scrap pea

So once again it's been a while...

2012-01-28T09:08:00.000+13:00

And I have to say its been one heck of a month... again!

Christmas and New Years came and went just like it always does... and long summer holidays from school are now once again drawing to an end...
It's been a hectic time... including a very unexpected trip for the girls and I to Whangarei... My darling Nana Robbie was not doing so well... so we took a trip north to visit her... and so very very glad we did...

I will never forget Anya and Dannielle wandering into Nana's room at the hospital... she had her back to them so it was only when they got right up close to her that she realised they were there... She looked at them in a slightly puzzled way and asked them how they got there... to which Dannielle replied in a quiet little voice "we scootered Nana" before breaking out into a huge smile and heading in for a cuggle...
We spent a week up there... often popping in to visit her either at the hospital or at home... lots of nattering and catching up... lots of cuggles and lots of photos too! Like she expected anything else from me...

I will treasure this photo always... four generations together... five gorgeous women and girls...

12 days after our return these photos were to be the last precious treasure...

In loving memory of

Ethel Dorothy Robinson

23 December 1925 - 25 January 2012

May she rest in eternal peace.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T12:03:00.000+13:00

May your day be filled with family, fun and happiness...

25 Days of Christmas - Day 24

2011-12-24T07:00:00.000+13:00

Yesterday... yeah well what can I say yesterday was a shocker!

figured it deserved its own day...

So it's day is the 24th but I made sure to add the right date on there...

I was so not going to displace Nana from her day!

25 Days of Christmas - Day 22 & 23

2011-12-23T08:53:00.000+13:00

And its getting closer and closer now to Christmas...

just two days left now of my 25 days album...

I have to say I am feeling really rather pleased with myself...

Okay so its not your normal type Christmas album, but then what is normal for me?

25 Days of Christmas - Day 21

2011-12-21T23:00:00.000+13:00

and today is a special day in that it's my Mum's birthday... so even though I nearly fluffed up a couple of times and created a page with this photo before I managed to NOT stuff up completely and expose her present before she actually opened it! And since she has been following my journey with the 25 days well I wouldn't have wanted to spoil the surprise like... so yeah Go me...

Very happy to announce that she loved it... loved the fact I made it for her... that the green beads match her new lazy girl chair and from all accounts is really rather comfortable to use... so yeah go me again!

Happy Birthday Mum... Love you big time...

Have had a couple of nights filled with sleepovers... Anya had a friend over last night and now its Dannielle's turn... okay so there has been a little bit of late night (well for them anyway) chatter but now thankfully all is quiet... well except for the racket the cat is making outside...

25 days of Christmas - Day 20

2011-12-21T08:09:00.000+13:00

With just four days left now till the big day we are in kick back, wind down mode here...

Check out the Christmas crazies...

okay so the water was a whole heap on the chilly side at only 19 degrees so needless to say they

didn't stay in very long... they spent longer like this than they did in the water...

My two girlies and their friend Sophie...

How are you doing with your 25 Days of Christmas albums?

I'm stoked to have got so far without flaking out... just needed a little bit of preparation

and Suzanne from Roadside Designs awesome templates...

Have you been collecting them as she has been giving them out?

If you missed them or missed out on some... never fear she will have them in her shoppe soon!

25 days of Christmas - Day 18 & 19

2011-12-19T11:42:00.000+13:00

Day 18

My little chick full out concentrating on the wii game... it was just me and D at home so we had a bit of a wii challenge... some I beat her but on the whole the little chick whipped butt...

Day 19

and show me some crimson flowers on the beautiful New Zealand Christmas tree...

Seriously pleased with myself for getting this far through... with just a few days left to go now...

HUGE thanks go to Suzanne at Roadside Designs for the awesome templates...

Printing question answered...

2011-12-17T20:56:00.000+13:00

In one of my recent blog posts I got asked what size these pages are...

the template is sized at 8 x 8 which is fantastic cause normally I end up reducing all my pages from 12 x 12 down to this size... so this is a score for me... the reason I print my pages at 8 x 8 is purely for cost reasons... ever try print a photo book at 12 x 12 and you find out really quick like that it's not cheap...
though I do have to add that by printing them at the smaller size they also fit much neater on the bookshelf I have for them... and if you happen to be gifting them to someone else they are much cheaper to post around the country/world...

Where do I get them done?
Well I found this site www.artscow.com they are based in Hong Kong and I love their printing... and they often have awesome offers which helps reduce the cost too! There has only ever been one page that I wasn't really keen on printed up... but I didn't stress about it since "I" had run a action over the photo which when printed came up a bit orangey... NOT enough to melt down over that's for certain!

I love the quality of their books from the binding right through to the printing... and the site is easy to use...
if anyone wants to sign up (and would like to help you and me get free goodies) let me know and I will send you a referral...

And yes I will be using ArtsCow to print the 25 days of Christmas pages up... why change a good thing?
Hope that helps some...

25 days of Christmas - Day 17

2011-12-17T08:21:00.000+13:00

Well you had to know sooner or later food was going to be featured...

I mean seriously a girl can't have a voluptuous figure like mine without working on it!

and what better way than with Raspberries and Cheesecake!

Now how is that for torture at 8.30 in the morning!

Now I want some... but don't have any...

Bummer!

25 days of Christmas - Day 14-16

2011-12-16T11:23:00.000+13:00

I have to say I am really proud of myself... for not fizzling out on this project... and I think I know why...

Suzanne's templates make it so easy to create a simply gorgeous page... and by having pre chosen a select number of kits or element packs to work with all I really have to think about is the photos...

And with two gorgeous models aka as my daughters well its NOT hard to find photos either...

speaking of which check out my leggy first born...

she's only 10 but easily stands shoulder height to me...

before I know it she will be towering over me...

should be used to that though with tall parents and even taller brothers!

I am thrilled to bits that both my girls were happy to get a Santa photo taken this year...

Have had one done each year... even appearing in a few of them myself when they were much younger...

And check out their new shoes... naturally there had to be some bling involved for both of them...

Don't forget that Suzanne is still giving away a page a day over on her blog

but if you have missed out and haven't got the whole set she will have it up for sale soon...

Hop on over and say hi to Suzanne and check out her gorgeous designs...

2011-12-15T10:11:00.002+13:00

Catching up on posting my December Daily pages...

Tucked up under the Christmas tree...

Favourite Santa ornament

New family photos...

Girls with their teachers...

One little word 2012

2011-12-11T21:24:00.004+13:00

Spent the day with some good friends and their two kids today...

I love how rejuvenated I feel right now...

and I have to say I am super blessed to have such amazing friends with huge amounts of talent...

I now have some amazing new photographs of my darling girls and I also have a wonderful piece of recycled wood art which embraces my "one little word" for 2012

My word is... Hope

Today I am with Hope...

Will post a photo or two from today here tomorrow...

25 Days of Christmas - Day Eight

2011-12-10T11:38:00.003+13:00

I have a new tradition in the making here... handing the camera over to the girls to take a photo of each other and together at some stage during the month of December... I love how they see things and aren't afraid to try something a little different...

Both the girls asked the other night if they could borrow my camera to take some photos of each other... you have already seen a combined effort involving a mirror... well this is one D took of Anya... and quite simply I adore it! so naturally it had to make it into my December Daily...

25 Days of Christmas - Day seven

2011-12-08T21:22:00.003+13:00

wow...

not only two posts in one day

but two pages posted

and I am seven days into the 25 days!

Go me!

And I think I know the reason why...

First up Suzanne from Roadside Designs creates awesome easy to use templates

and I am NOT stressing over trying to pick papers and elements fresh and new each day...

I have found a few old fave kits and added some new bits here and there and I have to say I am loving the result! And best of all NOT feeling stressed at all!

enjoy and don't forget to go visit Suzanne's blog each day in the lead up to Christmas and pick up your own album templates for free!!!! Suzanne will be putting them in her shop soon as well... if you just can't wait or have missed a few...

so never fear you can get them all one way or another...

Now I might just have to go and get some shut eye though since one of those wham moments has just struck...

Night night all...

25 Days of Christmas - Day six

2011-12-08T20:46:00.003+13:00

Well yesterday seemed to be one of those days that is sent to try your patience and then... then if you are really really really lucky it really tosses something nasty at you...

mine yesterday was a hugely swollen left hand ring finger... the whole lower joint was swollen so badly it wasn't funny... bigger than it had gotten the four days previously and after much muttering every single time I hit said finger I decided to haul my tootie to the Dr's to be told what I already knew, given the script for antibiotics and then charged $40 for the pleasure! And that's not including the script that I may yet have to go back and get a repeat for...

Apparently you should if you wear gloves (think gardening, dishwashing etc) change them regularly... I mean I thought I was doing the right thing and preventing dirt born bugs from getting at me... apparently gloves harbour even nastier germies... and considering gardening is NOT one of my all time favourite things to do... do you see how it might make me think again about gardening...

and I have to say between the infection and the antibiotic given to get rid of it I feel like I have been sucker punched... do okay... get a few things done and then wham... and have to drag my sorry butt off for a Nana Nap! Darn it all I am NOT a Nana!!!!! Well not just yet anyways!

I did get this page done though... just one of those wham moments happened and I didn't get round to posting it yesterday...

I'm loving the photos... might just have to get them printed off and framed up...

Sahlin Studio

Paper – Brown Paper Pack

Tape – Washi Tape

cherpea designs

White Paper – My christmas (retired)

Lisa Sisneros

Number Stamp – Cracked2 alpha

Font – Saint Nicholas

Creashens

Branch, paper snowflake, hanging bell – Falala (retired)

Red paper - Wondrous

If you are a digiscrapper and love gorgeous papers

2011-12-07T20:47:00.003+13:00

then you really need to go check this out...

The uberly talented Lynne-Marie has an awesome offer on right now!

Remember the page with little Miss D? Well that was created using these amazing papers and elements... and hey at this price and with these offers well you would be crazy to not pick them up!

Click on the image below to go straight to Lynne-Marie's store...

Available at this great offer for a limited time only...

I haven't just been scrapping the days of December though...

2011-12-07T09:54:00.003+13:00

I have been fitting other pages in as well... right along side all the stuff Mama's have to do anyway...

