Gypsyangel's Card Sketch Challenge

I'm getting some cards made tonight! I tried Gypsyangel's card sketch challenge at the Scrapchat gallery. This is also a first attempt at the chalkboard technique described here at Splitcoaststampers. I used the Stampin' Up! Time Well Spent stamp set again, and black, pale plum and mellow moss cardstock. I stamped the flower in white ink, chalked it up with Stampin' pastels, and did the sentiment in silver gel pen (the dots are silver and gold gel pens).

My Paper World Sketch Challenge #5

Here's a card I made with products from Stampin' Up! It's a response to Fiona's sketch challenge #5 at My Paper World. I used the Time Well Spent stamp set, with More Mustard, Brilliant Blue, Garden Green and Whisper White cardstock, and Stampin' Pastels in similar colours. I embossed with gold and black powders. There's a gold brad in the middle of the main flower. I drew the flourishes with black fine tipped felt pen, and used the Piercing tool and mat pack with both black and white pens to create the faux stitches.

I plan to use this card as a swap with friends in my stamping group and will certainly acknowledge Fiona's sketch when I do :-) Thanks, Fiona!

Shopping Day

I spent a lot of time in the shops today instead of in my craft room. I have an order for some gift boxes so was out checking the shops for likely gift items. This little town is nowhere near equipped to take on a person like me with such a task! I couldn't find boxes, baskets or trays in my price range anywhere. Guess it means a trip to the next town, and this Saturday is when that will happen.

Will post a pic when I have something completed.

Today was also a day I got to see a couple of customers and place nice stamping order! Can't wait to see the new stamps. They should arrive next week.

Bunny Situation

Just for a change, if you want to see some clever animations and maybe have a laugh, go to http://www.flixxy.com/short-film-animation.htm

Happy Everything!

I used all Stampin' Up! products to make this little card. This is the Greetings Galore set and the Itty Bitty Backgrounds set. Image is embossed in black and I used the Bold Bright cardstock range, then daubed Barely Banana ink on the background, then used the blender pen to use the inks and colour the little flower with So Saffron and Glorious Green.

It's a little rough but I thought the kids might like it, as well as the staff, since these are primary school places :-) I wanted to thank them for their past custom this afternoon.

Will let you know their reactions later!

Pre-Order of the new 2008-9 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue

If you live in Australia and would like your own copy of the 2008/2009 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue, please let me know. I'm currently taking pre orders so that you can have your copy ASAP! Catalogues are $12.95 including postage.

If you place a $300 order or catalogue party order this month, you'll get a new catalogue for FREE!

May Paper World Sketch Challenge #4

Talk about just barely making it! I had a fortnight to complete a challenge for Fiona at My Paper World and just made it on the last day, in the last hour. It may be too late for Fiona but I did enjoy making it. I used Stampin' Up! cardstock and main stamp (Blooming with Happiness), some paper flowers and a brad from my stash, my paper piercing tool, and free hand for the flourish and sentiment. I used glossy white cardstock and sponge daubed with Stampin' Up! inks Pretty in Pink and Barely Banana. I embossed the stamped image in black before daubing.

Oh and a whole new sketch challenge begins at My Paper World tomorrow.

Davies Creek Day

It turned out to be a lovely day. We started out dutifully getting the place ready for the open house, then gleefully took off to explore. We took our dog and the Ute and found Davies Creek. It had been in flood only a week before, and the road in was corrugated and rough in places, but it wasn't so bad that we didn't want to keep going. When we got there it was worth it. We took the dog (who had to stay on a lead as them's the rules at the creek) for a swim, went wading and rock clambering (to a very limited extent!!) and I took loads of photos. The dragonfly held still just long enough.

It was hot so we came home to wash the dog and take a nap before making dinner. Then during our meal, a visitor came to call. A green one that begged for a pencil to have his picture taken with. DH couldn't resist lending a hand either.

Oh - the house didn't sell. Who wants to move anyway?

The photo that wasn't....

Thanks for all your good wishes about our soggy garage. We did in fact get it dry. Today was such a beautiful day I actually got four loads of washing done and dried in the SUN!

