Saturday, January 31, 2009

February @ Mystical

We have an awesome month of challenges and inspiration coming up at Mystical Scrapbooks, starting tomorrow, Sunday 1 February 2009! Make sure you head on over to the forum to check out all the action - we'll have announcements for January challenge winners, brand new challenges for February, teasers for our Cybercrop which is happening NEXT WEEKEND starting Friday 6 February, plus some awesome how-tos as well.

We need to get some chatting happening on the forum, so if you think of anything (scrap related or not!) just pop on over and say hello, all the girls are lovely and you'll be MORE than welcome on our site.

Cheers, and I'll be back with more Mystical excitement tomorrow!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Published!!

Guess what, Scrapbooking Memories have picked up my Heidi Swapp LO!! I am so excited, my first time EVER! Jumping out of my skin at the moment, can you tell....

So its gone from the previous post, hope you got a squiz before I had to take it down!

Cheers,
Sar

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Loz's stay...

...was a very eventful one. We had a great time, even though:-

- Chloe had to be taken to the medical centre on Monday and had bronchialitis.
- Georgia fell off the top bunk on Monday night and we had to call the ambulance (but she is fine, thank god).
- Loz got the bad news that she has to go back to full time work NEXT WEEK.
- Loz got really sick on Tuesday night with the bug my family had last week.
- Loz ended up having to stay a day longer as she was too sick to drive home.
- There was a HUGE spider in my house this morning, of course when Daniel was at work. Me and Loz were so brave (not!) and let my 4yo save our skins...
- Loz finally made it home this afternoon, and now Baby Chloe is sick with the bug.

OMG, seriously, it was eventful and not GOOD eventful, I don't think we could've had much else go wrong. I'm still glad i got to see her before she has to go back to work, as our visits aren't going to be as easy from now on. :( I hope Chloe is better for you soon, babe...

Somehow I did manage to get some scrapping in though, even if Loz didn't! Poor girl.

I took part in the Scrap of Difference Cybercrop this past weekend, if you're looking for a lovely forum you should have a look at SOD, the girls are so friendly and welcoming.

Challenge 1 had to be about 'firsts' and I did a page about Georgie's first time eating chocolate.



Challenge 2 was actually a funky Pagemaps sketch that I did a week or so ago, so I submitted that one with Jo's permission. Here's another look at it.



Another cool thing going on at Scrap of Difference is their new competition called Cook Up A Storm. Its a LO a week using a 'recipe' which is basically a list of ingredients (scrapbooking supplies) and step by step instructions on putting the layout together. Sort of like a blind scrap, I guess. This is Recipe 1, i have a few more to catch up on but luckily the due date isn't until 7 Feb for the first couple. I better get moving!



And here is my take on Recipe 3:-



I then did a page for Stuck Sketches, this is Sketch #70



I did a couple of just because pages, but one I've forgotten to photograph. Here's the other;...



And this is one of my all-time favourite LO's, I think because of its meaning to me as well as the actual layout itself. I am in total awe of Heidi Swapp, she is amazing. Check out the journalling card with her signature and message to me on it, cool eh!? Everything on this page is Heidi Swapp brand, except the chipboard which was especially made for the Heidi/Scraploot event, and the MM staples I've used.



I've also done some other things that you can't see just yet, you'll have to wait for February to start and head over to Mystical where we'll be doing some pretty cool stuff for the month of Feb.

So life is starting to get back to normal here, I'm a bit lonely now that Loz has gone (not that she was very good company anyway!! hehe!!), but Daniel is in bed already and its not even 9pm. Might have to scrap or something....

Time for me to go, its taken forever and day to do this mammoth post, talk soon.

PS. Forgot to say that I'm now up to 28 LO's so far for 2009!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Bonus sketch @ Inspired Blueprints

This month we've given you a Bonus Sketch over at Inspired Blueprints! Make sure you check it out and give it a go. Here's my take, this time I had to do the 8.5 x 11 LO (which was TOTALLY not what I'm used to) and a card.




I've also done a LO for Stuck Sketches in the last few days, little bits at a time. This is Sketch #69, the first sketch for January.



Here is my take on the Colour Challenge at Mystical Scrapbooks, I LOVED the colours in this one, thanks Kell!