Credits -

Pink Reptile Designs (guest) @ PickleberryPop

Paper, flower, frame, mesh, ribbon, stitching, scatter - So Chic

Darcy Baldwin @ Sweetshoppe Designs

Font – DJB Angel Baby

Credits

Lynne-Marie @ Catscrap

Paper, border, tape – Unwritten (Papers and Elements)

Font – CK Ali’s Hand

25 Days of Christmas - Day five

2011-12-06T16:14:00.004+13:00

How could anyone not be happy with peony's and a fruit plate to greet you on a hot summers morning...

Loving the abundance of relatively cheap fresh fruit available again... makes for yummy breakfasts...

Templates from Roadside Designs (25 Days of Christmas Album), Brown Papers from Sahlin Studio, number from Lisa Sisneros, Bell, tape and star from FaLaLa (retired) by creashens, Flower Ashalee Wall

25 Days of Christmas - Day four

2011-12-05T07:41:00.001+13:00

Another day closer to Christmas... another photograph taken... another memory recorded...

25 Days of Christmas - Day three

2011-12-04T07:18:00.002+13:00

Well so far so good... and I have been making sure to pick up my camera each day and find something that talks to me about Christmas and the month of December as a whole...

Though I really did prove to be a dummy yesterday... my cousin Pat and her hubby Wals come to visit with their grandbaby Brooklyn and Wals' mum Jean... do you think I remembered to pick up the camera then? No dang it all! I hadn't seen Pat and Wals in what feels like a lifetime... so it was really good to see them again... if only it could have been a longer visit and I had remembered to catch it on camera!

December Daily

2011-12-02T08:15:00.006+13:00

I have decided to try documenting December this year...

it doesn't hurt that the fabulously talented Suzanne from Roadside Designs has a fantastic 25 days of Christmas template available again... she's giving away a page each day (except for the first day which is up now and has the covers and first page available)...

Also doesn't hurt that being on her CT means I have the whole kit and kaboodle already... have

even picked out a series of papers, elements etc to add to it... planning on keeping it very

simple... and here's a peek at what I have done so far...

Front cover

Back cover

Day 1

Day 2

So what are you waiting for... quick head on over to Suzanne's BLOG... there's the link to the first pages... don't delay though since when the new one goes up the previous one comes down and won't be available till Suzanne adds it to her store... then you can buy it...

It's hard to believe

2011-11-13T08:44:00.003+13:00

just how quickly my girls are growing up... and into such beautiful young ladies too!

My precious girl Anya... hard to believe she is 10 already!

And my baby girl Dannielle... when did my baby turn 9?

And just because I can...

check out our little black cat

Miss Sophie Noir

and yes that is a bird feeder she is sitting on...

and another just because I can...

how could anyone NOT like this piece of gorgeousness...

or resist this totally yummy colour...

and this piece of gorgeousness is my birthday pressie from my Mum and Dad

See I am pulling finger out and coming back to post here a lot more often...

A whole lot can happen in a very short time

2011-11-11T14:04:00.002+13:00

This past few weeks proves it...

the girls met their Great Aunty Karen for the first time recently... she lives in England with her Husband Tony... but was out here seeing her Mum and Dad.

They were both very ill and have since died with in a very short time of each other... and yes that made them my darling girls Great Grandparents... I have to say my girls were very lucky to have three great grandparents still living...

Leaving you with some pages created recently... the first is of myself, my girls and Karen... I am so very grateful to have this photo.

the following three are of Great Nana Peacock... I never even knew these photos existed until recently... the shame is I have little or no information regarding them... so have made sure what I do know has been recorded...

Rest in Peace

Leonard Allan Peacock & Hazel Joyce (Barber) Peacock

Oooh it has been a while hasn't it?

2011-11-08T22:41:00.003+13:00

Okay so in my defense I have been a lot busy... and I have been posting on FB but not here... that is about to change!

Leave you with a couple of pretty pages created lately...

I am starting to wonder...

2011-07-18T21:03:00.002+12:00

if somehow I haven't found myself with a Vampire cat... and should I change her name to Bella?

Sounds weird doesn't it???? but considering she spends a great deal (read nearly all!) of the day light hours under my bed, that is unless she is forcibly evicted at which time she then tottles off to find somewhere else to hide under... preferably dark...

I have found her in the pantry a couple of times hiding in a dark corner... several times she has been evicted from the hot water cupboard... though considering how chilly it is here at the moment I can kinda see the logic there!

But I mean seriously how long can a cat stay hidden away under something before it gets brave enough to come out... or maybe its just a case of her being stubborn... like if I don't give in maybe they will take me back to that other place I lived...

She does come out in the evening and smooches round... oh and I found out the other night quite by accident when a friends hubby came round to drop off some firewood that she is a bit of a tartlet around men... smooching up to them for all she is worth!

What to do... what to do... suggestions...

Thank you Gabi

2011-07-10T09:00:00.002+12:00

Gabi pointed out this song that had been featured on Tara Whitney's blog...

What a happy song... I love the messy fun they were obviously having...

7/7/11

2011-07-07T20:19:00.002+12:00

Interesting numbers... repetition... catching my interest...

Other things to have caught my interest in the last few days are mostly furniture items... I am now the proud new owner of ... an old style extendable table and chairs... you know the kind that tend to squeeze down into something vaguely resembling a square?!?!?! a lounge suite that is also in the older (think Queen Anne) style... and another china cabinet amongst other little bits and bobs...

It will make for a couple of pretty busy days picking everything up but it will be so worth it in the end... and then after all that I will have no reasons left to procrastinate any longer and will be forced into removing all the boxes from the spare room... organising the furniture I have for it and then doing something about said boxes removed from the spare room... part of the make over of said room includes dragging an old fashioned bed frame back from a dusty life and then no doubt spreading the contents of my linen cupboard far and wide in the search for bed linen for said piece...

Some would say that I live a terribly dreary life... but seriously who is to say this is NOT the height of excitement? I mean nights out at pubs or clubs or traipsing off to concerts here and there are so fleeting... at least after a bit of a bun fight with boxes I will have something lasting... well at least until the repair crew from Fletchers arrive... And just look there... there is more excitement in and of itself... I mean NO one knows when the repair crew are going to turn up at your earthquake rattled house to fix it until so close to the fact that you just have to go with it and NOT stress at all about it...

And to add further excitement to your day... well I am pleased to announce that Miss Sophie Noir the newest member of our family has decided that while hiding under beds, sofas etc is fun... actually coming out and getting some loving is just as good... mind she does nick back under bed or sofa if loved a little TOOOOOOO much!

I am...

2011-07-03T18:13:00.002+12:00

so pleased with what I have achieved today... its just been one of those fantastic winter days where everything just fell nicely into place... starting with a quick shopping trip for winter jammies and sneakers for little Miss D... still teeny around but is shooting up some now...

Then back home to start tidying up the garage... its been long over due and now that I actually have shelving and storage in there well it makes the job some what easier... still have quite a bit to go... but I figured that could wait till tomorrow... I did get the two sets of gifted drawers fixed (broken runners) finished which is great cause now they can be used to their fullest... nothing wrong with the rest of them just the runners and about $20 for those and they are now like new again!

IF you remember a while back I said that I had got the girls a trampoline that had nets as well... well the trampoline has been up and being used for a bit now... but getting the nets done was evading me... NOT any longer... after a bit of help with two support poles that didn't want to play nice I finished off the rest with the help of Miss D this afternoon! They can now jump safely all over the trampoline without having to worry about coming a cropper off the edge...

And unless something goes horribly pear shaped between now and Friday I will be able to get the Morris going and taken down to the local garage for a Warrant of Fitness... cross fingers that its age and engine size is taken into account and that it passes... though I am seriously NOT going to hold my breath...

And once again tax time has crept up... thankfully this year I am getting a very small refund but its a refund none the less... I am sure I could spend it a dozen times over...

Seriously nothing very exciting to anyone else but there are lots of exciting little bits in here for me... little achievements... and some not so little!

Power drills and winter coats

2011-06-26T12:06:00.005+12:00

Yeah I know a really strange title for this post hey?

But I came to the conclusion that sometimes a girl just needs to go get herself some power tools and this weekend was apparently it... and thankfully a very helpful chap at Bunnings was there to help me... He asked me a whole pile of questions and then suggested one and helped me find the bits I needed for it too... even showed me how to use the thing properly... super helpful!

So there it is the start to my very own power tool collection...

And since winter is here and its not been all that warm and certainly not all that dry... I decided I needed a winter coat and thankfully Ezybuy is having a huge sale... I managed to pick up a gorgeous woolen coat that I actually like for half off... gotta love the early sales as a result of all this flamin' shaking we have been enduring...

And just to add some pretties here... some semi recent pages of mine...

I have tried…

2011-06-20T21:04:00.003+12:00

for weeks now to figure out how to say this… obviously unsuccessfully so I have come to the conclusion that I just need to spit it out without stressing over how to say it…

NO I am NOT pregnant, No I am NOT moving, No I do NOT have some fantastic job offer where I get paid spit loads of money for a few hours work… though if anyone knows of a job like this send them my way will you?!?!?!

I am however now the very proud owner of a mortgage, insurance bills, phone bills, power bills, car bills and a whole heap of other things typically ending with BILL!

And the big thing about it is that I am doing this solo…

Chris and I separated in May… needless to say May was a very busy month for me sorting out all of the above and simply getting through each day… June is turning out to be a slightly better month for me… and so I am hoping that each month leads onwards and upwards with only better things coming my way…

Chris has purchased a house in Southbridge… has regular time with the girls… who are enjoying having two houses… two bedrooms etc…

Oh and along the way I have learned that I am more than capable of doing some of doing things that I never thought I would… oh and my darling Daddy even sent me a parcel full of old hand tools so that I can actually do some of these jobs that need doing… so spare a thought for me wielding these tools... half of which I am just learning how they really should be used! NO more kitchen knives being used as screw drivers etc...

Eeep...

2011-04-03T19:18:00.002+12:00

I have just gone and had a look to see how many pages I have created in the last few months...

Just for curiosity sakes more than anything...

Jan - 15 pages

Feb - 43 pages

Mar - 40 pages

WOW!!!!

I guess thats what happens when you have a goal... finished two of our French Trip books have the third 2/3rds done...

and that number doesn't include some wee giftie type things I created also... so who is brave enough to tell me their numbers... are you as obsessive (as I obviously am!) or do you show a little more restraint... (I obviously have trouble with that concept!)

Some recent pages

2011-04-03T08:29:00.002+12:00

and in a slide show none the less... okay so slideshows have been around for a while... just never took the time before... might have to do it a little more often me thinks...