I had great plans to show you a panorama of the Tablelands today. We had some house inspections in the late afternoon, so DH and I bundled the dog (who tends to want to protect the house against starngers for us - a liability in the hosue selling business) into the car and drove off, me clutching my lovely and much-cherished camera. We drove about an hour to the 'right' spot and jumped out of the car. I spent some time finding a good place to stand to take the picture and got the camera all ready to click. I pressed down on the shutter button and ....nothing happened. I thought I must have forgotten to turn the camera on so switched the right switch, aimed, pressed, and ...still nothing. I thought it must be the light was wrong, that I may have the setting wrong. They all checked out. I tried different lighting by swinging around and focusing on DH. Again...nothing. I had to admit defeat and believe what I hoped was not true. I had to admit that the BATTERY WAS DEAD!! I then tossed the useless thing into the car and tramped around a bit instead, moaning about how wonderful the pictures WOULD have been, to DH's and the dog's amusement.

So I'm sorry, but there is no craft today due to us spending every spare moment washing clothes/linen and washing rain spatter off all the house windows, polishing and vacuuming the house, then making ourselves and the dog scarce so total strangers could tramp through. And there is no photo due to the inexplicable dead battery in my camera. But you already know that.

Who knows what tomorrow may bring :-)

Summer Storms - Monsoonal Skies

Yesterday we had the biggest rain storm of the summer. It lasted for half an hour or more, drumming and pelting down. If I had been thinking about taking photos, I would have been able to capture the rivers that started up in my back yard that eventually found their way into a side door of the garage and flooded it. We were kind of busy mopping up and not taking pictures. I did take a picture of the sky afterwards, just when the blue sky was peeping through again. And we didn't have any more rain today for the first time in over a week of monsoonal trough activity.

Aussie Stampin' Up! Retired List

I know some of you are interested in Stampin' Up! stamps and accessories. Well, today I have the list of stamps that are going to disappear and be sold no more. It's a LONG list. I'm going to share it with you anyway. If I can help you with getting anything you might have had your eye on, just say the word :-) These things will only be available while stocks last. Oh - and go here if you want to see the current Stampin' Up! catalogue and prices. Just click on 'our online catalogues' on the right hand side of the page.

RETIRED LIST!
Everything will be available for puchase until March 31st 2008 UNLESS it sells out first. So get in quick!