After a topic on the Mystical forum brought up how much we actually scrap, I've decided to keep a tally for 2009. So far I'm up to 20 layouts and 3 cards. Pretty good really considering its now the 24th Jan, I am only one behind a project each day! And I can blame that on being sick as a dog yesterday. I'll have to do two tonight and catch up! I'm going to keep my tally in the sidebar of my blog, if anyone is interested in keeping track.

I am very excited because tonight Loz is coming to stay! Its been touch and go, with my family being sick and Chloe being unsettled for Loz...but unless something unforeseen happens today, she'll be here tonight! Woo hoo!

But before that, we are off to my mum's today to celebrate my nephew Sid's 6th birthday. Cooper is very excited and I'm stoked that we're all better and can go, I never would've heard the end of it otherwise!

I forgot to tell you, I did a basic photography workshop with the very talented Janine Kaye last weekend, it was awesome and I learnt a heap. A lot more for me to learn though, and I'll definitely be booking into a further workshop with her sometime in the future.

Here is a pic I took of my beautiful niece Emma, using manual mode on my SLR, go me! I think I even kinda sorta got her catchlights... ;)



Thats it from me, hopefully I'll have LOTS to show in the next few days, as surely Loz & I will scrap up a storm. We will, I promise...even if we do have to look after the kids, chat about everything and have drinks together...we'll still scrap...hehe...

Cheers,
Sar

Monday, January 19, 2009

Thanks Kim!

Thanks so much to the gorgeous Kim Arnold who gave me this award!

This is called the Proximity Award.

"These blogs invest and believe in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers, who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."



So I would like to pass on the award to the following people, whose blogs I read and enjoy daily.

Emma
Nic
Anne-Marie
Bon
Malinda
Peta
Loz
Sara

I have already been enjoying my time at Mystical Scrapbooks, no official DT business as yet but just chatting on the forum and getting to know people is a great way to get started.

I've done two of the Black Magic sketches in the last couple of days, which is Mystical's challenge blog. I'm pleased with how they both turned out.

This is Sketch #1 for January, my man with our baby girls when Bronte was still tiny.



And this is Sketch #2 for January, a funny page of me & my Georgie girl, just having a laugh.



Another sketch, this time the January Sketch for Anna's Craft Cupboard, the sketch has been taken from the Pagemaps site.



Not too much else happening in my house this week. We're on Day 3 of toilet-training Georgie and its going pretty well. She is a good girl and tells me most of the time, a few accidents here and there but thats to be expected I suppose. I've warned daycare that she'll be in undies tomorrow, so I wish them luck! Hehe.

I am very excited that Loz is coming down on Sunday night, she'll be here for a few days which I'm sure will be a blast, but of course will pass by way too quickly. If you're in the Wollongong area and keen for some photos to be taken while Loz is here, let me know. Check out her all new website that was launched yesterday, Lauren Anne Photography. All the best in your new venture babe, you're gonna do so well!

Before I go, I want to send a massive THANK YOU to Maz, for the awesome RAK I received in the post this week. Two HUGE boxes of stuff, I could not believe the generosity, truly amazing. My niece Emma was so so excited when I shared everything with her, and we've both already used goodies received from Maz. Thanks again Maz, you're a gem.

Its still stinking hot here at 7pm, but I just had to run and get my sheets off the line as it has started raining. Totally bizarre weather, never know whats coming next.

Bye for now,
Sar

Saturday, January 17, 2009

An Announcement!

I am so very excited to announce that I have been chosen as the new member of the Design Team at Mystical Scrapbooks! I couldn't believe it when I got the email from Donna saying that they'd picked me, I had to read it and re-read it just to make sure I hadn't mixed up what she'd said!

So now you'll find me at the Mystical Scrapbooks Forum and my work in the gallery, and I'll be helping out with moderating sections of the forum. I'm not 100% on all thats involved yet, but I can't wait for it to kick off. There are some awesome girls already on the team over there including Cookie Aguilar, Kellie Lusted and Sara Noendeng. Can't wait to work with these talented girls, it will be an honour.

Please come on over to Mystical Scrapbooks and join the forum, I'd love to get chatting with you all over there and involve some of my real-life scrapbooking friends in the forum world.

Thats one of my goals for this year crossed off the list, I better get working on the rest!!