I thought I said Enough already?!?!?!?!

2011-03-28T13:03:00.003+13:00

As you can see from the page below we have had a few rather interesting weeks...

Dannielle had an accident on the playground at school... a rather slow trip to the hospital in an ambulance ensued... one very lovely Dr (thanks Dr Fran)... untold specialists... 6 x-rays later... two different neck braces to be worn until seeing the Spine Injury Specialist ... a huge number of limitations on what she could and couldn't do... (think NOT much at all and you are about right!)

Well today was her appointment with the Spine Injury Specialist over at Burwood Hospital... those of you who know Christchurch know that its on the whole other side of the city from us here... and the appointment was at 9:10am!!!! We made it by leaving shortly after 7am with plenty of time to spare... wasn't at all sure how the traffic would be after the earthquake and all... though I do have to say I was rather glad that I left early... we got seen straight away and were out of the hospital again shortly after her appointment had been made for...

Thankfully she has got to take the brace shown off and its replaced with her soft sleeping collar that sits under her chin... she has to wear that till she sees the specialist again... the big score is though that she can spend time with it off... gradually increasing that time till she doesn't need it at all (they said about 7-10 days) and her next appointment on the 11th of April...

It's looking good though... much brighter than it had been for a while... NO fractures in her spine... more x-rays would have been taken today if her range of movement had of been better to check for ligament damage... so cross your fingers and toes and anything else you can cross that we get good news then too!

Now I have also been doing a bit of scrapping... getting pages completed for our French Trip books... two down already... I really like the smaller books they have more of a chapter feel about them... and it means more than one person at a time can check them out... always good!

Third has a few more pages left to go... and I have to say that using templates has helped in the speedier creation of the pages... kudos mostly goes to Suzanne of Roadside Designs at Two Little Pixels since they are pretty much all I have been using... though having said that I have used some of Tracy Little's PhotoArt BlogBoards as well... thinking outside the square so to speak and using them in ways not necessarily intended... though it sure makes it easy to show off lots of photos in one spot!

So anyway here are a couple more pages from our trip books... both at the gorgeous Chateau le Montellier... love that place...

2011-03-12T10:43:00.005+13:00

So you know how sometimes good intentions go flying out the window? Well this is one of those times!!!

I've had every good intention of getting back here and posting... but there are times that real life just rudely interrupts... earthquakes, disruption and now more earthquakes in Japan! Seriously enough I think the world needs a holiday from crud like this happening for a while!

So I am gonna add some pages I have done recently... pages for the next chapter of our French trip... part one arrived in the post the other day… Very good mail day!

Chris and I in Arles

Miss D in Arles

Little monkeys at Pont du Gard

mmmm the Lolly Factory!

A tragic day for Christchurch...

2011-02-23T08:01:00.002+13:00

It was a truly black day for Cantabrians yet again... and in particular Christchurch...

we were extremely lucky with the timing of the earthquake September 4... which meant no lives were lost...

This time luck was unfortunately not with us...

the timing of this quake has meant that lives have been lost this time...

Confirmed and Next of Kin notified total to this point is 38... this figure will unfortunately rise...

Please take a moment to think of those who are no longer with us... their families

and remember now all those who have lost their homes... jobs... businesses...

Please just think of us...

If you are a digiscrapper and love templates

2011-02-15T07:24:00.003+13:00

then you really need to go check out my good friend Suzanne's (aka Roadside Designs) blog today...

Suzanne has the most amazing style lots of gorgeous layers but not all cluttered like... and her templates cater to the square scrappers amongst us as well as the rectangle scrappers too!

Don't forget to leave Suzanne some love...

Two Little Pixels Blog Train

2011-02-04T18:01:00.004+13:00

UPDATED

Its time to celebrate with us...

Two Little Pixels is turning 3!

and the best bit is you get the presents...

All the designers got together and created the most am

azing kit...

and then the Creative Team got hold of it and created some of the most amazing pages with it!

and they are sharing their quickpages with you too!

How cool is that?

In my book ... pretty cool indeed...

So you have made it here from Brandy's blog... to pick up my contribution to the kit...

Here's my preview...

click on my preview to grab my part of the collab...

If you missed out getting this kit free you can get it here

here's what the whole kit looks like... isn't it purty?

and from here you will be off to Deca's blog...

Happy Birthday Two Little Pixels...

It was the day that was...

2011-02-03T11:00:00.004+13:00

NOT going to go as planned... no matter how much I wanted it to...

Mother Nature throwing another hissy fit... this time in the form of a gale force NorWester!!!!

Now anyone who knows Canterbury and its NorWesters know that they are hot, dry and normally fairly gusty... the only difference with yesterdays was that it was gale force!

A tree hitting a 33kv power pole took out power to the village and the surrounding villages and farms for most of the day... a trampoline decided that it was a good day to learn to fly... only to stop suddenly and land rather scarily ON a car being driven at the time! Thankfully that wasn't me driving ... I'm sure the person driving also wishes it wasn't them

...

And today well the winds have died down some... thankfully... but I do have to wonder what on earth is happening with the weather... and very very grateful that my dear friend and almost sister Geyla didn't move with her family to Cairns as planned... lordy a cat 5 Tropical Cyclone ... NOT something I wanna experience EVER!

So nothing much got done yesterday... even with all the best laid plans in the world... it Mama Nature wants to throw a paddy then throw a paddy she will...

I am stoked though that in the last few days I have been able to get some scrapping done... wanna see a sneaky peek at my gorgeous, super talented and very much loved girlies...

Miss A... isn't she gorgeous?

Miss D - my baby girl getting her Super Penguin badge and her Penguin of the year trophy ...

Proud Mama moment there!

I think we will be having to buy

2011-01-19T18:13:00.002+13:00

a smoker... seriously loving the yumminess that I am magically making appear from the one we borrowed...

Okay so the first nights attempt was shall we say a just saveable disaster...

one more minute and it would have had to have been tossed at the dratted magpie that has decided it really likes living at the very top of this butt ugly tree... the funny thing is if I had of thrown it at the maggie and it somehow managed to hit it... it probably wouldn't do that much damage... the damage would only have happened if it ate it and then tried to fly...

which sounds a whole lot like a cake I made a long time back... but that is a whole nother story...

tonights dinner is filled with the gorgeous aroma of cranberry smoked chicken with baby potatoes and a yummy salad filled with everything Miss D could find in the fridge...

2011-01-16T08:53:00.004+13:00

It's been a while... seems like my days are just flying on by... if you are like me you have a daily/weekly list of things that you want to do... or need to do... and some days the list of things gets done and others well sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men don't come about...

Blogging sadly seems to be something that slips by... I am going to try a

nd do better this year though... take a look back through your blog archives one day and all of a sudden you realise there is so much that you have forgotten... fun things...

So I won't promise I will blog every day... but I will try and get back at least once a week... how does that sound?

Christmas/New years for us this year was spent with my family in Northland... was great to catch up with friends and family... though I have to say we

could have done without the humidity... talk about wear you out... guess we are just too used to the heat without the humidity to go along with it...

One of the bonuses was being able to be there for my Nana's birthday... so camera in tow I got a few photos as well... and a few photos means a page... well this one turned into a double pager which is NOT a regular thing for me... was nice... and as soon as I saw Shens gorgeous Simply Swell 1 kit well it was just simply perfect...

And speaking of scrapping this is something I want to make sure I do more of this year... I realised that I hadn't done as many as I wanted to last year... and I haven't got as many pages done yet of our trip to France... so yeah I have some catching up to do... so will have to make time to do one of things I really do enjoy doing...

iNSD sale at Two Little Pixels

2010-11-03T11:54:00.002+13:00

Image is linked

Two Little Pixels Site Creative Team call...

2010-11-03T07:00:00.003+13:00

Seriously if you have ever thought about applying for a creative team... this is one to try out for...

amazing designers... generally great people to work/play/create with...

We are looking to add some more people to our wonderful team...

Layout team

we are looking for...

Regular Scrappers

Creative souls

Active in galleries

Enthusiastic participant

Requirements

3-4 pages per month

Active participation in CT forum

Promote 2LP in galleries

Comment in 2LP gallery

Marketing Team

we are looking for...

Enthusiasm.

Great communication skills

Good English

Active in scrapping community

Ideas people

Requirements

Blog posts

Twitter / Facebook posts

Promote 2LP

Active in CT forum

Layouts welcome but NOT required

E-Mail your applications to twolittlepixels@gmail.com telling us your name and username, a little bit about yourself, why you would like to join our team, which team you wish to apply for, and any other CT commitments you have...

Call closes Monday 8 November 2010 (Australian Time)

So I am thinking about... Christmas and designing...

2010-10-29T09:31:00.005+13:00

Really rather scary that... some would say me thinking is scary enough but to be thinking about Christmas when October hasn't even come to a close is positively down right freaky!

But thinking I have been... and as a result designing some... was starting to worry that our trip away had scared off any designing thoughts I may have had... thankfully it appears not to be...

So if you are like me and want to get a head start on your Christmas gift list then this might just help you out some...

We have a couple of voracious readers in our house... that always somehow manage to lose their bookmarks... this has got to be better than what has been seen peeking out of books round here lately...

Image is linked

And just to make the deal a little sweeter... you can pick Make it your own up at www.twolittlepixels.com right now for 25% off!

I've been scrapping ...

2010-10-26T20:47:00.002+13:00

I have been scrapping... amongst the 101 other chores there are for a Mama to do each day... getting some of our French trip photos scrapped... and having a blast doing it too!

So for your viewing pleasure... but keep in mind that I am randomly picking photos out at the moment to scrap... so while they are in the order of travel there are many many more photos that will be fitting in between them...

(to see a list of credits click on the images)

Our first day in Paris...

at the Louvre

at Chateau le Montellier

at Parc du Oiseau (Bird Park), Villars des Dombes

Hope you enjoyed seeing the pages... there will without doubt be more to come!

15-10-2010

2010-10-15T21:17:00.002+13:00

Means that 8 years ago today... my baby girl Dannielle was born...

it really doesn't seem that long ago that she made her rather hurried entrance into the world and now I have an 8 year old!

An 8 year old with an abundance of wonderful friends who loved on her big time right from the beginning of the day too!

After some serious tidying up round here we had the most amazing afternoon filled with yummy eats... (all bought since I still feel like crud)... giggles... a few tears, from the birthday girl herself... when her Mama accidentally clonked her on the head with a lolly during the lolly scramble! Ooops I swear I didn't do it intentionally!