Item # Product Description Page#

Catalogue Sets
108715 A LITTLE LOVE 47
108717 A NEW LITTLE SOMEONE 59
108718 A TO Z ACCENTS 41
108723 ALL IN A ROW 99
108724 ALL MIXED UP 62
108725 ALL NATURAL 54
108727 ALL THE BEST 56
108729 ALL WRAPPED UP 60
108730 ALL WRAPPED UP ACCESSORIES 60
108731 ALL-YEAR CHEER I 116
108732 ALL-YEAR CHEER II 116
108737 ALPHADOT NUMBERS 123
108735 ALPHADOTS 123
108736 ANCIENT ASIA 90
108739 ARTIFACTS 92
108741 BABY FIRSTS 58
108745 BECAUSE OF YOU 84
108749 BEST OF CLUCK 53
108750 BEYOND THE BASICS 100
108752 BIRTHDAY BEAUTY 62
108759 BUGGIES & BOOTIES 58
108762 BY DEFINITION 106
108766 CHEESECLOTH 106
109073 CLASSIC ALPHABET 121
109074 CLASSIC NUMBERS 121
108770 COLLAGE ALPHABET 123
108771 COLLAGE NUMBERS 123
108773 CROSSHATCH 104
108775 CUTE AS A BUG 85
108776 DAY-TO-DAY FLEXIBLE PHRASES 118
108777 DO THE HULA 52
108778 DOTTED 105
108779 DOWN TO BUSINESS 94
108780 DREAM COME TRUE 35
108782 ECLECTIC BACKGROUNDS 99
108783 EPHEMERA 106
108784 ESPRESSOLY FOR YOU 56
108788 FARM FEVER 53
108789 FAVORITE TEDDY BEAR 46
108808 FINIALS & FRAMES 91
108810 FLANNEL PLAID 106
108812 FLOWER FEST 71
108813 FLOWER FILLED 69
108815 FONTASTIC 104
108816 FRENCH SCRIPT 106
108817 FRESH FILLERS 100
108818 FRIENDSHIP FLOWERS 113
108819 FUN FILLED 48
108821 GIFTS OF JOY 31
108823 GLAD TIDINGS 119
108824 GLAM GIRL 60
108826 GOOD THINGS GROW 103
108827 GORGEOUS GRAPEVINE 88
108829 HANDLE WITH CARE 96
108830 HAPPILY EVER AFTER 49
108832 HAPPY HEARTS 38
108833 HEADLINE ALPHABET 120
108834 HEADLINE NUMBERS 120
108836 HEBREW HOLIDAYS 33
108837 HOLIDAY PRINT 26
108838 HOLIDAY SPIRIT 30
108843 I DID IT 109
108845 IN FULL BLOOM 70
108846 IN THE WILD 83
108848 IT'S SNOW TIME 25
108851 KANJI 93
108852 LABEL CLASSICS 102
108853 LETTERPRESS ALPHABET 120
108854 LETTERPRESS NUMBERS 120
108856 LIFE'S SPECIAL MOMENTS 49
108858 LITTLE HELLOS 43
108859 LITTLE HOLIDAY WISHES 28
108861 LIVELY LEAVES 86
108867 LOVING HEARTS 38
108868 MADONNA AND CHILD 26
108870 MERRY MINIS 28
108871 MIXED BOUQUET 74
108872 MON AMI 36
108873 MONKEY BUSINESS 52
108876 MUCH LOVE 39
108878 NEVER-ENDING JOY 36
108879 NEWSPRINT ALPHABET 121
108880 NEWSPRINT NUMBERS 121
108881 NICE & EASY NOTES 47
108882 NICE & NARROW 47
108883 OLIVE YOU 51
108885 ON WALKABOUT 82
108886 OPEN FOR TRADE 95
108889 PERENNIAL FAVORITES 78
108891 PETAL PUSHERS 75
108892 PLAY BALL 64
108893 POCKET FUN 61
108895 PRINT PATTERN 105
108896 PURE & SIMPLE ALPHABET LOWER 121
108897 PURE & SIMPLE ALPHABET UPPER 121
108898 PURE & SIMPLE NUMBERS 121
108899 QUICK THINKING 113
108901 RENAISSANCE ANGELS 30
108903 ROSES IN WINTER 70
108907 SEASIDE SKETCHES 80
108908 SEASON BY SEASON 111
108910 SET SAIL 90
108911 SIMPLE SAYINGS II 114
108912 SIMPLE SKETCHES 42
108914 SIMPLY CIRCLES 103
108917 SLEIGH FULL OF TOYS 33
109072 STAMPED FROM THE HEART 109
108922 STIPPLE CELEBRATIONS 44
109022 STIPPLE SHELLS 80
108925 SUPERSIZE SYMBOLS 124
108926 SWEET & SASSY 86
108928 SWEET TALK 35
108933 TERRIFIC TULIPS 76
108935 TIDY ALPHABET 123
108936 TIDY NUMBERS 123
108938 TRADING COLLECTION 94
108939 TREAT YOURSELF 61
108940 TRIMTASTIC 91
108941 TYPESET ALPHABET LOWER 122
108942 TYPESET ALPHABET UPPER 122
108943 TYPESET NUMBERS 122
108947 WATERCOLOR MINIS 68
108952 WELL-WORN ALPHABET 120
108953 WELL-WORN NUMBERS 120
108955 WHIMSICAL ALPHABET LOWER 122
108956 WHIMSICAL ALPHABET UPPER 122
108957 WHIMSICAL NUMBERS 122
108959 WILD HEARTS 105
108961 WINGED THINGS 84
108964 WONDERFUL WORDS II 114
108965 WORD BY WORD 104
108966 WORLD TOUR 92
108968 YULE BITS & BORDERS 24