Speaking of goals, here is the one and only page I did last night at the Scrapbooking Delights crop. Its for the challenge at Scrapbooking Delights this month to scrap our resolutions for the new year. Mine is pretty general 'I will be the ME I want to be' but then I've done a bit of journalling down the side going into it a bit further. This page took me WAY too long with all the stitching, and I just couldn't get going last night after a long day with the kids and not much sleep the night before. But I love it and its now up on the wall at the shop, can't wait to see everyone elses.



I better be off, have a Georgie girl on my lap, think she may have a sore mouth. I better go give her cuddles in the quiet instead of having her here in front of the screen listening to music with me!

Bye for now,
Sar

Friday, January 16, 2009

Inspired Blueprints Sketch #8

Sketch #8 is up at Inspired Blueprints, go and check it out for some inspiration. Here's mine, my pretty Bronte girl and I, all dressed up and out for dinner for Grandad's birthday. This is very 'pretty page' for me, not something that comes together TOO often.



Make sure you go to the gallery to check out all the gorgeous pages, and to upload your take on Sketch #7 or Sketch #8 by the end of January.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Big post...

I hate it when I forget to post, especially when I've had a big scrapping week and can hardly remember everything I've done! Oh well, my problem I guess, will have to update sooner next time...

So I finished off the page I started at Kindra's last weekend, its a double of us at the circus a couple of years ago. I got the layout for this one from January Pagemaps and used PP and stickers I'd had for AGES that I knew had to go with these photos.



There was a blind scrap at Scrap Therapy on Saturday night which I did a couple of days later. Love this one of Cooper, with his first attempt at 'scrapping' included on the page. Thanks Deb MK for the instructions on this one!



Then I decided to join in a Cybercrop at Mystical Scrapbooks at the last minute, and did my pages on the Monday just in time to upload them. And guess what, I won one of the challenges! I was stoked when I found out today, first time I've been on the forum there. Will definitely be joining in again! Here are the pages I did for the CC, the first one being the winning layout, this was Kell's Challenge, about spending some 'real time' with my bestest internet buddy Loz.



The next one is Sara's Challenge, gorgeous pic of my Georgie girl on the beach when we were in QLD at the beginning of last year.



Had a night of scrapping at my place with Juz on Tuesday (its Juzzy's 30th b'day today, happy birthday babe!!), I ended up finishing one LO and starting another. This one is a sketch contest on the Pagemaps Blog, a page of my big sis Nic.



I finished this one yesterday, a pink page for Cooper's album but you get that! Here with my niece Isabelle, they're both so little...



I'm off to the crop night at Scrapbooking Delights tomorrow and I can't wait! Some kid free scrapping time is much needed, its been too long with a few weeks break over christmas. We've just about booked the shop out with me, Kel, Kindra, Hayley, Linda & Deslie going. Should be a top night!

Its so hot here in Wollongong day, I'm steaming down here in the scrap room as we only have air con in our upstairs area (where all the living areas and bedrooms are). Hope you're keeping cool wherever you are, and enjoy the upcoming weekend.

Bye for now,
Sar

Sunday, January 11, 2009

More LO's

Another scrap day this weekend, at Kindra's place this time. You should've seen how nice and clean Kindra's house was when we got there...and with her cleaner still on holidays! Needless to say, it wasn't looking so crash hot when we left...after half a dozen kids pulled out every toy and every dress up they could find. Sorry babe! But thanks so much for opening your house to us....don't blame you if you don't want to do it again anytime soon! Hehe... ;)

So I pulled some inspiration from the January Pagemaps yesterday, it was hard to get much done or any mojo going with one eye on the kids all the time. This first page is my Georgie when she learned how to clap, and the journalling talks about a song my Mum has sung to all my kids when teaching them how to clap. They've all just loved it. Its so great seeing my mum with the kids, just lately she has been singing this same song with Bronte, and it always makes me smile.



This one I sort of got the idea from another Pagemaps sketch, but ended up going my own way with it. Daddy & Cooper building the sandpit, boys at work, in their element.




I was also working on something else for Inspired Blueprints, but can't show that one just yet...