Then Nana and Bryan round for dinner with us... now in our house the birthday person gets to chose whatever they want to eat... tonight was a fish and chip night as a result... also equals one very happy little girl... photos tomorrow after I haul them off the camera...

Happy Birthday Miss D... Love you lots... Mummy, Daddy and Anya

It's gonna take a while...

2010-10-11T07:04:00.002+13:00

to get some photos sorted out... we have about 3000 of them!

Have to say a huge thank you to Sue and Bryan for coming in to pick us up... and for the lovely dinner Sat night... sorry about nodding off on you...

Slowly slowly getting things sorted out... have done piles and piles of washing already... huge grocery shop... got to unpack all the suitcases yet... amongst a whole heap of other things...

It's our last full day...

2010-10-06T18:35:00.002+13:00

in France today...

we spent yesterday at Disneyland Paris... lots of walking... lots of fun rides... Anya and Chris went on the little rollercoaster... little doesn't mean NOT scary though... D wasn't interested and I don't think she would have been tall enough anyway to go on it... we took the paddle boat instead... while the others rode the coaster... loved the Pirates of the Caribbean ride...

Today is all about Walt Disney Studios... after a cold shower that is... something went wrong apparently with the hot water heating system at the hotel here...

We are back in Paris...

2010-10-04T02:57:00.002+13:00

early... we arrived in Dijon yesterday... we were meant to spend a couple of days there... we had heard so many good things about Dijon and the hotels etc there ... we did take a drive through the centre of the city but since it was early on Sunday morning needless to say nothing was open!

One day however was MORE than enough... the supposed apartment hotel was shall we say was unpleasant at best and at worst disgusting!!!!

Thankfully we were able to add another night to our reservation near Disneyland... so here we are in a clean hotel... with real beds and more than enough bedding for all of us...

We avoided the toll roads which would have been quicker... but I do have to say the back roads were far more interesting to travel on... though you do have to be aware of husbands spotting obscure cars and pulling off the side of the road suddenly... hitting nearly every single pot hole along the way... wouldn't have been an issue in a Citroen... sadly we have a Volvo...

Photos coming soon... need to download the next few hundred ... and no I am not kidding!

We had a visitor this afternoon

2010-10-01T03:05:00.005+13:00

Tony (Chris' brother) was working in Beaune this week and on his way home popped in to say hi... Last time we saw Tony was at Sue and Bryans wedding so its been a little while...

So here's some photos for your viewing pleasure...

complete with the Chateau Cat...

and see we even got a family photo in there too... thanks to a strategically placed block of stone...

Tony's on his way to the airport now... hoping to make his way home tonight...

Wishing Mrs M...

2010-09-30T19:39:00.003+13:00

a very Happy Birthday chickie...

Hope your day has been... or is that still is? a grand one for you and that hubby of yours spoilt you rotten today and took you out for a yummy lunch somewhere...

See you again soon... with a belated birthday treat... mwhah...

So just because you can... does it mean you should?

2010-09-30T19:21:00.004+13:00

Well I guess that would depend a whole lot on what the just because you can is... and whether you enjoy doing that sort of thing...

and with that opening I am sure there are plenty of... huh? what is she on? kinda looks going on...

Well when you happen to find yourself in France and only a couple of hundred kilometres from the Italian border and you would get to drive through none other than the Mont Blanc Tunnel... well how could you NOT go!!!!

I mean seriously who would turn down the chance of going through the Mont Blanc Tunnel just because you can? NOT us is the answer to that one... Euro 43.70 return along with at least a dozen other Auto route tolls to pay along the way... gotta get real here... the distance isn't far but seriously avoiding toll roads would be super insane!

Wow some really seriously amazing photo ops... that only had a chance to be captured while doing 130 clicks down the Auto route... but still seriously worth it... and the fun to be had during the 11.6 km stretch of the Tunnel...

And then there was the missed off ramp to Courmayer which meant we took a 50km (return) detour to Aosta... where we tracked down some gelati... oooh Limone Gelati... be still my heart... as good as I remembered it...

Long drive back partly in the dark... meant for a late night for the girls and a sleep in for everyone this am... Photos have just finished downloading will be back later with some edited shots!

@ the Chateau...

2010-09-29T00:59:00.004+13:00

As I said we are staying at a gorgeous Chateau at the moment... we found it through Gites France which is basically a holiday home website for places to stay in France... how when you have two little girls can you NOT stay in a Castle at some stage for them...

The original tower was built in the 1300s with the wall coming next... the house... more fortress towers... then the buildings for the animals etc... we get to stay in one part of the Chateau... four floors... four bedrooms... 52 stairs from bottom to top... will have super strong legs after this leg of our stay...

the view from the gate...

up closer...
the first square tower you see (between the old round tower first built and the other square tower clearly seen) is where we are staying... we also have the space behind the two windows showing next to the tower...

our hire car in front of the original tower... had booked a Citroen C5 instead we get a Volvo V50... the lack of suspension has kinda put me off Volvo vehicles for a long while!!!!

the kitchen

the lounge

Dannielle's bedroom

Anya's bedroom

Our bedroom...

The stadium in Arles

2010-09-29T00:41:00.004+13:00

Some photos of our time in Arles starting with the Amphitheatre which was built in the first century

and a family photo using one of the bollards that permits residents through but not tourists in cars! came in very handy thank you...

and surrounding areas...

At Haribo... the lolly factory...

More photos from this part of our trip later... but I really really want to show you some photos of the chateau we are staying in at the moment... so look out for those really soon...

Snails... TGV... Arles

2010-09-26T07:01:00.005+13:00

Snails... those things that the very young eat willingly... but hit 7 or 9 and there is the oooooohhhh yuk factor... then apparently the eating of snails is not the done thing... well not willingly that is...

I was however very proud of both my girls for actually trying a snail each... not that you can taste much of the snail over the herbs and garlic... but it is another thing ticked off the list... Frogs legs are still on it right along with Creme Brulee...

The TGV was an experience right from the start... thankfully we had decided to go and print out our etickets the day before we were due to leave... thankfully because we had a hiccup... rather a large one at that... the reference number we had been given should have actually been a 6 letter reference rather than the strict numerical one we had... after a short wait we were helped by a supremely helpful lady... who while admitting to only speaking a little English... helped us by not only finding our "lost" booking but by giving us a whole lot of very helpful advice... it meant that we didn't walk in the following day to a "huh what do we do now" thing...

301 kms an hour is the fastest we saw appear on our GPS screen during the 3 hour trip from Paris to Avignon... seriously weird in itself... considering we travelled the equivalent of Picton to Dunedin in that time... now we all know that the Picton -Dunedin trip is quite frankly not possible in twice that time!!!!!

There was a surprise awaiting us in Avignon though... sadly even though we had booked and requested a Citroen C5 to drive while we were here in France... alas and alack there was NOT a C5 to be had for love nor money... instead we got given a... WAIT for it... a Swedish car instead... a Volvo V50 1.6 diesel... the ride is shall we say... HARD in comparison to what it would be in a Citroen... and yes this comes from prior experience... surely someone else other than me remembers the delightful Eloise? Built for style and comfort... Chris has come to grips with the fact now that we will NOT be driving a French car in France but is happy to know that we are at the very least protected by more airbags in one single car than we have in all our cars put together back home!

Arles ... or more importantly the ancient part of the city has become our home for the last few days... full of two lane roads and the have to be seen to be believed one way system... where traffic slows for pedestrians on the roads to slowly amble there way to some sort of safety which is often only an illusion most times... we are staying in a gorgeous old home that has been converted to a hotel... it even has a swimming pool that we have all enjoyed at least once when the temps got so high here that even the shockingly cold entrance to the pool didn't put you off...

Our first day here we visited the Roman Amphitheatre... or the lion stadium as the girls refer to it... It is quite simply massive!!! It was built in the First Century AD and considering it has stood for pretty much 2000 years its in pretty good nick... it has been used for many different things during the millennia it has been standing apart from its original purpose... it apparently housed 200 dwellings and 2 churches at some stage since this is the numbers mentioned during a "clearing out" of the amphitheatre... I have to say I was totally impressed with the amount of "refurbishment" of the whole structure... and the fact that they are using and have available the very same ancient materials that the original builders use...

Now I have to apologise for the lack of photos with this post... I do promise that we have taken more than a few photos... its finding any kind of time to edit some down to a size that blogger and or facebook won't throw a complete hissy fit at... hopefully in the next few days this can and will happen...

in the mean time stand by for not only photos but more on an old bridge that we couldn't get to the top of! Fish... big and small and not a one to be seen on a dinner plate... Haribo... dinosaurs, evolution... and much much more...

Paris...

2010-09-24T06:21:00.004+12:00

Okay so obviously I am running a day late and a euro or two short...

Paris was wonderful...everything expected and some... just being there I think was the best part about it... its not an everyday thing when you live downunder... there is none of this "oh lets just go to Paris" for the weekend... or any other European city for that matter... no its more like a grand event... so I for one was determined to enjoy every minute of it...

Now like most I have seen photos of all these amazing places and thought 20mmm wouldn't mind seeing that sometime before I pop my clogs... Paris was one of these cities on my "before popping my clogs list"... did it live up to the expectations... I would have to say yes... though I did get more than I bargained for... no where do you see photos of the stairs in the Metro stations... no mention at all of the fact that Paris has a gazillion stairs... I do feel like we found every single one of them and walked up and down them at least once if not twice or more!

Did we walk up the 1600 odd stairs of the Eiffel Tower? I think NOT with two children in mid 20's temps the day after arriving in Europe after a 30 something hour flight!!!! Nope we booked tickets to take a lift at 1.30 Saturday afternoon... little realising that was still going to mean a huge line of people all waiting to do that exact same thing!!!! but you should have seen the seriously long queue waiting to actuallly climb it!!!! seriously by the time you got to the first step you would be totally buggered from all the standing around just trying to get to that first step...

do you think the tired looking people in this photo would have made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower if they had of had to climb it???

Now the other thing no one ever tells you about is the queues... it seems queues for this and that are perfectly normal here... which I guess with the much larger population base is kinda to be expected... but one thing we found was that sometimes queues can be avoided... NOT jumped mind just avoided all together!!!!