Stampin' Around Wheels
101420 BABY TIME 58
104070 BLOOMIN' 70
105951 BOLD SNOWFLAKES* 24
105750 BOUQUET* 74
106749 BRIGHT BULBS 31
105518 BUILDER BITS 64
107481 BUTTERFLIES & BLOSSOMS 84
103094 BY THE SEA 80
103296 CANDY CANE CHRISTMAS 28
104312 HOT TO DOT 40
107463 LEAF FEST* 71
106062 LEAVES AWASH* 76
102254 LOVE SWIRLS 36
103543 ONLY ORNAMENTS 30
101090 PAW TRACKS 46
107476 ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES* 54
105448 SIZE IT UP 92
104160 SQUARE PEGS* 101
107480 TRUE HEARTS 35
104893 TWINKLE 25
103749 WASH DAY* 59
105033 WINGS & THINGS 84

Accessories
105094 BOXES & TAGS BOOK KIT ACCORDION ASST 4
105093 BOXES & TAGS BOOK KIT ACCORDION ASST 5
105092 BOXES & TAGS BOOK KIT ACCORDION ASST 6
105091 BOXES & TAGS BOOK KIT ACCORDION ASST 7
105101 BOXES & TAGS BOOK KIT SADDLE STITCH ASST 4
105100 BOXES & TAGS BOOK KIT SADDLE STITCH ASST 5
105099 BOXES & TAGS BOOK KIT SADDLE STITCH ASST 6
105098 BOXES & TAGS BOOK KIT SADDLE STITCH ASST 7
106581 BOXES & TAGS PETAL CARD BOLD BRIGHTS & EARTH ELEMENTS
105074 BOXES & TAGS PETAL CARD WHISPER WHITE & VERY VANILLA
105067 BOXES & TAGS POCKETS & PIECES ASST I
105068 BOXES & TAGS POCKETS & PIECES ASST II
108632 BOXES & TAGS TINY TAKEOUT BOLD BRIGHTS & EARTH ELEMENTS
107245 BOXES & TAGS TINY TAKEOUT CONFETTI WHITE & KRAFT
104583 BRADS VINTAGE
108624 CARD STOCK BUCKAROO BLUE A4
108625 CARD STOCK COOL CARIBBEAN A4
108628 CARD STOCK CRANBERRY CRISP
106562 CARD STOCK GOING GRAY A4
106683 CARD STOCK IN COLOR 12X12
108629 CARD STOCK IN COLOR A4
108627 CARD STOCK MARIGOLD MORNING A4
106531 CARD STOCK SAHARA SAND 12X12
108626 CARD STOCK TRUE THYME A4
108623 CARD STOCK VINTAGE VIOLET A4
107231 CLASSIC STAMPIN' INK REFILL BUCKAROO BLUE
107228 CLASSIC STAMPIN' INK REFILL CRANBERRY CRISP
107230 CLASSIC STAMPIN' INK REFILL COOL CARIBBEAN
107227 CLASSIC STAMPIN' INK REFILL MARIGOLD MORNING
107229 CLASSIC STAMPIN' INK REFILL TRUE THYME
107232 CLASSIC STAMPIN' INK REFILL VINTAGE VIOLET
107225 CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD BUCKAROO BLUE
107222 CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD CRANBERRY CRISP
107224 CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD COOL CARIBBEAN
107221 CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD MARIGOLD MORNING
107223 CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD TRUE THYME
107226 CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD VINTAGE VIOLET
104302 CORD COPPER
104303 CORD GOLD
104304 CORD SILVER
104328 CRAFT STAMPIN' INK REFILL VERY VANILLA
104308 CRAFT STAMPIN' PAD VERY VANILLA
107405 DESIGNER SERIES FOUR SEASONS
105366 DESIGNER SERIES PAPER CAMBRIDGE 12X12
105365 DESIGNER SERIES PAPER OXFORD
104136 DESIGNER SERIES PAPER POOL PARTY
107295 DESIGNER SERIES PAPER RECOLLECTIONS
107062 DESIGNER SERIES PAPER SARAH
107308 DESIGNER SERIES PAPER SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY
104135 DESIGNER SERIES PAPER SLUMBER PARTY
107406 DESIGNER SERIES PAPER TREEHOUSE
103280 EMBOSSING KIT
104281 ENCORE INK REFILL COPPER
104280 ENCORE PAD COPPER
105317 EYELETS BOLD BRIGHTS II
105315 EYELETS SOFT SUBTLES II
100395 FANCY FIBERS BRIGHTS
100396 FANCY FIBERS EARTHS
100397 FANCY FIBERS NEUTRALS
100393 FANCY FIBERS REGALS
100394 FANCY FIBERS SUBTLES
103321 GIFT SACKS OATMEAL
103890 METAL EDGE TAGS BRASS WHITE CIRCLE
103888 METAL EDGE TAGS BRASS WHITE SQUARE
