs to sell to get back up there to support her. So it's not a good look to see our lovely court with all these houses for sale and as we're not in a rush to sell, we've decided to take it off the market and stay her for a couple more years. I feel really good about it, it would have been nice to get back to Sunbury, but at the same time, we love our house and we can now plan things for next year as we know where we'll be. And so much less stress not having to keep it tidy all the time with 3 kids!
To finish off my HUGE post today, here is a LO I did of Rachel looking too cute in her fairy wings she got from the Kris Kringle at Playgroup yeasterday. I've used the Enchanted Forest kit by Vicki of A Work in Progress and the add on by Sara of Sweet Blossom Designs. I've also used the tri-frame template by Jaydid Designs.

So today, I'm catching up with some washing and I'm going to pull out the beanbags and watch a couple of DVDs with the kids. Kung Fu Panda, here we come! Have a great day :-)

Falling down and a couple of Layouts.

It's been a busy couple of days! Last night, we had Laban's work Christmas party at the Hobsons Bay Hotel in Willimastown. A lovely night out on the balcony with delicious food and no kids - they all a holiday at my Mum's for the night. We were on the second floor, and coming down the wooden stairs, I fell down! I've scrapped the skin off my left elbow, bruised my right arm - it's gonna be a ripper! I had such a huge lump on my arm that Laban was concerned I'd broken it and the lump was bone! I've also done my right leg a beauty too - more bruises! And the worst part was I only had one alcoholic beverage all night! If I was drunk I'd probably have navigated the stairs much better! I'm quite stiff and sore today :-(
This morning Laban went to the working bee at his school and I picked up the kids and mum and went to the Sunbury market. I stocked up on Gabbie's fabulous candles (check them out on her website, but you can only buy them at the markets now. The boys got face painted - spiderman for Christopher, Ben 10 for Ben.
Tonight I'm off to Yvonne's for a Christmas Extravangza - making all sorts of goodies which I'II post about tomorrow. Yvonne is incredibly talented - check out her blog here (but just so you know, she's offline at the moment while waiting for computer repairs).
But before I go, I just wanted to show you a couple of LO's I've made yesterday and today using a couple of Bree's gorgeous kits.
I made this LO for the Terrific Template Challenge at Snap and Scrap using one of Mitzie's beautiful templates (grab it form the blog here) and Bree's Cool Change kit (grab it in the shoppe here)

This LO was made using Bree's kit Zoolander (grab it here)

Better go - picking up Gabbie on the way to Yvonne's! Back tomorrow :-)

Who says it's a merry christmas?

This photo was taken in 2006 at the Bulla Railway Park where we went for our playgroup Christmas party. Ben wouldn't have a bar of Santa - and who is the mean mummy who left him there long enough to get a few photos?! LMAO! We're going there again this sunday, also for the playgroup party - wonder if I can get a shot like this of Rachel...
All supplies from the Shabby Little Christmas team kit available from the Snap and Scrap Shoppe!

I have just made this LO for the Template Challenge at Snap and Scrap. The template is by the fabulous Mitzie of Made by Mitzie and I have used the Paper Princess Kit by the incredibly talented Sharlene of Charlie's Digiscraps - both items available at Snap and Scrap. I've also used the Adventure Frame Brush by LivEdesigns, which was a freebie from Designer Digitals.

I'm not sure if Rachel does make more mess than the boys or if it's because I have the boys trained to tidy up after themselves (well, that sounds good in theory, but the practice is somewhat different LOL!!) But I can always tell where Rachel has been by the trail of stuff she leaves in her wake! And how cheeky is she in these photos? She thought she was very clever to have emptied the toys out of the tub so she could sit in it! I think she was waiting for Christopher to come and give her a ride on the tiles in it. I love her cheeky face - she is so beautiful!

Ben's birthday has been AWESOME!! We have all had a great day - even Christopher, despite a few teary periods because there were no presents for him! I understood his frustration and desperation to play with the new toys and Ben was pretty good about sharing most of them, but not the new OMNITRIX!!! It hasn't left his wrist all day LOL!
I just did a LO with the photos of today. There will be more photos as we catch up with other family members over the weekend, so no doubt a few more LO's to be made. I haven't done a LO for about a week (a LONG time for me) but my mojo has gone on holiday. I used a template for this by Anna Aspnes, a freebie from Designer Digitals to help the juices flow. The kit I've used is Live Out Loud by Amy Riley, available from Snap and Scrap. I love the bright colours in the kit.

And here is a photo of Ben when he was minutes old!

My, so much has happened in three years...

Now I'm going to try and upload a LO that I did tonight for my very dear friend Lisa of her son Billy with his daddy Steve when he was just two weeks old! You forget how small and precious they are!

I have used the amazing "Boy's Club" kit by one of my favorite designers, Sara of Sweet Blossom Designs. Check out her blog - she is incredibly talented and generous, as her wonderful kits are free! http://sweetblossomdesigns.blogspot.com/. The date stamp is from Date Stamped vol 2 by Britt-ish Designs available from Scrap Matters.