And with no hurt feelings for anyone else... just takes 5 minutes of reading a guide book to find out that there is in fact more than one entrance to the Louvre... one that doesn't take you under the amazing Pyramide to start with but does mean that you aren't standing in the sun for hours on end... and its only a few minutes walk around the corner... pay at a machine or in person (we did the former no worries whatsoever) grab a map and start wandering...

It does also mean that later when you exit the museum from under the Pyramide you can take the obigatory shot... got to make sure it doesn't go anywhere after all!

Next up... snails, travelling on the metro... travelling on the TGV... visiting a Roman amphitheatre... staying in the oldest part of a VERY old town... and driving extremely narrow streets that often end up being two way!!!! in a VOLVO!!!!!!!!!!!

Paris...

2010-09-24T06:21:00.003+12:00

Okay so obviously I am running a day late and a euro or two short...

do you think the tired looking people in this photo would have made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower if they had of had to climb it???

It does also mean that later when you exit the museum from under the Pyramide you can take the obigatory shot... got to make sure it doesn't go anywhere after all!

It's all on...

2010-09-16T11:24:00.001+12:00

thats right the bags are all packed... the house sitters are here... and we are about to head out the door...

France here we come...

And we have a winner...

2010-09-12T08:03:00.002+12:00

I'm sorry I am running a bit behind... crazy busy here at the moment... enough of that I am sure you are all waiting patiently to see who has won a copy of Darling Daughters...

I run my list of names through Mr Random this morning... and he picked ...

List Randomizer

There were 9 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Alyna
teresaj
justclick
justclick
latoquee
Mumure
LRaeWoo
teresaj
may

Congratulations Alyna... flick me an email (check under my profile details on the sidebar) and I will get your prize to you asap...

If you weren't the lucky winner this time... don't forget that you can still pick Darling Daughters up at 25% off for a little while longer...

New Release - collab kit with Siamese Studios

2010-09-10T19:16:00.003+12:00

I loved working with the gorgeous and wonderfully talented May from Siamese Studios... and now I get to share it in all it gorgeousness with you...

Celebrating and rejoicing in our precious Darling Daughters...
with them in mind we created a gorgeous...
full to the brim with sweet little girlie elements and papers...
a colour combo designed to fit most little girls...
and their Mamas too...

Darling Daughters
image is linked to the kit at TwoLittlePixels
but is also available for purchase in May's store at Funky Playground Designs

and as usual is 25% off for the next 24 hours...

Sneak peek and a chance to win...

2010-09-09T19:02:00.003+12:00

I've got a new collaboration coming out this Friday and I'm really excited because the designer whom I collab with is a favourite of mine.No guessing games though... you can see who I did the collab with on the sneak peek just below...

Darling Daughters Giveaway Enter for a chance to win this kit for free by simply leave a comment by Friday, September 10th at 8.00 pm (GMT).

Increase your chances of winning by posting about this giveaway via twitter or your blog. Don't forget to come back here and post a link in the comments section (please post as a new comment each time).

The winner will be announced here on Saturday, September 11th. There's another giveaway on May's blog, so don't forget to head there for another chance to win the kit.

Happy Scrapping!

It's been a very long weekend...

2010-09-06T07:47:00.002+12:00

Natural disaster time...

Earthquake measuring 7.1 at 4.35am Saturday 4th September... followed by masses of aftershocks some into the 5.0 on the Richter Scale and coming at least hourly till last night...
Power out for nearly all of Sat... but we were lucky to get our power on by then... some were without power yesterday... seriously thankful for the very brave linesmen who left their families to make things better for everyone... and thanks have to go to the families of the linesmen as well... watching your husband/father/partner leave home to head to work after the earthquake you have just experienced would NOT be an easy thing to do...

and then just to add insult to injury ... topped off with gale force winds during the night (Sunday 5th Sept) when everyone is just a little on the jumpy side anyway... like why on earth couldn't the winds hit during the day when at least you can see what the heck is going on! Power out again last night... though once again the linesmen came through restoring power quickly...

now if the weather forecasters are right (and I hope and pray that they aren't this time!) we are in for another crappy night filled with heavy rain this time!

ENOUGH already!

and we are blessedly lucky to have a home that hasn't sustained damage... I don't envy those who are struggling through with no home to return to... homes severely damaged during the quake... affected by the broken sewer pipes... those with no running water due to water mains pipes bursting...

And now the schools are closed ... till at least Wednesday to ensure that all schools can be checked for damage... an unexpected couple of days off for the kids...

I've been scrapping & creating & cleaning...

2010-08-20T08:58:00.007+12:00

and to some that last little bit of the opening line will bring about much laughter...
okay so I am not world reknowned for my mad crazy cleaning skills but don't get me wrong its not because I can't... its often simply down the the fact that I quite simply can not see the point of repeating every day the same as the day before... also don't think that we live in a complete pig sty... cause that ain't so either... but yes this week I did my fair share of cleaning and then some... channelling my inner Nana I guess!

And yes I have also been scrapping... creating a book for a friend about their recent family holiday... and I have to admit to having a total blast doing it... some times its just nice to scrap something different... different faces looking back at you...had said friend over yesterday to have a look at the pages done so far... which turned into an impromptu girlfriends time... throw in a photoshop lesson for friend... lots of giggles... lots of tea... and more than a bit of chatter... well it makes for a happy soul...

And in amongst all this cleaning and scrapping I have created a new paper package... had been feeling just a little... well in truth more than a little lacking in the mojo you know know... but upon spotting a totally yummily gorgeous photo... this little beauty crept slowly into my mind... gently unfurling in all its soft glory...

Introducing Softly
(image is linked)

and to tell you the truth once I started I couldn't seem to stop... which is why there is a total of 15... yes you read that correctly... 15 papers all softly coloured, textured and patterned in this paper pack...

And its available now over in my store at www.twolittlepixels.com
(or click on the image above to be taken straight to the store...)
and its 25% off right now...
NO better time than now to go grab it up and get some scrapping done for yourself...

Hoping you have a happy scrappy weekend...

It's Friday at last...

2010-08-13T08:48:00.004+12:00

Seriously this week has been flat out well actually it never quite finished from last week to tell you the truth...

August is the beginning of the birthdays starting to pile up... from now right through till the end of December there is at least one... sometimes more in the month... two very special birthdays this past week... Miss A turned 9! and my MIL Sue turned... hah like I would spill those beans... and both celebrate their birthdays the same day...

and I have to admit to seriously liking Fridays... it means a few things...

it means the weekend is close... NO getting up early... it also means that Chris is home from work... it means we get to have a little time to ourselves... it also means that new releases are coming out at Two Little Pixels...

Last week I added my CU grab bag to the store... this week its the turn of my PU Grab Bag...
Images are linked to the store... and they are all 25% off right now!

$2 Tuesday at Two Little Pixels

2010-08-10T10:30:00.005+12:00

Tapes 1 - CU

(click on title to go to the store)

Little Treats Mini Kit

click on the title to go to the store...

Two Little Pixels Store

A couple of recent pages for your...

2010-08-09T21:34:00.003+12:00

viewing pleasure...

Daughter number 1...

Precious girl

(click the title to see credit info)

Beautiful...

(click the title to see credit info)

Daughter number 2

my little bookworm ...

(click the title to see credit info)

and I have just finished another photo book... really happy with this one... more of 2010 done and printed!

I've been ...

2010-08-06T19:04:00.002+12:00

doing ... lots of things this week... after the huge computer disaster at the end of last week I finally got a chance to get some scrapping and designing time in...

but trying to catch up with everything I wanted to get done prior to my computer going... well going sideways... well lets say its taking its good own time!

and then of course there is the upcoming birthdays too... DD#1 turns 9 on Sunday! Like when on earth did that happen? I was sure it was only recently that she had her first birthday...

and of course with Little Misses birthday comes Nana's birthday too...

In the midst of all this I did get my CU Grab bag unpacked and up in the store... I have put it up on sale for the next 24 hours... so even if you missed out on grabbing it before hand... you can still grab it now...

Oooh and that reminds me... the Two Little Pixels designers have been very busy and as a result we now have a blog... go check it out and I am sure you will soon find a wee freebie there...

and since I have had a sneaky peek of it I can tell you its seriously worth checking out...

remember that we are all in different time zones so if its not there now... check back cause it will be there soon!

http://www.twolittlepixels.com/blog/

and remember to bookmark the blog too... we will be posting challenges, sales, previews etc there for you...

and here I thought I had all my ducks in a row!

2010-07-24T06:12:00.004+12:00

Goes to show you that doing too many things all pretty much at the same time is so NOT a good thing to do!

I have the most amazing and wonderfully talented creative team... they jumped on board when I asked them to help me out...

it was with great sorrow on my part then to realise I had seriously mucked up ... and forgotten to add one of my amazing talents blog to the list below! How could I have done such a horrible thing?

The amazingly talented Sophie (Margote) created this beauty...

and I to my shame forgot to add her blog to the list...

please hop on over to her blog and pick it up...

after you have downloaded it make sure you leave her a little message...

I will make arrangements for her to "give away" a Personal Use Grab Bag

Margote's Blog

Friday … glorious Friday… previews…and a blog hop…

2010-07-23T19:35:00.001+12:00

It was mentioned the other day that I am obviously interested in Scrapbooking… mmm could be a bit of an understatement there… but we won’t go there…

I mean after all there is much more to life than digi scrapping… sure there is… there’s photography and digital designing thrown into the mix as well…

So what has this got to do with the price of fish? Or the fact that is supposedly a glorious Friday…The glorious part of this Friday is that its Grab Bag time over at Two Little Pixels and I have to say after having a sneaky peek at nearly all of the bags up on offer …and knowing that each Grab Bag is up for one week only at the ridiculous price of US$3 it certainly is a Glorious Friday…

So if you are not wanting to see the contents of the TWO … yes that’s right two grab bags I have on offer… you might just want to head on over to the store and grab them before they are gone…

If however you come visiting my blog here to find out exactly what is tucked away inside them… read on…

My Personal Use Grab Bag was inspired by the delightful Rebecca Lovell… and so is dedicated to her… thank you Rebecca for the wonderful inspiration… I truly loved creating this collection…

Solids

Patterns

Elements

Alphas

And my Commercial Use Grab Bag has three element packs in… all designed to help out your digi designing… can also be used for S4H/S4O/PU…

Attachments

Stapled Flowers

Fab Flowers

Now I have to say I adore the pages my Creative team have created showing off these Grab Bags…

created by Me

created by Manuela (flohbock)

created by AmandaC

created by Rebecca Lovell

created by TammyM

created by Sharuth

and as an extra special bonus agreed to creating some QuickPages for you…

So let the Blog Hop begin…

Please keep in mind that the girls are spread far and wide across the world… so if there page isn’t there… don’t forget to head back later to pick it up…

First up from me… I have a page for you too… I hope you enjoy them… this is the page I used... obviously I won't be sharing my daughters photo or the journalling... and I have left my title space free for you to customise it more yourself...