103894 METAL EDGE TAGS COPPER WHITE CIRCLE
103892 METAL EDGE TAGS COPPER WHITE SQUARE
104184 POST EXTENDERS
103378 PUNCH CORNER ROUNDER SMALL
102686 PUNCH HANDHELD RECTANGLE
104407 PUNCH NOTCHED CORNER
104406 PUNCH PAPER PIECING
104405 PUNCH SQUARE CONVEX
101637 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" APPLE GREEN
102712 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" BLACK
100538 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" BLUEBIRD
105372 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" BURGUNDY
105373 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" CELERY
105374 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" CHOCOLATE
100455 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" CREAM
101666 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" LIGHT ORCHID
101926 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" LIGHT PINK
105378 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" NAVY
102682 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" RED
103064 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" TANGERINE
101156 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" TAUPE
102119 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" TURQUOISE
102819 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" WHITE
104257 RIBBON ORGANDY NARROW GOLD
100589 RIBBON ORGANDY NARROW IVORY
103019 RIBBON ORGANDY NARROW LIGHT PINK
104256 RIBBON ORGANDY NARROW NAVY
104258 RIBBON ORGANDY NARROW OLIVE
104253 RIBBON ORGANDY NARROW SILVER
101613 RIBBON ORGANDY NARROW WHITE
104260 RIBBON ORGANDY NARROW WINE
106807 RIBBON ORIGINALS PREP SCHOOL
106809 RIBBON ORIGINALS RUSTIC RETREAT
106806 RIBBON ORIGINALS SEASIDE
106808 RIBBON ORIGINALS SWEET SHOP
107453 SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' ALL THE TRIMMINGS
107456 SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' AT HOME
107454 SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' OUT & ABOUT
107457 SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' PARTY PIECES
107455 SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' TICKETS & TOKENS
107460 SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' TODAY & ALWAYS
108509 SIMPLY SENT A WISH FOR YOU
108511 SIMPLY SENT FRIENDSHIP SHAPES
108512 SIMPLY SENT GOOD THINGS
108510 SIMPLY SENT REMEMBERING YOU
105580 SPECTRUM PAD BLUE FROST
101492 SPECTRUM PAD CELEBRATION
105579 SPECTRUM PAD COTTON CANDY
101336 SPECTRUM PAD PUMPKIN PATCH
103953 STAMP-A-MA-JIG IMAGING SHEETS
101460 STAMPIN' AROUND CARTRIDGE & REFILL WHISPER WHITE
103017 STAMPIN' AROUND INK REFILL WHISPER WHITE
101040 STAMPIN' EMBOSS POWDER BLACK DETAIL
100442 STAMPIN' EMBOSS POWDER CLASSY COPPER
101428 STAMPIN' EMBOSS POWDER CLEAR DETAIL
103342 STAMPIN' EMBOSS POWDER GOLD DETAIL
101781 STAMPIN' EMBOSS POWDER SILVER DETAIL
100963 STAMPIN' EMBOSS POWDER WHITE DETAIL
103174 STAMPIN' PASTELS APPLICATOR REFILL
105543 STAMPIN' PASTELS BOLD BRIGHTS
105544 STAMPIN' PASTELS EARTH ELEMENTS
105547 STAMPIN' PASTELS NEUTRALS
105545 STAMPIN' PASTELS RICH REGALS
105546 STAMPIN' PASTELS SOFT SUBTLES
103648 STAMPIN' STACK
107239 TAG SHEETS CONFETTI WHITE & VERY VANILLA
107240 TAG SHEETS KRAFT
105369 TIMEWORN COLLECTION PAPER HEIRLOOM
105368 TIMEWORN COLLECTION PAPER RUSTIC
105367 TIMEWORN COLLECTION PAPER WEATHERED
105395 WIRE WORKS METALLICS
105812 WRITE ME A MEMORY FONT CD VOL I