A great day had here, just a quiet Sunday stuck at home without the car. Lots of jobs done around the house, and my buddy Amanda commented how nice it looked when she came up for dinner, so that was nice. Thanks darl, made me feel good! We had a quick pasta bake for dinner and played (or was that referee'd) with the kids. She just left a little while ago when it looked like a storm was going to hit, but I'm sure I'll talk to her again soon on msn when all the kids are finally sleeping. :)

Best go get the Coop-meister into bed, and then its my time so hopefully some scrapping can be done instead of just net surfing!

Cheers,
Sar

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Only a week later....

...am I sharing my LO's from our scrap day at Kellie's last weekend! I have had computer issues and uploading problems, we thought there was some sort of connection problem but guess what? The problem is my dodgy husband! He forgot to put a filter on the upstairs phone line, so my computer has been struggling for two weeks trying to differentiate between the phone line and the broadband. Men, I tell ya... ;)

Anyway, its all sorted now so here are my LO's from a week ago. I have more to show from today, but haven't taken pics yet so will do that soon.






We have had a massive week in the Ward household. Our Georgie girl turned 2 on Monday, although when asked she will say she's 3! We say 'how old?' with a questioning look on our face and she'll giggle and say 2! Funny girl. She had a magical day, with early presents, a party in the morning with her playgroup buddies, and a family get together in the evening. She was spoilt rotten and kissed & cuddled by everyone all day. THEN she had a cake at school on Thursday, just to celebrate with her little friends there.




Then yesterday was Daniel's birthday. He had to work afternoon shift, but we had a nice morning with him and bought him way too many pressies! Don't know how my new year saving/no spending budget is gonna deal with that...but oh well, he deserves it.

Apart from that, I've been busy trying to get my house organised, and so far have managed to get my ironing up to date and doing a little each day to keep on top of it, my house is semi-organised, beds are made each day, kitchen is clean, dining table is clear....all of this is progress for me! Now to focus on ME a bit more and this whole eating healthy and exercising thing...I start tomorrow, I promise! I hate saying that, its something I've done forever and gets me in this stupid mindset...but really, I will start again tomorrow after a shocking busy week of cake and takeaway... ;)

So back to the scrapping front, I've had a good week of competition wins. I won the December Sketch challenge at Anna's Craft Cupboard, which was an awesome prize of $35 credit with free postage, which I've spent already (and some!). I also won the December CC Sketch challenge at Bon's Scraps, by the lovely Peta. So some happy shopping to be done by me in Bon's shop again, can't wait!

Time for me to go and unpack all of my scrap stuff again, I'll try to be back before another week of this new year passes us by...

Cheers,
Sar

Friday, January 2, 2009

Officially on a DT!

My time at Inspired Blueprints officially began on 1 January 2009, so please go on over and check out the new sketch...and my take on it! So excited. Join in the fun and upload your sketch by the end of January for a chance to win an awesome kit from Kraft Girl Kits. Its a random draw so ANYONE can win!

Have a LOT of LO's to show off from the last few days, I did a little on the weekend and then a whole kid-free scrap afternoon/night at my friend Linda's on Tuesday. It was so good just having that time to go for it with no interruptions...I think I managed seven LO's in the end.

So here they are, a few to start that were 'just because' -








And these ones were taken off some sketches the girls had hanging around, I think they were July Pagemaps.



This one was from the Sketch This blog.



And this final one was also a Pagemaps one, but a recent one for December.



So there you go, lots to show and hopefully another load coming soon. Scrapping tomorrow at my mate Kellie's new house, can't wait to see it!

I have also been honoured by Belynda, who has linked me on her blog with this award:



The Rules for the Kreativ Blogger Award are:
1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to their blogs.
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

So the blogs I want to shout out for are:

1. My gorgeous niece Emma who is only 13 and amazes me with her talent.
2. Janine Kaye, whose work I admire and am actually lucky enough to 'know in real life'.
3. Loz, my bestest internet buddy, who gives me a smile everyday when she puts up a photo of her gorgeous Chloe on the blog.
4. Mel who I know from Scrapbook Divas, who has just been named a Scrapbooking Memories Master, woo Mel!
5. Marijana, whose MSN messages make me laugh and keep me up till all hours!

So after my excitement and this mammoth post that has felt like its taken forever, I'm going to wish you all a very Happy New Year, and I look forward to catching up with you all in the scrap world this year.

Cheers,
Sar