Download my quickpage here

Next stop...

Rebecca

http://rebeccasscraps.blogspot.com/

Amanda

http://www.addictedtodigiscrapping.blogspot.com/

Manuela (flohbock)

http://flohscrap.blogspot.com/

Tammy

http://www.lifeonpossomtrot.com/

Margote

http://scropisoeurs.canalblog.com/

oooh I am a clever clogs...

2010-07-22T20:46:00.003+12:00

well not really to tell the truth since I have only just found out how to "schedule" a blog post... sad huh but I never really took too much notice of things here... just came here... posted what I needed to and pushed publish!

I am rather pleased with myself... for not only figuring it out... but also for writing a mammoth blog post scheduled now for release tomorrow night!

You will find all sorts of amazingness in it... the cat will be seriously out of the bag as to why Friday is going to be one seriously Fabulous Friday!

Most certainly if you are a digi scrapper... serious goodness coming your way...

The weekend that was... and the Friday thats coming...

2010-07-22T07:10:00.003+12:00

in some parts not so great... with a little girl feeling more than a bit poorly... thankfully whatever it was that attacked her also went through her rather quickly...

and then a great big high on Sunday which also doubled as the last day of the school holidays... one of the few things the girls wanted to do this holidays was to go ice skating...

now let me tell ya there is nothing on this planet that would make me get out on the ice... specially after that incident on the ice last July! but they just simply LOVE IT!!!!

Anya is getting really good... and Dannielle well till Sunday she had insisted on going out only with her Daddy... keep in mind Daddy doesn't know how to skate either... but he sure is learning fast... both were much improved this time... and the fantastic news is that Dannielle can now skate by herself... yes Daddy is always close by... but she scoots along quite nicely thank you very much...

Monday skipped right on past before I even realised it... and then since Chris is having to work this weekend he took the day off on Tuesday... so nice to just spend time with him... got a couple of little jobs (well they were meant to be little anyway!) out of the way and then took a bike (pushbike) ride together... which really is a good way to spend a mostly fine-ish winters day...

Watched the Moto2 and MotoGP that Bryan and Sue recorded for us... wooohooo Rossi's back!!!! and nearly made the podium too! NOT bad considering that 6 weeks ago he broke his right leg quite badly! and the Moto2 well what can I say? Loving it! though not so much the regular pile ups they seem to have in every single first corner of every race... surely something can be sorted there... a rolling start perhaps?

Chris and I think we have been brewing whatever it was that attacked the lowercase one the other day... both of us are feeling totally blech... not the best of timing but what can you do???? NOT a lot unfortunately...

But I have to tell you this Friday is gonna be one to revel in... some really really good things coming to Two Little Pixels... we have all been just a bit on the quiet side lately but come Friday you will see the most amazing explosion of goodness ever! Make sure you come back and visit Friday... cause its gonna be a good one!

What can I say... its the school holidays

2010-07-15T08:15:00.008+12:00

and that only means one thing... I get to spend more time with my kiddos and this time Chris has been able to have a few days off here and there... Yayyyyyy...

Quick update then... the first week the weather was NOT that great so we spent a whole lot of time just chilling out...

well till Friday anyway when the girls went and spent a few nights with Nana and Bryan... a really big thank you has to go to Nana and Bryan for having them...

see it meant Chris and I could go away for a couple of nights... we rented a cottage in between Clyde and Alexandra in Central Otago... seriously if you are looking for an awesome cottage to stay in you have to check out the Cosy Cottage in Clyde (found through BookaBach) we had a fantastic time visiting Ophir, St Bathans, Wanaka, Alexandra and point between... and got to just chill out each night in front of a warming fire...

We came back with about 700 photos between us... stunning scenery!

I do have a new release this week too... some templates... cause sometimes you really don't want to have to re-invent the wheel... there are times I surely feel like that... so here you go...

Just want it scrapped?

Then Scrap It vol.3 is for you...

and this set comes with a few bonus goodies for you... even better!

Image is linked

And I have added my personal pages I created the templates from... using my own designs along with designs from creashens, Wish Bliss Studios, Joyce Paul, Sausan Designs and Scarlet Heels.

Bento...$2 Tuesday... and getting something done!

2010-06-29T09:14:00.005+12:00

Yep I finally feel like I am getting something done...

this past week with bugs invading me was not the best week out... though I did still manage to get quite a bit done... finished off a little somethin... something that will be appearing in a couple of weeks... and will be quite the deal...

Bento... who knew it was so easy? I was surfing the net the other night as you do... wandering aimlessly around when I spy a linkie on a blog that I was nosey enough to explore... anyway the linkie led me to a site about making Bento boxes for kids school lunches! The girlies happened to be up still and passed by and were quickly sucked into exploring too... Then came the inevitable...

"Mum do you think you could make Bento too?" Well I didn't really see why not... so today they are off to school with a "Plastic fantastic little round box" full of yummy goodies... even a rice ball with a little piggy face on it! Now its just wait and see if they like it... the funny thing was I figured it was going to take forever to create... and we all know how mornings are trying to get your kids out the door to school ...

and its Tuesday again... which means there are only three more days of school (not including today) and there is a trip to the dump shoved in there too... hopefully the weather report reads right this time and that the weather gods do actually read the met service site and co-operate with us!

But I am rambling again... what is so great about Tuesdays is that there are bargains to be had at www.twolittlepixels.com

Click on the name of the item to be taken to the store...

(posting in a different browser and its not letting me do things like I normally do for some reason...)

Mama the elements

Just Ribbons - CU

there's only a couple of days left in June to enter the draw for a $5 gift cert to spend in my store... purchase anything and you go into the draw...

So where did that week go?

2010-06-24T11:29:00.003+12:00

I am at a loss as to where this past week has gone... I updated last what Thursday or Friday and since then the week has just sped right on by me...

Had the big girl home sick with a heavy cold last time I posted... she ended up home for the last two days of last week feeling miserable with the cold... she had perked up enough come Saturday to compete at the St John Cadets Competition... she was entered in the First Step pairs (leader for her two person team) ... and even though she was still struggling with the head cold she and her partner L... got a first place in their Healthcare Test and come Third OVERALL in the competition!!!!!!

Way to go Miss A and Master L... quite an achievement there... and Ellesmere as a team did pretty amazingly in all grades...

After a totally blob out Sunday it was back to the weekly routine... though that all kinda changed when Miss D woke up feeling uberly miserable with the cold she had caught off her sister... so nice to share things... shame it had to be a bug!

Anyway she ended up being home Monday ... should have known it was going to happen but by Tuesday I felt like a truck at hit me and just to make things fun... had backed up over me again a few dozen times to make sure I was well hit!

Yep you got it... the heavy cold the girls had struck me full on! But its a perfect excuse to stay tucked up inside and scrap or design... have done a bit of both which is good... can't share some of them with you yet though...
Enough all ready... looks like enough is not enough yet... as Chris is now full up with it too!

So there in lies my week...
and since I still feel like that dratted truck is taking swipes at me I decided a sale may be in order...
just cause I can! hee hee...
check out the ad below...
click on the image to be taken to my store...

AND yes the new releases are included...

Inspired by flags of the world who feature the ...

Red
White
and Blue

Now I had also had a request or three for a certain alpha to come back...
well the good news it's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack... slightly revamped...

Worn

Also don't forget that all purchases from my store this month put you into the draw for a $5 gift cert to my store...

New releases, sick kiddo and a chance to win...

2010-06-17T11:03:00.003+12:00

Oooooh its been cold! down to minus 3 this am... not much more than that now at 11 am in the morning!

Means bugs are floating round the school again too... currently have the big girl at home from school.. battling a cold... sore joints as well... mostly just tired... we still have two weeks left of school yet too! Whom ever it was at the Ministry of Education that thought hey why not have an 11 week term in the middle of winter obviously doesn't have children! Talk about idiocy! But enough of that rant... I could go on for hours about it!

I have some new releases again this week... took the week off last week... needed some time to myself... as you do to recharge the batteries etc... turned into a very inspiring week... some forward thinking going on there too... a little somethin something coming up soon at Two Little Pixels...

But for this week I have some more gorgeous background papers... in gorgeous greens and browns... and two different styles too... one clean and simple with not even a hint of grunge and the other just a little bit worn and tatty... bonus for you too is that if you buy them together you save $$$$... and hey who doesn't like that?

Click on the images to be taken to the store...

In Behind 3

In Behind 3 - tatty

In Behind 3 - combo

and I mentioned that there was a chance to win... there is...
everyone who purchases something... ANYTHING (including CU) from my store this month ...
goes in the draw to win a $5 gift certificate so you can go shopping again... this time on me!

Don't you love it...

2010-06-08T12:50:00.003+12:00

when on a icky mucky hail and sleet filled day... that you get transported away or in this case for me back in time about 10 months in my case...

Picture me wandering around Florence with my husband, brother and sister in law... only to stumble across something so beautiful... and then ten months later... while having a quick surf around the net discover...

click on the link to find out what has made my day just a little brighter...

Ciao from Tuscany...

absolutely gorgeous blog... very well worth exploring more of it... ahhh Toscana...

Good Day Girlie weekend = 25% off everything...

2010-06-04T18:07:00.006+12:00

It's been a really good day... though it did start out just a tad on the cold side and with a little bit of a hiccup for Chris...

Chris is off to the Brass Monkey Rally... a couple of nights away with a good ride or three thrown in for good measure... got all packed and ready to go, flicked the headlight on and went to check it... gotta make sure its on when your riding now... drat and blast the bulb which was working just fine yesterday had blown! Quick repair and he was off to his mates place... the two of them were riding down together... Just got a message from him... they arrived there safely... and have set their tents up in ... SNOW!!!! Thats right they have all gone camping in the SNOW!!!!

So that means the girlies and I are having a girlie weekend... chillin... doin girlie things... generally just having a cruisy weekend... we started off the weekend with Miss A at netball! She had a really great game! So good in fact she won team player of the day ... so proud of her... she played really really well...

So since we are having a chilling weekend here I wanna share the fun round some ...