Antarctica

I've received my first Circle Journal from Ali at Scrapchat! She has put together a Paper Bag Album and her instructions were to make a double paged layout of a dream holiday destination. I had to also incorporate a tag with journalling on it about why I wanted to go to my chosen place. I chose Antarctica and found a great website here with pictures I could download and print, as long as I kept the website's watermark on them and put these words on the pages: "Use of pictures courtesy Paul Ward - CoolAntarctica.com". I cut the Antarctic pics out with deckle edged 'postal' scissors to make them look like stamps. I photoshopped a pic of me to look icier, then used my Creative Memories tools to create the curvy bits of paper. I've used Heat and Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds, Crystal Effects, some snowflake brads, some silver, gold and copper gel pens,a black felt pen for the journalling around the photos and on the back of the removable tag, some nylon cord from a camping shop for the tag, some Ballet Blue ink and the Rivetting stamp set from Stampin' Up! and a Bella stamp set for the snowflake stamps.

Photos today

How was your Sunday? Mine was wonderful. I spent a lot of today at church. I am so going to miss our church when we eventually move. :-(

When I got home this evening there was the cutest little frog on the garage door. I just had to rush to get my camera and take his picture. And I am part of a 52 week photo challenge at Scrapchat and had fallen behind in it, so I caught up on two weeks of pics tonight.

One of the challenges was to do a 'reflection' shot, and the next week they asked for 'circles'. I counted the frog's shadow as a reflection. Then I got a shot of the shadow cast by my hand. Then I went to the kitchen and found some more reflections and circles.

Hope you enjoy some of these attempts!

Circle Journal Swap for Scrapchat

It's late but I love the night. It means I can scrap. I needed to finish the double page layout for my Circle Journal being prepared for Scrapchat, and that's what I did. I set the topic "What Matters Most?" and had to answer it myself first before sending my journal on its journey. This journal will go to another 9 people who will all scrap double page layouts to tell me what matters most to them. I'm looking forward to it! My journalling has been placed inside the little pair of doors on the left of the layout. Here's what it reads:

"When I first set this challenge, I was interested in finding out what people would say were the most important things to them. (I still am interested in what you are going to say!) I didn’t think about how hard it would be for me to put my own thoughts down on paper! What does matter most? What are my priorities? Do I live them?

After much thinking, I discovered I do have a list of priorities in my head and heart:

1. My Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, my faith and trust in Him to keep me through eternity
2. My family, especially my DH and my children, my mother, sister, brothers, nieces, nephews, in-laws and out-laws
3. My friends who stick by me through all the joy and sorrow
4. Being able to do something worthwhile, something creative and challenging but not too hard and frustrating"

I think you can read the rest :-)

I included two different exposures of the layout as the darker one shows up the little crystal jigsaw pieces on it but the lighter one shows truer coloours - I tried to get a shadow effect going by propping the journal up and angling it a bit, but don't think it worked too well.

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's Valentine's Day in Australia and I have had a pretty nice day! DH took me out to coffee and then on to the shops to find some special things for my Circle Journal. We went out to lunch with friends and are going out to dinner with more friends - woo hoo! Forget about the waistline today! May your Valentine's Day be as much fun as mine has been!

Here are some pages I finished scrapping last night. I made the gumnut babies following a pattern from my friend. These pages 'fill a hole' in my family album that I have been wanting to get done for ages. And the ones with my DD will be scrapped too. I wanted to show you the pretty hearts window I made as well. Don't know if you can see it in the photo, but under each of the hearst there is a sticker and in real life they show up subtly and pleasingly. Other people used colours instead of the black to make theirs and they turned out pretty as well. My friend Vanessa runs good scrap booking workshops - these were all her ideas!

Scrap book morning

I spent this morning scrapping at a friends. The afternoon was taken up with people, house showings (no contract yet), and then making dinner for company before going out to church. I just took some pics of the two pages I completed and the makings for a third. Have also managed to string my Circle Journal together tonight, though I still need to complete a couple of pages in it before I can send it off to the other people in the swap. I need a pensive pic of me - any volunteer photographers out there?