Who fancies 25% off absolutely everything in my store...
CU included...
as well as my new release paper pack...

In Behind 2...
some gorgeous texture background papers...
gotta love texture!
Image is linked...

and a page I made using my new papers and a new and totally brilliant and new out today template from Roadside Designs... we don't get dragonflies to visit often so it was certainly cause for the camera to come out!

and another page from me using beautiful vintage papers from ksharonk designs... also new out today... aren't they just simply gorgeous? They were just perfect for this photo of Frank and Amelia Metcalfe... one of my uncles... can't remember how many times removed but its good to create a page to remember them... now I just need to get a bit more info from one of my dads brothers... who knows these sorts of things....

enjoy your weekend... I know I am...

$2 on Tuesday @ Two Little Pixels

2010-05-25T11:21:00.002+12:00

Just look at all the goreousness you can get for $2 (USD) each today...
who could possibly resist all this gorgeousness...
click on the image above to be taken to the store...
happy tuesday...

I have to apologise...

2010-05-23T13:02:00.003+12:00

Friday came and went in a flash... and then yesterday was sunny and semi warm after a whole week of grey skies, rain and cold temps...

so we made the most of it and took the girls fishing over at Lyttelton... sadly while the fish were nibbling they didn't want to bite hard enough to get caught... and then went into Hagley Park for a walk and to take Anya to see older girls playing netball...

And now its Sunday however there isn't a spot of sun to be seen... winter really is approaching scarily fast... June 1 will be here before we know it...

So I got the littlest Pea to point at the screen to pick a winner... well two actually...

first up the winner for a kit of your choice is... Meelie ... message me on FB or leave me some way of contacting you...

and secondly the winner of a page (digital naturally) is ... Krislyn ... email me and we can get it started...

competition reminder, new PU kit, new CU and 25% off new releases!

2010-05-20T13:13:00.008+12:00

there is still time to enter the competition... go to the previous post (grr its not letting me grab a direct link to it) and read all about it... and if you are reading this on facebook then come on over to my blog here and enter...

Now I have managed to get some designing and some scrapping in this week... so I am happy about that... working on a book for myself now after finishing the top secret project I had been working on... got lots of yummy old photos of myself... some of them I can not remember ever having seen... so that was a treat in itself... and I am 100% positive there are more of them round but just have to practice some patience there...

So here it is my new kit out... also available separately though I do have to point out the kit will save you more... and hey if you are like me you are always looking for a bargain...

And all images are linked to my store...

Mama - the kit

Mama - the papers

Mama - the elements

Mama - the alpha

CU - Designers Mix # 1

and some pages from me using the new kit... first up me and my Uncle Clarry at Bryson and Maxines (Uncle and Aunty) wedding in 1967!

and another of me taken late 1967 with journalling about how my Dad always swore I would get my own back one day... with children who would test me like I surely tested them! Too true in all honesty though I know they loved me as much as I love my daughters even when they try my patience...

and this beauty from one of my ct girls Rebecca... isn't this page just so purty....

I have had an idea...

2010-05-14T19:44:00.004+12:00

on how to celebrate my 300th post... who would like one of my kits (of your choice) or a page scrapped by me?

So how to win...

Competition closes in one week... thats seven little days from now (and just to clarify thats New Zealand time I am talking here)

first way... leave me a comment on this post... say hello, say whatever you wish... just make sure you leave a way for me to contact you...

second way... follow my blog - don't forget to leave me a message here on this post

third way... blog about the competition or add it to your facebook profile either way don't forget to come back and leave a message here on this post...

I have some new templates up in the store right now... great if you are wanting to get some digi scrapping done but want it done quickly then templates are the way to go...

Scrap It Vol. 2
Image is linked

Now I have a couple of pages to share with you that I have scrapped during the week...
First up is another with a template this time its not one of mine though...

But from the amazingly talented Suzanne of Roadside Designs... so incredibly easy to work with... I have a bit of a phobia about multiphoto pages but not using this gorgeous template... Look out for Suzanne's debut very very soon... at a favourite store of mine... hee hee... the papers and elements are all from my store... various kits etc

and lookie here... one of the photos my Dad sent me down... me and my grandmother many years ago and seeing the light of day again... gotta love that... just like I really love the gorgeous Hennai kit from Lynne-Marie @ Catscrap... seriously gorgeous!

Okay all have a good weekend and don't forget to leave me a comment for your chance to win either a kit of your choice or a page scrapped by me...

300

2010-05-13T10:31:00.003+12:00

Huh I have just noticed this post here will be my 300th post on this blog! WOW! the number kinda surprised me... I hadn't really given it any thought I guess so it was kind of a surprise...

So I guess I should celebrate in some way... suggestions please? would you like a little competition? a chance to win something from my store... a freebie? you tell me and I will see what I can do... do it quick though before I come to my senses...

But what I really did come here to say was that the wind that just never seems to give in... causes chaos and mayhem and just keeps blowing that we have had here for a few days now can stop any time it likes! I am so OVER it! It's driving everyone nutso... me included...

Mothers Day

2010-05-09T21:22:00.003+12:00

has been pretty flamin' good here... certainly can't complain about NOT having to cook at anytime today...

Okay so breakfast shortly after 7 am was possibly a little on the early side but hey I can live with that... watching Chris trying to eat a bowl of ricies (with milk no less) semi reclined without spilling it through the bed was rather amusing... but he did manage it... though the toast proved to be a problem... toast and beds are two things that really don't mix well... nothing worse than crumbs in the bed! Well apart from said beds bedding being kicked into submission during the course of the night and ending up leaving little bits of you cold and just a little on the miserable side!

But all in all... phone calls to Mum, visits to Chris' Mum... a trip to Orana Park... a drive home the long way round... with a stop off at the local speedway and then out to dinner with Mum and Bryan well all was good with the world...

And of course getting a little bit of scrapping in just topped the day off nicely... and check it out... look at those long legs... itty bitty dress and the perfect double teapot! And at 5!
You have to remember this was the early 70's we are talking here... thus the itty bitty dress... no shoe hippy pippy look...
The nappied one in the photo is my older little brother... unfortunately I am no longer the taller of the two of us... little booger towers over me (though not quite to the extent of the other brother!) and revels in it...

I created the page using creashens ab fab "Reasons" kit... can't quite believe that I managed to not only use a yellow paper but a yellow patterned paper to boot! Wooohooo me! If you just absolutely need to check it out go check out her store at catscrap...

and now just before I drag my sleep butt to bed for the night... I want to wish all my Mummy/Mommy/Mama friends a very happy mothers day... I hope yours was as filled with joy and wonder as mine was...

Mwah...

Dannielle has been creating...

2010-05-08T15:12:00.003+12:00

Dannielle wanted to make a page this afternoon, so with a bit of help from me finding things and helping with resizing things she did this all by herself... isn't she a clever little chickie?
I think so but then I am totally biased!

How could you not...

2010-05-06T13:02:00.003+12:00

love these little beauties? Danielle from Wish Bliss Studios created them... I heart Danielles art... not cutesy just plain out gorgeous!

Some days...

2010-05-05T14:30:00.003+12:00

you just get lucky and find little gems like this one... this is my older brother... well when I say older the fact that he is three years younger than me makes no never mind... he is the elder of my two brothers and that makes sense in my mind if no where else...

I couldn't believe my luck when I saw this photo the other day... I so remember that flamin horn... and the fact that most of the time he was awake the ruddy thing was never far from him... and yes he spent a whole lot of time tooting his own horn!

I love the colours of the photo which by the way I have worked NO magic with it, absolutely nothing... Dad photographed it from a slide, I cropped it and that was it... what you see is what you get... as I said I love the colours in the photo so it was a natural to team up with this gorgeous paper from Siamese Studios... Kashmir Nights... rich and glorious... I can see many more pages coming using it...

Another

2010-05-04T12:51:00.002+12:00

half speed day today...

my head still feels like its filled with cotton wool... but with a few rocks in there too obviously since they near on knocked me senseless while I was trying to chop firewood... do you know how much it hurts to bend down to pick up the chopped wood off the ground when said rocks which till this point have been nicely muffled in all the cotton wool move and smack you hard in the head! I didn't either till I found out the hard way...

Oh and two phone calls to my Dad regarding photos today... and yeah he said really nice things about his pesky daughter too... love you Dad... mwah

I am obviously...

2010-05-03T20:33:00.004+12:00

running on half speed...

for what was I think the fourth or fifth time in the last few hours I have had to ring my parents to get them to answer something that should have been blatantly obvious to me...

if I had been slightly more with it that is... and not struggling with a head that feels like its full of cotton wool... eyes that really do want to close and stay closed... and aches that really would be better off somewhere else... anywhere else for that matter... having the flu is NOT FUN!

I digress... after staring at a photo for what seemed like hours but in reality was probably only a matter of minutes... I decided that I couldn't for the life of me figure out exactly what year my elder brother was born... was it three or four years after me... turns out it was the former... which then sparked a remark that switched on a fairly dim light bulb in my cotton wool filled head...

resulting in this sparkling conclusion... "if K is three years younger than me, and N is 2 years younger than him and K was born in 69 and N was born in 71... that means ... hold on Chris, my darling, long suffering husband is a year younger than my youngest brother!"

On being informed of this startling conclusion his rather charming (?) response was " well I can't help it if you are an old fart!" Thank goodness I love my husband...

and since I have rambled on about this photo and its resulting rather dim witted conclusion I guess I should share it huh?

Most everything by me... except for that gorgeous little journal spot which is from Hennai by the amazingly talented Lynne Marie whose store is at Catscraps...

I've been scrapping

2010-05-03T13:17:00.007+12:00

quite a bit lately...

there are times that actual pages finished are fairly thin on the ground and then there are times that the cup certainly runneth over...

right now the cup runneth over... which is flamin brilliant!

I have to admit it certainly helps having new or different photos to scrap with... I have been pestering my Dad lately... and yeah Dad I am aware that is the understatement of the century but I am very thankful you have just nodded and no doubt muttered a few bad things about your pesky daughter...

Not quite so pesky here though... well at least not able to talk and ask for the near impossible anyways... created with lots and lots of creashens goodies...

Now check out these dudes... handsome aren't they? created with papers, feathers, ribbons etc all by me... except for that lovely branch that is a creashens beauty...

Miss A... love my girlie... she surely does make my heart go pitter patter... page created with creashens kit "pitter patter"

Miss D is our little clown... and we love her even more because of it... page created with paper and tape by me, frame from [ksharonk] and that gorgeous border by Wish Bliss Studios...

Now if you like those pages... keep an eye out later this week when I release ...
Scrap It Vol. 1 ... PSD templates based purely on these beauties you see above...

New and Old

2010-05-02T10:25:00.003+12:00

Photos that is... the pages are both brand spanking new...

first up an old photo I got from my dad the other day... very cool to see all these old photos seeing the light of day again...

Using goodies from me, creashens and wish bliss studios...and a new photo from our recent west coast trip... Miss A doing her Pania of the reef impersonation...
created using Shen (creashens) new kit Some Kinda Wonderful available at the LilyPad for a short time...

iNSD alpha freebie

2010-04-30T11:38:00.004+12:00

Designed to co-ordinate with Alec and Edna the elements, Alec Lawrence and Edna Marain the paper packs....

and yours free for this weekend only

Alec and Edna the alpha
for personal use only
Image is linked... click to download
don't forget to leave a comment if you nab it please

My iNSD sale has started

2010-04-30T08:34:00.002+12:00

and runs through till Tuesday morning (New Zealand time)

Everything in store is 25% off including CU and my new releases...
check out this weeks new goodies...

All Images are linked to my store

Alec and Edna the elements

Vintage Frames - CU/PU

Miss Tammy - a date book/perpetual calendar
in psd templates or png files

Happy Scrapping for International Scrapping Day (weekend hee hee)

$2 Tuesday...

2010-04-27T13:55:00.004+12:00

Oh man I can't believe I forgot it was Tuesday... busy days here lead them all running one into the other... so much so that I forgot all about today being Tuesday...

I have been busy with another project that I have just finished off today... photobooks recording 2007! DONE and DUSTED!!!!

Parent Teacher interviews tonight for both girls... should be interesting... in a good way... since both girls love school!

Two CU products up this week for $2 Tuesday... too good a bargain to miss out on...

Images are linked through to the store...
Feathers - CU

Just Ribbons - CU

Will have to leave this here... gotta sort out something to burn for dinner...

It rained... I scrapped

2010-04-25T13:01:00.004+12:00

We had our first really wet day yesterday... so while the girls were puttering around and Chris was doing another assignment... I got some scrapping done... tidied up my computer a little and finished off a kit preview for release this week...

My poor Dad has been put on an old photo hunt... and all because I made a photo book about my Nana... its been fantastic seeing some of these old treasures again... and there are some I have never seen before like this beauty! My goodness don't they look so young!
This is my Mum and Dad at their engagement party... October 1964...

and I got to use some of the papers I have made recently... Alec and Edna were Dad's parents... so it was kinda appropriate really... and have a look at the elements you will see more of them later this week ... when Alec and Edna the elements pack is released...

I have to say the moment I first saw Shens new "torn bits 2" I knew they would be perfect for adding to this page... great spot for the journalling and it looks brilliant too!

Here's the credits for you if you are interested... remember some aren't yet released but you won't have too long to wait...

cherpea designs @ Two Little Pixels

Paper – Edna Marain

Frame, Leaves, Seedpod, Heart – Alec & Edna

Alpha

creashens @ Catscrap

Paper scrap – Torn Bits 2

Deca Designs

Paper – Sweet Thing Blog Freebie

Metal branch – Letter For Mom Addon

Font – Love Letter

Oooh and I forgot to mention the very talented Denise aka Deca Designs at two little pixels is in the Little Dreamer Designs Apprentice competition... some of her gorgeous designs for this competition are appearing on this page also...

It's a lovely day for a bike ride... and new designs...

2010-04-23T11:29:00.005+12:00

a push bike ride that is... pedal power not engine power this time... just got back from a lovely long block ride... now the short block is about 6km... the long block is 17... feel good... all that glorious son beating down on us... a bonus of the chillier evenings and early mornings is the lovely sunny day that is a result...

and I am still working on those photos from our West Coast trip... its jsut that Alec and Edna keep dropping ideas into my head... Alec Lawrence the paper pack is out today... but expect a visit from them both very soon... maybe even next week...

Alec Lawrence the papers...
(image is linked)

and Tapes 2 - CU
formerly only available in a personal use pack... now out in Commercial use as well...
and bigger score both new releases are 25% off for 24 hours

and if you haven't already checked it out... you really do have to go and check out Tammy's blog for a fantastic giveaway... find Tammys Blog right here... Tammy created this totally kickin date reminder book using some of my designs last year... now you can make one too!
Tammy has 5 Perpetual calendar & Miss Tammy templates to give away...

I have truly been blessed

2010-04-21T11:21:00.002+12:00

with some totally amazingly talented, warm, generous, down right gorgeous friends in my life... some of them I haven't yet met... but whether I have met them or not they are all very important in my life...

One such friend is Tammy... Tammy is an amazingly talented artist living in Texas... she inspires me to be a better Mama, wife, artist... generally just a better person... anyway we were talking the other day about a little project she created using some of my digital designs the other day...

which sparked a thought in my head... you know how it goes... have a moment or two free and look at what you can dream up in that time...

the dream this time is a little wee competition... hop on over to Tammy's blog and in particular the thread I linked you to... to get all the details... while you are there make sure you check out her blog a little more... inspiration central...

and when you pop back don't forget to leave a message here on my blog too... or become a follower of my blog... you never know... I might just have a surprise in store too...

$2 on Tuesday @ Two Little Pixels

2010-04-20T07:09:00.003+12:00

Yep its Tuesday again and this week I have Kiwi Xmas Day kit and the add on both on $2 Tuesday...

Images as always are linked...

Kiwi Xmas Day...

Kiwi Xmas Day add on...

and check out this gorgeous page by Deborah...

Back later with a few photos from our trip... I had a little play yesterday with some textures and my photos... not my usual only slightly tweaked photos which some purists may not like but I kinda do... today anyway and I still have the originals so I am good to go either way...

We took a little trip in our favourite rocket ship...

2010-04-16T07:48:00.004+12:00

okay so maybe not rocket ship but we did take the Pug for a good long walk... run... hop... skip and jump...

It's the school holidays here so we decided kind of last minute to take a little trip to the West Coast... we had planned on it at Christmas... but then everything went just a little pear shaped and we never made it...

We were heading to Westport... via Arthurs Pass, Kumara, Punakaiki (the Pancake Rocks) and little points between... it was originally meant to be Karamea but we dithered too long and there wasn't anywhere to stay... well no where that we could or would afford anyway... so Westport it was and I have to say I am glad of that... a little bigger and not quite so isolated...

Still working on sorting out some photos so will come back with more of the story and photos later...

In the mean time I have some new designs out this week...
images as always are linked...
and since its the end of the holidays and I want to spend a bit more time with the girls I have them up on sale already!

25% off right now!
Along with 25% off all my CU goodies...
don't delay too long though you never know when I am going to come to my senses!

Edna Marain Papers
In Memory of my darling Nana - Edna Marain

10 richly coloured 12 x 12 papers with gorgeous texture and pattern... perfect for heritage pages... masculine pages... well in truth nearly every thing pages...

Tapes 3 - available in both PU and CU packs
10 pieces of off white tape all nicely ripped, scrunched, folded and distressed.

don't forget 25% off all CU goodies in my store till I come to my senses again!
Never been a better time to grab yourself a bargain or three!

An annoucement... new designs and some purty pages...

2010-04-09T07:20:00.005+12:00

First up an announcement...

my new Creative Team members are....
trust me it wasn't an easy decision to make...
so without further dithering...

New from me this week is a collection of "stuff" from my desk

Junk from my desk
will be available in Personal Use and Commercial Use packs
Image is linked
and as usual its 25% off for 24 hours

And now to some purty pages... cause we all love purty pages don't we?
by Manuela aka flohbock

by Tina aka monkeyscrappin

Do you like getting a little bargain?????

2010-04-06T11:47:00.003+12:00

How does 60% off sound to you?

If you like getting a bargain and you think 60% off sounds pretty good then you really have to check out $2 on Tuesday at Two Little Pixels ...
From me this week you are going to find ...
Sweet Pea
a full kit with lots of elements and and alpha and finished off with gorgeous white papers...

(Image is linked)

I have remembered why I like

2010-04-06T09:59:00.006+12:00

scrapbooking... and while scrapbooking is great fun to do... actually getting out with your family and creating havoc um hold on that should be memories is what its all about...

We took the weekend off... no plans... other than picking up the new car on Saturday... no rushing around trying to get somewhere at a certain time and you know what? It was fantastic! Puttered around Friday doing nothing much of anything... having said that Chris got a whole lot done on his "bucket" race bike... its been in bits in the garage for some time now... but a beautiful sunny day called for some painting to be done... spray painting that is... the frame is now back looking not battered and scratched... Chris and the girls went out for a wee bit and came back muttering about all the traffic on SH1 trying to head south for the weekend...

In contrast when we went south to Timaru on Saturday the traffic was only slightly more than what you would normally get on the same stretch of road... Chris had bought another car off Trade Me... this time it was in Timaru... (at least it was the same island!) We are now a TWO Peugeot family! He liked driving mine so much that he just had to get one for himself for his winter car... its a couple of years older than mine... and needed some TLC but there was Sunday to get that done wasn't there! Even if it was a rather dreary day here... new radio installed in a matter of minutes was a score on Chris' part...

While we were in Timaru we took the girls to the Aigantighe gallery... its got an amazing sculpture garden... along with the art in the gallery itself... and a huge bonus for parents... they cater to children as well! I mean can you imagine taking a young child to an art gallery that has dress ups... including some costumes that are "replicas" of some of the art themselves and that the kids are allowed... encouraged even to dress up in them and wander around the gallery in them! SCORE big time for forward thinking curators!
Check out the pages I made of some of the costumes the girls tried on... you were allowed to photograph them in the foyer... obviously NOT in the gallery itself...

Miss A

Miss D

Now do you remember me telling you oh I don't know how long ago now that the girlies had got their ears pierced? Well I have finally got around to getting a page done for each of them about the momentous event...

Miss A

Miss D

and there you have it four of the nine... yes I said NINE pages I did over this four day long weekend... NOT one of them took more than an hour and I LOVE THEM! No huge reinventing of the wheel... clean and simple just how I like it... and I still had tonnes of time to "play" with my family... even squirting my hubby as well as the dog we are baby sitting for going nuts inside the house! both looked very surprised to have that happen!