Will post pics tomorrow as I just realised the photo download cable is in a cupboard right next to sleeping DH...! Can't wake him for that.

Hmmm. DH. Must get that Valentine's Day card out for him before I go to :yawn: sleep.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone :-D

Scrapchat's Feb Card Sketch Challenge and Lee's Bling! Challenge for Monday

I figured it out - I have all my stamping essentials in one bag. At night, when all good real estate agents and house hunters are in their own homes, watching TV and eating dinner and sleeping, I CAN STAMP!! I just need to be AWAKE!! LoL!

I decided to try combining some challenges tonight. Scrapchat set a card sketch challenge for February using the sketch pictured from Scrapmaps. And Lee said to use some BLING this week. So I did both! Materials are all from StampinUp! - white glossy, black, old olive and more mustard cardstock, Versamark, rose red, certainly celery and ballet blue ink, gold embossing powder, vintage brads. Stamp set is Happy Harmony.

House selling is a real craft dampener...

First the good news - people are interested in our house! they are coming along pretty regularly to see it. We're 'House of the Week' in the local (free!) newspaper which is very pleasing. At least we have a chance of selling, though the loan interest rate is climbing and that may put some people off...we'll just have to wait and see if anything comes of this activity. I guess people wouldn't go out looking if they didn;t think they could handle a mortgage.

The bad news is I cannot get out my craft gear. I want to finish some scrap book pages and make a few cards, but the amount of time it takes to set up then be able to quickly put everything away at a few minute's notice is stopping me somehow.

More good news - I'm going to a scrap booking workshop tomorrow morning at a friend's place. I can't work on my pages thee but that's OK - we're learning some new techniques! I'll post something up if it turns out OK...

What have I been doing instead of crafting, I hear you ask? Well, all I can say is thank goodness for Ancestry.com!! I've been adding a few details to my family tree, inviting family members to join it, and adding a few photos. It's a fun way to keep a record of your family lines, stories, photos etc, and so far it is all free...

Pay It Forward

Nardi at Card By Nard offered some Pay It Forward blog candy for the first three bloggers to leave a comment and I just happened to be one of them.

In return, I am to Pay It Forward (PIF) on my own blog. Hence here I am...

If you want to join in the fun:
1. You need to have your own blog so that you can then PIF.
2. Then be one of the first to comment on this blog post and I will send you some blog candy.
3. Just remember to PIF on your blog and send out a little something to the first 3 people who comment on your blog.
And the cycle of PIF will continue to bless and brighten one another's day. It is that simple!

Oh - and please email me your address if you are one of the first to post. My email address is hurleylukeATstevens.net.au Of course, substitute the real 'AT' symbol in my email address where I wrote 'AT'! It fools the spybots a bit to do an email address that way....kinda disguises the address....I hope :-)

I'm back!

Just got back from Brisbane and can see I am going ot have to spend some time catching up on everyone's blogs! Thanks so much for the messages you all posted for me - I didn't get to use the computer much while I was away this time so couldn't thank you properly then :-)

We have a house in Bris but have not sold the one up here after all. The contract fell through :( So it's back on the market, and we have a bit longer to wait before all the changes take place. Will keep you posted!

And hopefully I will get some scrapping or card making done in the next week!!

No craft today

Well, there was no crafting done over here today. First I had a wonderful time at church. In the afternoon, DD and her boyfriend came over and they took some of DDs things back home with them - we were storing a lot of DDs 'stuff' and she will need it now we're moving so far away :-(

DH and I also spent some time looking at houses for sale on the 'Net. With the interest rate rise happening we are going to shoot a little lower than we had planned. We want to be able to afford to stay in a house once we commit to a mortgage.

I'm flying to Brisbane tomorrow to look for our new home - DH cannot get time off work to come with me so do think of me as I do this important task. I'll have the able help of a wonderful girlfriend though :-) and will post a pic of the new place as soon as I can!

I will be gone until late Saturday night so I may not get a chance to post in the next week. You will all be on my mind and I will look forward so much to seeing your posts when I come back! Take care!

Challenges rom Pearl and Bety

I was too restless to sleep right away tonight so decided to complete Bety's challenge to make a card using some or all of the following elements:

Make a card containing some of my favorite things:at least 1 Heart,ribbon,chipboard, at least one flower,glitter,buttons.

31 questions

I think I saw these questions answered first on Suzanne's blog, then on Lee's, and decided to have a crack at them myself :-) Feel free to answer these too and let me know if you did so I can come and get to know you a bit better.

1. If your doctor told you TODAY that you were pregnant, what would you say? I'd be stunned but joyful. And probably laugh a lot.

2. When was the last time you flew in a plane? Last month. We flew back from Brisbane after visiting dear feinds and family.

3. What did the last text message you sent say? We sold our house today!

4. What features do you find most attractive in the opposite sex? Kindness, humour, ability to listen and not always automatically give advice

5. What is a goal you would like to accomplish in the near future? To be financially independant and resettled in a comfortable home

6. Shoe size? 6 - 7, depending ont he width of the shoe

7. Been to Mexico? No

8. When is the last time you had a massage? Last year when my neck and shoulders refused to relax

9. What was the last TV show you watched? Ummm, I think it was...Home and Away?

10. What are your plans for the weekend? Visit friends, shop, go to church

11. If your significant other asked you to marry them TODAY what would you say? What, again?

12. What is in the back seat of your car right now? A large umbrella, a neck pillow, street maps, a water bottle

13. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Trying to get ready to drive to Cairns for a shopping/visiting friends trip

14. If you could marry any celebrity today who would it be? I don't have any celebrity fantasies, sorry

15. Have you ever been to a strip club? NO

16. What is the best ice cream flavor? Maple walnut or macadamia

17. What is the last sporting event you watched? It might have been my daughter's cross country race over four years ago

18. Ever go camping? Yes! A long, long time ago, when we had our three kids living with us

19. Last phone call? to my mother telling her we sold the house

20. Are you allergic to anything? Yes

21. What is one thing you have learned about life recently? That I am not invincible and I do have limits, and I had better learn what they are or may be checking out of life too soon

22. What do you do at work? I work hard

23. What is your mom's name? Louise

24. Ever cried for no reason? Yes

25. Can you do the Crank Dat dance? Never heard of it, so NO

26. What is your favorite color to wear? So far this year it's apple green. My preference varies...

27. What is the longest plane ride you have ever been on? 18hours from Sydney to Sanfransico

28. What is the longest road trip you have ever taken? In North America, from Fresno to Pine Point NWT. In Australia, from Cairns to Hobart.

29. What are your turn-offs? Crudity, filth, swearing, nastiness, bullying

30. What was your last alcoholic beverage? Umm, about four years ago I had ....ummmm...I forget.

31. What are you craving right now? A good night's sleep

Our house is sold :shock:

While I was out today, someone came to view the house. They have now put in an offer that we have verbally accepted, so our house is, for all intents and purposes, SOLD.

I am still in shock, and am pleased, and am sad, all at once!

We will have about a month from Monday (contract signing day) to move out. That means I have to start all the sorting and packing etc that goes with a major move. And then we need to find a new home to move in to, 1265kms (786 miles) away from here....

My craft work is bound to be a bit patchy over the next month or two, but I will do my best to post and let you know what is happening, and to get back to regularly crafting ASAP!!

I wonder how to keep track of all my craft gear in this phase of my life? Lol!

More later :-)

Scrapchat Circle Journal

Over at Scrapchat there's a Circle Journal (CJ) swap about to start. Everyone chooses a theme for a little (no bigger than A5 or half a sheet of A4 paper) album to send round in turn to a number of people in the swap. I've chosen "Dimensions of Life - What Matters Most". I completed the title page, instruction page and sign in page tonight and thought I'd show you what it's like here. I need to finish a double page layout on what matters most to ME before I send it on to others. And I still don't know how I'm going to bind it, given that others may choose thicker than paper items to do their layouts. Any suggestions? I thought of a nice round shoe lace and punched holes....

All the papers, inks, ribbons and stamps are from Stampin' Up! and the brads are from lots of other sources - mainly lovely blogging friends! The large 'W' on the title page is from Creative Memories.